cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Getting the social organism thinking: strategy for systems change.

The ability of community researchers/practitioners to facilitate systems change is constrained by social power—particularly the capacity to shape ideology [S. Lukes (1974). Power: A radical view. Hampshire: MacMillan] and frequently power molds ideologies which undermine systems thinking. Following what Mills [C. W. Mills, (1959). The sociological imagination. New York: Oxford University Press] (termed the “sociological imagination”, this article makes the case for a strategy of systems change that promotes an integrated focus on systems and their constituent individuals. Both of these components are understood to continuously shape each other. The social imagination is introduced as a way to conceptualize the intersection between individuals’ conceptions of systems and the ways that systems work to form individual identities and perceptions of social reality. Examples of attempts at systems change from community organizing and public health are used to illustrate both common fallacies and potential future directions for systems change efforts.
Optimal phenotypic testing of AmpC beta-lactamases using boronic acid solutions

Plasmid-mediated class C β-lactamases are reported from Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae with increasing frequency. No screening and confirmatory tests have been uniformly established for these strains. We investigated for the presence of plasmid-mediated AmpC production in 51 clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, comparing two different boronic acid formulations, phenylboronic acid (PB) and 3-(N-Boc-amino)phenylboronic acid (APB), using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PB performed better than APB.
Methylmercury Concentrations Found in Wild and Farm-raised Paddlefish

: Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) were collected from 4 sites in Kentucky: the Ohio River, Lake Cumberland, and 2 aquaculture sources (private reservoir and catfish ponds). They were tested for methylmer-cury concentrations in their flesh. Paddlefish from all sources had methylmercury levels below the 1 part per million Food and Drug Administration-mandated action limit for seafood. However, using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose for methylmercury, only paddlefish from the Ohio River exceeded the reference dose for unrestricted consumption. Some Ohio River and Lake Cumberland paddlefish had higher-than-average methylmercury concentrations, whereas aquacultured paddlefish had low concentrations of methylm-ercury. There was a direct proportionality between fish age and methylmercury concentration; older paddlefish tended to have higher amounts of methylmercury in their meat.
A remote substrate docking mechanism for the tec family tyrosine kinases.

During T cell signaling, Itk selectively phosphorylates a tyrosine within its own SH3 domain and a tyrosine within PLCγ1. We find that the remote SH2 domain in each of these substrates is required ...
Ionization of 0.5-MeV H by Ar and a comparison with the H - /Ar system

Doubly differential cross sections (DDCS) and the complete angular distributions of electrons released in projectile ionization of H and H/sup -/ by Ar are compared. These experimental cross sections are also compared to calculations using an elastic scattering model. The angular dependence of the shapes and the peak energies of the DDCS are shown for both systems.
A further study of misreading of codons induced by streptomycin and neomycin using ribopolynucleotides containing two nucleotides in alternating sequence as templates

The effect of streptomycin and neomycin on the translation of poly UG, poly AG, poly UC and poly AC, which contain the two specified nucleotides in alternating sequence, has been studied. The misreading of codons in these polynucleotides is more specific than that found previously in work with homopolynucleotides. With poly UG, streptomycin induces the incorporation of arginine and some serine in addition to the normal incorporation of valine and cysteine. With poly UC, streptomycin induces the incorporation of phenylalanine, proline and some histidine in addition to the normal incorporation of leucine and serine. Streptomycin causes no misreading of poly AC or poly AG, although the normal incorporations directed by these polymers are inhibited. From these results, the following conclusions are drawn regarding the action of streptomycin: (1) only the two pyrimidine bases are misread; (2) pyrimidine bases in the 5′-terminal position of a codon are misread as pyrimidines; (3) internal pyri-midines can be misread as both pyrimidines and purines; and (4) misreading of a base is influenced considerably by the nature of the neighboring base. Misreading by neomycin is much less specific than that induced by streptomycin, evidence being obtained, in some cases, of misreading of two bases in the same codon.
Semantic congruity and expectancy as separate processes.

In two experiments, we investigated the role of expectancy in producing congruity effects in comparative judgment. In Experiment 1, instructions to choose the larger or smaller term either preceded pairs for comparative judgment or preceded individual words for lexical decision. If expectancy in interpreting the comparative judgment terms accounts for the congruity effect, the lexical decision task also should show a congruity effect. However, there were large congruity effects in comparative judgment but not in lexical decision. In this experiment, we used an infiniteset design to make sure that semantic information was needed on comparative judgment trials. In Experiment 2, comparative judgment pairs were preceded by a prime word that either was or was not a category label for the terms in the pairs. There were both congruity and priming effects, with no interaction between the two. This result implies that expectancy and the semanticcongruity effect come from separate processes.
B-Raf and C-Raf are required for Ras-stimulated p42 MAP kinase activation in Xenopus egg extracts

