cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translating the Human CANTAB Touchscreen Based Tasks to Evaluate Learning and Memory in Mouse Models of Down Syndrome

Humans with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit hippocampal learning deficits in the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Here we translated the CANTAB Visual Discrimination (VD) and Extinction tasks to investigate hippocampal learning and cortical inhibitory control in the Dp(16)1/Yey, Ts65Dn and Ts1Cje mouse models of DS. No food or water restriction was used prior to testing. The number of days to reach 70% correct answers and percent of correct responses were analyzed. All Dp(16)1/Yey, Ts1Cje and WT mice reached Stage 5 of pre-training. No differences between genotypes were found in percent of correct responses. Five Ts65Dn and one WT animals reached Stage 5 and only one Ts65Dn mouse reached VD. Ts1Cje mice took longer (17.86{+/-}3.19 days) to move to VD vs. WT (11.44{+/-}1.96 days, P=0.09). There were no differences between Dp(16)1/Yey and WT mice. At VD, the average percent of correct answers was significantly lower in Dp(16)1/Yey (22.70{+/-}1.93%) and Ts1Cje (34.39{+/-}1.98%) compared to WT littermates (32.18{+/-}1.49% and 41.11{+/-}1.45%, respectively, P<0.05). In another set of experiments, we demonstrated that mild food restriction significantly reduced the time needed to complete pre-training in C57BL/6J mice compared to C67BL/6J mice that had ad libitum access to food and water. In conclusion, we were able to apply human cognitive tests to evaluate hippocampal learning and cortical inhibitory control in three mouse models of DS. These studies demonstrate significant cognitive differences between strains. Future experiments will evaluate whether food restriction and/or pre- and postnatal therapy decreases the time intervals to achieve training mile.
Entropy Measurement of Concurrent Disorder

There is an imminent demand to understand the relationship between correctness and performance to deliver highly scalable multiprocessor programs. The motivation for this relationship is that relaxed correctness conditions provide performance benefits by reducing contention on data structure hot spots. Previous approaches propose metrics for characterizing relaxed correctness conditions that measure the number of method calls or state transitions to be shifted to arrive at a legal sequential history. The reason the existing metrics cannot measure the performance effects of a correctness condition is that they ignore delays in method calls since delayed responses from method calls yield correct behavior in even the strictest correctness conditions. We observe that method call delays can be captured by measuring the disorder in method call ordering using a metric from information theory known as entropy. We propose entropy as the first metric for multiprocessor programs that evaluates the trade-offs between correctness and performance. We measure entropy for a variety of concurrent stacks, queues, and sets from the Synchrobench micro-benchmark suite and correlate entropy, correctness, and performance. Our main insight is that lower entropy corresponds to better performance for strict correctness conditions and higher entropy corresponds to better performance for relaxed correctness conditions.
Relative performance of commercial citric acid and quaternary ammonium sanitizers against Listeria monocytogenes under conditions relevant to food industry.

Abstract Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in cold temperatures coupled with its tolerance of antimicrobials can promote its survival and persistence in food processing environments. The food industry relies heavily on cleaning and sanitation to control L. monocytogenes; therefore, it is important to understand the environmental context (i.e., temperature) on the efficacy of antimicrobials used in food industry. The minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of an “eco-friendly” citric acid-based (CAB) sanitizer and a conventional quaternary ammonium compound (CQAC) sanitizer were determined against 14 L. monocytogenes isolates at 4–30 °C. A subset of isolates (n = 3) was also exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of sanitizers to assess differences in growth behavior. CAB and CQAC were effective at manufacturer recommended concentrations in liquid assays. The MBC of CAB was significantly lower at 4 °C compared to 23 °C (p 5-log reduction of L. monocytogenes attached to surfaces. Findings from this study demonstrate the importance of sanitizer evaluation under conditions representative of their use in the food industry.
An analytic model for computing the countercurrent flow of heat in tubing and annulus system and its application: Jet pump

Abstract Shale fields are currently over-reliant on electric submersible pumps (ESPs) in the early stage of artificial lift despite its weakness to sandy flow and often failing within the first three months. Jet pumps are reliable and cost-effective alternatives to the ESPs. Current studies on jet pumps have focused on designing parameters for maximizing performance; however, there have been very few investigations on predicting temperature profiles in the wellbore with a jet pump in use. Fluid temperature influences viscosity; hence, the production of heavy oil. Typically, the heavier the hydrocarbon, the greater is the variation in viscosity with temperature. Therefore accurate temperature prediction is essential for the efficient design of heavy oil production facilities. This paper offers an analytic model to compute temperature profiles in the tubing and annulus. Results show a good match with a field data set. Data set from a well in Tah field in China is used to validate the model. In addition, sensitivity analyses were performed that showed that injection temperature affects the annulus temperature profile, leading to significant changes in frictional pressure loss at shallow depths. In contrast, injection rate has less influence on temperature profiles, although, of course, higher fluid velocity causes greater frictional losses. Results show that a hotter and relatively small flow rate leads to lesser pumping cost by reducing frictional pressure drop during the operation. The proposed model ideally requires the bottom-hole temperature as a boundary condition (BC). When subsurface temperature data are unavailable, as often the case due to cost, a computing method is offered in the paper for reliable temperature profile estimation from only two data points at the wellhead.
Nanomechanical mapping and strain rate sensitivity of microcrystalline cellulose

