cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Animal Models of Peripheral Neuropathies

Peripheral neuropathies are common neurological diseases, and various animal models have been developed to study disease pathogenesis and test potential therapeutic drugs. Three commonly studied disease models with huge public health impact are diabetic peripheral neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and human immunodeficiency virus-associated sensory neuropathies. A common theme in these animal models is the comprehensive use of pathological, electrophysiological, and behavioral outcome measures that mimic the human disease. In recent years, the focus has shifted to the use of outcome measures that are also available in clinical use and can be done in a blinded and quantitative manner. One such evaluation tool is the evaluation of epidermal innervation with a simple skin biopsy. Future clinical trials will be needed to validate the translational usefulness of this outcome measure and validation against accepted outcome measures that rely on clinical symptoms or examination findings in patients.
Patients' values and clinical substituted judgments: The case of localized prostate cancer.

The authors examined agreement between patients' utilities and importance rankings and clinicians' judgments of these assessments using a multiattribute model representing 6 aspects of health states potentially associated with localized prostate cancer. Patients were interviewed individually shortly after diagnosis and at a follow-up visit to obtain time-tradeoff utilities for 4 health states, including current health, and importance ranks of the 6 attributes. Their clinicians independently provided views of what utilities and importance ranks would be in the patient's best interest. Using patient-clinician pairs as the unit of analysis, the authors discovered that only about 50% of the correlations across 4 health states were high enough (.80) to be acceptable for clinical use for substituted judgment. Their conclusion: Clinicians should recognize that their judgments of the utility of health states associated with localized prostate cancer may not correspond closely with those of the patient.
Minimum Q of the element in an infinite phased array - TM z case

In a previous paper (see IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, June 2007), we presented a method for evaluating the minimum Q of the element in an infinite active phased array. Specific application of the method was made to the evaluation of the Q of a magnetic current source radiating cylindrical TEz modes. In this paper we extend the analysis to an electric current source radiating cylindrical TMz modes. As a reference, we also derive the Q of a single cylindrical source over a ground plane, since this is not found in the literature.
Helping You Is Helping Me: Improving Students’ Ethical Behaviors in a Negotiation by Appealing to Ethical Egoism and the Reputation Effect

It can be a challenge to try to improve the ethical conduct of students enrolled in a negotiation course. Many students believe that the best outcome is to maximize value for themselves without regard for the interests of the other party. Unethical negotiation behaviors often result from a short-term perspective of the interaction and myopic focus on maximizing self-gain. This article suggests how instructors can improve ethical behaviors among student negotiators by enhancing their long-term perspective, appealing to students’ ethical egoism and reinforcing the idea of the reputation effect.
EFFECT OF EFFORT ON PERCENTAGE OF SHORT INTERRESPONSE TIMES: CONSTANT AND VARIED EFFORT CONDITIONS

This study investigated the effect of response effort on the percentage of short interresponse times under constant and varied effort conditions. After training on a lever-pressing task, rats were subjected to either a constant or a varied 10-g or 55-g response force (effort) requirement. The percentage of short interresponse times (under 1 sec.) was recorded in both acquisition and extinction phases of testing. The findings showed no effect of effort on the occurrence of short interresponse times during acquisition. However, there was a significant effort effect in extinction for the varied effort group, the higher force requirement resulting in a greater percentage of short interresponse times.
NOTE: SYNTHESIS OF Cu(II) AND Zn(II) COMPLEXES WITH SCHIFF BASE DERIVATIVES OF 2-ACETYLPYRROLE

Abstract Bis chelate complexes of Cu(II) and Zn(II) were synthesized with methylamine and ethylamine Schiff base derivatiies of 2-acetylpyrrole. Stable complexes were obtained, with the exception of the Cu(II) ethylamine adduct. which slowly hydrolyzed in air to yield a mixed ligand product containing one ethylamine Schiff base and one 2-acetylpyrrole per metal centre. The instability of the bis Cu(II) ethylamine Schiff base complex with respect to stable Cu(II) methylamine and Zn(1I) ethylamine complexes is discussed.
Spatial Localization under Conflict Conditions: Is There a Single Explanation?:

Visual–auditory (VA) and visual–proprioceptive (VP) localization conflict paradigms were varied to explore the comparability of the conflict situations. In experiment 1 various attempts were made to decrease the dominance of visual information over proprioceptive and auditory target information. Pairing auditory with proprioceptive information against conflicting visual information did not lessen the visual dominance, nor did dimming the visual field. A ‘cognitive’ manipulation, in which the subject was led to doubt the reliability of the visual information, reduced visual dominance over audition but not visual dominance over proprioception. This difference between the two conflict situations was further explored and corroborated in experiment 2. In experiment 3 no attempt was made to lead the subject to believe that paired discrepant targets were related, and the visual dominance of audition was strong while the visual dominance of proprioception did not occur.The apparent differences between the VA and ...
Evaluation of continuous solvent extraction of organic acids from biological fluids.

