cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maturation and Fertilization of Equine Oocytes

This article reviews the factors affecting the maturation of equine oocytes in vitro. Culture media, hormones in media, time in culture, and the addition of somatic cells on the ability of equine oocytes to mature in vitro are discussed. Equine studies on in vitro fertilization are also reviewed and assisted reproductive techniques, such as zona cracking and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, are discussed.
EUS-Guided Core Biopsy

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition by using fine needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) has been introduced so as to overcome the limitations of fine needle aspiration (FNA). There are currently several commercially available FNB needles now available. FNB allows for a superior diagnostic yield to FNA and allows us to obtain actual histologic tissue. Overall, the ability of EUS to obtain core tissue specimens from primary tumors, lymph nodes, the liver, and metastases makes these devices invaluable in the era of modern, interventional EUS. Ongoing studies will further clarify ideal needle types and sizes for different indications and target locations.
Preparation and antibacterial effects of Ag/AgCl-doped quaternary ammonium-modified silicate hybrid antibacterial material.

Abstract Organic–inorganic hybrid antibacterial materials based on Ag/AgCl and quaternary ammonium-modified silicate (Ormosil(NR4+Cl−)) were prepared by sol-gel processes and an in situ reduction method. The physical properties of Ormosil(NR4+Cl−) and the Ormosil(NR4+Cl−)/Ag hybrids were examined using FTIR, UV–Vis, SEM, XRD and NMR spectroscopy. The results indicated that Ag/AgCl was incorporated into the Ormosil(NR4+Cl−) matrix after impregnation. Morphological analysis by SEM showed uniformly-distributed Ag and AgCl particles in the Ormosil(NR4+Cl−) matrix, of spherical nature and a size around 5–20 and
100.57 Comparison of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Drug-Eluting Stents in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Treatment of left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with either percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the optimal choice of therapy
26.5 A 0.1-to-0.2V Transformer-Based Switched-Mode Folded DCO in 22nm FDSOI With Active Step-Down Impedance Achieving 197dBc/Hz Peak FoM and 40MHz/V Frequency Pushing

The continuous improvement in ultra-low-power/voltage (ULP/V) circuits paves the way for new near-battery-free IoE applications. In this work, we propose an LC oscillator that can significantly improve phase-noise (PN) performance and the figure of merit (FoM) at ULV supply levels. The structure is applied to a 4.15-to-4.97GHz switched-mode DCO that operates from a less-than-100mV supply and achieves a peak FoM of 197dBc/Hz at a 150mV supply.
INFLUENZA VACCINATION AND PREVALENCE OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2014 US NATIONAL INPATIENT SAMPLE

Some studies suggest that patients receiving influenza vaccination have fewer instances of myocardial infarction (MI). We utilized the 2014 United States' National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to study the relationship between influenza vaccination and prevalence of MI. This was a retrospective
Zika and abortion in Brazilian newspapers: how a new outbreak revived an old debate on reproductive rights

Since the beginning of the Zika virus epidemic, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has reported over 2000 confirmed cases of microcephaly associated with Zika virus in Brazil, with the cases concentrated in the northeast states. The Zika epidemic reopened a debate in Brazil that has played out in the national newspapers about expanding the abortion law to provide autonomy and legal protection to women. The argument for expanding the abortion law to include microcephaly secondary to Zika virus infection called for autonomy for women and, more broadly, protection of reproductive rights. The argument against expanding the current abortion law was separated into two main moral veins: those citing eugenics and those citing religious beliefs. However, the debate on abortion in the case of microcephaly accomplished more than giving a voice to two different viewpoints; it exposed health disparities that exist in Brazil, which were magnified by Zika virus, and reopened the political arena for discussion of the abortion law.
Health: A Fundamental Liberty Based on an Internationally Recognized Human Right with Domestic Civil Rights Implications

The question posed to policy makers is: whether universal health care is a right or a privilege. The answer can be articulated as an affirmative rejection of the theory that health care is a right. First, health is an internationally recognized human right, and second, health should be considered a fundamental domestic liberty. Like travel, marriage, and voting rights enunciated by the United States Supreme Court from a contextual interpretation of the United States Constitution, health is a fundamental liberty based on an inherent human right. Health care, however, is a mixed public good. When subjected to an equal protection analysis, health care raises serious civil rights implications for the distribution of this good in the United States.
Dust Particle Pair Correlation Functions and the Nonlinear Effect of Interaction Potentials

