cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Salmonella Presence in Mandibular, Mesenteric, and Subiliac Lymph Nodes Collected from Sheep and Goats in the U.S.

ObjectivesTo survey the presence of Salmonella harbored within lymph nodes of sheep and goats in the United States.Materials and MethodsMandibular, mesenteric and subiliac lymph nodes were collected from 125 sheep and 130 goat carcasses at harvest. Samples were collected at small abattoirs (n = 578; 1 to 30 animals/d) and large (n = 183; 800 to 1,000 animals/d) facilities in California, New Mexico and Texas over a 2-yr period.Lymph nodes were trimmed from fat and fascia, boiled, pulverized and enriched in Tryptone Soy Broth (TSB). Enrichments were subjected to standard immunomagnetic separation (IMS) procedures for Salmonella, selective enrichment in Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) broth, and plating onto Xylose Lysine Desoxycholate (XLD) and Brilliant Green Sulfa (BGS) agars. Typical colonies from either medium were latex-agglutinated. A Chi-square test was performed via PROC FREQ on SAS (version 9.4; SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) to compare the frequency of Salmonella by species and lymph node type. Significance was detected at P ≤ 0.05.ResultsIn sheep, Salmonella was detected in 4.0% (5/125) of mandibular, 7.2% (9/125) of mesenteric, and 1.9% (7/125) of subiliac lymph nodes, with no significant difference among lymph node types. In goats, significant differences among lymph node types were detected with Salmonella present in 1.6% (2/128) of mandibular, 3.1% (4/129) of mesenteric and 7.8% (10/129) of subiliac lymph nodes (P = 0.035). Overall Salmonella detection in the combined species was 2.8% in mandibular lymph nodes (n = 253), 5.1% in mesenteric lymph nodes (n = 254) and 6.7% in subiliac lymph nodes (n = 254). Salmonella presence differed significantly by month of collection, with the highest frequency of detection in March (12.36%), and no Salmonella detected in April or November (P < 0.0001). Thirty animals (11 goats, 19 sheep) were found to have 1 or more Salmonella-positive lymph nodes.ConclusionOur data indicate that Salmonella is harbored within the lymph nodes of small ruminants. Further studies are needed to further assess seasonal and geographical effects on the prevalence of this pathogen in sheep and goats, and the potential influence of production practices on Salmonella contamination in ovine and caprine food products.
Free-Energy Computer Simulations for the Study of Proton Transfer in Solutions

The understanding of the effect of a solvent on proton transfer requires the elucidation of the solvent contribution to the free energy of solvation. Due to the high dimensionality of the configuration space involved in the problem, the solvent effect can only be modeled via computer simulation for a complex polyatomic solute. While simulation of rather large systems have recently become relatively routine, the methods for the calculation of free energy from computer simulation has been still recognized as a computationally exacting task1–4. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview of the free energy simulation methodology and demonstrate its capabilities on the study of the thermodynamics of the formation of the glycine zwitterion in water.
Criticality of data sharing in genomic research and public views of genomic data sharing

Abstract The genomic characterization of millions of individuals is immensely useful for medical research. With the decreasing cost of genome sequencing, this is now more plausible than ever. Having a larger number of studied individuals is almost assured to boost statistical power for future discoveries; therefore, genomes from increasingly more individuals will be sequenced going forward. Understanding of genomic variation is essential to understand the mechanism behind the genetic abnormalities. Therefore sharing genomic data is important in the clinical setting, in basic research, and for reproducibility. In this chapter, I will go over the importance of data sharing for health and biomedical studies. I will then discuss the importance of data sharing in curing diseases, especially from a statistical point of view. I will conclude the chapter with the contribution of the projects with broad genomic data-sharing policies to the biomedical sciences and patient's perspective in genomic data sharing.
Sex-role reversal in the tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi

Species in which females compete more intensely than males for access to mates are uncommon. Sex-role reversal in fishes has been documented only in species in which males bear eggs, such as pipefish and a mouth brooding cardinalfish. I investigated the reproductive behavior of the tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi (Gobiidae), to determine whether and to what degree this species is sex-role reversed. Males constructed and defended burrows for spawning in sand. Both sexes initiated courtship, but the female's breeding coloration was more striking. The intensity of sexual aggression was greater among females than among males. The female laid her entire clutch with a single male, and the male accepted only one clutch per brooding cycle. Both sexes spawned repeatedly (up to 12 times in aquaria), but fish did not form permanent pairs. Males cared for eggs in the burrow 9–11 days until hatching, and rarely if ever emerged to feed. Many aspects of male behavior (nest construction and defense, courtship, and parental care) were typical of most gobiids. On the other hand, female behavior (black nuptial coloration and intense female-female competition) was unusual, not only for gobiids but for animals in general. I therefore concluded that the tidewater goby is moderately sex-role reversed. Its sexual behavior is apparently unique among fishes because it is the only reported case of sex-role reversal in teleost males that do not bear eggs or developing young.
Category Selectivity for Face and Scene Recognition in Human Medial Parietal Cortex.