During mitosis, a select pool of MEK1 and p42/p44 MAPK becomes activated at the kinetochores and spindle poles, without substantial activation of the bulk of the cytoplasmic p42/p44 MAPK. Recently, we set out to identify the MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) responsible for this mitotic activation, using cyclin-treated Xenopus egg extracts as a model system, and presented evidence that Mos was the relevant MAPKKK . However, a second MAPKKK distinct from Mos was readily detectable as well. Here, we partially purify this second MAPKKK and identify it as B-Raf. No changes in the activity of B-Raf were detectable during progesterone-induced oocyte maturation, after egg fertilization, or during the early embryonic cell cycle, arguing against a role for B-Raf in the mitotic activation of MEK1 and p42 MAPK. Ras proteins can bring about activation of MEK1 and p42 MAPK in extracts, and Ras may contribute to signaling from the classical progesterone receptor during oocyte maturation and from receptor tyrosine kinases during early embryogenesis. We found that both B-Raf and C-Raf, but not Mos, are required for Ras-induced MEK1 and p42 MAPK activation. These data indicate that two upstream stimuli, active Ras and active Cdc2, utilize different MAPKKKs to activate MEK1 and p42 MAPK.
Psychometric evaluation of the myasthenia gravis composite using Rasch analysis.

Introduction: The MG Composite (MGC) is a validated outcome measure of the clinical manifestations of myasthenia gravis. Methods: We performed Rasch analyses of the MGC to investigate additional properties, including its unidimensionality and the appropriateness of the weights assigned to the response categories for the MGC items. Results: The fit statistics indicated that the 10 items belong together and can be summated for a total score. There was an overall absence of item order distortion between response categories. The Rasch model's expected category response values were compatible with item weights previously assigned. Conclusions: Our analysis suggests that: (1) the score can be summated to estimate an overall disease severity score; (2) the response options of the 10 items are not significantly distorted; and (3) the assigned weights of the response options are appropriate. Muscle Nerve 45: 820–825, 2012
Affective facial and lexical expression in aprosodic versus aphasic stroke patients.

Past research has shown that lesions in the left cerebral hemisphere often result in aphasia, while lesions in the right hemisphere frequently impair the production of emotional prosody and facial expression. At least 3 processing deficits might account for these affective symptoms: (1) failure to understand the conditions that evoke emotional response; (2) inability to experience emotions; (3) disruption in the capacity to encode non-verbal signals. To better understand these disorders and their underlying mechanisms, we investigated spontaneous affective communication in right hemisphere damaged (RHD) stroke patients with aprosody and left hemisphere damaged (LHD) stroke patients with aphasia. Nine aprosodic RHD patients and 14 aphasic LHD patients participated in a videotaped interview within a larger treatment protocol. Two naive raters viewed segments of videotape and rated facial expressivity. Verbal affect production was tabulated using specialized software. Results indicated that RHD patients smiled and laughed significantly less than LHD patients. In contrast, RHD patients produced a greater percentage of emotion words relative to total words than did LHD patients. These findings suggest that impairments in emotional prosodic production and facial expressivity associated with RHD are not induced by affective–conceptual deficits or an inability to experience emotions. Rather, they likely represent channel-specific nonverbal encoding abnormalities. (JINS, 2005, 11, 677–685.)
Autotaxin, tumor motility-stimulating exophosphodiesterase

While nucleotides have a well-established role in intracellular metabolism, ATP and other nucleotides also have important extracellular roles in receptormediated signal transduction (34, 35). Extracellular or cell surface proteins capable of binding ATP and hydrolyzing phosphoester bonds of nucleotides are known to exist but their function has remained obscure. Our recent data point to a structure-function correlation between PDE activity and motility stimulation by ATX, indicating a biologically important functional role for the ecto/exophosdiesterases in the stimulation of cellular motility. Data from studies with PC-1 and gp130RB13-6 have suggested that cell surface PDE's may also play roles in cellular differentiation. Extracellular PDE activities, in combination with other nucleotidases, may result in ecto-nucleotidase cascades (36–38). These data suggest that ecto-/exo-enzymes may catalyze extracellular biochemical reactions that are important in the regulation of cell behavior.
Current oscillations in potentiostatic electro-oxidation of aluminum in phosphoric and sulfuric acids

Abstract Potentiostatic current oscillations occur in electro-oxidation of aluminum alloy 2024 by ammonium peroxydisulfate in phosphoric acid, for which we find nearly periodic behavior at 60 °C, and cyclic bursting at 68 °C. We also show that potentiostatic current oscillations occur in electro-oxidation of the same alloy by sodium dichromate in sulfuric acid. The results are discussed in terms of the separate roles of the oxidant and acid in oxidation of the alloy and dissolution of the film, respectively, and the apparent requirement that oscillatory electro-oxidation of aluminum requires a balance between oxidant strength and acid strength.
Role of the median preoptic nucleus in the chronic hypotensive effect of losartan in sodium-replete normal rats

