cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimizing Peripandemic Care for Veteran Major Non-Traumatic Lower Extremity Amputees: A Proposal Informed by a National Retrospective Descriptive Analysis of COVID-19 Risk Factor Prevalence.

INTRODUCTION: In response to the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, vascular surgeons in the Veteran Affairs Health Care System have been undertaking only essential cases, such as advanced critical limb ischemia. Surgical risk assessment in these patients is often complex, considers all factors known to impact short- and long-term outcomes, and the additional risk that COVID-19 infection could convey in this patient population is unknown. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published risk factors (ECDC-RF) implicated in increased COVID-19 hospitalization and case-fatality which have been further evidenced by initial reports from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC reports additionally indicate that African American (AA) patients have incurred disparate infection outcomes in the United States. We set forth to survey the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) database over a nearly 20 year span to inform ongoing risk assessment with an estimation of the prevalence of ECDC-RF in our veteran critical limb ischemia population and investigate whether an increased COVID-19 comorbidity burden exists for AA veterans presenting for major non-traumatic amputation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The VASQIP database was queried for all above knee amputation (AKA) and below knee amputation (BKA) completed 1999-2018 after IRB approval (MIRB:#02507). Patient race and ECDC-RF including male gender, age > 60 years, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease were recorded from preoperative patient history. AKA and BKA cohorts were compared via χ2-test with Yates correction or unpaired t-test and a subgroup analysis was conducted between AA and all other race patients for COVID-19 comorbidities in each cohort. RESULTS: VASQIP query returned 50,083 total entries. Average age was 65.1 ± 10.4 years and 68.2 ± 10.5 years for BKA and AKA cohorts, respectively, (P < .0001) and nearly all patients were male (99%). At least one ECDC-RF comorbidity was present in 25,526 (88.7%) of BKA and 17,558 (82.4%) of AKA patients (P < .0001). AA BKA patients were significantly more likely than non-AA BKA patients to present with at least one ECDC-RF comorbidity (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: According to a large national Veterans Affairs database, there are high rates of ECDC-RF in veteran amputees. During the present crisis, management of these patients should incorporate telehealth, expedient discharge, and ongoing COVID-19 transmission precautions.
Thermus thermophilus Argonaute Functions in the Completion of DNA Replication.

Summary In many eukaryotes, Argonaute proteins, guided by short RNA sequences, defend cells against transposons and viruses. In the eubacterium Thermus thermophilus, the DNA-guided Argonaute TtAgo defends against transformation by DNA plasmids. Here, we report that TtAgo also participates in DNA replication. In vivo, TtAgo binds 15- to 18-nt DNA guides derived from the chromosomal region where replication terminates and associates with proteins known to act in DNA replication. When gyrase, the sole T. thermophilus type II topoisomerase, is inhibited, TtAgo allows the bacterium to finish replicating its circular genome. In contrast, loss of gyrase and TtAgo activity slows growth and produces long sausage-like filaments in which the individual bacteria are linked by DNA. Finally, wild-type T. thermophilus outcompetes an otherwise isogenic strain lacking TtAgo. We propose that the primary role of TtAgo is to help T. thermophilus disentangle the catenated circular chromosomes generated by DNA replication.
Abstract 117: Poly (i:c) Attenuates Myocardial I/R Injury via Glycolytic Dependent Yap Activation and by Suppression of MiR-143

Glycolytic metabolism plays a critical role in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The Yes associated protein (YAP) is a core effector of the Hippo pathway that regulates cell proliferation and apop...
Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue at Vatican II and in Its Aftermath: Charting the Way Forward

The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (1962–1965) is noted for having instituted a twofold dialogue—dialogue among the Christian Churches and dialogue between itself and other religions. This essay, historical and constructive in nature, first gives a brief overview of how the Catholic Church viewed non-Catholic Churches and other religions. It next presents Vatican II’s teaching on ecumenical unity, especially in its decree Unitatis Redintegratio, and the relations of the Catholic Church to non-Christian religions, especially in its declaration Nostra Aetate. Lastly, it suggests ways to go forward beyond the current impasse in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, especially under the papacy of Pope Francis.
Can Breast Implants Induce Breast Cancer Immunosurveillance? An Analysis of Antibody Response to Breast Cancer Antigen following Implant Placement.

