cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survival Outcomes Are Not Affected When Liver Transplant Surgery Is Done at Night, During Weekends, or Summer Months.

Background It has been suggested that hospitalized patients may get suboptimal care in nights or on weekends or summer holidays due to sleep deprivation, physician fatigue, or reduced medical staffing. Our objective was to determine whether there were differences in outcomes when surgery was performed in the night (10 pm-6 am), on weekends (Saturday or Sunday), or during summer months (June-August). Methods We used United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data sets of adults transplanted between February 27, 2002, and September 30, 2016. We estimated the start time of liver transplant surgery by utilizing the cross-clamp time and cold ischemia time (cross-clamp time + cold ischemia time - 2 h). The survival outcomes were estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were analyzed separately. The independent effect of time of transplant on outcomes was analyzed after adjusting for common confounders, including Model for End-stage Liver Diseases scores and transplant center volume. Results During the study period, 4 434 (9.6%) were done in the night, 12 147 (26.4%) over weekends, and 11 976 (26%) during summer months. The graft and patient survival and complications were not influenced by the time of transplant for both HCC and non-HCC population. Cox regression analysis after adjusting for risk factors, including Model for End-stage Liver Diseases, donor risk index, and liver center volume, confirmed that there were no significant differences in outcomes. Conclusions Our study showed that the time of transplant surgery whether done during nights, weekends, or summer months had no effect on graft or patient survival irrespective of center volume, patient, or donor risk factors.
From parallel to partnership.

Purpose In the USA, there has recently been an unprecedented convergence of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) with mainstream biomedical care. This confluence may lead to a deeply rooted philosophical conflict. This qualitative study works to identify factors that health-care leaders can use, which will build a pathway to greater integrative practice between medical doctors and CAM practitioners - from parallel existence to partnership - by examining the tensions between biomedical medicine and naturopathic medicine. The purpose of this study is to offer short-term suggestions for partnership and long-term recommendations for better understanding. Design/methodology/approach An original qualitative study using semi-structured with CAM practitioners and biomedical practitioners. Findings Areas of conflict that are preventing synergy are identified and a pathway for health-care leaders to follow to create greater integration and partnerships is suggested. Research limitations/implications This is a qualitative and exploratory study that has significant limitations on generalizability. Practical implications This study suggest steps that both types of health-care practitioners can take to increase their success at working together on an individual level, a group level, an organizational level and on an industry-wide basis, as well as provide a specific pathway to create greater integrative practice for health-care leaders. Social implications The results indicate that stronger partnerships between different types of medical practitioners increase patient choice, patient satisfaction and outcomes. Originality/value Increasing interested in CAM modalities is driving more contact between CAM practitioners and biomedical practitioners. This contact is best established in partnership between practitioners rather than in parallel. This original research outlines the sources of conflict and provides recommendations for encouraging greater synergy.
Effects of Household and Environmental Adversity on Indices of Self-Regulation for Latino and African American Preschool Children: Closing the School Readiness Gap

Research Findings: Addressing factors that influence children’s self-regulation is a critical step toward closing achievement gaps that have consistently been found for African American and Latino ...
Delay-Induced Uncertainty in Physiological Systems

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWMedical practice in the intensive care unit is based on the supposition that physiological systems such as the human glucose-insulin system are reliabile. Reliability of dynamical systems refers to response to perturbation: A dynamical system is reliable if it behaves predictably following a perturbation. Here, we demonstrate that reliability fails for an archetypal physiological model, the Ultradian glucose-insulin model. Reliability failure arises because of the presence of delay. Using the theory of rank one maps from smooth dynamical systems, we precisely explain the nature of the resulting delay-induced uncertainty (DIU). We develop a recipe one may use to diagnose DIU in a general dynamical system. Guided by this recipe, we analyze DIU emergence first in a classical linear shear flow model and then in the Ultradian model. Our results potentially apply to a broad class of physiological systems that involve delay.
A Portable CMOS Based pH Sensor

This paper demonstrates a portable pH sensing system which converts pH to a digital readout. The system consists of a CMOS ISFET pH sensor with discrete analog to digital conversion and display modules. The front end sensor was fabricated in standard 0.5 µm CMOS technology and an easy to use Arduino microcontroller is used as the computing device. Measurement results have reasonable agreements with the simulations. The average sensitivity in simulation is 46 mV/pH and it is 42 mV/pH based on experimentally extracted capacitance parameters. The design uses a differential ISFET readout circuit with 12 µW of power consumption at 2 V and 80 µW of power consumption at 5 V. The portable sensor implemented is 10cm × 16cm, while the main ISFET front end readout occupies a chip area of 0.0093 mm2. This portable device is suitable for environmental and biomedical applications.
Career decision-making from a dual-process perspective: Looking back, looking forward

