cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Importance of cumulus cells and insemination intervals for development of bovine oocytes into morulae and blastocysts in vitro.

Experiments were carried out to investigate influences of cumulus cells and insemination intervals on bovine in vitro fertilization (IVF) and early development. Cumulus-encased oocytes, aspirated from 2- to 5-mm ovarian follicles at slaughter, were incubated 24 hours for maturation in the presence of 20% proestrous (Day 20) cow serum and 100 μg LH/ml. Ova with mature (expanded) cumuli oophori were inseminated and removed from sperm-containing droplets (50 μl) after 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours. After maturation, some ova were removed from their surrounding cumulus cells and otherwise treated in the same way. The highest proportion of ova that cleaved (5057, 87.7%) resulted from the 24-hour insemination group; this was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than for 6-hour (35.1%) and 12-hour group (49.3%), but not for the 48-hour group (73.0%). A significantly (P < 0.05) higher proportion of cleaved ova developed into morulae/blastocysts (28%) from the 24-hour group. Removal of cumulus cells before IVF resulted in lower cleavage rates; the morula/blastocyst stage was reached only when the denuded ova were with sperm for 48 hours. In additional experiments, cumulus cells recovered from follicular aspirates were cultured in HEPES-M 199 with 10% Day-20 serum, and 0, 10 and 100 μg LH/ml and resulting monolayers were used for zygote culture. The developmental stages reached after IVF were not altered by LH treatment of supporting cumulus cells. A 24-hour insemination interval with subsequent culture on a cumulus cell monolayer resulted in optimal in vitro development.
The proto-oncogene c-kit encoding a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor maps to the mouse W locus.

Mice carrying mutations at the W locus located on chromosome 5 are characterized by severe macrocytic anaemia, lack of hair pigmentation and sterility1. Mutations at this locus appear to affect the proliferation and/or migration of cells during early embryogenesis and result in an intrinsic defect in the haematopoietic stem cell hierarchy1,2. An understanding of the molecular basis of the complex and pleiotropic phenotype in W mutant mice would thus provide insights into the important developmental processes of gametogenesis, melanogenesis and haematopoiesis. Here we show that the mouse mutant W19H has a deletion of the c-kit proto-oncogene. Interspecific backcross analysis demonstrates that the W locus is very tightly linked to c-kit and that the two loci cannot be segregated at this level of analysis, c-kit is the cellular homologue of the oncogene v-kit of the HZ4 feline sarcoma virus3 and encodes a transmembrane protein tyrosine kinase receptor that is structurally similar to the receptors for colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and platelet derived growth factor4,5. The co-localization of c-kit with W provides a molecular entry into this important region of the mouse genome. In addition, these observations provide the first example of a germ-line mutation in a mammalian proto-oncogene and implicate the c-kit gene as a candidate for the W locus.
Should the ketogenic diet be considered for enhancing fertility

The ketogenic diet was first developed in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy in an attempt to create a prolonged physiologic starvation state. Since that time, the diet has been found to have other therapeutic effects, most of which are neurologic. Other diets, mostly based on the principals of caloric restriction, have been shown to improve fertility in certain populations. We explore the data, both clinical and laboratory, for potential fertility enhancing benefits of the ketogenic diet, beyond just caloric restriction or weight loss.
SUPER EFFICIENT DECODING OF COLOR JPEG IMAGES ON RISC MACHINES

Abstract An efficient method for decoding a color JPEG image coded as luminance and chrominance data and converting the output to red, green and blue data on RISC workstations is presented. Timing results are presented which show that these algorithms can be used in a software package to decompress and display images of size 352 × 240 at about 9 frames per second on the IBM RISC System/6000 Model 530 (a 25 MHz machine).
Green’s function Monte Carlo for few fermion problems

The Green’s function Monte Carlo method used for obtaining exact solutions to the Schrodinger equation of boson systems is generalized to treat systems of several fermions. We show that when it is possible to select eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian based on physical symmetries, the GFMC method can be used to yield the lowest energy state of that symmetry. In particular, the lowest totally antisymmetric eigenfunction, the fermion ground state, can be obtained. Calculations on several two‐ and three‐body model problems show the method to be computationally feasible for few‐body systems.
A common interface for stereo viewing in various environments

This paper presents a graphical software infrastructure for stereo display. It enables the development of low-cost/short development cycle stereo applications that are portable - not only across platforms, but across display types as well. Moreover, it allows not just images but entire GUI's (Graphics User Interface) to be displayed in stereo consistently across many platforms. Java Advanced Display Infrastructure for Stereo (JADIS) provides a common interface for displaying GUI components in stereo using either specialized stereo display hardware (e.g. liquid crystal shutter or polarized glasses) or anaglyph display (red/blue glasses) on standard computer displays. An application using this toolkit will work without modification in either environment, allowing stereo software to reach a wider audience (anaglyphs) without sacrificing high-quality display on dedicated hardware. JADIS has been released as Open Source and is available via the Open Channel foundation website [1] . It has been integrated into several applications for stereo viewing and processing of data acquired by current and future NASA Mars surface missions (e.g. Mars Exploration Rover (MER), Phoenix Lander, Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)).
Liposarcomas/atypical lipomatous tumors of the oral cavity: a clinicopathologic study of 23 cases.