Dust kinetic temperature is a measure of the energy of the stochastic motion of a dust particle and is a result of the combination of the Brownian motion and the fluctuations in the dust charge and confining electric field. A method using the equilibrium value of the mean square displacement was recently introduced to obtain the dust kinetic temperature experimentally. As a follow up, this paper investigates the relationship between the dust kinetic energy derived from the mean square displacement technique and a technique using the probability distribution of the displacements obtained from random fluctuations of the dust particle. The experimental results indicate that the harmonic confinement potential acting on the dust particle can be obtained by combining the two methods, allowing the nonlinear effect of the confining force to be investigated. The thermal expansion in a 1-D vertical chain is discussed as a representative application as it is related to the nonlinear confinement force, or the asymmetric confinement potential.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Household Food Insecurity: Findings From the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health

Introduction Research has linked adverse childhood experiences to a host of negative health outcomes. The present study examines the link between individual and cumulative adverse childhood experience exposure and household food insecurity in a recent, nationally representative sample of children, and whether parent self-rated well-being attenuates these associations. Methods Data from the 2016 National Survey of children's Health were analyzed in 2018 (n=50,212). Information concerning children's exposure to multiple forms of adversity, household availability of food, and parent self-rated well-being were available in the data. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to analyze the data. Results Findings suggest that the accumulation of adverse childhood experiences is associated with higher odds of food insecurity, with stronger associations between adverse childhood experience accumulation and moderate-to-severe food insecurity. Compared with no adverse childhood experience exposure, exposure to 3 or more adverse experiences corresponded to an 8.14-fold increase in the RR of moderate-to-severe food insecurity. Self-rated parent physical and mental well-being partially attenuated these associations. Conclusions Policies aimed at minimizing adverse childhood experience exposure among children may have important collateral benefits in the form of reduced household hunger. Existing nutrition assistance programs may be enhanced by linking children and families to programs that bolster parent and child well-being; addressing community and family violence; and providing support for caregivers to prevent abuse, hardship, and exposure to the criminal justice system.
Bovine anaplasmosis herd prevalence and management practices as risk-factors associated with herd disease status.

Bovine anaplasmosis is a hemolytic disease of cattle caused by Anaplasma marginale which can cause anemia, adult mortality, abortion, and performance reduction. The objectives of this study were to estimate herd-level infection prevalence of bovine anaplasmosis in Kansas cow-calf herds and assess management practices associated with herd infection status. Licensed Kansas veterinarians were randomly selected and provided clientele to generate randomly selected participant herds. Blood samples were collected from 10 mature cows during processing of 925 herds between October 1, 2016 and March 1, 2017. A management survey was completed by 780 herd-owners. Sample status was determined by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA); operations indicating vaccination for anaplasmosis were tested with A.marginale-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Survey data underwent logistic regression analysis for calculation of odds ratios and confidence intervals. The herd-level prevalence was 52.5 % of cow-calf herds. Prevalence ranged from 19.1 % of herds in Western Kansas to 87.3 % of herds in Eastern Kansas. Vaccinated herds were more likely (OR = 2.38; CI = 1.16-4.85; p = 0.02) to be positive compared to non-vaccinated herds, and herds that utilized insecticide ear-tags were more likely to be positive (OR = 1.9; CI = 1.42-2.55; p 50 % of their pastures were more likely to be test positive, OR = 5.74 (CI = 3 .14-10.51; p < 0.01) and OR = 4.78 (CI = 2.33-10.17; p < 0.01), respectively, than operations that prescribe-burned <20 % of their pastures. In summary, anaplasmosis is present across Kansas beef herds at varied prevalence levels and selected management practices were found to be associated with herd infection status.
AN ECHOGENIC MASS ON A BIOPROSTHETIC MITRAL VALVE

Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) is often diagnosed postmortem concurrently with an underlying hypercoagulable state, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or malignancy. In-vivo diagnosis is usually prompted by clinical symptoms from systemic embolization with a multimodality approach
Are Videos or Text Better for Describing Attributes in Stated-Preference Surveys?

In stated-preference research, the conventional approach to describing study attributes is through text, often with easy-to-understand graphics. More recently, researchers have begun to present attribute descriptions and content in videos. Some experts have expressed concern regarding internalization and retention of information conveyed via video. Our study aimed to compare respondents’ understanding of attribute information provided via text versus video. Potential respondents were randomized to receive a text or video version of the survey. In the text version, all content was provided in text format along with still graphics. In the video version, text content was interspersed with four video clips, providing the same information as the text version. In both versions, 10 questions were embedded to assess respondents’ understanding of the information presented relating to ovarian cancer treatments. Half of the questions were on treatment benefits and the other half were on treatment-related risks. Some questions asked about the decision context and definitions of treatment features, and others asked about the graphic presentation of treatment features. Preferences for ovarian cancer treatments were also compared between respondents receiving text versus video versions. Overall, 150 respondents were recruited. Of the 95 who were eligible and completed the survey, 54 respondents received the text version and 41 received the video version. Median times to completion were 24 and 30 min in the video and text arms, respectively (p < 0.01). Both groups spent an average of 35 min completing the survey. On the first comprehension question, 43% in the text arm and 61% in the video arm provided the correct response (p = 0.08). Although the mean number of correct responses was significantly higher in the video versus text arms (9.1 vs. 8.6, p = 0.02), there were no systematic differences in preferences between arms. The quality of stated-preference data relies on respondents’ understanding of study content. Information provided via video may better engage survey participants and improve their retention of content.
Undergraduate Research in Mathematical Epidemiology