We evaluated the efficiency of continuous solvent extraction with ether for the analysis of organic acids by gas chromatography using a representative group of organic acids and urine from several normal children. Variables examined were the time of extraction, volume of sample, and the quantity and chemical class of acid present. In terms of the decreased time required and invariant extraction of acids of pathologic significance continuous solvent extraction compares favorably with the more time consuming albeit less discriminatory ion-exchange procedure. Continuous solvent extraction appears especially well suited for analysis of short chain aliphatic acids by gas chromatography.
Modeling Structural, Dyadic, and Individual Factors: The Inclusion and Exclusion Model of HIV Related Behavior

Changing HIV-related behaviors requires addressing the individual, dyadic, and structural influences that shape them. This supplement of AIDS & Behavior presents frameworks that integrate these three influences on behavior. Concepts from these frameworks were selected to model the processes by which structural factors affect individual HIV-related behavior. In the Inclusion/Exclusion Model, material and symbolic inclusions and exclusions (sharing versus denying resources) regulate individuals’ ability and motivation to detect, prevent, and treat HIV. Structural interventions create inclusions that increase one’s ability or motivation to perform these behaviors or exclusions that hinder one’s ability or motivation to execute counterproductive behaviors. The need to expand research regarding multilevel influences on HIV-related behavior is also discussed, particularly concerning further understanding of sustained behavior change and effective dissemination of evidence-based intervention strategies.
An Experimental Investigation of a Dual Process Model of HIV-Related Stigma

HIV-related stigmatization remains prevalent and harmful to HIV+ individuals. Guided by a dual process model of HIV-related stigma, this study examined the psychological factors governing stigmatizing responses and response adjustments toward HIV+ persons. Hypotheses were tested using a computerized stigma measure that simulated approach/avoidance behavior toward an HIV+ target. Findings indicated that initial reactions to the HIV+ target were predominately negative and associated with endorsement of homophobia. Conversely, subsequent response adjustments reflected greater acceptance of the HIV+ target and were associated with internal motivations to control prejudice. Findings confirm the need for innovative stigma reduction strategies.
Product-controlled steady-state kinetics between cytochrome aa3 from Rhodobacter sphaeroides and equine ferrocytochrome c analyzed by a novel spectrophotometric approach

Abstract Cytochrome c oxidase (C c O) catalyzes the reduction of molecular oxygen to water using ferrocytochrome c (cyt c 2 + ) as the electron donor. In this study, the oxidation of horse cyt c 2 + by C c O from Rhodobacter sphaeroides , was monitored using stopped-flow spectrophotometry. A novel analytic procedure was applied in which the spectra were deconvoluted into the reduced and oxidized forms of cyt c by a least-squares fitting method, yielding the reaction rates at various concentrations of cyt c 2 + and cyt c 3 + . This allowed an analysis of the effects of cyt c 3 + on the steady-state kinetics between C c O and cyt c 2 + . The results show that cyt c 3 + exhibits product inhibition by two mechanisms: competition with cyt c 2 + at the catalytic site and, in addition, an interaction at a second site which further modulates the reaction of cyt c 2 + at the catalytic site. These results are generally consistent with previous reports, indicating the reliability of the new procedure. We also find that a 6 × His-tag at the C-terminus of the subunit II of C c O affects the binding of cyt c at both sites. The approach presented here should be generally useful in spectrophotometric studies of complex enzyme kinetics. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 17th European Bioenergetics Conference (EBEC 2012).
Alaskan moose hair element values and variability

Abstract 1. 1. Hair from 1250 moose (Alces alces gigas) collected from 12 regions in Alaska were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy for four essential macro-elements (Ca, K, Mg, and Na), four essential micro-elements (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn), and two nonessential micro-elements (Cd and Pb). 2. 2. Analysis of variance detected significant differences among monthly regional samples in 90 of 120 comparisons which may provide basis for identification and forensic application. 3. 3. Low essential mineral element hair values provided basis for delineating potential mineral deficient areas.
WE-A-201B-04: Reducing Dose in Breast Tomosynthesis Using Bayesian Image Estimation

Purpose: To reduce dose of breast tomosynthesisimaging by applying Bayesian Image Estimation (BIE) processing to projection images. BIE has been shown previously to reduce scatter and improve image signal‐to‐noise ratios without an associated loss of resolution. Methods & Materials: A mammography QA phantom (CIRS model 011A) was imaged on a prototype Siemens breast tomosynthesis system. Projection images were processed with BIE, which is an iterative, statistical processing technique that estimates and removes radiographic noise and scatter. To assess image quality, line pair and mass‐like objects were digitally embedded at varying levels of contrast. A grid search over the four free parameters of the algorithm (full‐width half‐maximum, Gibbs beta multiplier, scatter‐to‐primary ratio, and iteration number) was conducted to optimize signal‐difference‐to‐noise ratio (SdNR) of those line pairs and masses. The optimized, processed images were reconstructed using the Siemens filtered backprojection algorithm. Results: Resolution (measured by SdNR of line pairs) was consistently preserved for 1/2 and 1/4 Nyquist frequencies and/or targets with at least medium (≥3%) contrast. These correspond well to parenchyma that tends to be low‐frequency and medium‐contrast as well as calcifications which are high‐frequency and high‐contrast. For simulated masses, SdNR was consistently improved up to 4‐fold. Reconstructed images showed qualitative improvements in lesion conspicuity for masses, fibers, and calcifications. Conclusion: BIE processing demonstrated improved lesion conspicuity while maintaining resolution in tomosynthesis projection images. On‐going work will explore trading off this image quality improvement for reduced dose. Specifically, low‐dose (50% or lower) images will be processed with BIE to yield the same image quality as a regular‐dose acquisition. Low‐dose tomosynthesis is clinically significant given the likelihood of requiring two scans per breast for screening and even more scans for diagnostic exams, contrastimaging, or biopsy guidance. Conflict of interest statement: Research sponsored in part by Siemens Healthcare.
Mutual rescues between two dominant negative mutations in cardiac troponin I and cardiac troponin T