Liposarcomas in the oral cavity have rarely been described, with less than 50 reported cases to date and a purported predominance of the myxoid type. We reviewed our experience with 23 atypical lipomatous tumors/liposarcomas of the oral cavity. Twelve patients were men, 10 were women, and gender was not stated in one case. Age at presentation ranged from 28 to 83 years (median, 49.5 years). The most commonly affected site was the tongue and most cases presented as a slowly growing, painless mass. The clinical impression was lipoma or fibroma in the majority of cases. Tumor size ranged from 0.6 to 8.0 cm (median, 1.5 cm). Five cases were well circumscribed, 5 cases were focally infiltrative, and 13 cases had markedly infiltrative margins. Twenty-one cases were classified as atypical lipomatous tumors (of which 10 showed spindle cell features), one as dedifferentiated liposarcoma, and one as myxoid liposarcoma. Follow-up data was available in 13 of the 23 cases. Five others were lost to follow-up after a short period. Eleven patients remained free of disease without local recurrence or metastasis during the period of follow-up that ranged from 10 months to 9 years (median, 24 months). Two patients had multiple local recurrences. Our study shows that atypical lipomatous tumor is the most common type of malignant fatty tumor to arise in the oral cavity with an apparently low risk of recurrence if widely excised, although follow-up is relatively limited thus far.
Dynamic tracking of manganese uptake in mouse hearts by rapid multi-slice T1 mapping

Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA Figure 1 MSRLL pulse sequence. After 90° non-slice selective saturation pulses, 10 sequential multi-slice FLASH acquisitions separated by an interval τ were applied. Each block on the relaxation curve represents a multi-slice acquisition module. Jiang and Yu Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2014, 16(Suppl 1):W35 http://www.jcmr-online.com/content/16/S1/W35
The determination of absolute electron affinities of the purines and pyrimidines in DNA and RNA from reversible reduction potentials.

Summary We report the reversible reduction potentials of the purines and pyrimidines of DNA and RNA. These were determined in dimethylsulfoxide using cyclic voltammetry. The absolute electron affinities have been determined from these reduction potentials by calibration with the absolute electron affinities for acridine and anthracene measured in the gas phase. These are the first experimentally determined values of the electron affinities of these purines and pyrimidines and are: Guanine = 1.51 eV, Adenine = 0.95 eV, Uracil = 0.80 eV, Thymine = 0.79 eV and Cytosine = 0.56 eV.
On magnetohydrodynamic boundary-layers

Es wird gezeigt, wie die Galerkin-Kantorovich-Dorodnitsyn-(GKD-)Methode der Grenzschichtberechnung erfolgreich verwendet werden kann, um magneto-hydrodynamische Grenzschichten zu berechnen. Ergebnisse fur eine typische flache Platte und ein Vergleich mit fruheren Berechnungen werden gegeben.
Information environment security

The US Department of Defense Dictionary of Military terms defines the Information Environment as 'the aggregate of individuals, organizations, and systems that collect, process, disseminate, or act on information.' The decisions and actions we take both as individuals and collectively simultaneously shape and are shaped by the information environment in which we live. The nature of our interaction with the information environment is rapidly evolving and old models are becoming irrelevant faster than we can develop new ones. This results in uncertainties that leave us exposed to dangerous influences without proper defenses. The purpose of this talk is to help frame a new science of Information Environment Security (IES) whose goal is to create and apply the tools needed to discover and maintain fundamental models of our ever-changing information environment and to defend us in that environment, both as individuals and collectively, against intentional as well as unintentional attempts to deceive, misinform and otherwise manipulate us. IES is an interdisciplinary science that will require bringing together experts working in areas such as cognitive science, computer science, social science, security, marketing, political campaigning, public policy, and psychology to develop a theoretical as well as an applied engineering methodology for managing the full spectrum of information environment security issues.
The adsorption of salicylic acid onto γ-alumina and kaolinite from solution in hexane studied using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT) ☆