Abstract To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Vocational Behavior and advance career decision-making research and practice, the present article discusses key findings, residual issues, and future directions with respect to a dual-process theoretical model of career decision-making. Such a dual-process theory features managing state and inherent decision uncertainty (confusion vs. ambiguity) as two differential and interrelated processual blocks between background inputs and career decision-making outcomes. In general, research has made significant progress in supporting various parts of the dual-process model, suggesting that what people know about themselves and the vocational world, how they match information, the extent to which they experience ambiguity, and how they mitigate the threat of ambiguity shape career decision-making outcomes (e.g., decidedness, choices, and satisfaction). While this article discusses research limitations for managing confusion and ambiguity separately, it highlights future directions for research on the dual-process model as a whole, including examining the joint dual-process model, researching the role of dialectical decision-making skills, developing measurement specifically for the dual-process model, exploring the multicultural/cross-cultural variations of its key components, and developing intervention models based on the dual-process model.
Is newer always better?: comparing cost and short-term outcomes between laparoscopic and robotic right hemicolectomy

Enthusiasm is high for expansion of robotic assisted surgery into right hemicolectomy. But data on outcomes and cost is lacking. Our objective was to determine the association between surgical approach and cost for minimally invasive right hemicolectomy. We hypothesized that a robot approach would have increased costs (both economic and opportunity) while achieving similar short-term outcomes. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis with a simulation of operating room utilization at a quaternary care, academic institution. We enrolled patients undergoing minimally invasive right hemicolectomy from November 2017 to August 2019. Patients were categorized by the intended approach- laparoscopic or robotic. The primary outcome was the technical variable direct cost. Secondary outcomes included total cost, supply cost, operating room utilization, operative time, conversion, length of stay and 30-day post-operative outcomes. 79 patients were included in the study. A robotic approach was used in 22% of the cohort. The groups differed significantly only in etiology of surgery. Robotic surgery was associated with a 1.5 times increase in the technical variable direct cost (p < 0.001), increased supply cost (2.6 times; p < 0.001) and increased total cost (1.3 times; p < 0.001). Significant differences were observed in median room time (Robotic: 285 min vs. Laparoscopic: 170 min; p < 0.001) and procedure time (Robotic: 203 min vs. Laparoscopic: 118 min; p < 0.001). There were no differences observed in post-operative outcomes including length of stay or readmission. In a simulation of OR utilization, 45 laparoscopic right hemicolectomies could be performed in an OR in a month compared to 31 robotic cases. Robotic right hemicolectomy was associated with increased costs with no improvement in post-operative outcomes. In a simulation of operating room efficiency, a robotic approach was associated with 14 fewer cases per month. Practitioners and administrators should be aware of the increased cost of a robotic approach.
Tightly linked Rps12 and Rps13 genes provide broad-spectrum Phytophthora resistance in soybean

The Phytophtora root and stem rot is a serious disease in soybean. It is caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora sojae. Growing Phytophthora resistant cultivars is the major method of controlling this disease. Resistance is race- or gene-specific; a single gene confers immunity against only a subset of the P. sojae isolates. Unfortunately, rapid evolution of new Phytophthora sojae virulent pathotypes limits the effectiveness of an Rps (“resistance to Phytophthora sojae”) gene to 8–15 years. The current study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of Rps12 against a set of P. sojae isolates using recombinant inbred lines (RILs) that contain recombination break points in the Rps12 region. Our study revealed a unique Rps gene linked to the Rps12 locus. We named this novel gene as Rps13 that confers resistance against P. sojae isolate V13, which is virulent to recombinants that contains Rps12 but lack Rps13. The genetic distance between the two Rps genes is 4 cM. Our study revealed that two tightly linked functional Rps genes with distinct race-specificity provide broad-spectrum resistance in soybean. We report here the molecular markers for incorporating the broad-spectrum Phytophthora resistance conferred by the two Rps genes in commercial soybean cultivars.
The Role of the People in First Amendment Theory

History is what we make of it. Although there is undeniably a core of hard fact in any historical event, the contemporary significance of a past occurrence turns largely on a series of cultural choices made subsequent to the original happening. Which facts will a society emphasize, and which will it ignore? What words will be used to describe those facts? With what other events will this event be descriptively and normatively assimilated? What theory or principle or concept will this event be taken to exemplify? All of these questions are questions of characterization, and each characterization is a choice that will determine the present perception of a past event, often as much as what actually occurred. I begin with these general observations about the nature of history because the question of the subsequent characterization of a historical event is nowhere more obvious than with respect to the trial 250 years ago of John Peter Zenger.' A commonly accepted characterization of the event and its significance is as follows: Zenger was a comparatively minor member of a group that criticized Governor William Cosby's regime of the Province of New York. Zenger printed criticisms of Cosby in the New York Weekly Journal, created primarily for the purpose of attacking Cosby. As publisher of this criticism of government, Zenger was prosecuted for the common law crime of seditious libel. Largely as a result of the powerful advocacy of his lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, the
A Bistatic Radar Method for the Determination of ε and µ for a Smooth Spherical Target

