cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Managing breast cancer in an outpatient setting.

The treatment of advanced breast cancer has undergone relatively little change in the past decade. Reasons for such a static situation are the sobering realization that even effective chemotherapeutic regimens have had a minor impact on survival, and the paucity of new effective agents that have been introduced since initial combination treatments. Based in part on this lack of progress, in recent yearsdose-intensification in search of a curative strategy has been widely adopted. Its role remains to be defined, but ultimately it is likely to be relegated to situations where tumor burdens have been effectively reduced. This reduction in burden may not currently be feasible in many advanced presentations. Outpatient efforts will therefore focus on the following: 1) employing single agents optimally (e.g. infusion 5-fluorouracil), 2) using regimens which integrate new drugs with activity (e.g. taxol), and 3) testing measures which may improve the quality of life (e.g. bisphosphonates in the presence of bone metastases).
Interface relaxation and electronic corrugation in the Pb ∕ Si ( 111 ) − Pb − α − √ 3 × √ 3

The corrugation observed on top of Pb islands grown on $\mathrm{Si}(111)\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Pb}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\surd}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\ensuremath{\surd}3$ (as a result of the Moire pattern formation at the $\mathrm{Si}∕\mathrm{Pb}$ interface) offers a different way to obtain information about the interface. Results from several probes (high resolution LEED, STM, STS, model image calculations) are compared. The origin of the corrugation is predominantly geometric (because of layer relaxation in the island) and to a lesser degree electronic (related to the confined electrons within the island). This is deduced from the hexagonal ringlike features in LEED and the quantitative comparison of the corrugation contrast in calculated vs measured STM and STS images.
A mathematical model of a weighted boolean retrieval system

Abstract The use of weights to denote a query representation and/or the indexing of a document is analysed as a generalization of a Boolean retrieval system. Criteria are given for the functions used to evaluate the relevance of the records to a specific query, including self-consistency. Various mechanisms suggested in the literature for evaluating the relevance of records with regard to a given query are tested and found to be less than satisfactory. A new approach is suggested to avoid some of the perils of a weighted Boolean retrieval system.
Evolutionary Changes in Dopaminergic Modulation of Courtship Behavior in Cnemidophorus Whiptail Lizards

Preoptic dopamine release is integral to the display of copulatory behaviors in male mammals and birds. However, while the anatomical distributions of the dopamine synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase are similar among vertebrates, evolutionary changes in the functional role of dopamine are poorly understood. In this study, we tested whether a dopamine D1 receptor agonist would facilitate the display of courtship and copulatory behaviors in two related Cnemidophorine lizards (Cnemidophorus inornatus and Cnemidophorus uniparens). Cnemidophorus lizards offer a unique system to study evolutionary changes in functionality because ancestral (e.g., C. inornatus) and descendant (e.g., C. uniparens) species can be studied in parallel. Cnemidophorus uniparens is an all-female, parthenogenetic species and is the triploid descendant of the sexual and diploid species C. inornatus. Here we report that in castrated male C. inornatus and ovariectomized C. uniparens a dopamine D1 agonist increased the proportion of individuals mounting and decreased the latency to mount. Moreover, there was a species difference in sensitivity to the agonist: Mounting was elicited at a lower dose in C. uniparens than in C. inornatus. One possible explanation for this heightened sensitivity in the triploid parthenogen is that, by virtue of the increased ploidy, the parthenogen has elevated levels of D1 receptor in limbic brain areas modulating courtship behavior.
Artificial selection of microbial ecosystems for 3‐chloroaniline biodegradation

We present a method for selecting entire microbial ecosystems for bioremediation and other practical purposes. A population of ecosystems is established in the laboratory, each ecosystem is measured for a desired property (in our case, degradation of the environmental pollutant 3-chloroaniline), and the best ecosystems are used as 'parents' to inoculate a new generation of 'offspring' ecosystems. Over many generations of variation and selection, the ecosystems become increasingly well adapted to produce the desired property. The procedure is similar to standard artificial selection experiments except that whole ecosystems, rather than single individuals, are the units of selection. The procedure can also be understood in terms of complex system theory as a way of searching a vast combinatorial space (many thousands of microbial species and many thousands of genes within species) for combinations that are especially good at producing the desired property. Ecosystem-level selection can be performed without any specific knowledge of the species that comprise the ecosystems and can select ensembles of species that would be difficult to discover with more reductionistic methods. Once a 'designer ecosystem' has been created by ecosystem-level selection, reductionistic methods can be used to identify the component species and to discover how they interact to produce the desired effect.
Ischemic preconditioning decreases oxidative stress during reperfusion: A chemiluminescence study