Background Women with cosmetic breast implants have significantly lower rates of subsequent breast cancer than the general population (relative risk, 0.63; 95 percent CI, 0.56 to 0.71). The authors hypothesize that breast implant-induced local inflammation stimulates immunosurveillance recognition of breast tumor antigen. Methods Sera were collected from two cohorts of healthy women: women with long-term breast implants (i.e., breast implants for >6 months) and breast implant-naive women. Antibody responses to breast tumor antigens were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared between cohorts by unpaired t test. Of the implant-naive cohort, nine women underwent breast augmentation, and antibody responses before and after implant placement were compared by paired t test. Results Sera were collected from 104 women: 36 (34.6 percent) long-term breast implants and 68 (65.4 percent) implant-naive women. Women with long-term breast implants had higher antibody responses than implant-naive women to mammaglobin-A (optical density at 450 nm, 0.33 versus 0.22; p = 0.003) and mucin-1 (optical density at 450 nm, 0.42 versus 0.34; p = 0.02). There was no difference in antibody responses to breast cancer susceptibility gene 2, carcinoembryonic antigen, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, or tetanus. Nine women with longitudinal samples preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively demonstrated significantly elevated antibody responses following implant placement to mammaglobin-A (mean difference, 0.13; p = 0.0002) and mucin-1 (mean difference 0.08; p = 0.02). There was no difference in postimplant responses to other breast tumor antigens, or tetanus. Conclusions Women with long-term breast implants have higher antibody recognition of mammaglobin-A and mucin-1. This study provides the first evidence of implant-related immune responses to breast cancer antigens. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, V.
Primary central pulmonary artery plasty for right atrial isomerism with pulmonary coarctation

Objective Patients with unbalanced pulmonary artery growth resulting from pulmonary coarctation are considered unsuitable candidates for the Fontan procedure. Particularly, patients with right isomerism pose a challenge. We aimed to investigate the use of primary central pulmonary artery plasty at initial palliation in patients with right isomerism. Methods We recruited 34 right isomerism patients with pulmonary atresia and pulmonary coarctation who underwent modified Blalock-Taussig shunt with or without primary central pulmonary artery plasty between 1998 and 2014. We classified them into the primary central pulmonary artery plasty (group P) and no primary central pulmonary artery plasty (group N) groups. We retrospectively analyzed reintervention for pulmonary artery after initial palliation, difference in size between the left and right pulmonary arteries, overall survival, success of the Fontan procedure. Results The group P and group N included 25 and 9 patients, respectively. Five (20%) and six (67%) patients in group P and group N, respectively, required reintervention for pulmonary artery after initial palliation (p = 0.017). No patient underwent reintervention for the pulmonary artery before bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt in group P. There was a significant difference in the bilateral pulmonary artery size balance between the groups before bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt (p = 0.041). The two-lung Fontan procedure was successful in 14 (56%) and 1 (11%) patient in group P and group N. Conclusion Primary central pulmonary artery plasty may contribute toward improving the balance in the size of the PA and preclude the need for reintervention for PA.
Prenatal distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: clinical and research implications.

The objective of this study was to identify risk and protective factors related to general prenatal distress and COVID-19-specific prenatal distress to inform intervention targets among women pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study relied on data obtained from U.S. pregnant women (N = 701) who participated in the Perinatal Experiences and COVID-19 Effects (PEACE) Study from May 21 to October 3, 2020. The present cross-sectional study examined the potential risk and protective factors associated with different features of prenatal distress among U.S. pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately two-thirds of expectant mothers indicated being more stressed about going to the hospital because of COVID-19. Generalized anxiety and PTSD were associated with higher levels of general and COVID-19-specific prenatal distress. Depression symptoms were associated with higher general prenatal distress. Higher levels of distress tolerance were associated with lower levels of general prenatal distress (B = − 0.192, p < .001) and COVID-19-specific prenatal distress (B = − 0.089, p < .05). Higher levels of instrumental social support were marginally associated with lower COVID-19-specific prenatal distress (B = − 0.140, p < 0.1). Findings draw attention to prenatal distress experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including new types of distress arising from the pandemic itself. Women might benefit from the introduction of interventions such as mindfulness-based or relaxation therapy. Coverage of responsibilities and financial assistance is particularly needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limitations include a majority White and high socioeconomic sample. These findings provide specificity regarding potential targets for addressing prenatal distress.
Health Care Providers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices and the Association With Referrals to the National Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Change Program.

PURPOSE To examine how health care providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices affect their referrals to the National Diabetes Prevention Program. DESIGN Cross-sectional, self-report data from DocStyles-a web-based survey. SETTING USA. SAMPLE Practicing family practitioners, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and internists, n = 1,503. MEASURES Questions regarding health care providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices and their referrals to the National Diabetes Prevention Program. ANALYSIS Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to calculate predictive margins and the average marginal effect. RESULTS Overall, 15.2% of health care providers (n = 1,503) reported making a referral to the National Diabetes Prevention Program. Health care providers were more likely to make referrals if they were familiar with the program (average marginal effect = 36.0%, 95% CI: 29.1%, 42.8%), reported knowledge of its availability (average marginal effect=49.1%, 95% CI: 40.2%, 57.9%), believed it was important to make referrals to the program (average marginal effect = 20.7%, 95% CI: 14.4%, 27.0%), and used electronic health records to manage patients with prediabetes (average marginal effect = 9.1%, 95% CI: 5.4%, 12.7%). Health care providers' demographic characteristics had little to no association with making referrals. CONCLUSION Making referrals to the National Diabetes Prevention Program was associated with health care providers' knowledge of the program and its reported availability, their attitudes, and their use of the electronic health record system to manage patients with prediabetes.
Mathematical Sciences and The New Biology

IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, computing and biology stood out as areas of great scientific progress. Dramatic breakthroughs were reported in newspapers and popular magazines as well as in the more staid scientific literature. While this essay will touch briefly on some of these more familiar topics, the goal is to examine the intersection between the areas where computing and biology communicate. Mainly we will discuss applications of computing and the mathematical sciences to biology, but there are also applications of biology to computing and the mathematical sciences.
Crystal structure of 3-bromo-2-hy-droxy-benzo-nitrile.

