cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plant regeneration from cocoyam callus derived from shoot tips and petioles

The effects of various growth regulators on morphogenesis from cocoyam tissues (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) were investigated. Calluses were initiated from shoot tip and petiole explants and proliferated on medium containing 1.36 μM dicamba. Callus production was significantly greater from petioles than from shoot tips. Thidiazuron (0.045 μM) enhanced callus production when dicamba (13.5 μM) was used, and was more favorable to petioles than shoot tips. Friable shoot tip callus was subcultured into liquid media containing either 1.36 μM dicamba alone, 1.35 μM 2,4-D + 0.46 μM kinetin or 1.36 μM dicamba + 0.46 μM kinetin to induce adventive regeneration. Tissues producing single or aggregated shoot buds were subcultured into media containing 0, 0.049 and 0.49 μM 2-isopentenyladenine where bud multiplication and shoot regeneration were observed. Bud aggregates were formed from callus in liquid cultures containing 1.36 μM dicamba, 1.36 μM dicamba + 0.46 μM kinetin or 1.35 μM 2,4-D + 0.46 μM kinetin. Shoot bud clumps which remained green produced shoots, daughter buds, and plantlets in stationary and agitated liquid media containing 0, 0.049 and 0.49 μM 2iP.
On the performance of bitmap indices for high cardinality attributes

It is well established that bitmap indices are efficient for read-only attributes with low attribute cardinalities. For an attribute with a high cardinality, the size of the bitmap index can be very large. To overcome this size problem, specialized compression schemes are used. Even though there are empirical evidences that some of these compression schemes work well, there has not been any systematic analysis of their effectiveness. In this paper, we systematically analyze the two most efficient bitmap compression techniques, the Byte-aligned Bitmap Code (BBC) and the Word-Aligned Hybrid (WAH) code. Our analyses show that both compression schemes can be optimal. We propose a novel strategy to select the appropriate algorithms so that this optimality is achieved in practice. In addition, our analyses and tests show that the compressed indices are relatively small compared with commonly used indices such as B-trees. Given these facts, we conclude that bitmap index is efficient on attributes of low cardinalities as well as on those of high cardinalities.
CD10 (CALLA)/ Neutral Endopeptidase 24.11 Modulates Inflammatory Peptide-Induced Changes in Neutrophil Morphology, Migration, and Adhesion Proteins and Is Itself Regulated by Neutrophil Activation

The common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA, CD10), which is expressed on early lymphoid progenitors and neutrophils, is the zinc metalloprotease, neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP, "enkephalinase"). The CD10 cell surface enzyme is known to hydrolyze a variety of biologically active peptides including met-enkephalin, formyl-met-leu-phe (f-MLP), and substance P. These three CD10/NEP substrates induce the migration and aggregation of neutrophils, suggesting that each of the peptides can function as a mediator of neutrophil inflammatory responses. Recently, inhibition of CD10/NEP was found to reduce the concentration of metenkephalin needed to activate human and invertebrate granulocytes by several orders of magnitude. Herein we show that f-MLP and substance P induce rapid changes in neutrophil morphology, migration, and adhesion molecule expression, including upregulation of Mo1 (CD11b/CD18) and shedding of LAM-1 (also known as LECAM-1, Leu8, or TQ-1, the human homologue of murine gp100MEL14). Importantly, these coordinated changes are potentiated by inhibition of cell surface CD10/NEP enzymatic activity. Neutrophil cell surface CD10/NEP enzymatic activity is also shown to be regulated by the activation state of the cell during the time period in which the enzyme has its most pronounced effects. These results suggest that in neutrophils, CD10/NEP functions to control responsiveness to multiple inflammatory peptides.
Induction of autophagy in rats upon overexpression of wild-type and mutant optineurin gene

Optineurin is a gene associated with normal tension glaucoma and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It has been reported previously that in cultured RGC5 cells, the turnover of endogenous optineurin involves mainly the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP). When optineurin is upregulated or mutated, the UPP function is compromised as evidenced by a decreased proteasome β5 subunit (PSMB5) level and autophagy is induced for clearance of the optineurin protein. Adeno-associated type 2 viral (AAV2) vectors for green fluorescence protein (GFP) only, GFP-tagged wild-type and Glu50Lys (E50K) mutated optineurin were intravitreally injected into rats for expression in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Following intravitreal injections, eyes that received optineurin vectors exhibited retinal thinning, as well as RGC and axonal loss compared to GFP controls. By immunostaining and Western blotting, the level of PSMB5 and autophagic substrate degradation marker p62 was reduced, and the level of autophagic marker microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) was enhanced. The UPP impairment and autophagy induction evidently occurred in vivo as in vitro. The optineurin level, RGC and axonal counts, and apoptosis in AAV2-E50K-GFP-injected rat eyes were averted to closer to normal limits after treatment with rapamycin, an autophagic enhancer. The UPP function was reduced and autophagy was induced when wild-type and E50K optineurin was overexpressed in rat eyes. This study validates the in vitro findings, confirming that UPP impairment and autophagy induction also occur in vivo. In addition, rapamycin is demonstrated to clear the accumulated mutant optineurin. This agent may potentially be useful for rescuing of the adverse optineurin phenotypes in vivo.
Molecular Recognition in Dendrimers

