cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of Globodera spp. Using Brassica juncea Seed Meal and Seed Meal Extract.

The eradication program for the potato cyst nematode (PCN), Globodera pallida , in the Northwest of the United States revolves around the use of soil fumigation. Alternative, integrated strategies are needed to continue to battle this invasive nematode. Laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments were conducted with G. pallida and another cyst nematode found in the United States, Globodera ellingtonae , to evaluate the efficacy of a new formulated Brassica juncea seed meal extract, as well as a traditional B. juncea seed meal, as alternate eradication strategies. This is the first report on the efficacy of B. juncea seed meal extract against plant- parasitic nematodes. Rates of B. juncea seed meal greater than 2.2 t/ha and 4.5 t/ha for G. pallida and G. ellingtonae , respectively, were required for egg hatch suppression, as determined by a potato root diffusate (PRD) bioassay. Reproduction of G. pallida on potato after exposure to B. juncea seed meal at a rate of 2.2 t/ha was also significantly reduced. In the field, 8.9 t/ha B. juncea seed meal almost eliminated egg hatch of G. ellingtonae . Rates needed for Globodera spp. suppression were greatly reduced when using the B. juncea seed meal extract. When compared side-by-side, half as much B. juncea seed meal extract, 1.1 t/ha, was required to suppress G. ellingtonae egg hatch to the same extent as B. juncea seed meal. Exposure of G. pallida to B. juncea seed meal extract at 4.5 t/ha reduced egg hatch by 90% compared with a nonamended control. The ability to reduce the amount of material being applied to soil by using an extract has the potential for integration into a G. pallida eradication program.
Plastic Deformation of Unoriented Crystalline Polymers Under Tensile Load

In the tensile loading of the unoriented crystalline polymer the sample after a very small elastic range deforms plastically without a significant change of morphology up to the point where the stacked crystalline lamellae start fracturing and transforming into bundles of microfibrils of the new highly oriented fibrous structure. The thin micronecking zones where this transformation occurs are more or less randomly scattered in the neck (cold drawing) or all over the sample (hot drawing). During this process the long period, i.e., the length of crystal blocks with the intervening amorphous layers of the microfibril, becomes adjusted to the temperature of drawing increased by adiabatic local heating. The heating is caused by the work of plastic deformation during the destruction of lamellae. The effect is conspicuous only in the case where the long period of the unoriented polymer is larger than the long period of the drawn sample. Such an adjustment is not a consequence of melting and recrystallization or annealing because there is neither enough energy for melting nor annealing ever reduces the long period. The new fibrous material has a significantly larger elastic modulus and stress to draw than the original spherulitic material. This strain hardening is caused by the new microfibrillar morphology. As a consequence of the great many almost completely extended tie molecules connecting consecutive crystal blocks and originating from chain unfolding during lamella fracturing the microfibril has a very high longitudinal strength. The plastic deformation of the drawn polymer hence occurs without yielding by sliding motion of microfibrils which is opposed by van der Waals forces in the boundary between them. Although these forces are weaker than between adjacent chains in the crystal lattice the large surface to volume ratio of microfibrils with a diameter between 100 and 200A and a length of some ten microns yields a high stress to draw and stress to break.
Urinary Biomarkers of Kidney Tubular Damage and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Elders.

Rationale & Objective Novel urinary biomarkers have enabled earlier detection of kidney tubular damage, but their prognostic value for adverse cardiovascular outcomes is uncertain. We hypothesized that tubular damage, measured by urine α1-microglobulin (A1M), amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), would be associated with higher risks for cardiovascular events and mortality among elders. Study Design Case-cohort study. Setting & Participants This study included a randomly selected subcohort (n=502), cardiovascular disease (CVD) cases (n=245), and heart failure cases (n=220) from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. Predictors Baseline urine A1M, PIIINP, and NGAL concentrations. Outcomes Incident CVD, heart failure, and all-cause mortality. Analytical Approach Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate biomarker associations with each outcome. Results At baseline, mean age was 74 years and estimated glomerular filtration rate was 73mL/min/1.73m2. After adjustment for demographics, estimated glomerular filtration rate, albumin-creatinine ratio, and other cardiovascular risk factors, each doubling in biomarker concentration was associated with the following adjusted HRs for CVD: A1M, 1.51 (95% CI, 1.16-1.96); PIIINP, 1.21 (95% CI, 1.00-1.46); and NGAL, 1.12 (95% CI, 1.05-1.20). There were 248 deaths in the subcohort during a median follow-up of 12.4 years. Adjusted associations of each biomarker (HR per doubling) with all-cause mortality were: A1M, 1.29 (95% CI, 1.10-1.51); PIIINP, 1.05 (95%, 0.94-1.18); and NGAL, 1.07 (95% CI, 1.02-1.12). Biomarker concentrations did not have statistically significant associations with heart failure after multivariable adjustment. Limitations Urine biomarkers were measured at a single time point; no validation cohort available. Conclusions Kidney tubular damage is an independent risk factor for CVD and death among elders. Future studies should investigate mechanisms by which kidney tubular damage may adversely affect cardiovascular risk.
A Poetics of Ether