Troponin T (TnT) and troponin I (TnI) are two evolutionarily and functionally linked subunits of the troponin complex that regulates striated muscle contraction. We previously reported a single amino acid substitution in the highly conserved TnT-binding helix of cardiac TnI (cTnI) in wild turkey hearts in concurrence with an abnormally spliced myopathic cardiac TnT (cTnT) (Biesiadecki, B. J., Schneider, K. L., Yu, Z. B., Chong, S. M., and Jin, J. P. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 13825–13832). To investigate the functional effect of this cTnI mutation and its potential value in compensating for the cTnT abnormality, we developed transgenic mice expressing the mutant cTnI (K118C) in the heart with or without the deletion of the endogenous cTnI gene to mimic the homozygote and heterozygote of wild turkeys. Double and triple transgenic mice were created by crossing the cTnI-K118C lines with transgenic mice overexpressing the myopathic cTnT (exon 7 deletion). Functional studies of ex vivo working hearts found that cTnI-K118C alone had a dominantly negative effect on diastolic function and blunted the inotropic responses of cardiac muscle to β-adrenergic stimuli without abolishing the protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of cTnI. When co-expressed with the cTnT mutation, cTnI-K118C corrected the significant depression of systolic function caused by cTnT exon 7 deletion, and the co-existence of exon 7-deleted cTnT minimized the diastolic abnormality of cTnI-K118C. Characterization of this naturally selected pair of mutually rescuing mutations demonstrated that TnI-TnT interaction is a critical link in the Ca2+ signaling and β-adrenergic regulation in cardiac muscle, suggesting a potential target for the treatment of troponin cardiomyopathies and heart failure.
The Influence of Personality Type on a Distance Course in Accounting

Although distance education technology is being promoted as a method of reaching students who cannot be residents on campus, the dynamics of this technology on education are not well understood. While some individuals find a distance course interesting and useful, others perceive it as frustrating. We compare the perception and performance of individuals with different personality types in a traditional face-to-face (FTF) classroom with those in a distance classroom facilitated by two-way audio-video (AVM) technology. The results indicate that individuals with certain personality types perceive distance education as less appropriate than would those with other personality types. The performance of individuals is not linked to their personality types and more importantly their performance is not related to their perception of how appropriate the communication mode is for the learning environment. Performance, however, is influenced by the communication mode utilized for the traditional or distance course.
Support for metrical stress theory in stress acquisition

This study provides a detailed analysis of stress errors in English-speaking children's word productions to determine whether the patterns of errors are consistent with the theoretical notions of metrical phonology. Children (aged 22–34 months) produced three-syllable novel and real words which varied according to metrical pattern. Results revealed three general stages in stress acquisition and support for metrical parameters, such as quantity-sensitivity, extrametricality, and main stress. Findings are compared with a recent analysis of stress development in Dutch-speaking children, based on a parametric metrical framework.
Influence of deoxyribonucleic acid content on the proteolysis of sputum and pus.

DEOXYRIBOSE nucleoprotein (DNP) has been identified as an important constituent of purulent exudates, constituting 30–70 per cent of the total solids1. The action of deoxyribonuclease (DNase) in liquefying such exudates has been largely ascribed to the depolymerization of DNA2–6. Sherry, Johnson and Tillett4 observed that acid-soluble nitrogen was progressively liberated into solution following the addition of DNase to the exudate. Similarly, liberation of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) soluble tyrosine was noted during our investigation of DNase action on purulent sputum. It is possible that this liberation of TCA soluble tyrosine resulted from the digestion of protein by an intrinsic proteolytic enzyme which requires depolymerization of interfering DNA. This communication is concerned with the testing of the hypothesis: (a) that a nucleoprotein, resistant to proteolysis, exists in sputum and pus; (b) that the protein becomes susceptible to a native proteolytic enzyme after the nucleoprotein complex has been split.
Formation of mannosyl-containing lipid-linked sugars by membranes fromPenicillium charlesii