The crystal structure of the title compound, C7H4BrNO, has been determined, revealing a partial mol­ecular packing disorder such that a 180° rotation of the mol­ecule about the phenol C—O bond results in disorder of the bromine and nitrile groups. The disorder has been parameterized as a disorder of only the bromine and nitrile substituents on a unique phenol ring. An intra­molecular O—H⋯Br contact occurs. In the crystal, O—H⋯Br/O—H⋯Nnitrile hydrogen bonding is present between the disordered bromine and nitrile substituents and the phenol group, forming a spiral chain about a twofold screw axis extending parallel to the b-axis direction. Within this spiral chain, the mol­ecules also inter­act, forming offset face-to-face π-stacking inter­actions with plane-to-centroid distance of 3.487 (1) A.
Dissonance Rising: Subversive Sound in Zhang Yimou's Raise the Red Lantern

This article presents an analysis of visual-acoustic dissonance inÂ Raise The Red Lantern ( DA HA³ng DA“nglA³ng GAogAo GuA , Zhang Yimou,Â 1991).Â Drawing upon Michel Foucault's discussion of the Panopticon, this study argues that the camera in this film represents a panoptic entity whose subversion can only be achieved by means outside the visual economy. Sound is that means; the aural regime works consistently to unhinge the balance of the optical machinery on both a thematic and cinematographic level. By coding the optical as a totalising and oppressive force, and subverting that force through various forms of visual-acoustic dissonance,Â Raise The Red Lantern unseats the traditionally dominant camera-image dyad, and presents a powerful rejection of the camera as the only life-giving force in an artistic medium that so privileges the visual.
Viva la brickOS

With the Lego Mindstorm Robotics Command eXplorer (RCX) and the brickOS operating system as our development environment we developed various programs using C/C++ for our Real-Time Systems course at the University. The RCX is a microcomputer equipped with motors, and a variety of sensors, including (but not limited to) light, touch, sound, and temperature.
The Effectiveness of the 2008-2010 Housing Tax Credit

Fiscal stimulus has been suggested as a tool to prevent excessive price declines by creating incentives to increase current demand. In 2008 and 2009 the U.S. Congress passed several housing tax credits to encourage activity in the residential real estate market. This paper examines the impact of the different housing tax credits on the demand for housing during the Great Recession. Using city level data we implement a differences - in - differences - in - differences methodology to isolate the impact of the tax credits on the price and quantity of housing transactions. We find that quantity was not perceptibly affected and that prices rose only temporarily. The results show no statistically significant difference in quantity sold during the credits from the periods before and after the credits. However, prices in affected housing markets rose $6,116 more than unaffected markets during the program. This price differential more than reverses, falling $6,470 after the expiration of the final tax credit program (which gave $6,500-8,000 to a broad class of homebuyers). The speed of these price movements is quick. The price rises during the first major tax credit, peaks during the subsequent and broadest credit, then drops back to pre-legislation levels within two months of the credit expiration.
Mutations at the Transit Peptide-Mature Protein Junction Separate Two Cleavage Events during Chloroplast Import of the Chlorophyll a/b-binding Protein

Abstract We have shown previously that during in vitro import into chloroplasts, the precursor of the major light-harvesting chlorphyll a/b-binding protein (LHCP) generated from a wheat gene gives rise to two mature forms (25 and approximately 26 kDa) which are inserted into the thylakoids. However, during incubation of the LHCP precursor with a chloroplast-soluble extract in an organelle-free processing reaction, the NH2 terminus is cleaved, yielding only a 25-kDa peptide. In the present study, mutations at the transit peptide-mature protein junction were introduced in the LHCP precursor to investigate the relationship between the two peptides and the determinants of proteolytic processing. Mutant p delta 3 lacks 3 amino acids including Met34 at the primary cleavage site thought to give rise to the 26-kDa peptide. It is still processed during import and in the organelle-free reaction yielding in both assays only a 25-kDa peptide. Mutant p + 4 has 4 amino acids inserted immediately after Met34 and a proline that disrupts the alpha-helix predicted by the Garnier-Osguthorpe-Robson method (Garnier, J., Osguthorpe, D. J., and Robson, B. (1978) J. Mol. Biol. 120, 97-120) to extend through this region. Although p + 4 is imported, it is inefficiently processed; both a 25- and 26-kDa peptide are found, but at least 60% of the imported precursor remains uncleaved. Less than 5% is processed in the organelle-free assay. Replacement of the predicted alpha-helix in the mutant p + 4 alpha restores processing upon import into the chloroplast, but this mutant, which also has a 4-amino acid insert, yields only a 26-kDa peptide. p + 4 alpha is not processed in the organelle-free reaction. These results provide evidence that the two forms of LHCP obtained during import are the result of independent processing at two cleavage sites: the first site at Met34, and a second approximately 10 amino acids downstream within what has been designated the NH2 terminus of the mature protein. Whereas p delta 3 has the first site removed but retains a functional second site, in p + 4 alpha only the first site, or one very near it, is accessible to the processing enzyme during import. The conditions of the organelle-free reaction are specific for processing at only the secondary site. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of the heterogeneity of LHCP in vivo.
Power output of scallop adductor muscle during contractions replicating the in vivo mechanical cycle