Bistatic radar method for determination of permeability and permittivity of material for smooth spherical target
Sodium MRI in Man: Technique and Findings

Sodium (23Na) is a quadrupolar nucleus with a gyromagnetic ratio about 1/4th that of hydrogen (1H). With an in vivo nuclear concentration of only about 1/1700th of 1H in tissue water, 23Na is the only other nucleus suitable for routine human magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at natural abundance. Its quadrupolar nature endows it with short T1 relaxation times (∼30 ms) and even shorter multicomponent T2s (about 0.5-4 ms and 14-30 ms), permitting fast acquisitions while necessitating special short echo-time MRI sequences for quantitative work. Indeed, 23Na magnetic resonance (MR) has been noninvasively probing tissue sodium in biological tissue for almost a half-century. The total 23Na signal derives from a combination of intra- and extracellular components present at disparate concentrations of [Na]intra ≈ 10-15 mM and [Na]extra ≈ 135-150 mM in healthy tissue, with [Na]extra being regulated by the blood pool/kidneys. Increases in [Na]intra and/or the extracellular volume occur in numerous normal and disease conditions, including exercising muscle, cellular proliferation and oncogenesis, ischemia, and myopathies. These changes are manifested as elevated total sodium quantified from 23Na images in brain tumors, breast cancer, uterine fibroids, stroke, myocardial infarction, myotonic dystrophy, myopathies involving sodium transport, and tumors responding to hyperthermic intervention. Reduced sodium is associated with cartilage degeneration. The central question for clinical applications is whether 23Na MR can deliver useful information that is unobtainable or not more conveniently obtained by other means, including 1H MR. Keywords: sodium; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); projections; T1T2; quantification; total sodium content; cancer; stroke; myopathy; cartilage
Wayfinding by Newcomers in a Complex Building

We conducted several experiments to determine the characteristics of an optimal wayfinding aid for new users of a complex building. In Experiment 1 wayfinders who used signs found their destinations fastest. Those using you-are-here maps were much slower than even those wayfinders given no aids. The main advantage of signs over you-are-here maps results from information-processing differences: Signs provide clear cues about turns and decisions without requiring study time or imposing a high memory load. In Experiment 2 we found that people prefer routes that require the least amount of energy expenditure. Contrary to findings of previous research, we did not find complexity to be an important variable. A third experiment, using artificial floor plans of buildings, confirmed that minimizing energy is much more important than complexity in determining preferred routes. Finally, in Experiment 4, we investigated wayfinders' heuristics and the information necessary to provide unambiguous signs.
Convection in rotating stars

It is shown that many features of convection in rotating spheres and spherical shells can be understood on the basis of plane layer models. The phenomenon of differential rotation generated by convection is emphasized. The potential applications and limitations of analytical and numerical models for problems of astrophysical interest are briefly discussed.
Are blood gases necessary in mechanically ventilated patients who have successfully completed a spontaneous breathing trial

BACKGROUND: The utility of routinely obtaining arterial blood gas analyses (ABGs) prior to extubation in patients who have successfully completed a spontaneous breathing trial is not known. OBJECTIVE: Review our practices and determine our extubation success rate with a policy of selective ABG utilization. METHODS: Retrospective chart review. RESULTS: We reviewed 54 extubations of 52 patients. Sixty-five percent of the extubations were performed without obtaining an ABG after the spontaneous breathing trial. The extubation success rate was 94% for the entire group and was the same regardless of whether an ABG measurement was obtained (94.7% vs 94.3%, respectively). CONCLUSION: ABG measurement does not appear to be a prerequisite to extubation following a clinically successful spontaneous breathing trial.
Operational aspects of linear lambda calculus

It is proved that the standard sequent calculus proof system of linear logic is equivalent to a natural deduction style proof system. The natural deduction system is used to investigate the pragmatic problems of type inference and type safety for a linear lambda calculus. Although terms do not have a single most-general type (for either the standard sequent presentation or the natural deduction formulation), there is a set of most-general types that may be computed using unification. The natural deduction system also facilitates the proof that the type of an expression is preserved by any evaluation step. An execution model and implementation is described, using a variant of the three-instruction machine. A novel feature of the implementation is that garbage-collected nonlinear memory is distinguished from linear memory, which does not require garbage collection and for which it is possible to do secure update in place. >
Solubilities of hydrogen and deuterium gases in water and their isotope fractionation factor