The spread of diseases remains an important issue in public health. The use of mathematics in predicting and understanding epidemics is not new, but still relevant and useful. In this chapter we provide relevant resources and useful exercises for undergraduate students and their mentors. We describe two different modeling techniques which require different backgrounds. For agent based modeling, we suggest students who are either comfortable with programming or willing to learn and who have basic knowledge of probability. For the differential equation approach, we suggest students who have taken at least Calculus 2. Students with a differential equation background will advance faster and can do a more theoretical analysis of the system. A student who might be willing to spend more time working on this topic can model the same disease outbreak using different modeling techniques which will allow for comparison and much deeper analysis of both the mathematics and the biological and public policy implications. Additionally, we include a sample project, developed and written by an undergraduate student who co-authors this chapter. Finally, we provide four different projects that students and their mentors can work on.
Evidence, Junk Science, and Hope in a Time of Pandemic: On the Front Lines in Dentistry

In early 2020, a new health threat arose with symptoms and mode of transmission comparable to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Both SARS and the new disease, COVID-19, are caused by coronaviruses and share similar characteristics, especially their severity and high mortality rates and an apparently greater likelihood of transmission. Seasonal influenza is caused by numerous and changing groups of viruses and, for most people, is much less serious. The purpose of this article is to help clinicians compare seasonal influenza, SARS, and COVID-19. It discusses what constitutes best evidence in a time of pandemic, describing the hierarchy of evidence. It is intended to assist dental professionals in providing accurate, current information in answer to patients' questions regarding testing and treatment.
Metabolites from Wild Potato Inhibit Virulence Factors of the Soft Rot and Blackleg Pathogen Pectobacterium brasiliense

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the primary vegetable crop consumed worldwide and is largely affected by bacterial pathogens that can cause soft rot and blackleg disease. Recently, resistance to these diseases has been identified in the wild potato S. chacoense, and the mechanism of resistance is unknown. Here, it was hypothesized that S. chacoense stems or tubers have unique chemistry that confers resistance to the pathogen Pectobacterium brasiliense through bactericidal, bacteriostatic, or antivirulence activity. Stem and tuber metabolite extracts were collected from S. chacoense and tested for effects on Pectobacterium bacterial multiplication rates, and activity and expression of known exoenzymes and virulence genes using S. tuberosum extracts as a comparative control. Comparatively, the S. chacoense extracts did not affect bacterial multiplication rate; however, they did reduce pectinase, cellulase, and protease activities. The chemical extracts were profiled using a bioassay-guided fractionation, and a nontargeted metabolomics comparison of S. chacoense and S. tuberosum stems and tubers was performed. The data showed that selected alkaloids, phenolic amines, phenols, amines, and peptides are integrative chemical sources of resistance against the bacteria.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Discovery of deformation mechanisms and constitutive response of soft material surrogates of biological tissue by full-field characterization and data-driven variational system identification

Abstract We present a novel, fully three-dimensional approach to soft material characterization and constitutive modeling with relevance to soft biological tissue. Our approach leverages recent advances in experimental techniques and data-driven computation. The experimental component of this approach involves in situ mechanical loading in a magnetic field (using MRI), yielding the entire deformation tensor field throughout the specimen regardless of the possible irregularities in its three-dimensional shape. Characterization can therefore be accomplished with data at a reduced number of deformation states. We refer to this experimental technique as MR-u. Its combination with powerful approaches to inverse modelling, specifically methods of model inference, would open the door to insightful mechanical characterization for soft materials. In recent computational advances that answer this need, we have developed new, data-driven inverse techniques to infer the model that best explains the physics governing observed phenomena from a spectrum of admissible ones, while maintaining parsimony of representation. This approach is referred to as Variational System Identification (VSI). In this communication, we apply the MR–u approach to characterize soft biological tissue and polymers, and using VSI, we infer the physically best-suited and parsimonious mathematical models of their mechanical response. We demonstrate the performance of our methods in the face of noisy data with physical constraints that challenge the identification of mathematical models, while attaining high accuracy in the predicted response of the inferred models.
Knee Injury Diagnostic Device

