cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flowering-pattern and yield components at inflorescence nodes of snap bean as affected by irrigation and plant density

Mauk, C.S., Breen, P.J. and Mack, H.J., 1984. Flowering-pattern and yield components at inflorescence nodes of snap bean as affected by irrigation and plant density. Scientia Horti!c., 23: 9--19. This paper reports the results of a 2 X 2 factorial experiment on bush snap beans 'Oregon 1604'. The treatments were 2 contrasted irrigation regimes and 2 contrasted plant densities, and were applied in 1978 and repeated in 1979. Data were collected on the aumber of flowers and pods, and pod size, at each node of the terminal inflorescence (6-T) of the main stem, and at each node of the oldest inflorescence (2-A) at Node 2. High and low plant densities were 45 and 18 plants m -2 in 1978 and 54 and 33 plav.ts m-2 in 1979. High temperatures, frequently above 32°C, prevailed during bloom and pod development in 1978, but for the most part occurred only during the week prior to bloom in 1979. Inflorescences 6-T and 2-A usually formed 4 and 3 RN's, respectively, in 1978 and 3 and 2 RN's in 1979. The flowers at the proximal nodes of each inflorescence all opened within a few days of one another (duration of flowering at proximal nodes between 3 and 5 days); the flowering-periods of adjacent nodes overlapped, and the flowering period increased acropetally within the inflorescence (duration of flowering at distal nodes between 7 and 13 days). In general, number of flowers, pods fc,rmed, pods harvested and percent set decreased acropetally within each inflorescence. The rate of acropetal decline was lessened by high irrigation or low plant density. In botl~L years, high irrigation increased the percent set of all RN's of the 2-A inflorescences, but few other consistent effects between years were observed. The 2 most proximal RN's together produced 93% or more of the yield of each inflorescence. High irrigation significantly increased the total number of pods harvested from these RN's of inflorescences 6-T and 2-A, and low density had a similar effect on 2-A. Keywo~rds: first-bloom; inflorescence; Phaseolus vulgaris L.; raceme node; snap bean. ABBREVIATIONS RN = raceme node; 6-T = terminal (node 6) inflorescence; 2-A = main,
Membranes of oat cells: The inverse relation between voltage and resistance is not due to H+ pumps

Abstract Intracellular impalements of oat coleoptile cells showing the highest input resistances (R) are always associated with less negative membrane voltages (V), whereas impalements with lower resistances display more negative voltages. Both fusicoccin (FC) and high external pH cause oat cells to hyperpolarize as much as 45 mV without altering input resistance. Furthermore, the extent of hyperpolarization is the same whether the initial R of the implements is low ( M Ω) or high (⩾ 15 M Ω) . The characteristics relationship between R and membrane potential is therefore not the result of a heterogeneous population of cells displaying varying degrees of electrogenic proton pumping but reflects instead, as previously proposed, cells with two compartments, with the higher resistance barrier around the vacuole. The hyperpolarizing effects of FC and high external pH occur at the plasma membrane.
Influence of age on liver glycogenesis in rats exposed to acceleration stress.

Overnight-fasted rats ranging in age from 8 to 104 days were stressed by centrifugation for 2.5 or 5.0 hr at 4.7 g. Liver glycogen, plasma corticosterone, liver glycogen synthetase and plasma glucose were determined in stressed rats as a function of age and compared to noncentrifuged control rats. Significant increases in liver glycogen deposition occurred in centrifuged rats 18 days or older but not in younger rats. The unresponsiveness of the younger rats was attributed to their limited ability to elaborate increased amounts of adrenal corticosterone during centrifugation. Liver glycogen synthetase was increased significantly by centrifugation in selected groups of the older animals. An increase in synthetase was not a necessary step in the observed increase in liver glycogenesis in centrifuged rats. Glucose or corticosterone, either alone or in combination, administered to normal unstressed rats had no significant effect on liver glycogen synthetase activity. (Endocrinology 78: 556, 1966)
TH-A-9A-04: Incorporating Liver Functionality in Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning

Purpose: Liver SBRT patients have both variable pretreatment liver function (e.g., due to degree of cirrhosis and/or prior treatments) and sensitivity to radiation, leading to high variability in potential liver toxicity with similar doses. This work aims to explicitly incorporate liver perfusion into treatment planning to redistribute dose to preserve well-functioning areas without compromising target coverage. Methods: Voxel-based liver perfusion, a measure of functionality, was computed from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Two optimization models with different cost functions subject to the same dose constraints (e.g., minimum target EUD and maximum critical structure EUDs) were compared. The cost functions minimized were EUD (standard model) and functionality-weighted EUD (functional model) to the liver. The resulting treatment plans delivering the same target EUD were compared with respect to their DVHs, their dose wash difference, the average dose delivered to voxels of a particular perfusion level, and change in number of high-/low-functioning voxels receiving a particular dose. Two-dimensional synthetic and three-dimensional clinical examples were studied. Results: The DVHs of all structures of plans from each model were comparable. In contrast, in plans obtained with the functional model, the average dose delivered to high-/low-functioning voxels was lower/higher than in plans obtained with its standard counterpart. The number of high-/low-functioning voxels receiving high/low dose was lower in the plans that considered perfusion in the cost function than in the plans that did not. Redistribution of dose can be observed in the dose wash differences. Conclusion: Liver perfusion can be used during treatment planning potentially to minimize the risk of toxicity during liver SBRT, resulting in better global liver function. The functional model redistributes dose in the standard model from higher to lower functioning voxels, while achieving the same target EUD and satisfying dose limits to critical structures. This project is funded by MCubed and grant R01-CA132834.
MeV ion damage in III–V semiconductors: Saturation and thermal annealing of strain in GaAs and GaP crystals