Abstract A membrane fraction from Penicillium charlesii was shown to catalyze the transfer of mannosyl residues from GDP- d -mannose to dolichyl-phosphate. Based upon the concentration of eluent required to elute the products from DEAE(acetate) resin compared with the authentic dolichyl-phospho-mannose, it was found that the system formed dolichyl-phospho-mannose and dolichyl-pyrophosphomannose-containing oligosaccharides. Synthesis of dolichyl-phospho-mannose required the addition of both dolichyl-phosphate and MgCl 2 to the reaction mixture as well as the membrane preparation. With MnCl 2 as the added cofactor, a trisaccharide was the predominant mannose-containing saccharide formed; lesser quantities of tetra- and larger saccharides were formed. The data suggest that MnCl 2 served as cofactor in the synthesis of both dolichyl-phospho-mannose and dolichyl-phospho-(mannose) x . Mannose incorporation from GDP- d -mannose into the two classes of lipid-linked sugars was not inhibited by tunicamycin which suggests that the mannose-containing oligosaccharide is without N -acetyl- d -glucosamine residues. In contrast, bacitracin or amphomycin added to the reaction mixture inhibited formation of dolichyl-phospho-mannose and to a lesser extent dolichyl-pyrophospho-(mannose) x .
Effects in vitro and in vivo of thioureas on acetylcholine esterase activity of rat tissues.

Abstract In view of data available that accumulation of acetylcholine in the lung leads to pulmonary edema formation, the effects of thiourea (TU), phenylthiourea (PTU) and α-naphthylthiourea (ANTU) on lung acetylcholine esterase (AchE) activity were examined in vitro and in vivo. ANTU and PTU produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of lung AchE activity in vitro. The Sped50 values of ANTU and PTU were 2.8 × 10−4 and 5 × 10−4 M respectively. No significant inhibition in AchE activity of the lung occurred in response to any concentration of TU. The mechanisms of AchE inhibition due to ANTU appeared to be competitive. The apparent Km for lung AchE averaged 7.23 × 10−4 M and the Ki for ANTU averaged 1.11 × 10−4 M. ANTU at 5 × 10−4 M inhibited the AchE activity of all examined tissues in vitro. An edema-producing dose of ANTU had no effect on AchE activity of any tissue except the brain. A failure to demonstrate the inhibitory effect in vivo of ANTU on AchE activity has been discussed in this paper. Pretreatment with atropine offered no protection against the pulmonary edema-producing ability of ANTU. The data collected in the present report indicate that inhibition of lung AchE is probably not the mechanism of ANTU-induced pulmonary edema. The significance of brain AchE inhibition in response to an edema-producing dose of ANTU is not known.
Use of the molecular orbital Hessian for self-consistent-field (SCF) wavefunctions

Abstract The molecular orbital (MO) Hessian for the self-consistent-field (SCF) wavefunction is defined as the second derivative of the electronic energy of the system with respect to changes in the MO coefficients. The lowest eigenvalue of the MO Hessian is widely used to determine the stability of SCF wavefunctions. The present study extends the use of the MO Hessian in several directions: prediction of low-lying excited states, qualification of basis sets, identification of MOs involved in chemical reactions, warning of a variational collapse, relative stability of wavefunctions, as well as absolute stability of wavefunctions. An SCF instability index is defined as the number of negative eigenvalues of the MO Hessian, since it is possible that an SCF wavefunction has more than one negative eigenvalue of the corresponding MO Hessian. The MO Hessian is analyzed for the ground and excited states of H 2 O, H 2 CO and NO 2 at equilibrium geometries and/or at transition states for dissociation and for conformational change. Examples are given of stationary values of the electronic energy with respect to orbital rotations representing local minima, maxima and points of inflection. The relevance of the eigenvalues of the MO Hessian to the physical and chemical properties of the system under consideration is discussed.
Multiresidue determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in eggs using liquid chromatography-fluorescence-mass spectrometryn

Abstract An efficient multiresidue method for determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in eggs has been developed, in which quantitation and confirmation are achieved simultaneously using fluorescence and MS n . With this method, eight fluoroquinolones were analyzed in fortified egg samples at levels of 10–100 ng g −1 . Recoveries for desethylene ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, orbifloxacin, sarafloxacin and difloxacin were generally in the range 60–100%, with excellent relative standard deviations. The limits of quantitation ranged from 0.1 to 2 ng g −1 in mixed egg. Confirmation was achieved by monitoring the ratios of two prominent product ions in MS 2 (desethylene ciprofloxacin) or MS 3 (all others). The method was found to be applicable to the analysis of egg whites and also egg yolks, with limits of quantitation ranging from 0.1 to 7 ng g −1 (egg white) and 0.1–1.5 ng g −1 (egg yolk). ENRO-incurred mixed eggs, egg whites and egg yolks were also successfully analyzed using this method.
Reducing compilation time by a compilation server

In language systems that support separate compilation, we often observe that header files are internalized over and over again when the source files that depend on them are compiled. Making a compiler a long-lived server eliminates such redundant processing of header files, thus reducing the compilation time. The paper first describes compilation servers for C-family languages in general, and then a compilation server for our C-based object-oriented language in particular. The performance results of our server show that a compilation server can substantially shorten the compilation time.
Solution of an elliptic inverse convection problem using a whole domain regularization technique

