cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast-Pulse Excimer-Laser-Induced Processes in a-Si:H

The effects of fast-pulse excimer laser annealing of a-Si:H were investigated by measurements of electronic transport properties and impurity concentration depth profiles as a function of incident laser energy density. The dc dark conductivity of laser-annealed, highly-doped a-Si:H increases by a factor of ∼350 above a sharp laser energy density threshold whose magnitude increases with decreasing impurity concentration and which correlates with the onset of hydrogen evolution from and crystallization of the near-surface layer. The similarities between the preparation and properties of laser-crystallized a-Si:H and pc-Si:H are discussed.
Market intelligence portal: an entity-based system for managing market intelligence

Gathering market intelligence (MI) can be critical for the success of an enterprise, and in-depth analysis of this information is helpful in understanding products, business trends, and information concerning competitors. Because of the huge volume of this information and the high rate of its growth, there is a great demand from enterprises for automated MI management systems. In this paper, an information portal for MI management systems is presented. It is based on a semantic web approach and provides the user a single access point for all relevant information about a specific MI topic. In contrast with traditional knowledge portal methods, our work is based on entity-level computing technologies rather than document-level technologies. We present a knowledge network called EntityNet, which is generated by an information synthesis process and enables the network to store entity-level knowledge and provide semantic services for the knowledge worker. From the systems perspective, EntityNet's most significant features are its customized document-processing flow and personalized category view. The framework can integrate various text collections, apply data-mining and dissemination functions on the collections with a defined process flow, and present a personalized browsing and searching interface.
Occurrence and cross-infection of Phytophthora infestans on hairy nightshade (Solanum sarrachoides) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) in Maine

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is a significant disease in all potato-growing regions of the world. Identification of additional hosts is critical for understanding potential sources of inoculum. In 2004, late blight was observed on leaves and stems of hairy nightshade (Solanum sarrachoides), a common weed in many potato fields in Maine. Diseased nightshade plants were detected in 2 of 18 locations having potato late blight. Lesions from diseased nightshade leaves ranged from 0.25 to 9 cm2 and, on diseased stems, the range of lesion length was 4.5 to 13.8 cm. Isolations from diseased samples and microscopic observations confirmed the presence of P. infestans. Based on allozyme analysis, 27 representative isolates of P. infestans from hairy nightshade were identified as the US 8 genotype. Pathogenicity tests and Koch's postulates were satisfied by inoculating intact plant and detached nightshade leaves with P. infestans isolated from hairy nightshade. Cross-infection of nightshade, potato l...
Textural Entrapment of Core-Forming Melts

Small volume fractions of metal-rich, iron-nickel-sulfur-oxygen melt do not form an interconnected network in polycrystalline olivine at pressures up to 11 gigapascals. These results suggest that iron-rich melts could not have migrated downward along olivine grain edges to form Earth's core. Core separation at pressures below 11 gigapascals within planetary bodies must have been facilitated by large degrees of partial melting, resulting in either separation of immiscible silicate and metal-sulfide melts or extraction of the silicate melt to concentrate the metallic remainder.
Late toxicity following craniospinal radiation for early-stage medulloblastoma

AbstractBackground. The purpose of this study is to review late toxicity following craniospinal radiation for early-stage medulloblastoma.Material and methods. Between 1963 and 2008, 53 children with stage M0 (n = 50) or M1 (n = 3) medulloblastoma were treated at our institution. The median age at diagnosis was 7.1 years (range 1.2–18.5). The median craniospinal irradiation (CSI) dose was 28.8 Gy (range 21.8–38.4). The median total dose, including boost, was 54 Gy (range 42.4–64.8 Gy). Since 1963, the CSI dose has been incrementally lowered and the high-risk boost volume reduced. Twenty-one patients (40%) received chemotherapy in their initial management, including 12 who received concurrent chemotherapy. Late sequelae were evaluated by analyzing medical records and conducting phone interviews with surviving patients and/or care-takers. Complications were graded using the NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0.Results. The median follow-up for all patients was 15.4 years (range 0....
Reflection and partition properties of admissible ordinals

Abstract The present paper studies the relation between admissibility, reflection and partition properties. After introducing basic notions in Section e, Σ n admissible ordinals are characterized using reflection properties (Section 2). Σ n partition relations are introduced in Section 3. In Sections 3 and 4 connections are explored between partition properties, admissibility and projecta. Several more characterizations of admissibility are given in Section 5 (using Σ n trees) and Section 6 (using Σ n compactness). The ideas developed in Section 5 are used in Section 7 to study the partition relation κ → σ n (κ) 2 .
Transpyloric tube feeding in very low birthweight infants with suspected gastroesophageal reflux: impact on apnea and bradycardia

Transpyloric tube feeding in very low birthweight infants with suspected gastroesophageal reflux: impact on apnea and bradycardia
THE EFFECTS OF SOME INHIBITORS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS UPON THE PHOTOCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF A DYE BY ISOLATED CHLOROPLASTS

