cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The evolution of plant genomes -scaling up from a population perspective

Plant genomes exhibit tremendous diversity in both their size and structure, with genome sizes across land plants ranging over two to three orders of magnitude and significant variation in structural organization was observed across species (EA Kellogg, JL Bennetzen, The evolution of nuclear genome structure in seed plants, Am J Bot 2004, 91:1709–1725). Five plant genomes are now either completely sequenced or in the draft stage; the grape (O Jaillon et al ., The grapevine genome sequence suggests ancestral hexaploidization in major angiosperm phyla, Nature 2007, 449:463–467) and papaya (R Ming et al ., The draft genome of the transgenic tropical fruit tree papaya ( Carica papaya Linnaeus), Nature 2008, 452:991–997) whole genome sequences were reported most recently. Moreover, sequencing of 41 additional genomes is in progress. There is now an emerging consensus that understanding genome evolution requires consideration of the population genetics of genome diversification, and that description of evolutionary forces at the level of populations and within species can help identify the features that led to plant genome diversity (M Lynch, JS Conery, The origins of genome complexity, Science 2003, 302:1401–1404). In this review we focus on advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that drive the diversification of genomes. In particular, we look at the extent to which demographic features such as effective population size changes within species can drive genome evolution, discuss population genetic models of genome diversification associated with transposable element (TE) mobilization, and describe recent studies on the evolution of gene families.
Chemistry and fate of fenvalerate and esfenvalerate.

Widespread use of synthetic insecticides began in the United States following World War II. Previously, natural compounds such as arsenic, nicotine, pyrethrum, rotenone, and others were used for pest control. These agents lacked many of the key advantages of their manufactured successors, such as efficacy, spectrum, specificity, environmental stability, and applicator safety. During the past five decades, agriculture in the U.S. has dispersed some 30 billion pounds of pesticides into the environment. In the U.S., some 1.23 billion pounds of active ingredient currently are released annually; approximately 944 million pounds are used in agriculture, with the remainder for other purposes such as industrial and government programs and household pest control (USEPA 1999). Consequently, agricultural production in much of the world has dramatically increased, and insect-borne diseases such as malaria have been effectively controlled. However, one of the unforeseen consequences of widespread insecticide use has been the rise in insect resistance over the past 50 years. New research into the secondary effects of insecticides has also uncovered other unforeseen consequences such as endocrine disruption and carcinogenicity.
An investigation of the thermolysis mechanism of model urethanes

The products of pyrolysis in a helium atmosphere of a model urethane foam based on PAPI and propoxylated trimethylol propane were investigated by using GC/MS and GC/CIMS. Chemical-ionization mass spectrometry was used because it produces primarily protonated molecular ions (M + 1) with little fragmentation which facilitated the identification of the polyol decomposition products. Identification of the polyol pyrolysis fragments has led to the formulation of a detailed polyol thermolysis mechanism. This mechanism shows the polyol to decompose by a systematic route of reactions rather than by a random breakdown.
Ultrafast photonic crystal nanocavity laser

Spontaneous emission is not inherent to an emitter, but rather depends on its electromagnetic environment. In a microcavity, the spontaneous emission rate can be greatly enhanced compared with that in free space. This so-called Purcell effect can dramatically increase laser modulation speeds, although to date no time-domain measurements have demonstrated this. Here we show extremely fast photonic crystal nanocavity lasers with response times as short as a few picoseconds resulting from 75-fold spontaneous emission rate enhancement in the cavity. We demonstrate direct modulation speeds far exceeding 100 GHz (limited by the detector response time), already more than an order of magnitude above the fastest semiconductor lasers. Such ultrafast, efficient, and compact lasers show great promise for applications in high-speed communications, information processing, and on-chip optical interconnects.
The LDL Receptor Clustering Motif Interacts with the Clathrin Terminal Domain in a Reverse Turn Conformation

Previously the hexapeptide motif FXNPXY807 in the cytoplasmic tail of the LDL receptor was shown to be essential for clustering in clathrin-coated pits. We used nuclear magnetic resonance line-broadening and transferred nuclear Overhauser effect measurements to identify the molecule in the clathrin lattice that interacts with this hexapeptide, and determined the structure of the bound motif. The wild-type peptide bound in a single conformation with a reverse turn at residues NPVY. Tyr807Ser, a peptide that harbors a mutation that disrupts receptor clustering, displayed markedly reduced interactions. Clustering motif peptides interacted with clathrin cages assembled in the presence or absence of AP2, with recombinant clathrin terminal domains, but not with clathrin hubs. The identification of terminal domains as the primary site of interaction for FXNPXY807 suggests that adaptor molecules are not required for receptor-mediated endocytosis of LDL, and that at least two different tyrosine-based internalization motifs exist for clustering receptors in coated pits.
A Protocol for Cryoprecipitate Production