MeV ion irradiation of GaAs crystals at room temperature has shown that the lattice strain perpendicular to the sample surface saturates to ∼ 0.4% for 〈100〉 cut and ∼ 0.3% for 〈111〉 and 〈110〉 cut crystals with zero parallel strain in all cases. In this paper, the thermal recovery behavior of the saturated strain in GaAs (100) is presented for a 15 min isochronal annealing. The recovery of strain depth profile is shown explicitly by a dynamical theory analysis of the X-ray rocking curves taken after each annealing step. The isochronal recovery behavior of strain suggests that a spectrum of activation energies is involved in the thermal migration of defects in the saturated surface layer. This also suggests that many kinds of antisite defect complexes exist in the surface layer. The strain and related defects are also shown to saturate in MeV ion bombarded GaP (100) crystals. This may indicate that all the primary defects (interstitials, vacancies, and antisite defects) saturate under MeV ion irradiation of III–V compounds, and support the proposed ion-lattice single collision model of defect production and saturation under MeV ion irradiation. The linewidths of X-ray rocking curves obtained from GaP crystals bombarded at room temperature and at 490 K indicate that low-temperature recovery stage defects cause major crystal distortion in III–V compounds. Also presented are the isochronal annealing behaviors of lattice strain, X-ray broadening, and peak reflecting power of room temperature irradiated GaP (100) crystals.
Electrospun Nanocomposites as Flexible Sensors

Electrospun polymer/nanoparticle composite-fiber strips are introduced as permeable, flexible strain sensors. The composite strips are referred as nanocomposite in this study. In the experiments with uniaxial elongation, the nanocomposite strips showed a reproducible increase in electrical resistance indicating the strain level. The resistance increase was interpreted with a novel percolation model that accommodated changing strips geometry. A theoretical framework for nanocomposites as possible detectors of local clogging in large-scale filters is also proposed.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Studies of Hydration by Broad-Line Pulsed NMR

Abstract Water molecules are distributed among a great variety of materials: organic and inorganic crystals, gels and sols of natural products with mineralogical, botanical, and zoological origins, as well as industrial products. The water molecules in living cells and their constituents are essential, not only as a solvent or a supporting medium, but also as an indispensable component. One of the effective methods of characterizing such water molecules is a proton magnetic resonance measurement. Kuntz et al. [l] once observed that frozen protein and nucleic acid solutions at −35°C show relatively narrow (100 milligauss) proton magnetic resonance signals. They showed that this signaI is assignable to water of hydration. Thus, at this temperature (−35°C), the regular solvent water is frozen, and practically all the protons in the macromolecules are immobilized, so that only the water of hydration is sufficiently mobile in the given system to reduce the dipolar broadening and to give a signal. On the basis ...
Environmental fate of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in coal tar

Abstract Coal tar, a byproduct of the destructive distillation of coal, contains high concentrations of Polinuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). Land disposal of coal‐tar residues has led to extensive groundwater contamination at a number of sites in the U.S. Such contamination is of concern to public health since many compounds in coal tar, including several PAHs, are carcinogens. This paper briefly reviews the physical properties, analysis and associated health risks of PAHs, and presents several case studies of coal‐tar‐contaminated sites. The environmental fate of PAH in coal‐tar residues, particularly biodegradation and transport in groundwater is discussed.
Osteomyelitis in burn patients requiring skeletal fixation.

Abstract Deep and severe burns often present with the exposure of musculoskeletal structures and severe deformities. Skeletal fixation, suspension and/or traction are part of their comprehensive treatment. Several factors put burn patients at risk for osteomyelitis, osteosynthesis material being one of them. In order to determine the safety of skeletal fixation, we reviewed all pediatric patients treated with pin insertion during the past 10 years. Forty-one severely burned children (61±3% TBSA full thickness burns), had a total of 357 skeletal fixation procedures. Pins were maintained an average of 25.3±1.7 days. Thirteen pins (3.6%) were loose before the expected time of removal, two patients (4.8%) presented with cellulitis of the pin site and two patients (4.8%) presented with osteomyelitis. Loose pins, pin site cellulitis, burn wound infection and sepsis were not associated with ostemyelitis. Skeletal fixation in severely burned patients presents with a low incidence of infectious complications. Its use should be considered in patients affected by severe burns that present with exposed deep structures and for positioning purposes. The exact timing for pin removal in burned patients is still to be defined.
In-plane dynamic behavior of cable networks. Part 1: formulation and basic solutions