Summary The rapid recognition and memory of faces and scenes implies the engagement of category-specific computational hubs in the ventral visual stream with the distributed cortical memory network. To better understand how recognition and identification occur in humans, we performed direct intracranial recordings, in a large cohort of patients (n = 50), from the medial parietal cortex (MPC) and the medial temporal lobe (MTL), structures known to be engaged during face and scene identification. We discovered that the MPC is topologically tuned to face and scene recognition, with clusters in MPC performing scene recognition bilaterally and face recognition in right subparietal sulcus. The MTL displayed a selectivity gradient with anterior, entorhinal cortex showing face selectivity and posterior parahippocampal regions showing scene selectivity. In both MPC and MTL, stimulus-specific identifiable exemplars led to greater activity in these cortical patches. These two regions work in concert for recognition of faces and scenes. Feature selectivity and identity-sensitive activity in the two regions was coincident, and they exhibited theta-phase locking during face and scene recognition. These findings together provide clear evidence for a specific role of subregions in the MPC for the recognition of unique entities.
Abstract 16712: Safety & Efficacy of Cryoballoon versus Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Elderly Patients

Introduction: Catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is widely performed, with a rising proportion of patients of advanced age receiving the procedure. There are limited data describin...
Two-Year Treatment With Metformin During Puberty Does Not Preserve β-Cell Function in Youth With Obesity.

CONTEXT Youth-onset type 2 diabetes is a disease of pubertal onset, associated with additional burden of pubertal insulin resistance on the β-cell. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the impact of metformin treatment during puberty, a critical window of cardiometabolic change, on insulin sensitivity (Si) and compensatory β-cell response in youth with obesity. SETTING Pediatric academic hospital clinical translational research center. PARTICIPANTS Healthy youth in early puberty [Tanner stage (T) 2-3] with normoglycemia and obesity (n = 44). INTERVENTION Double-blinded placebo-control trial of metformin during puberty (until T5). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Insulin sensitivity (Si), insulin response [acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg)], and disposition index (DI), estimated from frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance testing; body fat (dual X-ray absorptiometry); and other laboratory parameters, collected at baseline, T4, and T5. Placebo-subtracted treatment effect was calculated using linear mixed models. RESULTS At T5, metformin treatment, adjusting for sex, race, and baseline value, was associated with improved BMI z-score (-0.44 ± 0.16, P = 0.02), percentage body fat (%body fat; -3.4 ± 1.2%, P = 0.06), and waist circumference (-11.3 ± 3.2cm, P = 0.003). There were no significant treatment effects at T5 on Si or secretion: Si (0.85 ± 0.87 × 10-4/min-1/μIU/mL, P = 0.34), AIRg (-259 ± 386 μIU/mL, P = 0.51), or DI (508 ± 802 × 10-4/min-1, P = 0.53). High baseline DI predicted longitudinal decline in DI. CONCLUSIONS Two years of metformin treatment in obese youth during puberty improved BMI and body fat, but not Si or β-cell function. Of note, high DI in early puberty may be predictive of later decline in DI. Further studies are needed to develop strategies for preservation of β-cell function in youth at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Tolerability of Breast Radiotherapy Among Carriers of ATM Germline Variants

PURPOSEATM, a gene that controls repair of DNA double-strand breaks, confers an excess lifetime risk of breast cancer among carriers of germline pathogenic variants (PV). ATM PV homozygotes are par...
Biases in Recommendation System

Recommendation systems shape what people consume and experience online, which makes it critical to assess their effect on society and whether they are affected by any potential source of bias. My research focuses on a specific source of bias — popularity — that is especially relevant in two online contexts: news consumption, and cultural markets. Social media newsfeeds, which are designed to optimize the engagement of users, may inadvertently promote inaccurate and partisan news domains, since these are often popular among like-minded and polarized audiences. More generally, in any type of cultural market, popularity bias may lead to the suppression of niche quality products, which may not attract enough attention. In the context of online newsfeeds, I am investigating whether the political diversity of the audience of a news website can be used as signal of journalistic quality. In an analysis of a comprehensive dataset of news source reliability ratings and web browsing histories, I have shown that the diversity of the audience of a news website is a valuable signal to counter popularity bias and to promote journalistic quality. To further validate these results experimentally, I propose to have direct interactions with social media users through surveys. Here, I provide the details of a field study that I am planning to undertake using an experimental social media platform. More generally, in the context of any online cultural market, political audience diversity may not be applicable but the idea of diversity as a signal for higher quality might still be useful. For example, movies which are liked by an “age diverse” population or books which are read by racially diverse audience may have better quality than other items. However, in this research I have explored audience diversity in the context of social media newsfeeds only. For any online cultural market, I propose a method to quantify the popularity bias through an empirical analysis, using data from several existing markets. Accurately estimating the impact of popularity bias can help us advance our understanding of machine biases and also lead to the development of more robust recommendation systems.
Journal of health, population and nutrition: celebrating an exciting new phase.