Abstract It was possible to determine the maximum loading of salicylic acid adsorbed onto γ-alumina and kaolinite clay after exposure to salicylic acid dissolved in hexane by examination using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The maximum surface loading of salicylic acid (which resisted washing with fresh hexane) on γ-alumina was four times that observed using water as a solvent (approximately 3.0 compared with 0.7 molecules/nm 2 ). Washing the sample with water removed the organic which was in excess to the maximum level observed for samples prepared with aqueous solution. The spectra of samples prepared with a loading up to the maximum observed with aqueous solution showed no significant differences to those of samples where the organic had been adsorbed from hexane (with the same surface loading). New peaks were observed for loadings greater than 1 molecules/nm 2 , but the salicylic acid was still present as carboxylate (with no clear evidence for the carbonyl group). Salicylic acid adsorbed more readily to the surface of kaolinite from solution in hexane than from aqueous solution (up to maximum average loading of 2 molecules/nm 2 ). Washing the samples with water removed the organic to a loading in the region of 0.2 molecules/nm 2 , independent of the initial loading. Salicylic acid was adsorbed onto kaolinite as the carboxylate. The findings indicate that uptake is mediated by a surface water layer even in the absence of bulk water.
Natural Variants of AtHKT1 Enhance Na+ Accumulation in Two Wild Populations of Arabidopsis

Plants are sessile and therefore have developed mechanisms to adapt to their environment, including the soil mineral nutrient composition. Ionomics is a developing functional genomic strategy designed to rapidly identify the genes and gene networks involved in regulating how plants acquire and accumulate these mineral nutrients from the soil. Here, we report on the coupling of high-throughput elemental profiling of shoot tissue from various Arabidopsis accessions with DNA microarray-based bulk segregant analysis and reverse genetics, for the rapid identification of genes from wild populations of Arabidopsis that are involved in regulating how plants acquire and accumulate Na+ from the soil. Elemental profiling of shoot tissue from 12 different Arabidopsis accessions revealed that two coastal populations of Arabidopsis collected from Tossa del Mar, Spain, and Tsu, Japan (Ts-1 and Tsu-1, respectively), accumulate higher shoot levels of Na+ than do Col-0 and other accessions. We identify AtHKT1, known to encode a Na+ transporter, as being the causal locus driving elevated shoot Na+ in both Ts-1 and Tsu-1. Furthermore, we establish that a deletion in a tandem repeat sequence approximately 5 kb upstream of AtHKT1 is responsible for the reduced root expression of AtHKT1 observed in these accessions. Reciprocal grafting experiments establish that this loss of AtHKT1 expression in roots is responsible for elevated shoot Na+. Interestingly, and in contrast to the hkt1–1 null mutant, under NaCl stress conditions, this novel AtHKT1 allele not only does not confer NaCl sensitivity but also cosegregates with elevated NaCl tolerance. We also present all our elemental profiling data in a new open access ionomics database, the Purdue Ionomics Information Management System (PiiMS; http://www.purdue.edu/dp/ionomics). Using DNA microarray-based genotyping has allowed us to rapidly identify AtHKT1 as the casual locus driving the natural variation in shoot Na+ accumulation we observed in Ts-1 and Tsu-1. Such an approach overcomes the limitations imposed by a lack of established genetic markers in most Arabidopsis accessions and opens up a vast and tractable source of natural variation for the identification of gene function not only in ionomics but also in many other biological processes.
Allergen-Specific In Vitro Cytokine Production in Adult Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Although the pathogenesis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) likely involves hypersensitivity reactions against exogenous allergens, allergen-specific cellular immune responses have not been studied. We investigated allergen-induced cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in adult patients with EE (n=15) and healthy controls (HC; n=9). PBMCs were incubated with nine common food and environmental allergens or a nonspecific mitogen, and the levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-10, IL-13, and interferon-γ in the cell-free supernatants were determined. Spontaneous and mitogen-stimulated cytokine production did not differ between EE and HC. House dust mite, ragweed, Aspergillus, milk, and soy induced significantly higher IL-5 production in EE (P < 0.05). House dust mite also augmented IL-13 production in EE (P < 0.05). Furthermore, PBMCs from three EE patients without allergen-specific IgE vigorously produced IL-5 and IL-13 on allergen stimulation. Thus, immune responses in EE are characterized by enhanced production of Th2-like cytokines against both food and environmental allergens.
“Relational” Psychoanalysis and Clinical Social Work Practice: A Contemporary Reassessment

Borden, W. (2009). Contemporary Psychodynamic Theory and Practice. Chicago, IL: Lyceum, 185 pp., $37.95. A faculty member in both the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration...
Dissociation and Unfolding of Insulin Dimers