1. We have shown previously that the chronic hypotensive effect of the angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonist losartan is mediated, in part, by the subfornical organ (SFO). However, the neural pathway(s) mediating this central effect of losartan downstream from the SFO has not been completely elucidated. 2. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) is a crucial part of the neural pathway necessary for the chronic hypotensive effect of losartan. To test this hypothesis, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to either Sham or electrolytic lesion of the MnPO (MnPOx). Rats were instrumented with radiotelemetric transducers and aortic flow probes for the continuous measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate and cardiac output (CO), respectively. Total peripheral resistance (TPR) was calculated as MAP/CO. After 3 days of baseline measurements, rats were infused intraperitoneally with losartan (10 mg/kg per day) via an osmotic minipump at a rate of 5 microL/min. 3. The data revealed that, by Day 9 of losartan treatment, MAP had decreased 34 +/- 2 mmHg in MnPOx rats (n = 9), whereas the MAP of Sham-lesioned rats (n = 8) had only decreased 24 +/- 3 mmHg. These findings were accompanied by a greater decrease in TPR in MnPOx compared with Sham rats (-0.464 vs-0.237 mmHg/mL per min, respectively), whereas CO remained unchanged throughout the study protocol. 4. These results do not support the hypothesis that an intact MnPO is necessary to mediate the full chronic hypotensive effect of losartan in normal rats. Instead, they appear to suggest that the MnPO may play an important role in buffering the profound hypotension induced by losartan.
The impact of biofilm-forming potential and tafi production on transport of environmental Salmonella through unsaturated porous media.

Understanding the factors influencing the transport of microbial pathogens, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli, through porous media is critical to protecting drinking water supplies. The production of biofilms, along with individual biofilm-associated components, such as tafi, is believed to hinder transport of microorganisms through soil. This study investigated the relationship between biofilm formation and tafi production and the transport of environmental Salmonella through porous media. Thirty-two Salmonella isolates were initially assayed for their ability to form biofilms, from which a subset of these was selected to represent a range of high and low biofilm-formation potential and tafi formation capabilities. These were subsequently examined in unsaturated sand columns for transport characteristics. No obvious correlation was observed between Salmonella phenotypes and column retention. The results indicated that while transport of well-characterized laboratory E. coli strains can often be hindered by the presence of tafi and the potential to form biofilms, the presence of tafi did not retard the transport of the Salmonella strains.
RECURRENT LYMPHOMA RESULTING IN KOCK POUCH INCONTINENCE

Incontinence following the Kock pouch continent cutaneous urinary diversion currently occurs in < 20 percent of patients undergoing the operation. Various causes of cutaneous incontinence have been identified, including efferent nipple prolapse, incompetent valve, pinhole fistula, parastomal herniation, and Marlex mesh erosion into the efferent nipple mechanism. We report the first case of a patient with recurrent lymphoma involving the small bowel utilized for the efferent continence nipple valve mechanism resulting in incontinence.
Theory of the Large Signal Behavior of Traveling-Wave Amplifiers

We present results of calculations on the amplification, phase distortion, and harmonic content in an idealized traveling-wave amplifier when excited to levels beyond those for which the device behaves linearly. The idealization consists mainly of neglecting the action on the electron beam of radio-frequency fields due to the space charge in the beam. The limiting efficiency and the phase distortion are given for various values of the beam-to-circuit coupling parameter and of the electron injection velocity. The relative harmonic content of the beam is given to the fifth harmonic frequency, inclusive. The calculations were performed by numerically integrating the equations of motion of typical electrons entering the tube at equal intervals of initial phase. Most of the numerical work was done with IBM equipment, some with desk calculators, and in one case, on the Bell Laboratories relay computer. The results are presented almost entirely graphically, and the reader is referred to figures in main body of the paper for quantitative information.
Localization and Regulation of MuSK at the Neuromuscular Junction