The mechanism responsible for ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is still unknown but may involve the induction of antioxidant enzymes decreasing oxidative stress during subsequent periods of ischemia (I) and reperfusion (RP). The purpose of this study was to determine whether, in fact, an antioxidant mechanism is involved in the protection afforded by IPC. Lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence (LEC), a direct, continuous, nondestructive, on-line method was used to monitor the net amount of free oxygen radicals (FOR) produced during perfusion of rat hearts. Isolated rat hearts were perfused inside a chemiluminescence chamber with lucigenin (1 x 10(-5) M) and subjected to either: (a) 80 min of equilibration (EQ80 group, n = 6), (b) 15 min of EQ, 2 min of IPC, 10 min of reequilibration (REQ), 25 min of I, and 28 min of RP (IPC group, n = 8), or (c) 27 min of EQ, 25 min of I, and 28 min of RP (CTRL, n = 7). Chemiluminescence was measured as counts per minute (cpm) and expressed as %EQ15 (mean +/- SEM). Paired and nonpaired t tests were used for statistical evaluation. EQ80 showed no changes in oxidative stress throughout perfusion (4.5 +/- 0.2 x 10(3) cpm at EQ15 vs 5.1 +/- 0.5 x 10(3) cpm at EQ80, P = NS). During REQ (after IPC) there was a surge of chemiluminescence in IPC hearts compared with CTRL (130 +/- 8% vs 108 +/- 4%, P < 0.05). During reperfusion there was a surge of chemiluminescence in CTRL hearts that was diminished in the IPC hearts (550 +/- 50% vs 380 +/- 50% in IPC, P < 0.05). We conclude that: (1) IPC induces an oxidative stress generating FOR during REQ, (2) IPC decreases the initial FOR burst during RP. We speculate that IPC increases cellular antioxidant defenses which result in decreased oxidative stress during early RP.
Exploring the mechanical behavior of degrading swine neural tissue at low strain rates via the fractional Zener constitutive model.

Abstract The ability of the fractional Zener constitutive model to predict the behavior of postmortem swine brain tissue was examined in this work. Understanding tissue behavior attributed to degradation is invaluable in many fields such as the forensic sciences or cases where only cadaveric tissue is available. To understand how material properties change with postmortem age, the fractional Zener model was considered as it includes parameters to describe brain stiffness and also the parameter α , which quantifies the viscoelasticity of a material. The relationship between the viscoelasticity described by α and tissue degradation was examined by fitting the model to data collected in a previous study ( Bentil, 2013 ). This previous study subjected swine neural tissue to in vitro unconfined compression tests using four postmortem age groups ( postmortem age. The fractional Zener model was also able to capture the nonlinear viscoelastic features of the brain tissue at low strain rates. The results showed that the parameter α was better correlated with compressive rate than with postmortem age.
Rheological modeling of the tensile creep behavior of paper

Paper is a networked structure of randomly bonded fibers. These fibers are composed of naturally occurring polymeric materials (cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin). Polymeric materials such as these exhibit viscoelastic deformation, and as a result, creep under an applied stress. A rheological model has been developed to predict the tensile creep behavior of paper under a uni-axial stress. Specifically, the focus of this model was to predict creep strain using only stress, time, and efficiency factor (effectiveness of bonding). This rheological model offers insight into creep behavior (drawing from molecular creep mechanisms) and separates total strain from creep into initial elastic, primary creep, and secondary creep components. Interfiber bonding is taken into account through the use of an efficiency factor which represents how effectively bonding is distributing load throughout the fiber network of the paper. As a result, this model makes it possible to predict the creep behavior of paper over a range of bonding levels, induced by mechanical changes in bonded area or chemical modification of specific bond strength, using creep data from paper at any single level of bonding. This utility is retained as long as the fibers and the orientation of the fibers are not changed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007
Behavior of Bradford-reactive substances is consistent with predictions for glomalin

There is considerable controversy concerning detection in soils of the protein, glomalin, which is produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Glomalin was originally defined as a substance that cross reacts with a monoclonal antibody formed against a substance in the cell walls of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. Thus, one can use an immunological approach to detect glomalin. However, it was recently shown that other proteins cross react with the antibody. The other, more common, approach involves assay of soil protein using the Bradford reaction. This approach assumes that the Bradford assay is specific to protein, and that the assayed protein is largely glomalin, either because other proteins are in low concentration, or because the extraction process eliminates the possibility of their detection. These assumptions, however, have been called into question recently. One way to test whether the Bradford assay can be useful in quantifying glomalin is to determine whether the concentrations of Bradford-reactive substances are consistent with predictions for glomalin. For example, if recently produced glomalin is more labile than older glomalin, the concentrations of the two fractions should not be highly correlated. Moreover, when a contrast is established between mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal vegetation, recently produced glomalin should soon occur in higher concentration in soils supporting mycorrhizal vegetation. Older glomalin should not be found in higher concentrations in the soils of mycorrhizal vegetation until some time later. We tested these predictions by employing the Bradford assay during the course of a three-year field experiment in which canola (nonmycorrhizal) and soy (mycorrhizal) were grown in separate plots in year 1, both of which were followed by maize (mycorrhizal) in years 2 and 3. The correlation between the concentrations of fraction 1 Bradford-reactive substances (also known as easily extractable glomalin and frequently assumed to be recently produced) and fraction 2 (the more difficult-to-extract fraction and frequently assumed to be older glomalin), was very poor. In year 1, the concentration of fraction 1 was significantly greater in soy plots than in canola plots. Finally, fraction 2 was only significantly higher in the former soy plots than in former canola plots in years 2 and 3. These data support the hypothesis that the Bradford assay was useful in detecting glomalin in this case.
Predicting molding forces during sheet molding compounds (SMC) compression molding. II: Effect of SMC composition

