cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DO OUTSIDE BLOCKHOLDERS INFLUENCE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES

This study investigates whether block acquisitions lead to changes in board and CEO compensation characteristics and finds that block purchasers do not play a significant role in improving the firm’s governance practices. However, the majority of professional investors have sold their block within a year, suggesting that they do not own their stock long enough to alter governance policies nor to benefit from such changes. For the smaller number of firms where a new blockholder maintains their investment for more than a year, the use of equity based CEO compensation increases while the use of cash based compensation decreases.
Influence of chromium tripicolinate on glucose metabolism and nutrient partitioning in growing lambs

Twenty-four Suffolk lambs (average BW 38 +/- 2.7 kg; 16 ewes and 8 wethers) were fed either a corn-cottonseed hull-based control diet (CON) or CON plus 250 ppb of Cr as chromium tripicolinate (CrPic). Lambs were penned in groups of three and ADG and DMI were measured through d 85 of the experiment. Jugular blood samples were obtained during wk 2, 7, and 11. An i.v. glucose tolerance test (IVGTT; 500 mg of glucose/kg BW) and an i.v. insulin challenge test (IVICT; .1 IU of ovine insulin/kg BW) were performed during wk 2 and 10 of the trial. This was followed by a N balance trial during wk 3 and 11. Wethers were slaughtered at the end of the experiment and carcass characteristics determined. No differences (P > .10) were observed between dietary treatments in DMI, ADG, or N balance; however, the CrPic-fed wethers had 18% less fat over the 10th rib (P = .082) and a lower yield grade (P = .014). Plasma NEFA was lower throughout the trial (P .10) in plasma concentrations of urea N, glucose, albumin, total protein, insulin, glucagon, triiodothyronine, or thyroxine. Glucose clearance rate and half-life during the IVGTT and IVICT did not differ (P > .10) between CON and CrPic groups; however, during the IVGTT on wk 2, plasma insulin was elevated (P < .05) and glucose reduced (P = .067) in the lambs fed CrPic. Supplemental CrPic seems to influence metabolic measurements that may affect performance of growing lambs.
A Multi-Fidelity Rollout Algorithm for Dynamic Resource Allocation in Population Disease Management

Dynamic resource allocation for prevention, screening, and treatment interventions in population disease management has received much attention in recent years due to excessive healthcare costs. In this paper, our goal is to design a model and an efficient algorithm to optimize sequential intervention policies under resource constraints to improve population health outcomes. We consider a discrete-time finite-horizon budget allocation problem with disease progression within a closed birth-cohort population. To address the computational challenges associated with large-state and multiple-period dynamic decision-making problems, we propose a low-fidelity approximation that preserves the population dynamics under a stationary policy. To improve the healthcare interventions in terms of population health outcomes, we then embed the low-fidelity approximation into a high-fidelity optimization model to efficiently identify a good non-stationary sequential intervention policy. Our approach is illustrated by a numerical example of screening and treatment policy implementation for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection over a budget planning period. We numerically compare our Multi-Fidelity Rollout Algorithm (MF-RA) to a grid search approach and demonstrate the similarity of sequential policy trends and closeness of overall health outcomes measured by quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and the total number of individuals that undergo screening and treatment for different annual budgets and birth-cohorts. We also show how our approach scales well to problems with high dimensionality due to many decision periods by studying time to elimination of HCV.
Triple Tick Attack.

Tick-borne diseases are frequently seen in tick-inhabited areas. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness. However, patients with co-infections can present with nonspecific symptoms, which can make the diagnosis far more challenging. We present a case of triple infection with babesiosis, Lyme disease, and anaplasmosis treated with antibiotics and red blood cell (RBC) exchange (erythrocytapheresis). A 74-year-old, avid female gardener presented with one week of progressive dyspnea, cough with mucoid expectoration, and fatigue. On presentation, she was afebrile, hypotensive, and tachycardic. General examination was significant for altered mental status, dyspnea, pallor, and peripheral edema. Lung examination was remarkable for bibasilar crackles. Pertinent laboratory findings were significant for hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. A peripheral blood smear revealed the presence of intracytoplasmic parasites consistent with Babesia. The patient was started on azithromycin and atovaquone. Doxycycline was added empirically for Lyme disease, which was later confirmed by serology. In addition, Anaplasma titers were also positive. Further investigation revealed that the parasitic load was 9.04%, and RBC exchange (erythrocytapheresis) was performed for severe babesiosis. Repeat laboratory tests demonstrated an inadequate reduction in parasitic load (6.54%), requiring a second round of RBC exchange. Antimicrobials were changed to clindamycin, quinine, and doxycycline for a total of 14 days. There was an improvement in the patient's anemia and thrombocytopenia along with clinical improvement.
Association Between Food Insecurity and Migraine Among US Young Adults.