We are pleased to announce a new phase of the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (JHPN) into an open access, peer-reviewed online journal under the sponsorship of BioMed Central. While celebrating the start of an exciting new phase, it seems appropriate to reflect on the journal’s impressive history and to present some initial plans for the future of this new phase of the journal. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (JHPN) indeed has a rich and illustrious history. The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), a world‐class public health research organization in a developing country, first launched the Journal of Diarrhoeal Diseases Research in 1983 and the journal took its current name in 2000. During the period 2000–2015, under the management of icddr,b, and with an eminent international editorial board, the journal became internationally renowned for its rigorous standards and its special focus on research of relevance to developing countries.
Inducing Ontologies from Folksonomies using Natural Language Understanding

Abstract : During the Phase I period, Lymba studied the feasibility of an automated system that exposes a folksonomy's semantic structure. We developed a prototype system that implements our proposed design and exposes a folksonomy's semantic structure by building an ontology of tags which can be improve various folksonomy-related applications, such as automatic generation of user, document, or tag recommendations or collaborative tagging across multiple social bookmarking applications in addition to a folksonomy visualization, browsing and search application.
Controlling Hydrogen Embrittlement in Ultra-High Strength Steels

Abstract : A Fe-13Co-11Ni-3Cr- 1Mo-0.2C steel alloy, processed for ultra-high strength and fracture toughness, exhibits three distinct hydrogen trap states in a complex precipitation hardened martensitic microstructure and is susceptible to severe hydrogen embrittlement (HE) at threshold stress intensity levels as low as 20 MPa square root of m. The causes of HE susceptibility include very high crack-tip tensile stresses and a reservoir of diffusible hydrogen that is trapped reversibly with a binding energy, E(sub b), of 11.5+/-0.5 kJ/mol at (Fe,Cr,Mo)2C precipitates. This reversibly trapped hydrogen repartitions to interstitial sites proximate to the highly stressed crack tip and, subsequently, may retrap at martensitic lath interfaces to produce substantial local hydrogen concentrations and transgranular embrittlement. These results are pertinent to the control of HE in this modern ultra-high strength steel with a cadmium-plated coating and co-deposited hydrogen (H). Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy demonstrates that 190C baking removes the detrimental hydrogen associated with (Fe,Cr,Mo)2C traps in both precharged but unplated steel as well as in thin porous, cadmium-plated steel. Restoration of a high fracture toughness and a ductile fracture mode correlates directly with the removal of hydrogen from (Fe,Cr,Mo)2C traps as well as other low energy trap states. However, the internal H concentration at such traps is at first intensified upon baking of cadmium-plated steel. Later H egress is retarded by the slow H diffusivity in steel and the barrier action of the cadmium plating. Hydrogen trapped at higher trap binding energy sites is not removed by 190C baking, but cannot redistribute to the crack tip fracture process zone and does not participate in subcritical hydrogen cracking.
Don't Be in a Rush to Search Students.

(1986). Don't Be in a Rush to Search Students. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 59, No. 6, pp. 252-253.
Impact of emerging semiconductor technology on transportation vehicles in the year 2000

We were requested to predict the future specifications of the electronic materials, electronic packages and micro processors for high performance computer systems going as far out as the year 2000 and beyond. These were to be based on the emerging requirements of the end users. Literature and conferences yielded very little quantitative data. As a result, we understood to design and develop a deterministic and macroscopic model based on physics, math, VLSI design, architecture and integration level considerations. The resulting model transcended the electronic world from system performance to microprocessor description to packaging specifications and required material's specifications. Based on this model, it is likely, that the world will see an integration of 100 million transistors on a single chip providing clock frequencies approaching 213 MHz and CPU power near about 238 MIPS. Transportation is a major business for Alcoa. We have used our model to examine what architectural directions the Mobile 2000 would take for satisfying its command and control, navigational, entertainment, communication, engine, transmission and body/cockpit control and management systems. A scenario is developed based on the current and emerging requirements for the above functions leading to the automobile of the year 2000. This is then translated to yield control and system requirements which then are converted to the total computational requirements. The requirements are used to define the future system specifications based on our model's predictions. Alternative architectures are then presented. Cautions and caveats are discussed based on our experience on several large scale Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) networks', design development and implementation. It is imperative to bring the large scale systems thinking to Mobile 2000's automation and support systems so that the classical pitfalls of cost, performance, lack of planning, ad hoc and proliferation of incompatible systems does not take place in this exciting arena.
Peripheral,soft tissue odontomas