Physiological research directed upon the activity of isolated chloroplasts has been spurred by the belief that the photochemical activity which chloroplasts exhibit in vitro is part of photosynthesis. If this is so, then those components of the photosynthetic apparatus which are active in isolated chloroplasts can thus be brought into closer range for study. The object of the present work was to find how closely the dye-reducing system of isolated chloroplasts is related to photosynthesis, by comparing the response of the former to various poisons and narcotics whose action upon the latter is already known, and to investigate the nature of the chloroplast apparatus through its activity. It is believed that the photochemical and enzymatic machinery of that part of the photosynthetic mechanism which brings about the oxidation of water and the liberation of oxygen can be removed from the living cell intact in the chloroplast structure in a form such that it will continue to function in vitro in the presence of externally supplied oxidants. It was the presence of such oxidants in aqueous leaf extracts which permitted the action of freed chloroplasts in Hill's initial experiments (7) wherein the evolution of oxygen was followed spectrophotometrically via the conversion of haemoglobin to oxyhaemoglobin. Such oxidants must also have been important in the original experiments by Haberlandt (6) and Ewart (3), and in those investigations by Molisch (16, 17) and Inman (13, 14) which followed. Hill (8)found that ferric potassium oxalate may be substituted for these unknown oxidants, and more recently Warburg and L?ttgens (20) struck a close analogy to photosynthesis through the successful use of pbenzoquinone which accepts hydrogen in its reduction, unlike Fe+++ in the Hill reaction but like anabolites in photosynthesis. Holt and French (10) found that chromate and ferricyanide can be reduced by the action of isolated chloroplasts with the evolution of oxygen, and developed a technique involving the visible reduction to their leucoforms of several redox indicators (referred to here as "dyes"). The reduction of such dyes is now followed photometrically by the employment of a photronic cell, with appropriate filters, connected to a galvanometer. This method was used in the poisoning studies reported below and will be described in more detail in a forthcoming paper by Holt, Smith and French (12). ? Present address : Carnegie Institution of Washington, Division of Plant Biology, Stanford, California.
Endocrine function following the treatment of acute leukemia in childhood

Pituitary function has been studied in 25 children after treatment of acute leukemia. Impaired growth hormone responses both to hypoglycemia and to Bovril were found in 11 subjects. Elevated basal thyroidstimulating hormone levels were seen in five children, three of whom had an augmented TSH response to thyrotrophin-releasing hormone. Radiation-induced damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary region is thought to be the cause of these abnormalities in growth hormone and in secretion of TSH. The peak cortisol response to hypoglycaemia is significantly decreased in the group of subjects who received the higher dose of cranial radiation therapy, but no individual child is hypothyroid or shows impaired adrenal function, clinically or biochemically. Three prepubertal girls studied have biochemical evidence of ovarian failure following the use of combination chemotherapy.
Anisotropy of High-Energy Cosmic Rays

Review of the evidence indicates that a magnetic field of the order of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ gauss probably lies along a spiral arm of the galaxy. If so, any anisotropy observed in high-energy cosmic radiation must be associated with this field. Anisotropy might be due to: (a) acceleration by Fermi's mechanism, either by his longitudinal collisions or by betatron effects; (b) diffusion along field lines toward a region where the cosmic rays escape from the galaxy; (c) inhomogeneities in cosmic-ray density normal to the field lines. From symmetry considerations theoretical expressions are developed for the cosmic-ray flux as a function of direction and for the resulting sidereal time dependence of extensive showers as a function of latitude and the orientation of the detecting apparatus. If atmospheric effects can be corrected for, the main harmonics predicted are the first and second, the second being mainly due to anisotropy produced by acceleration. In the absence of detailed calculations based on a specific theory of the origin of cosmic rays and on the way the extensive showers are detected, the amplitude of the harmonics must be determined from experiment. Preliminary reports of measurements by Cranshaw and Galbraith and by Farley and Storey seem to indicate tentatively that the magnetic field is as described above and that cosmic rays are accelerated by Fermi's mechanism; the measurements of Daudin and Daudin require some other explanation.
Postnatal Cardiovascular and Metabolic Responses to a Single Intramuscular Dose of Betamethasone in Fetal Sheep Born Prematurely by Cesarean Section