This study examines the association between food insecurity and migraine in a nationally representative sample of US young adults.
Radio Frequency Angular Momentum Biased Quasi-LTI Nonreciprocal Acoustic Filters

We report on the design and operation of a novel class of nonreciprocal acoustic filters operating in the radio frequency (RF) range. These devices use the spectral characteristics of commercial acoustic filters placed in angular momentum biased networks to achieve large nonreciprocity, low insertion loss (I.L.), and wideband operation. Owing to the high rejection exhibited by acoustic filters, these novel devices can achieve an unprecedented suppression of undesired intermodulation products, thus approaching the spectral purity attained by conventional linear-time-invariant (LTI) filtering components. In addition, a new analytical model suitable to capture the behavior of any angular-momentum-biased nonreciprocal device is presented. This model allows us to identify the main characteristics of the transfer function (poles and zeroes) relative to this new class of nonreciprocal filters, thus enabling new synthesis capabilities through standard numerical methods. Ultimately, the performance of a built 1.1-GHz nonreciprocal acoustic filter prototype is reported. This device relies on a modulation implemented through switched capacitors and shows I.L., isolation, and half-power bandwidth values of 4.5 dB, 28 dB, and 20 MHz, respectively, achieved through the use of a 40-MHz modulation frequency. Moreover, by showing an intermodulation distortion lower than −34 dBc, it approaches the operation of LTI circuits.
PET Assessment of Immune Effects from Interventional Oncology Procedures

Interventional oncology treatments have profound effects on tumor immunity. Quantitative molecular imaging with FDG-PET has the potential to aid in understanding baseline tumor characteristics that can predict response to interventional oncology treatments and immunotherapy. This review highlights some of the evidence for immune activation in the setting of locoregional therapies, and the patterns of treatment response that may be expected in the setting of immune induction. Also presented is an argument for measuring global disease metabolic activity over conventional methods of PET quantitation to circumvent challenges in correlating conventional methods of PET quantification to overall disease activity.
Impact of Sex on Clinical Course and Survival in the Contemporary Treatment Era for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background The relation of sex to clinical presentation and course in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains incompletely resolved. We assessed differences in clinical outcomes between men and w...
Experimental determination of precision, resolution, accuracy and trueness of time-of-flight neutron diffraction strain measurements

A simple statistical analysis which yields the precision, resolution, accuracy and trueness of diffraction-based lattice strain measurements is discussed. The procedure consists of measuring the thermal expansion induced in each component of an ideal non-reacting two-component crystalline powder sample in situ. One component, with a high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), serves as an internal thermometer. The quantities of interest are obtained by determining the smallest statistically significant thermal lattice strain which can be detected through diffraction analysis in the second, low-CTE, component in response to controlled temperature changes. This procedure also provides a robust check of the alignment of the diffraction system and is able to reveal the presence of systematic errors. The application of this technique to a time-of-flight engineering diffractometer/strain scanner is presented.
Post-Newtonian Lagrangian of an N -body system with arbitrary mass and spin multipoles

The present paper derives the post-Newtonian Lagrangian of translational motion of $N$ arbitrarily structured bodies with all mass and spin multipoles in a scalar-tensor theory of gravity. The multipoles depend on time and evolve in accordance with their own dynamic equations of motion. The Lagrangian is retrieved from the post-Newtonian equations of motion by solving the inverse problem of the Lagrangian mechanics and generalizes a well-known Lagrangian of pole-dipole-quadrupole massive particles to the particles of higher multipolarity. Analytic treatment of the higher-order multipole contributions is important for more rigorous computation of gravitational waveform of inspiralling compact binaries at the latest stage of their orbital evolution before merger when tidal and rotational deformations of stars are no longer small and rapidly change in time. The Lagrangian of an $N$-body system with arbitrary mass and spin multipoles is instrumental for formulation of the post-Newtonian conservation laws of energy, momenta and the integrals of the center of mass.
Anal Conditions: Anal Fissure/Recurrent Anal Fissure

Anal fissure is defined as a superficial laceration in the distal anal epithelium. It is a common disorder that is responsible for an estimated 1.1 million office visits annually. Anal fissures have a pathognomonic presentation and thus can be diagnosed with a thorough history in the majority of cases. Physical examination is warranted to exclude other diagnoses. Acute fissures are effectively treated with conservative and dietary management. Chronic or recalcitrant fissures may require medical therapy in the form of topical drugs or injectables, with surgery reserved for severe or refractory disease.
Performance of afirma gene sequencing classifier versus gene expression classifier in thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology

Introduction About 15% to 30% of thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) nodules have indeterminate cytology. The Afirma (Veracyte Inc, South San Francisco, CA) Gene Expression Classifier (GEC)/Gene Sequencing Classifier (GSC) tests were designed to improve risk stratification of the indeterminate thyroid nodules. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of the Afirma GEC and GSC tests in the indeterminate thyroid lesions. Methods Thyroid FNA cases with indeterminate cytology were searched in the pathology database and only those with available Afirma results were selected for this study. Each patient’s demographic, sonographic, cytologic, molecular, and subsequent surgical follow-up results were collected and analyzed. Results There were 100 cases with indeterminate thyroid FNA results, including 49 cases tested by GEC and 51 cases by GSC. In the GEC group, benign call rate (BCR) was 53% (26 of 49) and the calculated negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) were 88% and 47% respectively. In the GSC group, the BCR was 63% (32 of 51) and the calculated NPV and PPV were 100% and 64%, respectively. Whereas only 17% (1 of 6) of benign oncocytic lesions were tested benign by the GEC, 60% (3 of 5) of benign oncocytic nodules were tested benign by the GSC. Conclusion We demonstrated in this study that a little more than half of the indeterminate thyroid nodules had negative Afirma GEC/GSC results and the BCR using the Afirma GSC test was higher than GEC. The Afirma GSC showed higher NPV and PPV than GEC. In addition, the Afirma GSC appeared to be superior for differentiating benign and malignant oncocytic thyroid lesions.
Predictors of Transition to Frailty in Middle-Aged and Older People With HIV: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background People with HIV (PWH) have increased frailty risk at younger ages compared with the general population. Multimorbidity is associated with frailty, yet effects of specific comorbidities on transition to frailty in PWH are unknown. Setting Prospective study of 219 PWH age 45 years or older in the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium. Methods Frailty status was categorized using Fried frailty phenotype criteria. Comorbidities [bone disease, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, liver disease, renal disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, obesity, cancers, neuropsychiatric conditions] were assessed from longitudinal data. Associations between baseline comorbidities and transition to frailty within 30 months were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. Grip strength was assessed using mixed-effects models. Results At baseline, the median age was 61 years, 73% were male 98% were on antiretroviral therapy, 29% had ≥3 comorbidities, 27% were robust, and 73% were pre-frail. Cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, and COPD were independent predictors of transition to frailty within 30 months in models adjusted for age, sex, and multimorbidity (≥3 additional comorbidities) [hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) 2.52 (1.29 to 4.93), 2.31 (1.12 to 4.76), and 1.82 (0.95 to 3.48), respectively]. Furthermore, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, COPD, or liver disease co-occurring with multimorbidity was associated with substantially increased frailty hazards compared with multimorbidity alone (hazard ratios 4.75-7.46). Cerebrovascular disease was associated with decreased baseline grip strength (P = 0.0001), whereas multimorbidity, diabetes, and COPD were associated with declining grip strength (P Conclusions In older PWH, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, COPD, or liver disease co-occurring with multimorbidity is associated with substantially increased risk of becoming frail within 30 months. Interventions targeting these comorbidities may ameliorate frailty and age-related functional decline in PWH.
Dim light at night interferes with the development of the short-day phenotype and impairs cell-mediated immunity in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus).

Winter is a challenging time to survive and breed outside of the tropics. Animals use day length (photoperiod) to regulate seasonally appropriate adaptations in anticipation of challenging winter conditions. The net result of these photoperiod-mediated adjustments is enhanced immune function and increased survival. Thus, the ability to discriminate day length information is critical for survival and reproduction in small animals. However, during the past century, urban and suburban development has rapidly expanded and filled the night sky with light from various sources, obscuring crucial light-dark signals, which alters physiological interpretation of day lengths. Furthermore, reduced space, increased proximity to people, and the presence of light at night may act as stressors for small animals. Whereas acute stressors typically enhance immune responses, chronic exposure to stressors often impairs immune responses. Therefore, we hypothesized that the combination of dim light at night and chronic stress interferes with enhanced cell-mediated immunity observed during short days. Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) were assigned to short or long days with dark nights (0 lux) or dim (5 lux) light at night for 10 weeks. Following 2 weeks of chronic restraint (6 hr/day), a model of chronic stress, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses were assessed. Both dim light at night and restraint reduced the DTH response. Dim light at night during long nights produced an intermediate short day phenotype. These results suggest the constant presence of light at night could negatively affect survival of photoperiodic rodents by disrupting the timing of breeding and immune responses. J. Exp. Zool. 321A: 450–456, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Activation of adenosine A2A receptor reduces osteoclast formation via PKA- and ERK1/2-mediated suppression of NFκB nuclear translocation

Background and Purpose We previously reported that adenosine, acting at adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR), inhibits osteoclast (OC) differentiation in vitro (A2AR activation OC formation reduces by half) and in vivo. For a better understanding how adenosine A2AR stimulation regulates OC differentiation, we dissected the signalling pathways involved in A2AR signalling.
The Human Epigenome