Insulin monomers bind one another through the folding of an interchain β sheet. How does binding mediate protein folding? The energetics and rate of this fast folding process are difficult to translate into the mechanistic details that underlie classical paradigms such as conformational selection and fold-on-contact. We study the conformational dynamics at the dimer interface upon binding and dissociation using two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR). 2D IR reveals coupling among α helix and β sheet vibrations for secondary structural sensitivity with picosecond time resolution that can resolve all relevant structural changes. Cross-peak features provide monomer and dimer 2D IR signatures that yield the binding constant and its solvent and temperature dependence. These spectra are interpreted in detail using molecular dynamics simulations of insulin dimers, disordered and compact monomers to quantify the disordered monomer ensemble. Transient dissociation and unfolding are rapidly initiated using a nanosecond temperature-jump. Conformational changes occurring on the fastest resolvable nanosecond timescales are observed for the disordering of the interchain β sheet insulin dimers.
Recalculation of the Critical Values for Lawshe’s Content Validity Ratio

The content validity ratio (Lawshe) is one of the earliest and most widely used methods for quantifying content validity. To correct and expand the table, critical values in unit steps and at multi...
Adenovirus Type 12-Rat Embryo Transformation System

Abstract Adenovirus type 12 (Huie) inoculated into cultures of primary whole rat embryo produced foci of morphologically altered cells. The number and identification of these transformed areas was dependent upon the calcium concentration of the medium; more foci appeared in 0.1 mm than in 1.8 mm calcium. Cell lines derived from these inoculated cultures did not yield infectious virus, and also were similar to cell lines derived from adenovirus type 12-induced tumors with respect to morphology, presence of virus-specific tumor antigen, and oncogenicity. Dose-response curves revealed that transformation of rat embryo cells by adenovirus type 12 followed one-hit kinetics, and that approximately 7 × 105 infectious virus particles were required for one transformation event. Our results indicate that the transformation system described for adenovirus type 12 is reproducible, and that previous difficulties experienced in developing such a system may well be explained by the higher calcium concentration of the tissue culture media used.
Electric and dielectric properties of wet human cortical bone as a function of frequency

The electrical and dielectric properties of wet human cortical bone from a distal tibia were examined as a function of frequency and direction. The resistance and capacitance of the cortical bone specimens were measured at near 100% relative humidity, in all three orthogonal directions at discrete frequencies ranging from 120 Hz to 10 MHz using an LCR meter. At a frequency of 100 kHz, the mean resistivity and specific capacitance for the ten cortical bone specimens were 1.55 k Omega -cm and 33.81 pF/cm in the axial direction, 15.79 k Omega -cm and 9.98 pF/cm in the circumferential direction, and 21.5 k Omega -cm and 9.83 pF/cm in the radial direction. All electrical and dielectric properties except the resistivity and the specific impedance were highly frequency dependent for the frequency range tested, and were transversely isotropic in nature, the values for the axial direction being different from the values obtained for the two transverse directions. >
Evaluation of methods to detect changes in reserve carbohydrate for mixed rumen microbes.

Abstract Thin-layer chromatography and other analyses revealed that rumen microbes accumulated large amounts of glycogen. The aim of this study was to identify a method that would most accurately quantify accumulation and utilization of this reserve carbohydrate. For whole cells, the anthrone reaction detected more ( P P = 0.017) increase in cell carbohydrate when glucose (20 mM) was dosed in cultures. Additionally, it detected a larger ( P = 0.049) decrease in cell carbohydrate after glucose was exhausted. This result indicated that the anthrone method detected more carbohydrate that functions as a reserve material, which accumulates during energy excess and is utilized for energy during starvation. For the anthrone method, recoveries for energy (97.5%), carbon (100.2%), and cell components (99.8%) were high, indicating carbohydrate was completely detected. For the amyloglucosidase hydrolysis method, recoveries of energy (88.9%), carbon (91.6%), and cell components (92.8%) were lower. Some authors have inferred from iodine staining that amyloglucosidase hydrolyzes all glycogen in cells. However, iodine did not stain glycogen remaining after cells were incompletely extracted intentionally. The anthrone method appeared to accurately quantify changes in reserve carbohydrate and shows merit for quantitative studies, whereas the amyloglucosidase hydrolysis method detected smaller changes and was less consistent with expected carbon and energy recovery.
A Causal Model of Secondary Deviance: the Case of Homosexuality*

The causal structure of a theory of secondary deviance is fitted to data from a sample of 148 male homosexuals. The model suggests that if one perceives others reacting to him on the basis of the homosexual stereotype, his self definition may incorporate the stereotype. These responses, and the accompanied feelings of stigma, are likely to produce stress. As an adaptation, the individual may shift his reference associations to homosexual groups. While providing for a more positive identity, the ultimate outcome of these associations is often the adoption of a role consistent with the stereotype (i.e., secondary deviance). The basic concepts of the theory are operationally defined in terms of Likert-type scales. Dichotomizing the variables on the basis of median scale scores, a log-linear technique of causal inference is used to test the propositions. Offering support for the theory, the analysis suggests that secondary deviance is caused by association in homosexual groups which is caused by perceived societal rejection. Self definition is shown not to be related to secondary deviance, but is affected by perceived rejection and may affect and be affected by homosexual association. Implications for the labeling, anomie, and social and cultural support theories from which the model originated are also discussed.
SIMPLE SHELL-MODEL EXPRESSIONS FOR COULOMB ENERGIES