Solubilities of deuterium gas in water were measured at 5° intervals from 278 to 303°K with an overall precision of about 0.4%. Thermodynamic functions for the solution process were calculated for deuterium gas and compared with the corresponding quantities for hydrogen gas based on the reported data of Crozier and Yamamoto. Henry's law constantsk, obtained at different temperaturesT, were fitted to an equation of the form $$R ln ({1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 k}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} k}) = A + {B \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {B {T + }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {T + }}C ln T + DT$$ Isotope fractionation factors α for the D2/H2 system were obtained with careful error estimates. Compared at the same temperature, D2 gas is more soluble in water than H2 gas, showing a “normal” isotope effect, and the value of α decreases from 1.086 (±0.005) at 278°K to 1.065 (±0.006) at 303°K. The large isotope effect may be attributed, at least partly, to the difference in the zero-point energies between H2 and D2 molecules when they execute oscillatory motion in a solvent cage.
Effect of demographic factors, urinary peak flow rates, and Boyarsky Symptom scores on patient treatment choice in benign prostatic hyperplasia

Abstract Objectives To determine the effect of patient's age, race, Boyarsky score, and urinary flow rate on type of treatment selected for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to evaluate maintenance of treatment at 1 -year follow-up. Methods Subjects in this prospective study, conducted in a referral center prostate clinic, were 174 consecutive patients, aged 67.6 ± 10.8 years (mean ± SD), with previously untreated BPH. Patients underwent structured interviews and uroflowmetry, then completed the Boyarsky Symptom Index. Blinded to these data, one physician described four treatment categories in a nonjudgmental fashion, always using the same order: watchful waiting; finasteride and alpha-blocker; thermal therapy, balloon dilation, and a prostate stent; and transurethral prostate resection. Treatment choice was entirely that of the patient. Independent variables were patient's age, race, symptom score, and uroflow; the dependent variable was treatment choice. At 1 year, the same physician interviewed patients to evaluate maintenance of therapy. Results Only symptom score and flow rate were predictive of treatment choice, high scores and low flow being associated with more aggressive treatment choices (P = 0.001). Most patients, regardless of symptom severity, chose interventions less aggressive than surgery and more aggressive than watchful waiting. At 1 year, 85% of patients continued to be maintained on their original treatment. Conclusions Men with mild or moderate BPH prefer interventions of moderate aggressiveness; race and age make little or no difference. If maintenance of treatment indicates patient satisfaction, most patients appear to remain satisfied with therapy they select.
Transfer RNA selection at the ribosomal A and P sites.

Abstract We have examined ribosomal selectivity among tRNAs using an equilibrium competition binding assay. Specifically, we evaluated the dissociation constants of tRNA Phe , tRNA Ile , tRNA fMet , tRNA Val , tRNA Arg , and tRNA Glu , for the A site and, separately, for the P site by measuring competition with [ 3 H]phenyl-lactyl-tRNA Phe . We were able to distinguish A and P sites using the site-specific poisons, edeine and tetracycline. In the presence of poly(U), the affinity of tRNA Phe for the P site was significantly greater than that of any of the other five tRNAs. Moreover, the affinities of the tRNAs for the P site varied over three orders of magnitude and paralleled the predicted order of affinities based on potential codon-antidocon interactions. This strongly indicates coding capacity at the P site. In marked contrast, tRNA binding at the A site of poly(U)-programmed ribosomes indicated that tRNA Phe bound only ten- to 20-fold stronger than several non-complementary tRNAs, suggesting that the equilibrium properties of the bare ribosomal A site are very different from the P site. We propose that, in vivo , ribosomal contributions to the accuracy of protein synthesis include both specificity in tRNA selection at the A site and the coding capacity of the P site, as these sites are defined by in vitro criteria. Even at best, however, the precision of the ribosomes of the three strains we have examined is not better than the precision of unaided codon-anticodon interactions. This sets new constraints on the sources of accuracy in protein synthesis. We have also measured the relative affinities of tRNAs for the P site in the absence of message. By comparison of these with the codon-instructed P site, we conclude that message confers an additional affinity for a tRNA possessing a matching anticodon, rather than strongly rejecting tRNAs whose codons do not match. All the data we have are consistent with a large, almost non-specific affinity for tRNAs in both P and A sites, to which a smaller specific contribution is made by codon-anticodon base-pairing.
Use of a pharmacokinetic model for individualizing intravenous doses of aminophylline

A reliable method for individualizing intravenous doses of aminophylline is reported. Individual kinetic parameters, half-life (t1/2), volume of distribution (Vd), and theophylline clearance (Qb) were established for 13 patients from serum level-time data obtained after an initial intravenous load. Using a one-compartment open model predictions of serum concentrations after initiation of a constant infusion were made. Follow-up serum concentrations [32] were measured for comparison with predicted levels. A good correlation (r=0.83) was obtained. Ninety-five percent confident interval of y on x= ±2.81 µg/ml. No cases of aminophylline toxicity were observed.
The hepatic glutathione transferases of the male little skate, Raja erinacea