This paper is motivated by mitigation of oscillation of the stays in cable-stayed bridges in which transverse elements (cross-ties) are placed among different stays. The dynamic behavior of a simplified cable network, composed by a set of interconnected truss elements, has been investigated analytically. Solutions to the free-vibration problem have been computed by means of a general analytical procedure. Several special cases have been defined and solved in closed form, revealing interesting characteristics. These examples have been investigated in detail as a background for understanding more complex systems. It is worth noting that even for a relatively modest number of interconnected elements, considerable complexity, which demands a numerical solution technique, is often present. The approach presented herein will be applied to more general configurations and bridge application examples in a companion paper.
Spontaneous autoresuscitation in a model of respiratory control

We introduce a closed-loop model of respiratory control incorporating a conductance-based central pattern generator (CPG), low-pass filtering of CPG output by the respiratory musculature, gas exchange in the lung, metabolic oxygen demand, and chemosensation. The CPG incorporates Butera, Rinzel and Smith (BRS)'s (1999) conditional pacemaker model. BRS model cells can support quiescent, bursting, or beating activity depending on the level of excitatory drive; we identify these activity modes with apnea (cessation of breathing), eupnea (normal breathing), and tachypnea (excessively rapid breathing). We demonstrate the coexistence of two dynamically stable behaviors in the closed-loop model, corresponding respectively to eupnea and tachypnea. The latter state represents a novel failure mode within a respiratory control model. In addition, the closed-loop system exhibits a form of autoresuscitation: conductances intrinsic to the BRS model buffer the CPG against brief episodes of hypoxia, steering the system away from catastrophic collapse as can occur with tachypnea.
The antidepressants venlafaxine (“Effexor”) and fluoxetine (“Prozac”) produce different effects on locomotion in two species of marine snail, the oyster drill (Urosalpinx cinerea) and the starsnail (Lithopoma americanum)

Abstract Human antidepressants have been previously shown to induce foot detachment from the substrate in aquatic snails. Prior to foot detachment, antidepressants also affect snail crawling speed. We tested two commonly prescribed antidepressants, venlafaxine (“Effexor”) and fluoxetine (“Prozac”) on crawling speed and time to reach the air–water interface in two species of marine snail, the oyster drill Urosalpinx cinerea and the American starsnail Lithopoma americanum. Exposure to venlafaxine increased crawling speed in both species, while fluoxetine slowed them down. Our lowest LOEC (lowest observed effect concentration) was 31.3 μg/L venlafaxine in Urosalpinx. Similarly, snails (L. americanum) exposed to venlafaxine tended to move faster and more often to the air–water interface, but exposure to fluoxetine slowed them down. Our lowest LOEC was 345 μg/L fluoxetine in Lithopoma. These results indicate that venlafaxine boosts locomotion, while fluoxetine reduces it, and both behaviors are preludes to foot detachment. The different effects of these two antidepressants on snail locomotion suggest differing physiological mechanisms of action in marine snails as well as possible ecological consequences.
A trace-driven simulation methodology

This paper presents a simulation methodology for evaluating the performance of CISC computers. The method is called Message Flow Technique (MFT). MFT has several advantages over Instruction Flow Technique (IFT) we presented in [1]. The proposed methodology is applied to a single and two-level cache CISC system using 80486 SX as a case study. It was found that with a single-level on-chip cache of size 8K, the performance of the system is considerably limited by the service time of BIU(Bus Interface Unit). The average service time of BIU, per instruction, was found to be around 1.0135 microseconds for our Modified Gibson Mix (MGM). With a second-level external cache of sizes 16K, 32K, 64K, and 128K the average performance improvements were found to be 1.4%, 18.6%, 39% and 53% respectively. The methodology presented here is an efficient and easy to use tool that could help performance analysts in evaluating computer systems.
Acidic mine drainage in carbonate terrains: geochemical processes and rates of calcite dissolution

Abstract In situ rates of calcite dissolution were measured by weight loss of single crystals placed in an East Tennessee stream that is affected by acidic mine drainage. The dissolution rates ranged from 2.6 × 10−8 to 7.9 × 10−8 mmol cm−2 s−1 over the entire pH range of 3.6–7.7. Calcite dissolution rates were several orders of magnitude slower than observed in laboratory solutions of CO2-HCl-H2O-CaCO3 and appeared to be inhibited by dissolved iron and possibly other solutes in the stream.
The use of cervical paravertebral block as the sole anesthetic for shoulder surgery in a morbid patient: a case report.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this case report is to describe the use of the cervical paravertebral block as the sole anesthetic for shoulder surgery in a patient unable to tolerate general anesthesia. Recent literature describes the continuous cervical paravertebral block as an effective alternative to the interscalene block for the management of postoperative pain after shoulder surgery. Case report An 85-year-old man with severe respiratory and cardiac disease presented for major shoulder surgery. The patient’s complex medical history required an anesthetic technique that would avoid general anesthesia and preserve phrenic nerve function. This case report describes, to our knowledge, the first successful use of the continuous cervical paravertebral block as the sole anesthetic for shoulder surgery. Conclusions Continuous cervical paravertebral block provided excellent surgical conditions and postoperative pain relief for this patient and allowed gradual and intermittent dosing of the catheter and continuous assessment of the anesthetic impact on respiratory function.
Economic Evaluation of Methyl Bromide Alternatives for the Production of Tomatoes in North Carolina

