cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide Analysis of Grain Yield Stability and Environmental Interactions in a Multiparental Soybean Population

Genetic improvement toward optimized and stable agronomic performance of soybean genotypes is desirable for food security. Understanding how genotypes perform in different environmental conditions helps breeders develop sustainable cultivars adapted to target regions. Complex traits of importance are known to be controlled by a large number of genomic regions with small effects whose magnitude and direction are modulated by environmental factors. Knowledge of the constraints and undesirable effects resulting from genotype by environmental interactions is a key objective in improving selection procedures in soybean breeding programs. In this study, the genetic basis of soybean grain yield responsiveness to environmental factors was examined in a large soybean nested association population. For this, a genome-wide association to performance stability estimates generated from a Finlay-Wilkinson analysis and the inclusion of the interaction between marker genotypes and environmental factors was implemented. Genomic footprints were investigated by analysis and meta-analysis using a recently published multiparent model. Results indicated that specific soybean genomic regions were associated with stability, and that multiplicative interactions were present between environments and genetic background. Seven genomic regions in six chromosomes were identified as being associated with genotype-by-environment interactions. This study provides insight into genomic assisted breeding aimed at achieving a more stable agronomic performance of soybean, and documented opportunities to exploit genomic regions that were specifically associated with interactions involving environments and subpopulations.
Towards certification of computational fluid dynamics as numerical experiments for rotorcraft applications

Virtual Engineering (VE), also known as Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), is necessary in both current operational engineering qualifications and to help reduce the costs of future vertical lift design and analysis. As computational power continues to provide increasing capability to the rotorcraft engineering community to perform simulations in both real time and off line, it is imperative that the community develop verification and validation protocols and processes to certify these methods so that they can be reliably used to help reduce engineering cost and schedule. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become a major Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) tool in the fixed wing and vertical lift communities, but it has not been developed to the point where it is accepted as a replacement for testing in certification of new or existing systems or vehicles. Since the rise of modern CFD in the 1980s, the promise of CFD’s capabilities has been met or exceeded, but its role in certification arguably remains less prominent than projected. The ability to implement transformative technologies further drives the need for CFD in design. To meet CFD’s role in certification, several goals must be met to provide a true “numerical experiment” from which accuracies (error estimates), sensitivities, and consistent application results can be extracted. This paper discusses the progress and direction towards developing CFD strategies for certification.
The Challenges and Opportunities of Using Large Administrative Claims Databases for Biosimilar Monitoring and Research in the United States

The number of marketed biosimilars in the USA is increasing and will require careful post-marketing monitoring. We address some of the challenges and opportunities of using administrative claims data both inside and outside the context of distributed research networks to monitor post-marketing biosimilar use, effectiveness, and safety in the USA. Three major challenges and opportunities of using administrative claims to monitor biosimilars in the post-marketing environment are presented. These include (1) having sufficient longitudinal follow-up of patients in the target population, (2) identifying biosimilar exposures at the specificity of interest, and (3) having sufficient and complete detailed information on study outcomes and potential confounders. As true for all safety surveillance and comparative effectiveness studies, biologic and biosimilar research requires a focused inquiry to determine whether administrative claims or distributed research networks are suitable data sources. Administrative data affords longitudinal follow-up on large numbers of patients and includes dispensed medications and refill information, affording exposure data based on adjudicated payment. However, data elements including biosimilar exposures, outcomes, and confounders may not be measured at the desired level of specificity. Opportunities to link multiple sources of data together and augment existing data sources to include additional information may increase the utility of using administrative claims data in the monitoring of biosimilars.
Quality quandaries: Incorporating practical constraints into a designed experiment

KEY POINT• Understanding the performance of the selected experiment based on the priorities of the study is fundamental when creating and choosing a design.• Using existing software tools, such as JMP, can allow for flexible designs to be created that satisfy the requirements of the study.• Adapting the design when logistical requirements or constraints change can continue to maximize the performance relative to what is needed.
Current plasmapheresis practice in the United States

The principal differences of the USA plasmapheresis collection system from most other countries are: it is conducted by the pharmaceutical industry rather than government, it uses remunerated donors, and it draws a larger volume of plasma than is permitted elsewhere. The implications of these features are reviewed in terms of the effects on donors and the effects on the plasma supply. Protein metabolism is reviewed, and the effects of plasmapheresis on overall nitrogen balance are presented.
Oil Spill Risk Management: The Strategic Response Case

The purpose of this paper is to examine some important aspects of oil spill risk as they relate to the strategic problem of providing adequate response capability to cope with oil spills that may occur in a certain geographical area. The paper explains the rationale of the methodology developed and discusses an illustrative application in the U.S. New England region.
Three Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiographic Planning