Nanoindentation provides a convenient and high-throughput means for mapping mechanical properties and for measuring the strain rate sensitivity of a material. Here, nanoindentation was applied to the study of microcrystalline cellulose. Constant strain rate nanoindentation revealed a depth dependence of nanohardness and modulus, mostly attributed to material densification. Nanomechanical maps of storage modulus and hardness resolved the shape and size of voids present in larger particles. In smaller, denser particles, however, where storage modulus varied little spatially, there was still some spatial dependence of hardness, which can be explained by cellulose’s structural anisotropy. Additionally, hardness changed with the indentation strain rate in strain rate jump tests. The resulting strain rate sensitivity values were found to be in agreement with those obtained by other techniques in the literature.
Enhancing a Molecular Electrocatalyst’s Activity for CO2 Reduction by Simultaneously Modulating Three Substituent Effects

The electrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction is greatly enhanced for Co complexes with pyridyldiimine-based ligands through the stepwise integration of three synergistic substituent effects: extended conjugation, electron-withdrawing ability, and intramolecular electrostatic effects. The stepwise incorporation of these effects into the catalyst structures results in a series of complexes that show an atypical inverse scaling relationship for CO2 reduction-the maximum activity of the resulting catalysts increases as the onset potentials are driven positive due to the ligand electronic substituent effects. Incorporating all three effects simultaneously into the catalyst structure results in a Co complex [Co(PDI-PyCH3+I-)] with dramatically enhanced activity for CO2 reduction, operating with over an order of magnitude higher activity (TOFcat = 4.1 × 104 s-1) and ∼0.2 V more positive catalytic onset (Eonset = -1.52 V vs Fc+/0) compared to the parent complex, an intrinsic activity parameter TOF0 = 6.3 × 10-3 s-1, and >95% Faradaic efficiency for CO production in acetonitrile with 11 M water. This makes [Co(PDI-PyCH3+I-)] among the most active molecular catalysts reported for the CO2 reduction reaction. Our work highlights a promising catalyst design strategy for molecular CO2RR catalysts in which catalytic ability is enhanced by tuning three synergistic substituent effects simultaneously in a single catalyst structure.
Stabilization of pentazolate anions in the high-pressure compounds Na2N5 and NaN5 and in the sodium pentazolate framework NaN5·N2.

Synthesis and characterization of nitrogen-rich materials is important for the design of novel high energy density materials due to extremely energetic low-order nitrogen–nitrogen bonds. The balance between the energy output and stability may be achieved if polynitrogen units are stabilized by resonance as in cyclo-N5− pentazolate salts. Here we demonstrate the synthesis of three oxygen-free pentazolate salts Na2N5, NaN5 and NaN5·N2 from sodium azide NaN3 and molecular nitrogen N2 at ∼50 GPa. NaN5·N2 is a metal-pentazolate framework (MPF) obtained via a self-templated synthesis method with nitrogen molecules being incorporated into the nanochannels of the MPF. Such self-assembled MPFs may be common in a variety of ionic pentazolate compounds. The formation of Na2N5 demonstrates that the cyclo-N5 group can accommodate more than one electron and indicates the great accessible compositional diversity of pentazolate salts.
A discrete-event simulation model for the Bitcoin blockchain network with strategic miners and mining pool managers

Abstract As the first and most famous cryptocurrency-based blockchain technology, Bitcoin has attracted tremendous attention from both academic and industrial communities in the past decade. A Bitcoin network is comprised of two interactive parties: individual miners and mining pool managers, each of which strives to maximize its own utility. In particular, individual miners choose which mining pool to join and decide on how much mining power to commit under limited constraints on the mining budget and mining power capacity; managers of mining pools determine how to allocate the mining reward and how to adjust the membership fee. In this work we investigate the miners’ and mining pool managers’ decisions in repeated Bitcoin mining competitions by building a Monte-Carlo discrete-event simulation model. Our simulation model (i) captures the behavior of these two parties and how their decisions affect each other, and (ii) characterizes the system-level dynamics of the blockchain in terms of the mining difficulty level and total mining power. In addition, we study the sensitivity of system performance metrics with respect to various control parameters. Our analysis may provide useful guidelines to mining activity participants in the Bitcoin network.
Spacers for life: high mortality rate associated with definitive treatment of shoulder periprosthetic infection with permanent antibiotic spacer.