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. cost of production, partial budget analysis, fumigation, Solanum lycopersicum SUMMARY. Partial budget analysis was used to evaluate soil treatment alternatives to methyl bromide (MeBr) based on their efficacy and cost-effectiveness in the production of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The analysis was conducted for the mountain tomato production region based on 6 years of field test data collected in Fletcher,NC.Fumigationalternativesevaluatedincluded61.1%1,3-dichloropropene + 34.7% chloropicrin (Telone-C35 TM ), 60.8% 1,3-dichloropropene + 33.3% chloropicrin (InLine), 99% chloropicrin (Chlor-o-pic), 94% chloropicrin (TriClor EC), 42% metam sodium (4.26 lb/gal a.i., Vapam), and 50% iodomethane + 50% chloropicrin (Midas). The MeBr formulation was 67% methyl bromide and 33% chloropicrin (Terr-O-Gas). Chloropicrin applied at 15 gal/acre provided the greatest returns with an additional return of $907/acre relative to MeBr. Telone-C35 providedanadditionalreturnof$848/acreanddrip-appliedmetamsodiumprovided an additional return of $137/acre. The return associated with broadcast applied metam sodium was about equal to the estimated return a grower would receive when applying MeBr. Fumigating with a combination of chloropicrin and metam sodium; shank-appliedchloropicrinat8gal/acre;drip-appliedchloropicrin,Midas,orInLine; and the nonfumigated soil treatment all resulted in projected losses of $156/acre, $233/acre, $422/acre, $425/acre, $604/acre, and $2133/acre, respectively, relative to MeBr. Although technical issues currently associated with some of the MeBr alternatives may exist, results indicate that there are economically feasible fumigation alternatives to MeBr for production of tomatoes in North Carolina.
Refinements to MISR's radiometric calibration and implications for establishing a climate-quality aerosol observing system

A number of factors affect the accuracy of aerosol retrievals from satellite imaging radiometers, including algorithm assumptions, the quality of the associated cloud masks, the prescribed aerosol optical and microphysical models, and calibration uncertainties. In this paper, we highlight a concerted effort by the Terra Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) team to evaluate the accuracy and stability of the instrument's radiometric calibration, with the twofold objective of (1) making improvements in the absolute and relative calibration where supported by multiple lines of evidence, and (2) evaluating the effect of those calibration refinements on aerosol retrievals. Aspects of the instrument's on-board calibrator design, including careful pre-flight handling of the Spectralon diffusers and the novel use of detector-based standards, have contributed to excellent long-term radiometric stability. In addition, multiple methodologies, including comparisons with other Terra sensors, in-flight and laboratory tests involving AirMISR (the airborne counterpart to MISR), lunar observations, camera-to-camera radiometric comparisons at specialized viewing geometries, and investigations using surface-based radiometer data over dark water sites have provided a detailed picture of radiometric performance at the low light levels typical of a large fraction of global aerosol observations. We examine the sensitivity of aerosol property retrievals to small band-to-band and camera-to-camera calibration adjustments, and demonstrate the importance of calibration in meeting climate-quality accuracy requirements. Because combining downward-looking (satellite-based) and upward-looking (surface-based) radiometers can constrain the optical properties of an aerosol column to a greater extent than possible from either vantage point by itself, achieving radiometric consistency, or “closure” between them is essential to establishing a long-term aerosol/climate observing system.
A conserved interaction with the chromophore of fluorescent proteins

The chromophore of fluorescent proteins, including the green fluorescent protein (GFP), contains a highly conjugated imidazolidinone ring. In many fluorescent proteins, the carbonyl group of the imidazolidinone ring engages in a hydrogen bond with the side chain of an arginine residue. Prior studies have indicated that such an electrophilic carbonyl group in a protein often accepts electron density from a main-chain oxygen. A survey of high-resolution structures of fluorescent proteins indicates that electron lone pairs of a main-chain oxygen—Thr62 in GFP—donate electron density into an antibonding orbital of the imidazolidinone carbonyl group. This n→π* electron delocalization prevents structural distortion during chromophore excitation that could otherwise lead to fluorescence quenching. In addition, this interaction is present in on-pathway intermediates leading to the chromophore, and thus could direct its biogenesis. Accordingly, this n→π* interaction merits inclusion in computational and photophysical analyses of the chromophore, and in speculations about the molecular evolution of fluorescent proteins.
Femtosecond Electronic and Nuclear Dynamics in Nonlinear Optical Glasses