Conventional two-dimensional (2D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) continues to play an essential role in the peri-operative care of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, TEE imaging has progressed to the point that real-time (RT) rendered three-dimensional (3D) images of cardiac anatomy can now be obtained readily and displayed in the operating room. Armed with conventional 2D and now 3D images, clinicians can provide surgeons with invaluable, real-time imaging of cardiac pathology perioperatively to confirm preoperative diagnoses, define new intra-operative findings, and provide detailed information that can help guide surgical planning. In this chapter, the different types of 3-D TEE images are discussed and specific examples are provided with an emphasis on images of the mitral valve for assisting mitral valve repairs.
On the Field of Environmental Communication: A Systematic Review of the Peer-Reviewed Literature

The field of environmental communication has reached several milestones since the 1990s, particularly the establishment of environmental communication-related divisions at professional associations...
Failure of Nonoperative Management

Cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy can be debilitating conditions that result in significant functional impairments. As one of the more common reasons that patients seek evaluation from spinal specialists, these degenerative disorders of the cervical spine place a substantial functional, psychosocial, and economic burden upon patients. The treating physician’s goal should be the rapid diagnosis and treatment of this condition in order to help patients return to their normal state of health. Conservative, nonoperative treatments should be initiated on all patients with new-onset radiculopathy, unless there are signs of significant motor deficit or myelopathy. The objectives of these treatment strategies are pain relief, improvements in function, and prevention of recurrence.
Effects and Underlying Mechanisms of Bioactive Compounds on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Alzheimer’s Disease

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a complicated metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder characterized by a chronic loss of cognitive and behavioral function. Considering the shared characteristics of both diseases, common therapeutic and preventive agents may be effective. Bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, vitamins, and carotenoids found in vegetables and fruits can have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. These effects make them suitable candidates for the prevention or treatment of diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Increasing evidence from cell or animal models suggest that bioactive compounds may have direct effects on decreasing hyperglycemia, enhancing insulin secretion, and preventing formation of amyloid plaques. The possible underlying molecular mechanisms are described in this review. More studies are needed to establish the clinical effects of bioactive compounds.
The Effect of Leaf Wetness on Phytophthora ramorum Zoospore Infection of Rhododendron 'Cunningham's White' and Viburnum tinus.

We performed studies using zoospore inoculum combined from nine isolates of Phytophthora ramorum and determined the effect of leaf wetness on infection of whole plants of Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s...
Behavior and physiological status of pond-cultured pikeperch ( Sander lucioperca ) broodstock effected by sexual interactions throughout semi-artificial reproduction

This study investigated physiological and behavioral responses of pikeperch broodstock related to sexual interactions under controlled conditions throughout semi-artificial reproduction. Blood samples taken from pond-cultured pikeperch broodstock were analyzed to assess the stress response at different stages of semi-artificial reproduction protocol. Sampling was performed as follows: before hormonal induction (control), 24 h (SP24) and 48 h (SP48) after spawning when males and females were separated, and 24 h (NS24) and 48 h (NS48) after spawning when males and females were kept together. The separation immediately after spawning had a significant effect on physiological state of broodstock. Separation affected indices of erythrocyte count, hematocrit (packed cell volume, PCV), glucose (GLU), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in females and levels of lactate and leukocytes in males. Monitoring of pikeperch behavior in groups NS24 and NS48 revealed the strong aggressive paternal behavior of male to females. Attacks mainly targeted the caudal fin and resulted in female mortality in group NS48.
Determining the Statistical Knowledge of Pharmacy Practitioners: A Survey and Review of the Literature 1

Increasing complexity of medical studies and statistics make it important for pharmacists to be able to evaluate the appropriateness of statistical tests used in the literature and assess if reasonable conclusions were drawn. To determine if pharmacists are able to perform this evaluation, a two-part survey was designed that asked demographic and 10 multiple choice statistical questions. Of the 2500 surveys mailed, 707 (28.3 percent) contained usable responses. The average score on the statistical portion was 2.80 out of 10 (SD=2.0). Part of the reason for this low average was that 57.5 percent of statistical questions were answered “E” -1 don’t know. Most commonly, pharmacists appeared to understand a crossover study design (77.7 percent correct), characteristics of statistical tests (62.5 percent), and statistical versus clinical significance (50.8 percent). Pharmacists had difficulty identifying other common statistical terms. From this study, pharmacists appear to lack the necessary skills to evaluate the statistical section of medical studies.
Red cell hydrolases