The inverse convection problem for developing laminar forced flow in a channel is investigated. The straight inversion process is found to be susceptible to inherent random errors introduced either by the numerical computations and/or experimental errors. In order to overcome the ill-posed behavior associated with inverse problems, a whole domain regularization scheme tailored for elliptic differential equations is employed in solving the governing energy equation. The methodology is found to be effective in curbing the ill-posed symptoms inherent in inverse problems. When a simple smoothing procedure is tested in conjunction with a straight inversion scheme, it fails to alleviate such symptoms and exhibits highly unstable results. Nomenclature matrix of coefficients, Eq. (11) dimensionless standard deviation of the bottom wall temperature, Eq. (20) matrix of constants, Eq. (14) Gaussian random error channel width, m
The Tango of Histone Marks and Chaperones at Replication Fork

Nucleosomes are disassembled during DNA replication. How histone modifications and histone chaperones collaborate to reassemble nucleosomes on replicated DNA is explored by Jasencakova et al. (2010) and Burgess et al. (2010) in this and a recent issue of Molecular Cell, respectively.
The Roots and Evolution of Child Psychology: An Interview with Lewis P. Lipsitt:

Ted Bosack is professor of psychology and chair of the department at Providence College. His teaching is in the areas of child development and experimental child psychology, and his areas of partic...
STED: semi-supervised targeted-interest event detectionin in twitter

Social microblogs such as Twitter and Weibo are experiencing an explosive growth with billions of global users sharing their daily observations and thoughts. Beyond public interests (e.g., sports, music), microblogs can provide highly detailed information for those interested in public health, homeland security, and financial analysis. However, the language used in Twitter is heavily informal, ungrammatical, and dynamic. Existing data mining algorithms require extensive manually labeling to build and maintain a supervised system. This paper presents STED, a semi-supervised system that helps users to automatically detect and interactively visualize events of a targeted type from twitter, such as crimes, civil unrests, and disease outbreaks. Our model first applies transfer learning and label propagation to automatically generate labeled data, then learns a customized text classifier based on mini-clustering, and finally applies fast spatial scan statistics to estimate the locations of events. We demonstrate STED's usage and benefits using twitter data collected from Latin America countries, and show how our system helps to detect and track example events such as civil unrests and crimes.
Studies of the electron transfer system. LIII. The isolation and composition of succinic-coenzyme Q reductase and succinic-cytochrome c reductase

Abstract A highly active succinic-cytochrome c reductase has been isolated from beef-heart mitochondria containing the same molecular ratio of flavine, cytochrome c 1 , and cytochrome b as does the parent mitochondrion. Another complex has been obtained from the same source, which catalyzes the reduction of coenzyme Q, but not the reduction of cytochrome c, by succinate. This complex contains flavine and cytochrome b in equimolar proportions. Experimental support is provided for the hypothesis that cytochrome b exists in more than one segment of the mitochondrial electron-transfer chain.
STAT Activation during Viral Infection In Vivo: Where's the Interferon?

In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, O'Gorman et al. (2010) identify a key role for early TLR2-mediated IL-6 production and STAT3 activation in generating protective immunity against poxviruses. These findings highlight the importance of early inflammatory cytokine production in antiviral defense and have implications for enhancing vaccination efficacy.
DEFINING REASONABLE AND FEASIBLE TRAFFIC NOISE ABATEMENT: CONSIDERATION OF QUANTITATIVE APPROACH

Where did all of this business about reasonable and feasible traffic noise abatement begin, and how can it best be incorporated into today's environmental impact assessment process? These questions prompted a third: How can the decision-making process be improved when it comes to determining when traffic noise abatement is reasonable and feasible? Historically, the consideration of reasonable and feasible traffic noise abatement can be traced to FHWA's directives issued in 1973. Following more than two decades of application by state highway agencies, FHWA issued a report in 1992 that questioned what criteria should be used to determine reasonable and feasible traffic noise abatement. This report prompted the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to assess its process related to reasonable and feasible abatement. After nearly a decade of adjustment and tweaking of the current process, FDOT has developed an alternative methodology. This quantitative method could be used to assess noise abatement reas...
Effects of recurrent selection for grain yield on plant and ear traits of five maize populations

Maize (Zea mays L.) breeders are interested in the effects of recurrent selection for grain yield on other traits. Changes in plant traits could alter agronomic acceptability of the populations under selection, and observed improvements in grain yield could be explained by changes in ear traits. We evaluated changes in combining ability for plant and ear traits of BS10(FR), BS11(FR), BSSS(R), BSCB1(R), and Lancaster Surecrop associated with recurrent selection for grain yield. Recurrent selection procedures generally did not change plant and ear heights or date of silking of testcrosses of populations or of the population crosses, BS10(FR)×BSS11(FR) and BSSS(R)×BSCB1(R). Grain yield improvements, however, were associated with increases in ear-sink size.
Influence of Probucol ((4,4′-Isopropylidine dithio)-bis(2,6-di-t-butyl-phenol)) on Egg Yolk Cholesterol Content and Performance of Laying Hens