Background Periprosthetic joint infection following shoulder arthroplasty represents a challenging problem for orthopedic surgeons. Although recent studies have supported 2-stage exchanges, this treatment choice may not be appropriate for all patients. Definitive antibiotic spacer placement represents one treatment strategy with limited reported outcomes in the literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mortality rate and functional outcomes associated with definitive spacer placement. Methods A retrospective chart review identified 17 patients who were treated with definitive antibiotic spacer placement (18 spacers) and were followed up for a minimum of 2 years after surgery. The mortality rate over the study period was determined. Demographic information, clinical course, patient-reported outcomes (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score, and Veterans RAND 12 [VR-12] score), infection parameters as defined by International Consensus Meeting criteria, radiographic evaluation findings, and rotator cuff integrity at the time of spacer placement were collected. Results Seventeen patients underwent treatment with retained antibiotic spacers at a mean age of 62.4 years (range, 50-73 years). Ten patients were women, and the mean body mass index was 30.5 (range, 22.9-39.9). Spacer placement occurred at a mean of 6.1 years (range, 0.48-14.9 years) following index arthroplasty. Five patients required spacer exchange. The most common organisms were Cutibacterium acnes (6) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (6); in addition, methicillin-resistant S aureus (2), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (2), Serratia marcescens (1), gram-positive cocci (1), Enterobacter faecalis (1), Enterobacter cloacae (1), diphtheroids (1), and an infection with negative culture findings (1) were observed. The mortality rate was 52.9% (9 of 17 patients). Among the 8 surviving patients, the mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was 33.9 (range, 13.3-80.0), the mean Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score was 35.6 (range, 0.0-80.0), the mean VR-12 mental score was 57.2 (range, 36.6-66.9), and the mean VR-12 physical score was 37.1 (range, 21.7-64.0) at a mean of 4.7 years (range, 2.0-8.8 years). Conclusion Definitive antibiotic spacer placement is an acceptable method to treat infection in medically frail patients who have a high mortality risk. Spacer exchange may be necessary because of persistent infection, and functional results are poor.
Role of Accountancy in the country economy.

I discussed in this paper the role of accountancy in country economy and historical aspects and historical back ground. I discussed in this paper all the reality with special references and possible all the covered area of accountancy in this era of modernization and globalization.
Quantification of Solar Energy Grid Disturbances in the United States

Solar energy penetration levels have been increasing steadily in recent years, becoming a significant factor in the energy system in the United States and the world. The increase in photovoltaic generation leads to a potential increase in grid disturbances. This study analyzes the relationship between solar energy generation and error (difference between the demand and the forecast energy demand) in seven subregions of the United States. Three types of errors were calculated mean error (ME), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean squared error (MSE). Correlation analysis was performed between solar energy generation and the three types of errors. Furthermore, graphical comparisons were made between the percentage of energy generated and the three types of errors for each of the seven subregions. As a result, negative correlations were found between the generation of solar energy and ME in five analyzed subregions. When analyzing the correlation between solar energy generation with MAE and MSE, a correlation was found in all the subregions. Besides, ME, MAE, and MSE values decrease in the subregions with the highest solar energy generation percentage. The results indicate that the generation of solar energy impacts the demand forecast. Also, Balancing Authorities (BAs) with a high percentage of solar energy consider the solar generation's effects on demand forecasting. Due to these results, even BAs with low solar generation should consider solar energy as a relevant factor to improve the demand forecast accuracy. Additionally, it is necessary to incorporate methodological standards across all BAs that consider solar generation effects in demand forecasting.
Spotlight on the avian gut microbiome: fresh opportunities in discovery.

Chickens represent a globally ubiquitous food animal underpinning many aspects of human nutrition and health. Consumption of chicken meat continues to surge, representing a cheaper, healthier, low-...
Carbon dynamics at the river-estuarine transition: a comparison among tributaries of Chesapeake Bay

Abstract. Sources and transformation of C were quantified using mass balance and ecosystem metabolism data for the upper segments of the James, Pamunkey and Mattaponi Estuaries. The goal was to assess the role of external (river inputs & tidal exchange) vs. internal (metabolism) drivers in influencing the forms and fluxes of C. C forms and their response to river discharge differed among the estuaries based on their physiographic setting. The James, which receives the bulk of inputs from upland areas (Piedmont and Mountain), exhibited a higher ratio of inorganic to organic C, and larger inputs of POC. The Pamunkey and Mattaponi receive a greater proportion of inputs from lowland (Coastal Plain) areas, which were characterized by low DIC and POC, and elevated DOC. We anticipated that transport processes would dominate during colder months when discharge is elevated and metabolism is low, and that biological processes would predominate in summer, leading to attenuation of C through-puts via de-gassing of CO2. Contrary to expectations, highest retention of OC occurred during periods of high through-put, as elevated discharge resulted in greater loading and retention of POC. In summer, internal cycling of C via production and respiration was large in comparison to external forcing despite the large riverine influence in these upper estuarine segments. The estuaries were found to be net heterotrophic based on retention of OC, export of DIC, low GPP relative to ER, and a net flux of CO2 to the atmosphere. In the James, greater contributions from phytoplankton production resulted in a closer balance between GPP and ER, with autochthonous production exceeding allochthonous inputs. Combining the mass balance and metabolism data with bioenergetics provided a basis for estimating the proportion of C inputs utilized by the dominant metazoan. The findings suggest that invasive catfish utilize 15 % of total OM inputs and up to 40 % of allochthonous inputs to the James.
Protective Factors and Working with Students Involved in Bullying: Commentary on the Special Issue and Dedication to Dan Olweus