Knee injuries are difficult to accurately diagnose. The manual evaluation relies on many subjective factors such as physician experience, swelling, patient guarding, and the severity of the injury. These factors can lead to an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis, resulting in less than optimal treatment and recovery. Knee injuries are very common among athletes and can occur during the day to day activities, with many resulting in tears to one or more of the four ligaments. For evaluation, a physician manually manipulates the knee with a series of standard tests. Even though these standard manual tests are considered best practice, they are known to lead to some inaccuracies with upwards of 1 in 8 patients being misdiagnosed due to testing deficiencies. Imaging by MRI is used to support the diagnosis if available, though not available to all patients due to cost and time requirements. This purpose of this project was to develop and test a wearable diagnostic system contained within a sleeve over the knee. Incorporated sensors were used to monitor movement and electromyographic activity to determine quantitative measurements toward a diagnosis. The movement and displacement monitoring subsystems were tested on a constructed model of the lower leg and knee. Preliminary results have shown accurate readings with an average percent error of 1% for range of motion testing and 3% (0.1 to 0.2 mm) for laxity testing. This measurement determined by this system could be reported to a physician who could use when making a diagnosis. Improved diagnosis would guide appropriate treatment and contribute to improved recovery.
Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans

BACKGROUND Age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality estimates have exposed a previously hidden excess mortality burden for the US Hispanic population. Multiple explanations have been put forth, including unequal quality/access to health care, higher proportion of pre-existing health conditions, multigenerational household composition, and disproportionate representation in telecommute-unfriendly occupations. However, these hypotheses have been rarely tested. OBJECTIVE We examine age-stratified patterns of Hispanic COVID-19 mortality vis-a-vis patterns of exposure to evaluate the multiple posited hypotheses. METHODS We use a combination of public and restricted data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and leverage national and subnational race- and age-stratified COVID-19 mortality and case burdens/advantages to evaluate the workplace vulnerability hypothesis. We also use individual-level information on prior health conditions and mortality from the case data to assess whether observed patterns are consistent with the other hypotheses. RESULTS Our results indicate that the disproportionate burdens for both COVID-19 case and mortality for the Hispanic population are largest among the working-age groups, supporting the hypothesis that workplace exposure plays a critical role in heightening vulnerability to COVID-19 mortality. We find little evidence to support the hypotheses regarding multigenerational household composition, pre-existing health conditions, or unequal quality/access to health care. CONCLUSION Our findings point to the key roles played by age structure and differential exposure in contributing to the disproportionately severe impact of COVID-19 on the Hispanic population. CONTRIBUTION We contribute evidence to explain the driving factors in the observed excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanics. Our findings underscore the importance of focusing on more robust workplace protections, particularly for working-age minority populations. © 2021. D. Phuong Do & Reanne Frank.
Assuring Accountability Through Mission

This chapter of Building on Best Practices: Transforming Legal Education in a Changing World is divided into two sections, both by Judith Welch Wegner:Section A, Assessment Plans That Support Student LearningSection B, Curriculum Mapping as a Tool for ImprovementChapter 1 is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2637100 Chapter 3 is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2637102 Chapter 4 is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2637490 Chapter 5 is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2637495 Chapter 6 is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2637499 Chapter 7 is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2637541 Chapter 8 is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2637544
Context and early origins of the intergovernmental panel on climate change

Climate change is a problem which is global both in terms of causes and consequences. The uncertainties are large and likely to persist. Meanwhile, the political and economic stakes of both action and inaction are much higher than those in other transboundary concerns such as acid rain and ozone depletion. The public policy impact of scientific opinions on climate change, therefore, not only depends upon what is being said, but also, who is advancing those conclusions and how they were arrived at. This was the rationale behind the setting up of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. The paper examines the IPCC in the context of prior assessment efforts. It attempts to unravel the processes which caused the IPCC to be set up when it was and how it was, as opposed to different times and different forms.
Self‐reported physical activity is associated with cognitive function in lean, but not obese individuals

Summary Convergent evidence demonstrates that greater physical activity is associated with better cognitive functioning across many patient and healthy samples. However, this relationship has not been well examined among obese individuals and remains unclear. The present study examined the relationship between performance-based measures of attention/executive function and self-reported physical activity, as measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, among lean (n = 36) and obese (n = 36) college students. Lean individuals performed better than obese individuals on measures of attention/executive function. No significant differences in self-reported physical activity emerged between weight groups. Higher self-reported physical activity was related to faster reaction time in lean individuals but slower reaction time in obese individuals. Additionally, in lean individuals, higher levels of self-reported physical activity were related to more errors on a task of speeded inhibitory control. The results are consistent with previous research demonstrating that greater physical activity is associated with faster attention and executive function abilities in healthy samples and highlight the importance of examining reaction time and accuracy indices separately on these measures. The lack of association among obese individuals may be due in part to inaccurate self-report in the current study. Additionally, the cognitive consequences of obesity may outweigh the benefits of physical activity in this group. Future work should investigate these associations in obese individuals using physical activity interventions, as well as a combination of self-report and objective measures to investigate discrepancies in reporting.
Local discontinuous Galerkin methods for partial differential equations with higher order derivatives