A three-year contract research program to study the production of cryoprecipitate has been completed. The investigators hare collaborated to propose changes in the methods of production of cryoprecipitate. The investigators believe that the problem of low and variable yield of cryoprecipitate can be overcome and cryoprecipitate can be produced which contains, on an average, at least 100 Factor VIII units in nearly every bag. It is emphasized that breaches of technique and time delays in cryoprecipitate processing must be scrupulously avoided to achieve optimum, standardized yields.
Severe Chronic Isosporosis: An Early Clinical Indicator of Immunosuppressive Disease in a Patient with HTLV-1

Isospora belli is known to cause diarrhea in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of severe isosporosis in a patient with previously undiagnosed human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) and T-cell lymphoma. This illustrates the disease association of isosporosis and HTLV-1, establishing severe isosporosis as a possible early indicator of immunosuppression. doi:10.4021/jmc775w
Reproductive risk: high mortality associated with spawning by horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) in Delaware Bay, USA

It has been presumed that intertidal spawning by Limulus polyphemus minimizes the loss of egges to subtidal predators; however, this strategy involves considerable risks. Massive beach strandings of adults accompany seasonal spawning migrations of crabs along Cape May in Delaware Bay, (USA). At least 190000 horseshoe crabs, approximating 10% of the adult population, died from beach stranding along the New Jersey shore of Delaware Bay during the 1986 (May to June) spawning season. Abnormalities of the telson (which is used in righting behavior) were significantly more common among stranded crabs than among individuals actively spawning on the intertidal beach. The number of stranded crabs per day was not correlated with tidal height or environmental variables (wind speed, wave height) which characterized the conditions at spawning. A complex suite of factors, including the size of the available spawning population, tidal and weather conditions, and beach slope, influence the number stranded during the breeding season. Horseshoe crab stranding results in a large loss of gravid females from the population, and may represent a major input of organic matter to intertidal sandy beaches in certain regions of Delaware Bay.
Martian magnetic paleopoles : A geostatistical approach

[1] Various attempts have been made to locate magnetic paleopoles on Mars by modeling individual magnetic field anomalies. In this study, a quite different approach, based on geostatistics, is taken. Discreet magnetic sources form magnetic doublet anomalies in the magnetic field that tend to align with the horizontal direction of magnetization. A semivariogram of radial field polarities on Mars indicates that magnetic field anomalies of opposite polarity tend to be separated by 14°. This phenomenon is interpreted to be due to the presence of magnetic doublet anomalies in the field. Accordingly, the autocovariances of the field polarity along longitudinal lines relative to over 1000 trial paleopole locations were examined. Magnetic paleopoles within about 50° of (230°E, 17°N) and (50°E, 17°S) were found to best explain the geostatistical structure of the polarity of the martian magnetic field.
Primary Input Vectors to Avoid in Random Test Sequences for Synchronous Sequential Circuits

Random test sequences may be used for manufacturing testing as well as for simulation-based design verification. This paper studies one of the reasons for the fact that random primary input sequences achieve very low fault coverage for synchronous sequential circuits. It is shown that a synchronous sequential circuit may have input cubes, or incompletely specified input vectors, that synchronize a subset of its state variables, i.e., it forces them to certain specified values. When an input cube c that synchronizes the subset of state variables S(c) has a small number of specified inputs, the input vectors covered by it may appear often in a random primary input sequence. As a result, the sequence will force the same values on the state variables in S(c) repeatedly. This may limit the fault coverage that the sequence can obtain. To address this issue, a procedure is described for modifying a random primary input sequence to eliminate the appearance of input vectors that synchronize subsets of state variables. It is demonstrated that this procedure has a significant effect on the fault coverage that can be achieved by random primary input sequences.
Limitations of concurrency in transaction processing

Given the pairwise probability of conflict p among transactions in a transaction processing system, together with the total number of concurrent transactions n, the effective level of concurrency E(n,p) is defined as the expected number of the n transactions that can run concurrently and actually do useful work. Using a random graph model of concurrency, we show for three general classes of concurrency control methods, examples of which are (1) standard locking, (2) strict priority scheduling, and (3) optimistic methods, that (1) E(n, p) l n(1 - p/2)n-1, (2) E(n, p) l (1 - (1 - p)n)/p, and (3) 1 + ((1 - p)/p)ln(p(n - 1) + 1) l E(n, p) l 1 + (1/p)ln(p(n - 1) + 1). Thus, for fixed p, as n r ∞), (1) E r 0 for standard locking methods, (2) E l 1/p for strict priority scheduling methods, and (3) E r ∞ for optimistic methods. Also found are bounds on E in the case where conflicts are analyzed so as to maximize E.The predictions of the random graph model are confirmed by simulations of an abstract transaction processing system. In practice, though, there is a price to pay for the increased effective level of concurrency of methods (2) and (3): using these methods there is more wasted work (i.e., more steps executed by transactions that are later aborted). In response to this problem, three new concurrency control methods suggested by the random graph model analysis are developed. Two of these, called (a) running priority and (b) older or running priority, are shown by the simulation results to perform better than the previously known methods (l)-(3) for relatively large n or large p, in terms of achieving a high effective level of concurrency at a comparatively small cost in wasted work.
OprG Harnesses the Dynamics of its Extracellular Loops to Transport Small Amino Acids across the Outer Membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