Nuclear and electronic responses in highly nonlinear optical glasses are investigated using femtosecond polarization discrimination four wave mixing experiments.
Characterization of a cytokinesis defective (cyd1) mutant of Arabidopsis

Although several mutations and genes affecting plant cytokinesis have been identified, mutant screens are not yet saturated and knowledge about gene function is still limited. A novel Arabidopsis mutation, cytokinesis defective1 (cyd1), was identified by partial or missing cell walls in stomata. Stomata with incomplete or no cytokinesis still differentiate and some contain swellings of the outer wall not found in the wild type. The incomplete walls are correctly placed opposite stomatal wall thickenings suggesting that the mutation interferes with the execution of cytokinesis rather than with the placement of the division site. Cytokinesis defects are also detectable in other cell types throughout the plant, defects which include cell wall protrusions, two or more nuclei in one cell, and reduced cell number. The extent of cytokinetic partitioning correlates with nuclear number in abnormal stomata. Many cyd1 epidermal cells, stomata and pollen are larger, and trichomes have more branches. cyd1 is partially lethal with poor seed set and some defective ovules, but many plants are fertile despite abnormalities in vegetative and reproductive development such as missing, reduced, fused or misshapen leaves and floral organs. cyd1 appears to be the only cytokinesis mutant described where defects are known to occur in both mature vegetative and reproductive organs. Thus, the CYD1 gene product appears to be necessary for the execution of cytokinesis throughout the shoot. The examination of stomata by microscopy may be a useful screen for the directed isolation of additional cytokinesis mutations that are not embryo or seedling lethal
Environment Dependence of Mutational Parameters for Viability in Drosophila melanogaster

The genomic rate of mildly deleterious mutations (U) figures prominently in much evolutionary and ecological theory. In Drosophila melanogaster, estimates of U have varied widely, from <0.1 to nearly 1 per zygote. The source of this variation is unknown, but could include differences in the conditions used for assaying fitness traits. We examined how assay conditions affect estimates of the rates and effects of viability-depressing mutations in two sets of lines with accumulated spontaneous mutations on the second chromosome. In each set, the among-line variance in egg-to-adult viability was significantly greater when viability was assayed using a high parental density than when it was assayed using a low density. In contrast, the proportional decline in viability due to new mutations did not differ between densities. Two other manipulations, lowering the temperature and adding ethanol to the medium, had no significant effects on either the mean decline or among-line variance. Cross-environment genetic correlations in viability were generally close to one, implying that most mutations reduced viability in all environments. Using data from the low-density, lower-bound estimates of U approached the classic, high values of Mukai and Ohnishi; at the high density, U estimates were similar to recently reported low values. The difference in estimated mutation rates, taken at face value, would imply that many mutations affected fitness at low density but not at high density, but this is shown to be incompatible with the observed high cross-environment correlations. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Regardless of the interpretation, the results show that assay conditions can have a large effect on estimates of mutational parameters for fitness traits.
Resistant hypertension and the neglected antihypertensive: sodium restriction

Resistant hypertension is defined as blood pressure (BP) that remains above goal (such as 140/90 mmHg or more) in spite of the concurrent use of three antihypertensive agents of different classes. Ideally, one of the three agents should be a diuretic and all agents should be prescribed at optimal dose amounts. Prevalent among 15% of the treated hypertensives, the risk factors for resistant hypertension include older age, chronic kidney disease (CKD), obesity and diabetes mellitus. Causes of resistant hypertension can be classified into four groups: poor adherence, biological-behavioral factors, CKD and secondary causes, and drugs or exogenous substances. However, before labeling the diagnosis of resistant hypertension, it is important to exclude pseudo-resistant hypertension using home BP monitoring in most patients and ambulatory BP monitoring in a few. Before thinking about the next antihypertensive drug, it is important to restrict dietary sodium. Educating the patient on how to interpret the food label and providing feedback by assessing sodium intake with 24 h urine collection are effective sodium restriction strategies. Sodium restriction can lower BP and among patients with proteinuria can even enhance the anti-proteinuric effects of drugs that block the renin-angiotensin system. Sodium restriction is therefore a valuable but a neglected antihypertensive.
Double band policy for a failure prone manufacturing system with alternate demand rates in heavy traffic

We consider a manufacturing system with a single failure prone machine producing a single part type whose demand changes randomly and alternately between constant rates the successive periods of which are represented by i.i.d. random variables, as are the successive up and down periods of the machine state. We assume that the additional products can be bought with a zero lead time, and that the system operates in heavy traffic. The control objective is to minimise the expected discounted total cost. An asymptotically optimal policy is obtained using a diffusion approximation scheme.
Identification of a sperm cell attribute responsible for subfertility of roosters homozygous for the rose comb allele.