Epigenetic mechanisms are responsible for the transmission of information that is “layered onto” the DNA from one cell division to the next. That is, epigenetic information is not contained in the DNA sequence itself, but it is nonetheless essential for normal development, for maintaining the overall integrity of the genome, and for modulating gene dosage via processes such as imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation in females. Epigenetic modifications are reversible, which makes them an attractive therapeutic target for cancer and other diseases. DNA methylation is affected by nutrition and by environmental stimuli, which lends the epigenome a remarkable level of plasticity. DNA methylation is profoundly disrupted in cancer, and several techniques have been developed to analyze the cancer epigenome both globally and at the single gene level. Importantly, DNA methylation has been shown to serve as a biomarker. A large body of research is currently under way in the hope of identifying sequences that could lead to clinical applications. It should also be noted that DNA methylation inhibitors have been used in the successful treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome in human patients. This opens a promising avenue for the clinical treatment of solid tumors in the future. Keywords: Major groove of DNA; CpG islands; Monozygotic twins; Lipotropes; Imprinted locus
Full nursing potential: a concept clarification.

ArokeAim Report a clarification of the concept of full nursing potential. Background The Institute of Medicine and World Health Organization have called for the removal of barriers to allow nurses to practice to the fullest extent of their education and experience. Terms analogous to full nursing potential are prominent in the nursing literature. However, to date, there has been no clear definition of full nursing potential. Design Concept clarification. Data Sources PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar, and Ovid were searched for terms analogous to full nursing potential (nursing utilization, scope of practice, roles, and actualization). Methods Norris' concept clarification method was used to clarify the concept of full nursing potential. Following repeated observation and description, the concept was systematized, and a model and an operational definition were developed. Results Systemization of the concept led to the proposal of the following definition: Full nursing potential is a dynamic state in which government regulations, institutional policies, adequate education, personal experience, environmental factors, and personal traits culminate to foster the essence of nursing, enabling nurses to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care and promote equitable social systems. Conclusion Realization of full nursing potential can help foster patient-centered care while combating social injustice. Aroke
Ninety-day mortality and major complications are not affected by use of lung allocation score.

Background In May 2005 the Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN) and United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) implemented the donor lung allocation score (LAS) system to prioritize organ allocation among prospective transplant recipients. The purpose of our study was to determine the impact of LAS implementation on 90-day survival, early complications and incidence of severe primary graft dysfunction (PGD) after the transplant procedure. Methods Early outcomes among 78 patients receiving transplants after the initiation of the scoring system were compared with those of the 78 previous patients. Survival rates at 90 days and 1 year were the primary end-points of the study. Arterial blood-gas measurements were collected for all patients at the time of ICU arrival and at 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery to determine the distribution of International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant (ISHLT) PGD grade. Major complications within 30 days post-transplant were recorded. Results We found a small but significant 1-year survival advantage among post–LAS implementation patients, which was largely due to decreased early mortality in comparison to the control cohort. The incidence of ISHLT Grade 3 PGD measured within the first 24 hours after transplant did not differ between groups, nor was there an increase in the rate of major post-operative complications. Conclusions Implementation of the LAS system has not been associated with an increase in early mortality, immediate PGD or major complications.
Selecting optimal linear production systems in multiple criteria environments

Abstract To select an optimal linear production system means to select the best subset of products from the set of possible products for production and to prepare the necessary contingency plans that can be flexibly used to cope with changes of decision parameters, such as criterion coefficients and resource availability levels, in a given planning horizon. This paper describes mathematical models for selecting optimal production systems under multiple criteria environments by using the multiple criteria and multiple-constraints-level (MC 2 ) simplex method. An effective procedure is proposed for systematically identifying optimal linear production systems and constructing related contingency plans. A computer-aided support system to implement the procedure is also sketched.
An optical 3D force sensor for biomedical devices

In this paper we describe the development of an optical sensor that is low profile, inexpensive, physically robust, and suitable for contact with soft tissue. It is constructed using commercially available integrated circuits, a printed circuit board, and layers of silicone elastomer. The sensor exhibits modest drift and hysteresis, as well as some temperature sensitivity, for which we compensate. We demonstrate how the raw sensor signals can be used to infer both normal and shear forces. The sensor proves to be particularly sensitive to shear forces, reporting them accurately and with minimal coupling between them.
MEMS millimeter-wave reconfigurable components

We present microelectromechanical system (MEMS) RF component architectures that enable reconfigurable MEMS millimeterwave transceivers. In this paper, we focus on the component architectures for system integration. Different components, including reconfigurable Vee-antennas, planar impedance tuners, microswitches and variable capacitors, are demonstrated using the same three-polysilicon-layer processes. The reconfigurability of the Vee-antenna is demonstrated with beam-steering and beam-shaping functionality. The tuning ranges of planar backshort impedance tuners on different transmission lines are studied. We show that it is feasible to integrate the reconfigurable Vee-antenna with the planar impedance tuners. The mechanical architectures for microswitches, parallel-plate variable capacitors and circular variable capacitors are also investigated.
Use of Magnesium Sulfate Infusion for the Management of Febrile Illness-Related Epilepsy Syndrome: A Case Series