OprG is an outer membrane protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa whose function as an antibiotic-sensitive porin has been controversial and not well defined. Circumstantial evidence led to the proposal that OprG might transport hydrophobic compounds by using a lateral gate in the barrel wall thought to be lined by three conserved prolines. To test this hypothesis and to find the physiological substrates of OprG, we reconstituted the purified protein into liposomes and found it to facilitate the transport of small amino acids such as glycine, alanine, valine, and serine, which was confirmed by Pseudomonas growth assays. The structures of wild-type and a critical proline mutant were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance in dihexanoyl-phosphatidylcholine micellar solutions. Both proteins formed eight-stranded β-barrels with flexible extracellular loops. The interfacial prolines did not form a lateral gate in these structures, but loop 3 exhibited restricted motions in the inactive P92A mutant but not in wild-type OprG.
A Review of: “Matthew Albright. Profits Pending: How Life Patents Represent the Biggest Swindle of the 21st Century”

It is hard not to be drawn in by the shocking claim that appears on the back cover of the book, “Somebody owns your genes.” Admittedly, the claim is misleading. As one discovers within the book, th...
Desiccation Tolerance in Mosses

To gain a full understanding of stress-inducible processes in plants, especially at the cellular level, it is often of major benefit to develop simple model plants for study. This is especially true if one is interested in how plants tolerate extremely stressful conditions that impact directly on the protoplasm of individual cells, e.g., desiccation. In addition, many crop species have little capacity for abiotic stress tolerance and thus the genetic information necessary for expanding their tolerance may not be present or exploitable. Model plants that exhibit stress-tolerant traits are useful tools for elucidating the processes involved in tolerance and may provide unique genetic material that can impact breeding programs for improved crop stress management.
1.5 to 0.87 [micro sign]m optical upconversion device fabricated by wafer fusion

A 1.5 to 0.87 µm wavelength optical upconversion device fabricated by wafer fusion is proposed and demonstrated. The device consists of an In0.53Ga0.47As/InP pin photodetector and a GaAs/AlGaAs light emitting diode, which were grown separately and wafer bonded together. The internal upconversion quantum efficiency is measured to be 18% at room temperature.
Role of renal nerves in maintaining sodium balance in unrestrained conscious rats

This study was designed to investigate the effects of bilateral renal denervation on sodium and water balance, the renin-angiotensin system, and systemic blood pressure in unrestrained conscious rats maintained on a normal- or low-sodium diet. Renal denervation was proven by chemical and functional tests. Both bilaterally denervated rats (n = 18) and sham-denervated rats (n = 15) maintained positive sodium balance while on a normal sodium intake. Both groups were in negative sodium balance for 1 day after dietary sodium restriction was instituted but were in positive sodium balance for the following 9 days. Systolic blood pressure was higher in sham-denervated (115 +/- 3 mmHg) than in denervated rats (102 +/- 3 mmHg) while on a normal diet (P less than 0.05) and remained so during sodium restriction. Plasma renin concentration (PRC) and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) were significantly diminished in the denervated rats during normal sodium intake (P less than 0.05). After dietary sodium restriction, PRC increased in both groups but remained significantly lower in the denervated rats (P less than 0.05). Following dietary sodium restriction, PAC also increased significantly to levels that were similar in both groups of rats. These results demonstrate that awake unrestrained growing rats can maintain positive sodium balance on a low sodium intake even in the absence of the renal nerves. However, efferent renal nerve activity influenced plasma renin activity in these animals.
Finding Examples at Home: Cato, Curius Dentatus, and the Origins of Roman Literary Exemplarity

This article explores the early history of Roman exemplary literature through the case study of the elder Cato’s account of his imitation of the parsimony and self-sufficiency of M’. Curius Dentatus. I reconstruct from Cicero, Plutarch, and other sources a Catonian prose text that unified the exemplary narrative of Curius’ refusal of a bribe from Samnite emissaries with an evocative location at the hearth of a humble Sabine farmstead, an approving “audience” in Cato himself, and a model for the replication of Curius’ virtue. The narrative itself served as the monumentum for the exemplum, and its details are often evoked in place of the exemplary deed itself. I argue that this narrative is both a very early instance of exemplary literature and a self-conscious reflection on the power of literature to transcend temporal and spatial limitations and to extend cultural models for the familial replication of elite virtues to a broader audience.
A Systematic Approach to Hardware Qualification