This special issue advances our understanding of protective factors within the complex interactions between an individual and other systems within the child’s life. In this commentary, we describe the contributions of Dr. Dan Olweus to the field of bullying prevention. From a social-ecological perspective, there are several individual-level characteristics (e.g., cognitive appraisals, empathy, mindset, and attitudes) that protect individuals from the negative impact of bullying. Studies also examined the role of parents, teachers, and friends, as well as the importance of school engagement. Multiple systems-levels factors, particularly help-seeking and access to counseling, were found to be protective across studies. Studies in the special issue represent research from across the globe including from Canada, Chile, China, Cyprus, India, South Korea, and Singapore. Directions for future research to further elucidate protective factors are provided.
The relationship of spirituality and empathy to attitudes towards addiction

While negative attitudes within the social work community toward clients struggling with addiction may not be ubiquitous, there is evidence that such attitudes remain problematic. Interestingly, th...
Stochastic Adsorption of Diluted Solute Molecules at Interfaces

Here an analytical solution of Fick’s 2nd law is used to predict the diffusion and the stochastic adsorption of single diluted solute molecules on flat and patterned surfaces. The equations are then compared to the results of several numerical Monte Carlo simulations using a random walk model. The 1D diffusion simulations clarify that the dependence of the solute-surface collision rate on the observation-time (measurement time resolution) is because of the multiple collisions of the same molecules over different time regions. It also surprisingly suggests that due to the self-mimetic fractal function of diffusion, the equation should be corrected by a factor of two. The absorption rate of solute on an adsorptive surface is found to follow a power-law decay function due to an evolving concentration gradient near the surface along with the depletion of the bulk solute molecules on the surface, for example, in a self-assembled monolayer adsorption kinetics. Thus, the analytical equations developed to calculate the collision at a fixed measuring frequency can be extended to map the whole curve over time. In the last section of this work, 3D diffusion simulations suggest that the analytical solution is valid to predict the adsorption rate of the bulk solute to a small group of adsorptive target molecules/area on a bouncing surface, which is a critical process in analyzing the kinetics of many bio-sensing platforms.
Sex-dependent differences in lung inflammation and M2-macrophage responses in asthma (HYP2P.328)

​Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease that exhibits a sex difference. Alveolar macrophages acquire an M2-phenotype in asthma and in response to IL-4 in vitro . M2 macrophages correlate with poor lung function and pathology in asthmatics. We hypothesized that macrophages from female mice are intrinsically more responsive to IL-4 than male macrophages. Western blot demonstrated greater expression of the M2-marker, Ym-1 (~14 fold), in IL-4-activated bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) from female mice compared to male mice. We next assessed alveolar macrophages from male and female OVA-sensitized and -challenged mice for expression of M2-markers by FACS and western blot. We measured enhanced eosinophilia and increased Ym-1 expression in alveolar macrophages from female mice compared to male mice following OVA challenge. Estrogen enhances macrophage activation but the impact on lung macrophages during asthma is poorly understood. We observed a greater percentage of macrophages in the lungs of estrogen-implanted female mice that had undergone ovariectomy, compared to placebo-implanted females, following OVA challenge. These data suggest both intrinsic and estrogen-enhanced M2 macrophage polarization in females compared to males. Understanding intrinsic and estrogen-mediated sex differences in asthma is paramount to identify novel molecular targets and improve therapeutics in women with hard-to-treat asthma.
Two nonlinear beams with definitions of ductility

TWO MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF NONLINEAR BEAMS WHICH CAN BE USED TO REPRESENT THE GIRDERS AND COLUMNS OF A NONLINEAR MULTISTORY STRUCTURE ARE DESCRIBED AND COMPARED. ONE BEAM MODEL IS LIMITED TO BILINEAR BENDING MOMENT-END ROTATION HYSTERETIC CHARACTERISTICS. THE OTHER MODEL CAN HAVE DIFFERENT CURVILINEAR AND BILINEAR HYSTERETIC CHARACTERISTICS AT EACH END. THREE DIFINITIONS OF DUCTILITY FACTOR ARE MADE AND APPLIED TO YIELDING BEAMS. THESE TYPE OF BEAM MODELS CAN BE USED IN THE STUDIES OF THE DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF EARTHQUAKE EXCITED MULTI-DEGREE OF FREEDON YIELDING STRUCTURES. /ASCE/
Deterministic Fault Injection of Distributed Systems