ABSTRACTThis essay is about atmosphere in Percy Shelley’s Queen Mab (1813). Engaged with debates in natural philosophy, particularly concerning ether, Queen Mab develops an ethereal poetics that su...
High speed temperature, pressure, and water vapor concentration measurement in explosive fireballs using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

Abstract Results from the design, development, and testing of a probe capable of making quantitative measurements of temperature, pressure, and water vapor concentration in near field explosive detonations are presented. This work extends established tunable diode laser absorption techniques to the field of explosive and energetic materials diagnostics with improved temporal resolution. Simultaneous measurement of temperature, pressure, and water vapor concentration were successfully measured at 30 kHz in a constant volume explosion at a standoff distance of 52 cm from 40 g of PBXN-5. Explosive testing was conducted in the 1.81 m3 blast chamber at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Energetic Materials Diagnostics Lab. Measured values compared very well to theoretical calculations for shocked air during the blast phase as well as late-time quasi static conditions. Data show a discrepancy between pressure and temperature equilibration times. This observation is attributed to comparatively slow mass diffusion of explosive products and thermal diffusion of heat relative to pressure equilibration through shock reflections.
Geometric Measurements and Geometric Computing

In ancient times, the need for measuring land resulted in the development of geometry, much like the need for counting yielded arithmetic. The easiest example is to measure the distance between two points as we discussed in Chap. 3. In this chapter, we cover basic geometric measurements including curve length, surface area, and solid volumes in classical topics of geometry.
Cell Shape and Membrane Receptor Dynamics

The cell surface is thought to be a major site for the transfer of information from the extracellular environment to the cell interior. Glycoprotein receptors, embedded in the plasma membrane, most likely mediate the process of information transfer since they provide a mechanism whereby cells can recognize particular signals in the environment which modulate cellular metabolism. Among the signals affecting cellular metabolism are soluble proteins, such as hormones and toxins, or macromolecular complexes, such as LDL and viruses, each of which bind to specific cell surface receptors to initiate their effects. Subsequent to ligand-receptor binding, many ligands and their receptors are internalized within coated vesicles which form endosomes that travel to specific cytoplasmic locations such as the Golgi-lysosome region where further processing occurs (Pastan and Willingham, 1981). The available evidence indicates that the movement of ligands, and perhaps their receptors, both at the cell surface and within the cytoplasm, is nonrandom and subject to control by the cytoskeleton (Albertini and Anderson, 1977; Edelman, 1976; Herman and Albertini, 1982; Oliver and Berlin, 1982; Rebhun, 1972).
Taxol induces brk-dependent prosurvival phenotypes in TNBC cells through an AhR/GR/HIF-driven signaling axis

The metastatic cascade is a complex process that requires cancer cells to survive despite conditions of high physiologic stress. Previously, cooperation between the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF) was reported as a point of convergence for host and cellular stress signaling. These studies indicated p38 MAPK-dependent phosphorylation of GR on Ser134 and subsequent p-GR/HIF-dependent induction of breast tumor kinase (PTK6/Brk), as a mediator of aggressive cancer phenotypes. Herein, p-Ser134 GR was quantified in human primary breast tumors (n = 281) and the levels of p-GR were increased in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) relative to luminal breast cancer. Brk was robustly induced following exposure of TNBC model systems to chemotherapeutic agents (Taxol or 5-fluorouracil) and growth in suspension [ultra-low attachment (ULA)]. Notably, both Taxol and ULA resulted in upregulation of the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a known mediator of cancer prosurvival phenotypes. Mechanistically, AhR and GR copurified and following chemotherapy and ULA, these factors assembled at the Brk promoter and induced Brk expression in an HIF-dependent manner. Furthermore, Brk expression was upregulated in Taxol-resistant breast cancer (MCF-7) models. Ultimately, Brk was critical for TNBC cell proliferation and survival during Taxol treatment and in the context of ULA as well as for basal cancer cell migration, acquired biological phenotypes that enable cancer cells to successfully complete the metastatic cascade. These studies nominate AhR as a p-GR binding partner and reveal ways to target epigenetic events such as adaptive and stress-induced acquisition of cancer skill sets required for metastatic cancer spread.Implication: Breast cancer cells enlist intracellular stress response pathways that evade chemotherapy by increasing cancer cell survival and promoting migratory phenotypes. Mol Cancer Res; 16(11); 1761-72. ©2018 AACR.
Fixed Points and Equilibria