A 0.1% Triton X-100 extract of human erythrocyte plasma membranes contained high proteolytic activity as determined by a very sensitive assay utilizing3H-acetylated hemoglobin (162 cpm/pmole) as a substrate. Two proteolytic enzymes having optimum activity at pH 3.4 and pH 7.4 were isolated from Sephadex G-100. The protease active at pH 3.4 was 75 times as active as the pH 7.4 enzyme and it was purified 182-fold over the original homogenate and characterized. A linear relationship for activity versus time and activity versus concentration of enzyme was found. The optimum temperature was 37°C and theK m was 1×10−5 m hemoglobin. No enzyme activation was observed with any cation studied and EDTA had no inhibitory effect; (10mm Fe+3 and Hg+2 were inhibitory). The pH 3.4 protease was stable indefinitely at −20°C in 0.1% Triton X-100. Gel electrophoresis was performed on a sodium dodecylsulfate-mercaptoethanol enzyme preparation and two protein bands (mol. wt. 33,000 and 54,000) were evident for the Sephadex G-200 eluate containing the pH 3.4 protease.
DSSAT-MODFLOW: A new modeling framework for exploring groundwater conservation strategies in irrigated areas

Abstract Groundwater models are often used to assess the impact of climate or management strategies on groundwater resources in arid and semiarid regions of the world. However, these models do not account for crop growth and crop yield, and thus cannot be used for evaluating long-term impacts of climate and management strategies on water use efficiency and farm profitability of agricultural systems while managing the aquifers sustainably. This study presented a linkage between DSSAT, an agronomic model, and MODFLOW, a groundwater flow model. The linkage between these two models occurred on an annual basis, with rates of irrigation and deep percolation from an ensemble of field-scale DSSAT simulations converted to pumping rates and recharge rates for the MODFLOW simulation. MODFLOW simulated groundwater head, which can be used to update saturated thickness and thereby well capacities for each pumping well in the model domain. Simulated well capacities were then used to constrain irrigation applications in the DSSAT simulations during the following growing season. Python scripts were used to convert output from one model to input files for the other model. The DSSAT-MODFLOW modeling system was applied to the Ogallala aquifer underlying Finney County, Kansas, a region experiencing significant groundwater depletion due to irrigation practices, and was tested against observed water table elevation and crop yield. Over a decadal period, well capacity decreased by > 50 % for many pumping wells in the county. A no-irrigation scenario for this same time period resulted in average water table elevation increasing by 2 m, but also a 70 % decline in crop yield. Additional work is needed to balance groundwater conservation with crop yield. The DSSAT-MODFLOW modeling system can be used in regions worldwide to assess changes in irrigation technologies, crop selection, and climate change adaptation strategies.
Aggregate wealth and its distribution as determinants of financial crises

This paper investigates the relationship between wealth inequality and financial crises. While substantiation of a role for income inequality remains ambiguous in the literature, evidence is presented suggesting a positive relationship between the interaction of wealth inequality with aggregate wealth on systemic financial crises. The evidence is based on panel data for nine countries, some of which expand into the last century, and a linear probability model estimated with country and year fixed effects. The relationship is consistent when accounting for overall financial sector size, credit growth, the money supply, current account, asset bubbles, and robust to estimation method. No significant role is found for income inequality. Predicted probabilities of financial crisis closely track the incidence of financial crises over the last century, remarkably so when compared against a leading benchmark model. It is argued that the empirical relationship between wealth inequality, aggregate wealth and financial crises reveals an important role for the distribution of accumulated assets in the macro-financial stability of rich countries. The distribution of stocks may capture structural vulnerabilities that the distribution of flows cannot expose, and hence more unequal countries in wealth face greater financial instability. An economic network hypothesis is proposed for interpreting the empirical results.
ZIDX: A Generic Framework for Random Access to BGP Records in Compressed MRT Datasets

This paper presents an approach, called ZIDX, to decompress a desired chunk of a GZIP compressed large data file without decompressing the prefix of the file. For a GZIP compressed data file that is sorted by an attribute, ZIDX also allows a user to implement random seek to the desired location in the compressed file to retrieve and decompress a desired data block. We use ZIDX to implement efficient search and retrieval of BGP routing data in GZIP compressed files stored locally or fetched over the public Internet (from the RIPE RIS BGP archival repository). Our evaluation results show that ZIDX incurs minimal storage overhead and provides significant time and bandwidth savings in retrieving BGP records of interest from GZIP compressed BGP data files stored both locally and remotely.
A Study on Modeling and Optimization of Memory Systems