Abstract Five cytosolic glutathione transferases were isolated from the liver of the male little skate, Raja erinacea , a marine elasmobranch. They were designated E-1 through E-5 in order of their elution from a DEAE-cellulose column with a 0 to 100 mM KCl gradient in 0.01 M Tris (pH 8.0). Each eluted peak of glutathione transferase activity, after concentration, was applied to an affinity column prepared by reaction of epoxy-activated Sepharose 6B with glutathione (GSH). Elution of the various glutathione transferases from this column with GSH resulted in the further purification of each enzyme; the major glutathione transferase, E-4 and E-1, were purified to apparent homogeneity by this procedure. Skate glutathione transferase E-4 is dimeric and the subunits are either very similar or identical in molecular weight (about 26 000 daltons). Enzymes E-2 through E-5 were acidic proteins (pI a ]pyrene 4,5-oxide (BPO) as substrate, whereas the other enzyme (E-1) had low activity (0.01 μmol/min/mg) with BPO and a basic pI (>9.5). Bilirubin and hematin, non-substrate ligands, bound tightly to homogenous E-4, with dissociation constants in the micromolar range.
Fiber tracking using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging and its applications to human brain development.

Diffusion tensor imaging is unique in its ability to noninvasively visualize white matter fiber tracts in the human brain in vivo. Diffusion is the incoherent motion of water molecules on a microscopic scale. This motion is itself dependent on the micro-structural environment that restricts the movement of the water molecules. In white matter fibers there is a pronounced directional dependence on diffusion. With white matter fiber tracking or tractography, projections among brain regions can be detected in the three-dimensional diffusion tensor dataset according to the directionality of the fibers. Examples of developmental changes in diffusion, tracking of major fiber tracts, and examples of how diffusion tensor tractography and functional magnetic resonance imaging can be combined are provided. These techniques are complimentary and allow both the identification of the eloquent areas of the brain involved in specific functional tasks, and the connections between them. The noninvasive nature of magnetic resonance imaging will allow these techniques to be used in both longitudinal developmental and diagnostic studies. An overview of the technique and preliminary applications are presented, along with its current limitations.
A Class of Singular Symmetric Markov Processes

We consider a class of pure jump Markov processes in ${\mathbb R}^d$ whose jump kernels are comparable to that of a certain d-dimensional Levy process. Upper and lower bounds for the transition densities of these processes are obtained. We show that bounded harmonic functions associated with these processes are Holder continuous.
Low density lipoprotein rich in oleic acid is protected against oxidative modification : implications for dietary prevention of atherosclerosis

Oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL) enhances its potential atherogenicity in several ways, notably by enhancing its uptake into macrophages. In vivo studies in the rabbit show that inhibition of LDL oxidation slows the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. In the present studies, rabbits were fed either a newly developed variant sunflower oil (Trisun 80), containing more than 80% oleic acid and only 8% linoleic acid, or conventional sunflower oil, containing only 20% oleic acid and 67% linoleic acid. LDL isolated from the plasma of animals fed the variant sunflower oil was highly enriched in oleic acid and very low in linoleic acid. These oleate-rich LDL particles were remarkably resistant to oxidative modification. Even after 16-hr exposure to copper-induced oxidation or 24-hr incubation with cultured endothelial cells, macrophage uptake of the LDL was only marginally enhanced. The results suggest that diets sufficiently enriched in oleic acid, in addition to their LDL-lowering effect, may slow the progression of atherosclerosis by generating LDL that is highly resistant to oxidative modification.
Replication without replicators

According to a once influential view of selection, it consists of repeated cycles of replication and interaction. It has been argued that this view is wrong: replication is not necessary for evolution by natural selection. I analyze the nine most influential arguments for this claim and defend the replication–interaction conception of selection against these objections. In order to do so, however, the replication–interaction conception of selection needs to be modified significantly. My proposal is that replication is not the copying of an entity, the replicator, but the copying of a property. Thus, we can have a replication process without there being a replicator that is being copied.
Microwave sintering of some oxide materials using sintering aids

Etude du frittage de poudres de zircone stabilisee par CaO ou Y 2 O 3 , de Y 2 O 3 et de Al 2 O 3 en presence de divers additifs
Missing the Third Wave: Islam, Institutions, and Democracy in the Middle East

This article explores why some societies witnessed less political liberalization during the Third Wave of democratization than others, and importantly, the conditions under which opposition forces may refrain from pressing for political reform. Focusing on the Muslim world, it also presents a more complete understanding of when and how political Islam hinders democratization. Specifically, historical experiences with Islamists in the 1970s and institutional structures established by the 1980s created a condition of uncertainty that enabled some incumbents to thwart liberalization during the Third Wave. Incumbents exploited the fear of political Islam, convincing many secularist opponents that they were better off with the current regime than with Islamist rule. The extent to which incumbents could succeed varied, depending on whether or not Islamist movements had been allowed to mobilize openly and the extent that the regime based its legitimacy on Islam. The argument extends beyond the Muslim world. What is fundamentally at stake is not whether Islam exists as a mobilizing ideology, but whether democratically-minded opponents believe that non-democratic opposition groups exist that would potentially subvert a democratic opening.
Dynamic interaction between a coherent precipitate and an edge dislocation