Although the benefits of antenatal hormone treatment are well accepted, most studies have reported only pulmonary effects. There is evidence of beneficial cardiovascular and metabolic effects in studies using chronically catheterized animals; however because of the route of administration, the results are not directly applicable to clinical strategies. We previously demonstrated significant pulmonary effects in animals treated antenatally with a single, direct fetal, intramuscular injection of glucocorticoids. This study was performed to determine the effects of a single fetal injection of betamethasone (BETA) alone or in combination with thyroxine (T4) on cardiovascular and metabolic responses after preterm birth. Hemodynamic and metabolic responses at birth were determined in fetuses (126-d gestation; term = 150 d) treated with ultrasound-guided intramuscular injections of 0.5 mg/kg BETA (n = 7), BETA plus 60 g/kg T4 (n = 7), or saline (SAL, n = 9). After 48 h, lambs were delivered by cesarean section and studied for 3 h. BETA treatment increased mean arterial blood pressure [56 +/- 6 (SEM) versus 42 +/- 3 mm Hg], heart rate (152 +/- 5 versus 123 +/- 4 beats/min), and cardiac output (467 +/- 17 versus 349 +/- 36 mL/min/kg) versus SAL. Responses of BETA+T4-treated animals were not different from animals treated with BETA alone. Glucose and FFA were similar among all groups. The increase in catecholamine levels normally seen at birth was significantly attenuated in both the BETA and BETA+T4-treated animals. A single, intramuscular injection of glucocorticoids 48 h before delivery improves cardiovascular responses to preterm birth. This effect is not augmented by concomitant administration of T4.
Pulsed Field Gradient NMR Investigations of Alkyltripropylammonium−Silica Mixtures

Pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR) spectroscopy has been used to study the organocation−silica interactions in silica−alkyltripropylammonium solutions. Mixtures containing silica and methyltripropylammonium, ethyltripropylammonium, and tetrapropylammonium cations have been investigated to determine how the organocation structure and hydrophobicity affect organocation−silica interactions. PFG NMR results show that, in the presence of silica, the diffusion coefficients of the tetraalkylammonium organocations decreased compared with those of the cations in water alone. This decrease is attributed to a reduction in the cation mobility as the cations interact with the silica nanoparticles. The diffusion coefficients as a function of the organocation concentration were measured to determine the fraction of organocations bound to the silica through a model that considers the cation in either a free or a bound state. The resulting adsorption isotherms were fit with the Langmuir model, from...
Structure, expression, and transcriptional regulation of the Strongylocentrotus franciscanus spec gene family encoding intracellular calcium-binding proteins

The mechanisms by which gene expression patterns emerge during evolution are poorly understood. The sea urchin spec genes offer a useful means to investigate evolutionary mechanisms. Genes of the spec family from Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and Lytechinus pictus have identical patterns of aboral ectoderm-specific expression but exhibit species-specific differences in copy number, genomic structure, temporal expression, and cis-regulatory architecture. Here, we identify spec genes from a phylogenetic intermediate, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, to gain insight into the evolution of the spec gene family and its transcriptional regulation. We identified two spec genes in the S. franciscanus genome, sfspec1a and sfspec1b, that were orthologous to spec1 from S. purpuratus. sfspec1b transcripts began to accumulate at the blastula stage and became progressively more abundant; this was reminiscent of spec expression in L. pictus but different from that in S. purpuratus. As expected, sfspec1b expression was restricted to aboral ectoderm cells. The six-exon structure of the sfspec1b genomic locus was identical to that of the S. purpuratus spec genes and was bounded by two repeat–spacer–repeat (RSR) repetitive sequence elements, which are conserved features of S. purpuratus spec genes and function as transcriptional enhancers. The enhancer activity of the sfspec1b RSRs was comparable to that of their S. purpuratus counterparts, although the placement and orientation of crucial cis-regulatory elements within the RSRs differed. We discovered a spec gene in S. franciscanus that was only distantly related to other spec genes but was highly conserved in S. purpuratus. Unexpectedly, this gene was expressed exclusively in endoderm lineages. Our results show that the evolution of spec cis-regulatory elements is highly dynamic and that substantial alterations can occur when maintaining or grossly modifying gene expression patterns.
What would the princess want

Broken Trust: Greed, Mismanagement, and Political Manipulation of America's Largest Charitable Trust, by Samuel P. King and Randall W. Roth. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2006. 336 pp., $26.00 cloth, $16.00 paper.
Examining the offender-victim overlap among police officers: the role of social learning and job-related stress.

This study uses data from the Police Stress and Domestic Violence in Police Families in Baltimore, Maryland 1997-1999 to examine the offender-victim overlap among police officers in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). Specifically, the study examines the role of parental violence, child maltreatment, and job-related stress on perpetrating violence and victimization. Results from two logistic regression models indicate that one element of job-related stress (negative emotions) was positive and significant in predicting IPV perpetration, whereas parental violence, child maltreatment, and negative emotions were found to be positive and significant in predicting victimization. The study's limitations and future research are discussed. Language: en
Biocontrol of damping-off of greenhouse-grown crops caused by Rhizoctonia solani with a formulation of Trichoderma spp.