Because measurements on isolated skeletal muscles are often made with limited knowledge of in vivo kinematics, predictions of mechanical performance during natural movements are subject to considerable uncertainties. We used information on the in vivo length cycle and phase of activation of the scallop adductor during swimming at 10 degrees C to design an in vitro contractile regime that replicated the natural cycle. Replicating the in vivo length cycle and stimulation regime resulted in power output during cyclic contractions that matched in vivo performance both qualitatively and quantitatively. When sinusoidal length changes were used instead of the natural length trajectory, the adductor muscle produced a similar average power output (approximately 30 W kg-1 at 1.9 Hz), but the distribution of power throughout the cycles was quite different. We examined the instantaneous force-velocity properties during cyclic contractions and found that the muscle operated on or near its isotonic force-velocity curve for only 30-40% of the time required for shortening. During sinusoidal length cycles, the force-velocity trajectory was quite different. We conclude that during cyclic contractions the isotonic force-velocity curve of skeletal muscle sets an approximate boundary to the force-velocity trajectory, but the shape of this trajectory, and thus the distribution of power output, depends on the pattern of length change.
Electrochemistry of metalloflavin complexes in dimethylformamide

Abstract Electrochemical studies of a series of stable metalloflavin complexes in nonaqueous media are reported and compared to analogous work in water. While the effects of the nonaqueous media are not consistent, one general result is that both the flavin and metal ion reduction potentials are shifted negatively relative to their values in water. Coordination of Ru(II) at the N-5 site resolves the 1e-reduction processes of the flavin and strongly decreases the potential for addition of the second electron. The most striking result relative to studies performed in aqueous solution is the much larger separation of the two flavin reduction potentials. Results are discussed in light of their biological and catalytic significance.
The Microtechnical Demonstration of Sites of Lipase Activity.

SummaryLipase can be demonstrated microtechnically in paraffin sections of acetone-fixed tissues. The slides are incubated with a water-soluble ester of palmitic or stearic acid in the presence of CaC12. At the sites of lipase activity, the insoluble Ca palmitate or stearate precipitates can be visualized by transformation into the corresponding lead salts and subsequent blackening with H2S.
Constrained sheath optics for high thrust density, low specific impulse ion thrusters

The results of an experimental study showing that a contoured, fine wire mesh attached to the screen grid can be used to control the divergence characteristics of ion beamlets produced at low net-to-total accelerating voltage ratios are presented. The influence of free and constrained-sheath optics systems on beamlet divergence characteristics are found to be similar in the operating regime investigated, but it was found that constrained-sheath optics systems can be operated at higher perveance levels than free-sheath ones. The concept of a fine wire interference probe that can be used to study ion beamlet focusing behavior is introduced. This probe is used to demonstrate beamlet focusing to a diameter about one hundreth of the screen grid extraction aperture diameter. Additional testing is suggested to define an optimally contoured mesh that could yield well focused beamlets at net-to-total accelerating voltage ratios below about 0.1.
EFFECTS OF WATER AND MICROWAVE ENERGY PRECOOKING ON MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF CHICKEN PARTS

Hot water precooked chicken parts were consistently lower in bacterial count than the microwave energy cooked samples. The surviving bacteria on the hot water cooked samples belonged to either the genus Micrococcus or the genus Staphylococcus. All colonies were nonpigmented. However, in addition to those bacteria found on the water cooked samples, pigmented staphylococcus and occasionally Gram positive rods were present on the microwave energy cooked samples. Precooking chicken parts in hot 3% polyphosphates solution resulted in an almost sterile product. Polyphosphates were more effective in controlling the growth of micrococcus and staphylococcus, which were the principle microbial flora found on the surface of fresh dressed chicken.
Nest predation rates in managed and reserved extensive northern hardwood forests