The receptor tyrosine kinase, MuSK, is required for the formation of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) where MuSK becomes phosphorylated when exposed to neuronally synthesized isoforms of agrin. To understand better the mechanisms by which MuSK mediates the formation of the NMJ, we have examined how MuSK expression is regulated during development in the embryo, by neuromuscular injury in the adult and by agrin in vitro. Here we show that MuSK is associated with the earliest observable AChR clusters at the developing motor endplate and that MuSK and AChRs codistribute throughout the development of the NMJ. These two proteins are also coordinately regulated on the surfaces of cultured myotubes where MuSK and AChRs colocalize both in spontaneous and agrin-induced clusters. While MuSK is normally restricted to the motor endplate in adult muscle, denervation results in its extrajunctional expression, although a discernible concentration of MuSK remains localized to the motor endplate even 14 days after denervation. Extrajunctional MuSK is first apparent 3 days after denervation and is sharply reduced upon reinnervation. Muscle paralysis also markedly alters the expression of MuSK in adult muscle and results in increased expression of MuSK as well as increased transcription of MuSK mRNA by extrasynaptic myonuclei. Together, these findings demonstrate that MuSK expression is highly regulated by innervation, muscle activity, and agrin, while the distribution of MuSK is precisely coordinated with that of the AChR.
Optimization of k nearest neighbor density estimates

Nonparametric density estimation using the k -nearest-neighbor approach is discussed. By developing a relation between the volume and the coverage of a region, a functional form for the optimum k in terms of the sample size, the dimensionality of the observation space, and the underlying probability distribution is obtained. Within the class of density functions that can be made circularly symmetric by a linear transformation, the optimum matrix for use in a quadratic form metric is obtained. For Gaussian densities this becomes the inverse covariance matrix that is often used without proof of optimality. The close relationship of this approach to that of Parzen estimators is then investigated.
Should Russia increase domestic prices for natural gas

Previous analyses of Russia's dual pricing system and hidden subsidies for natural gas, have neglected to assess the dual pricing system as a domestic environmental policy. If dual pricing is considered as a policy to reduce conventional air pollutants, it is more than economically justified in Russia on the basis of avoided health risks. In the short term, the substitution of coal for natural gas may result in significant additional human health risk, which translates into economic damage. An alternative abatement possibility is expensive and unlikely enforceable, due to weak environmental regulation. The authors conclude that while the price differential can be expected to diminish over time, as Russia increasingly moves to a market economy, in the near-term, dual pricing of natural gas remains the most efficient environmental policy for Russia.
Rule‐governed physics: Some novice predictions

This article reports on some research into novice students expectations about the behaviour of a number of physical systems. The research used paper and pencil materials modelled on Siegler's Rule‐Assessment technique. The subjects were students on a college general physics course, and all were tested prior to any instruction on the topics involved. The major findings were that: (a) these students, even before instruction, employed definite strategies (rules) in making predictions about the behavior of the systems; (b) a limited number of strategies were used by the students and they varied in popularity; (c) the popular strategies varied depending on the system involved; and (d) the pattern of popular strategies for any one system was consistent among the different classes tested.
Towards an Agile Infrastructure to Provision Devices, Applications, and Networks: A Service-oriented Approach

Most industries and organizations use collections of tools, devices, and applications that are growing in complexity. New tools or applications may be acquired and old tools may become obsolete over time. They are often running on a variety of platforms, have different bandwidth and QoS requirements, and in most cases they cannot be accessed through a single point of entry. Moreover, some tools may require specific configurations done by technical experts. To address these issues, we propose an extensible, reliable, and simple software architecture that can hide the complexity of provisioning the network and running the tools. This paper introduces a service-oriented approach for creating an agile infrastructure to provision devices, applications, and their underlying networks. The Eucalyptus prototype is developed as an empirical application to test this approach. Eucalyptus is built on a set of generic fine-grained Web services to manage and configure available resources, where new resources can be custom-built or imported from a third party. They can be integrated into Eucalyptus using a set of Web service-enabled APIs. Our user community consists of architects and industrial designers. Eucalyptus can manage and configure the resources needed by geographically distributed groups of architects who need to collaborate in real time on the design of buildings, in a virtual participatory design studio (PDS). Eucalyptus provides a single point of entry for the architects to access a wide variety of tools: videoconference applications, visualization services, rendering services employing parallel computers, etc. Eucalyptus provides a set of upper layer services for users to provision devices and applications running on high-speed broadband networks, as well as the commercial IP networks.
Rate constants for the reaction OH+CO as functions of temperature and water concentration

Rate constants for the reaction OH + CO have been measured as functions of temperature (340–1220 K) and water concentration in the presence of 1 atm of argon. Results at zero water concentration yield the expression, log kƒ (cm3 molecule−1 S−1) = −12.96 + 4.7 × 10−4 T, for the reaction rate constant as a function of temperature. These results are in very good agreement with previous direct measurements and in reasonable agreement with flame and shock tube measurements. Explanations are offered for the involvement of the water molecule in the present experiments and earlier measurements from this laboratory throughout the entire temperature range. Results are consistent with previous results showing little, if any, pressure effect of Ar on the reaction up to 1 atm of Ar.
A land-use regression model for estimating microenvironmental diesel exposure given multiple addresses from birth through childhood