Febrile illness-related epilepsy syndrome is a catastrophic epileptic encephalopathy that is highly refractory to most antiepileptic drugs leading to high morbidity and mortality. The authors report the use of a pediatric infusion protocol of continuous intravenous magnesium sulfate for the control of seizures in 2 children with febrile illness-related epilepsy syndrome refractory to multiple antiepileptic drugs in a pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care children's hospital. Both patients, 2 and 16 years of age, respectively, were treated with continuous magnesium sulfate infusion. Serum magnesium concentrations ranging from 2.1 to 5 mmol/L were achieved. Seizure reduction and cessation were noted in 1 patient with magnesium more than 3.0 mmol/L. No significant adverse effects were observed. Magnesium sulfate infusions can be safely used in pediatric refractory status epilepticus. Magnesium sulfate can be considered in the management of children with febrile illness-related epilepsy syndrome.
Causes of Interfirm Profitability Differences: A New Interpretation of the Evidence

Introduction, 181. — I. A stochastic model of interfirm profitability differences, 182. — II. An example, 183. — III. Results of tests using a simple simulation model, 186. — IV. Summary and challenge, 191.
Detection of Singlet Oxygen Generation by Chlorophyll using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to detect the photosensitized generation of singlet oxygen (1O2) by chlorophyll b. Illumination of a chlorophyll b solution containing a spin trap (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone, TMPD) yielded pronounced EPR signals for TAN (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone-N-oxyl) suggesting the presence of 1O2. N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylene diamine (TMEDA, a 1O2quencher) and a combination of TMEDA with a free radical scavenger (butylated hydroxyanisole, BHA) completely eliminated the TAN signal. BHA alone did not exert this inhibitory effect.
Urethral versus suprapubic catheter: choosing the best bladder management for male spinal cord injury patients with indwelling catheters.

Urethral versus suprapubic catheter: choosing the best bladder management for male spinal cord injury patients with indwelling catheters
Possibility of c -axis voltage steps for a cuprate superconductor in a resonant cavity

Very anisotropic cuprate superconductors, such as ${\mathrm{BiSr}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{8+x},$ when driven by currents parallel to the c axis, behave like stacks of underdamped Josephson junctions. Here, we analyze the possibility that such a stack can be caused to phase lock, to exhibit self-induced resonant voltage steps (SIRS's), and hence to radiate coherently when placed in a suitable resonant electromagnetic cavity. We analyze this possibility using equations of motion developed to describe such SIRS's in stacks of artificial Josephson junctions. We conclude that such steps might be observable with a suitably chosen cavity and resonant frequency.
Anticonvulsant Effects of Magnesium Sulfate in Hippocampal-Kindled Rats.

The objective of the present study was to determine whether magnesium sulfate has anticonvulsant actions in the hippocampal-kindled rat model of epilepsy. Fully kindled rats received acute intraperitoneal injections of magnesium sulfate (270 mg/kg), phenytoin (20 mg/kg) or saline in random order. Electrical seizure duration, behavioral seizure stage and duration of postictal EEG depression were examined 15, 30 and 60 min after injection. In an additional group of rats, kindled seizures were measured before and after chronic (2 h) intraperitoneal injections of magnesium sulfate versus saline. There was a significant decrease in electrical seizure duration (p<0.01) and behavioral seizure stage (p<0.01) with acute magnesium sulfate injections compared to saline injections. Phenytoin had no statistically significant effects on hippocampal-kindled seizures. Chronic magnesium sulfate treatment significantly reduced behavioral seizure stage at 2, 24, and 48 h postinjection (p<0.05), but did not affect seizure duration. There was a significant time by treatment effect for magnesium sulfate on postictal EEG depression (p<0.01). We conclude that in this model of hippocampal epilepsy-induced (kindled) rats, magnesium sulfate has significant anticonvulsant effects.
Contaminant trends in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from the Upper Great Lakes

Contaminant body burdens in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from the Upper Great Lakes have been monitored since 1970 on Lake Michigan and since 1977 and 1978 on Lakes Superior and Huron by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Great Lakes National Program Office and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Great Lakes Fishery Laboratory. Analysis of the Lake Michigan data shows that mean polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) concentrations declined from a maximum of 22.91 mg/kg in 1974 to 5.63 mg/kg in 1982. Mean total DDT concentrations declined from 19.19 mg/kg in 1970 to 2.74 mg/kg in 1982. The decline in both contaminants closely followed first order loss kinetics. If the current declines continue, PCB concentrations will decline to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) tolerance of 2.0 mg/kg in 1988. Mean total DDT concentrations will fall to the International Joint Commission (IJC) objective of 1.0 mg/kg by 1991. Mean dieldrin concentrations increased significantly from 0.20 mg/kg in 1971 to 0.58 mg/kg in 1979 before declining to 0.21 mg/kg in 1982. The decline from 1979–1982 followed first order loss kinetics. As this decline is not reflected in other species (bloater chubs, smelt) it will require additional years of monitoring to determine if dieldrin concentrations between 1979 and 1982 truly represents a declining trend. The only statistically significant trend other than in Lake Michigan was for total DDT which declined significantly in Lake Superior lake trout. Large data variance and the short time frame covered (1977–1982) interfered with detection of trends on Lakes Superior and Huron.
Patterns of carbohydrate and protein digestion in the chicken as derived from sampling the hepatic portal system