Depredation rates on artificial ground and shrub nests in large blocks of managed and remote reserved northern hardwood forests were studied in the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) (303 930 ha) in New Hampshire, USA, from June to August 1991. Both types of nests were monitored by trip cameras that recorded depredations as eggs were removed. No differences in nest predation rates were found for either ground or shrub nests between managed and reserved forest blocks. Elevated nest predation rates are generally considered to be indicative of fragmented forest conditions; the results of this study suggest that extensive northern hardwood forests in northern New England are not fragmented by even-aged silviculture with clearcut regeneration, which is commonly used to manage northern hardwoods. All identified nest predators were mammals.
Approximation of the Overflow Process from a G/M/N/K Queueing System

The overflow process from a G/M/N/K queueing system with a stationary counting arrival process, Markovian service times, N parallel homogeneous servers, and K waiting spaces, is asymptotically approximated by a two parameter method. Numerical results are presented and approximation outcomes are compared against those from a simulation study.
Elastic electron scattering cross sections for Xe in the 1-100 eV impact energy region

Relative differential elastic scattering cross sections for Xe have been measured in the 1-100 eV impact energy and 10-146 degrees angular ranges. The data were subjected to phaseshift analysis, but the normalisation was achieved at each impact energy by utilising total electron scattering, ionisation and total excitation cross sections. Comparison is made with other recent experimental and theoretical results.
Device to Lift a Person From the Ground to Wheelchair Height

The goal of this project was to develop a device to assist a paraplegic or quadriplegic in moving from the floor to a wheelchair with the assistance of only one person. A collapsible and portable device resembling a chair into which the individual can be strapped was developed for this purpose. The device separates into four pieces: the high back, the right leg with an attached foot rest, the left leg with an attached seat, and the top handle. The right and left legs were curved. Two ratcheting rear legs are placed on the back side of the unit for additional support. The device and its components are shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively. The unit is collapsible into 40″ by 18″ as shown in Figure 3. During use, the client would lay on their side on the floor with their legs bent as if sitting in an imaginary chair. The unfolded and assembled chair would then be placed next to them and safety straps would be placed around the client’s chest, waist, and shins. The client and chair would then be rolled so that the client would be lying on their back. Once in this position, the assistant could lift the tall back of the chair to bring the client to an upright sitting position at wheelchair height.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Bipartite bithreshold graphs

Abstract A bithreshold graph G is the intersection of two threshold graphs T 1 and T 2 on the same vertex set such that every stable set of G is also a stable set of T 1 or T 2 . The complements of bithreshold graphs form an important subclass of the class of graphs of threshold dimension two. The complexity of recognizing the latter class remains open while the former subclass has a known O( n 4 )-recognition algorithm. We show that the vertex set of a bithreshold graph partitions into a clique and a set inducing a bipartite graph. We characterize the class of bipartite bithreshold graphs as the union of five classes of graphs with explicit description and also by eleven forbidden induced subgraphs. We use this to obtain an O( n 2 )-recognition algorithm for bipartite bithreshold graphs.
In Situ AES Characterization of Rotating Electrical Contacts

The electrical contact resistance and surface chemical composition of a rotating copper slip ring in contact with two wire brushes were investigated in situ under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions as a function of the number of revolutions of the slip ring. The initial surface of the copper slip ring was examined by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) techniques and found to be almost completely covered by surface impurities largely consisting of carbon. As the slip ring was rotated in contact with the brushes, the impurity concentration declined sharply to less than ten at% after several hundred revolutions. A corresponding decrease in electrical contact resistance and a sharp increase in friction and wear were also observed. Regardless of polarity, the brush with the higher contact pressure had the lower contact resistance. The in situ experiments were terminated when the motor turning the slip ring could no longer overcome the adhesive forces between the brushes and slip ring. Subsequent scanning electron microscopy observations of the brush and slip ring surfaces gave supplementary information on the mechanisms of friction, wear and surface cleaning during rotation. For a given experiment the change in contact resistance during rotation divided by the change in impurity concentration on the surface of the slip ring is approximately the same for the positive and negative interfaces. This parallelism of contact resistance and surface impurity concentration suggests that the former is caused to a significant extent by the latter. Since the surface impurities are mostly carbon atoms, it is concluded that carbon impurities are largely responsible for the observed contact resistance.
A microculture syncytia assay for bovine leukemia virus

A microculture syncytia assay for the detection of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) has been described and compared with the conventional macroculture assay. The microculture assay required fewer indicator cells, was as sensitive as the macroculture assay and provided a reproducible test for the detection and titration of BLV.
Measurement of developmental changes in plasma insulin-like growth factor-I levels of broiler chickens by radioreceptor assay and radioimmunoassay