Abstract Addition of the hypocholesteremic agent Probucol ((4,4′-isopropylidine dithio)-bis(2,6-di-t-butyl-phenol)) to the diet of laying hens at up to 1% significantly reduced egg yolk cholesterol content (mg/g yolk) without impairment of rate of egg production, egg weight, shell strength, albumen quality, or other production related parameters. Dietary concentration of .1% Probucol significantly reduced yolk cholesterol within 2 weeks after feeding. Higher concentrations did not further reduce yolk cholesterol. Probucol at .025% reduced egg yolk cholesterol within 4 weeks after feeding, but after 8 weeks of feeding, eggs from hens fed .025% Probucol did not differ significantly in yolk cholesterol from those fed the basal unsupplemented diet. This suggests possible adaptation in cholesterol synthesis by the laying hen.
Energy levels of light nuclei (VII). A = 5–10

Abstract Compilation of energy levels for A = 11–12 nuclei with emphasis on material leading to information about the structure of the A = 11–12 systems.
Simulation of Flow-Tube Oxidation on the Carbon Preform of PICA

The oxidation of carbon fibers at high temperature is a subject of great interest in atmospheric re-entry science. To correctly evaluate the parameters involved, and test oxidation models, it is necessary to use a combination of flow and material solver. This works presents the full three-dimensional, implicit coupling of a computational fluid dynamics and material response solver, with the goal of reproducing the results of a series of flow-tube experiments recently performed. Results are presented for the geometry of interested, using a simplified numerical setup. This effort is the part of an ongoing project to develop a fully coupled system that solves fluid dynamics and material response under atmospheric entry conditions.
The volume-outcomes relationship for United States Level I trauma centers.

Background Previous studies of the center volume-outcomes relationship for severe trauma care have yielded conflicting findings regarding the presence or nature of such a relationship. Few studies have confined their analysis to Level I centers. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of severely injured adults treated from 2001 through 2006 in United States Level I trauma centers using data from the National Trauma Data Bank version 7.1. The post-injury in-hospital mortality rates for patients treated at high- or medium-volume Level I trauma centers were compared with the rates for patients treated at low-volume Level I centers before and after adjustment for patient demographic and injury characteristics. Subgroup comparisons were performed for those Level I centers with and without American College of Surgeons (ACS) verification of Level I designation. Results Overall, medium-volume Level I trauma centers had significantly lower mortality than low-volume centers (14.3% versus 15.6%), both before and after adjustment for patient demographic and injury characteristics. Of those trauma centers without ACS verification of Level I designation, high-volume centers had significantly greater mortality than low-volume centers. Conclusions Our findings support the current utilization by the American College of Surgeons of minimum annual volume requirements for the verification of Level I trauma center designation, and suggest that the presence of such verification may enable Level I centers to effectively manage high volume of severely injured adult patients.
Hardware-efficient distributed arithmetic architecture for high-order digital filters

The paper presents a new memory-efficient distributed arithmetic (DA) architecture for high-order FIR filters. The proposed architecture is based on a memory reduction technique for DA look-up-tables (LUTs); it requires fewer transistors for high-order filters than original LUT-based DA, DA-offset binary coding (DA-OBC), and the LUT-less DA-OBC. Recursive iteration of the memory reduction technique significantly increases the maximum number of filter order implementable on an FPGA platform by not only saving transistor counts, but also balancing hardware usage between logic element (LE) and memory. FPGA implementation results confirm that the proposed DA architecture can implement a 1024-tap FIR filter with significantly smaller area usage (<50%) than the original LUT-based DA and the LUT-less DA-OBC.
Visualizing intramolecular vibrational redistribution: expectation values of resonance operators

Abstract The expectation values of resonance operators can help to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie complicated, multidimensional vibrational dynamics, as represented by effective Hamiltonian models.
Asymptotic phasefront extraction applied to electromagnetic scattering predictions

In this paper the APEx-MoM is extended to use linearly phased Rao-Wilton-Glisson (LP-RWG) basis functions in the smooth regions, and applied to some realistic geometries. The scaling of the number of unknowns with frequency is asymptotically linear because only the edge regions need to be re-meshed with conventional basis functions as the frequency increases.
Chromosomal evolution, speciation and morphological change in vertebrates: the role of social behaviour

Rates of chromosomal evolution, morphological evolution and speciation are highly correlated among major vertebrate groups; however, there is not a direct relationship between evolutionary change at these different levels. To explain the correlation of evolutionary rates, we suggest that the evolution of social behaviour by certain mammals and birds facilitates evolutionary change at all three levels. Social behaviour may facilitate the successful founding of new populations by a small number of related individuals, a condition favouring fixation of chromosomal rearrangements that are selectively disadvantageous in the heterozygous state. We discuss two mechanisms, “behavioural drive” and “social selection”, whereby morphological change may beaccelerated by the evolution of social behaviour. Social behaviour may facilitate speciation both indirectly through its effects on population structure, and directly, by accelerating the evolution of mate recognition signals.
Perceptions about Design for Construction Worker Safety: Viewpoints from Contractors, Designers, and University Facility Owners