AbstractA technique for chronic catheterization of the hepatic portal system of the chicken via the duodenal vein is described. The system has been used to evaluate digestive processes in fasted, adult White Leghorn males by repeatedly measuring differences in glucose and amino-N between portal and wing vein blood (i. e., portal increments) following a test meal. The system was found to be sufficiently sensitive to follow carbohydrate and protein digestion, using as little as 13 g. of a practical poultry ration as a test meal.Digestion and absorption began rapidly, with near peak portal increments of both glucose and amino-N occurring approximately 15 minutes after a test meal. A consistent, positive portal increment of amino-N was observed after 16-18 hours of fasting, presumably from endogenous sources. Amino-N absorption appears to be completed sooner than glucose (by 2 hours) whereas signs of glucose absorption were seen for as long as 6 hours. Systemic levels of amino-N were elevated only during the ...
Winter Survival of The Cotton Boll Weevil At Florence, S. C.

From 1922 to 1926, an average of 3.27 per cent of cotton boll weevils survived the winter in various types of protective shelters at Florence, South Carolina. Practically all weevils issuing from hibernation before cotton was available as a food plant died, the average longevity at this time being 5.64 days. Of weevils emerging from winter quarters after cotton came up, and placed in field cages on young cotton plants, a great majority died before these started to square, their average longevity under these conditions being 8.12 days. Weevils emerging at or after the time when squares were developed on cotton plants were longer lived in these same field cages than those emerging prior to this time, the average longevity for males being 16.28 and for females, 13.42 days. The maximum longevity at this time was 66 days for males and 46 for females. According to trap crop records and field counts, weevils continued to enter the cotton fields for three to four weeks after the first squares formed, or until about the time the first blooms appeared. In 1925, 90.01 per cent of the surviving. weevils had emerged in all cages at the time cotton began to square, 73.04 in those in the woods, 90.37 in those in the field, and 47.01 per cent in the trap crops. That year emergence in the hibernation cages located in the woods corresponded very closely with that in the two trap crops after May 14. In 1926, 98.03 per cent of the weevils had emerged in all the hibernation cages when cotton began to square, all in those in the woods, 97.91 per cent in those in the field, and none had been collected in the trap crops. The emergence of the weevils in the hibernation cages is called the “total emergence,” and that in the trap crops the “effective emergence,” since the latter represents those weevils that emerge late enough to find cotton. Trapcrop records and field counts for the two years indicate that there may be a considerable migration of weevils to cotton fields after first square production, although this may actually represent a small percentage of the total survival for that year. The use of the trap crop in determining the rate of “effective emergence” of the weevil from hibernation is more reliable and more representative of field conditions than is that of the hibernation cage.
Polarization and reflectivity effects on fiber optical parametric oscillator output power

We report on polarization and reflectivity effects in FOPO output coupling. Polarization-based output coupling improves output power. Linear polarization and output coupling of 0.35 to 0.48 yields optimum output power with the current setup.
Saline appetite in rats as a function of dry food ingestion

Thirty-nine albino rats were deprived of food and water for 24 h. Group 1 was given water for 1 h, followed by 1 h of water and dry food; Group 2 was given 1 h of 0.9% saline followed by 1 h of 0.9% saline and food; Group 3 was given 1 h of both water and 0.9% saline followed by the addition of food to the two liquids for 1 h. First-hour and second-hour intakes of water and saline were measured. Results show that rats drank more 0.9% saline than water with a single bottle, with or without food; with double bottles rats drank more saline when no food was given; rats switched to water when food was given. Since rats eat less food when given 0.9% saline than when given water (Hsiao, 1967) the rats may have chosen water in order to eat more food.
Library and information science education in Rwanda

Purpose – To provide an overview of library and information science education in Rwanda.Design/methodology/approach – Description mainly through personal experience.Findings – The history of library manpower development in Rwanda has been turbulent. Establishing the first ever formal library and information science program has had many challenges. However, graduates from the program are slowly and steadily changing the library landscape in Rwanda.Originality/value – Library and information science education in Rwanda has not been well documented and particularly challenges in faced in establishing a formal library and information science program.
A stepsize control strategy for stiff systems of ordinary differential equations