In this paper we review the existing and develop new local discontinuous Galerkin methods for solving time dependent partial differential equations with higher order derivatives in one and multiple space dimensions. We review local discontinuous Galerkin methods for convection diffusion equations involving second derivatives and for KdV type equations involving third derivatives. We then develop new local discontinuous Galerkin methods for the time dependent bi-harmonic type equations involving fourth derivatives, and partial differential equations involving fifth derivatives. For these new methods we present correct interface numerical fluxes and prove L2 stability for general nonlinear problems. Preliminary numerical examples are shown to illustrate these methods. Finally, we present new results on a post-processing technique, originally designed for methods with good negative-order error estimates, on the local discontinuous Galerkin methods applied to equations with higher derivatives. Numerical experiments show that this technique works as well for the new higher derivative cases, in effectively doubling the rate of convergence with negligible additional computational cost, for linear as well as some nonlinear problems, with a local uniform mesh.
Mitigating Transfer Pricing Risk Proactively in an Uncertain Global Economy

Transnational corporations have long considered transfer pricing as a key tax concern. If stability in transfer pricing is a necessary condition for dynamic cross-border trading, then recent financial reporting changes, updated transfer pricing guidelines, and new reporting requirements for uncertain tax positions are destabilizing influences that must be addressed by companies in order to mitigate their transfer pricing-related exposures and risk. This study reports the results of a survey of tax executives from four countries and seeks to explain what TNCs are doing in today’s volatile environment to proactively manage their transfer pricing risks, and if their actions are successful. Findings include contradictory evidence between audit risk reduction strategies recommended by tax authorities and the ability of those strategies to actually reduce corporate audit risk. The expected relationship between APAs and audit risk reduction was not supported. There was no significance attached to APA status and the likelihood of a TP-related audit, or the outcome of that audit. This was a surprising result, given that tax authorities and consulting firms with TP expertise tout APAs as the best way to mitigate TP audit risk. At best, are APAs neutral relative to audit risk? At worst, are tax authorities using APAs as a source of confidential data to be tucked way for possible future use in non-TP audits? The latter possibility gained traction with TNC tax executives when the IRS Schedule UTP was released. Few TNC executives fully believe the IRS’s declarations that a policy of restraint is in place regarding Schedule UTP data. Only a study in hindsight of the next few years’ audits looking for connections between the audits and APA-related data, and/or Schedule UTP-related data, will answer these questions.
Self-regulation evaluation of therapeutic yoga and walking for patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a pilot study

With limited efficacy of medications for symptom relief, non-medication treatments may play an important role in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two self-regulation strategies for symptom relief and mood management in IBS patients. Thirty-five adult participants meeting ROME III criteria for IBS were enrolled, 27 of the 35 participants (77%) completed treatment and pre- and post-treatment visits (89% women, 11% men; M (SD) age = 36 (13)), and 20 of the 27 (74%) completed a 6-month follow-up. Participants were randomly assigned to 16 biweekly group sessions of Iyengar yoga or a walking program. Results indicated a significant group by time interaction on negative affect with the walking treatment showing improvement from pre- to post-treatment when compared to yoga (p < .05). There was no significant group by time effect on IBS severity. Exploratory analyses of secondary outcomes examined change separately for each treatment condition. From pre- to post-treatment, yoga showed significant decreases in IBS severity measures (p < .05), visceral sensitivity (p < .05), and severity of somatic symptoms (p < .05). Walking showed significant decreases in overall GI symptoms (p < .05), negative affect (p < .05), and state anxiety (p < .05). At 6-month follow-up, overall GI symptoms for walking continued to significantly decline, while for yoga, GI symptoms rebounded toward baseline levels (p < .05). When asked about self-regulated home practice at 6 months, significantly more participants in walking than in yoga practiced at least weekly (p < .05). In sum, results suggest that yoga and walking as movement-based self-regulatory behavioral treatments have some differential effects but are both beneficial for IBS patients, though maintenance of a self-regulated walking program may be more feasible and therefore more effective long term.
The Role of 3,3′,5′-Triiodothyronine in the Regulation of Type II Iodothyronine 5′-Deiodinase in the Rat Cerebral Cortex*