Dynamic interaction between a coherent precipitate and an edge dislocation is analyzed by means of a discrete atom method, which is based on classical statistical mechanics and linear elasticity. Precipitates having a dilatational misfit strain and elastic constants different from those of the matrix phase are treated in anisotropic elastic systems under a plane strain condition. A coherent interface transforms into a semicoherent one by nucleating dipolar dislocations at a stress concentration in a coherent precipitate. One of the dipolar dislocations glides along the precipitate-matrix interface to become a misfit dislocation, and the other slips into the matrix phase to become a lattice dislocation. In accordance with continuum elasticity, a coherent particle with a positive misfit strain migrates to the tension side of an edge dislocation, whereas a particle with a negative misfit diffuses to the region of compression. Morphological change is, however, caused by the dislocation as the particle tries to capitalize on the dislocation stress field, and the particle shape depends on its stiffness and elastic anisotropy. Under an applied shear, a hard coherent particle with a positive misfit strain is sheared along the shear direction, but a soft particle responds in the opposite direction. Elastic interaction between a coherent particle and an edge dislocation can be so strong that the particle-dislocation complex remains coupled even at a high shear strain applied to the system. Some composite applied stresses can cause an edge dislocation to split into two partials. One of the partials, a glissile component, is found to engage actively in the morphological evolution of a particle during a diffusional relaxation.
Interactions of plant zinc and plant species on the bioavailability of plant cadmium to Japanese quail fed lettuce and spinach.

Many cadmium-contaminated environments contain high levels of zinc. The effects of plant Zn and plant species on plant Cd bioavailability were tested in Japanese quail fed lettuce and spinach. Four groups of birds received 10% of their diets as lettuce or spinach leaves intrinsically labeled with 109Cd and containing low or high intrinsic Zn. Two other groups were fed control diets containing 109Cd and CdSO4 and low or high Zn as ZnCO3. Cadmium concentrations in diets ranged from 0.857 to 1.05 μg/g dry wt. Zinc concentrations in low-Zn diets ranged from 21.2 to 22.8, and high-Zn diets from 56.0 to 63.3 μg/g dry wt. Increased lettuce and spinach Zn decreased plant Cd retention in kidney, liver, and jejunum-ileum of Japanese quail. Spinach Cd was less absorbed than lettuce Cd at both Zn levels. Inorganic Zn produced a lesser decrease in Cd retention in kidney, liver, and jejunum-ileum than did plant Zn. We conclude that (1) crops that transport Zn and Cd readily into edible tissues show lower Cd bioavailability when grown in Zn Cd contaminated environments than in Cd-only polluted sites, (2) plant species differ in Cd bioavailability for identical concentrations of Zn and Cd in edible tissues, and (3) toxicological studies with animals exposed to Cd salts and Zn supplements do not assess Cd bioavailability of Zn Cd contaminated crops.
Racial and ethnic differences in mammography use among U.S. women younger than age 40.

Objective Evidence-based recommendations for routine breast cancer screening suggest that women begin mammography at age 40, although some women receive a mammogram before that age. Little is known about mammography use among younger women, especially with respect to race and ethnicity. Methods We used data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey to examine racial/ethnic differences in mammography use among U.S. women ages 30–39. We examined descriptive characteristics of women who reported ever having a mammogram, and used logistic regression to estimate associations between race/ethnicity and mammography use among women at average risk for breast cancer. Results Our sample comprised 3,098 women (18% Hispanic, 13% non-Hispanic [NH] black, 69% NH white), of whom 29% reported having ever had a mammogram. NH black women were more likely than NH white women to report ever having a mammogram and receiving multiple mammograms before age 40 among women of average risk. Patterns of mammography use for Hispanic women compared to NH white women varied. Conclusion Findings suggest differential utilization of mammograms by race/ethnicity among women outside current recommendations and of average risk. Future studies should examine the role of practice patterns and patient–provider communication.
Face, Content, and Construct Validation of the Bristol TURP Trainer

Introduction Validation studies are an important part of simulator evaluation and are considered necessary to establish the effectiveness of simulation-based training. The widely used Bristol transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) simulator has not been formally validated. Objectives Evaluation of the face, content, and construct validities of the Bristol TURP simulator as an endourology training tool. Design Using established validation methodology, face, content, and construct validities were evaluated. Face and content validities were assessed using a structured quantitative survey. Construct validity was assessed by comparing the performance of experts and novices using a validated performance scale and resection efficiency. Participants and setting Overall, 8 novice urologists and 8 expert urologists participated in the study. The study was conducted in a dedicated surgical simulation training facility. Results All 16 participants felt the model was a good training tool and should be used as an essential part of urology training (face validity). Content validity evaluation showed that most aspects of the simulator were adequately realistic (mean Likert scores 3.38-3.57/5); however, the model does not simulate bleeding. Experts significantly outperformed novices (p Conclusions The Bristol TURP simulator shows face, content, and construct validities, although some aspects of the simulator were not very realistic (e.g., bleeding). This study provides evidence for the continuing use of this simulator in endourology training.
On Market Efficiency and Financial Accounting