In 1909, L. E. J. Brouwer proved a fixed point theorem that is illustrated by this scenario: At dawn, the surface of an oval swimming pool is perfectly still. Then a breeze begins to blow. The wind is strong enough to create waves, but not breakers. At dusk, the wind dies down, and the surface becomes still again. Each point on the surface of the pool may have shifted continuously during the day, but each point that began on the surface remains there throughout the day. Brouwer’s theorem guarantees that at least one point on the surface ends up where it began.
In Memoriam: Lúcio Craveiro da Silva

The manuscript In Memoriam: Lucio Craveiro da Silva, is wrtten by Professor Luis Lobo-Fernandes on the centenary of the birth of Lucio Craveiro da Silva, celebrated on June 27. Lucio was responsible for the creation of the first International Relations course in Portugal in 1975, at the University of Minho. This manuscript represents an indispensable testimony about the pioneering role of Lucio Craveiro da Silva in international studies in Portugal. Resumo O manuscrito In Memoriam: Lucio Craveiro da Silva, e redigido pelo Professor Luis Lobo-Fernandes no centenario do nascimento de Lucio Craveiro da Silva, celebrado a 27 de junho. Lucio foi responsavel pela criacao do primeiro curso de Relacoes Internacionais em Portugal no ano de 1975, na Universidade do Minho. Este manuscrito representa um testemunho indispensavel sobre o papel pioneiro de Lucio Craveiro da Silva nos estudos internacionais em Portugal.
The anti-nociceptive effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (PG LPS) on acute pain-related behaviour induced in rats and to measure its impact on the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines. Design The Brennan model was used to induce acute pain like signs in rats' hind paw. Twenty-four hours following the surgery the rats were divided into 5 groups and the affected paws were injected with 0.2 m l of one of three commercialized forms PG LPS doses (high - 1 mg/ml, medium - 0.6 mg/m l and low - 0.2 mg/m l), diclofenac sodium (1 mg/kg) or saline. Tactile allodynia, mechanical hyperalgesia, body temperature and paw swelling were assessed at baseline, 24 h postoperatively and 2 h after the paw injection. The affected and contra-lateral paw tissue was assessed for the mentioned above cytokines levels employing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results This study may suggest that PG LPS can reduce pain like behaviour via increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (5900 ± 748, p Conclusion The results demonstrated that PG LPS local application could possess anti- nociceptive properties, which at least in part is mediated by an increase in IL-10 levels.
The Challenge of Teaching Public Administration Ethics

There seems to be little question that the ethical conduct of public servants is important to our form of government. However, transmitting this to students in public administration programs is quite another matter. Designing and teaching an ethics course is difficult, but not for the reasons that one might expect.
Abstract 619: Cardiac Function in Electronic Cigarette-Exposed Adolescent Mice

Objective: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are the most commonly used tobacco product by teens and young adults. The aim of the present study was to determine the potential effects of e-cig vapor ex...
Influence of Directions Regarding Guessing on Validity.

Four psychometric and two ethical issues concerning test directions regarding guessing and the use of scoring formulas were identified. Although the literature generally supports the strong stance ...
Chapter 5 – Electrochemical corrosion

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes some of the important electrochemical principles and mechanisms controlling the aqueous corrosion of metals and alloys. It describes the way principles in electrochemical thermodynamics are used to predict whether or not corrosion will occur for a given metal in a given electrolyte at a given temperature. Sufficient detail was provided to allow these calculations. The thermodynamics calculations are also related to Pourbaix diagrams to provide an understanding of the source of these useful summary diagrams. Simple Tafel or charge-transfer polarization behavior is defined for anodic and cathodic half-reactions and appropriate equations are given. This simple behavior is expanded to include diffusion effects and active-passive behavior. Analyses of individual polarization curves and experimentally determined polarization curves are discussed relative to determining the open-circuit corrosion potential and the corrosion current density. The chapter derives Faraday's law, which allows calculation of the corrosion intensity or corrosion penetration rate from corrosion current density under the assumption of uniform corrosion. Several examples of specific types of electrochemical corrosion measurements and characterizations are also described.
What Do International Students Need? The Role of Family and Community Supports for Adjustment, Engagement, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between perceived family support and community support and the organizational citizenship behavior of international students in U.S. higher education institutions. It also examined the mediating effects of cross-cultural adjustment and engagement on the relationships. Data were collected from 1,436 international students in one university located in the southwestern United States. Building on previous studies that have used a top-down managerial approach, this study used a noninstitutional/person-based approach to validate two guiding theories (spillover theory and job demands–resources model) and related former empirical studies. The results help stakeholders visualize a holistic picture of the international student experience. Such knowledge enables higher education institutions to make data-driven decisions about how to strategically prioritize resources to assist international students.
In silico docking of natural compounds from plants against Rhizoctonia solani pectate lyase