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and growth hormone (GH) during embryonic and posthatching development of broiler chickens. Two heterologous assays were validated for measurement of IGF-I in chicken and turkey plasma. A radioreceptor assay (RRA), utilizing microsomal membranes prepared from human placenta, was modified and validated for measurement of IGF peptide (mainly IGF-I). A double-antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA) was validated for measurement of immunoreactive IGF-I levels in chicken and turkey plasma. In both assay systems, recombinant-derived human IGF-I was used for standards and trace hormone. Hypophysectomy in turkey poults reduced plasma levels of IGF (RRA) by 35% and IGF-I (RIA) by 59% as compared to intact control turkeys. In Experiment 1, 14 chicken embryos were bled at 15, 17, 19, and 21 days of incubation and at 1 week of age to determine plasma levels of IGF-I and GH. Plasma IGF levels (RRA) remained constant during late incubation, but increased significantly (P less than 0.05) at 1 week of age. Plasma IGF-I levels (RIA) declined 2 days before hatching; however, plasma levels of IGF-I were sharply elevated (P less than 0.05) at 1 week of age. Plasma GH concentrations were low in embryos and were greatly elevated (P less than 0.05) at hatching (21 days of incubation) and at 1 week of age. In Experiment 2, 12 different broiler cockerels were weighed and then bled by cardiac puncture each week from hatching (1 day of age) to 7 weeks of age. The plasma profiles of IGF, IGF-I, GH, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) were each compared to relative growth rate by analysis of covariance. Plasma IGF and IGF-I levels increased progressively from 0 to 3 weeks of age and were maintained in a plateau from 3 to 7 weeks of age. Plasma GH levels reached a peak at 4 weeks of age, but declined sharply thereafter, while IGF and IGF-I levels remained elevated. Plasma T3 concentrations were progressively increased and reached peak concentrations at 3 weeks of age, while plasma T4 levels increased only at 6 and 7 weeks of age. There was a high correlation (P less than 0.01) between relative growth rate and age-related changes in plasma levels of IGF (r = 0.96), IGF-I (r = 0.97), and T3 (r = 0.94); however, there was no correlation between relative growth rate and changes in plasma GH or T4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Joint Model for Longitudinal Measurements and Survival Data in the Presence of Multiple Failure Types

In this article we study a joint model for longitudinal measurements and competing risks survival data. Our joint model provides a flexible approach to handle possible nonignorable missing data in the longitudinal measurements due to dropout. It is also an extension of previous joint models with a single failure type, offering a possible way to model informatively censored events as a competing risk. Our model consists of a linear mixed effects submodel for the longitudinal outcome and a proportional cause-specific hazards frailty submodel (Prentice et al., 1978, Biometrics 34, 541-554) for the competing risks survival data, linked together by some latent random effects. We propose to obtain the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters by an expectation maximization (EM) algorithm and estimate their standard errors using a profile likelihood method. The developed method works well in our simulation studies and is applied to a clinical trial for the scleroderma lung disease.
Dynamic surface tension behavior in a photoresponsive surfactant system

The surface properties of a nonionic photoresponsive surfactant that incorporates the light-sensitive azobenzene group into its tail have been investigated. Cis−trans photoisomerization of this azobenzene group alters the ability of the surfactant to pack into adsorbed monolayers at an air/water interface or into aggregates in solution, thereby causing a significant variation in surface and bulk properties following a change in the illumination conditions. NMR studies indicate that a solution left in the dark for an extended period of time contains the trans isomer almost exclusively, whereas samples exposed to light of fixed wavelength eventually reach a photostationary equilibrium in which significant amounts of both isomers are present. At concentrations well above the cmc but under different illumination conditions (dark, UV light, visible light), freshly formed surfaces exhibit profoundly different surface tension trajectories as they approach essentially identical equilibrium states. This common equ...
Bureaucracy and democracy. A critical reading of Alvin W. Gouldner's book Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy

In Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy, Alvin W. Gouldner has developed a conception of rational domination which is different from that developed by Max Weber. Gouldner argues that a democratic variation of rational domination (representative bureaucracy) can be more efficient tban the authoritarian variation, and that, accordingly, the ‘iron cage of rationalisation’ is not inevitable. I will show that Gouldner—who is sociologically driven—contradicts Weber on the basis of an erroneous translation and a poor understanding of the concept of bureaucracy. Thus his critique in no way undermines the Weberian typology of domination.
Distribution of chloride in a transgressive sequence of fine-grained sediments

Two vibracores taken in a transgressive coastal lagoon in Delaware show an unusual distribution of the chloride anion (Cl). Considerations of the geological processes responsible for the stratigraphy in these cores provide clues to the problem of Cl diffusion. A partial cloistering or contribution to the initial Cl− content of the buried sediments byin situ organic material may explain the unusual distribution of the anion.
Generalizing Effective Teaching Skills: The Missing Link in Teacher Preparation

A clear need to teach preservice teachers to generalize newly acquired teaching skills across time and settings has been well established in the literature. Few empirical studies exist that inform teacher educators on ways to promote generalization of teaching skills with beginning teachers, however. Programming for generalization continues to be a missing link between preservice teacher preparation and inservice application of skills. Four factors emerge as important to sustaining teaching skills in classrooms based on a review of the research. A model for promoting generalization of teaching skills using these factors is described including using immediate feedback to promote acquisition of skills, training to mastery to promote maintenance of behavior, programming for generalization, and providing performance feedback in classroom settings. Implications for teacher preparation are discussed such as requiring generalization training in teacher preparation programs and training supervisors to sequentially implement model components.
A Field Test of the Northern Goshawk Bioregional Monitoring Design: Is it Cost Effective?