Dendrimers are ideal candidates for molecular recognition applications, and this article addresses that theme. Synthetic approaches for achieving various dendrimers are discussed, because these methodologies form the basis for designing dendrimers for molecular recognition. Dendrimers act as host macromolecules, where the binding events occur due to a variety of attractive forces. This article focuses mainly on hydrogen-bonding-based recognition and hydrophobic forces. Recognition based on hydrogen bonding has been reported both within dendritic interiors and as a method to modify the surface functionalities of dendrimers. Both of these aspects are covered. The binding of guest molecules due to hydrophobic pressure, ie, amphiphilic dendrimers, is discussed. Keywords: amphiphilic dendrimers; sequences in dendrimers; molecular recognition; hydrogen bonding; facially amphiphilic dendrimers; supramolecular dendrimers
The making of a nurse manager: the role of experiential learning in leadership development

cathcart e. b., greenspan m. & quin m. (2010) Journal of Nursing Management18, 440–447 The making of a nurse manager: the role of experiential learning in leadership development Aim To articulate the experientially acquired knowledge, skill and ethics embedded in nurse manager practice and describe the ways in which they were developed. Background The role of the nurse manager is usually described in lists of competencies, talents and traits which fail to capture the experience-based judgment and practical knowledge in this pivotal organizational role. Method Using Benner’s methodology of practice articulation, 32 nurse managers wrote and interpreted first person narratives of their practice. The experience level of the group ranged from new nurse managers to those with more than 10 years’ role tenure. The seminars were facilitated by a seasoned nurse executive and nurse manager with expertise in narrative interpretation. Results Interpretation of the paradigm case of one nurse manager suggests that complex leadership challenges can be a source of significant experiential learning for the individual and for the group. Conclusions Articulating and reflecting on experiential learning elucidates the skilled knowledge and judgment embedded in nurse manager practice which cannot be accessed in any other way. Implications for nursing management Articulating the practical knowledge which is necessary for effective nurse manager practice can hasten the development of role incumbents.
SERIOUSNESS OF OFFENSES

This experimental study, which was partly a replication of two previous studies in Canada and the United States, had a group of Norwegian students judge the seriousness of a set of offenses based on the magnitude estimation technique of psychophysics. Although it appeared that a considerable degree of consensus regarding the rank ordering of offense seriousness extended across the social and cultural differences between the three subject populations, some clear differences did emerge. In general, any change in the judgment of offense seriousness by the Norwegian subjects exceeded the corresponding changes perceived by the Canadian and the U.S. subjects.
Growth characteristics of the stilbestrol-induced hamster kidney tumor.

The stilbestrol-induced hamster kidney tumor retained hormone dependence in vivo. In order to elucidate the mode and site of hormone stimulation, tumors of the twelfth in vivo transplant generation as well as newly induced kidney tumors were explained to monolayer cell cultures. Various concentrations of diethylstilbestrol failed to stimulate cell growth or prolong viability, and cells died after two to eight subcultures. This was not secondary to in vitro selection of a hormone-independent cell population, since hormone was required for growth of tumor recycled from cell culture to animals. The presence of an intact stroma seems to be a requisite for estrogen tumorigenesis in the hamster kidney.
Women's views of cardiac rehabilitation programs.

BACKGROUND Previous approaches to understanding participation in cardiac rehabilitation programs based on middle-aged men may not be useful to explain the participation of women. The focus group research method produces unique data about attitudes and experiences that can serve as an adjunct to other forms of data collection in an effort to develop models explaining cardiac rehabilitation participation. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of women participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program using focus groups. METHODS Ten women (mean age 72 years) who had recently participated in a cardiac rehabilitation program were interviewed in focus groups of 6 and 4 members each using a semi-structured interview guide. Verbatim transcriptions of the focus group interviews were analyzed by two individuals using content analysis methods. RESULTS Results indicated that prior to participation women had no idea what to expect in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Features women liked most about the program included: (1) feeling "safe" during exercise because they were monitored; (2) peer group support during rehabilitation; and (3) pleasant, encouraging staff. Women desired more: (1) social interaction during the cardiac rehabilitation exercise sessions; (2) emotional support from staff members about all dimensions of cardiac recovery; and (3) exercise options other than cycle or treadmill. CONCLUSIONS Several cardiac rehabilitation program design and operational features are perceived by women as not meeting their needs. Although limited by its small sample size, findings from this study provide valuable insights into women's perceptions of cardiac rehabilitation programs.
NUCLEATION AND GROWTH OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE ON AMINE, CARBOXYL- AND HYDROXYL-SILANE SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS

Upon implantation, calcium phosphate (Ca-P) surfaces form on materials that are bone bioactive. In this study, the evolving surface characteristics associated with calcium phosphate precipitation are modeled using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), in a one-step nucleation process. SAMs were used to create amine (-NH2), carboxyl (-COOH) and hydroxyl (-OH) functionalized surfaces by grafting 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-triethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride and glycidoxypropyl tri-methoxysilane, respectively, onto oxidized silicon wafers. The SAM surfaces were characterized using ellipsometry to establish the presence of grafted molecules. On the surfaces incubated in simulated physiological fluids for 7 days, the thickness of Ca-P layer grew slowly over the first few hours, increasing strongly between 1 and 5 days and then slowed down again. FTIR showed the dependence of calcium phosphate morphology on the type of surface groups, with stronger P-O bands seen on the OH-terminated surface. SEM analysis showed dispersed Ca-P precipitates on the -COOH and -OH terminated surfaces after 1 day immersion. After 7 days, all SAM surfaces were covered with uniformly dispersed and denser Ca-P precipitates. The underlying Ca-P layer showed cracks on the -NH2-terminated surface. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) data analysis confirmed that Ca/P ratio is in excellent agreement with the theoretical value of 1.67 for hydroxyapatite. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis also showed evidence of apatite formation on all the surfaces, with stronger evidence on the -OH-terminated surface. Highly porous Ca-P precipitates were observed on the SAM surfaces portrayed by the AFM scans with nanoscale RMS roughness. Thus, using highly controlled surface chemistry, under physiological conditions, in vitro, this study demonstrates that a hydroxylated surface enhances Ca-P nucleation and growth relative to other surfaces, thereby supporting the concept of its beneficial effect on bone tissue formation and growth.
Noninvasive monitoring of intraocular pharmacokinetics of daunorubicin using fluorophotometry

Purpose. Daunorubicin is a cytotoxic drug, which, in nontoxic doses, is effective in preventing cellular proliferation in experimental vitreoretinopathy. We studied dose and clearance of daunorubicin in various ocular tissues using fluorophotometry techniques. Methods. In vitro tests: The emission of fluorescence from the daunorubicin solution having a concentration range of 0.1 to 10 μg/mL in phosphate buffer was measured using an excitation wavelength range of 489 ± 10 nm. The emission of fluorescence was measured at 514 nm; the linearity of the response was determined using linear regression analysis. There is a fluorescence peak of daunorubicin at 485 nm. The validity and reproducibility of the method were examined. In vivo tests: The rabbits were randomized into three groups and daunorubicin concentrations of 4, 6, or 8 μg/mL were injected into the vitreous. Fluorophotometry scanning from the retina to the anterior chamber was performed with a commercially available fluorophotometer at various times up to 48 hours after injection to quantify fluorescence emission of daunorubicin. Results. The standard curve of fluorescence versus concentration of daunorubicin was linear in the range of 0.1 to 8 μg/mL. It was sensitive up to 0.1 μg. The daunorubicin time concentration profile showed a dose response relationship over the 48-hour period studied. The half-life of daunorubicin in the vitreous was about 5 hours. Conclusion. We performed fluorophotometry using a fluorophotometer whose exciter emits light at 489 nm, which is very close to an absorption peak of daunorubicin. These two values are close enough to obviate the need for modifying the commercial fluorophotometer. Therefore the concentration of daunorubicin in the vitreous cavity can be measured noninvasively.
Epilepsy due to a cortical malformation in a Neurofibromatosis type 1 patient

Neurofibromatosis 1, an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder characterized by cafe-au-lait macules, Lisch nodules, neurofibromas, and learning disabilities, affects approximately 1 in 3000 people. Unlike other neurocutaneous disorders such as tuberous sclerosis, epilepsy is not a common clinical feature, occurring in 3.8–7% of NF1 patients. Rarely, case reports have described patients with NF1 and epilepsy due to malformations of cortical development. The types of malformations have included hemimegalencephaly, cerebellar leptomeningeal heterotopias, transmantle cortical dysplasia, periventricular band of heterotopic gray matter, pachygyria, occipital encephalocele, and unilateral as well as bilateral polymicrogyria. We report an additional case of epilepsy in a Neurofibromatosis 1 patient with heterotopic gray matter and closed-lip schizencephaly.
The effects of bone marrow stromal cell transplants on tendon healing in vitro