Fertility, sperm metabolism, sperm filling of oviductal sperm storage tubules (SST), and sperm motility were compared in subfertile roosters homozygous for the rose comb allele (R/R) and fertile controls (r/r or R/r males). As expected, fertility of R/R males was less than that of controls (p 0.05). Motility of spermatozoa from R/R males was less than that of controls (p < 0.001) as determined by an objective spectrophotometric assay. Previous researchers have concluded that subfertility associated with homozygosity for the rose comb allele is attributable to a sperm-specific phenomenon. However, the cellular mechanism(s) responsible for the subfertile status were not defined. In contrast to previous researchers, we have demonstrated that subfertility of R/R males is explicable in terms of reduced sperm transport through the hen's vagina ; reduced sperm motility appears to be the major contributing factor.
Visual outdoor response of multiple wild bee species: highly selective stimulation of a single photoreceptor type by sunlight-induced fluorescence

Bees have ultraviolet (UV), blue and green photoreceptor types in their compound eyes with which they locate food sources in landscapes that change continuously in cues emanating from plants and backgrounds against which they are perceived. The complexity of bee vision has been elucidated through studies examining individual species under laboratory conditions. Here, we used a bee-attractive fluorescent blue trap as a model for analyzing visual signals in operation outdoors, and across bee species. We manipulated trap color (appearance to humans under light with weak UV component) and UV-induced fluorescence emission, and aligned field capture results with bee vision models. Our studies show that the bees were attracted to traps that under solar illumination exhibited strong fluorescence emission exclusively in the blue spectral region. Through quantitative analysis, we established that strong spectral overlap of trap emittance with the photosensitivity characteristic of the blue receptor type and minimal overlap with those of the other two receptor types is the most critical property of attractive traps. A parameter has been identified which predicts the degree of attractiveness of the traps and which captures trends in the field data across wild bee species and for a diversity of backgrounds.
Similarities and Differences in Experiences of Hope

From a human becoming perspective, hope is considered to be a universal lived experience, which arises and fades in the human-universe process. This article is a comparison of sixParse research method studies on the lived experience of hope from five countries: Japan, Taiwan, Sweden, Finland, and the United States. The goal was to explore the similarities and differences in the findings of a nine-country study on hope. While the structure of the experience of hope was similar, some differences are discussed that enhance nursing practice and guide further study.
Facial palsy: unusual etiology

This is a report of three patients who presented at the Mayo Clinic over a two-year period. All were initially diagnosed as having Bell's palsy but were later found to have a malignant neoplasm causing the paralysis. Two of the patients had breast carcinoma metastases involving the mastoid portion of the facial nerve. The third patient had an adenocarcinoma of the deep lobe of the parotid that involved the facial nerve distal to the stylomastoid foramen. The course of the facial paralysis in the two patients with the metastitic breast disease was almost identical. It consisted of episodes of pain in the mastoid area. generally in the late evening or during the night, often awakening the patient from sleep. This was then followed by peripheral facial-nerve paralysis, sometimes partial and at other times complete. These episodes lasted from 10 minutes to several hours and then resolved completely. They recurred over several months. The patients were completely asymptomatic and normal on examination in the intervals between episodes of paralysis until it became permanent. Metastatic lesions causing facial paralysis are extremely rare in the literature. In those cases that have been reported, the paralysis was progressive from the start and in the vast majority of cases was either painless or associated with other aural symptoms such as otorrhea, hearing loss, and periauricular swelling. There are two unusual features of these two cases: 1. the initial presentation of a breast metastasis as a facial paralysis; in the first case there were no other metastatic lesions present at diagnosis, whereas the second patient had other, asymptomatic, metastatic nodules; and 2. the multiple, brief, recurring episodes of facial paralysis, which have not previously been reported as a mode of presentation of metastitic disease. The third patient was diagnosed as having Bell's palsy. A facial nerve decompression was performed, and the nerve apparently looked normal. The paralysis failed to resolve. He was later found to have adenocarcinoma of the deep lobe of the parotid that involved the facial nerve distal to the stylomastoid foramen. A report of only one similar case could be found in the literature. The sequence of events in these three cases emphasizes the importance of submitting a patient suspected of having Bell's palsy to a thorough otoneurologic examination.
Genetic recombination in plant-infecting messenger-sense RNA viruses: overview and research perspectives

RNA recombination is one of the driving forces of genetic variability in (+)-strand RNA viruses. Various types of RNA-RNA crossovers were described including crosses between the same or different viral RNAs or between viral and cellular RNAs. Likewise, a variety of molecular mechanisms are known to support RNA recombination, such as replicative events (based on internal or end-to-end replicase switchings) along with nonreplicative joining among RNA fragments of viral and/or cellular origin. Such mechanisms as RNA decay or RNA interference are responsible for RNA fragmentation and trans-esterification reactions which are likely accountable for ligation of RNA fragments. Numerous host factors were found to affect the profiles of viral RNA recombinants and significant differences in recombination frequency were observed among various RNA viruses. Comparative analyses of viral sequences allowed for the development of evolutionary models in order to explain adaptive phenotypic changes and co-evolving sites. Many questions remain to be answered by forthcoming RNA recombination research. (i) How various factors modulate the ability of viral replicase to switch templates, (ii) What is the intracellular location of RNA-RNA template switchings, (iii) Mechanisms and factors responsible for non-replicative RNA recombination, (iv) Mechanisms of integration of RNA viral sequences with cellular genomic DNA, and (v) What is the role of RNA splicing and ribozyme activity. From an evolutionary stand point, it is not known how RNA viruses parasitize new host species via recombination, nor is it obvious what the contribution of RNA recombination is among other RNA modification pathways. We do not understand why the frequency of RNA recombination varies so much among RNA viruses and the status of RNA recombination as a form of sex is not well documented.
Information technology and agency in physicians' prescribing decisions