Ensuring that a system meets its prescribed specification is a growing challenge that confronts software developers and system engineers. Meeting this challenge is particularly important for distributed systems with strict dependability and timeliness constraints. This paper presents a technique, called script-driven probing and fault injection, for the evaluation and validation of dependable protocols. The proposed approach can be used to demonstrate three aspects of a target protocol: i) detection of design or implementation errors, ii) identification of violations of protocol specifications, and iii) insight into design decisions made by the implementors. To demonstrate the capabilities of this technique, the paper briefly describes a probing and fault injection tool, called the PFI tool, and several experiments on two protocols: the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) [4, 24] and the Group Membership Protocol (GMP) [19]. The tool can be used to delay, drop, reorder, duplicate, and modify messages. It can also introduce new messages into the system to probe participants. In the case of TCP, we used the PFI tool to duplicate the experiments reported in [7] on several TCP implementations without access to the vendors' TCP source code in a very short time. We also ran several new experiments that are difficult to perform using past approaches based on packet monitoring and filtering. In the case of GMP, we used the tool to test the fault-tolerance capabilities of an implementation under various failure models including daemon/link crash, send/receive omissions, and timing failures. Furthermore, by selective reordering of messages and spontaneous transmission of new messages, we were able to guide a distributed computation into hard to reach global states without instrumenting the protocol implementation.
Is routine pelvic surveillance imaging necessary in patients with Wilms tumor

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether routine pelvic imaging is needed in patients with Wilms tumor. Thus, the primary objective of the current study was to examine the role of routine pelvic computed tomography (CT) in a cohort of pediatric patients with Wilms tumor. METHODS: With institutional review board approval, the authors retrospectively identified 110 patients who had Wilms tumor diagnosed between January 1999 and December 2009 with surveillance imaging that continued through March 2011. The authors estimated overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and dosimetry from dose length product (DLP) conversion to the effective dose (ED) for every CT in a subgroup of 80 patients who had CT studies obtained using contemporary scanners (2002-2011). Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters were placed within organs of anthropomorphic phantoms to directly calculate the truncal ED. EDDLP was correlated with EDMOSFET to calculate potential pelvic dose savings. RESULTS: Eighty patients underwent 605 CT examinations that contained DLP information, including 352 CT scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis; 123 CT scans of the chest and abdomen; 102 CT scans of the chest only; 18 CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis; 9 CT scans of the abdomen only; and 1 CT that was limited to the pelvis. The respective 5-year OS and EFS estimates were 92.8% ± 3% and 2.6% ± 4.3%. Sixteen of 110 patients (15%) developed a relapse a median of 11.3 months (range, 5.0 months to 7.3 years) after diagnosis, and 4 patients died of disease recurrence. Three patients developed pelvic relapses, all 3 of which were symptomatic. The estimated ED savings from sex-neutral CT surveillance performed at a 120-kilovolt peak without pelvic imaging was calculated as 30.5% for the average patient aged 1 year, 30.4% for the average patient aged 5 years, 39.4% for the average patient aged 10 years, and 44.9% for the average patient aged 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: Omitting pelvic CT from the routine, off-therapy follow-up of patients with Wilms tumor saved an average 30% to 45% of the ED without compromising disease detection. Cancer 2013. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Environmental regulation of virulence in group A streptococci: transcription of the gene encoding M protein is stimulated by carbon dioxide

We have found that different atmospheres can have significant effects on the transcription of emm, the gene that encodes M protein, the major virulence factor of the group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes). Expression of emm was monitored by constructing a transcriptional fusion of the promoter for emm6.1 from S. pyogenes JRS4 to a promoterless chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Transcription, as measured by determining chloramphenicol acetyltransferase specific activity, was stimulated by as much as 25-fold by increased carbon dioxide tension. Expression was greater in the latter stages of growth and was not affected by growth at 30 instead of 37 degrees C. Insertional inactivation of mry, a gene encoding a positive regulator of emm6.1, reduced chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity below the detectable level. We conclude that expression of emm is influenced by environmental factors and that the level of carbon dioxide is one signal that may influence expression of M protein during infection.
Economic Analysis of Row Spacing for Corn and Soybean

Many studies report the yield benefits of narrow row soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and corn (Zea maize L.), but few focus on the profitability of switching to narrow rows. Based on yield data from 10 states in the north-central USA and one province in Canada, this study considers the economic benefits of narrow row corn and soybean as a combined cropping system. The objectives of this study are to: (i) estimate the costs of switching from a wide to narrow row corn and soybean production system; (ii) determine the net benefits of making this change; and (iii) to quantify the risks associated with switching from wide to narrow rows. Narrow row systems where corn and soybean are planted using the same narrow row spacing with the same planting equipment are compared with (i) a system where soybean are drilled and corn is planted in conventional, 76-cm rows (30-inches), and (ii) a system where the same equipment is used to plant corn and soybean in 76-cm rows. Sensitivity analyses consider net returns (i) to each system calculated at loan rates, (ii) to each system when glyphosate-resistant soybean are included in the production set, and (iii) taking into consideration regional price and plant response effects. Expected profits, equipment costs, and the economic risks involved in the choice between alternatives are quantified using partial budget analysis, a mean-variance criterion, stochastic dominance, and certainty equivalents. In all comparisons, strategies with narrow row soybean were always more profitable.
The role of histamine in burn, tourniquet and endotoxin shock in mice.