Accesses Per Cycle (APC), Concurrent Average Memory Access Time (C-AMAT), and Layered Performance Matching (LPM) are three memory performance models that consider both data locality and memory assess concurrency. The APC model measures the throughput of a memory architecture and therefore reflects the quality of service (QoS) of a memory system. The C-AMAT model provides a recursive expression for the memory access delay and therefore can be used for identifying the potential bottlenecks in a memory hierarchy. The LPM method transforms a global memory system optimization into localized optimizations at each memory layer by matching the data access demands of the applications with the underlying memory system design. These three models have been proposed separately through prior efforts. This paper reexamines the three models under one coherent mathematical framework. More specifically, we present a new memory- centric view of data accesses. We divide the memory cycles at each memory layer into four distinct categories and use them to recursively define the memory access latency and concurrency along the memory hierarchy. This new perspective offers new insights with a clear formulation of the memory performance considering both locality and concurrency. Consequently, the performance model can be easily understood and applied in engineering practices. As such, the memory-centric approach helps establish a unified mathematical foundation for model-driven performance analysis and optimization of contemporary and future memory systems.
Chapter 1 Electrical stimulation of the somatosensory system

Publisher Summary This chapter explores noise-based sensory prosthetics for individuals with elevated sensory thresholds such as older adults, stroke patients, and diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy. To optimize the development of noise-based sensory prosthetics, it is important to have an understanding of the effects of electrical stimulation on the somatosensory system. The chapter briefly describes the anatomy of the somatosensory system, as it relates to electrical stimulation. It reviews some of the key neurophysiological and psychophysical studies that have involved somatosensory stimulation. The chapter also discusses computational studies that explore the effects of electrical stimulation on cutaneous mechanoreception. These computational studies provide a series of novel predictions that can be tested in neurophysiological and psychophysical studies. The information derived from such studies could be incorporated into the optimal design of noise-based somatosensory prosthetics.
Molecular Heterogeneity of Isolates of the Marine Bacterium Leucothrix mucor

Two collections of strains of Leucothrix mucor were isolated, one of world-wide origin and the other originating from a restricted area around San Juan Island, Friday Harbor, Washington. These two collections were compared on the basis of morphological, nutritional, and physiological properties, deoxyribonucleic acid base composition, and mobility by starch-gel electrophoresis of isocitric dehydrogenase and malic dehydrogenase. Despite the fact that all the strains were similar in most characteristics, significant molecular heterogeneity was found in the enzyme electrophoresis studies. This heterogeneity was just as great in the local collection as it was in the world collection. Even strains originating from the same microenvironment exhibited molecular heterogeneity.
Avant-garde Art and Artists

The concept of the avant-garde has been applied to three types of changes in the arts: in the aesthetic content of art, in the social content of art, and in the norms surrounding the production and distribution of artworks. First used in France in the 1830s, the term acquired new meanings and connotations in the twentieth century, ranging from aesthetic innovation to alienation. The best-known literary and philosophical theories of the avant-garde have concentrated on the content of avant-garde works, while sociological theories and research have been concerned with the production and reception of these works. In the context of postmodernism at the end of the twentieth century, alternatives to the aesthetic and social values of art establishments are less likely to come from avant-gardes than from artists outside the system. The visual strategies and tactics of artistic avant-gardes of the prewar period have been appropriated by the electronic media and other forms of popular culture such as advertising, fashion design, and music videos. Works created for popular consumption that use avant-garde techniques are unlikely to contain critical content. As high culture has become less distinct from popular culture, the concept of the avant-garde has lost many of its former connotations. The avant-garde's mission as iconoclast and social rebel has been taken over by cultural avant-gardes in the form of a wide variety of micropolitical movements.
On designing and implementing a collaborative system using the distributed-object model of Java-RMI

As we enter the 21st century, our dependency on the Internet is going to increase each day. This observation has inspired many researchers to invest their efforts into the development of efficient Web-based computing paradigms. Java-RMI is one alternative offered by Sun Microsystems. Using Java-RMI, a software developer can easily design and develop collaborative systems. In this article, we describe the use of Java-RMI in designing a collaborative information classifier, called D-SIFTER. We also present the principles of RMI, the details of our prototype, and some of the results from the preliminary experiments with it
Mutations in the tyrosine hydroxylase gene cause various forms of L-dopa-responsive dystonia.

Publisher Summary This chapter correlates various forms of l -Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) with the known molecular defect; many further mutations can be expected. Because DRD remains a little-known diagnosis and can be treated easily, more attention can be drawn to dystonias in adults and in children. Many attempts have failed to correlate a specific disease with deficient tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels. Because the reduced enzyme activity of TH causes low levels of l -dopa, the expected clinical symptoms should be similar to those seen in Parkinsonism. The clinical manifestation of DRD has a broad spectrum. The dominant form seems to be caused by a deficiency of GTP-cyclohydrolase I. Various mutations in the TH gene causing DRD in the mild as well as in the severe form has been found. The mild form of DRD is characterized by a dystonia of the lower extremities, diurnal fluctuations, and a good response to l -dopa therapy. Two siblings with this condition carried a point mutation in exon 11 of the TH gene. This mutation (Q381K) converts glutamine to lysine. This mutation was expressed by a coupled in vitro transcription–translation system in which the activity of the mutant enzyme was about 15% of the wild-type form. On the other hand, there is the severe form of DRD caused by a point mutation in exon 5 (L205P) changing leucine into proline. The recombinant mutant enzyme revealed a residual activity of 0.3 to 16% of the wild-type TH in three complementary expression systems.
Music Library Patron Material Preferences: Use and Discovery of Resources in Print and Digital Formats