Sheath blight disease caused by the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani kuhn is one of the most devastating diseases of rice plant. The disease is controlled mostly by management practices and spraying of fungicides like validamycin. However, the development of pesticide resistance in pathogens has become a cause of concern. In addition, the application of pesticides has adverse environmental effects. Thus, efforts are being made to look for biogenic compounds that could be used for disease control. In this context, the present in silico docking study was carried out to find out the effective biogenic compounds found in plants that could antagonize the pectate lyase enzyme, which is one of the most important plant cell wall degrading enzymes. The compounds selected for the study are active ingredients of plant extracts that have been found to have antagonizing effects against R. solani. The amino acid sequence available for R. solani pectate lyase protein was retrieved from the Uniprot database (entry no. A0A0B7F4Q0) and the three-dimensional model was generated using Swiss-model server. The compounds were docked with the protein using Autodock 4.2 tool. The docking study showed that the binding energies varied between − 2.47 and − 7.79. Validamycin which is used for controlling sheath blight disease had a binding energy of − 2.47. The compounds d-5-Avenasterol (− 7.79), β-sitosterol (− 7.72), gedunin (− 7.59), nimbiol (− 7.16), cycloartenol (− 6.98), stigmasterol (− 6.76), nimbolide (− 6.33) were among the compounds with high binding affinity (low binding energy). Among the amino acids, GLU-217, ARG-326, ASP-228 were found to be predominantly involved in the H-bonding formation. Among the compounds, gedunin, nimbiol, nimbolide met all the criteria for pesticide set by the Tice rule. The compounds gedunin, nimbiol, nimbolide found in the neem plant belong to the chemical class triterpenoid (limonoids), are slightly hydrophilic in nature and soluble in alcohols, ketones and esters. The preliminary findings suggest that these compounds could be used for preparing formulations for controlling the sheath blight disease of rice.
Bevacizumab in advanced endometrial cancer.

Abstract Objective Prospective data have demonstrated the efficacy of bevacizumab monotherapy in the treatment of advanced endometrial cancer. Bevacizumab is used off-label, and real-world data regarding the role of bevacizumab in endometrial cancer treatment are scant. In this largest single-institution retrospective study of its kind, we report our experience with bevacizumab monotherapy in the treatment of advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer. Methods All eligible patients (n = 101) had histologically confirmed endometrial cancer and were treated with bevacizumab at our institution from 2004 to 2017. Demographic data and tumor characteristics were obtained through chart review. Primary objective was response to therapy determined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1). Results Analysis included 13 grade 1/2 endometrioid, 15 grade 3 endometrioid, 44 serous, 8 carcinosarcoma, and 21 other/mixed histologies. No patients achieved complete (CR) or partial (PR) responses; 19 achieved stable disease (SD). The clinical benefit rate (CBR; CR + PR + SD) was 19% (95% CI: 12–28%). The CBRs were 7%, 17%, 21%, and 23% for patients with 1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4 prior treatment lines. Median PFS ranged from 2.6 months (2 lines) to 4.9 months (≥4 lines). The 3-year OS rate was 58% (95% CI: 47–67%). The median OS was 3.4 years (95% CI: 2.9–4.2), ranging from 2.5 years (2 lines) to 4.5 years (≥4 lines). The most common treatment-related adverse event was hypertension; 35 (78%) of 45 were grade 1 or 2. Conclusions In heavily pretreated advanced endometrial cancer, bevacizumab was associated with modest clinical efficacy and remains a viable palliative option in this setting.
Racial and Ethnic Minority Pregnant Patients with Low-Income Experiences of Perinatal Care: A Scoping Review

Purpose: The maternal mortality ratio for the United States (US) has consistently risen over recent decades. This mortality is especially pronounced within minority populations who experience a mat...
The Cellphone Donut Hole in the Tracking Device Statute