Abstract The Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS) is a prospective birth cohort whose purpose is to determine if exposure to high levels of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) during early childhood increases the risk for developing allergic diseases. In order to estimate exposure to DEP, a land-use regression (LUR) model was developed using geographic data as independent variables and sampled levels of a marker of DEP as the dependent variable. A continuous wind direction variable was also created. The LUR model predicted 74% of the variability in sampled values with four variables: wind direction, length of bus routes within 300 m of the sample site, a measure of truck intensity within 300 m of the sampling site, and elevation. The LUR model was subsequently applied to all locations where the child had spent more than eight hours per week from through age three. A time-weighted average (TWA) microenvironmental exposure estimate was derived for four time periods: 0–6 months, 7–12 months, 13–24 months, 25–36 months. By age two, one third of the children were spending significant time at locations other than home and by 36 months, 39% of the children had changed their residential addresses. The mean cumulative DEP exposure estimate increased from age 6 to 36 months from 70 to 414 μg/m 3 -days. Findings indicate that using birth addresses to estimate a child's exposure may result in exposure misclassification for some children who spend a significant amount of time at a location with high exposure to DEP.
Violence-prevention climate, exposure to violence and aggression, and prevention behavior: A mediation model

Summary This study explored mechanisms underlying employees' behaviors targeted at preventing workplace physical violence and verbal aggression. Poor psychological violence-prevention climate perceptions and previous exposure to violence and aggression represent stressors that were associated with increased strains and reduced motivation. Strains and motivation, in turn, were related to prevention behaviors. We collected data from employee and coworker dyads, and structural equation modeling results supported that clear organizational policies, prompt management responses to assaults, and putting safety as a priority contributed positively to prevention behaviors through reduced strains and increased motivation. On the other hand, prior experiences of being attacked were related to more strains and lower motivation, which were related to lower prevention compliance. Our results inform future interventions for violence prevention. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heterogeneous and Multiphase Chemistry in the Troposphere

Heterogeneous and multiphase reactions on solids and in liquids, respectively, have the potential to play a major role in determining the composition of the gaseous troposphere and should be included in models for understanding this region and assessing the effects of anthropogenic emissions. Making a distinction between reactions on solids (heterogeneous reactions) and those occurring in liquid droplets (multiphase reactions) is convenient for understanding, describing, and including them in models of the troposphere. Frameworks are available for including multiphase reactions in numerical models, but they do not yet exist for heterogeneous reactions. For most of these reactions, water not only provides the medium but it is also a reactant. Other substrates such as sulfate and organic and sea-salt aerosols may also be important, but their effects cannot currently be accurately assessed because of a lack of information on their abundance, nature, and reactivities. Our ability to accurately predict the composition of the troposphere will depend on advances in understanding the microphysics of particle formation, laboratory investigations of heterogeneous and multiphase reactions, and collection of field data on tropospheric particles.
Comment on "designing EMF experiments: what is required to characterize 'exposure'?".

Dr. Valberg has taken an important step in describing what, at the present time, can be considered thorough documentation of exposure parameters in health effects studies related to EMFs. His paper provides important guidance for those entering the field and should serve as a reminder to more experienced investigators that good work can be rendered even more valuable by careful reporting. Evidence for the existence of biological effects from exposure to EMFs that may be encountered in residential and industrial environments is now sufficient to conclude that at least some of these effects are not artifacts. The EMF research community must now determine whether EMF biological effects can lead to adverse health effects in humans and, if so, show what field parameters are involved. This objective will be accomplished only through appropriately thought-out and well-documented observation and experimentation. An important implication of Valberg`s discussion is that engineering support in life science laboratories must be on a level sufficient to accurately determine the field parameters listed in the paper. Before the laboratory data can be fully utilized in achieving the overall objectives of EMF health effects research, personal dosimetry will have to be improved so that field parameters found to bemore » important in laboratory studies can be either directly measured or accurately inferred. Such capability will require a new generation of lightweight portable smart dosimeters capable of continuously gathering magnetic field data over a wide range of frequencies. Over the next few years, Valberg`s long list of possible parameters should be narrowed to a short list of parameters that will merit intensive study in the laboratory and in human environments.« less
Emotional reactivity and emotion recognition in frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Background: Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is associated with a profound de- cline in social and emotional behavior; however, current understanding regarding the specific aspects of emotional functioning that are preserved and disrupted is limited. Objective: To assess preservation of function and deficits in two aspects of emotional processing (emotional reactivity and emotion recognition) in FTLD. Methods: Twenty-eight FTLD patients were compared with 16 controls in emo- tional reactivity (self-reported emotional experience, emotional facial behavior, and autonomic ner- vous system response to film stimuli) and emotion recognition (ability to identify a target emotion of fear, happy, or sad experienced by film characters). Additionally, the neural correlates of emotional reactivity and emotion recognition were investigated. Results: FTLD patients were comparable to con- trols in 1) emotional reactivity to the fear, happy, and sad film clips and 2) emotion recognition for the happy film clip. However, FTLD patients were significantly impaired compared with controls in emotion recognition for the fear and sad film clips. Volumetric analyses revealed that deficits in emo- tion recognition were associated with decreased lobar volumes in the frontal and temporal lobes. Conclusions: The socioemotional decline typically seen in frontotemporal lobar degeneration patients may result more from an inability to process certain emotions in other people than from deficits in emotional reactivity. NEUROLOGY 2007;69:148-155
Cospectral bipartite graphs for the normalized Laplacian