One of the fastest-growing applications of SMC compression molding is the manufacture of truck body panels. Because of their large size, the molding forces required are substantial and have a major influence on the molding cycle. Also, as SMC moves towards parts requiring higher strength, the fiber length and percentage by weight of fibers must increase. This will also contribute to larger molding forces. In this paper, a procedure is presented to evaluate the SMC rheological parameters needed to predict molding forces. In addition, the effect of SMC composition on the molding forces is investigated. In particular, we evaluate the effect of reinforcement type (glass versus carbon) and level, filler level and thickener level. It was found that the factors most affecting molding forces are the reinforcement length and level; and the filler level. In addition, it was discovered that for SMC thickened with magnesium oxide, the level of thickener does not affect the molding force.
Evaluation of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) direct antigen detection assays for use in point-of-care testing

RSV infections cause lower respiratory tract infections and result in surges in physician's office, emergency department visits and hospitalizations, especially in infants and toddlers. Point-of-care (POC) testing reduces healthcare costs and permits informed decisions on treatment, however, optimal POC assays must be sensitive, easy to perform and provide rapid results. A prospective study tested 230 patient nasopharyngeal specimens using 4 RSV direct antigen detection assays (Directigen, Quickvue, Sofia and Veritor) and RT-PCR. A RSV dilution study was also performed to evaluate sensitivity. RSV fluorescent antibody testing in 46/230 patients was also evaluated. Sensitivity values obtained for the Sofia, Veritor, Directigen and Quickvue assays (%) were 85, 72.5, 70 and 57.5, respectively. Fluorescent result interpretation may account for Sofia's enhanced sensitivity. Specificity (%) was 97-100 among assays. Sensitivity data were confirmed in the dilution studies. Fluorescent antibody testing demonstrated 64% sensitivity compared with RT-PCR. Objective result reporting, walk away testing and high sensitivity make the Sofia a valuable choice for POC testing. Veritor's sensitivity may also render it acceptable in POC. Lack of objective results by Directigen and the poor sensitivity observed by Quickvue may preclude their value in diagnostic testing.
Mandatory continuing education in physical therapy: survey of physical therapists in states with and states without a mandate

Background and Purpose. Although formal continuing education (CE) in physical therapy is one part of professional development, its value for renewing licensure is not shared by all states. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in how physical therapists pursue formal continuing education on the basis of state mandate, sex, years of experience, practice specialty, American Physical Therapy Association membership, motivation, and perception of the benefits of CE. Subjects and Methods. A survey questionnaire was sent to 3,000 physical therapists in 7 states—1,500 to physical therapists in states with mandatory CE and 1,500 to physical therapists in states without a requirement. A total of 1,145 usable survey questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 38.2%. Results. Physical therapists in states with mandatory CE averaged 33.8 hours of CE per year, whereas physical therapists in states without a mandate averaged 28.3 hours per year; 5.9% of therapists in states without a mandate reported taking no CE at all, and 10.8% reported taking 2 or fewer hours of CE within the preceding 5 years. No statistically significant relationships were observed between the amount of CE taken and years of experience, sex, or practice specialty. Therapists who reported membership in the American Physical Therapy Association participated in 7.2 more hours of CE per year than therapists who did not report membership. Significant motivational variables that respondents noted for taking CE were state mandate, increased clinical competence, and certification. Therapists overwhelmingly (96.2%) believed that CE had a beneficial effect on their clinical practice. Discussion and Conclusion. Results from this study suggest that mandatory CE does have a significant association with the number of formal CE hours taken by physical therapists.
Ethanol modulates the VR-1 variant amiloride-insensitive salt taste receptor. II. Effect on chorda tympani salt responses.