A systematic approach for the development of a hardware qualification approach is described. This approach stems from the need to address the "Catch-22" of not flying new technology because it has not flown. A physics of failure approach is used to identify failure modes, and the impact and likelihood of these failures on the mission requirements is plotted in a Requirements Matrix. These same failure modes are plotted against the effectiveness of the available preventions, analyses, control, and tests (PACTs) at screening for, or eliminating, these failure modes in a test effectiveness matrix. Matrix multiplication results in a ranked set of PACTs that can be sorted according to cost and redundancy with other PACTs. This and other information resulting from the process allows project managers to make more informed decisions regarding the cost and risk tradeoffs inherent in any qualification program.
An Investigation of the Control Graph: Influence in a Staff Organization

IN COMPLEX modern corporations the control of activities is formally assigned to various positions or offices in the hierarchical structure. The power which a particular occupant can exercise is only partially determined by the amount of control assigned him. As French,' and Simon2 have noted, the power of an individual may have other bases as well, such as attraction and expertness. In any bureaucratic structure, then, people and groups at the same organizational level actually differ in the amount of control they can exert. Organizational charts, which are frequently used to represent formal control relationships, fail to portray these differences. A new method for graphically describing the control structures of organizations has been developed. In this method control graphs are generated from the reports of members of an organization of their perceptions of the influence possessed by various levels. A number of characteristics of the control graph have been examined in four union locals by Tannenbaum and Kahn,3 and in two industrial plants by Tannenbaum and Georgopoulos.4 The present research extends the control graph method to a study of the control structure of a staff division in a large company. The objectives were to examine: (1) the structure of influence in the division as seen by all of the respondents, (2) the congruity of perceptions of the influence structure by respondents at different organizational levels, (3) the ability of the method to differentiate among different substructures in an organization, and (4) the relationships among various components of influence and levels of satisfaction.
The Effect of Different Protein Levels on the Reproductive Performance of Rex Rabbit

24 healthy doe rex rabbits whose age,body weight were basically the same,were randomly divided into control group and A、B、C treatment groups.Each group was fed with the diet of protein level which were 15%,16%,18% and 20% respectively.The result showed that:diffent protein levels had no effect on litter size and litter weight at birth,and the groups were no significant difference(P0.05),but significant effect on lactation and weaned litter weight(P0.05).Compared with the control group,lactation and weaned litter weight in group B increased by 47.6% and 1573.42g respectively,and there were significant different(P 0.05).There were no significant difference in weaned litter and the rate of weaning survival in each group(P 0.05).In weaning weight,group A and B were significantly higher than the control group(P0.05),compared with the control group increased by 30.9% and 47.4% respectively.Group B was significantly higher than group A(P0.05),increased by 12.6%.Group C and control group had no significant difference(P0.05).
Utility of sedation for young children undergoing dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scans.

No studies have examined whether use of sedation during a Tc-99 m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan reduces patient discomfort. To compare discomfort level during a DMSA scan to the discomfort level during other frequently performed uroradiologic tests, and to determine whether use of sedation during a DMSA scan modifies the level of discomfort. We examined the discomfort level in 798 children enrolled in the Randomized Intervention for children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) and Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation (CUTIE) studies by asking parents to rate their child’s discomfort level with each procedure on a scale from 0 to 10. We compared discomfort during the DMSA scan and the DMSA image quality between centers in which sedation was used >90% of the time (sedation centers), centers in which sedation was used <10% of the time (non-sedation centers), and centers in which sedation was used on a case-by-case basis (selective centers). Mean discomfort level was highest for voiding cystourethrogram (6.4), followed by DMSA (4.0), followed by ultrasound (2.4; P<0.0001). Mean discomfort level during the DMSA scan was significantly higher at non-sedation centers than at selective centers (P<0.001). No difference was apparent in discomfort level during the DMSA scan between sedation centers and selective centers (P=0.12), or between the sedation centers and non-sedation centers (P=0.80). There were no differences in the proportion with uninterpretable DMSA scans according to sedation use. Selective use of sedation in children 12–36 months of age can reduce the discomfort level experienced during a DMSA scan.
Development of an Interactive Media Tutorial: Tools, Techniques, and Workflow

This paper describes the developmental process used to produce the interactive media tutorial, Presentation Authoring. An overarching goal that guided the design and development of this interactive media presentation was that it would self-exemplify the visual design principles that it espoused. This paper details the hardware and software used to develop the tutorial and the workflow used to realize the design in practice.
Severe Fractures and Pediatric Orthopedic Trauma in Disasters and Mass Casualties