Monitoring of northern goshawks typically occurs at nest sites, which is an effective approach for obtaining information on nesting activity and reproductive success, but less effective at providing information on goshawk distribution or abundance. In 2002 the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service began the process of designing a method for monitoring occupancy rates of goshawks over large spatial scales. In 2003 we conducted a field test of the Forest Service's bioregional monitoring design in southwestern Colorado. Our goal was to determine how much it would cost to implement. Average costs for surveying each primary sample unit were $1,060.34 and average per station survey-visit costs were $6.99. It is important to recognize that our primary sample unit survey cost estimate is higher than might be expected on average because our surveys were conducted during a poor nesting year for goshawks. This information will be instrumental to wildlife managers, whether conducting bioregional monitoring or local project level surveys for goshawks (WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN 34(1):215–217; 2006)
TherML: occupancy prediction for thermostat control

Reducing the large energy consumption of temperature regulation systems is a challenge for researchers and practitioners alike. In this paper, we explore and compare two common types of solutions: A manual systems that encourages reduced energy use, and an intelligent automatic control system. We deployed an eco-feedback system with the ability to remotely control one's thermostat to ten participants for three months. Participants appreciated the ability to remotely control the thermostat, and controlled their heating system with 78.8% accuracy, a 6.3% improvement over not having this system. However, despite having feedback and remote control, they still wasted a lot of energy heating when away from home for the day. Using data from our deployment, we developed TherML, an occupancy prediction algorithm that uses GPS data from a user's smartphone to automatically control the indoor temperature of a home with 92.1% accuracy. We compare TherML to other state-of-the-art techniques, and show that the higher accuracy of our approach optimizes both energy usage and user comfort. We end with recommendations for a mixed initiative system that leverages aspects of both the manual and automated approaches that can better match heating control to users' routines and preferences.
Prefeeding of aldose reductase inhibitor and galactose cataractogenesis

Our recent investigations have shown that the Eisai compound, E-0722, (2R-4S-6–fluoro-1–2–methylspirochroman 4,41-imida-zolidine 2,5′-dione) is a more potent aldose reductase inhibitor than Sorbinil (D-6-fluorospirochroman 4,41-imidazolidine 2,5′-dione). In the previous studies these aldose reductase inhibitors were added to the 50% galactose diet fed to rats to determine their effect on galac-tose-induced alterations in the lens and the development of cataract. In this report we present our results on the effect of prefeeding the aldose reductase inhibitor, E-0722, on the alterations in rat lens following subsequent feeding of galactose. For this study, young Sprague Dawley rats were prefed either rat chow or rat chow plus 50% galactose containing lmg/day/Kg body weight of E-0722 for 1 or 2 weeks. After this dietary regimen, the animals were transferred to diets containing 50% galactose for different periods. For controls, rats were fed either rat chow or 50% galactose without the prefeeding of E-0722. O...
Graphene and Beyond-Graphene 2D Crystals for Next-Generation Green Electronics

In this paper, we first review the impressive properties of two-dimensional (2D) nanocrystals, primarily graphene and beyond-graphene 2D crystals, such as transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and then highlight some applications uniquely enabled by these materials for designing next-generation low-power and low-loss “green electronics”. Key challenges of 2D crystals relevant to such applications are discussed as well.
Biochemical and molecular typing of Streptococcus iniae isolated from fish and human cases

Streptococcus iniae is an important bacterial pathogen of fish, causing up to 50% mortality in stocks, which has recently been associated with human infections. To determine whether S. iniae isolates from humans and fish are similar, the present authors examined the biochemical profiles and genetic relatedness of these isolates by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and repetitive primer polymerase chain reaction(REP PCR). The biochemical profiles differentiated between the human and fish isolates of S. iniae using pyrrolidonyl arylamidase, arginine dehydrogenase, ribose, β-glucoronidase and glycogen as markers. These biochemical results suggest that the fish and human S. iniae isolates are genetically different. However, RAPD and REP PCR do not have the discriminatory power to differentiate between these streptococcus isolates using five different RAPD primers and BoxA primer.
Three-particle scattering with three-particle interactions

The scattering formalism of Alt, Grassberger, and Sandhas is extended to include a possible three-particle interaction. This is then employed to find a set of scattering integral equations in which no unphysical auxiliary amplitudes related to the three-body force appear, as well as to develop a practical method for treating perturbatively the effect of a weak three-body force. The general $K$-matrix formalism and connected-kernel Heitler equations are also developed. This yields some indication of the structure that might be expected in a relativistic connected-kernel $K$-matrix formalism.
Interocular transfer in albino and pigmented perinatal guinea pigs