The effect of ethanol on the amiloride- and benzamil (Bz)-insensitive salt taste receptor was investigated by direct measurement of intracellular Na+ activity ([Na+]i) using fluorescence imaging in polarized fungiform taste receptor cells (TRCs) and by chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve recordings. CT responses to KCl and NaCl were recorded in Sprague-Dawley rats, and in wild-type (WT) and vanilloid receptor-1 (VR-1) knockout mice (KO). CT responses were monitored in the presence of Bz, a specific blocker of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). CT responses were also recorded in the presence of agonists (resiniferatoxin and elevated temperature) and antagonists (capsazepine and SB-366791) of VR-1 that similarly modulate the Bz-insensitive VR-1 variant salt taste receptor. In the absence of mineral salts, ethanol induced a transient decrease in TRC volume and elicited only transient phasic CT responses. In the presence of mineral salts, ethanol increased the apical cation flux in TRCs without a change in volume, increased transepithelial electrical resistance across the tongue, and elicited CT responses that were similar to salt responses, consisting of both a phasic component and a sustained tonic component. At concentrations 50%, those CT responses were inhibited. Resiniferatoxin and elevated temperature increased the sensitivity of the CT response to ethanol in salt-containing media, and SB-366791 inhibited the effect of ethanol, resiniferatoxin, and elevated temperature on the CT responses to mineral salts. VR-1 KO mice demonstrated no Bz-insensitive CT response to NaCl and no sensitivity to ethanol. We conclude that ethanol increases salt taste sensitivity by its direct action on the Bz-insensitive VR-1 variant salt taste receptor.
Impulse-doped GaAs power FETs for high efficiency operation

The authors have fabricated impulse-doped GaAs power FETs demonstrating 59% power-added efficiency with 10.4 dB associated gain and 0.33 W/mm at 10 GHz. To the best of their knowledge, this is the highest power-added efficiency ever reported at X-band for a GaAs FET.
Studies in cognitive reverberation replications and: Extensions

The findings on cognitive reverberation reported in a previous issue of this journal were replicated and extended. Two male undergraduates, trained in hypnotic methods, participated as subjects in a series of studies employing the same salience technique, in which S first listens to a string of consonants, next engages in a filler activity, and then tells whatever consonants pop into mind. The data again yielded evidence for the existence of an autonomous reverberation process since disruptive effects occurred with the introduction, during the filler interval, of five-second pauses under hypnosis or a posthypnotic state of low mental arousal. In addition to being altered in either direction by changes in arousal level, the process was once more shown to be vulnerable to competition by the filler task itself. Duration of reverberatory action was found to vary among individuals from less than one minute up to several hours. The replicated observation of no further reduction in salience from an increase in number or length of disruptive pauses supported the two-process theory of residual network strength plus reverberation expounded earlier. Finally, the role of cognitive arousal was extended to a more complex task involving the differential manipulation of salience in two sets of stimuli presented on the same trial.
Hematopoietic stem cell fate decisions are regulated by Wnt antagonists: Comparisons and current controversies

Wingless and int (Wnt) proteins are secreted proteins that are important for regulating hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal and differentiation in the bone marrow microenvironment in mice. The mechanisms by which Wnt signaling regulates these hematopoietic cell fate decisions are not fully understood. Secreted Wnt antagonists, which are expressed in bone and bone marrow stromal cells, either bind to Wnt ligands directly or block Wnt receptors and co-receptors to halt Wnt-mediated signal transduction in both osteolineage and hematopoietic cell types. Secreted frizzled related proteins-1 and -2, Wnt inhibitory factor-1, Dickkopf-1, and Sclerostin are Wnt antagonists that influence hematopoietic cell fate decisions in the bone marrow niche. In this review, we compare and contrast the roles of these Wnt antagonists and their effects on hematopoietic development in mice, and also discuss the clinical significance of targeting Wnt antagonists within the context of hematopoietic disease.
Nonlinear Analysis of an Absolute Value Type of an Early-Late Gate Bit Synchronizer

The steady-state phase noise performance of an absolute value type of early-late gate bit synchronizer is developed using the Fokker-Planck method. The results are compared with the performance of two other commonly used bit synchronizer circuit topologies on the basis of either 1) equal equivalent signal to noise in the loop bandwidth in the linear region, or 2) equal loop bandwidth at each input signal-to-noise ratio R s . These comparisons are made as a function of R s . In both cases, the absolute value type of early-late gate yields the best performance (in the sense of minimum phase noise) at every value of R s .
DNA SEQUENCES OF FRAMESHIFT AND OTHER MUTATIONS INDUCED BY ICR-170 IN YEAST

ICR-170-induced mutations in the CYC1 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated by genetic and DNA sequence analyses. Genetic analysis of 33 cyc1 mutations induced by ICR-170 and sequence analysis of eight representatives demonstrated that over one-third were frameshift mutations that occurred at one site corresponding to amino acid positions 29-30, whereas the remaining mutations were distributed more-or-less randomly, and a few of these were not frameshift mutations. The sequence results indicate that ICR-170 primarily induces G.C additions at sites containing monotonous runs of three G.C base pairs. Thus, ICR-170 is a relatively specific mutagen that preferentially acts on certain sites with monotonous runs of G.C base pairs. 18 references, 4 figures, 1 table.
Gender-Role Variables and Attitudes Toward Homosexuality

Two studies examined the relationships of gender-role variables to attitudes toward homosexuality. Study 1, a meta-analysis, found that endorsement of traditional gender-role beliefs, modern sexism, and hypermasculinity were related to attitudes, but that gender-role self-concept was not. Study 2 examined the relationships of endorsement of male role norms, attitudes toward women, hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, modern sexism, hypermasculinity, and hyperfemininity to attitudes toward homosexuality and self-reported antigay behaviors in a college student sample. The best predictors of attitudes were participant gender, endorsement of male role norms, attitudes toward women, benevolent sexism, and modern sexism. The best predictors of antigay behavior were participant gender and hyper-gender-role orientation; attitudes toward women and modern sexism were also predictors for men but not for women.
Comprehensive Training in Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect for Dental Students: A Hybrid Curriculum