Abstract A biocontrol formulation system which did not require sterile conditions during preparation consisted of mixing vermiculite, powdered wheat bran, and dry fermentor-produced biomass (FB) of isolates of Trichoderma and Gliocladium (VBA–FB) with 0.05 M HCl and drying the mixture. Before addition to Rhizoctonia solani-infested soilless mix (Redi-Earth), the dry preparation (VBA–FB) was activated by remoistening with 0.05 N HCl. After 2–3 d of incubation at 23–25°C, the development of young, actively growing hyphae was stimulated in the activated VBA–FB. Controls did not contain FB. Applied to soilless mix at a rate of 1.0% (w/w, dry weight), activated VBA–FB of two out of six isolates tested reduced damping-off of pepper seedlings after 4 weeks of growth to yield stands comparable to those in the noninfested control (85%). Activated VBA–FB of these two isolates, T. hamatum (TRI-4) and T. virens (Gl-3), also reduced damping-off of eggplant, zinnia, cucumber, and cabbage caused by isolate R-23 of R. solani. Generally, G1-3 was more effective than TRI-4. Activated VBA–FB of TRI-4 and Gl-3 also reduced damping-off of cucumber caused by other isolates (195, NG-2, DPR-1) of R. solani, anastomosis group AG-4. Rates as low as 0.13% of formulations of TRI-4 and Gl-3 prevented cucumber damping-off caused by R-23. However, a rate of 0.5% was necessary to yield plant stands comparable to those in the noninfested control. All rates of both isolates reduced the saprophytic growth of R-23 in soilless mix to various degrees. Application to soilless mix of activated VBA–FB of both isolates stimulated populations (colony forming units) at plant harvest about 100-fold compared to the amount added at the time of application. Generally, additions of activated VBA–FB of TRI-4 or Gl-3 to pathogen-infested soilless mix 2 weeks before planting or at the time of planting resulted in damping-off control in pepper and cucumber.
The “Reception of Calvin” in Later Reformed Theology: Concluding Thoughts

The following essay surveys and reflects on the conference as a whole. It identifies a series of significant developments in the study of later Reformed thought, notably a series of ways in which scholarship has moved beyond the dead-ends of older approaches such as the notorious “Calvin against the Calvinists” school of thought. Among other points, the issue of continuity and discontinuity in the history of Protestant thought has received considerable nuance, the diversity and variety of Reformed thought is identified both in the Reformation roots of issues and in the later developments, and the questions of the relationship of Calvin to the Reformed tradition and of the reception of his thought by later generations are reviewed. The conference, therefore, confirms the recent work of reassessing the development of “Calvinism” and points toward significant areas for future research.
1 Biomolecular Computing: From Unconventional Computing to ''Smart'' Biosensors and Actuators - Editorial Introduction

Chemical computing [1] as a subarea of unconventional computing [2] has achieved tremendousdevelopment in the past twodecades, drivenmostly by the idea of making revolutionary changes in computing technology. While the conventional silicon-based electronic technology comes to the physical limit of miniaturization [3], chemical systems might operate at the level of single molecules, bringing information processing systems from the present microsize to novel nanosize [4]. Even more importantly, chemical systems can performmassively parallel computational operations with involvement of as many as 1023 molecules, resulting in a speed of information processing presently impossible in silicon-based computers [5]. Motivated by these ideas from computer science, chemists designed sophisticated switchable molecules and supramolecular complexes to perform logic operations and mimic computing systems [6]. Complex chemical reactions with unusual kinetics (e.g., oscillating diffusional systems – Belousov–Zhabotinsky reactions) [7] were suggested as media performing computing operations [8]. Extensive research in the area of reaction–diffusion computing systems [9] resulted in the formulation of conceptually novel circuits performing information processing with the use of subexcitable chemical media [10]. Novel conceptual approaches required for the usage of new chemical ‘‘hardware’’ were designed, resulting in algorithms potentially capable of solving ‘‘hard-to-solve’’ computational problems, thus demonstrating potential advantages of the novel unconventional chemical computing systems over classic silicon-based systems. The present state of the art of the unconventional chemical computing was summarized in the recent Wiley-VCH book: ‘‘Molecular and Supramolecular Information Processing: From Molecular Switches to Logic Systems,’’ E. Katz – Editor. It should be noted, however, that chemical systems designed for information processing usually suffer from two major problems: (i) They are very difficult to prepare – in other words – the synthetic processes required for their preparation are so complex that only a few laboratories are able to prepare and study the switchable molecules operating as the chemical computing ‘‘hardware.’’ This problem is technical rather than conceptual, and it could be solved at the present level of technology if the molecular computing elements find real applications. (ii) The main challenge in further development of chemical information processing systems is
Biological effects of residual glutaraldehyde in glutaraldehyde‐tanned collagen biomaterials

Glutaraldehyde is commonly used to control physical and biological properties of collagen structure by means of intramolecular and/or intermolecular crosslinking of collagen molecules. Solubility, antigenicity, and biodegradation of naturally occurring or reconstituted collagenous matrices are effectively reduced by glutaraldehyde treatment. Adverse biological reactions to glutaraldehyde have been limited to infrequent contact dermatitis and to biocidal effects which are exploited in chemical sterilization media. In the present study of glutaraldehyde-tanned collagen sponge, the presence of glutaraldehyde was correlated with cytotoxic effects upon fibroblasts in tissue culture and foreign body giant cell reaction to bioimplants of the sponge. Fibroblast growth in tissue culture is 99% inhibited at media concentrations of 3.0 ppm glutaraldehyde. Extracts of glutaraldehyde collagen sponge in aqueous media at pH 7 and 4.5 yielded 6 micrograms and 65 micrograms glutaraldehyde per gram of collagen sponge, respectively. The yield increased tenfold at pH 4.5. Observations indicate that leaching of the glutaraldehyde from glutaraldehyde-tanned collagen sponge is sufficient to produce potentially adverse cellular effects both in vivo and in vitro.
Ruthenium red delays the onset of cell death during oxidative stress of rat hepatocytes