Patients rely on physicians to act as their agents when prescribing medications, yet the efforts of pharmaceutical manufacturers and prescription drug insurers may alter this agency relationship. We evaluate how formularies, and the use of information technology (IT) that provides physicians with formulary information, influence prescribing. We combine data from a randomized experiment of physicians with secondary data to eliminate bias due to patient, physician, drug, and insurance characteristics. We find that when given formulary IT, physicians' prescribing decisions are influenced by formularies far more than by pharmaceutical firms' detailing and sampling. Without IT, however, formularies' effects are much smaller.
A new era of stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: comparing a new generation of oral anticoagulants with warfarin

Traditionally, warfarin has been used to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), but data from large, multinational, prospective, randomized studies suggest that novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) may be suitable alternatives. These include the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran and the factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban. These data showed that dabigatran 150 mg twice daily was more effective at preventing stroke than warfarin, with similar rates of major bleeding, while rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily was noninferior to warfarin, with no difference in major bleeding rates. In addition, apixaban 5 mg twice daily was shown to be superior to warfarin for preventing stroke, with lower bleeding rates. Currently, edoxaban is still in clinical trials. NOACs offer more predictable anticoagulant effects than warfarin and do not require regular monitoring; however, different NOACs are associated with varied drug interactions and limitations related to use in certain patient populations. Overall, the clinical data suggest that these novel agents will offer new options for stroke prevention in patients with AF.
Management and Prognosis of Life-threatening Bleeding During Warfarin Therapy

Background: The incidence of explicity defined life-threatening bleeding during warfarin sodium therapy is largely unknown, as are the prognosis for and treatment of patients who have such bleeding. In addition, the location of the source of the life-threatening bleeding and the risk factors associated with life-threatening bleeding are not well-defined. Objectives: To determine the incidence of explicitly defined life-threatening bleeding during warfarin therapy, to identify the site of bleeding, to determine the risk factors for life-threatening bleeding, and to determine the risk of subsequent bleeding among patients receiving warfarin therapy. Methods: A cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted and data were combined with those obtained during prospective observation of a dynamic cohort of patients followed up in 2 university-affiliated and 3 Veterans Administration anticoagulation clinics. Results: For this study, 1999 patients were followed up for 3865 patient-years; 32 patients (11 women, 21 men, mean age of 60 years) met criteria for life-threatening bleeding, an incidence of 0.83 events/100 patient-years (95% confidence interval, 0.54-1.12). The most common indication for warfarin was to prevent thromboembolism because the patient had a mechanical heart valve (17/32 patients, 53%). The gastrointestinal tract was the definite or likely site of bleeding in 21 (66%) of the 32 patients. The prothrombin time ratio was longer than 2.0 or the international normalized ratio was longer than 4.5 in 16 (55%) of the 29 patients in whom a coagulation time was measured. Fourteen (44%) of the 32 patients had a history of peptic ulcer disease or gastrointestinal bleeding. Warfarin was restarted in 26 (81%) of the 32 patients. Twenty-five of 26 patients were followed up for a median of 30 months (range, 5-143 months); 14 (56%) of the 25 patients had a subsequent bleeding event, with 8 (57%) of the 14 having 1 or more additional life-threatening bleeding events (1 fatal) after a median of 11.5 months (range, 0.5-22 months). Conclusions: We conclude that in this cohort: (1) the incidence of life-threatening bleeding was rare, (2) the gastrointestinal tract was the site of bleeding in two thirds of the patients who experienced life-threatening bleeding, (3) most patients who experienced life-threatening bleeding had multiple risk factors for bleeding, including excessive anticoagulation, and (4) the risk of subsequent bleeding was extremely high among the patients who continued to receive warfarin therapy. (Arch Intern Med. 1996;156:1197-1201)
Effect of cAMP agonists on cell pH and anion transport by cultured rat inner medullary collecting duct cells