Trauma is the most common cause of death in pediatric patients greater than 1 year of age [1]. Mortality rates of up to 20 % can be expected in polytraumatized patients. The greatest share of morbidity and mortality is due to injuries to the brain and musculoskeletal system [1]. The assumption should be made at the outset that the child will make a full recovery, and medical and surgical treatment decisions made with future rehabilitation in mind.
CyberProf - An Intelligent Human-Computer Interface for Interactive Instruction on the World Wide Web

Advances in computer technology and the human-computer interface have created a wealth of new opportunities for the development of computer-based instruction and intelligent tutoring systems. Unfortunately, much of the material currently available amounts to little more than "electronic books," in which learning is still accomplished by reading text and viewing two dimensional images. This paper describes the features of CyberProf - an interactive, World Wide Web-based teaching system developed at the University of Illinois. Using CyberProf, instructors can create on-line lecture notes that include equations, animations, and graphics; write online interactive homework problems; communicate with students using CyberProf’s Web-based conferencing system; survey students in order to receive feedback on course material; and record student grades in CyberProf’s online gradebook. Students can review lecture notes 24 hours a day; complete homework problems on the Web and receive immediate intelligent feedback to their answers; use the conferencing system to post questions to their instructor, teaching assistants, and peers; and review their grades in the class at any time.
Eliminating health disparities in cancer clinical trials: The EDICT project

B12 In 1993 the NIH Revitalization Act was enacted, and it requires applicants for federal research funding to provide a strategy for inclusion of people of diverse racial and ethnic origin and women into clinical trials. In spite of the Revitalization Act, current research indicates that underrepresented groups are still not adequately represented in cancer clinical trials. According to the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups, 89% of participants enrolled in NCI clinical trials between January 2003 and June 2005 were white. In addition to the clear emphasis of the Belmont Report on equity and justice in both burdens and benefits of clinical research, social justice has not been achieved when it comes to inclusion of the underrepresented in cancer clinical trials. Without adequate representation of these populations in clinical trials, researchers cannot learn about differences in safety and efficacy between groups and cannot ensure generalization of scientific results. This also contributes to health disparities by keeping the newest techniques and drugs out of the reach of the disadvantaged groups. This concern for the overwhelming underrepresentation of diverse groups in cancer clinical trials specifically, has led to the development of the EDICT (Eliminating Disparities in Clinical Trials ) Project*, a joint project between Baylor College of Medicine and the Intercultural Cancer Council. The EDICT mission is to address problems and solutions related to improving the participation of minority and underserved populations in clinical trials. The underlying premise of the EDICT Project is the need for a change in how we design and oversee clinical research so that there is accountability and enforcement for equitable inclusion in clinical trials, and fostering research design which takes into account not only equitable participant accrual, but also differential plans for retention of underrepresented populations. One early focus of EDICT has been policy research, while ongoing EDICT field demonstration research will test the effect of various interventions on participant accrual and retention rates in clinical trials when applied to underrepresented populations, as compared to no intervention. It is anticipated that the outcomes of the EDICT Project will benefit all of the underserved, whether the reason for underrepresentation be race, ethnicity, elderly status or rural domicile. * Funded by Genentech, Inc.
Response Elimination among Chronic Psychiatric Patients: Extinction versus Omission Training

In order to compare the response-elimination capability of extinction training and omission training, 10 chronic psychiatric inpatients were trained to perform a positively reinforced response then were shifted to one procedure or the other. Extinction training was clearly more efficient in decelerating responding than was omission training. This unusual result was explained, tentatively, with reference to additional data which suggested that reinforcements during omission training functioned as response-producing discriminative stimuli for the chronic psychiatric population.
Messages From the Milieu: Classroom Instruction and Context Influences on Elementary School Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Behaviors

This study addressed questions about the relations among teacher instructional interactions, classroom environmental contexts, and students’ subsequent self-regulated learning behaviors in upper el...
Hidradenitis suppurativa and diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background The relationship between hidradenitis suppurativa and diabetes mellitus is not well understood. Objective To compare the prevalence of diabetes mellitus between patients with and without hidradenitis suppurativa. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, which included primary observational studies that reported the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, LILACS, and Scielo databases from 1947 to June 13, 2017. A random effects model for pooled odds ratio was used for data analysis. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plot and the Egger test. Results The systematic review included 107,050 patients from 14 studies; the meta-analysis included 104,373 patients from 7 studies. On the basis of meta-analysis, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 10.6% in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and 3.8% in patients without hidradenitis suppurativa. Compared with the general population, patients with hidradenitis suppurativa were nearly 3 times more likely to have diabetes mellitus (pooled odds ratio, 2.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.79-4.31). Limitations We were restricted by the quantity and quality of available data. Conclusion Hidradenitis suppurativa is significantly associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus.
Beyond a Minimal Basis

