cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Receipt of guideline-concordant treatment in elderly prostate cancer patients.

Purpose To examine the proportion of elderly prostate cancer patients receiving guideline-concordant treatment, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Methods and Materials A total of 29,001 men diagnosed in 2004-2007 with localized prostate cancer, aged 66 to 79 years, were included. We characterized the proportion of men who received treatment concordant with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, stratified by risk group and age. Logistic regression was used to examine covariates associated with receipt of guideline-concordant management. Results Guideline concordance was 79%-89% for patients with low- or intermediate-risk disease. Among high-risk patients, 66.6% of those aged 66-69 years received guideline-concordant management, compared with 51.9% of those aged 75-79 years. Discordance was mainly due to conservative management—no treatment or hormone therapy alone. Among the subgroup of patients aged ≤76 years with no measured comorbidity, findings were similar. On multivariable analysis, older age (75-79 vs 66-69 years, odds ratio 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.50-0.57) was associated with a lower likelihood of guideline concordance for high-risk prostate cancer, but comorbidity was not. Conclusions There is undertreatment of elderly but healthy patients with high-risk prostate cancer, the most aggressive form of this disease.
Colorimetric viral detection based on sialic acid stabilized goldnanoparticles

Sialic acid reduced and stabilized gold nanoparticles (d=20.1±1.8 nm) were synthesized by a simple one-pot, green method without chemically modifying sialic acid for colorimetric detection of influenza virus. The gold nanoparticles showed target-specific aggregation with viral particles via hemagglutinin-sialic acid binding. A linear correlation was observed between the change in optical density and dilution of chemically inactivated influenza B/Victoria and influenza B/Yamagata. Virus dilution (hemagglutination assay titer, 512) of 0.156 vol% was readily detected. The upper limit of the linearity can be extended with the use of more sialic acid-gold nanoparticles.
Mediation of the Effects of the Family Bereavement Program on Mental Health Problems of Bereaved Children and Adolescents

This study presents an analysis of mediation of the effects of the Family Bereavement Program (FBP) to improve mental health outcomes of girls at 11 months following program participation. The FBP was designed based on a theory that program-induced change in multiple child and family level mediators would lead to reductions in children’s mental health problems. Mediational models were tested using a three wave and a two wave longitudinal design. Using a three wave longitudinal design, FBP effects on three variables at T2 (increased positive parenting, decreased negative events, and decreased inhibition of emotional expression) were found to mediate the effects of the FBP on mental health problems at 11-month follow-up. Using a two-wave longitudinal design, support was found for FBP effects on three additional variables at 11-month follow-up (increased positive coping, decreased negative thoughts about stressors, and decreased unknown control beliefs) to mediate program effects to reduce mental health problems at 11-month follow-up. The discussion focuses on theoretical explanations for the mediational effects and on implications for identifying “core components” of the FBP that are responsible for its effects to reduce mental health problems of girls.
Real-world applications of computational intelligence in aerospace sensing and controls: sparse, noisy, and subjective data

ABSTRACT Many real-world problems in aerospace sensing and controls can be approached by adding to traditional analytictechniques more information found in sparse, noisy and subjective data. Such data frequently plays a part in the modelingmethodology. but formalizing its role can lead to better control and documentation ofthe system, extending its future. Thecombination of computational intelligence (CI) tools with the traditional system can provide techniques for appropriategeneralization (or lack of it) from sparse data. Noise to be modeled or interpreted may not obviously follow a familiardistribution such as uniform, exponential. Gaussian. Raleigh, Poisson or Weibull. Many subjective decisions are made inimplementing challenging data as one of the familiar distributions or in determining an appropriate empirical distribution.These problems can be successfully addressed by careful combination of artificial neural systems, fuzzy or soft systems andevolutionary systems. Recommended methodology is illustrated by examples from missile system guidance and controlsimulations. Expert interpretation of problem scenarios is recorded and timed to provide direction for project extensionsand enhanced data visualization. Commercial applications ofthese methodologies to aerospace industry decision supportsystems and to biomedical control applications is discussed and illustrated.Keywords: computational intelligence, missile systems, guidance and control. artificial neural networks1. INTRODUCTION1.1 Statement of the problemMany real-world problems in aerospace sensing and controls can be approached by adding to traditional analytictechniques more information found in sparse, noisy and subjective data. Such data frequently plays a part in modelingmethodology, but formalizing its role can lead to better control and documentation ofthe system, extending its future.1.2 Objectives and performance measures: goals and valuesBeginning a project with concurrent engineering principles in mind helps to establish meaningful and realisticgoals and assign values to different outcomes. Recording this information in project documentation is a standard practice.This produces material which is difficult to track and update. Often creative hunches and fixes are incorporated into thesystem without reaching the official documentation. The advent ofuser-friendly tools for fuzzy systems development andevolutionary I
The effects of contingency contracting on student performance in a PSI class.