It is shown that the main n-T dependent terms of the Coulomb energy have the same gen- eral form in the Wigner supermultiplet scheme as in the low seniority limit of the j-j coupling scheme of the shell model.
An existential model for promoting life change Confronting the disease concept

This paper outlines an existentially based psychoeducational model for dealing with substance abuse clients' questions concerning the possibility of successful behavior change. Clients frequently misinterpret the "disease model" as meaning that they are powerless victims of addiction. Clients' readiness to change can be enhanced by providing them with a coherent method of conceptualizing the task of rehabilitation, one that explains how change is possible in spite of the "disease model" of addiction, rather than the confusing mix of self-help, "bootstrap" philosophy and "disease" talk presented in many rehabilitation programs. Productive methods of dealing with clients' guilt are presented, along with the need to develop a positive purpose in life as an essential aspect of effective relapse management.
Chapter 10 Producers theory

Publisher Summary The producers theory is concerned with the behavior of firms in hiring and combining productive inputs to supply commodities at appropriate prices. Two sets of issues are involved in this process: one is the technical constraints, which limit the range of feasible productive processes, while the other is the institutional context such as the characteristics of the market where commodities and inputs are purchased and sold. The chapter describes the set of axiomatic approaches to production technology and the neoclassical theory of the multi-product and multi-input firm. It is an attempt to set forth the general framework of analysis that underlies neoclassical producer decision theory. The chapter discusses the properties of the production function, its various forms, and applications of the duality principles and also provides a brief discussion of the Cambridge–Cambridge controversy insofar as it pertains to the existence and usefulness of production functions. The chapter also presents three special cases of the theory of the firm in which new research has appeared, specifically dynamic input disequilibrium models, response to regulatory constraints, and optimal price and output decisions in multi-product firms.
Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis of Human EEG: Preliminary Investigation and Comparison with the Wavelet Transform Modulus Maxima Technique

Recently, many lines of investigation in neuroscience and statistical physics have converged to raise the hypothesis that the underlying pattern of neuronal activation which results in electroencephalography (EEG) signals is nonlinear, with self-affine dynamics, while scalp-recorded EEG signals themselves are nonstationary. Therefore, traditional methods of EEG analysis may miss many properties inherent in such signals. Similarly, fractal analysis of EEG signals has shown scaling behaviors that may not be consistent with pure monofractal processes. In this study, we hypothesized that scalp-recorded human EEG signals may be better modeled as an underlying multifractal process. We utilized the Physionet online database, a publicly available database of human EEG signals as a standardized reference database for this study. Herein, we report the use of multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis on human EEG signals derived from waking and different sleep stages, and show evidence that supports the use of multifractal methods. Next, we compare multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis to a previously published multifractal technique, wavelet transform modulus maxima, using EEG signals from waking and sleep, and demonstrate that multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis has lower indices of variability. Finally, we report a preliminary investigation into the use of multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis as a pattern classification technique on human EEG signals from waking and different sleep stages, and demonstrate its potential utility for automatic classification of different states of consciousness. Therefore, multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis may be a useful pattern classification technique to distinguish among different states of brain function.
Epifluorescence-based quantitative microvasculature remodeling using geodesic level-sets and shape-based evolution

Accurate vessel segmentation is the first step in analysis of microvascular networks for reliable feature extraction and quantitative characterization. Segmentation of epifluorescent imagery of microvasculature presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities compared to traditional angiogram-based vessel imagery. This paper presents a novel system that combines methods from mathematical morphology, differential geometry, and active contours to reliably detect and segment microvasculature under varying background fluorescence conditions. The system consists of three main modules: vessel enhancement, shape-based initialization, and level-set based segmentation. Vessel enhancement deals with image noise and uneven background fluorescence using anisotropic diffusion and mathematical morphology techniques. Shape-based initialization uses features from the second-order derivatives of the enhanced vessel image and produces a coarse ridge (vessel) mask. Geodesic level-set based active contours refine the coarse ridge map and fix possible discontinuities or leakage of the level set contours that may arise from complex topology or high background fluorescence. The proposed system is tested on epifluorescence-based high resolution images of porcine dura mater microvasculature. Preliminary experiments show promising results.
A Self-Management Method for Cross-Analysis of Network and Application Problems