Legal fictions continue to sprout in American jurisprudence. One of the most recent comes from the First Circuit Court of Appeals, which held in United States v. Ackies that a cellphone cannot be a tracking device as a matter of law. While most legal fictions are supported by some logical rationale, this startling contradiction of everyday experience demands a compelling justification. Yet, as this article hopes to show, there is none. Using a statutory interpretation tool that Justice Gorsuch has caustically dubbed the “donut hole” canon, the First Circuit finds a tacit exclusion for cellphones in the Tracking Device Statute (TDS), which regulates this form of surveillance. The statute defines “tracking device” broadly and without exclusions—“a mechanical or electronic device which permits the tracking of movement of a person or object.” At the same time the court unduly restricts the proper scope of the TDS, it overextends the reach of the more permissive Stored Communications Act (SCA), a statute never intended to govern ongoing surveillance like real-time cellphone tracking. This article takes a critical look at the various arguments offered in support of this holding, and finds them wanting. In order to weigh these arguments properly, it will be necessary to recount the evolution of tracking devices in the caselaw since the 1970s, and also the more recent history of the so-called “precise location information” (PLI) warrants endorsed by Ackies. The latter can be seen as a result of opportunistic advocacy, involving four major reversals of official legal positions taken by the DOJ and federal prosecutors in other judicial and legislative venues. The most egregious was prosecutors’ convincing the Ackies court that a TDS tracking device involved “physical placement of a piece of equipment,” while simultaneously urging the opposite position—that remotely installed software could be a tracking device—before ten different appellate courts and dozens of district courts. It is also a cautionary tale of federal courts’ failure to adequately probe superficial legal arguments in support of new surveillance authorities. The full story has not been previously told, to my knowledge. The article concludes by highlighting some of the adverse consequences should the First Circuit’s holding be followed by other jurisdictions. These include lack of constitutionally-required notice to targets; less transparency and public accountability for this increasingly common form of law enforcement surveillance; and unwitting judicial approval for domestic U.S. law enforcement to engage in cellphone tracking around the globe, in likely violation of international law and in disregard of the negative impact on U.S. foreign relations. Perhaps most worrisome of all is the danger that the SCA will now become the preferred surveillance backdoor, not only for location tracking, but also for other forms of remote electronic monitoring such as wiretaps.
Book Review: The Making of Corporate Bankruptcy Law in England and the United States

This essay reviews the book Rescuing Business: The Making of Corporate Bankruptcy Law in England and the United States, by Bruce G. Carruthers and Terence C. Halliday, and applies their lessons to the current bankruptcy reform debate. Part I of the essay provides an overview and discussion of their book. The book is divided into three parts. The first part lays out their sociological model of legislative reform. The second part comprises an extended historical study of the various factors at work in the fashioning of the 1978 Bankruptcy Code. The third part studies the unique role played by bankruptcy professionals in the bankruptcy reform process. The essay commends them for their careful and voluminous historical research. Nonetheless, crippled by an unworkable and unpersuasive analytical model, they are unable to shed much light on the dynamics of bankruptcy reform. Flaccid appeals to equity are shown to be little more than covers for rent-seeking behavior by powerful interest groups. Saddled with their sociological model, they are unable to diagnose whether the pivotal role played by bankruptcy professionals exerts an overall positive or negative influence on the process of bankruptcy reform. Armed with a more persuasive model of the legislative process, Part II of the essay applies the insights of Rescuing Business to understand the current bankruptcy reform process. In particular, the essay highlights the powerful role played by bankruptcy academics and professionals, and the power they exert over the process.
Disabled Students' Rights of Access to Charter Schools Under the IDEA, Section 504 and the ADA

Charter schools are heavily criticized for turning away disabled students because they do not have the proper special education programs to serve them. But traditional schools also engage in this conduct, often preventing disabled students from attending their neighborhood schools or even schools within the district. This article discusses when a charter school or traditional school is permitted under federal disability law to deny admission to a disabled student because it does not have appropriate special education programs. After nearly four decades of special education jurisprudence and and regulatory guidance, the circumstances under which a student with a disability may be denied admission to a particular school are still remarkably unclear. This Article first discusses the "zero-reject" principle underlying the Individuals With Disabilities in Education Act and concludes that it does not grant a right of access to a particular school. The Article next explains the complicated interplay between Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act and argues that combined they compel particular schools to create special education programs to serve disabled students unless it is unduly burdensome or fundamentally alters the nature of the school. The Article concludes by surveying the regulatory guidance and caselaw regarding what constitutes a fundamental alteration and an undue burden that may justify denying admission to disabled students.
Existence and uniqueness of price equilibria: Theory and application to discrete choice models

Abstract Continuous excess demand systems which do not obey homogeneity of degree zero or Walras's Law are proved to have equilibria if they satisfy certain mild regularity conditions when prices tend to the extremes of a price domain which need not be closed or bounded. A straightforward generalization of Brouwer's theorem is used. Systems also obeying a weak balance condition (of which Walras's Law is a special case) and homogeneity are treated as corollaries to the main theorem. Sufficient conditions for differentiable excess demand systems to have unique equilibria are developed in three separate theorems. The usefulness of these general existence and uniqueness theorems is demonstrated by applying them to three specific models constructed from discrete choice theory: (1) a competitive rental housing market, (2) a regulated rental housing market with fixed rents and rationing and (3) an interregional labor market in which laborers can choose among regions for employment (or voluntary unemployment) as well as the work hours they will supply.
Presqualene Alcohol FURTHER EVIDENCE ON THE STRUCTURE OF A C30 PRECURSOR OF SQUALENE