Abstract The release of histamine and mortality was studied in mice after various types of experimental shock. In burn shock, serum histamine rose significantly after injury, but there was no correlation between increased serum histamine and high mortality as a consequence of several therapy regimes. For example, after treatment with histamine or Compound 48/80 before burning, there was a rise of serum histamine, yet shock mortality fell significantly. Although separate administration of antagonists of H 1 - or H 2 -histamine receptors had no effect on mortality, pretreatment with both diphenhydramine and burimamide significantly increased shock mortality. In tourniquet shock, serum histamine rose significantly, and treatment with both antagonists before trauma produced a significant elevation of shock mortality. In endotoxin shock, prior treatment with one or both drugs did not change mortality. These results suggest that endogenous histamine is not a lethal factor in burn and tourniquet trauma, but rather it appears to have a compensatory, beneficial effect.
Influence of GM-CSF supplementation on PaO2/FiO2 index in septic patients

Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (rHuGM-CSF) is used in leucopenic febrile patients to enhance leukocyte production. It can prime resting monocytes and augment their inflammatory response [1]. It strongly up-regulates HLA-DR expression, LPS induced TNF-a monocyte secretion and down-regulates anti-inflammatory cytokines release [1].
Collagenase in Cranial Morphogenesis

Collagen is the most abundant extracellular matrix protein in connective tissues of higher animals. The growth of connective tissues is intimately linked to the ability to model and remodel the collag
SECOND-HARMONIC GENERATION AND BIREFRINGENCE OF SOME TERNARY PNICTIDE SEMICONDUCTORS

A first-principles study of the birefringence and the frequency-dependent second-harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients of the ternary pnictide semiconductors with formula ${\mathrm{ABC}}_{2}$ $(A=\mathrm{Zn},$ Cd; $B=\mathrm{Si},$ Ge; $C=\mathrm{As},$ P) with the chalcopyrite structures was carried out. The zero-frequency limits of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{123}^{(2)}$ were found to be in reasonable agreement with available experimental data for all the considered materials. We found that substitution of P by As, Si by Ge, and Zn by Cd is favorable to get a higher value of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}(0).$ An analysis of the different contributions shows that the anomalously high value of the zero-frequency SHG in ${\mathrm{CdGeAs}}_{2}$ appears as a result of a very small interband term in the zero-frequency limit which, contrary to most of the other materials of this class, does not compensate the large intraband contribution. Simple inverse power scaling laws between gaps and ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ values are not supported by our results. We find that the (001) oriented $1+1$ superlattice structure has significantly lower gaps than the chalcopyrite and correspondingly higher ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}.$ However, this smaller gap structure is characterized by a large alternatingly compressive and tensile lateral strain in the layers, which makes it unfavorable. The calculated values of the birefringence for ${\mathrm{ZnGeP}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{CdGeAs}}_{2}$ are in fair agreement (discrepancies being rather constant and of the order of 10%) with experiment in the frequency range corresponding to the middle of the gap.
Rice Yield Components as Affected by Cultivar and Seeding Rate

New rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars have been released that possess yield potential >10 000 kg ha -1 . Some of these new cultivars have increased costs associated with them due to patented input traits and/or hybrid technology. Research analyzing the effects of seeding rate on yield components with modem cultivars is not well-documented. Therefore, field trials were conducted near Stuttgart, AR, in 2002 through 2004 with the objective of determining the effect of rice seeding rate on yield components of three modern, long-grain rice cultivars. This research was done in an effort to determine iflower-than-recommended seeding rates would produce yields similar to currently recommended rates. Rice seeding rates from 57 to 500 seeds m -2 resulting in a rice density range of 73 to 373 plants m -2 did not effect rice aboveground biomass production, panicle density, harvest index (HI), or rice yield, regardless of cultivar. 'Wells' produced higher panicle weights and had a higher HI than 'CL161' across the range of rice densities. Cultivars XL8 and Wells produced similar yields, and these yields were higher than CL161. Cultivar, rice density, and thermal time were significant factors affecting rice canopy coverage. Cultivar XL8 achieved canopy coverage sooner than CL161 or Wells. As rice density increased, canopy coverage increased by 3% for every additional 100 plants m2. As degree days (DD50) accumulated, canopy coverage increased 0.4% °Cd - '. Results from this study indicate that recommended seeding rates for CL161, Wells, and XL8 can be reduced while maintaining similar yields.
Inhibitory effects of flavor compounds on Staphylococcus aureus WRRC B124

Acetanisole (4'-methoxyacetophenone) (AC), benzaldehyde (BE), cinnamaldehyde (CI), diacetyl (DI), phenylpropionaldehyde (PH), and pyruvaldehyde (PY) were tested against growth of S. aureus WRRC B124 in brain heart infusion broth. Activity was assessed in the presence and absence of oxygen at 12, 19 and 37C, and in combination with mild (20 min at 50 or 60C) heat treatments. The carbonyl compounds limited S. aureus growth at minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ≤ 0.5-8.0 mM. After 4 h at 37C, a 2 to 3-log 10 CFU/ml population reduction was observed with cultures containing 8.0 mM PH, PY, DI or CI. Activity was 02-tension independent, with CI (0.5 mM), DI(2.0 mM) and PY(2.0 mM) being most active. The MIC for CI was temperature independent, while PY was most effective at 19C, and PH and DI at 12C. Mild heat treatment of carbonyl-supplemented samples reduced previously observed MICs. At 60C, for example, the MICS for AC and BE, 4.0 and 8.0 mM respectively, were both reduced to ≤ 0.5 mM. The decimal reduction times for S. aureus exposed to both UV-light and 8 mM flavor compounds were 3.3 and 4.3 s for CI and DI, respectively. However, the other compounds were not as effective in the presence of UV since the decimal reduction times ranged from 7.7 to 9.0 s. The carbonyl compounds tested were effective antistaphylococcal agents and their use in combination with thermal processing may serve as a new approach to control S. aureus growth and other gram-positive foodborne pathogens.
Coronal rotation at 3.5 R⊙ determined from solwind data