Interocular transfer of a pattern discrimination was measured in albino and pigmented guinea pigs ranging from 1 to 37 days of age when training began. Transfer was unrelated to albinism, but significantly more transfer occurred in a 14 to 37-day old group of Ss than in a 1-day old group. These findings are related to previous anatomical and electrophysiological observations concerning the functioning of optic uncrossed fiber systems.
First-principles pseudopotential study of structures of iron on copper ( 001) surface

Abstract An ab initio pseudopotential density functional study of iron on Cu(001) surfaces is presented. No surface relaxation is found on clean Cu(001) surface, while small first layer expansions are found for both the monolayer and double layer Fe coverage. The total energies of various surfaces are calculated and compared. It is concluded that a proposed bilayer growth mode is not energetically favorable. Further calculations suggest that deposited Fe atoms readily mix with Cu atoms and migrate into the substrate. This result is consistent with the observed surface patches of iron atoms. Spin-density functional calculations have been performed, and results on surface magnetization are presented.
TYPE I COLLAGEN GEL MODULATES EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX SYNTHESIS AND DEPOSITION BY TRACHEAL EPITHELIAL CELLS

Abstract Extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, including those present in basement membranes, are known to play an important role in morphogenesis and differentiation. Primary rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells grown on permeable membranes in air–liquid interface (ALI) cultures differentiate into mucous and ciliated cells. We previously showed that RTE cell differentiation is accelerated and enhanced on type I collagen gel-coated membranes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether type I collagen gel matrix also regulates basement membrane formation by RTE cells and whether this correlates with differentiation. Therefore, we examined the synthesis and deposition of several ECM molecules by RTE cells maintained on uncoated and type I collagen gel-coated permeable membranes in ALI cultures. Fibronectin, thrombospondin-1, and α-1 type IV collagen gene expression were down-regulated in cultures maintained on type I collagen gel-coated membranes and in differentiated cultures. Fibronectin and laminin α, β, and γ protein levels also were decreased slightly in response to type I collagen gel and differentiation. Deposition of fibronectin and laminin were dependent on type I collagen gel substratum. While fibronectin and laminin deposition were evident underlying both undifferentiated and differentiated cultures on type I collagen gel, deposition of these proteins on uncoated membranes was not readily detectable in undifferentiated cultures and was limited to patches of fibronectin deposition beneath differentiated cultures. Evidence suggestive of a discontinuous basal lamina-like structure was most apparent underlying differentiated cultures on type I collagen gel. These data demonstrate that ECM RNA and protein expression by RTE cells in ALI cultures are down-regulated by type I collagen gel whereas differentiation and ECM deposition are accelerated and enhanced on type I collagen gel.
Architectural arrangement of stages of the spermatogenic cycle within human seminiferous tubules is related to efficiency of spermatogenesis.

Stages of the spermatogenic cycle in human seminiferous tubules were evaluated in men with varied efficiencies of spermatogenesis to determine if the architectural arrangement of stages or the atypical cell types contributed to variation in sperm production rates. Testes were selected from men with low, intermediate, and high daily sperm production per g parenchyma (DSP/g). Round tubular cross sections were photographed by bright-field microscopy. Stages were identified for each cross section by two observers and the number of stages represented in each cross section was recorded. Number of stages per cross section in men with low efficiency of spermatogenesis were significantly (P<0.05) fewer than men with intermediate and high efficiency of spermatogenesis. Further, the percentage of stages with atypical cell types in men with high DSP/g was significantly (P<0.05) higher than men with low DSP/g. There was a significant relationship (P<0.01) between the percentages of stages with atypical cell types per stage and number of stages per cross section. The atypical cell types appear to result from high density of stages per cross section in men with high DSP/g. There was no significant difference observed between groups for tubular volume, diameter, length, volume density, and volume density of seminiferous epithelium. However, a significant (P<0.05) positive correlation between percent seminiferous epithelium per testis with DSP/g or with the number of stages per cross section was found. These findings reveal that the architectural makeup of stages within seminiferous tubules and atypical cell types within stages varies with the level of efficiency of spermatogenesis, and this variation may reflect differences in yield of early spermatogonial divisions that are responsible for generating the different stages.
Earnings management preceding management buyout offers

Abstract There are frequent expressions of concern in the accounting, economics, and legal literature about managers' conflicting duties and incentives in management buyouts. This study is motivated by a concern about the managerial incentive to reduce reported earnings prior to the announcement of the buyout proposal. Our analysis of a sample of 175 management buyouts during 1981-88 provides evidence of manipulation of discretionary accruals in the predicted direction in the year preceding the public announcement of management's intention to bid for control of the company.