Two cases of rare, peripheral, soft tissue odontomas, in different growth phases, are reported. Case one, discovered in an early, rapid growth phase, had no radiographic appearance, was presumed to be a periodontal abscess, and presented a diagnostic challenge. Case two was diagnosed radiographically in its mature phase. Both were treated successfully by excisional biopsy and did not recur. Comparisons are made to the classic intrabony odontomas.
Observations on Plasma Sheet Dynamics During Magnetospheric Substorms

Considerable progress on the plasma sheet dynamics during magnetospheric substorms has been made on the basis of comprehensive studies of magnetic field and plasma flow observations in the magnetotail. Among the new findings are (1) the realization that rapid plasma flow in the plasma sheet is largely field-aligned flow rather than convective \( \mathop {\rm{E}}\limits^ \to {\rm{ x }}\mathop {\rm{B}}\limits^ \to \) drift, (2) the determination of synoptic plasma flow patterns earthward of X ≃ −30 Re at thinning and recovery of the plasma sheet during substorms, and (3) the result that there is no large-scale Bz reversal at the neutral sheet within the lunar distance in the magnetotail during substorm expansion. Assessment of observations indicates that both large-scale and localized phenomena occur in the plasma sheet during substorms. The phenomenological model which invokes a large-scale X-type magnetic neutral line at a downstream distance between 10 and 25 Re during sub storm expansion does not describe the most common substorm behavior of the magnetic field and plasma flow in the plasma sheet. Possible alternatives are the tearing mode model, which invokes multiple localized neutral lines, and the current diversion model. These two alternative models represent basically two different views on the primary substorm process. The tearing mode model expresses the view that localized phenomena are intrinsic to the primary substorm process and large-scale phenomena are consequences of localized activities, whereas the current diversion model regards large-scale phenomena as the intrinsic features and localized phenomena as secondary features which may not be directly related to the primary substorm process.
What Happens in Philosophical Texts: Matthew Lipman's Theory and Practice of the Philosophical Text as Model

This paper explores Matthew Lipman's notion of the philosophical text as model. I argue that Lipman's account of the philosophical text is one that brings together the expository and narrative textual forms in a distinctive way--not one in which the tension between the expository and the narrative is overcome once and for all, but in such a way that the expository and the narrative are brought into relationship within the very form of narrative itself. Drawing upon Michel Foucault's reading of Descartes "Meditations," I argue that Lipman's philosophical novels serve both a demonstrative and ascetic function, allowing us to situate Lipman's novels in the history of philosophical discourse, as well as point to the task of creating philosophical texts, and curriculum, in the future.
Hybrid Psychology: The marriage of discourse analysis with neuroscience

As the 21st Century opened the controversial and unstable discipline of `academic psychology’ seemed to separating into two radically distinct and perhaps irreconcilable domains. Discursive psychology focused on the management of meaning in a world of norms while Neuropsychology focused on the investigation of brain and cognitive processes. These two domains can be reconciled in a hybrid science that brings them together into a synthesis more powerful than anything psychologists have achieved before. In this paper means Hybrid psychology depends on the intuition that while brains can be assimilated into the world of persons, people cannot be assimilated into the world of cell structures and molecular processes. The project of setting up a hybrid science, in which the symbol using capacities of human beings are brought into a unified scheme with the organic aspects of members of the species homo sapiens, demands the dissolution of the mind-body problem, somehow setting it aside as an illusion, based on a mistaken presupposition.
Was Andersen’s audit quality lower than its peers?

Purpose – This paper aims to examine whether Andersen’s audit quality in the five years preceding its collapse lagged that of other Big-Five auditors. Design/methodology/approach – This paper compares Andersen’s audit quality and the other Big-Five auditors using five methodologies, namely, earnings response coefficients, magnitudes of abnormal accruals, propensities to issue going-concern opinions, usefulness of going-concern opinions in predicting bankruptcy and the frequency of Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases. The comparisons are based on both pooled samples of all observations and propensity-score-based matched-pairs. Findings – The preponderance of evidence shows that Andersen’s audit quality did not differ materially in audit quality from other Big-Five auditors prior to its failure. However, it was found that Andersen’s independence was compromised in the year leading to its collapse (2000), as indicated by the lower likelihood to issue going-concern opinions. Originality/value – This ...
Juxtaglomerular cell complex in the regulation of renal salt excretion