We construct two infinite families of trees that are pairwise cospectral with respect to the normalized Laplacian. We also use the normalized Laplacian applied to weighed graphs to give new constructions of cospectral pairs of bipartite unweighted graphs.
Multiplex real-time PCR for detection and quantification of mycotoxigenic Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium

The most agriculturally and economically important classes of mycotoxins are produced by species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium. Rapid methods to detect mycotoxigenic fungi could help prevent mycotoxins from entering the food chain. The purpose of this research was to develop a multiplex real-time PCR assay to detect and quantify multiple species of mycotoxigenic fungi. A pair of broad-spectrum PCR primers was designed for amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA from the mycotoxigenic species. An in silico analysis of the primers revealed the presence of amplification in more than 40 Aspergillus species, 23 Fusarium species, and 32 Penicillium species as well as 64 other fungal genera. Genus-specific Taqman probes were designed from the ITS sequences of the most important mycotoxigenic species of Fusarium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. The specificity of the probes was established against a wide range of fungal species. As a multiplex assay, the linear range of detection was 1 pg to 10 ng of DNA. The assay was validated by analyzing fungal growth in distiller's grain (DG), an animal feedstock that is a by-product when ethanol is produced from corn. This assay could be used as an initial step to evaluate the mycotoxigenic potential of DG and various other agricultural commodities.
MECHANISM OF RADIOACTIVE ZINC UPTAKE BY ULVA LACTUCA1

The effects of metabolism, pH, carrier ions, and temperature upon the uptake and accumulation of Zn65 by Ulva lactuca from sea water in light and dark were investigated. The pattern of uptake in relation to light and temperature in unbuffered sea water was what would be expected assuming zinc absorption to be a metabolic accumulation process proportional to the rate of photosynthesis as has been previously reported. However, uptake rate and the level of accumulation was found to be strongly pH dependent and to be affected by the concentration of zinc in the media. Freshly killed Ulva absorbed more tracer than live material. These findings suggest that the physical process of adsorption or cation exchange is primarily responsible for Zn66 uptake. The relationship between photosynthesis and zinc absorption is primarily a secondary effect related to surface/volume ratio and pH.
Andronov-Hopf bifurcations in planar, piecewise-smooth, continuous flows

Abstract An equilibrium of a planar, piecewise- C 1 , continuous system of differential equations that crosses a curve of discontinuity of the Jacobian of its vector field can undergo a number of discontinuous or border-crossing bifurcations. Here we prove that if the eigenvalues of the Jacobian limit to λ L ± i ω L on one side of the discontinuity and − λ R ± i ω R on the other, with λ L , λ R > 0 , and the quantity Λ = λ L / ω L − λ R / ω R is nonzero, then a periodic orbit is created or destroyed as the equilibrium crosses the discontinuity. This bifurcation is analogous to the classical Andronov–Hopf bifurcation, and is supercritical if Λ 0 and subcritical if Λ > 0 .
Multiple health behaviours: overview and implications.

Background More remains unknown than known about how to optimize multiple health behaviour change. Methods After reviewing the prevalence and comorbidities among major chronic disease risk behaviours for adults and youth, we consider the origins and applicability of high-risk and population strategies to foster multiple health behaviour change. Results Findings indicate that health risk behaviours are prevalent, increase with age and co-occur as risk behaviour clusters or bundles. Conclusions We conclude that both population and high-risk strategies for health behaviour intervention are warranted, potentially synergistic and need intervention design that accounts for substitute and complementary relationships among bundled health behaviours. To maximize positive public health impact, a pressing need exists for bodies of basic and translational science that explain health behaviour bundling. Also needed is applied science that elucidates the following: (1) the optimal number of behaviours to intervene upon; (2) how target behaviours are best selected (e.g. greatest health impact; patient preference or positive effect on bundled behaviours); (3) whether to increase healthy or decrease unhealthy behaviours; (4) whether to intervene on health behaviours simultaneously or sequentially and (5) how to achieve positive synergies across individual-, group- and population-level intervention approaches.
Analysis of body-composition techniques and models for detecting change in soft tissue with strength training