Student and faculty users of the Florida State University music library were asked how they look for and use materials, which formats they value and prefer, and under what circumstances. A majority preferred digital journals and physical scores; print books were more popular than digital, but there was not a majority opinion. Users with conditional preferences were the next largest group. Their explanations for their choices indicate they often value quite different things about print and digital materials, and furthermore that functionality they consider important for one material type may not be important to them in others.
Seasonal exponential smoothing with damped trends

Abstract This paper reviews a spreadsheet-based forecasting approach which a process industry manufacturer developed and implemented to link annual corporate forecasts with its manufacturing/distribution operations. First, we consider how this forecasting system supports overall production planning and why it must be compatible with corporate forecasts. We then review the results of substantial testing of variations on the Winters three-parameter exponential smoothing model on 28 actual product family time series. In particular, we evaluate whether the use of damping parameters improves forecast accuracy. The paper concludes that a Winters four-parameter model (i.e. the standard Winters three-parameter model augmented by a fourth parameter to damp the trend) provides the most accurate forecasts of the models evaluated. Our application confirms the fact that there are situations where the use of damped trend parameters in short-run exponential smoothing based forecasting models is beneficial.
Relativistic high harmonics driven by two-color incident fields

Particle-in-cell simulations suggest that relativistic high-harmonic generation using overdense plasmas will be substantially enhanced by adding second harmonic to the incident laser field. This mechanism also offers a new diagnostic of the laser-plasma interaction.
Connecting with Sara: Facilitating attachment

Abstract This paper investigates the value and meaning of the attachment that forms within the therapeutic relationship. It follows the progress of a now 53‐month‐old African American homeless child as she is given the opportunity to form a human attachment through the use of Attachment and Object Relations theories. This paper integrates the work of developmental, attachment, and object relations theorists such as Mahler, Stern, Bowlby, Greenspan, Winnicott, and Fonegy. The child's story is illustrated through the use of documented history as told by the mother to the therapist and through clinical material from the child's therapeutic sessions. This paper also examines what it means to be a culturally competent and responsible social worker. Research into parenting practices, beliefs, and skills among homeless, African American single women is discussed and integrated into a theory of practice.
Multi-Disciplinary Role of Atomic Astrophysics: From Stellar Interiors to Cancer Research Via Nanotechnology

We discuss the application of atomic physics to two diverse topics: Astrophysical opacities that determine the flow of radiation through the interior of stars, and biomedical research using nanotechnology for novel methodologies for cancer diagnostics and therapy (theranostics). Recent determination of solar abundances suggests that a re-examination of the absolute accuracy of these opacities might be in order. A discussion of the Opacity Project work and possible sources of missing opacity and uncertainties in atomic data is presented with a view to possible solution of the solar abundances problem. Another major application is shaping up in biomedicine and nanotechnology: A paradigm change and transition from conventional broadband X-ray imaging (such as in CT scanners or common X-ray sources) to precision monochromatic spectroscoppy for cancer theranostics. A novel methodology — Resonant Theranostics — is proposed to exploit Kα resonances due to deep inner-shell transitions that trigger Auger processes in heavy elements. The methodology can be used to build laboratory monochromatic X-ray sources for imaging using Kα emission, as well as for therapy using Kα absorption by high-Z nanoparticles or radiosenstizing agents embedded in cancerous tumors. This review of recent work demonstrates the scope and power of multi-disciplinary research in general, particularly highlighting the role of atomic physics as an enabling scientific tool from astronomy to medicine.
Dislocating moral order and social identity in cinematic space : The inverted detective figure in Tightrope and Cruising

A certain type of film, the genre stretcher, is of special interest to the sociology of deviance because it captures deviantizing discourse as if in a moment of crisis. A crisis in moral representation is at issue and with it the capacity for rendering symbolically coherent social action and cultural differentiation through narrative. This article investigates two instances of a genre stretcher - «Tightrope» (1983) and «Cruising» (1980) - and places analytic emphasis on interpreting their distinctive persona, the inverted detective. This figure encases features of an emergent moral imagination in its condensation of certain conundrums, especially the problem of reinscribing deviance in a poststigma surround. The films thereby animate and trace out the implications of a discourse that was initiated by the 1960s and 1970s revolt against stigma; they function as allegories of the relations between normality and deviance amid symbolic instability
INFECTIOUS CROUP: III. HEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B CROUP