(1984). The Effects of Contingency Contracting on Student Performance in a PSI Class. Teaching of Psychology: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 87-89.
Endothelial ephrin-B2 is essential for arterial vasodilation in mice.

Objective The cell surface protein ephrin-B2 is expressed in arterial and not venous ECs throughout development and adulthood. Endothelial ephrin-B2 is required for vascular development and angiogenesis, but its role in established arteries is currently unknown. We investigated the physiological role of ephrin-B2 signaling in adult endothelium. Methods We generated adult conditional knockout mice lacking the Efnb2 gene specifically in ECs and evaluated the vasodilation responses to blood flow increase and ACh in the cremaster muscle preparation by intravital microscope and in carotid artery by in vivo ultrasound. Results We found that the Efnb2 conditional knockout mice were defective in acute arterial dilation. Vasodilation was impaired in cremaster arterioles in response to either increased flow or ACh, and in the carotid arteries in response to increased flow. Levels of cGMP, an effector of NO, were diminished in mutant arteries following ACh stimulation. GSNO, a donor for the vasodilator NO, alleviated the vasodilatory defects in the mutants. Immunostaining showed that a subset of ephrin-B2 proteins colocalized with caveolin-1, a negative regulator of eNOS. Conclusions Our data suggest that endothelial ephrin-B2 is required for endothelial-dependent arterial dilation and NO signaling in adult endothelium.
Bacterial Sec Protein Transport Is Rate-limited by Precursor Length: A Single Turnover Study

An in vitro real-time single turnover assay for the Escherichia coli Sec transport system was developed based on fluorescence dequenching. This assay corrects for the fluorescence quenching that occurs when fluorescent precursor proteins are transported into the lumen of inverted membrane vesicles. We found that 1) the kinetics were well fit by a single exponential, even when the ATP concentration was rate-limiting; 2) ATP hydrolysis occurred during most of the observable reaction period; and 3) longer precursor proteins transported more slowly than shorter precursor proteins. If protein transport through the SecYEG pore is the rate-limiting step of transport, which seems likely, these conclusions argue against a model in which precursor movement through the SecYEG translocon is mechanically driven by a series of rate-limiting, discrete translocation steps that result from conformational cycling of the SecA ATPase. Instead, we propose that precursor movement results predominantly from Brownian motion and that the SecA ATPase regulates pore accessibility.
Examining factorial validity and measurement invariance of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale

Abstract The purposes of this study were to (a) test the hypothesized factor structure of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS; Pianta, 2001 ) for 308 African American (AA) and European American (EA) children using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and (b) examine the measurement invariance of the factor structure across AA and EA children. CFA of the hypothesized three-factor model with correlated latent factors did not yield an optimal model fit. Parameter estimates obtained from CFA identified items with low factor loadings and R 2 values, suggesting that content revision is required for those items on the STRS. Deletion of two items from the scale yielded a good model fit, suggesting that the remaining 26 items reliably and validly measure the constructs for the whole sample. Tests for configural invariance, however, revealed that the underlying constructs may differ for AA and EA groups. Subsequent exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) for AA and EA children were carried out to investigate the comparability of the measurement model of the STRS across the groups. The results of EFAs provided evidence suggesting differential factor models of the STRS across AA and EA groups. This study provides implications for construct validity research and substantive research using the STRS given that the STRS is extensively used in intervention and research in early childhood education.
Using Peers in Drill-Type Instruction

The use of peers to provide instructional control was investigated in two studies. In the first study subjects were divided into groups according to their rate at working multiplication fact problems. They were then asked to identify errors in multiplication made at their own and at other rates. The results indicated that students can identify errors with a high degree of reliability. In the second study, peers delivered drill in multiplication facts. The results indicate that peers can be used efficiently to deliver drill-type instruction. Both studies support the use of peers for the maintenance of instructional control.
COMPARISON OF LEFT- AND RIGHT-SIDED BRAIN BLOOD FLOW RESPONSES IN ASPHYXIATED NEWBORN PIGS WHEN A COMMON CAROTID ARTERY IS LIGATED. † 1417

Neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension who require extracorporial membrane oxygenation (ECMO) usually have a carotid artery ligated. Concern exists regarding potential alteration of regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) specifically during and following asphyxia. Since piglets like human newborns have functional collateral brain circulation, we examined the effect of unilateral carotid artery ligation upon regional cerebral circulation in asphyxiated piglets. The CBF changes associated with 1 hr of asphyxia followed by reventilation were investigated in 2 to 6 days old anesthetized piglets. The CBF was measured with radioactive microspheres in piglets with right carotid artery ligation, at baseline, 10, 30, and 60 min of asphyxia and at 10 and 60 min of reventilation. For each hemisphere, CBF was measured in cerebrum, caudate nucleus and diencephalon/mesencephalon regions. Thetable shows mean±SEM of blood flow to left and right side of cerebrum (ml/100 g · min) during baseline, asphyxia and reventilation. Similarly, as to other regions, there were no differences in blood flow between the left and right side.
A Problem on Rational Functions

(1973). A Problem on Rational Functions. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 80, No. 5, pp. 552-553.
Abstract 1764: Changes in apoptotic gene expression in human leukemia cells treated with the anticancer drug Laromustine

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Laromustine is an experimental anticancer drug that has been tested in the clinic against acute myelogenous leukemia and glioblastoma multiforme. In the body, Laromustine's cytotoxic effects are a result of two cogenerated electrophiles, a 2-chloroethylating species that can cause lethal DNA damage and methylisocyanate, which carbamoylates sulfydryl groups in proteins. The mechanism by which Laromustine kills cancer cells likely includes apoptosis. In order to further investigate this phenomenon, the extent to which Laromustine affects cultured human promyelocytic (HL-60) cells’ use of 88 genes relating to this cell death pathway was examined using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. Cultured cells were treated with drug for six hours before harvesting mRNA for analysis. The expression of a subset of the tested genes emerged as significantly different in cells treated with Laromustine as compared to control cells. Included among these genes are: TNFRSF10D, TNFRSF17, CD40LG, TRAF4, and BAG3. The expression of BAG3, whose encoded protein is also known as CAIR-1 or Bis, was increased by more than two orders of magnitude in HL-60 cells exposed to Laromustine. By forming a complex with heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), it is thought that BAG3 promotes anti-apoptotic activity by interfering with protein chaperoning and cytochrome-c release. It is possible that a pathway involving BAG3 could be a mechanism by which cells attempt to counter the effects of Laromustine exposure. Other apoptotic markers are also reported, including activation of caspase-3 and caspase-7, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and staining of annexin V. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1764. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1764
The professional quest for truth by Stephan Fuchs

(1994). The professional quest for truth by Stephan Fuchs. Social Epistemology: Vol. 8, The Social Epistemology of Sociology, pp. 69-80.
The Age of Autonomy and Social Justice: An Increasing Influence of Education on American Health Care

Many of the pressures being experienced in medicine at the current time are the result of evolution and basic philosophical views about patient care and the rights of individuals. This evolution has been the driving force behind informed consent and malpractice litigation, but has also influenced the entire paradigm of health care delivery and the interface of science with the public. The educational system must adapt soon in order to produce an increase in the number of future scientists, impact the quality of science education in America, and impact ethics education and societal values. The educational system which can accomplish this is science/technology/society (STS) education. These methodologies include teaching decision making in the social context of science, the interrelationship of science and public policy, the values inherent in science, and ethical issues in science. They also include the reshaping of science education to reach those who are not destined to be future scientists and engineers...
Thermal analysis of high density polethylene-maple woodflour composites

Abstract To recycle waste cellulosic materials and post-consumer disposal-synthetic polymers, various composites of the high density polyethylene (HDPE) with maple woodflour have been prepared with maleic anhydride as compatibilizer and magnesium hydroxide as flame-retardant agent. The thermal behaviors of these composites in nitrogen and air have been investigated. The effects of the addition of maleic anhydride and magnesium hydroxide on the composite matrices have also been studied by TG–DTA.
An Experiment to Determine the Accuracy of Squeeze-Film Damping Models in the Free-Molecule Regime.

Current published models for predicting squeeze film damping (SFD), which are based on different assumptions, give widely different results in the free-molecule regime. The work presented here provides experimental data for validating SFD models in that regime. The test device was an almost rectangular micro plate supported by beam springs. The structure was base-excited. The rigid plate oscillated vertically while staying parallel to the substrate. The velocities of the plate and of the substrate were measured with a laser Doppler vibrometer and a microscope. The damping ratio was calculated by performing modal analysis of the frequency response functions. The test structures were contained in a vacuum chamber with air pressures controlled to provide a five-order-of-magnitude range of Knudsen numbers. The damping coefficients from the measurements were compared with predictions from various published models. The results show that the continuum-base Reynolds equation predicts squeeze-film damping accurately if used with correct boundary conditions. The accuracy of molecular-based models depends heavily on the assumptions used in developing the models.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
The industrial transformation of farm communities: implications for family structure and socioeconomic conditions

The industrialization of agriculture has resulted in extensive declines in the number of farms and in the number of people employed in agriculture. For many farm communities, this has resulted in rapid population declines. Other farm communities have been able to attract alternative sources of employment. This study analyzes family structure and socioeconomic conditions in 281 Great Plains counties that were economically dependent on agriculture at one time. Surprisingly, it was found that, while communities remaining agriculturally dependent had extensive population declines, they also had higher rates of employment, lower poverty rates, higher proportions of married couple households, and income levels equal to counties now economically dependent on nonfarm industries. Conditions in counties that have become service based were especially troubling.
Ovariectomy of adult mice exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol.