This chapter initiates a path beyond orthodoxy by analyzing the practices of physics, rather than idealized theories. It focuses on the roles of mathematics and symmetry principles in extending beyond the limits of Bohrian semantics. Quantum electrodynamics illustrates the interrelation of formal and informal inferences in interpreting correction terms to the Lamb shift and the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron and muon. These calculations show the necessity of including virtual processes in any account of the quantum realm. The standard model of particle physics relies on local gauge invariance and on symmetry principles as postulations not sanctione4d by orthodox quantum mechanics or algebraic quantum field theory. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the distinctive features of quantum systems: superposition, interference, distributed probability, and entanglement.
Microphotometry-Computer Classification of Objective-Prism Spectra

Three-dimensional classification of late-type stars is obtained through computer-processed digitized microphotometer data. Plate transmissions are converted to relative intensity through spot-sensitometer calibration data. A pseudo-continuum consisting of several straight-line segments is formed by connecting high points in the spectrum. Absorption-line strengths and line ratios are then measured. The temperature-and-luminosity-sensitive ratios are relatively insensitive to seeing effects. For plates with a dispersion of 108 A mm−1, preliminary results indicate an accuracy in derived absolute magnitude comparable to, and possibly better than, that of MK classification.
Amino Acid Scoring Systems and their Role in the Estimation of the Protein Quality of Cereals

Cereals provide much of the protein in the diets of many areas of the world thus their protein quality is an important issue. It is however now more widely recognised that the protein value of the diet as a whole is of greater consequence than that of the individual proteins. While the concept of protein quality appears at first sight to be self-evident, it is difficult to define precisely since many factors beyond amino acid composition affect the capacity of a protein to meet the amino acid and nitrogen needs of the consumer. Nevertheless amino acid composition of proteins and/or dietaries in relation to human amino acid requirements, often termed protein scoring, has become the basis of chemical procedures used to measure protein quality. Several factors however limit the usefulness of protein scoring for the evaluation of protein quality. These include the facts that amino acid and protein requirements vary with age and physiological status of the consumer, digestibility and amino acid availability affect utilization, controversy still exists on the reliability and reproductibility of amino acid analysis in foodstuffs and finally that there is still no universal agreement on the standards with which amino acid composition should be compared. Several scoring systems have been devised and the derivation of the major scoring systems developed over the last four decades is described. The latest from FAO/WHO/UNU now advocates four different patterns depending on the age of the consumer. It is concluded that provided limitations are recognized and care is taken in interpretation, amino acid composition, especially with digestibility, may be used to predict the protein value of foods and dietaries with sufficient accuracy to meet all practical needs
Building a scalable diabetic limb preservation program: four steps to success.

Over the past generation, limb preservation programs and diabetic foot services have begun to proliferate within academic health science centers as well as within health-care systems in general. We describe four key components for a successful program that, developed sequentially with temporal overlap, can allow the program to scale. The first component includes establishment of a ‘hot foot line’ for urgent emergency department/inpatient referral. The second includes development of a wound-healing clinic to address outpatient care through to remission. The third component focuses on the diabetic foot in remission to maximize ulcer-free days following healing. The fourth and final component focuses on implementation of local and widespread screening clinics to identify and triage patients into appropriate therapeutic and surveillance programs for healing, remission, and primary prevention. Along with developing each of these components, we describe discrete methods to quantify success.
Effect of High-Deductible Insurance on High-Acuity Outcomes in Diabetes: A Natural Experiment for Translation in Diabetes (NEXT-D) Study

OBJECTIVE High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are now the predominant commercial health insurance benefit in the U.S. We sought to determine the effects of HDHPs on emergency department and hospital care, adverse outcomes, and total health care expenditures among patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We applied a controlled interrupted time–series design to study 23,493 HDHP members with diabetes, aged 12–64, insured through a large national health insurer from 2003 to 2012. HDHP members were enrolled for 1 year in a low-deductible (≤$500) plan, followed by 1 year in an HDHP (≥$1,000 deductible) after an employer-mandated switch. Patients transitioning to HDHPs were matched to 192,842 contemporaneous patients whose employers offered only low-deductible coverage. HDHP members from low-income neighborhoods ( n = 8,453) were a subgroup of interest. Utilization measures included emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and total (health plan plus member out-of-pocket) health care expenditures. Proxy health outcome measures comprised high-severity emergency department visit expenditures and high-severity hospitalization days. RESULTS After the HDHP transition, emergency department visits declined by 4.0% (95% CI −7.8, −0.1), hospitalizations fell by 5.6% (−10.8, −0.5), direct (nonemergency department–based) hospitalizations declined by 11.1% (−16.6, −5.6), and total health care expenditures dropped by 3.8% (−4.3, −3.4). Adverse outcomes did not change in the overall HDHP cohort, but members from low-income neighborhoods experienced 23.5% higher (18.3, 28.7) high-severity emergency department visit expenditures and 27.4% higher (15.5, 39.2) high-severity hospitalization days. CONCLUSIONS After an HDHP switch, direct hospitalizations declined by 11.1% among patients with diabetes, likely driving 3.8% lower total health care expenditures. Proxy adverse outcomes were unchanged in the overall HDHP population with diabetes, but members from low-income neighborhoods experienced large, concerning increases in high-severity emergency department visit expenditures and hospitalization days.
Complications after robot-assisted radical cystectomy with urinary diversion: New approach same old foe