Croup due to H. influenzae type B occurred in 8% of a group of 347 cases of infectious croup. Bacteriologically and pathologically the disease was distinct from diphtheritic and so-called "virus" croup. Clinically this form of croup is characterized by the extreme rapidity of onset and the severity of symptoms. The outstanding clinical signs and symptoms encountered were: severe sore throat, epiglottitis with supraglottic edema, extreme early prostration, marked leukocytosis with a high polynudear percentage, tender anterior cervical adenitis, and necessity for very early tracheotomy in selected cases. Treatment consists of two important parts: relief of respiratory obstruction and treatment of the accompanying bacteremia and toxemia. The former calls for early tracheotomy to avoid the frequent adverse results of thoracic extra-alveolar air; intubation is contraindicated. Treatment of the second problem calls for transfusions of whole blood plus early administration of type-specific rabbit antiserum and sulfadiazine and streptomycin in high dosage. Death from H. influenzae type B croup is attributed to bacteremia and toxemia, aided by progressive respiratory tract obstruction.
Lactulose interferes in the alkaline picrate assay for creatinine.

Errors of more than 10 mg/L in measured serum creatinine concentrations were encountered for an azotemic patient who was given lactulose orally. The magnitude of the apparent error fluctuated with the dose of lactulose. Additions of lactulose to serum produced a linear increase in the creatinine measured by each of two automated methods that involve use of the alkaline picrate (Jaffe) reaction. A lactulose concentration of 100 g/L produced positive interferences of 30 and 65 mg/L in kinetic (Beckman Astra) and continuous-flow (Technicon SMAC) assays, respectively, but caused no problem in an enzymatic assay for creatinine. The results of creatinine assays must be interpreted with caution in patients treated with lactulose.
Academic radiology: Time for action

Summary To summarize, the 10 actions I believe we should take are as follows: 1. Protect our patient base by institutional involvement and selected departmental outreach programs. 2. Reorganize our faculties and gain their support to meet the changes that will occur as a result of health care reengineering. 3. Restructure our residency and fellowship programs to adapt positively to the needs of a new delivery system. 4. Take a stand on resident/fellow training, accreditation issues, and program length and composition. 5. Develop a national program to continue to attract the best medical students into radiology. 6. Get the information needed to provide the best estimate of work force requirements and work toward achieving the proper balance between supply and demand. 7. Support subspecialization in our field. Quality eventually will be an issue. 8. Support research training for faculty, and make research important. 9. Continue to present our field as an exciting place to be, which it is. 10. Support the AUR, the SCARD, and the APDR as the collective voice for academic radiology. Finally, I would like to challenge the AUR, the SCARD, and the APDR to unite to become a strong force in academic radiology. Academic radiology now has no singular voice. Radiologists in private practice have the ACR, neuroradiologists have the ASNR, vascular-interventional radiologists have the SCVIR, nuclear medicine radiologists have the Society of Nuclear Medicine, ultrasonographers have the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and I can name many other important special interest groups within our field. No doubt, all these organizations share many of our common concerns and interests, but having an organization interested solely in the continued health of academic radiology is vital to our future and, because of the reengineering of the health care system, more important than ever. Academic radiology is in the unique position of being radiology's only supplier of human resources and research. We must make our voice heard on staff issues, training program changes, accreditation, certification, financing of graduate education, support for biomedical research, and all other matters important to our academic programs. Although we will be drawn into the delivery of managed care, we cannot afford to ignore our other two principal missions: education and research. If we do, all of radiology will suffer the consequences in years to come. So let's take up the challenge and make our three organizations a steady, consistent, rational but firm voice in the support of academic radiology. I believe that the future of radiology is bright, but we need to make it happen. Now is the time for action.
Cell surface structure of rodent sperm heads

Replicas of critical point dried rodent sperm were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The surface of rat sperm heads appeared to be coated with regularly spaced 90A lamellar material. The plasma membrane overlying the acrosomal region of guinea pig spermatozoa displayed a regular scalloped array of lamellar structures. In replicas, the surface of Chinese hamster spermatozoa appeared coated by an array of small tubles and vesicles in the region overlaying the acrosome. It was possible to obtain replicas of the outer acrosomal membrane by removing the plasma membrane of mouse spermatozoa by brief treatment with Hank's balanced salt solution containing 0.2-0.5% MgC12. Replicas of the surface of the outer acrosomal membrane reveal evenly spaced, hexagonally-packed 90A particles similar to those which have been observed by other workers in replicas of freeze fractured outer acrosomal membranes. The finding of hexagonally arranged structures on the surface of the outer acrosomal membrane which appear very similar to those which have been observed in the plane of the membrane suggests that protein molecules in the plane of the membrane may protrude through or in some other manner distort the membrane surface. The post-acrosomal region of mouse sperm displays parallel lamellae with 100A spacing. If surface changes occur on sperm heads during maturation or capacitation, it should be possible to detect them with this technique.
A proposed neural pathway for vocalization in South African clawed frogs,Xenopus laevis