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on tendon healing in a canine ex vivo model. Bone marrow was harvested and BMSCs were isolated and cultured according to established protocols. Cells were seeded into 0.5 mg/ml collagen gels and cultured for 24 h to allow gel contraction, and then implanted between the lacerated ends of repaired flexor digitorum profundus tendons. Tendons repaired with a gel patch alone and without a gel patch served as control groups. After 2 and 4 weeks in culture, the repaired tendons were evaluated for breaking strength and stiffness. Cell viability was assessed by labeling the cells with PKH26 red fluorescent cell linker. The maximal strength and stiffness of repaired tendons with the BMSC-seeded patch were significantly higher than the repaired tendons without a patch or with a patch without cells, at both 2 and 4 weeks (p < 0.05). Viable BMSC were present between the cut tendon ends at both 2 and 4 weeks. We conclude that BMSC-seeded gel patch transplantation has the potential to enhance flexor tendon healing, and we plan to investigate this effect in vivo.
Microgel: An idealized polymer molecule

Pure microgels (i.e., those free from any linear or branched admixed polymers) were prepared by an emulsion polymerization process. The products were characterized by ultracentrifuge measurements. The best crosslinking agent for acrylonitrile microgels was found to be N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide, while divinylbenzene gave the best styrene and methyl acrylate microgels. A study of the viscosity of microgel solutions vs. concentration showed that there was a sudden transition from a low viscosity to a high viscosity at a characteristic gel point, G, dependent upon the degree of crosslinking. For monodisperse systems, this coincides with the point where hexagonal close packing of the swollen spherical microgel particles occurs. The following equations relating the gel point and intrinsic viscosity of a microgel were found to apply: [η] = (0.025/ρ)S and (G/ρ)S = π/3√2, where S is a swelling factor which is equal to the ratio of swollen to dry volume and ρ is the density of the dry microgels. The above relationships were developed by considering microgels as swollen Einstein spheres. Evidence is presented to support the equations by some light scattering and viscosity measurements. The Flory equation relating swelling factor, polymer-solvent interaction parameter, and degree of crosslinking was successfully applied to microgel solutions. A simple empirical equation, found to correlate the intrinsic viscosity [η] with the mole ratio of crosslinking agent, x for the microgels, was [η] = K(1/x) + 0.025/ρ where K is a constant.
Characterizing the Dimerizations of Phenalenyl Radicals by ab Initio Calculations and Spectroscopy: σ-Bond Formation versus Resonance π-Stabilization

Electronic-structure calculations for the self-association of phenalenyl radical (P•) predict the formation of dimeric species (σ-P2) in which both moieties are connected by a σ-bond with rP-P ∼ 1.59 A and bond dissociation enthalpy of ΔHD ∼ 16 kcal mol-1. Such an unusually weak σ-bond is related to the loss of aromatic stabilization energy of ∼34 kcal mol-1 per phenalenyl moiety, largely owing to rehybridization. Ab initio calculations also reveal that the corresponding (one-electron) bond between phenalenyl radical and its closed-shell cation in σ-P2+• is unstable relative to dissociation. Time-dependent DFT computations indicate the absence of any (strongly allowed) electronic transition in the visible region of the absorption spectrum of phenalenyl σ-dimer. Such theoretical predictions are supported by experimental (ESR and UV−NIR) spectroscopic studies, in which the availability of a series of sterically hindered phenalenyl radicals allows definitive separations of the σ-dimerization process from int...
Mixed method for reducing discrete-time multivariable systems

A Pade-typo method, used for reducing the order of continuous time systems is extended to the reduction in order of discrete-time systems. The method is based on deriving a reduced model using a combination of Pade approximations and dominant modes retention.
Student-Advisor Interaction in Undergraduate Online Degree Programs: A Factor in Student Retention.

Higher education institutions struggle in determining the best ways to provide effective academic advising for students in online degree programs. In addition, the dropout rate among online students reaches to 50%. Research on student retention reveals that lack of interaction is a key factor in a student's decision to drop out. I used a mixed-methods research design based on the prescriptive-developmental advising framework to investigate advisor interactions with students in online undergraduate-degree programs. The results indicate the need to establish practices and tools that create a more personalized and collaborative student-advisor interaction where advisors focus on providing cognitive, affective, and systemic support.
The efficacy of a classification system: Its relationship to resource-procedure management

Abstract The efficient and effective operation of an organization is of major concern to any manager. For those managers responsible for service organizations, especially in the public sector, this is especially true due to the scarcity of resources. Lacking the capacity to manage resource-procedure interactions through the use of inventory, other methods must be found and used. One approach toward efficient management is to segment service users in order to identify the most appropriate resource-procedure interaction. In this study, a correctional agency that segmented its service users (offenders) by using a classification system was analyzed. It was found that even though a sophisticated classification system was in place, other elements necessary for the efficient and effective management of resource-procedure interactions were not present.
The Hat Matrix in Regression and ANOVA