The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of various body-composition assessment techniques to detect changes in soft tissue in older, weight-stable women (50-70 y of age) completing a 1-y randomized, controlled trial of progressive resistance training. The intervention group (n = 20) performed high-intensity strength-training 2 d/wk with five different exercises; the control group (n = 19) was untreated. Hydrostatic weighing, 24-h urinary creatinine, computed tomography of thigh sections, total body potassium, and tritium dilution techniques were used to measure increases in total fat-free mass (FFM) and the muscle and water components of FFM. A decrease in fat mass (by hydrostatic weighing) was seen in the strength-trained women compared with the control subjects (P - 0.01-0.0001). Anthropometry, bioelectric impedance, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and total body nitrogen and carbon did not measure any significant change in soft tissue. The choice of a body-composition technique is important when designing a study expected to affect soft tissue, because not all techniques available are precise enough to detect small changes.
Government spending and happiness of the population: additional evidence from large cross-country samples

This study uses large cross-country samples and several measures of happiness, income, and government spending to revisit the relation between government spending and the population’s happiness. The main finding is that increased government spending does not lower happiness in broad cross-country contexts. Much caution is, therefore, urged in interpreting the negative association between government spending and happiness reported in some earlier studies and the suggested policy implications. Three additional points are noted. First, the weight of the evidence suggests a significant positive association between income and happiness. Second, estimates based on income and government-share data from Penn World Table and the new International Comparison Program show similar patterns. Third, the parameter for generalized trust seems fragile.
Physical Education Teachers' and Teacher Candidates' Attitudes toward Cultural Pluralism.

The purpose of this study was to analyze both male and female physical education teacher attitudes toward cultural pluralism and diversity. Participants (N = 433)were adapted physical education specialists, physical education generalists, and teacher candidates. The research method was a descriptive cross-sectional survey (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1990). Data were collected using a modified version of the Pluralismand Diversity Attitude Assessment survey (Stanley, 1997). Mann-Whitney U tests showed no significant differences in attitude scores between teachers and teacher candidates. However, women�s attitude scores were significantly higher than men�s. Further Friedman�s ANOVA test showed statistical differences on the survey�s constructs for gender and professional status. Post hoc analysis indicated that the groups scored significantly higher on the construct, Value Cultural Pluralism than Implement Cultural Pluralism. This means teachers generally valuedcultural diversity, but struggled to implement culturally responsive pedagogy. In conclusion, physical educators may need better preparation to ensure cultural competence
A Survey Of Free-Form Object Representation and Recognition Techniques

Advances in computer speed, memory capacity, and hardware graphics acceleration have made the interactive manipulation and visualization of complex, detailed (and therefore large) three-dimensional models feasible. These models are either painstakingly designed through an elaborate CAD process or reverse engineered from sculpted prototypes using modern scanning technologies and integration methods. The availability of detailed data describing the shape of an object offers the computer vision practitioner new ways to recognize and localize free-form objects. This survey reviews recent literature on both the 3D model building process and techniques used to match and identify free-form objects from imagery.
The genetic architecture of traits associated with the evolution of self-pollination in Mimulus

Summary Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping is a first step toward understanding the genetic basis of adaptive evolution and may also reveal reproductive incompatibilities unique to hybrids. In plants, the shift from outcrossing to self-pollination is common, providing the opportunity for comparisons of QTL architecture among parallel evolutionary transitions. We used QTL mapping in hybrids between the bee-pollinated monkeyflower Mimulus lewisii and the closely related selfer Mimulus parishii to determine the genetic basis of divergence in floral traits and flowering time associated with mating-system evolution, and to characterize hybrid anther sterility. We found a moderately polygenic and highly directional basis for floral size evolution, suggesting adaptation from standing variation or in pursuit of a moving optimum, whereas only a few major loci accounted for substantial flowering-time divergence. Cytonuclear incompatibilities caused hybrid anther sterility, confounding estimation of reproductive organ QTLs. The genetic architecture of floral traits associated with selfing in M. parishii was primarily polygenic, as in other QTL studies of this transition, but in contrast to the previously characterized oligogenic basis of a pollinator shift in close relatives. Hybrid anther sterility appeared parallel at the molecular level to previously characterized incompatibilities, but also raised new questions about cytonuclear co-evolution in plants.
Transforming Abortion Discourse

Reproductive freedom, including legal access to abortion, feminists insist, is a fundamental health issue for women. However, it is also the issue that has provoked the most opposition to the feminist struggle. The polarized debate epitomized in the abortion conflict, the author contends, is at least partly embedded in the nature and form of the discourse about abortion, which inadequately conceptualizes both pregnancy and women's decisions regarding unwanted pregnancy. Gilligan's paradigm of moral voices is used to explore the possibility of transforming this discourse.
Persistence of Heptachlor in Egg Yolks