One of the major problems today in the IT and Network serviceability space is how to effectively provide a way to automatically cross-correlate data from different management domains. Service organizations spend a good deal of time and effort to manually link problems in these domains in so called "war rooms" where analysts from different areas such as databases, networks and operating systems meet and discuss urgent problems in the enterprise systems. It is the intent of this paper to describe a method and framework where this problem can be mitigated by the usage of autonomic self-healing features, such as knowledge bases and correlation engines. Network events are further depicted and analyzed by distinguishing both Layer 2 and Layer 3 events and how they are mutually related in a complete causal chain, used to determine the root cause of problems associated to network element. Furthermore, this article introduces the use of Radix Trees, also known as Patricia Tries, to determine if a particular application-based event is associated to a network root cause problem. Usage of Patricia Tries for quick IP lookup is nothing new and is commonly used by network router applications, but this paper proposes to use the same method for event cross-correlation purposes, a problem that also depends on quick network topology lookup capabilities to succeed. Finally, a summary of initial results is presented, and future steps for the continuation of the research are proposed.
Negative phase blast effects on glass panels

The main focus of this study has been the assessment of blast waves negative phase effects on glass panels. An approximate numerical model for the dynamic response simulation of glass panels subjected to blast loading has been developed, including stochastic considerations of the glass flaw characteristics. A parametric study was conducted and the results showed that glass panels would exhibit different responses at different scaled ranges, and for different charge sizes.
Interchain and intrachain exciton transport in conjugated polymers: ultrafast studies of energy migration in aligned MEH-PPV/mesoporous silica composites

In this paper, we show how composite samples consisting of chains of the semiconducting polymer MEH-PPV embedded into the channels of oriented, hexagonal nanoporous silica glass allow control over energy transfer and exciton migration in the polymer. The composite samples are characterized by two polymer environments: randomly oriented and film-like segments with short conjugation-length outside the channels, and well aligned, long conjugation segments that are isolated by encapsulation within the porous glass. Ultrafast emission anisotropy measurements show that excitons migrate unidirectionally from the polymer segments outside the pores to the oriented chains within the pores, leading to a spontaneous increase in emission polarization with time. Because the chains in the pores are isolated, the observed increase in polarization can take place only by exciton migration along the polymer backbone. The anisotropy measurements show that energy migration along the backbone occurs more slowly than Forster energy transfer between polymer chains; transfer along the chain likely takes place by a thermally-activated hopping mechanism. Similar time scales for intra- and interchain energy transfer are also observed for MEH-PPV chains in solution. All the results provide new insights for optimizing the use of conjugated polymers in optoelectronic devices.
A preliminary MRI study of the geometry of brain displacement and level of consciousness with acute intracranial masses.

We determined the horizontal and vertical components of brain displacement on coronal MRIs in 10 patients with acute supratentorial masses. The vertical distances from the superior sagittal sinus to the pontomesencephalic junction (PMJ) and from the vertical midline of the brain to the PMJ did not differ from measurements in 30 patients without masses. Horizontal displacement of the 3rd ventricle (mean, 5.2 mm) exceeded vertical displacement of the PMJ (mean, 1.2 mm) in all but 1 patient. Total brain displacement near the incisura increased from 3 mm in awake patients to 6 to 13 mm in stuporous and comatose patients and remained predominantly horizontal. Uncal herniation, seen only in a patient who was imaged a day after the onset of coma, did not appear to be the immediate caw of brainstem compression but was accompanied by prominent lateral distortion above the tentorium. This preliminary study suggests that most patients with acute unilateral masses have upper brainstem distortion due predominantly to horizontal shift at or above the tentorium.
Interface analysis of Ti/Al/Ti/Au ohmic contacts with regrown n+‐GaN layers using molecular beam epitaxy

The regrowth technique of highly doped n-type GaN layers is reliable and effective for lowering the ohmic contact resistance. The interface between metal contacts with Ti/Al/Ti/Au and regrown n+-GaN/GaN layers were analyzed in detail with transmission electron microscopy. During the annealing process, Ti metals and N atoms diffusing from GaN layers formed TiN epitaxial layers between metal alloys and n+-GaN layers. The orientational relationship between GaN and TiN was [1 0 0]GaN//[−1 1 0]TiN verified by nano-beam diffraction. Al atoms diffused through the GaN layers and formed thin AlGaN phase. Al content was confirmed as 60% by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images. Electron energy loss spectroscopy showed that Si dopants were confined within n+-GaN layers. These results show that in regrowth technique both TiN layers and Si dopants affect the contact properties because the formation of TiN layers can induce nitrogen vacancies from GaN, while Si-doped GaN layers can enhance the tunneling effect through the metal contacts resulting in reduced contact resistance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact of the Land Surface Physics in the Operational NCEP Eta Model on Simulating the Diurnal Cycle: Evaluation and Testing Using Oklahoma Mesonet Data