Abstract In least-squares fitting it is important to understand the influence which a data y value will have on each fitted y value. A projection matrix known as the hat matrix contains this information and, together with the Studentized residuals, provides a means of identifying exceptional data points. This approach also simplifies the calculations involved in removing a data point, and it requires only simple modifications in the preferred numerical least-squares algorithms.
A Tibetan model for the early Tertiary western United States

A comparative study of the geology of the early Tertiary western United States and the modern Tibetan and Turkish–Iranian Plateaux indicates that these three regions, situated in the hinterland of major orogenic belts, share a common taphrogenic evolutionary path. Both the Tibetan and Turkish–Iranian Plateaux have high mean elevations above sea level (>5 km and 2.0–2.5 km, respectively), have experienced fast uplift and widespread unroofing during the last 10–8 Ma, and are undergoing extension nearly perpendicular to the plate convergence direction. Successive accretionary and collisional events accompanied by significant shortening and underplating during the formation of these plateaux resulted in the generation of overthickened continental crust (>50 km) that is currently in the process of extending. A two-stage magmatism, characterized by widespread calc-alkaline volcanism followed and/or overlapped by bimodal (basaltic to rhyolitic) volcanism, occurs synchronously with crustal extension and thinning. The plateaux in general have an internal (closed) drainage system and are drained by antecedent rivers near their edges. The early Tertiary western US Cordillera displayed similar geological and geomorphic features to those observed in the Tibetan and Turkish–Iranian Plateaux in the aftermath of a prolonged Mesozoic orogeny and underwent an orogenic collapse starting around mid-Tertiary time. A N-trending crustal welt with a maximum thickness of 60 km and an elevation around >3 km formed a highland with alpine flora in the hinterland of the Cordilleran orogenic belt and separated internal drainage basins and saline lakes on the east from major flood plains of antecedent river systems on the west. This highland subsequently became the locus of crustal extension, metamorphic core complex formation, and wide-spread calcalkaline volcanism (9ignimbrite flare-up9). This early stage of orogenic collapse was followed by the Basin and Range extension, characterized by block faulting and bimodal volcanism, starting around 18–16 Ma. The Basin and Range extension and associated subsidence resulted in development of the Great Basin with a mean elevation of 1.5 km above sea level and a crustal thickness of 30 km. Similarities in the post-orogenic evolutionary paths of these three regions indicate that continental lithosphere reacts to overthickening in a consistent way through large-scale crustal remobilization and extensional collapse, regardless of the mode and nature of its orogenic build-up.
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for Budd-Chiari syndrome

The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is widely used in the treatment of variceal hemorrhage and portal hypertension associated with cirrhosis. Its potential as a therapy for Budd-Chiari syndrome is less well-known. We report a case of a 15-year-old girl with Budd-Chiari syndrome who was successfully treated with a TIPS, leading to resolution of her ascites and improvement in liver function.
Toward the synthesis of cobyric acid. Enantioselective syntheses of completely differentiated ring D synthons.

Alkyne acids 11 were prepared in an enantioselective fashion from allylic ester derivatives 18 or 20 by Ireland−Claisen rearrangement, followed by Si-assisted elimination of HBr. The title compounds are attractive ring D synthons for an ongoing synthesis of cobyric acid.
Investigating Several Factors Potentially Related to Endorsing Gambling as an Escape

Previous research has suggested that gambling as an escape is strongly related to disordered gambling. The present study tested whether factors related to disordered gambling were predictive of endorsing gambling as an escape. Three hundred eleven adults from the United States completed several measures of gambling and questionnaires on alcohol expectancies, emotion-regulation strategies, social-adjustment level, and sensation seeking. Consistent with previous research, endorsing gambling as an escape was strongly associated with reporting of gambling problems. Drinking as a coping mechanism and several emotion-regulation strategies were significant predictors of endorsing gambling as an escape. However, levels of social adjustment and sensation seeking were not predictive of gambling as an escape. The present results suggest that escape may be a higher-order factor that links substance abuse and disordered gambling. Likewise, they suggest that endorsing gambling as an escape is rooted in affect. As such, the results are informative to both researchers and practitioners.
Distributive Justice, Promotion Instrumentality, and Turnover Intentions in Public Accounting Firms

ABSTRACT: This study investigates turnover intentions in public accounting firms using organizational justice. In the proposed theoretical model, the key construct is promotion instrumentality, the belief that the organization rewards strong employee performance with promotions. Employee perceptions of distributive justice influence promotion instrumentality, which, in turn, influences turnover intentions. Further, the relation between instrumentality and turnover is moderated by job performance. When instrumentality is low, employees with high job performance are more likely to leave the firm. To investigate the theoretical model, a survey was administered to auditors in several public accounting firms. Statistical results support the model.
Cell relaxation after electrodeformation: effect of latrunculin A on cytoskeletal actin