Luminal NaCl concentration at the macula densa (MD) has the two established effects of regulating glomerular arteriolar resistance and renin secretion. Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF), the inverse relationship between MD NaCl concentration and glomerular filtration rate (GFR), stabilizes distal salt delivery and thereby NaCl excretion in response to random perturbations unrelated to changes in body salt balance. Control of vasomotor tone by TGF is exerted primarily by NaCl transport-dependent changes in local adenosine concentrations. During long-lasting perturbations of MD NaCl concentration, control of renin secretion becomes the dominant function of the MD. The potentially maladaptive effect of TGF under chronic conditions is prevented by TGF adaptations, permitting adjustments in GFR to occur. TGF adaptation is mechanistically coupled to the end point targeted by chronic deviations in MD NaCl, the rate of local and systemic angiotensin II generation. MD control of renin secretion is the result of the coordinated action of local mediators that include nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX) products. Thus vascular smooth muscle cell activation during high MD transport and granular cell activation during low MD transport is achieved by different extracellular mediators. The coordinated regulation of NOS I and COX-2 expression in MD cells and of renin expression in granular cells suggests that control of juxtaglomerular regulation of gene transcription or mRNA metabolism may be another consequence of a chronic alteration in MD NaCl concentration.
Preliminary crystallographic analysis of a complex between tetracycline and the trypsin-modified form of Escherichia coli elongation factor Tu

Abstract Crystals of a complex between the antibiotic tetracycline and the trypsin-modified form of the Escherichia coli protein elongation factor Tu have been grown in a form suitable for high-resolution X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystals belong to space group P21; with cell dimensions a = 69.7 A , b = 156.4 A , c = 135.4 A and β = 95.3 ° , and contain six molecules of the complex per asymmetric unit. The crystals are well ordered and diffract to a resolution of 2.3 A.
Slow change deafness

In four experiments, we demonstrated a new phenomenon called “slow-change deafness.” In Experiment 1 we presented listeners with continuous speech that changed three semitones in pitch over time, and we found that nearly 50 % failed to notice the change. Experiments 2 and 3 replicated the finding, demonstrated that the changes in the stimuli were well above threshold, and showed that when listeners were alerted to the possibility of a change, detection rates improved dramatically. Experiment 4 showed that increasing the magnitude of the change that occurred in the stimulus decreased the rate of change deafness. Our results are consistent with previous work that had shown that cueing listeners to potential auditory changes can significantly reduce change deafness. These findings support an account of change deafness that is dependent on both the magnitude of a stimulus change and listener expectations.
Quantitative Analysis of Simulated Illicit Street-Drug Samples Using Raman Spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares Regression

ABSTRACT Modern drug laws require that a seized sample be characterized for both the illegal substances present and the quantity of each of those substances. The goal of this work was to develop a common approach to model development based on Raman spectroscopic analysis followed by partial least squares (PLS) regression that would allow us to obtain quantitative information from simulated street-drug samples. Each drug sample contained one drug surrogate—either isoxsuprine, norephedrine, benzocaine, or lidocaine—and up to 3 different cutting agents. All spectra were acquired on a homebuilt Raman instrument equipped with a rotating sample holder. The same steps were employed for developing separate models for each drug surrogate, including spectral preprocessing by Savitsky-Golay smoothing, differentiation, mean-centering, and autoscaling. PLS models were developed using 2 latent variables that yielded root mean square errors of calibration (RMSEC) values in the 3% range and root mean square error of pred...
Correspondence between the Fe 3s photoemission line-shape and the Fe local moment in Fe-V alloys

Abstract We have examined the relationship between the line-shape of the Fe 3s photoemission spectrum and the Fe local moment in a series of Fe-V alloys. We find that the shoulder on the higher binding energy side of the spectrum becomes less apparent with increasing V concentration, i.e., as the local moment decreases. A recent spin-resolved measurement of the Fe 3s photoemission spectrum indicated that the conventional method of fitting ‘standard’ line-shapes may not be justified. As a result we are unable to deduce at this stage whether the changes are a consequence of a reduction in spin-splitting or a decrease in intensity of the higher binding energy component. We calculated also the local moments in α'-FeV (CsCl-structure) using the SCF-LMTO-ASA method. The result for the average moment per unit cell is in good agreement with previous magnetization measurements.
Collision avoidance control of redundant manipulators

Abstract This paper discusses how the extra degrees of freedom present in a redundant manipulator could be utilized to achieve other goals in addition to the specifications for the desired end effector trajectory. In this work obstacle avoidance is taken as the additional goal. First the closest point of the manipulator to the obstacle, and its velocity are determined. This point is called a critical point if it is approaching the obstacle. An influence function which depends on the velocity of the critical point as well as the obstacle information and represents the urgency of a collision is then introduced into the homogeneous part of the solution. Finally, the joint angular velocities are determined by the instantaneous application of the pseudo-inverse of the Jacobian matrix such that the end effector moves in a specified path and avoids the obstacle at the same time.
Incorporating Gross Anatomy Education Into Radiation Oncology Residency: A 2-Year Curriculum With Evaluation of Resident Satisfaction