Abstract Mice exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol (DES) were ovariectomized at 5–10 weeks of age, or at 15 months of age. They were maintained to old age and studied for incidence of DES-related pathologic changes. Uterine metaplasia and adenomyosis were not seen after early ovariectomy, but adenomyosis persisted after late ovariectomy. No adenocarcinomas of the genital tract were found in 30 mice ovariectomized early, or in 18 mice ovariectomized at 15 months of age. This result is significantly different from the 14% frequency of genital tract adenocarcinomas reported previously in non-ovariectomized mice of this strain exposed prenatally to DES.
Effects of Pesticides and Dates of Planting Sunflowers on the Sunflower Moth

The effectiveness of 16 insecticides was determined for control of Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst). Tests at McGregor, Tex., showed that all the materials tested reduced larval infestation following 2 or 3 applications. Yields were increased in tests after 2 applications of methyl parathion and monocrotophos, and by 3 applications of all the insecticides. Tests at College Station, Tex., showed that larval numbers were reduced by 2 low-volume applications of all insecticides that were tested. All treatments increased yields except Monitor. Larval reductions and increased yields were obtained also after 2 ultra-low-volume applications of methyl parathion and azinphosmethyl. Studies on dates of planting at McGregor showed that infestations of sunflower moth larvae were lowest in plots planted very early (Mar. 12) or after Apr. 25. Similar tests at College Station showed that lowest infestations occured in sunflowers planted April 17 or later. In general, seed yields increased when larval infestations were low, except late in the season when yields were affected by inadequate moisture.
Investigating the role of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors in bacterial lung infection

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a persistent and pervasive public health problem worldwide. Pneumonia and other LRTIs will be among the leading causes of death in adults, and pneumonia is the single largest cause of death in children. LRTIs are also an important cause of acute lung injury and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Because innate immunity is the first line of defense against pathogens, understanding the role of innate immunity in the pulmonary system is of paramount importance. Pattern recognition molecules (PRMs) that recognize microbial-associated molecular patterns are an integral component of the innate immune system and are located in both cell membranes and cytosol. Toll-like receptors and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain–like receptors (NLRs) are the major sensors at the forefront of pathogen recognition. Although Toll-like receptors have been extensively studied in host immunity, NLRs have diverse and important roles in immune and inflammatory responses, ranging from antimicrobial properties to adaptive immune responses. The lung contains NLR-expressing immune cells such as leukocytes and nonimmune cells such as epithelial cells that are in constant and close contact with invading microbes. This pulmonary perspective addresses our current understanding of the structure and function of NLR family members, highlighting advances and gaps in knowledge, with a specific focus on immune responses in the respiratory tract during bacterial infection. Further advances in exploring cellular and molecular responses to bacterial pathogens are critical to develop improved strategies to treat and prevent devastating infectious diseases of the lung.
Predictors of ambulance transport in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Introduction Despite intense public awareness campaigns, many patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) do not utilize Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transportation to the Emergency Department (ED). Predictors for mode of transport by EMS versus private vehicle in patients with an acute STEMI were investigated. Hypothesis It was hypothesized that patient characteristics, specifically older age, male sex, and a history of a prior cardiac intervention, would be associated with a higher likelihood of EMS utilization. Methods A retrospective, observational cohort study was performed for all STEMI patients treated from April 1, 2007 through June 30, 2010 at an urban, academic ED with 24-hour cardiac catheterization available. Multivariable analyses with predetermined predictors (age, sex, prior cardiac intervention, weekend/evening arrival) were performed to investigate associations with mode of transport. Door-to-balloon (D2B) times were calculated. Results Of the 209 STEMI patients, 11 were excluded, leaving 198 for analysis. Median age was 60 years (IQR: 53-70), 138 (70%) arrived by private vehicle, and 60 (30%) by EMS. The primary analysis did not identify significant predictors for EMS, but a post-hoc model found that private insurance (OR 0.18; 95% CI, 0.07-0.45) was associated with fewer EMS transports. Although not statistically significant due to the great variability in time of arrival for STEMI patients transported by private vehicle, EMS transports had shorter D2B times. During business hours and weekend/evenings, EMS had D2B times of 50 (IQR: 42-61) and 58 minutes (IQR: 47-63), respectively, while private vehicle transports had median D2B times of 62 (IQR: 50-74) and 78 minutes (IQR: 66-106). Conclusion No associations between mode of transport and patient age, sex, weekend/evening presentation and history of a prior cardiac intervention were identified. Privately insured patients were less likely to use EMS when experiencing a STEMI. More effective ways are needed to educate the public on the importance of EMS activation when one is concerned for acute coronary syndrome. Scherer TM, Russ S, Jenkins CA, Jones ID, Slovis CM, Cunningham BL, Barrett TW. Predictors of ambulance transport in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(3):1-5.
All-trans-retinal Is a Closed-state Inhibitor of Rod Cyclic Nucleotide–gated Ion Channels