Abstract During the conduct of a more involved study on pesticide residues in poultry, the occasion was presented to observe the total depletion time of heptachlor in egg yolk from hens fed low levels of the pesticide in the feed. The results are shown in Figure 1. Levels of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 p.p.m. of heptachlor were blended into a standard laying ration previously determined to be free of any chlorinated hydrocarbons and the diets fed ad libitum to Leghorn-type hens for a period of seven weeks. The hens, ten per treatment group, were in peak production and were housed in individual cages. The yolks from all eggs laid the seventh day of each week were pooled by treatment groups and analyzed for heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide by the gas chromatographic, electron-capture method described by Stemp et al. (1964). No measurable amounts of heptachlor per se were detected. The hens were . . .
The Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated and Cyclin D3 Proteins Cooperate To Help Enforce TCRβ and IgH Allelic Exclusion

Coordination of V rearrangements between loci on homologous chromosomes is critical for Ig and TCR allelic exclusion. The Ataxia Telangietasia mutated (ATM) protein kinase promotes DNA repair and activates checkpoints to suppress aberrant Ig and TCR rearrangements. In response to RAG cleavage of Igκ loci, ATM inhibits RAG expression and suppresses further Vκ-to-Jκ rearrangements to enforce Igκ allelic exclusion. Because V recombination between alleles is more strictly regulated for TCRβ and IgH loci, we evaluated the ability of ATM to restrict biallelic expression and V-to-DJ recombination of TCRβ and IgH genes. We detected greater frequencies of lymphocytes with biallelic expression or aberrant V-to-DJ rearrangement of TCRβ or IgH loci in mice lacking ATM. A preassembled DJβ complex that decreases the number of TCRβ rearrangements needed for a productive TCRβ gene further increased frequencies of ATM-deficient cells with biallelic TCRβ expression. IgH and TCRβ proteins drive proliferation of prolymphocytes through cyclin D3 (Ccnd3), which also inhibits VH transcription. We show that inactivation of Ccnd3 leads to increased frequencies of lymphocytes with biallelic expression of IgH or TCRβ genes. We also show that Ccnd3 inactivation cooperates with ATM deficiency to increase the frequencies of cells with biallelic TCRβ or IgH expression while decreasing the frequency of ATM-deficient lymphocytes with aberrant V-to-DJ recombination. Our data demonstrate that core components of the DNA damage response and cell cycle machinery cooperate to help enforce IgH and TCRβ allelic exclusion and indicate that control of V-to-DJ rearrangements between alleles is important to maintain genomic stability.
Teaching the Spiritual Dimension of Nursing Care: A Survey of Associate Degree Nursing Programs in the Southeast United States

s International (3315149) Barnum, B. (1996). Spirituality in nursing: From traditional to new age. New York, NY: Springer. Belmont Report (1979). Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.html. Black, G., Davis, B., Heathcotte, K., Mitchell, N., & Sanderson, C. (2006). The relationship between spirituality and compliance in patients with heart failure. Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing, 21, 128-133.
Defying the Enlightenment: Jewish Ethnicity and Ethnic Circumcision

For much of their history, European Jews viewed religion and ethnic identity as inseparable; social behavior, not belief, mattered, and conformity was essential. The Enlightenment introduced rationalism, individualism, and modernity into Western Europe—all incompatible with an ethnically segregated lifestyle. Many European Jews adopted Enlightenment principles and became at least partly assimilated. But even those who abandoned most ritual practices continued circumcising male infants as an ethnic tradition. Two partly opposed doctrines became prominent in twentieth-century thought: cultural relativism, teaching that all cultural traditions merit equal acceptance and respect; and (an essentially contrary argument) that human rights apply to individuals, not to traditions. Some defenders of ethnic circumcision use doctrinaire cultural relativism to reject the human rights argument. With this as background, I discuss contemporary Jewish-American circumcision advocacy. A key question: Since few Jewish Americans now observe the more demanding ritual practices, why the insistence on retaining infant circumcision?
The Evaluation of The Implementation of Fair Value Accounting: Impact on Financial Reporting

The accounting industry is in a state of continuous change. In the United States, the historical cost principle has traditionally been the foundation of accounting. Until recently, assets and liabilities have been required to be recorded at their acquisition prices, with the exception of designated financial assets and financial liabilities. However, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has now created accounting standards that are distant from the cost principle. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157: Fair Value Measurements, issued in September 2006 (FAS157, now codified as ASC 820) and Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 159: The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, created in February 2007 (FAS159, now ASC 825-10-25), significantly increases the viability of fair value accounting. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the benefits and pitfalls of fair value and the corresponding affects on various stakeholders.