Type II iodothyronine 5′-deiodinase (5′D-II) activity is the source of 75–80% of the cerebral cortex T3 content in euthyroid rats. The activity of this enzyme is increased in hypothyroidism and can be quickly suppressed by T4 and rT3 by mechanisms involving neither protein synthesis nor nuclear T3 receptors. We have examined the possibility that endogenous cerebrocortical rT3 levels play a physiological role in the regulation of this enzyme. Thyroidectomized rats were injected with graded doses of [125I]rT3, and cortex 5′D-II activity and rT3 content were determined at various times thereafter. Enzyme activity was reduced as early as 10 min after the injection of 0.75 μg rT3/100 g BW, and 18 h after 25 μg/100 g BW remained 60% suppressed. Regardless of the time after the injection, 5′D-II activity was inversely related to the rT3 content in the cortex; nearly complete suppression was observed at 0.5 ng rT3/g tissue, 50% at 80 pg/g, and 20–30% at 30 pg/g, the euthyroid level. After the infusion of 0.75 μg ...
Flight Speed of Tethered Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Alates

Alates of the Eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) were collected over two flight seasons (2002 and 2004) and flown on flight mills. Data were collected to test if alate mass, colony origin, or gender influenced flight speed. Flight speed ranged from 3.14 to 69.12 cm s−1 and the maximum distance flown by an alate was 458.3 m. Alate mass (P = 0.9406), gender (P = 0.3976), colony origin (P = 0.1244), and the interaction of gender and colony (P = 0.7093) did not significantly influence flight speed. Additionally, an electronic counting device was used to provide instantaneous flight speeds and allowed flight speed to be modeled during acceleration, cruising, and deceleration periods of flight. Mean (±SEM) flight speeds in 2004 were 20.64 (±2.21) cm s−1 (n = 13) for males and 17.76 cm s−1 (n = 1) for the single female flown, falling within the range of the 2002 values.
Patient and Caregiver Characteristics Associated with Depression in Caregivers of Patients with Dementia

OBJECTIVE: Many patients with dementia who live at home would require nursing home care if they did not have the assistance of family caregivers. However, caregiving sometimes has adverse health consequences for caregivers, including very high rates of depression. The goal of this study was to determine the patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression among caregivers of patients with dementia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Five thousand six hundred and twenty-seven patients with moderate to advanced dementia and their primary caregivers upon enrollment in the Medicare Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration (MADDE) at 8 locations in the United States. MEASUREMENTS: Caregiver depression was defined as 6 or more symptoms on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Patient characteristics measured included ethnicity and other demographic characteristics, income, activities of daily living (ADL) function, Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) score, and behavioral problems. Caregiver characteristics measured included demographic characteristics, relationship to the patient, hours spent caregiving, and ADL and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) function. We used x2 and t tests to measure the bivariate relationships between patient and caregiver predictors and caregiver depression. We used logistic regression to determine the independent predictors of caregiver depression. RESULTS: Thirty-two percent of caregivers reported 6 or more symptoms of depression and were classified as depressed. Independent patient predictors of caregiver depression included younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 2.76 in patients less than 65 years compared to patients over 85 years), white (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.99) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.69 to 3.70) compared to black ethnicity, education (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.33 for those with less than a high school education), ADL dependence (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.90 for patients dependent in 2 or more ADL compared to patients dependent in no ADL), and behavioral disturbance, particularly angry or aggressive behavior (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.69 for patients with angry or aggressive behavior). Independent caregiver predictors of depression included low income (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.77 for less than $10,000/per year, compared to >$20,000 per year), the relationship to the patient (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.31 to 5.72 for wife, compared to son of male patient), hours spent caregiving (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.38 for 40 to 79 hours/week compared to less than 40 hours/week), and functional dependence (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.13 to 3.01 for ADL dependent compared to IADL independent). CONCLUSION: Caregiver depression is a complex process, influenced by ethnicity as well as diverse patient and caregiver characteristics. Efforts to identify and treat caregiver depression will need to be multidisciplinary and focus on multiple risk factors simultaneously.
3D excretory MR urography: improved image quality with intravenous saline and diuretic administration.

Purpose To assess the effect of diuretic administration on the image quality of excretory magnetic resonance urography (MRU) obtained following intravenous hydration, and to determine whether intravenous hydration alone is sufficient to produce diagnostic quality studies of nondilated upper tracts. Materials and Methods A total of 22 patients with nondilated upper tracts were evaluated with contrast-enhanced MRU. All patients received 250 mL of saline intravenously immediately prior to the examination. A total of 11 patients received 10–20 mg furosemide in addition to saline. Imaging was performed with a three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) breathhold spoiled gradient-echo sequences. Excretory MRU images were acquired five minutes after the administration of 0.1 mmol/kg gadolinium and were independently reviewed by two radiologists, who were blinded to the MRU technique. Readers evaluated the calyces, renal pelvis, and ureters qualitatively for degree of opacification, distention, and artifacts on a four-point scale. Statistical analysis was performed using a permutation test. Results There was no significant disagreement between the two readers (P = 0.14). Furosemide resulted in significant improvement in calyceal and renal pelvis distention (P < 0.005), and significant artifact reduction in all upper tract segments (P < 0.001) compared to the effect of saline alone. Conclusion Intravenous furosemide significantly improves the image quality of excretory MRU studies obtained following intravenous hydration. Intravenous saline alone is insufficient to produce diagnostic quality studies of the non-dilated upper tracts. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Colour standards: a review and evaluation in relation to Penicillium taxonomy