Our objective was to determine if ruthenium red protects against lethal oxidative injury of rat hepatocytes. tert-Butyl hydroperoxide, 100 mumol/L, was used to produce oxidative stress. After 2 hours of oxidative stress, cell viability was greater with than without 25 mumol/L ruthenium red (37% vs. 4.6%; P less than 0.01). Despite this cytoprotection, ruthenium red did not alter the rate or extent of glutathione depletion, malondialdehyde generation, or adenosine triphosphate depletion. In contrast, ruthenium red did retard loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential (78% vs. 42% within 30 minutes; P less than 0.01). However, the protective effect of ruthenium red could not solely be explained by preserving the mitochondrial membrane potential. Indeed, ruthenium red still improved cell survival after 2 hours of exposure to 10 mumol/L carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), a mitochondrial uncoupler (39% vs. 13%; P less than 0.01). Cytosolic free calcium values did not change during the uncoupling of mitochondria, suggesting that the cytoprotective properties of ruthenium red cannot be explained by blocking mitochondrial calcium transport. Ruthenium red did inhibit proteolysis after 2 hours of exposure to tert-butyl hydroperoxide (434 +/- 62 vs. 242 +/- 20 nmol/10(6) cells; P = 0.016) or CCCP (236 +/- 50 vs. 99 +/- 38 nmol/10(6) cells; P = 0.04). The results indicate that ruthenium red appears to protect against hepatocellular injury by inhibiting degradative proteolytic activity. It is concluded that proteolysis may be an important mechanism contributing to lethal oxidative injury of hepatocytes.
Invasive pike establishment in Cook Inlet Basin lakes, Alaska: diet, native fish abundance and lake environment

Northern pike (Esox lucius) were introduced to the northern Susitna Basin of south-central Alaska in the 1950’s, and have since spread throughout the upper Cook Inlet Basin. Extirpations of several native fish populations have been documented in this area. It is hypothesized here that invasive pike remodel the ecology of lakes by removing vulnerable prey types and that these changes are reflected in the diet of invasive pike. Trends in pike diet suggest that pike switch to less desirable but more abundant macroinvertebrate prey as preferred fish prey are eliminated. The impacts of pike introduction were studied in detail for one species of resident fish, the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Stickleback abundance decreases as pike invasion progresses. Conductivity is a significant environmental predictor of stickleback abundance, with higher conductivity apparently mitigating population reduction. Higher conductivity water may lessen the physiological costs of developing more robust armor, which reduces vulnerability to predation. Maximum lake depth also appears to predict stickleback abundance, though this trend was only marginally significant. Deeper lakes may provide an open-water refuge from pike predation by allowing stickleback to exist outside of the pike inhabited littoral zone. These findings indicate the importance of diverse habitat types and certain chemical and physical characteristics to the outcome of invasion by fish predators.
Microscale Fluorescent Thermal Stability Assay for Membrane Proteins

Systematic efforts to understand membrane protein stability under a variety of different solution conditions are not widely available for membrane proteins, mainly due to technical problems stemming from the presence of detergents necessary to keep the proteins in the solubilized state and the background that such detergents usually generate during biophysical characterization. In this report, we introduce an efficient microscale fluorescent stability screen using the thiol-specific fluorochrome N-[4-(7-diethylamino-4-methyl-3-coumarinyl)phenyl]maleimide (CPM) for stability profiling of membrane proteins under different solution and ligand conditions. The screen uses the chemical reactivity of the native cysteines embedded in the protein interior as a sensor for the overall integrity of the folded state. The thermal information gained by thorough investigation of the protein stability landscape can be effectively used to guide purification and biophysical characterization efforts including crystallization. To evaluate the method, three different protein families were analyzed, including the Apelin G protein-coupled receptor (APJ).
Controversies and Opportunities in Economic Analysis of Health Care

Health, and specifically the cost of health care, is of great concern to public policy makers and to the public. Medical care is something we all want, in large part because medicine has reduced death and disability dramatically over the last several decades. However, there is a significant problem of rising cost, today consuming approximately $2.4 trillion annually in the United States and increasing at a rate of approximately 6% per year. Health care consumes approximately 17% of gross domestic product in the United States in 2009 and is expected to reach 20% within several years. Without substantial changes in our health care system, heath care costs will continue to increase and restrict other economic activities that are vying for these scarce resources. Thus, there has been great interest in health economics research to address the increasing problem of the high cost of health care. Articles see p 421, 429, 484, and 514 In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , 4 articles extend the impressive track record of the journal in presenting health economic issues, and are illustrative of some of the problems we face as a society and how investigators approach them. Patrick et al1 consider the cost-effectiveness of genotype warfarin dosing for patients with atrial fibrillation. They developed a simulation, in particular a Markov model, based on the medical literature. They found that for genotype guided therapy to cost less than $50 000 per quality-adjusted life-year saved, it would be necessary to increase the time within INR range by 9%. However, if the time within range was less than 5%, then the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year would exceed $100 000 per quality-adjusted life-year saved. Although detailed and carefully performed, this remains a simulation, not based directly on observed data within a randomized …
Efficacy of aminocandin in the treatment of immunocompetent mice with haematogenously disseminated fluconazole-resistant candidiasis