Child abuse and neglect are tragic realities of American society. However, most U.S. dental schools do not provide students with adequate training to deal with the problem. This article proposes expanding the predoctoral dental curriculum with a problem-based learning model that can effectively stimulate critical thinking skills to assist graduates in screening and reporting suspected child abuse and neglect throughout their careers. The unique multicultural environment of dental school offers students an unprecedented opportunity to develop awareness about child abuse and domestic violence, while increased vigilance can potentially save innocent young lives. Educating students about proper protocol when they suspect child abuse or neglect is imperative, particularly for dental schools involving students in community sealant and other preventive programs in public schools. By expanding their curriculum to include recognition and intervention, dental schools can help break the cycle of violence and transform attitudes towards taking decisive action. Clinical curricula that have moved to private practice preceptor models are well suited to screen for child abuse. The goal is to motivate dental schools to deal with this critical issue, develop reporting protocols and procedures for appropriate response, and provide their students with consummate training.
Individual Air-Borne Particle Mass Measurement Using High-Frequency Micromechanical Resonators

This work demonstrates mass measurement of individual submicron air-borne particles using resonant micromechanical nano-balances. Thermally actuated high-frequency single crystalline silicon resonators fabricated using a single mask process have been used as mass sensors. Mass sensitivity of the resonators have been characterized using artificially generated airborne particles of known size and composition. Mass sensitivities as high as 1.6 kHz/pg have been demonstrated for devices with resonant frequencies in the tens of MHz range. The measured mass sensitivities are in good agreement with the calculated values based on the resonator physical dimensions. Due to the high mass sensitivities, the shift in the resonator frequencies caused by individual particles as small as ~200 nm in diameter is distinguishable. Counting and individual mass measurement of single arbitrary particles in air samples from a cleanroom have also been demonstrated. The results in this work present the possibility of implementation of low-cost and small-size instruments for airborne particle mass and size distribution analysis in highly controlled environments (e.g., for cleanroom classification) or for environmental applications.
A note on stability of pseudospectral methods for wave propagation

In this paper we deal with the effects on stability of subtle differences in formulations of pseudospectral methods for solution of the acoustic wave equation. We suppose that spatial derivatives are approximated by Chebyshev pseudospectral discretizations. Through reformulation of the equations as first order hyperbolic systems any appropriate ordinary differential equation solver can be used to integrate in time. However, the resulting stability, and hence efficiency, properties of the numerical algorithms are drastically impacted by the manner in which the absorbing boundary conditions are incorporated. Specifically, mathematically equivalent well-posed approaches are not equivalent numerically. An analysis of the spectrum of the resultant system operator predicts these properties.
An Approximate Procedure for Determining Prediction Error Variances of Sire Evaluations

Abstract Prediction errors of sire evaluations can be obtained directly from the inverse of the appropriate coefficient matrix. Considerably more effort is required to obtain the inverse in practical situations than can be justified for publication of a confidence figure. An approximate prediction error variance, k/(n + 20), is used currently in the Northeast Artificial Insemination Sire Comparison where n is the number of daughters and k is an appropriate breed constant corresponding to the residual variance. This procedure, however, does not account for distribution of sires across herds nor several lactations per daughter. Thus, the diagonal elements of the sire equations after absorption of cow, sire-by-herd, natural service sire, and herd-year-season equations were chosen as likely indicators of the prediction error variance for this more complicated model. Simple regression was used to relate prediction error variance obtained from the inverse to the diagonal after absorption. The coefficient of determination was .995 or greater in all cases. A single approximate prediction error variance of sire evaluation (group plus sire solution) could be used for Ayrshire, Guernsey, Jersey, and Brown Swiss bulls (and probably for Holsteins, which were not studied). The approximate prediction error variance is [–.0014 + 1.08/diagonal] times the appropriate residual variance. An approximation comparable to repeatability for herdmate comparisons also was derived as [1.01 – 9/diagonal].
Effects of temperature, salinity, irradiance and diurnal periodicity on growth and photosynthesis in the diatom Nitzschia americana: light-saturated growth