AbstractDecisions made before construction can affect safety on the construction site, either positively or negatively. This was observed from past research that identified the link between design decisions and fatalities. The concept of implementing design decisions that positively affect safety falls under the general concept of prevention through design (PtD), which attempts to identify and mitigate hazards early in the design process to eliminate the risks of injury or damage during construction. Prevention through design is practiced in other countries, primarily through legislation. The objective of this paper is to present the results of a survey that was conducted to identify construction industry stakeholders’ views on the concept of PtD and gauge the possibility for implementing PtD in the U.S. construction industry through either legislation or other means. Four distinct groups were surveyed: engineers, architects, contractors, and owners. Within this study, PtD was described and introduced to ...
Molecular responses of Frankia sp. strain QA3 to naphthalene.

The Frankia–actinorhizal plant symbiosis plays a significant role in plant colonization in soils contaminated with heavy metals and toxic aromatic hydrocarbons. The molecular response of Frankia upon exposure to soil contaminants is not well understood. To address this issue, we subjected Frankia sp. strain QA3 to naphthalene stress and showed that it could grow on naphthalene as a sole carbon source. Bioinformatic analysis of the Frankia QA3 genome identified a potential operon for aromatic compound degradation as well as several ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases. Under naphthalene stress, the expression of these genes was upregulated. Proteome analysis showed a differential protein profile for cells under naphthalene stress. Several protein spots were analyzed and used to identify proteins involved in stress response, metabolism, and energy production, including a lignostilbene dioxygenase. These results provide a model for understanding the molecular response of Frankia to common soil pollutants, which m...
The Moral Status of Nuclear Deterrent Threats

Ethical reflection on the practice of war stands in a long tradition in Western philosophy and theology, a tradition which begins with the writings of Plato and Augustine and encompasses accounts of justified warfare offered by writers from the Medieval period to the present. Ethical reflection on nuclear war is of necessity a more recent theme. The past few years have seen an enormous increase in popular as well as scholarly concern with nuclear issues, and philosophers have joined theologians in exploring the moral issues surrounding the harnessing of atomic forces in the service of war.
The Central Scar: Pathophysiology and Imaging Features

The central scar is a relatively uncommon radiologic finding. However, when present, it is a highly useful imaging feature which may suggest a specific diagnosis in patients with renal, hepatic, or pancreatic masses of unknown etiology. This pictorial review will serve to illustrate the computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and ultrasonographic imaging features of abdominal neoplasms associated with a central scar.
Design of microfabricated inductors for microprocessor power delivery

Microfabricated inductor designs are proposed for converters for microprocessor power delivery. The fabrication process uses anisotropic silicon etching to form V-grooves; granular metal/insulator nanoscale composite magnetic materials; and copper conductors. An application specific calculation procedure results in an inductor design with predicted power density over 200 W/cm/sup 2/ at 95% efficiency for an 8 MHz, 3.6 V to 1.1 V converter.
Ligand sensitivity in dimeric associations of the serotonin 5HT2c receptor.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) respond to external stimuli by activating heterotrimeric G proteins inside the cell. There is increasing evidence that many GPCRs exist as dimers or higher oligomers, but the biochemical nature of such dimers and what roles they have, if any, in signal transduction remains unclear. We conducted a comprehensive study of dimerization of the 5HT2c serotonin receptor using disulphide-trapping experiments. We found a dimer interface between transmembrane (TM) helices IV and V that is markedly sensitive to the state of receptor activation. This dimer seems to be quasisymmetrical in interfacial geometry and asymmetrical in its association with its cognate Gα protein. We also found a second interface at TM I helices, which is insensitive to the state of activation.
OBESE FEMALE SHHF/Mcc-facp RATS RESIST ANTIHYPERTENSIVE EFFECTS OF RENIN-ANGIOTENSIN SYSTEM INHIBITION

Gender and obesity may influence response to pharmacological modulation of the renin-angiotensin system. We used SHHF/Mcc-facp rats to study effect of obesity and gender on the ability of an AT1 receptor antagonist to decrease blood pressure. After 2 weeks treatment with irbesartan (50 mg/kg), only lean and obese males showed significant decreases in blood pressure, while obese females were completely resistant. Lean females showed a trend toward lowering of pressure (p = 0.06). However, irbesartan similarly shifted angiotensin II dose response curves to the right in all groups. Twelve weeks of irbesartan also failed to decrease blood pressure, but did significantly reduce heart weight in obese females. In untreated rats, obese females had lower plasma renin activity and serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity compared to lean males, while lean and obese females had increased urinary endothelin excretion. Despite an otherwise similar genetic background contributing to hypertension and heart failure, ...
Regulation of excitatory neural input to longitudinal intestinal muscle by myenteric interneurons