Abstract On 31 January 1996, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/Environmental Modeling Center (NCEP/EMC) implemented a state-of-the-art land surface parameterization in the operational Eta Model. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and test its performance and demonstrate its impacts on the diurnal cycle of the modeled planetary boundary layer (PBL). Operational Eta Model output from summer 1997 are evaluated against the unique observations of near-surface and subsurface fields provided by the Oklahoma Mesonet. The evaluation is partially extended to July 1998 to examine the effects of significant changes that were made to the operational model configuration during the intervening time. Results indicate a severe positive bias in top-layer soil moisture, which was significantly reduced in 1998 by a change in the initialization technique. Net radiation was overestimated, largely because of a positive bias in the downward shortwave component. Also, the ground heat flux was severely undere...
A new analysis of Daly's “assessment of social‐communicative anxiety via self reports: A comparison of measures”

(1980). A new analysis of Daly's “assessment of social‐communicative anxiety via self reports: A comparison of measures”. Communication Monographs: Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 149-152.
Differential Response of Algae on Small Streambed Substrates to Floods

Abstract The effect of floods and base flow on temporal variation in algal biomass on small smooth streambed stones and creviced sand-cases of the caddisfly (Insecta: Trichoptera) Gumaga nigricula was examined in Big Sulphur Creek in coastal Northern California. Replicates of stones and cases were sampled 34 times over a 14 mo period that included nine floods. Stones had ∼2× the algal biomass of cases, based on chlorophyll a concentration. The lower algal biomass on caddisfly cases is consistent with this species' burrowing behavior, which reduces algal biomass by abrasion and light limitation. Algal biomass on stones was reduced by floods and generally increased in the absence of floods. In contrast, neither floods nor extended base flow affected the pattern of algal biomass on caddisfly cases, and biomass on caddisfly cases often exceeded that on stones following floods. Streambed substrates with different textures may provide different degrees of disturbance-protection for benthic microalgae, and rough...
Using ultrasound to teach medical students cardiac physiology

Ultrasound is being incorporated more into undergraduate medical education. Studies have shown that medical students have positive perceptions about the value of ultrasound in teaching courses like anatomy and physiology. The purpose of the present study was to provide objective evidence of whether ultrasound helps students learn cardiac physiology. In this study, 20 medical students took a pretest to assess their background knowledge of cardiac physiology. Next, they acquired ultrasound video loops of the heart. Faculty members taught them nonelectrical aspects of cardiac physiology using those loops. Finally, students took a posttest to evaluate for improvements in their knowledge. Students also completed an anonymous questionnaire about their experience. The mean pretest score was 4.8 of 9 (53.3%). The mean posttest score was 7.35 of 9 (81.7%). The mean difference was significant at P < 0.0001. Student feedback was very positive about the ultrasound laboratory. Ninety-five percent of the students agreed or strongly agreed that the ultrasound laboratory was a valuable teaching tool and that it improved their understanding of cardiac physiology. All students agreed or strongly agreed the laboratory was helpful from a visual learning standpoint. A hands-on ultrasound laboratory can indeed help medical students learn the nonelectrical components of cardiac physiology.
Enzymes of the Complement System

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on enzymes of the complement system. Activation of the complement system triggers a series of reactions of the complement components with the activating agent, with each other, and with membranes. In large part, these interactions are mediated by complement enzymes derived from inactive precursor molecules by allosteric modification or more commonly by the action of other complement enzymes. These enzymatic processes are characterized by fragmentation of complement molecules with uncovering of biologically reactive sites and release of complement cleavage products which have biological activity. Thus, the biology of complement is to a considerable extent, derived from enzyme–substrate interactions. The chapter describes four phases of complement action and the complement enzymes which mediate these phases. These are: (1) the activation of C1, (2) the formation of C4,2, (3) the formation of C4,2,3, and (4) the activation of the C3 proactivator. The chapter also highlights that the combination of C1 with immunoglobulins initiates an intramolecular process which terminates with activation of the key complement enzyme, C1s.
Sales Training and Education: An Empirical Investigation of Sales Management Training Programs for Sales Managers

Newly selected sales managers often have problems making a successful transition from personal selling to sales management. Yet, sales management training remains one of the most neglected areas in the personal selling and sales management literature. In the past thirty-two years, only three studies have been published on this important topic. Findings from these studies reveal that most sales managers receive little or no formal training for their sales management roles, and that the training provided often has glaring weaknesses. This study is the first to investigate the availability and characteristics of sales management training programs from the perspectives of sales managers.
Affect-Focused Techniques in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

In a review of the research literature contrasting psychodynamic–interpersonal (PI) and cognitive–behavioral (CB) treatment, Blagys and Hilsenroth [1, 2] identified seven techniques/processes that distinguished PI from CB therapies. In particular, PI treatments contained greater frequency of emotion focus and encouraged patients to express their feelings. This affect-focused process garnered the most evidence for distinguishing PI from CB [1, 2], suggesting a heightened attention in psychodynamic treatments to patient emotions.
Altered bile acid physiology during lactation in the rat.