In solving stiff systems of ordinary differential equations using BDF methods, Jacobians needed for quasi-Newton iteration are frequently computed using finite differences. Round-off errors in the finite-difference approximation can lead to Newton failures forcing the code to choose its time steps based on “stability” rather than accuracy considerations. When standard stepsize control is used, the code can experience thrashing which increases the total number of time steps, Jacobian evaluations, and function evaluations. In this paper we investigate this situation, explaining some surprising time step selection behavior produced by the standard control mechanism. A new control mechanism is proposed which attempts to find and use a “stability” stepsize. A comparison of the new strategy with the standard strategy and with two PI controllers introduced earlier is made using the stiff test set.
A comparison of approaches for estimating relative impacts of nonnative fishes

Lack of standard methods for quantifying impact has hindered risk assessments of high-impact invaders. To understand methodological strengths and weaknesses, we compared five approaches (in parentheses) for quantifying impact of nonnative fishes: reviewing documented impacts in a large-scale database (review); surveying fish biologists regarding three categories of impact (socioeconomic, ecological, abundance); and estimating frequency of occurrence from existing collection records (collection). In addition, we compared game and nongame biologists’ ratings of game and nongame species. Although mean species ratings were generally correlated among approaches, we documented important discrepancies. The review approach required little effort but often inaccurately estimated impact in our study region (Mid-Atlantic United States). Game fishes received lower ratings from the socioeconomic approach, which yielded the greatest consistency among respondents. The ecological approach exhibited lower respondent bias but was sensitive to pre-existing perceptions of high-impact invaders. The abundance approach provided the least-biased assessment of region-specific impact but did not account for differences in per-capita effects among species. The collection approach required the most effort and did not provide reliable estimates of impact. Multiple approaches to assessing a species’ impact are instructive, but impact ratings must be interpreted in the context of methodological strengths and weaknesses and key management issues. A combination of our ecological and abundance approaches may be most appropriate for assessing ecological impact, whereas our socioeconomic approach is more useful for understanding social dimensions. These approaches are readily transferrable to other regions and taxa; if refined, they can help standardize the assessment of impacts of nonnative species.
Congenital corneal anesthesia.

A 6-year-old boy with a visual acuity of 6/30 (20/100) in each eye had a diffuse corneal epithelial disruption that was most severe in the interpalpebral area. Corneal anesthesia was demonstrated with the Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer. Artificial tears, lubricant ointments, and taping of the eyelids were unsuccessful in ameliorating the problem. The use of therapeutic soft contact lenses provided visual acuity of R.E.: 6/12 (20/40), and L.E.: 6/6 (20/20), and arrested the epithelial breakdown. The contact lenses were discontinued after one year, and the corneal epithelium remained intact. Once the cycle of recurrent epithelial breakdown in congenital corneal anesthesia is interrupted for a prolonged period of time, one can expect a continued remission when therapeutic measures are discontinued. With early recognition and treatment of this disorder, corneal scarring can be avoided.
Managerial Self-determination and Securities Fraud

Despite all the efforts to improve corporate governance, managers may not always act in the best interest of the owners of their firms. Their autonomy may give rise to behavior that is not approved...
Predicting oligomerization states of coiled coils

An algorithm based on the profile method was developed that faithfully distinguishes between the amino acid sequences of dimeric and trimeric coiled coils. Normalized sequence profiles derived from nonhomologous, two- and three-stranded, coiled-coil sequences with unambiguous registers were used to assign dimer and trimer propensities to test sequences. The difference between the dimer and trimer profile scores accurately reflected the preferred oligomerization state. The method relied on two strategies that may be generally applicable to profile calculations--profile values of solvent-exposed residues and of amino acids that were underrepresented in the data-base were given zero weight. Differences between the dimer and trimer profiles revealed sequence patterns that match and extend experimental studies of oligomer specification.
Financial decision support with hybrid genetic and neural based modeling tools

This paper presents a comparative investigation of hybrid genetic classifiers vis-a-vis neural classifiers and statistical models in the financial domain. It is hypothesized that the proposed hybrid genetic classifier will perform better than the statistical counterpart. We provide a brief overview of the hybrid genetic classifier and discuss the design issues when applied to developing classification models for financial decision support. Further, the models are tested on a liquidation-merger problem. Results are consistent with the hypothesized premise. The proposed genetic classifiers outperform the statistical model. Implications of the comparison and issues for future research are addressed.
Structure−Activity Relationships Comparing N-(6-Methylpyridin-yl)-Substituted Aryl Amides to 2-Methyl-6-(substituted-arylethynyl)pyridines or 2-Methyl-4-(substituted-arylethynyl)thiazoles as Novel Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 5 Antagonists†