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the activity of aminocandin, a new echinocandin with broad-spectrum activity against Candida spp., with that of amphotericin B, caspofungin and fluconazole, in an immunocompetent murine model of haematogenously disseminated candidiasis caused by a fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans. Methods: Mice were infected with a fluconazole-resistant strain of C. albicans and treated with aminocandin 5 and 10 mg/kg intravenously (iv) once and twice weekly, amphotericin B 0.5 mg/kg iv every other day for 5 days, fluconazole 20 mg/kg orally (po) once a day for 5 days and caspofungin 0.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally (ip) once daily for 5 days. Results: Treatment with aminocandin, given iv twice a week, resulted in 100% survival. Further, the tissue fungal burden of the aminocandin group was equivalent to that of amphotericin B (administered every other day) and caspofungin (administered daily). Conclusions: Aminocandin may be an effective addition to the arsenal of antifungal compounds for the treatment of candidiasis caused by fluconazole-resistant C. albicans.
A study of locomotor behavior in a captive colony of red-bellied Lemurs (Eulemur rubriventer)

The considerable diversity of locomotor behavior within the suborder Prosimii largely is due to differences in locomotion between families. Within families, locomotion is relatively homogeneous, although some species, such as Otolemur crassicaudatus among the galagids and Hapalemur simus and Lepilemur spp. among the lemurids, differ from other species in their family. This paper describes the locomotion of a captive colony of red-bellied lemurs, Eulemur rubriventer (following the classification of Simons and Rumpler [1988] who place all species of Lemur other than Lemur catta in the genus Eulemur), another species whose movements differ markedly from other members of its family, the Lemuridae. Features that distinguish the locomotion of E. rubriventer from other lemurids are the high frequency of leaping, low frequency of climbing and suspension, and the use of head-downward vertical climbing in this species. Leaping is the most common form of locomotion in E. rubriventer. Horizontal, rather than vertical supports, are preferred during leaping. Although the frequency of climbing in this study is relatively low, the large brachioradialis flange, robust hallux, and claw-like nails of E. rubriventer suggest that clinging and climbing on large diameter vertical supports (lacking in the enclosures used in this study) may be an important component of locomotion in wild E. rubriventer and may reflect a gummivorous or insectivorous dietary adaptation. While the locomotion of E. rubriventer differs from all prosimians yet studied, the general pattern of locomotor behavior seen in this species is most similar to other species of the family Lemuridae.
Efficiency and Equity in Public Research: Rice Breeding in Japan's Economic Development: Comment

The paper by Akino and Hayami is the latest to show high rates of social returns to research. (For earlier studies see Griliches, Peterson, Schmitz and Seckler, Ayer and Schuh.) Two possible reasons for estimating these historical returns are to compare returns to research with other forms of public or private expenditure and to compare returns to a particular line of research with other types of research.
Counterbalancing in Smoking Cue Research: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: Cue exposure research has been used to examine key issues in smoking research, such as predicting relapse, testing new medications, investigating the neurobiology of nicotine dependence, and examining reactivity among smokers with comorbid psychopathologies. Determining the order that cues are presented is one of the most critical steps in the design of these investigations. It is widely assumed that cue exposure studies should counterbalance the order in which smoking and control (neutral) cues are presented. This article examines the premises underlying the use of counterbalancing in experimental research, and it evaluates the degree to which counterbalancing is appropriate in smoking cue exposure studies. Methods: We reviewed the available literature on the use of counterbalancing techniques in human smoking cue exposure research. Results: Many studies counterbalancing order of cues have not provided critical analyses to determine whether this approach was appropriate. Studies that have reported relevant data, however, suggest that order of cue presentation interacts with type of cue (smoking vs. control), which raises concerns about the utility of counterbalancing. Primarily, this concern arises from potential carryover effects, in which exposure to smoking cues affects subsequent responding to neutral cues. Conclusions: Cue type by order of cue interactions may compromise the utility of counterbalancing. Unfortunately, there is no obvious alternative that is optimal across studies. Strengths and limitations of several alternative designs are considered, and key questions are identified to advance understanding of the optimal conditions for conducting smoking cue exposure studies.
Bottom-up nutrient and top-down fish impacts on insect-mediated mercury flux from aquatic ecosystems