Rod vision begins when 11-cis-retinal absorbs a photon and isomerizes to all-trans-retinal (ATR) within the photopigment, rhodopsin. Photoactivated rhodopsin triggers an enzyme cascade that lowers the concentration of cGMP, thereby closing cyclic nucleotide–gated (CNG) ion channels. After isomerization, ATR dissociates from rhodopsin, and after a bright light, this release is expected to produce a large surge of ATR near the CNG channels. Using excised patches from Xenopus oocytes, we recently showed that ATR shuts down cloned rod CNG channels, and that this inhibition occurs in the nanomolar range (aqueous concentration) at near-physiological concentrations of cGMP. Here we further characterize the ATR effect and present mechanistic information. ATR was found to decrease the apparent cGMP affinity, as well as the maximum current at saturating cGMP. When ATR was applied to outside-out patches, inhibition was much slower and less effective than when it was applied to inside-out patches, suggesting that ATR requires access to the intracellular surface of the channel or membrane. The apparent ATR affinity and maximal inhibition of heteromeric (CNGA1/CNGB1) channels was similar to that of homomeric (CNGA1) channels. Single-channel and multichannel data suggest that channel inhibition by ATR is reversible. Inhibition by ATR was not voltage dependent, and the form of its dose–response relation suggested multiple ATR molecules interacting per channel. Modeling of the data obtained with cAMP and cGMP suggests that ATR acts by interfering with the allosteric opening transition of the channel and that it prefers closed, unliganded channels. It remains to be determined whether ATR acts directly on the channel protein or instead alters channel–bilayer interactions.
Formal Strategic Analyses and Organizational Performance: Decomposing the Rational Model:

Although a substantial body of literature suggests a positive relationship between decision process rationality and organizational performance, there is also compelling evidence that this relationship is negative. We argue that these equivocal findings may be due, in part, to a lack of construct specificity and different methodologies employed to assess decision process rationality. Drawing from Langley's (1989) framework of decision process rationality, we examined the effects of formal analysis for purposes of information, persuasion and communication, control and direction, and symbolism, considering also their effects in the context of environmental dynamism. Using survey data from top management teams in 42 organizations, we found that in both high and low dynamism environments, the instrumental use of information in decision processes was positively linked with organizational performance. In dynamic environments, while analyses for symbolic and control purposes were positively associated with perfor...
A Sensor to Detect Normal or Reverse Temperature Dependence in Nanoscale CMOS Circuits

The temperature dependence of MOSFET drain current varies with supply voltage. Two distinct voltage regions exist—a normal dependence (ND) region where an increase in temperature decreases drain current, and a reverse dependence (RD) region where an increase in temperature increases drain current. Knowledge of the temperature dependence is critical for avoiding overheating and wasted performance from excessive guardbands. In this paper, we present the first temperature dependence sensor to detect whether a system is operating in the ND or RD region. The dependence sensor occupies an area of 985 NAND2 equivalent gates. The sensor consumes 15.9 pJ per sample at a supply voltage of 1 V, with a 1°C resolution over the military-specified temperature range of -55°C to 125°C.
Conflict and the Duration of Peace in Enduring Internal Rivalries

The question of how conflicts affect the nature of the peace forms a puzzle for students of civil conflict.Theoretical arguments and empirical evidence exist supporting the conclusion that increased violence leads to longer or shorter peace durations. Applying a model of rivalry that includes public support of conflict, this paper hypothesizes that the greater the concentration in fighting, the longer the subsequent peace between internal rivals lasts.This hypothesis receives support from tests on the duration of peace between Enduring Internal Rivalries.The implications from this finding provide new advice for policy makers seeking to invest scarce resources into civil conflict management.
Fundamental limit for optical components