The circuit of myenteric interneurons that regulate excitatory input to longitudinal colonic muscle was identified using dispersed ganglia and longitudinal muscle strips with adherent myenteric ple...
Locking of Pure Membrane Elements

The phenomenon of membrane locking arises from “parasitic” membrane strains generated by a finite element when it undergoes pure bending deformation. If the strain energy associated with parasitic strains is a significant portion of the total strain energy in the element, the element becomes artificially stiffened and erroneous results are produced. The fully integrated 9-node lagrangian shell element is an example of a finite element which exhibits membrane locking, even when the bending deformations experienced by the element are small.
Chae Chan Ping and Fong Yue Ting: The Origins of Plenary Power

This paper, a chapter in the forthcoming Immigration Law Stories, describes the cases establishing the legal foundations of the constitutional law of immigration. Chae Chan Ping v. United States (1889) involved a resident noncitizen who left the United States with a document allowing his return; in furtherance of its policy of restricting Chinese immigration (at this time immigration by members of other races was not numerically restricted) Congress voided the reentry documents while Chae Chan Ping was on the boat back to the U.S. Fong Yue Ting v. United States (1893) involved a challenge to a federal statute requiring Chinese noncitizens (but not foreign nationals of other racial groups) to register on pain of deportation. The cases represent an early example of an impact litigation campaign. The Chinese in these cases (and in other immigration cases in the Supreme Court) were represented by the leaders of the American bar, men with wide legal and political experience, who were paid by contributions from members of the Chinese community across the country. Notwithstanding the eminence and skill of the counsel for the Chinese, the Supreme Court upheld the actions of Congress. Given the important individual interests involved and the racially discriminatory purposes and effects of the laws, these decisions were portentous. Although dating to an earlier time when racial discrimination was an open goal of public policy, they continue to define the broad scope of federal power over immigration.
Rainy Day Funds and Value at Risk

The state fiscal challenges created by revenue shortfalls during the most recent economic slowdown have revealed the inadequacy of rainy day funds. The revenue declines in states whose fund creation employs heuristically derived rules-of-thumb have painfully revealed the need for more formal methodology that can prescribe the size of rainy day funds. Well-developed methodologies exist for similar managerial problems encountered in private enterprise. If decisionmakers see rainy day funds as forecaster indemnity insurance policies, then the risk literature provides a rich menu of accepted methodologies that help gauge the size of revenue risks and their commensurate insurance coverage. Subsequent reviews of the value at risk and insurance funding literatures give methodologies applicable for determining the optimal rainy day fund size. These methodologies are finally illustrated using current state fiscal situations.
Population Health: A New Paradigm for Medicine

Healthcare delivery system reform has become a dominant topic of conversation throughout the United States. Driven in part by ever-higher national expenditures on health, an increasing number of payers and provider organizations are working to reduce the costs and improve the quality of healthcare. In this article, we demystify the term “Population Health,” review some of the larger payer initiatives currently in effect and discuss specific provider group efforts to improve the quality and cost of healthcare for patients.
Features of intraventricular tanycytic ependymoma: report of a case and review of literature

Tanycytic ependymoma is the rarest variant of ependymoma and occurs primarily in the spinal cord. Intracranial cases are even rarer. Only 9 ventricular and 5 subcortical tanycytic ependymoma have been reported in the literature. Amongst the 9 ventricular cases, only one tumor arose from the third ventricle. We report here another case of tanycytic ependymoma arising from the third ventricle completed with immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular pathology study. The patient was a 44 year-old male who presented with headache, nausea and visual disturbances of a few months duration. Neuroradiological findings showed a well-defined mass arising from the posterolateral wall of third ventricle. Histologically the tumor was composed of monotonous spindle cells arranged in fascicles without definitive perivascular rosettes. The tumor cells were diffusely positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and epithelial membrane antigen, showed faint immunoreactivity for synaptophysin but were negative for neurofilament proteins and Ki-67 was less than 1%. Molecular studies showed absence of isocitrate dehydrogenase gene 1 and 2 mutation. A diagnosis of tanycytic ependymoma (TE) was made. From literature review with our current case included, intraventricular tanycytic ependymomas ranged from 1.8 to 4.0 cm. The age of patients ranged from 3.5 to 75 years with a mean age of 37.5 and a male predominance. The tumors occurred as well-defined, solitary ventricular mass without significant peritumoral edema with or without cystic changes. Histopathology and immunohistochemical profile are rather similar among different tumors. The immediate to short term outcome is excellent but long term follow up data is lacking.
2015 Equilibrium Committee Amendment to the 1995 AAO-HNS Guidelines for the Definition of Ménière's Disease.

Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes attacks of vertigo and hearing loss, tinnitus, aural fullness in the involved ear. Over the past 4 decades, the Equilibrium Committee of the AAO-HNS has issued guidelines for diagnostic criteria, with the latest version being published in 1995. These criteria were reviewed in 2015 by the Equilibrium Committee, and revisions were approved at the recent meeting of the committee at the 2015 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting. The following commentary outlines the amended and approved criteria.