Methyl mercury (MeHg) is one of the most hazardous contaminants in the environment, adversely affecting the health of wildlife and humans. Recent studies have demonstrated that aquatic insects biotransport MeHg and other contaminants to terrestrial consumers, but the factors that regulate the flux of MeHg out of aquatic ecosystems via emergent insects have not been studied. The authors used experimental mesocosms to test the hypothesis that insect emergence and the associated flux of MeHg from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems is affected by both bottom-up nutrient effects and top-down fish consumer effects. In the present study, nutrient addition led to an increase in MeHg flux primarily by enhancing the biomass of emerging insects whose tissues were contaminated with MeHg, whereas fish decreased MeHg flux primarily by reducing the biomass of emerging insects. Furthermore, the authors found that these factors are interdependent such that the effects of nutrients are more pronounced when fish are absent, and the effects of fish are more pronounced when nutrient concentrations are high. The present study is the first to demonstrate that the flux of MeHg from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems is strongly enhanced by bottom-up nutrient effects and diminished by top-down consumer effects. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:612-618. # 2012 SETAC
Russell's Principles of Mathematics and the Revolution in Marburg Neo-Kantianism

Bertrand Russell's Principles of Mathematics offered a sustained criticism of Hermann Cohen's foundations of neo-Kantianism, evoking a radical rethinking of the basis of Marburg thought by Cohen's student, Ernst Cassirer. Russell's criticisms were directed at the understanding of the concepts of the differential calculus, which grounded the objectivity of scientific thought in Cohen's effort to resurrect the Kantian transcendental project. On the basis of Russell's criticisms, Cassirer abandoned Cohen's foundations and instead drew on the general relational form, borrowed from Russell's work in mathematical logic, to serve as the a priori source of objectivity. However, Cassirer's reliance on Russell's thought was limited, for he rejected Russell's Logicism, the principal philosophical thesis of his Principles. Instead, Cassirer specified that the serial relation, as defined by the Formalist mathematicians, was the source of objectivity of the advanced mathematical sciences. The result was a structuralist...
Borrelia burgdorferi cp32 BpaB modulates expression of the prophage NucP nuclease and SsbP single-stranded DNA-binding protein.

The Borrelia burgdorferi BpaB proteins of the spirochete's ubiquitous cp32 prophages are DNA-binding proteins, required both for maintenance of the bacteriophage episomes and for transcriptional regulation of the cp32 erp operons. Through use of DNase I footprinting, we demonstrate that BpaB binds the erp operator initially at the sequence 5′-TTATA-3′. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays indicated that BpaB also binds with high affinity to sites located in the 5′ noncoding regions of two additional cp32 genes. Characterization of the proteins encoded by those genes indicated that they are a single-stranded DNA-binding protein and a nuclease, which we named SsbP and NucP, respectively. Chromatin immunoprecipitation indicated that BpaB binds erp, ssbP, and nucP in live B. burgdorferi. A mutant bacterium that overexpressed BpaB produced significantly higher levels of ssbP and nucP transcript than did the wild-type parent.
Übrige elektrische Ausrüstung

Fur die Stromversorgung elektrischer Triebfahrzeuge mit Gleichstrom oder Einphasenwechselstrom ist ein zweipoliger Anschluss notwendig. Die isolierte, gegen Erde unter Spannung stehende Fahrleitung bildet einen Anschlusspol, die nicht isolierten Fahrschienen bilden den anderen.
Cell surface proteins of cultured brain cells and their recognition by anti-cerebellum (anti-NS-4) antiserum.

Abstract— Surface proteins of cultured young postnatal mouse cerebella and embryonic mouse cerebral hemispheres were identified by Iactoperoxidase-catalysed radioiodination and by their interaction with an anti-mouse cerebellum antiserum (anti-NS-4 serum) which recognizes surface components on brain cells. Several (8 10) iodinated polypeptides are recognized by radioautography after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Their surface location was confirmed by their sensitivity to mild trypsin treatment on intact cells. Iodinated polypeptides from cells of non-nervous tissues showed a different gel pattern. Immuno-precipitates of solubilizcd surface-iodinated cerebellar cells with anti-NS-4 serum contained two prominent labeled proteins with apparent molecular weights of 200 × 103 and 145 × 103. These proteins were also biosynthetically labeled with [3H]leucine. The 145 × 103 molecular weight component was also found in immunoprecipitates prepared from embryonic cerebral cells, but the 200 × 103 molecular weight component was replaced by a broad peak with an apparent molecular weight of around 250 × 103.
Intracellular Inclusions Resulting from Infection with African Horsesickness Virus

Abstract Intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions in monkey kidney cells infected with African horsesickness virus were studied with the aid of electron microscopy.
Emergency Department Diagnosis of Pediatric Hip Effusion and Guided Arthrocentesis Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Children with complaints of hip pain, a painful limp, or refusal to weight bear commonly present to the Emergency Department (ED). The ability to use point-of-care ultrasound in the ED to diagnose a hip joint effusion and to guide arthrocentesis can be helpful to facilitate diagnosis and management of these children. The capsular-synovial thickness of the hip is measured from the anterior bony cortical surface to the posterior surface of the iliopsoas muscle at the concavity of the femoral neck. A capsular-synovial thickness>5 mm, or >2 mm difference compared to the asymptomatic contralateral hip are the described sonographic criteria for hip joint effusion in children. We report on the use of point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose hip effusion and to guide arthrocentesis in a series of pediatric patients presenting with hip pain to the ED.
Diel Patterns of Female Host Seeking, Male Swarming, and Sugar Feeding in Fannia conspicua (Diptera: Muscidae) in Southern California