We show that there is a general limit to the performance of linear optical components, based only on their size, shape, and dielectric constants. The limit is otherwise independent of the design. The mathematics involved applies generally to linear systems with arbitrarily strong multiple scattering. Relevant optical structures include dielectric stacks, photonic crystals, nanometallics, metamaterials, and slow-light structures. The limit also covers acoustic and quantum-mechanical waves, and electromagnetic waves of any frequency. In an example, a one-dimensional glass/air structure, a thickness of at least 41.7 μm is required for the separation of pulses of 32 different frequencies near 1.55 μm center wavelength. Larger available dielectric constants would lead to correspondingly shorter limits.
Embryotoxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in the ring-necked pheasant

Fertilized eggs of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were injected into the albumin or yolk with vehicle or graded doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000 pg TCDD/g egg) on day 0 of embryonic development and toxicity was assessed in 1-d-old hatchlings and 28-d-old chicks. The most sensitive effect of in ovo TCDD exposure was induction of hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity in 1-d-old hatchlings. The ED50 for this response was 312 pg TCDD/g egg. Embryo mortality was the most sensitive sign of toxicity. The TCDD dose that caused 50% mortality above control (LD50) when injected into the egg albumin or yolk was 1,354 and 2,182 pg TCDD/g egg, respectively. At egg TCDD doses up to and including 1,000 pg TCDD/g egg, no effect was detected in 1-d-old hatchlings and 28-d-old chicks in body growth, organ weights, carcass morphometrics, incidence of edema, or incidence of histological alterations in the liver, spleen, heart, Bursa of Fabricius, or thymus. Egg TCDD doses as high as 1,000 pg TCDD/g egg also had no effect on cardiac morphometrics or incidence of cardiac malformations in 1-d-old hatchlings, or on antibody-mediated immunity in 28-d-old chicks. We conclude that embryo mortality is the most sensitive sign of TCDD toxicity in the ring-necked pheasant following in ovo exposure. The ring-necked pheasant embryo is less sensitive than the chicken (Gallus domesticus) embryo and more sensitive than the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) embryo to TCDD toxicity.
Nanoscale Forces and Their Uses in Self‐Assembly

The ability to assemble nanoscopic components into larger structures and materials depends crucially on the ability to understand in quantitative detail and subsequently "engineer" the interparticle interactions. This Review provides a critical examination of the various interparticle forces (van der Waals, electrostatic, magnetic, molecular, and entropic) that can be used in nanoscale self-assembly. For each type of interaction, the magnitude and the length scale are discussed, as well as the scaling with particle size and interparticle distance. In all cases, the discussion emphasizes characteristics unique to the nanoscale. These theoretical considerations are accompanied by examples of recent experimental systems, in which specific interaction types were used to drive nanoscopic self-assembly. Overall, this Review aims to provide a comprehensive yet easily accessible resource of nanoscale-specific interparticle forces that can be implemented in models or simulations of self-assembly processes at this scale.
Demographic consequences of climate change and land cover help explain a history of extirpations and range contraction in a declining snake species

Developing conservation strategies for threatened species increasingly requires understanding vulnerabilities to climate change, in terms of both demographic sensitivities to climatic and other environmental factors, and exposure to variability in those factors over time and space. We conducted a range-wide, spatially explicit climate change vulnerability assessment for Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), a declining endemic species in a region showing strong environmental change. Using active season and winter adult survival estimates derived from 17 data sets throughout the species' range, we identified demographic sensitivities to winter drought, maximum precipitation during the summer, and the proportion of the surrounding landscape dominated by agricultural and urban land cover. Each of these factors was negatively associated with active season adult survival rates in binomial generalized linear models. We then used these relationships to back-cast adult survival with dynamic climate variables from 1950 to 2008 using spatially explicit demographic models. Demographic models for 189 population locations predicted known extant and extirpated populations well (AUC = 0.75), and models based on climate and land cover variables were superior to models incorporating either of those effects independently. These results suggest that increasing frequencies and severities of extreme events, including drought and flooding, have been important drivers of the long-term spatiotemporal variation in a demographic rate. We provide evidence that this variation reflects nonadaptive sensitivity to climatic stressors, which are contributing to long-term demographic decline and range contraction for a species of high-conservation concern. Range-wide demographic modeling facilitated an understanding of spatial shifts in climatic suitability and exposure, allowing the identification of important climate refugia for a dispersal-limited species. Climate change vulnerability assessment provides a framework for linking demographic and distributional dynamics to environmental change, and can thereby provide unique information for conservation planning and management.
Antioxidant enzyme deficiencies and vascular disease.