Purpose Radiation oncologists require a thorough understanding of anatomy, but gross anatomy is not part of the standard residency curriculum. "Oncoanatomy" is an educational program for radiation oncology residents at Duke University that integrates cadaver dissection into the instruction of oncologic anatomy, imaging, and treatment planning. In this report, the authors document their experience with a 2-year curriculum. Methods Nineteen radiation oncology residents from Duke University and the University of North Carolina participated during academic years 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. Monthly modules, based on anatomic site, consisted of one or two clinically oriented hour-long lectures, followed by a 1-hour gross anatomy session. Clinical lectures were case based and focused on radiographic anatomy, image segmentation, and field design. Gross anatomy sessions centered on cadaver prosections, with small groups rotating through stations at which anatomists led cadaver exploration. Adjacent monitors featured radiologic imaging to facilitate synthesis of gross anatomy with imaging anatomy. Satisfaction was assessed on a 10-point scale via anonymous survey. Results Twenty modules were held over the 2-year period. Participants gave the course a median rating of 8 (interquartile range, 7-9), with 1 signifying "as effective as the worst educational activities" and 10 "as effective as the best educational activities." High resident satisfaction was seen with all module components. Conclusions Incorporating a structured, 2-year gross anatomy-based curriculum into radiation oncology residency is feasible and associated with high resident satisfaction.
Engineering training for National defense in the United States

Leaders in the engineering profession and in the Army and Navy agree that the engineering colleges of the United States should maintain strong educational programs and increase their research efforts, in addition to making special facilities available for emergency training, according to this distinguished educator and consultant on the Government's program.
Contact thermal shock test of ceramics

A novel quantitative thermal shock test of ceramics is described. The technique employs contact between a metal-cooling rod and hot disk-shaped specimen. In contrast with traditional techniques, the well-defined thermal boundary condition allows for accurate analyses of heat transfer, stress, and fracture. Uniform equibiaxial tensile stresses are induced in the center of the test specimen. Transient specimen temperature and acoustic emission are monitored continuously during the thermal stress cycle. The technique is demonstrated with soda-lime glass specimens. Experimental results are compared with theoretical predictions based on a finite-element method thermal stress analysis combined with a statistical model of fracture. Material strength parameters are determined using concentric ring flexure tests. Good agreement is found between experimental results and theoretical predictions of failure probability as a function of time and initial specimen temperature.
Conducted Vascular Responses: Communication across the Capillary Bed

Conducted vasomotor responses are important for the effective distribution of blood flow, although the mechanism by which these responses are initiated is not well understood. ATP, a substance which is released from circulating red blood cells in response to low PO2 and low pH, two conditions which are associated with decreased supply relative to demand, has been shown to initiate conducted vasodilation following its intraluminal application in first and second order arterioles. Since such low PO2 and low pH conditions would most likely occur on the venous side of the vasculature, we evaluated the response of the arteriolar and capillary networks to application of ATP into venules in the Saran-covered hamster cheek pouch retractor muscle using in vivo video microscopy. Intraluminal application of 40 and 400 pl of 10(-6) M ATP resulted in dose-dependent increases in arteriolar diameter > 450 microm upstream from the site of application. These changes in arteriolar diameter were accompanied by significant increases in red blood cell flux. In capillaries, red blood cell flux doubled in response to ATP administration. Since NO was previously determined to be involved in the vascular response to intraluminal ATP in arterioles, we evaluated its role in these responses. We found that systemic administration of l-NAME prior to ATP application eliminated any conducted response and this effect of l-NAME was reversed by the systemic administration of l-arginine. These data suggest that ATP, which is released from red blood cells in response to low PO2 and low pH, conditions which would be found in the venular microvasculature, may serve a role in distributing perfusion in response to alterations in supply.
Cognitive-behavioral mediators of changing multiple behaviors: smoking and a sedentary lifestyle.

Abstract Background. A significant percentage of the U.S. population has multiple poor health behaviors. Understanding the relationship among these behavioral risk factors is important for designing effective multiple risk factor interventions. While there is some evidence suggesting that participation in physical exercise may have a positive impact on smoking cessation, there is much to be learned about the relationships between cognitive–behavioral (self-efficacy, decisional-balance) and motivational mechanisms (stage of change) which have been shown to mediate changes in both exercise and smoking behavior. Methods. The sample comprised 332 smokers employed at two workplaces—a government agency and a medical center—recruited as part of a larger worksite health promotion project and who completed questionnaires on their smoking and exercise behaviors. Results. The results revealed significant relationships between smoking variables and exercise variables. Smokers who rated as important the positive benefits of smoking also rated as important the costs associated with increased physical activity. Similarly, the negative consequences of smoking were significantly associated with the positive benefits of physical activity. Self-efficacy for one behavior was significantly associated with self-efficacy for the other. Significant differences by exercise and smoking stage of change were found on the cross-behavior sets of variables (self-efficacy, pros, cons). Smokers who were contemplating a more active lifestyle reported the negative consequences of smoking to be significantly more important to them than smokers who were not considering adoption of a more active lifestyle. Smokers who were exercising regularly reported significantly more confidence in their ability to refrain from smoking than smokers not exercising regularly. Finally, smokers preparing for quitting reported less confidence in their ability to exercise than smokers who had already taken action to change their smoking behavior. Conclusions. The cognitive mechanisms associated with changes in smoking behavior are related to the cognitive variables which have been shown to predict changes in exercise behavior. Significant relationships in mediating mechanisms including decisional balance and self-efficacy between smoking and exercise provide preliminary information on how change in one risk behavior may relate to change in another. These associations have implications for future intervention research and for methods research on multiple risk factor interactions.
Biosynthesis of avenanthramides in suspension cultures of oat (Avena sativa)