AbstractThere is evidence that the rate of bile acid secretion increases significantly during lactation in the rat. We show that this increase in secretion rate is accompanied by an expanded bile acid pool and that occasioning the enhancement of both pool size and secretion is an increase in bile acid synthesis. The hypothesis is advanced that maternal prolactin, promoted by suckling young, amplifies cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in bile acid biosynthesis, and perhaps HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterogenesis.
Bleeding risks with aspirin use for primary prevention in adults: A systematic review for the U.S. preventive services task force

This systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force describes the risk for serious bleeding in adults regularly using aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Restoration of retinoblastoma mediated signaling to Cdk2 results in cell cycle arrest

Phosphorylation/inactivation of RB is typically required for cell cycle progression. However, we have identified a tumor cell line, C33A, which progresses through the cell cycle in the presence of an active allele of RB (PSM-RB). To determine how C33A cells evade RB-mediated arrest, we compared RB signaling to downstream effectors in this resistant cell line to that of the RB-sensitive SAOS-2 cell line. Although introduction of PSM-RB repressed E2F-mediated transcription in both C33A and SAOS-2 cells, PSM-RB failed to repress Cyclin A promoter activity in C33A. Ectopic expression of PSM-RB in SAOS-2 cells resulted in a decrease in both Cyclin A and Cdk2 protein levels without affecting Cyclin E or Cdk4. In contrast, over-expression of PSM-RB in C33A cells did not alter endogenous Cyclin A, Cyclin E, or Cdk2 protein levels or impact Cdk2 kinase activity, indicating that signaling from RB to down-stream targets is abrogated in this cell line. The importance of Cdk2 activity was demonstrated by p27Kip1, which attenuated Cdk2 activity and inhibited cell cycle progression in C33A cells. Since RB signaling to Cdk2 is disrupted in these tumor cells, we co-expressed two proteins that cooperate with RB in transcriptional repression, AHR and BRG-1, in an attempt to correct this signaling dysfunction. Co-expression of AHR/BRG-1 with PSM-RB attenuated Cyclin A and Cdk2 expression as well as Cdk2-associated kinase activity, resulting in cell cycle inhibition of C33A cells. Importantly, ectopic expression of Cyclin A was able to reverse the arrest mediated by co-expression of AHR/BRG-1 with PSM-RB. These results indicate that down-regulation of Cdk2 activity is requisite for RB-mediated cell cycle arrest. Thus, this study reveals a new mechanism through which tumor cells evade anti-proliferative signals, and provides insight into how RB-signaling is mediated.
Scientific Concepts, Multiple Modalities, and Young Children

The ability to use a scientific concept is intimately linked to the ability to “fluently juggle with its verbal, mathematical, and visual/graphical aspects, applying whichever is most appropriate in the moment and freely translating back and forth among them” (Lemke 1994). This translation across multiple modes of representation places a high demand on cognitive resources, particularly for young children. This chapter details a project that examines the effects of using an SWH approach with younger children (K-3rd grade). Most projects that have examined the effects of SWH have focused on older children (i.e., 3rd grade and older). As part of the project, a coding scheme was developed to better understand what modes of representation children this age used to represent scientific concepts, whether and how these modes were linked to one another, and how these modes and links varied by grade level. In addition to the examination of these child level outcomes, key indicators of teachers’ implementation of the approach were studied in another early childhood sample. In the second project, we explored the classroom environment conditions in relation to the use of language that can promote young children’s engagement in science when using the SWH approach. By using the framework of learning about language, through using language as you live the language of science the research was able to explore what are some of the crucial language features teachers engage with in promoting understanding of the science. In particular the study focused on the difference between teachers with 2 years of experience vs teachers with 3 years of experience using the SWH approach.
A meta-analysis of studies investigating the effects of occupational lead exposure on thyroid hormones.

Introduction Investigations of the effects of occupational exposure to lead on the concentrations of thyroid hormones in the blood have not produced consistent results. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the effect of occupational exposure to lead on thyroid hormone concentrations using the results from published studies. Methods Group means from studies of the thyroid function of persons occupationally exposed to lead were used in a meta-analysis. Differences between the control and exposed groups, and the slopes between thyroid hormone concentrations and log10 blood lead concentrations or duration of exposure to lead were estimated using mixed models. The hormones analyzed were thyroid stimulating hormone, total and free thyroxine, and total and free triiodothyronine. Results No differences in mean thyroid hormone concentrations were found between the exposed and control groups. No relationships were found between blood lead or the duration of exposure to lead and thyroid hormone concentrations. Conclusion The results of the analysis do not provide evidence for an effect of occupational lead exposure on thyroid function in men. Am. J. Ind. Med. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.