Cellular respiration in an oxygen-rich environment leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species. These partially reduced forms of molecular oxygen can readily react with biological molecules, often modifying their normal biological function. Antioxidant enzyme mechanisms have evolved to eliminate reactive oxygen species and minimize the oxidant stress caused by their reactivity. Inherited and acquired deficiencies of key antioxidant enzymes lead to a dysregulated redox environment, which can promote pathobiology; when this redox dysfunction occurs in the blood vessel, vascular disease ensues. In this article, we consider three distinct antioxidant enzyme deficiencies – glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase-1 and glutathione peroxidase-3 – and their consequences for vascular disease.
Building an accounting infrastructure for the Internet

This paper explores the issues involved in providing of an accounting infrastructure for the Internet. It first argues that accounting, absent in the current Internet architecture, is crucial to the success of the Internet in the future. Then it focuses mainly on the design issues involved in such provision. Finally, it provides a possible scheme in implementing such an accounting infrastructure.
High-flux plasma state formed by dynamic merging of two colliding compact toroids

Summary form only given. A high temperature field reversed configuration (FRC) has been produced in the newly built and world's largest compact toroid device, C-2, by dynamically merging two oppositely directed, highly supersonic compact toroids. Dramatic amplification of the poloidal flux occurs during the collisional merging process with a flux amplification factor well over 10, which is by far the highest obtained in a magnetic confinement system. Most of the kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy with total temperature (Ti+Te) exceeding 0.5 keV upon merging. The final FRC state exhibits a record plasma lifetime with transport rates (based on robust flux diffusion) within about a factor of 10 from classical scaling. Moreover, the dynamics of the merging/reconnection process are reproduced, for the first time, by a newly developed 2-D resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code, LamyRidge. As such, the combined effort sheds new light on high-P reconnection and relaxation.
Current use of methotrexate in the treatment of malignancies in adults

This chapter reviews major indications for the use of methotrexate in the treatment of adult malignancies. These indications have evolved in relation to the introduction of new therapeutic modalities. However, the prominent role played by methotrexate in the past continues to be assessed and may be expected to be reconsidered within our therapeutic armamentarium. For this reason we have given added focus to pharmacological principles, and the use of high dose methotrexate.
Is the Early Left-Right Axis like a Plant, a Kidney, or a Neuron? The Integration of Physiological Signals in Embryonic Asymmetry

Embryonic morphogenesis occurs along three orthogonal axes. While the patterning of the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axes has been increasingly well-characterized, the left-right (LR) axis has only relatively recently begun to be understood at the molecular level. The mechanisms that ensure invariant LR asymmetry of the heart, viscera, and brain involve fundamental aspects of cell biology, biophysics, and evolutionary biology, and are important not only for basic science but also for the biomedicine of a wide range of birth defects and human genetic syndromes. The LR axis links biomolecular chirality to embryonic development and ultimately to behavior and cognition, revealing feedback loops and conserved functional modules occurring as widely as plants and mammals. This review focuses on the unique and fascinating physiological aspects of LR patterning in a number of vertebrate and invertebrate species, discusses several profound mechanistic analogies between biological regulation in diverse systems (specifically proposing a nonciliary parallel between kidney cells and the LR axis based on subcellular regulation of ion transporter targeting), highlights the possible importance of early, highly-conserved intracellular events that are magnified to embryo-wide scales, and lays out the most important open questions about the function, evolutionary origin, and conservation of mechanisms underlying embryonic asymmetry.
A Review of: “Tammy Horn. Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation. Lexington: The U of Kentucky P, 2005”

In her wide-ranging examination of the role of the honey bee (together with beekeeping and honey hunting) in American society, Tammy Horn looks at American history from initial colonization and wes...
Sperm Competition Risk and Sexual Coercion Predict Copulatory Duration in Humans

A man whose romantic partner is sexually unfaithful is at risk of sperm competition and cuckoldry—unwitting investment in offspring to whom he is genetically unrelated. Men, therefore, may have evo...
Organizational and Legal Challenges for Ecosystem Management

This article attempts to clarify the central organizational and legal challenges confronting efforts to establish ecosystem-based management of natural resources in the U.S. It first summarizes the general organizational requirements of ecosystem management, including coordinated information gathering and analysis, coordinated management, and social learning and adaptation. Next it describes the overall structure of land ownership in the US and the primary kinds of legal mandates under which land managers operate. It argues that the ideal of ecosystem management is too general and discretionary to be translated directly into a legal mandate, and that therefore ecosystem management must be understood as dependent on the interactions of many legal and institutional factors. It then describes alternative models of organizational management available to land holders, including various forms of bureaucratic, matrix, project oriented, and loosely coupled organization. Finally it reviews several specific kinds of laws, including public land management statutes, administrative laws, antitrust laws, and takings law, that are likely to have significant effects on efforts to undertake ecosystem management. The article concludes that while existing laws need not prevent the emergence of ecosystem management, they are likely to make it difficult. Creative strategies and a certain amount of risk taking will be necessary in the near term. It will probably take a long time for the laws to adapt to the changed organizational relationships required by ecosystem management.
Ready or not: The influence of readiness on healthy marriage and relationship education training outcomes