It can be observed that heroin is used but this does not permit one to validly conclude that it is useful.
Health of infant is the main reason for breast-feeding in a WIC population in Hawaii

Abstract Objective To determine factors influencing infant feeding method choices among women who received services from the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during pregnancy in Hawaii. Design A retrospective survey mailed to all resident mothers who had live births in Hawaii between January 1, 1989, and March 31, 1989, and who received WIC services during pregnancy. Setting The state of Hawaii Subjects The subjects were 322 mothers who received WIC services during pregnancy for whom data were complete, taken from a sample of 2,013 women who had live births in the state of Hawaii (51% response rate) between January 1, 1989, and March 31, 1989, of whom 324 participated in WIC during pregnancy. Main outcome measures Infant feeding method (exclusive breast, exclusive formular or mixed) at hospital discharge. Statistical analyses performed The χ 2 analysis for differences among feeding method groups and multiple logistic regression to calculate odds ratios for independent effects of maternal characteristics and other influences on feeding method choice. Results Reasons for infant feeding choice, timing of the choice, maternal age, parity, and place of residence were the main factor influencing infant method choice. Health of the infant was the primary reason for choice of feeding method and was the strongest determinant of exclusive breast-feeding (odds ratio=23.99; confidence interval=9.75-59.02; P P Applications Relationship between WIC and hospital lactation consultants could enhance follow up in the hospital and after returning home with WIC mothers who prenatally state an intention to breast-feed. Convenience and bonding are aspects of breast-feeding enjoyed by WIC mothers in Hawaii that could be used in breast-feeding promotion efforts.
Lung albumin accumulation is spatially heterogeneous but not correlated with regional pulmonary perfusion

10.1152/japplphysiol.00353.2001.—The contribution of pulmonary perfusion heterogeneity to the development of regional differences in lung injury and edema is unknown. To test whether regional diffe...
A new family of hybrid virophages from an animal gut metagenome

Search of metagenomics sequence databases for homologs of virophage capsid proteins resulted in the discovery of a new family of virophages in the sheep rumen metagenome. The genomes of the rumen virophages (RVP) encode a typical virophage major capsid protein, ATPase and protease combined with a Polinton-type, protein primed family B DNA polymerase. The RVP genomes appear to be linear molecules, with terminal inverted repeats. Thus, the RVP seem to represent virophage-Polinton hybrids that are likely capable of formation of infectious virions. Virion proteins of mimiviruses were detected in the same metagenomes as the RVP suggesting that the virophages of the new family parasitize on giant viruses that infect protist inhabitants of the rumen.
Discriminative stimulus effects of excitatory amino acid agonists in rats

Abstract Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 30 mg/kg i.p. NMDA from saline using a 2-lever operant procedure. Responding was maintained under a FR 32 schedule of food reinforcement. Substitution tests were completed with NMDA (3–56 mg/kg) and other putative excitatory amino acids, l -glutamate (30–560 mg/kg), l -aspartate (30–300 mg/kg), l -homocysteic acid (100–1500 mg/kg), l -cysteine (30–1000 mg/kg), monosodium glutamate (100–3000 mg/kg), kainic acid (0.1–3 mg/kg) and the selective NMDA receptor agonist, d,l -(tetrazol-5-yl)glycine (LY 285265) (0.01–1.0 mg/kg). LY 285265 fully substituted for NMDA and was approx 100-fold more potent than NMDA for producing NMDA-like discriminative stimulus effects. Partial substitution occurred with monosodium glutamate, l -glutamate and l -homocysteic acid, resulting in mean maximum levels of 49–59% NMDA-lever responding, however response rate decreases were only obtained with 3000 mg/kg monosodium glutamate, suggesting that behaviorally active doses of the other compounds may not have been fully studied. l -Cysteine, kainic acid and l -aspartate failed to substitute for NMDA or produce decreases in response rates. Unlike with other excitatory agonists tested, full substitution occurred only with LY 285265, providing evidence that selective NMDA receptor activation is the basis for the NMDA discriminative stimulus. These results also suggest that LY 285265 is a potent, systemically active, selective agonist for the NMDA receptor.
Recovery of Bacillus thuringiensis var. thuringiensis from field soils.