Precise measurement of the mechanical properties of a cell provides useful information about its structural organization and physiological state. It is interesting to understand the effect of individual components on the mechanical properties of the entire cell. In this study, we investigate the influence of the cytoskeletal actin on the viscoelastic properties of a cell. Actin-specific agents, including latrunculin A and jasplakinolide, are used to alter the organization of the cytoskeletal actin. Brassica oleracea protoplasts are treated with the drugs and deformed under an external electric potential. The relaxation processes of single protoplasts after electrodeformation are measured. The data are analyzed by a model-independent spectrum recovery algorithm. Two distinct characteristic time constants are obtained from the relaxation spectra. Treatment with latrunculin A increases both of the relaxation time constants. The longest relaxation times for control, latrunculin A treated, and jasplakinolide treated cells are determined to be 0.28, 1.0, and 0.21 s, respectively.
Realignment of the radius in canine antebrachial growth deformities treated with corrective osteotomy and bilateral (type II) external fixation.

Objective— To identify factors affecting radial alignment after oblique corrective osteotomy stabilized with a type II external fixator and to evaluate the results of this treatment for antebrachial growth deformities. Study Design— Retrospective study Sample Population— Twenty-eight dogs with unilateral antebrachial growth deformities treated with acute corrective osteotomy stabilized with a type II external fixator. Methods— Medical records and preoperative and postoperative radiographs of the affected and contralateral limb were reviewed. Cause of deformity, age, weight, and gender were recorded. Radial length, varus/valgus angulation, and cranial/caudal angulation were measured from radiographs of the treated and contralateral limbs. Preoperative and postoperative angulation and length discrepancy were compared between affected and contralateral limbs. Results— Correction of varus/valgus angle discrepancy was achieved by using acute corrective osteotomy stabilized with type II external skeletal fixation. No significant change was noted for correction of cranial/caudal angle discrepancy or length discrepancy between the affected and control limb. Clinical Relevance— Varus/valgus angle deformities can be treated successfully with type II external fixation after oblique corrective osteotomy. Patients with significant length or cranial/caudal angle discrepancies or both that negatively impact function may require the use of hinged circular fixators or other dynamic techniques to achieve adequate correction.
Mapping the ρ1 GABAC Receptor Agonist Binding Pocket: CONSTRUCTING A COMPLETE MODEL

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. The GABA receptor type C (GABAC) is a ligand-gated ion channel with pharmacological properties distinct from the GABAA receptor. To date, only three binding domains in the recombinant ρ1 GABAC receptor have been recognized among six potential regions. In this report, using the substituted cysteine accessibility method, we scanned three potential regions previously unexplored in the ρ1 GABAC receptor, corresponding to the binding loops A, E, and F in the structural model for ligand-gated ion channels. The cysteine accessibility scanning and agonist/antagonist protection tests have resulted in the identification of residues in loops A and E, but not F, involved in forming the GABAC receptor agonist binding pocket. Three of these newly identified residues are in a novel region corresponding to the extended stretch of loop E. In addition, the cysteine accessibility pattern suggests that part of loop A and part of loop E have a β-strand structure, whereas loop F is a random coil. Finally, when all of the identified ligand binding residues are mapped onto a three-dimensional homology model of the amino-terminal domain of the ρ1 GABAC receptor, they are facing toward the putative binding pocket. Combined with previous findings, a complete model of the GABAC receptor binding pocket was proposed and discussed in comparison with the GABAA receptor binding pocket.
THE fish! philosophy®: customer service from the fishbow.

The integration of The FISH! Philosophy® principles into our Help Desk has created a dynamic environment where our team members can complete their tasks in a friendly, fun, and fast-paced atmosphere. Our commitment to the four principles: Be There™, Play™, Make Their Day™, and Choose Your Attitude™ has propelled our department forward in the rough seas of customer service. We have allowed ourselves the flexibility to critique each other on any of these four elements. Flying fish and toys provide incentives and rewards, feeding the database whale called HEAT; writing poetry about major issues has provided much needed stress relief and lent a playful approach to our work day. To Make Their Day we have hunted down keys for departments, run chicken soup to dorm rooms, and sought other ways to go the extra mile for our customers. With our service needs increasing four-fold, our achieved goal was to reduce call tickets to an all-time low while increasing service standards (provided the boss made good on the reward of tacos or pizza). To assist in Choose Your Attitude, we have developed a daily e-mail (FISH!) fishy thought. We have learned to stop our present activity in order to concentrate and Be There for the customer. Learn from us as we show you our Fish Bowl Office, where The FISH Philosophy first took hold. Learn the difference between FOTD and FTOD. See how enjoyable life in the Fish Bowl can be.
Intermolecular Interactions Involved in Solute Retention on Carbon Media in Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Carbon adsorbents for RPLC separations are greatly underutilized due to the poor chromatographic properties of the earliest commercially available materials and our limited understanding of solute interactions with the solid surface. Previously, we reported on the properties of a carbon surface prepared by vapor deposition on porous zirconia microspheres. The resulting material is a new type of carbon sorbent with considerably improved chromatographic properties. Here we present a fundamental study of the intermolecular interactions influencing solute retention on these novel carbon phases under RPLC conditions. Retention on seven unique carbon phases has been correlated with solute descriptors of dispersion, dipolarity/polarizability, and hydrogen bond basicity through the use of linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs). In stark contrast, conventional bonded phases do not show the large contribution from dipolarity/ polarizability that is observed on these types of carbon. The presence of this interaction indicates a distinct difference between carbon and conventional bonded RPLC phases. Other results suggest that solvent sorption plays a significant role in controlling solute retention on carbon. In addition, we investigated the temperature dependence of retention on carbon and found typical RPLC-like behavior.
Monte Carlo Simulations of Supersolids in Bose-Einstein Condensates