The physiological response of an estuarine clone of Nitzschia americana Fryx3ell was measured under experimental conditions of temperature and salinity which represent the average range of these variables in the Cape Fear River Estuary, North Carolina. The influence of temperature (10, 15, 20, 25, 30°C) and salinity (8, 15, 20, 26, 32‰) on specific growth rates, μ, and parameters of photosynthesis-irradiance curves, α, and Pmax were measured during maximum and minimum rates of diurnal photosynthesis using axenic semi-continuous batch cultures maintained at an irradiance saturating for photosynthesis (140 μE m-2·s-1). There was an increase in μ with increasing temperature up to a broad uptimum (25 ± 2.5°C), above which μ gradually declined. At the predicted optimum temperature of 25°C, μ increased as a linear function of salinity. oth light-limited (α) amd light-saturated (Pmax) rates of photosynthesis increased as salinity decreased. The effect of temperature on a and Pmax was complex and dependent on salinity. Pmax exhibited a diurnal periodicity, whereas estimates of a were not significantly different between sampling periods. Growth efficiencey opf N. americana, calculated as the ratio between specific growth rates and rates of gross photosynthesis, increased with an increase in salinity with a maximum at the predicted optimum temperature and salinity of 25°C and 32‰, suggesting and uncoupling between photosynthesis and growth at nonoptimum growth conditions.
RalGDS comes of age

Ras proteins send signals through multiple effector pathways. The Raf/MEK/MAPK and PI 3′ kinase pathways are well-validated Ras effectors in human cancers, but many other candidate pathways could be equally important. RalGDS is such a candidate: in a new paper from Chris Marshall's group, an important role for RalGDS in Ras transformation in vivo has been established for the first time. Mice lacking RalGDS are defective in tumor formation, possibly because of increased apoptosis in Ras-driven tumors. The hunt for a clear role for RalGDS activation in human cancer is on.
Sickle Cell Disease Patients' Perceptions of Emergency Department Pain Management

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience painful crises that often require admission to the emergency department (ED) for pain management. Factors such as ED overcrowding and negative perception and stigmatization of SCD may impact patients' perceptions of the quality of pain management in the ED. Data from a multisite prospective cohort study was assessed to determine whether demographic (age and sex), clinical (time to administration of initial analgesia, number of analgesic doses, discharge disposition, and clinical site), or interpersonal factors (separately measured perceptions of being treated with trust and respect by ED triage nurses, nurses, and physicians) were associated with patient ratings of their pain management in the ED. Patients were adults with SCD seen at 3 EDs (2 urban and 1 rural). Demographic and clinical information was derived from medical record review; interpersonal and ED pain management ratings were derived from interviews conducted 1 week post ED visit. A total of 209 interviews by 98 patients were analyzed. Results indicated significant differences among the ED sites on the demographic, clinical, and interpersonal factors. Overall, patients reported being treated with trust and respect by ED clinicians. Adjusted logistic regression analyses indicated that ED clinical site 1 (odds ratio [OR], 10.42; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 1.44-7.36) and being treated with trust and respect by the ED physician (OR, 25.53; 95% CI, 2.07-314.96) predicted good ED pain management ratings. Interpersonal health care experiences may be an important indicator of patient satisfaction and quality of care received by patients with SCD in the ED.
Shifting paradigms for ischaemic preconditioning

This editorial refers to an article by Z. Cai et al . [11][1] published in Cardiovascular Research in 2008 (see [Box 1][2]). It is accompanied by an editorial by G. Heusch, pp. 214–215, this issue, as part of this Spotlight on Landmark Papers in Cardiovascular Research . One of the most intensively studied phenomena in cardiovascular research is ischaemic preconditioning (IPC), the observation that exposure of the heart to several short (e.g. 5 min) cycles of ischaemia (I5) and reperfusion (R5) will protect against injury caused by a subsequent prolonged (e.g. 30 min) episode of ischaemia (I30) followed by reperfusion.1 The onset of cardioprotection is immediately following the IPC stimulus and lasts for only several hours,1 but is followed by a second window of cardioprotection with the onset ∼24 h after IPC and lasting for several days thereafter.2,3 Based on thousands of research studies spanning two decades, a dominant paradigm was established that acute- or early-phase cardioprotection was rapid but short-lived because it involved transient post-translational modifications of existing proteins, whereas delayed or late-phase cardioprotection was slower to develop but longer lasting because it involved de novo synthesis of mRNAs and their translation into proteins. A remarkably long list of signal transduction pathways, biochemical reactions, and gene products have been implicated in the response of the heart to IPC.4–6 For several molecular targets, the paradigm holds: the activity of the protein is regulated during the acute phase of protection, whereas expression of the protein is regulated during the late phase. It is conventional wisdom that the IPC stimulus-response pathway is centred in cardiomyocytes. Indeed, some investigators have attempted to develop reductionist cell culture models in which cardiomyocytes are exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation for various lengths of time,7 although others in the … [1]: #ref-11 [2]: #F2
Dehydrogenation of pyrrolidine based liquid organic hydrogen carriers by an iridium pincer catalyst, an isothermal kinetic study

Abstract A previously known homogenous iridium POCOPtBu pincer catalyst and several pyrrolidine based liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) were investigated under dehydrogenation conditions and analyzed in a pseudo first order kinetic fashion to determine various kinetic properties. Dehydrogenation onset temperatures (DOT) of 180, 160, and 140 °C; activation energies (EA) of 115, 142, and 166 (kJ/mol); and frequency factor (A) values of 3.56 × 108, 1.05 × 1011, and 2.17 × 1014 (s−1) were found for ethyl perhydro carbazole (EPHC, 2), methyl perhydro indole (MePHI, 3), and butyl pyrrolidine (BuPy, 4) respectively. The dehydrogenation onset temperatures correlate with collision frequency factors rather than the activation energies. This evidence suggests that it is a steric constraint approach of the LOHC rather than a barrier to C–H bond activation at the iridium center which limits the rate of reaction.
Management of water balance components.