Roughly, 25% of patients who have radical cystectomy will experience a major complication event within the first 3 months to a year from this procedure and there is a 2% mortality rate that increases to about 5% by the eighth decade of life. Mortality rates are affected by how frequently a radical cystectomy with urinary diversion is performed at a given hospital and by whom. Morbidity events are most often related to the urinary reconstruction, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), pyelonephritis, urinary leaks, strictures of the ureter, and chronic renal failure. Long-term studies have not demonstrated a plateau effect, and consequently delayed complications remain possible for the diverted patient. A positive surgical margin may also be considered a complication, as subsequent radiation and/or chemotherapy does not appear to salvage these cases. Case series from a handful of expert centers (i.e., level 4 evidence) have only demonstrated comparable complication rates (20–30%) for robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) compared to open approaches. Therefore, despite its minimally invasive potential, we must limit our expectations and biases that robotics will reduce the high rates from the gold standard open surgery. The lack of overwhelming patient-driven self-selection toward robotics (unlike for prostate cancer) may allow the environment for a properly conduced randomized clinical trial to demonstrate a difference in effectiveness – either with duration of recovery, and/or the impact of complications.
Abstract #313: Effect of intermittent fasting on prostate cancer tumor growth in a mouse model

Introduction: Caloric restriction is a well established approach to slow tumor growth in animal models. However, this approach is limited in humans due to poor compliance with weight loss regiments. Therefore, we previously investigated intermittent fasting (i.e. intermittent severe caloric restriction) as a means to slow prostate cancer growth in a xenograft model. In our pilot study, we found trends for mice that were fasted 2 days/week and fed ad libitum the other 5 days to have delayed tumor growth while maintaining normal body weight. Herein we sought to validate these findings using a larger sample size and better powered study. Methods: One Hundred male SCID mice (~8 weeks old) were subcutaneously implanted with 1x105 LAPC-4 cells. All mice were initially fed ad libitum Western diet (40% calories from fat; 45% from simple carbohydrates). When tumor volumes reached 200 mm3, mice were randomized to ad libitum feeding or intermittent fasting 2 days/week with ad libitum feeding on the non-fasting days. To date, 32 mice have been randomized to ad libitum feeding and 31 to intermittent fasting. Mice body weights and tumor volumes were measured twice per week. At the conclusion of each fasting day and prior to refeeding, urinary ketone levels for both ad libitum fed and fasted mice were measured. Comparisons of body weight and tumor volumes between groups were performed using the rank sum test. Results: By day 14 after randomization (longest point of follow-up to date), there was no difference in body weights (p=0.81) or tumor volumes (p=0.24) between ad libitum fed and intermittently fasted mice. Intermittently fasted mice were initially ketotic on day 0 after randomization with moderate (~40ng/ml) levels of post-fasting ketonuria. However, by Day 14 after randomization, post-fasting urine ketone levels had decreased to trace levels (~5ng/ml). Ad libitum fed mice had trace to no detectable urinary ketone levels at any time point ( Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 313.
Synthesis, Structure, Photophysical Properties, and Photostability of Benzodipyrenes

This work explores the syntheses, structures, photophysical properties, and photostability of benzodipyrenes (BDPs). BDPs were synthesized through an InCl3 -AgNTf2 -catalyzed, four-fold alkyne benzannulation reaction. The structures of BDP 4 a and its corresponding endoperoxide product were unambiguously confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The BDPs reported here can also be recognized as peri- and cata-benzannulated pentacenes with a non-functionalized central ring. Unlike the previous reported pentacene-based polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the absorbances of the BDPs were blueshifted by ca. 40 nm relative to pentacene, even after extension of π-conjugation. The newly synthesized BDP products exhibit relatively good stability with half-lives as high as 4612 min in THF.
Older Adults and Parents of Young Children Have Different Handling Practices for Raw Poultry.