Oats produce a group of secondary metabolites termed avenanthramides (avn). These compounds are biosynthesized through the action of the enzyme hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: hydroxyanthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HHT) which catalyzes the condensation of one of several cinnamate CoA thioesters with the amine functionality of anthranilic acid, 4-hydroxy- or 5-hydroxy-anthranilic acid. In oat leaf tissue the biosynthesis of avenanthramides appears to result from elicitation by fungal infection. Here we demonstrate the biosynthesis of several avenanthramides in suspension cultures of oat apical meristem callus tissue. This phenomenon appears as a generalized pathogen response, evidenced by the production of PR-1 mRNA, in response to elicitation with chitin (poly-N-acetyl glucosamine). The suspension cultures also produce relatively large quantities of avnA and G in response to chitin elicitation. Under certain culture conditions avnB and C are also produced as well as three additional metabolites tentatively identified as avnH, O and R. These findings portend the utility of oat suspension culture as a tool for more detailed investigation of the mechanisms triggering their biosynthesis as well as the factors dictating the particular types of avenanthramides biosynthesized.
Vibrational and Translational Energy Effects in the Reaction of Ammonia Ions with Water Molecules

The reaction of vibrationally state-selected ammonia ions with deuterated water is investigated with a quadrupole-octopole-quadrupole apparatus. Relative integral reaction cross sections for all ionic products are measured for collisional energies from 0.5 to 10.0 eV (center of mass) and ammonia ion vibrational states 1 0 2 0-10 and 1 1 2 2 . The predominant charged products have masses of 18 and 21 amu and are shown to be NH2D + (formal isotope exchange) and D2OH + (proton transfer), respectively. Small amounts of product are also observed at masses 19, 20, and 22 amu. The cross section for proton transfer decreases with increasing collisional energy, but it increases with increasing internal energy at all collisional energies studied. The cross section for formal isotope exchange increases with increasing collisional energy and increases with increasing internal energy only at low collisional energies. Comparing the reactivity of NH 3 + (1 0 2 5 ) to that of NH3 + (1 1 2 2 ) (internal energies of 0.60 and 0.63 eV, respectively) shows whether the system is sensitive to the specific vibrational motion, or only to the total amount of internal energy. The present system is shown not to be vibrational-mode selectivesthe two internal preparations having comparable reactive cross sections at all collisional energies studied. The projection of the product velocity onto the ion-beam axis is obtained by transforming the experimentally measured product time-of-flight profiles. These velocity profiles contain information regarding energy released into product recoil. The isotope exchange products scatter tightly (0.6 eV, hwhm) about the center of mass and display forward-backward symmetry. The proton-transfer products yield a bimodal velocity distribution with one peak in the backward direction and another on the center of mass. The data observed for the isotope-exchange product indicate a reaction mechanism in which the first step is collision-induced dissociation of the ammonia ion (or water molecule), resulting in a hydrogen (deuterium) atom and an [NH2D2O] + ([NH3OD] + ) complex. This complex may decay to form the products NH2D + and OD (OH). The majority of the D2OH + product is formed via direct proton transfer.
An investigation of the relationship between the number of response categories and scale sensitivity

Category rating scales are frequently used in survey research by researchers and practitioners to measure attitudes or reactions to a stimulus. One important scale design issue is whether the number of response categories included in the category rating scale affects scale sensitivity (that is, the ability to statistically separate mean ratings for different stimuli). The results of two experiments to evaluate and compare the sensitivities of commonly used category rating scales, differing in number of response categories, are reported in this article. The results suggest that increasing the number of response categories within the range of commonly used itemized rating scales does not increase sensitivity, and scales with 5 or 6 categories of response may in fact be more sensitive than scales with 7, 9 or 10 response categories.
Interprocedural analysis vs. procedure integration

A set of experimental results show the exact run-time improvement due to both procedure integration and the use of interprocedural data-flow information, as well as the relative impact on compilation time and object code size
Summer Food Habits of Pumpkinseeds (Lepomis gibbosus) and Bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) in Presque Isle Bay, Lake Erie