Vocalizations of South African clawed frogs are produced by contractions of laryngeal muscles innervated by motor neurons of the caudal medulla (within cranial nerve nucleus IX-X). We have traced afferents to laryngeal motor neurons in male and female frogs using retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin (HRP-WGA). After iontophoretic injection of HRP-WGA into n. IX-X, retrogradely labelled neurons were seen in the contralateral n. IX-X, in rhombencephalic reticular nuclei, and in the pre-trigeminal nucleus of the dorsal tegmental area (DTAM) of both males and females.
Vitamin B12 levels and propionate metabolism in selected non-insect arthropods and other invertebrates

Abstract 1. 1. Vitamin B 12 levels were determined in centipede, millipede, spider, isopod, leech, earthworm, tubifex worm, snail, clam and shrimp. All contained appreciable amounts of vitamin B 12 , which ranged from 19 to 4013 pg/mg dry wt. 2. 2. The metabolism of (2- 14 C)propionate was examined in each species by radio-HPLC analysis of metabolic products. The results are interpreted that each of these organisms metabolizes propionate to methylmalonyl-CoA and then to succinate. 3. 3. The results presented here indicate that many invertebrates use vitamin B 12 in the metabolism of propionate and are different from many insect species, which lack vitamin B 12 and convert propionate directly to acetate.
A stereoselective and practical synthesis of 5,6(S,S)-epoxy-15(S)-hydroxy-7(E),9(E),11(Z),13(E)-eicosatetraenoic acid (4), possible precursor of the lipoxins

Abstract A stereoselective synthesis of 4, a possible biosynthetic precursor of lipoxins, is reported. A pathway is suggested by which 4 can give rise to the biologically active lipoxins 1 and 2.
Predictors of Neuropsychological Change in Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome

This study examined the course of neuropsychological functioning in patients with chronic myelogeous leukemia (n = 91) or myelodysplastic syndrome (n = 15) who underwent standard treatment for their disease or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) at baseline, 12 months, and 18 months post-treatment. At baseline, 23% of the participants (n = 75) in the longitudinal sample had Z-scores on at least one of the neuropsychological tests that were <1.4. Participants in the study showed improvement over baseline at the 12 and 18 months assessments. The average Z-scores for the six cognitive domains in the longitudinal data set over the course of the study ranged from -0.89 to 0.59. Significant predictors of change in neuropsychological test scores included age, with older participants showing less improvement over time. Other predictors included baseline cognitive domains (language, memory, and attention), previous cocaine use, disease status, intelligence quotient, and quality of life measures. Findings support previous studies in patients with hematological malignancies who showed cognitive impairments at baseline prior to HSCT. However, there was little evidence for further cognitive decline over the course of 18 months.
Pilot Production of Hatchery-Reared Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus in a Marine Recirculating Aquaculture System: The Effects of Ration Level on Growth, Feed Conversion, and Survival

Pilot-scale trials were conducted to evaluate growout performance of hatchery-reared summer flounder fingerlings in a state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). The outdoor RAS consisted of four 4.57-m dia × 0.69-m deep (vol. =11.3 m3) covered, insulated tanks and associated water treatment components. Fingerlings (85.1 g mean initial weight) supplied by a commercial hatchery were stocked into two tanks at a density of 1,014 fish/tank (7.63 kg/m3). Fish were fed an extruded dry floating diet consisting of 50% protein and 12% lipid. The temperature was maintained between 20 C and 23 C and the salinity was 34 ppt. Under these conditions, growth, growth variation (CVwt), feed utilization, and survival of fish fed to 100% and 82% of a satiation rate were compared. Due to clear changes in growth patterns during the study, data was analyzed in three phases. During phase 1 (d 1–d 196), fish showed rapid growth, reaching a mean weight of 288 g ± 105 and 316 g ± 102, with a CVwt of 0.36 and 0.32 and FCR's of 1.38 and 1.36 in the subsatiation and satiation groups, respectively. During phase 2 (d 196–d 454), fish displayed slower growth reaching mean weights of 392 g ± 144 and 436 g ± 121, with a CVwt of 0.37 and 0.28, and increasing FCR's of 3.45 and 3.12 in the subsatiation and satiation groups, respectively. During phase 3 (d 454–d 614), fish showed little growth reaching mean weights of 399 g ± 153 and 440 g ± 129, with a CVwt of 0.38 and 0.29 in the subsatiation and satiation groups, respectively. Over the entire growout period (d 1–d 614), feed conversion ratios were 2.39 and 2.37 and survival was 75% and 81 % in the subsatiation and satiation treatments, respectively. The maximum biomass density reached during the study was 32.3 kg/m3. The satiation feed rate was superior to the 82% satiation rate, since it maximized growth rates, with no effect on FCR. The higher CVwt in the subsatiation group suggests increased competition for a restricted ration led to a slower growth with more growth variation. The decrease in growth in phases 2 and 3 was probably related to a high percentage of slower growing male fish in the population and the onset of sexual maturity. This study demonstrated that under commercial scale conditions, summer flounder can be successfully grown to a marketable size in a recirculating aquaculture system. Based on these results, it is recommended that a farmer feed at a satiation rate to minimize growout time. More research is needed to maintain high growth rates through marketable sizes through all-female production and/or inhibition of sexual maturity.
Effects of Sample Handling on the Composition of Marine Sedimentary Pore Water