Adult Fannia conspicua Malloch were captured by sweep net at a southern California coastal mountain community to determine diel flight activity and crop/gut sugar (gut sugar) concentration. Male swarming activity was monitored by visual estimation of swarm numbers. Gut sugar content of captured flies was determined by cold anthrone assay. Peak host seeking by female flies generally occurred in early morning (0700–0800) and early evening (1900–2000). Variation in female host-seeking activity was significantly explained by the time elapsed since sunrise or time remaining until sunset, with temperature, humidity, and wind speed having small, but significant effects on activity. Male swarming activity occurred more generally throughout the day, with peaks in midmorning and mid-afternoon and reduced swarming during periods of highest female host-seeking activity. Male swarming behaviors were only minimally explained by environmental variables. Flies of both sexes commonly fed on fructose sugars with 99.94% of host-seeking female flies (n = 1,647), and 98.93% of swarming male flies (n = 1,398) with gut sugar levels exceeding those of starved flies. Host-seeking female flies had significantly higher overall sugar content than swarming male flies. Male flies had peak gut sugar levels at 0800–0900 and 2000. Female flies had broad peaks in gut sugar level from 0700 to 1200 and 1600 to 1900. Stepwise regression showed that variation in gut sugar level was poorly explained by environmental variables for both sexes.
Visuoperceptual repetition priming and progression of parkinsonian signs in aging

Parkinsonian signs in older persons are associated with numerous adverse health outcomes, however there is limited information about factors which predict progression of these signs. Using generalized linear models, we examined the association between efficiency in visuoperceptual and conceptual processing, measured by repetition priming, and rate of change in parkinsonian signs in a large sample of older persons without cognitive impairment or Parkinson's disease. Subjects with better visuoperceptual priming, measured by threshold word-identification and word-stem completion, at study baseline, progressed more slowly during follow-up of up to 11 years. Conceptual priming was not associated with change in parkinsonian signs. The findings demonstrate that individual differences in visuoperceptual processing efficiency, measured by repetition priming, occur in older persons without cognitive impairment and predict important changes in motor function. Reduced visuoperceptual priming in aging may be an early signal of vulnerability in a corticostrial circuit that contributes to sensorimotor integration.
Recovery of Rare Species: Case Study of the Masked Bobwhite

Abstract Recovery of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is accomplished via federally mandated recovery plans. Unfortunately, many recovery plans are limited in effectiveness because they suffer from various limitations; one of which is the lack of scientific data. Because recovery plans for endangered species are inherently plagued by lack of biological data of focal species, new approaches are warranted in recovery-plan development to use what little data are available more effectively. The use of academic–agency partnerships has been suggested as a means to accomplish this objective; academics contribute scientific knowledge, and agency personnel contribute federal regulation expertise. We used the masked bobwhite (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi), the only endangered quail in North America, as a case study to illustrate how such partnerships can be employed to incorporate the latest scientific knowledge into recovery planning. Because the case study of the masked bob...
Determination of sinus pericranii resectability by external compression during angiography: technical note

Sinus pericranii is an uncommon congenital cranial venous malformation that may become symptomatic in the pediatric population. Both dominant and accessory sinus pericranii, as determined by the intracranial venous drainage pattern, have been described. The dominant variety drain a significant proportion of the intracranial venous outflow while the accessory variety have minimal or no role in this. Classic teachings hold that dominant sinus pericranii should never be treated while accessory sinus pericranii may be safely obliterated. This determination of dominance is solely based on a qualitative assessment of standard venous phase catheter cerebral angiography, leaving some doubt regarding the actual safety of obliteration. In this paper the authors describe a simple and unique method for determining whether intracranial venous outflow may be compromised by sinus pericranii treatment. This involves performing catheter angiography while the lesion is temporarily obliterated by external compression. Analysis of intracranial venous outflow in this setting allows visualization of angiographic changes that will occur once the sinus pericranii is permanently obliterated. Thus, the safety of surgical intervention can be more fully appraised using this technique.
Effect of Injection of Extract of Anterior Lobe of Pituitary Gland Upon the Organs of Generation

T literature of recent years abounds with references to glands of internal secretion, and especially to the action of these glands upon the sex organs. Unfortunately, however, the contradictory findings of investigators in this field have left the subject in a state of uncertainty, so that we cannot as yet draw definite conclusions upon which to base therapeutic measures. In many instances, however, dogmatic statements bearing directly upon treatment have been made, although the experimental evidence upon which the statements are based is either incomplete or entirely unsatisfactory.