ABSTRACT Water and fertility management are important for the efficient production of crops. Since nitrate is highly soluble in water, each of the water balance components must be carefully managed to prevent the transport of nitrate out of the root zone. The water balance components include precipitation and irrigation, stored water in the soil profile, evaporation, transpiration, runoff and percolation. Precipitation management is important to maximize water storage and use. Irrigation is applied when the timing or amount of precipitation is insufficient to meet the crop demand. Surface, sprinkler and drip irrigation systems are discussed as related to management for satisfying crop water needs. When irrigations are scheduled to supplement natural precipitation, the management challenge is to measure and evaluate the irrigation to assure that water is applied in the proper amount and timing. The irrigation system must be managed to avoid excessive runoff or deep percolation. Any excess water leaving the field may be degraded in quality for further use or storage in the underground reservoir. Management of excess water through appropriate drainage is a necessary component of controlling the water balance. Unexpected rainfall can lead to excess water that must be managed. Use of irrigation systems to apply chemicals requires special management. Leaching is required but excess application can degrade ground water and surface water supplies. Management of the water balance components also requires proper soil management to control infiltration and evaporation.
Inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome

The irritable bowel syndrome accounts for 30 to 50 per cent of patients cared for by gastroenterology practices. Irritable bowel syndrome is more common than inflammatory bowel disease. Therefore, it should not be surprising that some patients with inflammatory bowel disease are initially told that they have irritable bowel syndrome before a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease is firmly established. This article contends that many people have both irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.
Evolutionary Programming and Genetic Programming

In this chapter we review briefly two powerful evolutionary techniques; these are evolutionary programming (section 13.1) and genetic programming (section 13.2). These two techniques were developed a quarter of a century apart from each other; they aimed at different problems; they use different chromosomal representations for individuals in the population, and they put emphasis on different operators. Yet, they are very similar from our perspective of “evolution programs”: for particular tasks they aim at, they use specialized data structures (finite state machines and tree-structured computer programs) and specialized “genetic” operators. Also, both methods must control the complexity of the structure (some measure of the complexity of a finite state machine or a tree might be incorporated in the evaluation function). We discuss them in turn.
Abstract T MP55: Implementation of an Emergency Department Stroke Unit Improves Clinical Outcomes for Acute Ischemic Stroke Due to Shorter Times to Treatment

Introduction: The benefits of IV TPA and endovascular AIS therapy (EVT) have been demonstrated to be time dependent. We hypothesized that a stroke unit embedded in the emergency department (ED) would provide more efficient delivery of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) therapy and result in improved clinical outcomes. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center prospective database of AIS from January 2011 to December 2012 to identify patients treated with IV TPA with or without EVT. The ED stroke unit (EDSU) is run by nurses trained to clinical competencies of our institution’s neurocritical unit. EDSU nurses are only assigned two patients within the unit. Baseline characteristics and details of treatment were abstracted for patients treated in the EDSU and general ED population. Univariate analysis was performed with Chi Square and Student's T-tests. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis (sMVR) was performed to compare characteristics and outcome of patients treated in the two ED locations. Results: A total of 160 patients were treated with IV TPA during the study period with 70 treated in the EDSU. Thirty-three patients also received EVT. The average age was 62.2 and mean NIHSS was 10.8. Univariate analysis demonstrated that cocaine use (8.4% vs. 0.0, p=0.02) and smoking (73% vs. 30%, p=0.01) were more common in the ED population while previous stroke (59.0% vs. 21.6%p=0.006) was significantly more frequent in the EDSU group. NIHSS at presentation and discharge were lower in the EDSU (9.4 vs. 12.0, p = 0.006 and 4.3 vs. 6.1, p=0.03). Door-to-needle (DTN) for IV TPA and door to arterial puncture (DAP) for EVT were both significantly shorter in the EDSU (58.7 vs. 74.9 minutes, p=0.0002 and 101 vs. 155, p=0.003). sMVR confirmed that patients in the EDSU had significantly shorter DTN for IV TPA (p=0.0005) and DAP for EVT (p=0.02). sMVR also demonstrated that improved outcome was due to significantly shorter IV TPA DTN time (p=0.04) regardless of location. Conclusion: The implementation of an EDSU improved the delivery of time sensitive acute ischemic stroke therapies resulting in improved outcomes. This study supports the investment of resources in ED systems of care specifically tailored to AIS.
Parasite Incidence and Ecological Relationships in Field Populations of Gypsy Moth Larvae and Pupae