The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) has been implicated in anxiety, depression, pain, mental retardation, and addiction. The potent and selective noncompetitive mGluR5 antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP, 1) has been a critically important tool used to further elucidate the role of mGluR5 in these CNS disorders. In an effort to provide novel and structurally diverse selective mGluR5 antagonists, we previously described a set of analogues with moderate activity wherein the alkyne bond was replaced with an amide group. In the present report, extended series of both amide and alkyne-based ligands were synthesized. MGluR5 binding and functional data were obtained that identified (1) several novel alkynes with comparable affinities to 1 at mGluR5 (e.g., 10 and 20–23), but (2) most structural variations to the amide template were not well tolerated, although a few potent amides were discovered (e.g., 55 and 56). Several of these novel analogues show drug-like physical properti...
On the road to reform: a sociocultural interpretation of reform

In this paper I discuss how reform in science education is interpreted by Barma as she recounts the story of Catherine, a grade 9 biology teacher, who reforms her teaching practices in response to a national curriculum reform in Quebec, Canada. Unlike some cases in response to reform, this case is hopeful and positive. Also in this paper, I address some familiar areas that must be considered when teachers undertake curriculum reform and how science educators may fulfill the role of facilitator and advocate in the support of teachers on the road to reform. The commentary focuses on how Barma retells the story through the lens of activity theory.
Fixed and sequential designs for estimation in the exponential family with comparisons and applications to binomial proportions using beta priors

A sequential approach to the estimation of the difference of two population means for distributions belonging to the exponential family is adopted and compared with the best fixed design. Comparisons of sequential and best fixed designs for estimation of the difference between two Bernoulli proportions with beta priors are conducted. Results on the lower bound for the Bayes risk due to estimation and expected cost are presented and shown to be of first-order efficiency. Numerical comparisons for the Bernoulli distribution with beta priors are presented.
The fatigue and final fracture behavior of SiC particle reinforced 7034 aluminum matrix composites

Abstract In this research paper, the cyclic stress-amplitude-controlled fatigue response and fracture behavior of aluminum alloy 7034 discontinuously reinforced with silicon carbide particulates (SiCp) is presented. In view of the limited ambient temperature ductility, test specimens of the 7034/SiCp composite, in both the under-aged and peak-aged conditions, were cyclically deformed under stress-amplitude-control at an elevated temperature corresponding to the aging temperature of the alloy. The cyclic fatigue tests were conducted at two different load ratios with the objective of documenting the conjoint influences of intrinsic composite microstructural effects, nature of loading, and magnitude of cyclic stress amplitude on cyclic fatigue life and fracture characteristics. The final fracture behavior of the composite is discussed in light of the concurrent and mutually interactive influences of composite microstructural effects, deformation characteristics of the composite constituents, nature of loading, and resultant fatigue life.
Bending behavior of corrugated-core sandwich plates

Abstract In this paper, the comprehensive analysis for the linear behavior of a corrugated-core sandwich plate is presented. A closed-form solution based on the Mindlin–Reissner plate theory is presented to describe the behavior of corrugated-core sandwich plate bending with various boundary conditions. A three-dimensional sandwich panel is reduced to an equivalent two-dimensional structurally orthotropic thick plate continuum. Some new phenomena observed in experimental investigations but not found in previous numerical analyses have been confirmed and reported, herein. The present numerical analysis agrees well with the reported experimental investigations of deflections and moments. Furthermore, the effects of several geometric parameters of a corrugated-core sandwich plate on its rigidity and state of stress are investigated.
Increasing prevalence of gastroschisis: population-based study in California.

Objective To evaluate time trend of gastroschisis and examine the epidemiological risk factors for gastroschisis. Study design This population-based study analyzed the active surveillance data from the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program from 1987 to 2003. Results The overall birth prevalence of gastroschisis was 2.6 cases per 10,000 births (908 cases in >3.5 million births). In the adjusted analysis, by using the age of 25 to 29 years as the reference, mothers aged 12 to 15 years had a 4.2-times greater birth prevalence (95% CI, 2.5-7.0), and fathers aged 16 to 19 years and 20 to 24 years had 1.6- and 1.5-times greater birth prevalence (95% CI, 1.1-2.1 and 1.2-1.8), respectively. Compared with non-Hispanic whites and US-born Hispanic, both foreign-born Hispanics and blacks had adjusted prevalence ratio of 0.6 (95% CI, 0.5-0.7 and 0.4-0.9, respectively). In addition, nulliparity was also associated with gastroschisis. Independent of maternal age, paternal age, and maternal ethnicity, the birth prevalence increased 3.2-fold (95% CI, 2.3-4.3) during the 17-year study period. Conclusions The birth prevalence of gastroschisis continues to increase in California, and young, nulliparous women are at the greatest risk of having a child with gastroschisis.
Antagonistic Effects of Anti-EMMPRIN Antibody When Combined with Chemotherapy Against Hypovascular Pancreatic Cancers

Purpose To examine the antagonistic effects of anti-extracellular matrix metalloprotease inducer (anti-EMMPRIN) antibody when combined with chemotherapy using a hypovascular pancreatic tumor model.