Abstract An optically active (+) C30 alcohol has been isolated after hydrolysis of presqualene pyrophosphate by yeast microsomes. This alcohol can be prepared on a relatively large scale directly from farnesyl pyrophosphate in incubations with yeast microsomes from which inhibitors of phosphatase are omitted. The alcohol is named presqualene alcohol as its pyrophosphorylated form appears to be identical with natural presqualene pyrophosphate and is converted into squalene by microsomes in the presence of NADPH. The elemental compositions of presqualene alcohols biosynthesized from protio-farnesyl pyrophosphate and from [1-D2]-farnesyl pyrophosphate were found by high resolution mass spectrometry to be C30H49OH and C30H46D3OH, respectively. Presqualene alcohol contains five double bonds and one carbocycle. Mass spectral, nuclear magnetic resonance, and infrared spectroscopic studies as well as chemical degradation of presqualene alcohol indicate that its structure is that of a tetrasubstituted cyclopropane: cis-(1,2-anti-1,3-anti)-3-(2',6',10'-trimethylundeca-2',6'-10'-trienyl)-2-(2'',6''-dimethylnona-2'',6''-dienyl)-2-methyl-1-hydroxymethylcyclopropane. The data limit the absolute configuration around the three asymmetrical centers of the ring to either 1R, 2R, 3R or 1S, 2S, 3S out of the eight possible isomers.
The Multi-day, Competitive Leisure Event: Examining Satisfaction Over Time

The purpose of this study was to determine what factors affect a person's satisfaction over the course of a multi-day, competitive leisure event. Different types of satisfaction were measured acros...
Mathematical issues arising from the directed mutation controversy

During the past 14 years or so a large body of new evidence that supposedly supports the directed mutation hypothesis has accumulated. Interpretation of some of the evidence depends on mathematical reasoning, which can be subtler than it appears at first sight. This article attempts to clarify some of the mathematical issues arising from the directed mutation controversy, thereby offering alternative interpretations of some of the evidence.
Human Visual System—Color Visual Processing

This chapter covers the basic structure and function of the human visual system with respect to people's perception of color, and procedures to quantify those color perceptions, colorimetry, through the measurement and specification of light sources, materials, and human observers. specific topics addressed include: visual anatomy and physiology related to color perception, the spatial and temporal properties of color vision, color vision deficiencies, basic and advanced colorimetry, light sources and illuminants, materials, tristimulus values, CIE colorimetry, chromaticity coordinates, color spaces, color difference metrics, and color appearance models. A basic understanding of human color vision and color specification is important for imaging science and technology in order to develop insight into the design, engineering, and limitations of color imaging systems and further improve such systems. CIE colorimetry is also the fundamental basis of modern color management systems that enable device-independent color imaging in digital systems. Since it is very difficult to cover all of this material in sufficient detail in a single article, interested readers should look to books devoted to color science for more detailed information. These reference marks are listed. Keywords: color vision; retina; deficiencies; mechanisms; visual signal processing; colorimetry; illuminants; human response; light sources; diagrams; models
Neurological complications after neonatal bacteremia: The clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcomes

Background: Neonates with bacteremia are at risk of neurologic complications. Relevant information warrants further elucidation. Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of neonates with bacteremia-related neurologic complications (BNCs) in a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A systemic chart review was performed conducted to identify clinical characteristics and outcomes. A cohort of related conditions was constructed as the control group. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for BNC. Results: Of 1037 bacteremia episodes, 36 (3.5%) had BNCs. Twenty-four cases of BNCs were related to meningitis, five were presumed meningitis, and seven occurred after septic shock. The most common causative pathogens were Group B streptococcus (41.7%) and E. coli (16.7%). The major BNCs consisted of seizures (28), hydrocephalus (20), encephalomalacia (11), cerebral infarction (7), subdural empyema (6), ventriculitis (8), and abscess (4). Eight (22.8%) neonates died and six (16.7%) were discharged in critical condition when the family withdrew life-sustaining treatment. Among the 22 survivors, eight had neurologic sequelae upon discharge. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, neonates with meningitis caused by Group B streptococcus (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 8.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.20–36.08; p = 0.002) and combined meningitis and septic shock (OR, 5.94; 95% CI: 1.53–23.15; p = 0.010) were independently associated with BNCs. Conclusions: Neonates with bacteremia-related neurologic complications are associated with adverse outcomes or sequelae. Better strategies aimed at early detection and reducing the emergence of neurologic complications and aggressive treatment of Group B streptococcus sepsis are needed in neonates with meningitis and septic shock. Citation: Chu S-M, Hsu J-F, Lee C-W, Lien R, Huang H-R, et al. (2014) Neurological Complications after Neonatal Bacteremia: The Clinical Characteristics, Risk Factors, and Outcomes. PLoS ONE 9(11): e105294. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105294 Editor: Patrick M. Schlievert, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, United States of America Received December 22, 2013; Accepted July 22, 2014; Published November 3, 2014 Copyright: 2014 Chu et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: The authors have no support or funding to report. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * Email: mingmin.tw@yahoo.com.tw
Adaptive Conditioning of Multiple-Point Statistical Facies Simulation to Flow Data with Probability Maps