A total of 165,810 gypsy moth larvae and pupae were collected over two field seasons, using five techniques. Three tachinid species Compsilura concinnata (Meigen), Blepharipa scutellata (Robineau-Desvoidy), and Parasetigena agilis (Robineau-Desvoidy) accounted for 77.1% of the parasites recovered; and B. scutellata comprised 50.4%. Two techniques-burlap-band/tree-species and burlap-band—yielded significantly greater numbers of certain parasites than the general technique. The 1972 and 1973 average percentage of parasitism (12 and 14% respectively) indicated that parasites by themselves, as an individual mortality factor, did not remove a significant proportion of the host population and could not function to limit the rate of increase of the gypsy moth in these areas.
Elimination of Nosema heliothidis from a Laboratory Colony of the Corn Earworm

A microsporidian, Nosema heliothidis Lutz & Splendor, was eliminated from a colony of Heliothis sea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), as follows: Larvae were reared at 35°C for the first 7 days which reduced the transovarian transmission of the disease. Eggs were collected from isolated pairs, the resulting larvae sampled for Nosema spores, and all groups which showed any Nosema were discarded. For the next several generations the adults were held in groups of 5 pairs, the progeny sampled for Nosema , and any group containing Nosema was discarded. Extensive decontamination procedures were carried out in the rearing area to reduce the chances of reinfection.
Reconstitution of muscarinic receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase.

Inhibition of bovine brain calmodulin-sensitive adenylyl cyclase was examined in a system consisting of the reconstituted purified porcine atrial muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, the purified inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding protein (Gi), and the partially purified stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding protein.adenylyl cyclase complex. Under conditions where Gi existed mainly as the Gi.GDP complex, adenylyl cyclase was selectively preactivated with guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S). Addition of carbachol formed the receptor.carbachol complex, which catalyzed the exchange of GDP bound to Gi for GTP gamma S, initiating Gi-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. Adenylyl cyclase activated by calcium plus calmodulin was more sensitive to inhibition by carbachol than either unstimulated adenylyl cyclase or adenylyl cyclase activated by GTP gamma S or forskolin. Studies using the resolved subunits of Gi showed that the beta gamma subunit could inhibit adenylyl cyclase activated by GTP gamma S or calcium plus calmodulin, as well as the unactivated enzyme. The alpha subunit of Gi inhibited adenylyl cyclase only when adenylyl cyclase was activated by calcium plus calmodulin. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.
Infrared analysis of biomolecule attachment to functionalized silicon surfaces

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to assess the utility of infrared (IR) spectroscopy in studying biomolecule attachment to inorganic surfaces used in a variety of biosensing applications. To illustrate the attachment of protein and other biomolecules to such surfaces, the model primarily discussed in this chapter is the biotin–streptavidin (SA) coupling system. This model system is selected for its robustness and broad use in biosensing and biotechnology, a popular example of which is Invitrogen (formerly Dynal) Dynabeads that are SA coated for the subsequent attachment of biotinylated DNA probes that can hybridize to specific DNA and RNA target sequences. For comparison, it discusses systems of biomolecule attachment different from the biotin–SA system. IR absorption investigations of biotin–SA attachment at silicon-based surfaces have demonstrated several key advantages of using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) to overcome limitations in biointerface analysis. FTIR, uniquely suited for such analyses, can track specific compounds through successive process steps, directly monitor the efficiency of reactions with the surface, and uncover nanoscale and molecular level changes with high sensitivity that provide new insights into surface quality and the root causes of its degradation. In such IR investigations, each interfacial layer in the construction of biotin–SA coupled surfaces has been separately and continuously monitored: from oxide and oxide-free surface preparation to amine functionalization to biotinylation through protein attachment.
The Complexity of Design Networks: Structure and Dynamics

Why was the $6 billion FAA air traffic control project scrapped? How could the 1977 New York City blackout occur? Why do large-scale engineering systems or technology projects fail? How do engineering changes and errors propagate, and how is that related to epidemics and earthquakes? In this chapter, we demonstrate how the emerging science of complex networks provides answers to these intriguing questions.
Three-dimensional accuracy with two-dimensional computation speed: using the Kiva™ numerical framework to improve foundation heat transfer calculations

Calculation of heat transfer from building foundations is a computationally intensive three-dimensional problem that can require several weeks to solve using current computing hardware. The Kiva numerical framework was developed to compare foundation heat transfer calculation methods and determine approaches that reduce computation time without sacrificing a balance of capability, ease-of-use, and accuracy. This paper demonstrates the application of the Kiva framework to determine an accurate method of approximating three-dimensional heat transfer effects using two-dimensional coordinate systems. In two-dimensions, problems that would otherwise take days or weeks to solve can be solved in less than a minute. Three existing two-dimensional approximation methods along with a new boundary layer adjustment method are tested across a range of foundation types, shapes, and insulation configurations. The boundary layer adjustment method is shown to provide results within 3% mean absolute deviation from the three...