The recent prediction of supersolid formation in Bose-Einstein condensate has been done only within Gross-Pitaevskii mean field method. We use the exact Diffusion Monte Carlo method to simulate formation of supersolid the Bose Einstein condensate.
Assessing the long term benefit of banning the use of hand-held wireless devices while driving

An increasing number of legislative efforts have been undertaken to prohibit the use of hand-held wireless devices while driving. As of July 2012, ten states and the District of Columbia enforce laws banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have banned text messaging while driving. Recent studies of driver behavior suggest that hand-held wireless device usage negatively impacts driver performance. However few studies at the aggregate level address the plausible link between the use of hand-held wireless devices while driving, increased risk of automobile accidents, and government legislative efforts to reduce such risk. This paper analyzes data at the aggregate level and builds a regression model to estimate the long term accident rate reduction due to a hand-held ban. This model differs from previous studies, which consider short term accident rate reduction, by considering time trends in the accident rate due to the ban. Additionally, counties considered in this analysis are placed into groups based on driver density, defined by the number of licensed drivers per centerline mile of roadway, and a separate analysis is performed within these groups. This approach allows one to better quantify the effect of hand-held bans in counties of different driver densities. Results from this paper suggest that bans on hand-held wireless device use while driving reduce the rate of personal injury accidents in counties with high levels of driver density, but may increase accident rates in counties with low driver density levels. These results can inform transportation policymakers interested in reducing automobile-accident-risk attributable to the use of hand-held wireless devices while driving.
Perception of voice and tone onset time continua in children with dyslexia with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Tasks assessing perception of a phonemic contrast based on voice onset time (VOT) and a nonspeech analog of a VOT contrast using tone onset time (TOT) were administered to children (ages 7.5 to 15.9 years) identified as having reading disability (RD; n = 21), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 22), comorbid RD and ADHD (n = 26), or no impairment (NI; n = 26). Children with RD, whether they had been identified as having ADHD or not, exhibited reduced perceptual skills on both tasks as indicated by shallower slopes on category labeling functions and reduced accuracy even at the endpoints of the series where cues are most salient. Correlations between performance on the VOT task and measures of single word decoding and phonemic awareness were significant only in the groups without ADHD. These findings suggest that (a) children with RD have difficulty in processing speech and nonspeech stimuli containing similar auditory temporal cues, (b) phoneme perception is related to phonemic awareness and decoding skills, and (c) the potential presence of ADHD needs to be taken into account in studies of perception in children with RD.
Synthesis and mass spectra of esters of branched chain fatty acids

Abstract The Wittig reaction between alkylidene triphenylphosphoranes [ R — CH = P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 , where R varied from H to n — C 17 H 35 ] and methyl 12-oxooctadecanoate or methyl 10-oxohexadecanoate in dimethylformamide (DMF) has been employed in the synthesis of a partial homologous series of esters of branched chain fatty acids in high yields. The effect of various ratios of reactants in both DMF and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was investigated. Purification from triphenylphosphine oxide was readily accomplished by chromatography on a column of silicic acid-Celite impregnated with silver nitrate. The mass spectral fragmentation patterns of these compounds were studied. More like the mass spectra of α, β-unsaturated esters, and in contrast to normal chain unsaturated esters, the fragmentation pattern allowed location of the double bond at the branch point. A fragment ion [C n H 2 n ] + resulting from two proposed allylic cleavages and McLafferty transfers of γ-hydrogen atoms was present in 51–100% relative abundance and allowed unambiguous determinations of the length of the alkenyl branch. The mass spectra of the trimethylsilyloxy (di-OTMS) derivatives of these compounds, however, in contrast to the di-OTMS derivatives of normal chain unsaturated esters, did not allow the unambiguous determination of the double bond position. The PNMR spectra of the series of branched chain esters are described.
The future UN development agenda: contrasting visions, contrasting operations