Multiple-point statistics (MPS) provides a flexible grid-based approach for simulating complex geologic patterns that contain high-order statistical information represented by a conceptual prior geologic model known as a training image (TI). While MPS is quite powerful for describing complex geologic facies connectivity, conditioning the simulation results on flow measurements that have a nonlinear and complex relation with the facies distribution is quite challenging. Here, an adaptive flow-conditioning method is proposed that uses a flow-data feedback mechanism to simulate facies models from a prior TI. The adaptive conditioning is implemented as a stochastic optimization algorithm that involves an initial exploration stage to find the promising regions of the search space, followed by a more focused search of the identified regions in the second stage. To guide the search strategy, a facies probability map that summarizes the common features of the accepted models in previous iterations is constructed to provide conditioning information about facies occurrence in each grid block. The constructed facies probability map is then incorporated as soft data into the single normal equation simulation (snesim) algorithm to generate a new candidate solution for the next iteration. As the optimization iterations progress, the initial facies probability map is gradually updated using the most recently accepted iterate. This conditioning process can be interpreted as a stochastic optimization algorithm with memory where the new models are proposed based on the history of the successful past iterations. The application of this adaptive conditioning approach is extended to the case where multiple training images are proposed as alternative geologic scenarios. The advantages and limitations of the proposed adaptive conditioning scheme are discussed and numerical experiments from fluvial channel formations are used to compare its performance with non-adaptive conditioning techniques.
Lévy-like diffusion in eye movements during spoken-language comprehension.

This study explores the diffusive properties of human eye movements during a language comprehension task. In this task, adults are given auditory instructions to locate named objects on a computer screen. Although it has been convention to model visual search as standard Brownian diffusion, we find evidence that eye movements are hyperdiffusive. Specifically, we use comparisons of maximum-likelihood fit as well as standard deviation analysis and diffusion entropy analysis to show that visual search during language comprehension exhibits Levy-like rather than Gaussian diffusion.
Community stop-smoking contests in the commit trial: Relationship of participation to costs

Abstract Background . This study quantifies resources used to conduct 26 community-wide quit-smoking contests, the percentage of smokers that participated in these contests, and the statistical associations between resource inputs and participation percentages. Methods . Data collected from the 11 COMMIT intervention communities (adult population range 47,490-185,913) included number of contest participants, contest procedures, and resource inputs. Stepwise regression was used to find the most meaningful association(s) of independent variables with contest participation percentage. Results . Contest participation percentages ranged from 0.27 to 3.11% of smokers (mean = 1.26%). Total cost (COMMIT and community-contributed resources and dollar expenditures) to conduct a contest averaged $24,857 (range $5,751-$74,556), or $78.57 per contest participant. Expenditures in various specific resource categories varied greatly. Total expenditures per smoker in the community (excluding expenditures for prizes) was the independent variable most highly correlated with contest participation percentage, accounting for 63% of the total variability in participation percentages. Conclusions . The percentage of smoker participation in community-wide stop-smoking contests appears primarily to be a function of total resource expenditures, regardless of the specific types of resources funded. Stop-smoking contests are judged to be quite cost effective. Study strengths and weaknesses are discussed.
An associative array architecture intended for semantic network processing

This paper describes the organization and operation of a semantic network array processor (SNAP). The architecture consists of an array of identical cells each containing a content addressable memory, microprogram control and communication unit. Each cell is dedicated to one node of the semantic network and its associated relations. The array can perform global associative functions under the supervision of an outside controller. In addition, each cell is equipped with the necessary logic to perform individual functions. A set of primitive instructions were carefully chosen. Some of the applications discussed in this paper include pattern search operations, production systems and inferences. A LISP simulator was developed for this architecture, and some simulation results are presented in this paper.
Bronchial carcinogenesis in syngeneic hamsters

Abstract Endobronchial sustained release implants of carcinogen were placed in males (m) and females (f) of four varieties of syngeneic hamsters: BIOF 1 ; BIO87.20; BIO1.5; BIO15.16. The sequential progression of carcinogenesis that occurred was faster for 1.5m than for 1.5f ( P = 0.01) and less rapid for 15.16m than for 87.20m and F 1 Dm ( P P P P 1 D variety ( P
Mineral Density and Fluoride Content of in vitro Remineralized Lesions