Abstract Synoptic maps of the sun's white-light corona from SOLWIND data are used to determine a synodic rotation rate at 3.5 R⊙ for the interval 1979 to 1985. The rotation rate is rigid compared with that of the photospheric magnetic field, and agrees with that of the coronal magnetic field as determined from a current-free model. This validates the use of the current-free approximation for estimating the average rotation rate of the coronal magnetic field over long time scales.
Composition near the knee: results from the CACTI experiment☆

Abstract This paper presents a summary of the results the CACTI experiment, which studied the shape of Cherenkov lateral distributions of showers triggering the CYGNUS II air shower array at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to investigate the composition of cosmic rays in the PeV energy range.
The Making of Neurexins

Neurexins are neuronal cell-surface proteins with up to thousands of isoforms. These isoforms are generated by alternative splicing of transcripts from six promoters in three genes. The structure of neurexins resembles cell-surface receptors with a modular architecture suggestive of a sequential assembly during evolution. Neurexins probably perform multiple functions in the brain. They participate in intercellular junctions in which beta-neurexins tightly bind to a second class of neuronal cell-surface receptors called neuroligins. Intracellularly, the neurexin/neuroligin junction is bound by CASK on the neurexin side and PSD95 on the neuroligin side. CASK and PSD95 are homologous membrane-associated guanylate kinases that bind to the neurexin/neuroligin junction via PDZ domains, creating an asymmetric junction (neurexin/neuroligin) with similar intracellular binding partners. In addition to a function as cell-adhesion molecules, neurexins may also serve as a signalling receptor, because a class of ligands for alpha-neurexins called neurexophilins is similar to peptide hormones. Finally, at least one neurexin isoform, neurexin Ialpha, represents a high-affinity receptor for alpha-latrotoxin, which is a potent excitatory neurotoxin. Thus, neurexins constitute a large family of neuronal receptors that may be involved in multiple interactive functions between neurons.
Reflection-concordant stereospecific numbering

Abstract If enantiomers are to receive names that agree except for differences in the configurational affixes, it is not sufficient that all descriptors of pheroehiral elements are inverted on reflection. It is equally essential that the numbering does not change when the enantiomeric pair is interconverted. A set of rules is suggested which would accomplish this and which would provide for the differentiation by fixed numbering of all the numbered atoms of a molecule that are sterically distinct. As our definition of steric elements that are only graphochiral is basic to the formulation of the numbering rules, we have reaffirmed its appropriateness after considering the recently introduced pseudochirality operations.
A Self-Routing Switch Fabric Architecture on a Chip

We present a new switch fabric architecture on a chip for the next generation link speed. The advances in CMOS technologies and optical technologies have changed the design constraints of switch fabrics. The number of transistors on a chip is no longer a major issue in the switch fabric design. Processing speed and wire length have become critical as the link rate continues to increase dramatically. Noting these trends, we propose a new switch fabric that consists of switching elements in a regular tile structure. This regular structure leads to a highly pipelined and self-routing architecture. The results of the synthesized circuits show that a single chip can support 64 ports and 40 Gb/s data rate using current CMOS technologies.
The E-Reader as Replacement for the Print Newspaper

This study examines the effects of a major metropolitan newspaper’s withdrawal from a city and whether an e-reader pre-loaded with a digital subscription to the newspaper would act as a replacement. In-depth interviews with 20 former readers of the newspaper found the device, the Kindle DX, to be generally liked for its readability but a poor substitute for the published version of the newspaper.
Quantum noise reduction in optical amplification.

Quantum fluctuations in optical amplification are investigated with a nondegenerate optical parametric amplifier whose internal idler mode is coupled to a squeezed vacuum. Reductions of the inherent quantum noise of the amplifier are observed with a minimum noise level 0.7 dB below the usual noise level of the amplifier with its internal idler mode in a vacuum state. With a small coherent field as the signal input, the amplified output exhibits an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio of 0.5 dB for the case of a squeezed-vacuum as compared to a vacuum state for the amplifier's internal mode.
The fine structure of the sympathetic axons within the pacinian corpuscle