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (D. bugensis) have received much attention since they were first reported in the Great Lakes. Predation by fishes may be an important factor in regulating dreissenid populations, but the extent to which fish prey on them is not entirely clear. Pumpkinseeds (Lepomis gibbosus) are known to be effective predators of mollusks, but bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) do not generally prey heavily on mollusks. Analysis of stomach contents of pumpkinseeds and bluegills collected from Presque Isle Bay of Lake Erie (Erie, Pennsylvania) revealed considerable differences in the diets of the two species. Specifically, dreissenids were the most important food item in the diet of pumpkinseeds and composed 63% of the volume of their diet. In contrast, dreissenids were relatively unimportant in the diet of bluegills and composed only 2.3% of the volume of their diet. Although bluegills and pumpkinseeds differed considerably in their consumption of dreissenids and other prey items, no clear differences in PCB concentrations were detected between the two species. Thus bluegills must acquire most of their PCBs from prey other than dreissenids.
A Model for Stress Fiber Realignment Caused by Cytoskeletal Fluidization During Cyclic Stretching.

Uniaxial cyclic substrate stretching results in a concerted change of cytoskeletal organization such that stress fibers (SFs) realign away from the direction of stretching. Recent experiments revealed that brief transient stretch promptly ablates cellular contractile stress by means of cytoskeletal fluidization, followed by a slow stress recovery by means of resolidification. This, in turn, suggests that fluidization, resolidification and SF realignment may be linked together during stretching. We propose a mathematical model that simulates the effects of fluidization and resolidification on cytoskeletal contractile stress in order to investigate how these phenomena affect cytoskeletal realignment in response to pure uniaxial stretching of the substrate. The model comprises of individual elastic SFs anchored at the endpoints to an elastic substrate. Employing the global stability convention, the model predicts that in response to repeated stretch–unstretch cycles, SFs tend to realign in the direction perpendicular to stretching, consistent with data from the literature. The model is used to develop a computational scheme for predicting changes in cell orientation and polarity during stretching and how they relate to the underlying alterations in the cytoskeletal organization. We conclude that depletion of cytoskeletal contractile stress by means of fluidization and subsequent stress recovery by means of resolidification may play a key role in reorganization of cytoskeletal SFs in response to uniaxial stretching of the substrate.
Utility of standby cardiopulmonary support for elective coronary interventions.

At our institution, elective coronary interventions are performed without formal surgical backup. Instead, a policy of "standby cardiopulmonary support" (CPS), and "next-available operating room" is used. Standby CPS requires a perfusionist dedicated to the catheterization laboratory with immediate access to CPS apparatus. Between January 1989 and June 1994 we performed 2,850 elective coronary interventions. Eleven patients (0.4%) required emergency CPS. None of these patients fell into a high-risk category for PTCA (i.e., sole circulation, ejection fraction <20%, unprotected left main). Eight of these (73%) had completion of their coronary intervention while on CPS in the catheterization laboratory. Three patients were sustained on CPS until an operating room became available. All patients required blood transfusions and sustained non-Q-wave myocardial infarctions. Two late in-hospital deaths occurred. Nine patients (82%) were successfully discharged. Standby CPS provides hemodynamic support for patients who sustain a potentially catastrophic event during coronary intervention. Our data suggest that this modality should not be limited to high-risk patients.
Transvaginal Cholecystectomy: Effect on Quality of Life and Female Sexual Function

Importance Transvaginal cholecystectomy (TVC) is the leading natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery to date and has the potential to offer improved cosmesis, less pain, and shorter recovery times for female patients. Objective To investigate quality of life and female sexual function in our patients undergoing TVC. Design A prospective cohort study from August 14, 2009, to June 12, 2012, of TVCs performed at our institution to date. Setting Tertiary academic referral center. Participants The first 47 consecutive female patients (aged 18-65 years) who received a TVC by a single surgeon. Interventions A hybrid TVC was performed by a 5-mm umbilical trocar and a 12-mm transvaginal trocar with standard laparoscopic instruments. Main Outcomes and Measures Quality-of-life index (36-Item Short Form Health Survey) and female sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index) scores. Results A total of 47 TVCs were performed, with a mean age of 39 years, mean body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 31, and mean operative time of 65 minutes. No difference was noted in overall female sexual function from preoperatively to 1 and 3 months postoperatively. When comparing quality of life preoperatively vs 1 and 3 months postoperatively, there were significant improvements in physical function (P = .02), energy and fatigue (P = .001), emotional well-being (P = .01), pain (P Conclusions and Relevance In our experience to date, female sexual function is unchanged and quality of life either is unchanged or improves at 1 and 3 months following TVC. Undergoing TVC does not appear to negatively affect female sexual function or quality of life in the short term.