This in vitro investigation studied the remineralization of experimental caries lesions in bovine enamel by use of three methods: (1) surface microhardness, (2) microradiography, and (3) abrasion biopsy for mineral density and fluoride content. The lesions were produced by a two-day exposure to 0.01 mol/L lactic acidlsodium hydroxide buffer partially saturated with 3.0 mmol/L Ca, 1.8 mmol/L P, in 1% CMC, at pH 4.0 and 37°C. The lesions were exposed to a remineralizing solution containing 3.0 mmol/L Ca, 1.8 mmol/L P, and 3 ppm F in 1% CMC at pH 7.0 and 37°C for two, six, and ten days, with solution changes every two days. The data derived from the three methods are presented in sequence from the baseline and at days two, six, and ten of the remineralizing treatment. Microhardness measurements showed hardness recoveries of 35.9, 78.9, and 87.5%, respectively. Microradiography suggested complete recovery with the ten-day remineralization. Abrasion biopsy of successive 10-μm layers to a depth of 100 μm indica...
Radar Evaluation of Optical Cloud Constraints to Space Launch Operations

Weather constraints to launching space vehicles are designed to prevent loss of the vehicle or mission due to weather hazards (See, e.g., Ref 1). Constraints include Lightning Launch Commit Criteria (LLCC) designed to avoid natural and triggered lightning. The LLCC currently in use at most American launch sites including the Eastern Range and Kennedy Space Center require the Launch Weather Officer to determine the height of cloud bases and tops, the location of cloud edges, and cloud transparency. The preferred method of making these determinations is visual observation, but when that isn't possible due to darkness or obscured vision, it is permissible to use radar. This note examines the relationship between visual and radar observations in three ways: A theoretical consideration of the relationship between radar reflectivity and optical transparency. An observational study relating radar reflectivity to cloud edge determined from in-situ measurements of cloud particle concentrations that determine the visible cloud edge. An observational study relating standard radar products to anvil cloud transparency. It is shown that these three approaches yield results consistent with each other and with the radar threshold specified in Reference 2 for LLCC evaluation.
Short-term storage of blood samples and DNA isolation in serum separator tubes for application in epidemiological studies and clinical research.

Abstract PURPOSE: To investigate the use of a simple DNA isolation technique for application in epidemiologic studies. To analyze systematically the potential impact of lag time between blood drawing and DNA isolation and the condition of storage of blood samples on the quantity and quality of isolated DNA in large-scale epidemiologic studies. METHODS: A modified single tube DNA isolation technique was used. DNA was isolated from samples collected from six participants and processed in triplicate: a) without delay after blood drawing; b) after blood cells were stored at 4°C for 7 days; c) after blood cells were stored at −70°C for 7 days; and d) after storage for 7 days at −70°C with addition of lysis/digestion buffer. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analysis were performed to analyze the quality of the isolated DNA. RESULTS: The average amount of DNA isolated ranged from 27.0 to 71.1 μg/4.5 ml whole blood. Storage at 4°C yielded, on the average, 20% less DNA than the samples processed without delay or after storage at −70°C, although this difference was not statistically significant p = 0.63 . All four conditions studied allowed isolation of highly pure DNA suitable for genetic analyses by Southern blot analysis and polymerase chain reaction. CONLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that storage for 7 days and at different temperatures allows isolation of high quality DNA. Using the described technique, storage of up to 7 days permits processing of large numbers of samples (50–70) in a single day, allowing for a reliable and cost-efficient way of processing in various settings. Further studies are needed to investigate the influence of long-term storage of biological specimens on DNA isolation and quality.
From Dust Bowl Empiricism to Rational Constructs in Biographical Data

Abstract A number of authors have noted the possibility of using rationally derived biographical scales in prediction. The present report was an attempt to use empirically, factorially, and rationally derived biographical scales in a concurrent validation to predict service orientation. Over 867 service employees, along with a large number of applicants, completed a 137-item biographical questionnaire constructed to cover the 15 aspects of service delivery identified through an extensive job analysis. Criteria included supervisory ratings of service orientation and overall performance along with three personnel measures, days absent, times absent, and times tardy. Empirical, factorial, a priori rational, and post-hoc rational scales were developed with a two-thirds sample and cross-validated using a one-third hold-out sample. The empirical scales had the highest validity and the greatest shrinkage, rendering this approach ineffective in predicting any of the criteria. The factorial and rational scales had positive validity with four of the five criteria, with the post-hoc rational scales having cross-validated correlations in the 0.30's with three of the criteria including the rating of service orientation. The results were promising in terms of both the prediction and understanding of a criterion of increasing importance to many organizations, customer service orientation.