Comparison of Munsell notations for colours in five copies of the atlas by Ridgway (1912) has revealed a remarkable overall consistency in hue. Variation among the copies was less than one Munsell hue (2·5% of the spectrum) in 83% of the 1140 comparisons and exceeded two Munsell hues in only eight of the comparisons of each record with every other record for the given colour. One hundred of the 136 colours examined were low chroma colours in four yellow-green through blue-green hues. The other compared colours, in 36 different hues, were high chroma (ungreyed), midvalue members. An unexpected finding, in a cursory examination of the second edition of the Methuen Handbook of Colour , was discovery of edition-related discrepancies in hue for several colours. The acceptable manuals for finely-drawn distinctions in hue, value and chroma (1000–1500 colours) are the Munsell Book of Color and Color Standards and Color Nomenclature by Robert Ridgway. Notations for equivalent colours in the Munsell and Methuen (third edition) systems are tabulated for 64 Ridgway colours: midvalue-high chroma representatives of the 36 hues and 28 yellow-green through blue-green colours which are common conidial colours in Penicillium .
Comparison of Fusarium Populations In Grasslands of Minnesota and Iceland

Six species of Fusarium were found in both Minnesota and Icelandic soils; P. oxysporum predominated in Minnesota but F. roseum predominated in Iceland. The order of prevalence of Fusarium spp. diff...
Intermetallic compound layer growth by solid state reactions between 58Bi-42Sn solder and copper

Solid state intermetallic compound layer growth was examined following ther-mal aging of the 58Bi-42Sn/Cu couple for a temperature range of 55 to 120°C and time periods of from 1 to 400 days. The intermetallic compound layer was comprised of sublayers that included the traditional Cu6Sn5 stoichiometry as well as one or more complex Cu-Sn-Bi chemistries. The number of sublayers increased with aging temperature and time. Time-dependent layer thickness computations based upon the empirical expression, Atn + B, revealed a time exponent, n, that decreased with increasing temperature from a maximum of 0.551 at 70°C to 0.417 at 120°C. The apparent activation energy for growth (at 100 days) was 55± 7 kJ/mol. The Bi-Sn/Cu data, together with that from the other solder/copper systems, suggested that at a given homologous temperature, the quantity of Sn in the solder field determines the intermetallic compound layer thickness as a function of time.
The Analysis of a Fractional Factorial Experiment With Censored Data Using Iterative least Squares

Schmee and Hahn (1979) suggested iterative least squares as a simple method for analyzing censored data. The application of this method to the analysis of the results of a fractional factorial experiment with censored observations is described and illustrated in this paper.
Calculation method for vapor‐liquid equilibrium in the critical region

Description de la methode MGR de calcul de l'equilibre liquide vapeur au voisinage du point critique. Tests de cette methode sur les systemes binaires suivants: propane+n-butane, carbone dioxyde+n-butane, methane+carbone dioxyde et azote+carbone dioxyde
Quantifying the contribution of low-level saliency to human eye movements in dynamic scenes.

We investigated the contribution of low-level saliency to human eye movements in complex dynamic scenes. Eye movements were recorded while naive observers viewed a heterogeneous collection of 50 video clips (46,489 frames; 4-6 subjects per clip), yielding 11,916 saccades of amplitude ≥2°. A model of bottom-up visual attention computed instantaneous saliency at the instant each saccade started and at its future endpoint location. Median model-predicted saliency was 45% the maximum saliency, a significant factor 2.03 greater than expected by chance. Motion and temporal change were stronger predictors of human saccades than colour, intensity, or orientation features, with the best predictor being the sum of all features. There was no significant correlation between model-predicted saliency and duration of fixation. A majority of saccades were directed to a minority of locations reliably marked as salient by the model, suggesting that bottom-up saliency may provide a set of candidate saccade target locations,...
Celecoxib pharmacokinetics in pediatric cancer patients–The effects of food and pharmacogenetics