‘Sustainable development’ – as currently and politically correctly formulated – provides an inappropriate basis on which to frame a future-oriented UN agenda, and risks perpetuating patterns of assistance in which most UN organisations perform poorly and in the shadow of alternative and more able multilateral and bilateral sources. UN operations should take as their point of departure the comprehensive agenda outlined by the two world summits of 2000 and 2005. This agenda recognises the value-based UN as the only universal-membership organisation, which combines the concerns of satisfying human needs while ensuring security, human rights, justice and sound governance. The post-2015 agenda should not look only at development and environment but aspire to what a million global voices canvassed by the UN in ‘the world we want’ campaign are clamouring for.
Bounds on coverage and target detection capabilities for models of networks of mobile sensors

In this article we analyze the capabilities of various models of sensor networks with the Boolean sensing model for mobile or stationary sensors and targets, under random or optimal placement, independent or globally coordinated search, and stealthy or visible sensors. For each model we give an upper bound for the capabilities under any strategy, and a search strategy which at least asymptotically matches that bound. To ensure comparability of these models, we present them using the same parameters: the sensing radius r, sensor placement density λ, as well as the travel distance l of each sensor and d of the target. By this we obtain a complete analysis of the geometric coverage and detection capabilities of the various models of sensor networks, where we abstract from issues like communication and power management.
Binaural and monaural speech intelligibility in reverberation.

Forty-eight subjects with normal hearing were tested to determine binaural and monaural near- and far-ear speech discrimination in various reverberant conditions. One half of the group listened to ...
Fort Collins flood data set created

A unique opportunity to document the hydrometeorological conditions of localized flash flooding in an urban environment has resulted in the creation of a detailed data set of the extreme flood in Fort Collins, Colorado, 2 years ago. The study focused on the Spring Creek watershed in Fort Collins where the flooding, in late July 1997, was most intense, resulting in loss of life and significant damage. Maximum recorded rainfall accumulations were in excess of 260 mm in less than 24 hours, over 200 mm of which fell in 4 hours. Collaborative research, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF),served not only to establish the flood data set but also to perform analysis to identify data uncertainty.The data, including rainfall accumulations, land surface characteristics, and indirect discharge amounts, are now available and can be downloaded from the Web site (http://horton.engr.uconn.edu/FortCollins/ Main.html) by hydrologic researchers and practitioners and others interested.The site also includes the analysis.
Selection of restorative materials in general dental practice in Sweden

The aim of this study was to record any differences in the selection of materials in private dental practices in Sweden during 1993-95, after a ban on amalgam had been proposed by politicians, compared with those obtained in a similar survey in 1978-79. A total of 177 clinicians participated in the present survey, which recorded the total number of restorations they placed and the number of composite, amalgam, and glass ionomers inserted in the treatment of primary caries and for replacement of restorations. Furthermore, the number of intact amalgam restorations replaced by composite and the number and types of inlays and laminates cemented were accounted for. Marked changes in the selection of direct restorative materials were noted in the present study compared with the survey in 1978-79. Resin-based composite materials are taking over the routine posterior restorative material, also in stress-bearing areas. Glass ionomer restorative materials are used preferentially in the treatment of primary caries. The use of amalgam restorations has decreased in relative and absolute numbers. Inlays are infrequently used but, when used, usually include three or more surfaces, and ceramic materials predominate.
An interdisciplinary approach to evaluate the effect of internal fixation plate on long bone remodeling.

Abstract A combined study using finite element analysis technique and a long term experimental animal study was undertaken to investigate the differences in long bone remodeling when internal fixation plates with large differences in bending and axial stiffness are applied. The results of the numerical analysis indicate that internal fixation plates of higher rigidity prevent the underlying bone from carrying the normal physiological stress and thus may be a causal factor for the bone to remodel into a weaker structure following Wolff's law. The experimental study using adult mongrel dogs supports the stress analysis results. Prolonged application of a more rigid internal fixation plate to an intact long bone results in cortical bone atrophy directly beneath the plate. In the contralateral bone where a less rigid internal fixation plate is applied, significantly less effect of plate-induced osteopenia is found. The biomechanical and histological evaluations show that the more rigidly and less rigidly plated bones have similar material properties, but different structural properties.
Religious holidays, investor distraction, and earnings announcement effects

Abstract We examine price reactions to U.S. firms’ earnings announcements during Easter week in order to analyze whether and how the religious holiday calendar impacts investors’ information processing. We find that there is an asymmetric pattern of immediate and delayed responses to earnings surprises experienced during Easter, entailing similar immediate reactions to both good and bad news and a stronger delayed response to bad news. Moreover, local religious characteristics affect investor’s response to firm news. The results are consistent with a religion-induced distraction effect on investors’ information processing ability. We also show that this effect can form the basis for a profitable trading strategy. The findings highlight the importance of religion for firms’ information environment and for the local component of stock prices.