The rat inner medullary collecting duct is capable of secreting anions. We previously showed that adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) stimulates anion secretion; the apical membrane anion exit pathway activated by cAMP appears to be the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl- channel. The present experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that the entry pathway across the basolateral membrane is a Cl-/HCO3- exchanger operating in parallel with an Na+/H+ exchanger. We investigated the mechanism by measuring cell Cl-, cell pH, and short-circuit current under a variety of conditions designed to uncover these pathways. cAMP agonists caused little change in cell Cl-, but they produced a consistent intracellular acidification. This acidification was dependent on HCO3-, but not on Cl-, and was not inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS). The presence of the basolateral Cl-/HCO3- exchanger was demonstrated by several maneuvers, and its activity was inhibited by DIDS. Applied to the basolateral solution, DIDS did not inhibit the cAMP-dependent anion current but actually stimulated it. We conclude that cAMP-stimulated anion secretion does not require activation of the basolateral Cl-/HCO3- exchanger. The transporter responsible for Cl- entry across the basolateral membrane remains unknown and is not inhibited by a variety of anion transport inhibitors, including DIDS, bumetanide, and hydrochlorothiazide. The cell acidification induced by cAMP appears to be independent of acid secretion and is the result of activation of one or more HCO3- exit pathways that are resistant to DIDS but are inhibited by a nonspecific anion transport inhibitor, 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpro-pylamino) benzoic acid. We present a revised model for anion transport by the rat inner medullary collecting duct.
Attitudes to Practice: National Survey of Adoption Obstacles Faced by Gay and Lesbian Prospective Parents

Gays and lesbians wishing to adopt are challenged with managing policies and practices about their right to adopt while also trying to identify adoption professionals that do not stigmatize against them. In an attempt to understand how attitudes toward same-sex couples potentially influence adoption professionals and surrounding policies/practices, 187 surveys were sent to adoption agencies throughout the United States. Questions posed focused on the directors' (a) knowledge of state and federal policies surrounding LGs adopting, (b) attitudes toward equal rights for same-sex couples, and (c) opinions of LGs as parents. These variables accounted for 42% of variance in regards to whether or not these agencies would accept applications from LGs.
Beyond a Whole-Brain Definition of Death: Reconsidering the Metaphysics of Death

I am going to argue here against a whole-brain definition of death, and against a neocortical definition of death, or against any other clinical definition of death, on two grounds: first, that none of these is, in effect, a definition of death, but are rather elliptical expressions for basic definitions of death, and hide more presuppositions than they reveal. In themselves, these presumed definitions are shorthand expressions for the underlying biological processes or functions that are taken to be the necessary and sufficient conditions for a human life — or what one may call a life-identity. They are at best discussion-openers, not definitions, and they sit somewhere between a definition of death, and the criteria for determining when that definition has been satisfied.
Strategic sectors and employment during the crisis: The case of Andalusia // Sectores estratégicos y empleo durante la crisis: el caso de Andalucía

The economic crisis has resulted in the shedding of labour characterised by significant differences across the Spanish regions, among which the case of Andalusia stands out. This paper aims to explain the events that occurred between 2005 and 2010, focusing on analysing the region's productive structure and how it is reflected in its labour market. To do so, a linear SAM model is employed to identify strategic sectors, and their employment trends are then studied through shift-share analysis. The results show the progressive tertiarisation of the Andalusian economy, a regional countercyclical effect that is lower than the national average and sectoral effects on employment in the strategic sectors.------------------------------------La crisis economica ha generado una destruccion de empleo caracterizada por diferencias significativas en las regiones espanolas, destacando el caso de Andalucia. Este trabajo trata de explicar lo ocurrido entre 2005 y 2010, centrandose en el analisis de la estructura productiva regional y como esta se refleja en su mercado laboral. Para ello, se emplea un modelo lineal SAM que identifica los sectores estrategicos, mientras que la evolucion del empleo se estudia a traves del analisis shift-share. Los resultados muestran la progresiva terciarizacion de la economia andaluza, un efecto regional contraciclico menor que el detectado a nivel nacional y efectos sectoriales sobre el empleo en los sectores estrategicos andaluces.
Activity of fosfomycin against extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing uropathogens in patients in the community and hospitalized patients.

Few oral antibiotics exist for the empirical treatment of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) urinary tract infections (UTI). In this study, we sought to determine the activity of fosfomycin against ESBL-producing uropathogens from patients at 3 Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities between 2010 and 2013. Among the ESBL uropathogens, 19.9% were fosfomycin resistant. Klebsiella species were more likely than Escherichia coli to be resistant (46% versus 4%; P < 0.001). Fosfomycin remains active against a majority of the ESBL uropathogens, although resistance among Klebsiella spp. was higher than that in previous reports.
Effect of Compressibility in Modeling of a Zero -Net -Mass -Flux Actuator - An Experimental and Computational Study

An experimental and computational study on a small 3 -ounce Zero -Net -Mass -Flux (ZNMF) electrodynamic actuator has been conduc ted to evaluate its performance for a n applied voltage and frequency . The actuator was enclosed in a casing through which a nominally two - dimensional oscillatory jet of a desired width is ensu ed. The jet exit velocity wa s measured with a three -component h ot -wire anemometer. The experimental data was obtained for four slit openings of 0.0075in, 0.010in, 0.015in and 0.020in. Numerical simulations for the experimental cases were performed using the CFD software FLUENT . It was found that for slit openings (j et exit width) greater than 0.010in, the computations assuming the flow inside the actuator cavity as incompressible are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. However, for slit openings less than 0.010in, the compressibility effects must be ta ken into account in the numerical simulations for them to match with the experimental data; the incompressible flow model is inadequate under these conditions .