Purpose To determine the single dose and steady state (SS) pharmacokinetics (PK) of the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib in pediatric cancer patients (with & without food) and to correlate PK and CYP2C9 genotype. Methods Celecoxib (250mg/m2) was administered to the patients and PK were assessed after one dose and at SS. Results Single dose and SS PK with and without food are summarized below (age for all=11.5±4.3). In addition, preliminary CYP2C9 genotypic data is available for 4 patients. 2 were CYP2C9*1*1(wildtype) consistent with the extensive metabolizer phenotype, 1 was CYP2C9*1*2 (intermediate metabolizer) and 1 was CYP2C9*3*3 (poor metabolizer). These data correlate well with observed PK parameters. (See table) Conclusions As previously reported, we confirm that significant differences exist between children and adults with respect to celecoxib disposition. We also show that food co-administration increases systemic exposure. Additionally, CYP2C9 genotyping in this small group of patients correlates well with the PK variation observed especially in the CYP2C9*3*3 patient who demonstrated a drastically reduced clearance capability. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P31–P31; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.118 Table 1. n tmax (h) Cmax (μg/L) AUC0-∞ (μg/L·h) t1/2 (h) Single dose-no food 21 3 1287.9±858.6 9201.9±5699.3 4.9±1.9 SS-no food 16 3 1439.8±755.6 11007.0±5201.2 5.0±2.4 Single dose-with food 3 3 2628.8±996.0 11546.4±1291.4 3.5±0.8 SS-with food 3 3 2439.8±912.8 13551.6±354.4 4.0±0.2 Single dose-CYP2C9*3*3 1 3 2940.4 108250.6 29.9 SS-CYP2C9*3*3 1 3 8468.7 549212.5 41.2
Xerox Leadership through Quality: Merging Human Factors and Safety through Employee Participation

Organizations are addressing problems resulting from increasing international competition and complex technologies by implementing participative management techniques. Recent evidence suggests that participatory ergonomics can be an effective, cost-efficient method for solving a variety of production, human factors, and safety related problems. This paper presents an example of how participative management has been used effectively in introducing human factors, sociotechnical, and safety change in a large international organization. Case studies such as this one demonstrate how participation can reduce costs, training requirements, injuries, and absenteeism.
Theoretical study of the dipole moment of oxygen monofluoride (OF)

The ground-state potential curve and dipole-moment function of OF are calculated theoretically using the complete active-space self-consistent-field levels, externally contracted configuration-interaction levels, or multireference (singles plus doubles) configuration-interaction levels. Both an extended Gaussian basis set and a double-zeta-plus-polarization basis set were applied. The results are presented in extensive tables and graphs. Best results are achieved using a large Gaussian basis set and taking the valence-correlation energy into account. It is suggested that OF may best be detected by its laser-magnetic-resonance spectrum in the IR.
The impact of drug screening on selection decisions

This paper discusses the use of drug screening for employee selection decisions. Common methods of drug screening are described, and a recent study of drug screening accuracy is summarized. It is argued that drug screening is subject to the same standards as are other selection procedures, and that human resource professionals must assume responsibility for understanding the potential problems associated with drug screening. Issues relevant to determining the benefits of drug screening are discussed, and an illustration of the impact of drug screening on decision accuracy is presented. It is suggested that, in many instances, the value of drug screening in the selection process may be low enough to warrant serious concern. Implications for human resource research and practice are noted.
Stereoselective evasion of P‐glycoprotein, cytochrome P450 3A, and hydrolases by peptide prodrug modification of saquinavir

In an approach to overcome biological barriers mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A), a series of stereoisomeric valine-valine prodrugs of saquinavir (SQV) were synthesized and investigated with respect to affinity for efflux pump P-gp, and resistance to oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes. Cellular uptake and bidirectional transport in Caco-2 cells indicated that all peptide SQV conjugates can bypass P-gp-mediated efflux significantly, regardless of stereochemistry in promoieties. In comparison with D-configuration, L-configuration was favored for the interaction between prodrugs and rat hepatic CYP3A enzymes, and resulted in a relatively rapid clearance by CYP3A. Elimination half-life of SQV in rat liver microsomes was prolonged dramatically by sevenfold to 40-fold because of the prodrug modification with the rank order of D-valine-D-valine-SQV > D-valine-L-valine-SQV > L-valine-D-valine-SQV > L-valine-L-valine-SQV > D-valine-SQV > L-valine-SQV > SQV. Results of hydrolysis studies performed in rat intestinal homogenates and plasma indicated that prodrugs attached with D-valine exhibited significantly reduced biodegradation. In conclusion, the enhanced transepithelial accumulation and enzymatic stability observed by SQV peptide prodrug modification are found to be stereoselective. Specific stereoisomeric dipeptide prodrugs with optimized metabolic stability can be employed to improve oral bioavailability of SQV.