ABSTRACT Salmonella and Campylobacter are among the most common causes of foodborne disease in the United States. Most illnesses are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry or cross-conta...
PiecewiseL-splines

Leta=x 0<x 1<...<x N =b be a partition of the interval [a, b] and letL be a normalm-th order linear differential operator. The purpose of this note is to point out that spline functions in one variable need not be excluded to piecewise fits of functions belonging to the null spaceN(L * L) on each closed subinterval [x i,x i+1], 0≤i≤n-1 but may be extended to piecewise fits of functions belonging toN(L i * L i) on each subinterval [x i,x i+1] provided theL i's are selected from a uniformly bounded family of normal linear differential operators. Furthermore when theL i's are so selected one obtains the usual integral relations and error estimates obtained for splines [2, 8 and 9] including the extended error estimates obtained by Swartz and Varga [10].
A Survey of Team Members’ Perceptions of Coaching Activities Related to Tier 1 SWPBIS Implementation:

Coaching is an important component in multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) such as school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS), but little is known about which coaching ac...
First report of using low‐titer cold‐stored type O whole blood in massive postpartum hemorrhage

Background In cases of massive hemorrhage in the US military, improved outcomes have been reported with the use of warm, fresh whole blood transfusions. Cold-stored low-titer type O whole blood (LTOWB) has become the preferred product for resuscitation of severe bleeding in deployed surgical units. Reports of LTOWB use in civilian trauma are becoming more frequent. Case report We report our experience with emergency transfusion of LTOWB for a woman with massive postpartum hemorrhage. The patient had two previous cesarean section deliveries at term without complications. With her third elective cesarean section at term, blood loss during surgery was not excessive, but 3 to 4 hours later she had an estimated blood loss of 3600 mL. Despite measures to control the hemorrhage, she rapidly became hypotensive and tachycardic, and our massive transfusion protocol (MTP) was activated. The transfusion service had very recently incorporated LTOWB into Trauma Pack 1 of the MTP. She received two LTOWB units, after which her hemorrhaging ceased, blood pressure normalized, and she became alert. One hour later she received one unit of fresh frozen plasma and one unit of red blood cells (RBCs). The following morning she received one unit of crossmatched RBCs, for a hematocrit of 20.7%. She was discharged home on Day 4, and she remains healthy. Conclusions This is the first report of which we are aware of massive postpartum hemorrhage treated using LTOWB. Our positive experience leads us to speculate that this approach could have a role in massive obstetric hemorrhage.
Longitudinal bidirectional relations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms among Black adolescents: A cross-lagged panel analysis

Objective To assess the variation in body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms by weight status and the bi-directional relations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms by weight status among Black adolescents. Methods A sample of 153 Black adolescents aged 12–13 years, either overweight/obese (n = 57, 37%) or healthy weight (n = 96, 63%), were recruited and evaluated three times over two years (T1, T2 and T3). Measured weight and height were converted to age and sex-specific BMI z-score; body dissatisfaction was measured with silhouettes, and depressive symptoms were measured with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-I). Bidirectional relations were assessed with cross-lagged panel analyses, accounting for stability over time and contemporary correlations. Results Body dissatisfaction was higher among the overweight/obese group than the healthy weight group. No significant differences were found for depressive symptoms by weight status. Among the overweight/obese group, there were bidirectional relations: antecedent body dissatisfaction predicted subsequent depressive symptoms (T1-T2: β = 0.42, SE = 0.11, p<0.001; T2-T3: β = 0.36, SE = 0.09, p<0.001) and antecedent depressive symptoms predicted subsequent body dissatisfaction (T1-T2: β = 0.25, SE = 0.10, p = 0.012; T2-T3: β = 0.17, SE = 0.08, p = 0.045). Among the healthy weight group, there was no relation in either direction. Conclusions Elevated body dissatisfaction among the overweight/obese group supports weight-based stigma as a stressor among Black adolescents. The bidirectional relations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms among the overweight/obese group support the internalization of thinness idea and negative self-appraisal associated with depressive symptoms. Prevention of both body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms may be mutually beneficial among Black adolescents with overweight/obesity.
Women’s Voices and the Practice of Preaching

Nancy Lammers Gross writes as a Christian homiletician (a scholar and teacher of preaching) with 25 years of experience who has labored to both find and claim her own voice and to help many of her ...
Rectus-sparing approach to the periacetabular osteotomy in adolescents preserves hip flexion strength

Abstract Purpose The classic periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) approach can result in hip flexor weakness in adolescents. The rectus-sparing approach (PAO-RS) preserves the origin of the rectus femori...
Camp Challenge: Program for Parents and Their Preschool Children with Visual Handicaps.

This community action program focuses on the critical need to provide services to the parents of preschool children with visual handicaps. Scheduling at the camp allows parents to attend lectures w...