Three sediment samples from the Gulf of Mexico abyssal plain were subjected to five representative handling and storage procedures before the pore water was expressed and analyzed for Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , and Ca 2+ . The observed alterations in major cation concentrations during storage did not appear to be entirely related to temperature. Samples stored at in situ temperatures unexpectedly displayed greater changes than those which were stored at room temperature and subsequently rechilled.
Testing of new banknotes for machines that process currency

Banknotes are now frequently use din machines. The Federal Reserve Board and the US Department of the Treasury have identified a need to produce notes that are reliably accepted in a variety of machine applications. This paper describes the steps that led to identifying requirements of manufacturers of machines that process banknotes for test notes, and the program developed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to address those requirements.
A deliverable four-dimensional intensity-modulated radiation therapy-planning method for dynamic multileaf collimator tumor tracking delivery.

Purpose To develop a deliverable four-dimensional (4D) intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning method for dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC) tumor tracking delivery. Methods and Materials The deliverable 4D IMRT planning method involves aligning MLC leaf motion parallel to the major axis of target motion and translating MLC leaf positions by the difference in the target centroid position between respiratory phases of the 4D CT scan. This method ignores nonlinear respiratory motion and deformation. A three-dimensional (3D) optimal method whereby an IMRT plan on each respiratory phase of the 4D CT scan was independently optimized was used for comparison. For 12 lung cancer patient 4D CT scans, individual phase plans and deformable dose-summed 4D plans using the two methods were created and compared. Results For each of the individual phase plans, the deliverable method yielded similar isodose distributions and dose–volume histograms. The deliverable and 3D optimal methods yielded statistically equivalent dose–volume metrics for both individual phase plans and 4D plans ( p > 0.05 for all metrics compared). The deliverable method was affected by 4D CT artifacts in one case. Both methods were affected by high vector field variations from deformable registration. Conclusions The deliverable method yielded similar dose distributions for each of the individual phase plans and statistically equivalent dosimetric values compared with the 3D optimal method, indicating that the deliverable method is dosimetrically robust to the variations of fractional time spent in respiratory phases on a given 4D CT scan. Nonlinear target motion and deformation did not cause significant dose discrepancies.
Bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia in one American city: a 20-year longitudinal study, 1978–1997

A surveillance of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia was conducted in Huntington, West Virginia, from 1978 to 1997 to investigate case-fatality rates, incidence of disease, capsular types, and antibiotic usage. Our study population comprised consecutive inpatients admitted to the hospitals in Huntington, West Virginia, and included 45 children younger than 15 years and 328 adults. All blood isolates were serotyped by capsular swelling procedures; clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome for all patients were abstracted from hospital charts. The overall case-fatality rate was 20.3%, with most deaths occurring among adults older than 50 years. Case-fatality rates peaked at 37.7% among patients 80 years of age and older. Only 1 of 45 (2.2%) children died. Case-fatality rates declined in each successive 5-year period, from 30.2% in 1978-1982 to 15.6% in 1993-1997. In that same period, incidence rates increased severalfold among children younger than 4 years to 44.5 cases per 100,000 population and among adults 70 years and 80 years of age and older to 38.5 and 76.2 cases per 100,000, respectively. Of the 34 serotypes isolated, 10 accounted for two thirds of the cases of pneumonia: 1, 4, 9, 14, 3, 6, 12, 5, 23, and 19 (in rank order). Chronic renal disease and arteriosclerotic heart disease increased the risk of death. Treatment regimens that included a macrolide and a penicillin or cephalosporin resulted in the lowest case-fatality rate in adults older than 50 years: 6% in 1993-1997. In conclusion, as bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia evolved over time, the case-fatality rate decreased, its incidence increased, predominant capsular types changed, and treatment regimens that included a macrolide resulted in the lowest fatality rates.