Abstract Bacillus thuringiensis was recovered at numbers ranging from 7,800 to 170,000 propagules, essentially spores, per gram of soil from a silty clay loam, from two silt loams, but not from a muck soil to which either of the commercial products known as Thuricide and Biotrol had been applied for the control of insect pests on cabbage and lettuce crops. Spore viability showed little tendency to decline during three months of laboratory incubation of samples of pH 7.3 silty clay loam and pH 5.2 silt-loam soils known to contain B. thuringiensis. Spores of B. thuringiensis incubated with the muck soil remained viable for at least one month.
Naltrexone treatment of comorbid alcohol and cocaine use disorders

Naltrexone (NTX) has been shown to be efficacious for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Since alcohol and cocaine use disorders commonly co-occur, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of NTX 50 mg/day in 64 subjects with comorbid alcohol and cocaine use disorders. Although subjects in both groups reduced their consumption of both alcohol and cocaine during the 8-week trial, there was no consistent advantage to NTX over placebo treatment. We conclude that, due to behavioral, neurochemical, or other factors, individuals with both alcohol and cocaine use disorders are distinct from those dependent on alcohol alone, and that NTX at a dosage of 50 mg/day is not efficacious in this patient population. Several factors, including medication dosage, length of treatment, sample size and attrition rate, limit the interpretation of these findings. Consequently, we recommend that subsequent trials of NTX to reduce the risk of relapse in patients with comorbid alcohol and cocaine use disorders take these issues into account.
Advanced short haul aircraft for high density markets

The short haul (less than 500 miles) passenger enplanements represent about 50% of the total domestic enplanements. These can be distinguished by the annual passenger flow for a given city pair and classified into low, medium and high densiy markets. NASA studies have investigated various advanced short haul aircraft concepts that have potential application in these three market areas. Although advanced operational techniques impact all market densities, advanced vehicle design concepts such as RTOL, STOL and VTOL have the largest impact in the high density markets. This paper summarizes the results of NASA sponsored high density short haul air transportation systems studies and briefly reviews NASA sponsored advanced VTOL conceptual aircraft design studies. Trends in vehicle characteristics and operational requirements will be indicated in addition to economic suitability and impact on the community.
Preventing Children's Aggression in Immigrant Latino Families: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of the Families and Schools Together Program

The effectiveness of the evidence based program, Families and Schools Together (FAST), was examined in two inter-related studies with immigrant Latino (Mexican) families in the U.S. In Study 1, we reported findings from pre-test, 3-month post-test, and 12-month follow-up surveys of parents and children participating in the FAST program. Families were selected from communities that were randomly assigned to either intervention or control groups. A total of 282 parents (263 mothers and 19 fathers) participated in either the intervention (140 parents) or control (142 parents) condition over the course of 3 years. Each of the parents had a participating focal child; thus, 282 children (144 females and 138 males; average age = 9.5 years) participated in the study. A primary focus of the research was to determine whether participation in FAST led to reductions in children's aggression. Using linear growth models, no differences were noted on aggression between intervention and control groups, although intervention children did show significant improvements in social problem-solving skills and perceptions of collective efficacy. In Study 2, we conducted two focus groups with ten FAST participants to explore whether other unmeasured outcomes were noted and to understand better the mechanisms and impact of FAST. All of the parents in the focus groups reported that FAST had helped them better relate to and communicate with their children, and that the greatest effect was on the behavior of their older children. Results are discussed in terms of cultural fit of the FAST program for immigrant Latino families and future directions.
Online Versus Local Password Management Applications: An Analysis of User Training and Reactions

This study compared a password management application using browser extensions with remote storage against a locallystored password management application. All participants were required to complete a 4-step training process culminating with the use of a password management application and a survey of their experiences. The mean responses from the survey questions were analyzed using an independent (unpaired) ttest of samples with unequal sizes assuming equal variance. The results indicate that once users receive instruction and training the benefits of managing multiple strong passwords using technology becomes apparent. Online storage password management applications may be more popular for users over locallystored applications.
Exocellular Enzymes of Corn Roots.

Little attention has been given to the occurrence of exocellular hydrolytic enzymes associated with the roots of higher plants. Such enzymes, if present, could solubilize macromolecular constituents of organic soils, permitting uptake and utilization by the plant of the resultant low molecular weight organic compounds. The present work supports this concept by demonstrating that several exocellular hydrolytic enzymes are associated with the roots of intact corn seedlings. Distinction has been made between exocellular enzymes released into the culture media and enzymes apparently bound to the root surface. A previous paper from this laboratory (17) reviewed earlier studies and presented evidence for the occurrence of exocellular enzymes associated with the primary cell wall of corn coleoptiles. Of particular relevance to the present work is a report (36) of the secretion of peroxidase, acid phosphatase, indolylacetic acid oxidase, and amylase into the culture media bathing plant *tissue cultures. In addition, reports have appeared (2, 6, 14) of the occurrence of an exocellular invertase, possibly involved in sucrose metabolism by roots. In the present work it is reported that invertase, cellobiase, adenosine triphosphatase, pyrophosphatase, and nuclease activity is observed when appropriate substrates are added to nutrient solution bathing the roots of intact seedling corn plants. In addition, inveritase and nuclease are detected as soluble enzymes in the nutrient solution.