Abstract The present electron microscopic study verified the existence of postganglionic sympathetic fibers within Pacinian corpuscles previously reported by use of the fluorescence histochemical technique of Falck and Hillarp for the cellular localization of the biogenic amines11,12. Thin (less than 0.5 μm) unmyelinated nerve fibers different from the main axon were found at 4 different sites within the Pacinian corpuscle:site 1, in one or two bundles among the outer lamellae of the proximal myelinated segment;site 2, as a single fiber or as two separate fibers in the inner core region of the unmyelinated terminal segment, a few lamellae away from the main axon;site 3, as a single fiber or as two separate fibers in the inner core region of the unmyelinated terminal segment closely apposed to the main axon without intervening lamellae; andsite 4, in the adventitia of arterioles within the proximal myelinated segment. Dense core vesicles (60 nm) are present within thin axons found at sites 1–4. It is suggested that the axon profiles devoid of dense core vesicles may be either preterminal postganglionic sympathetic axons or non-sympathetic fibers; and that the axon bundle(s) of site 1 may be the Timofeew19 fibers which were originally reported to be present in the outer lamellae of Pacinian corpuscles. The significance of the present findings is discussed in view of Mountcastle's5 unifying proposition, which is a modern restatement of Merkel's4 original point of view, that all sensory nerve endings are chemoreceptors.
Development of Children's Knowledge about Unconsciousness

Children of ages 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 years, and adults were asked whether people who are sound asleep and not dreaming could or would: (1) see, hear, listen, notice, think, wish, pretend, and feel things (primary-consciousness activities), (2), know that they are asleep, and know whether they are or are not engaged in primary-consciousness activities such as perceiving and thinking (reflective-consciousness activities), (3) deliberately decide to or try to perform mental or physical actions (control activities). Results indicated that the recognition that people do not engage in conscious mental activities when unconscious is still developing during the late middle-childhood years. We speculate that a developing understanding of consciousness may assist the development of an understanding of unconsciousness and vice versa, and that sensitivity to the phenomenology as contrasted with the content of mental states may be a late acquisition in the theory-of-mind area.
Comment on “Optical coherence: A convenient fiction”

It is argued here that in a large class of lasers there exist mechanisms by which large coherent fields could be generated, and hence there seems to be no compelling reason to regard optical coherence as a ``fiction.'' Some brief comments on the use of a ``pointer basis'' to resolve statistical mixtures are also presented.
Journals of the Century in Business

L'A. presente une selection de periodiques incontournables dans les domaines du commerce et de l'economie, classes selon les secteurs suivants : Comptabilite-Generalites ; Comptabilite-Audit ; Comptabilite-Cout / Encadrement ; Comptabilite-Public ; Comptabilite-Taxation ; Ethique commerciale ; Systeme informatique d'information / Systeme d'information de gestion ; Economie-Indicateurs economiques et information statistique ; Economie-Generalites ; Economie-Econometrie ; Economie-International ; Entrepreunariat ; Finance ; Finance-Banque ; Finance-Generalites ; Finance-Gestion des investissements ; Gestion ; Gestion-Relation de travail ; Gestion-Gestion des ressources humaines ; Gestion-Strategie ; Marketing-Publicite ; Marketing-Generalites.
A meta‐analysis of instructional systems applied in science teaching

This article is a report of a meta-analysis on the question: “What are the effects of different instructional systems used in science teaching?” The studies utilized in this meta-analysis were identified by a process that included a systematic screening of all dissertations completed in the field of science education since 1950, an ERIC search of the literature, a systematic screening of selected research journals, and the standard procedure of identifying potentially relevant studies through examination of the bibliographies of the studies reviewed. In all, the 130 studies coded gave rise to 341 effect sizes. The mean effect size produced over all systems was 0.10 with a standard deviation of 0.41, indicating that, on the average, an innovative teaching system in this sample produced one-tenth of a standard deviation better performance than traditional science teaching. Particular kinds of teaching systems, however, produced results that varied from this overall result. Mean effect sizes were also computed by year of publication, form of publication, grade level, and subject matter.
Production of antibodies to sheep liver dihydropteridine reductase: characterization and use to study the enzyme defect in a variant form of phenylketonuria.

Abstract An antiserum to sheep liver dihydropteridine reductase has been prepared in rabbits. The antiserum cross-reacts with dihydropteridine reductases from human, rat and bovine tissues. Using this antiserum, it was not possible to detect any cross-reacting material in the liver of a phenylketonuric child whose genetic defect has been shown to be due to a lack of detectable dihydropteridine reductase activity.
H 2 dissociation due to collisions with He

Cross sections for dissociation of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ due to collision with He are calculated for highly excited rovibrational states using the quantum-mechanical coupled-states approximation. An ${L}^{2}$ Sturmian basis set with multiple length scales is used to provide a discrete representation of the ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ continuum which includes orbiting resonances and a nonresonant background. Cross sections are given over a range of translational energies for both resonant and nonresonant dissociation together with the most important bound-state transitions for many different initial states. The results demonstrate that it is possible to compute converged quantum-mechanical cross sections using basis sets of modest size. It is found that collision-induced dissociation competes with inelastic scattering as a depopulation mechanism for the highly excited states. The relevance of the present calculations to astrophysical models is discussed.