Abstract This exploratory study utilizes a sample of human service providers and administrators to examine personal, agency, and collaborative readiness as predictors of training outcomes (utility reaction, gains in knowledge, and transfer of learning). The study is informed by the child welfare training evaluation model to address the effect of participants' (n = 58) readiness indicators and learning impact in relation to the transfer of learning that takes place following a one-day training. Participants' personal and agency readiness predicted their utility reaction, while personal readiness predicted gains in knowledge. The association between agency readiness and transfer of learning was partially mediated by utility reaction. Implications are drawn for both human service providers and researchers.
Multiple-Body Proximate-Flight Simulation Methods

Systems of multiple bodies in independent proximate flight have military and civil relevance. Trajectory prediction, inter-body contact detection, and collision response methods are combined with a Navier-Stokes solver to provide a high-fidelity simulation approach for this problem class. Method components are discussed. Simulation results are given for kinematic cases to demonstrate method correctness and functionality. Results are also provided for unsteady aerodynamic cases to demonstrate method practicality.
A solution of the time-optimal Euler rotation problem

An attitude control system design is presented which produces a time-optimal Euler axis rotation for generalized spacecraft. The algorithm described uses a simple feedback control law and an explicitly calculated switching curve to perform rest-to-rest reorientations of a spacecraft along the shortest angular path in the minimum time. Direction cosines are used to compute the quaternion and the Euler rotation axis for any combination of initial and Anal orientations. A technique is presented which ensures that the maximum possible accelerations and decelerations are applied at all times during the reorientation. The vehicle can have an unsymmetric inertia matrix and can utilize continuously variable or discrete on-off torquers. Simulation results confirm that the controller provides minimum time Euler axis reorientations.
Study of Salt Mechanism by Cyclic Changing Water Level in the Storage Condition

The "change drainage to impoundment" is a significant innovation in saline land treatment method,to reveal mechanism of cyclic pressure salt,salt movement experiments were carried out in the storage condition.Through the cycle changes of water level 70 cm→40 cm→20 cm,water salt and soil salt movement law were studied.The results showed: the cycle changes of water level is an important role to water and soil salt movement in the storage condition,through cycle changes of water level 70 cm→40 cm→20 cm,0-65 cm soil layer salt content is decreased gradually,65-100 cm soil layer salt content is increased gradually.Through the water level is being changed,salt content of surface soil is reduced gradually,salt content of bottom soil is increased gradually,spatial distribution of soil salt is changed in the vertical direction,soil salt is pressured gradually from up to down.Therefore,the mechanism is establishment,governance model is feasible,the effect of saline land improvement can be achieved.
Energy Landscape of Molecular Motion in Cubic Methylammonium Lead Iodide from First-Principles

Molecular A-cation dynamics are known to play a role in the electronic properties and structure of hybrid organic–inorganic ABX3 perovskites such as CH3NH3PbI3. We calculate the full energy landscape for rigid-body rotations and translations of the methylammonium cation in the cubic phase of CH3NH3PbI3. Energy barriers are calculated for combinations of molecular reorientation, on-axis rotation, and molecular translation within the unit cell. Allowing molecular translations significantly stabilizes orientations along [100] which we attribute to strong N–H···I interactions between CH3NH3+ and the inorganic Pb–I host lattice.
High-Acuity Postoperative and Inpatient Issues

The differential diagnosis and assessment of high-acuity inpatient issues are discussed in this chapter, including hypoxemia, chest pain, hypotension, and altered mental status. Management of a variety of acute conditions is reviewed, including but not limited to acute coronary syndromes, acute aortic syndromes, pericarditis, pulmonary edema, pulmonary emboli, acute respiratory distress syndrome, transfusion complications, anaphylaxis, alcohol withdrawal, and delirium.
Social Support, Coping, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Female Sexual Assault Survivors: A Longitudinal Analysis

Social support and coping affect each other after stressful life events, including sexual assault (Taylor & Stanton, 2007). The present study examined the associations among assault-specific support, maladaptive coping, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) over 3 years in a sample of female sexual assault survivors from a large metropolitan area (N = 1,863). A 3-wave cross-lagged panel model revealed significant weak-to-moderate reciprocal associations between maladaptive coping and PTSS (βs = .09 to .21), significant weak reciprocal associations between turning against social reactions and PTSS (βs = .07 to .10), and inconsistent weak reciprocal associations between maladaptive coping and unsupportive acknowledgment reactions (βs = .06 to .14). We conclude with implications regarding treatment and intervention for survivors and their support networks.