cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of the initial pH value of solution on the antitumor activity and reactions of aliphatic nitrogen mustards

Abstract Single i.p. doses of 3 mg/kg nitrogen mustard (HN2, diethylamine, 2,2′-dichloro- N -methyl-, hydrochloride), administered to mice bearing 1-day-old Ehrlich ascites tumor (EA), led to a greater prolongation of median survival time of hosts and increased to a larger extent the number of survivors after 30 days or more when HN 2 was dissolved in vehicles with initial pH values of 5·6, 7·5 or 10·5 than with other initial pH values. Toxic doses of 6 mg/kg were better tolerated and prolonged survival time to a greater extent when administered in vehicles with the initial pH values of 2 or 4. Single doses of 0·125–0·5 mg/kg HN2 administered the day after inoculation of EA decreased the total packed tumor cell volume measured on the eigth day of tumor growth to the greatest extent when the pH of solution at the time of injection was from 5·6 to 8·7. The pH-dependence of antitumor effect was less pronounced when the chemical was injected into mice on the fifth day of tumor growth. The pH of solutions at the time of injection influenced the antitumor activity of ethyl nitrogen mustard (triethylamine,2, 2′-dichloro-) but not of nor-HN2 (diethylamine,2,2′-dichloro-,hydrochloride) or of chlorimine picrylsulfonate [1-(2-chloroethyl-)-1-methylaziridinium,2,4,6-trinitrobenzene-sulfonate]. The nature of the buffering substance influenced the antitumor activity in a few instances; phthalate, phosphate and Tris diminished the effects of nitrogen mustard and, to a greater extent those of ethyl nitrogen mustard. The optimal pH range of the reaction in vitro of HN2 with thiosulfate was 6·3 to 9·5. The reaction of HN2 with 4-( p -nitrobenzyl) pyridine (NBP) was the most intensive at the initial pH value of 8. Aging of HN2 solutions with initial pH values of 5·5 or higher decreased its ability to react with either thiosulfate or NBP. The reactivity of HN2 with NBP showed no pH optimum when solutions of HN2 with different initial pH values were either mixed in vitro with cell-free ascites tumor fluid of the mouse, or when recovered from the peritoneal cavities of tumor-free mice into which HN2 solutions had been previously injected i.p.
Humanizing psychological assessment

Abstract University training in assessment remains largely technological and classificatory, but practices are changing influenced by feminism and postmodernism. This influence is possible in part because of an implicit response to humanistic psychology's earlier challenges. This paper reviews the shift from holistic psychology into “objective” assessment, and subsequent humanistic calls for assessing the person as person. Fischer's approach to practicing and teaching human‐science assessment is then overviewed, and shown to be descriptive, contextual, collaborative, interventional, and structural. Future directions include political‐economic attunement, interdisciplinary cooperation and use of human‐science research in assessment.
An attributional study of seclusion and restraint of psychiatric patients

This descriptive study used two attributional frameworks to examine the causes psychiatric inpatients and nurses gave for the seclusion and restraint of patients. Patients were interviewed in restraints. The reasons patients and nurses gave for the patients restraint were recorded verbatim. A nominal system using the recorded responses was developed by two attribution researchers and were also coded along the dimensions of locus, controllability, and stability. The findings supported attribution theory and research in that most patients and nurses gave causes for the patients' restraint. However, the data suggest more research is needed in this area.
An MAS based energy management system for a stand-alone microgrid at high altitude

A multi-agent system based energy management system (EMS) is proposed in this paper for implementing a PV-small hydro hybrid microgrid (MG) at high altitude. Based on local information, the distributed generation (DG) sources in the MG are controlled via the EMS to achieve efficient and stable system operation. Virtual bidding is used to quickly establish the scheduling of system operation and capacity reserve. In addition, real-time power dispatches are carried out through model predictive control to balance load demand and power generation in the MG. The dynamic model and the energy management strategy of the MG have been simulated on a RTDS–PXI joint real-time simulation platform. The simulation results show that the proposed energy management and control strategy can optimally dispatch the DG sources in the MG to achieve economic and secure operations of the whole system.
Anomalous diffusion due to binding: a Monte Carlo study

In classical diffusion, the mean-square displacement increases linearly with time. But in the presence of obstacles or binding sites, anomalous diffusion may occur, in which the mean-square displacement is proportional to a nonintegral power of time for some or all times. Anomalous diffusion is discussed for various models of binding, including an obstruction/binding model in which immobile membrane proteins are represented by obstacles that bind diffusing particles in nearest-neighbor sites. The classification of binding models is considered, including the distinction between valley and mountain models and the distinction between singular and nonsingular distributions of binding energies. Anomalous diffusion is sensitive to the initial conditions of the measurement. In valley models, diffusion is anomalous if the diffusing particles start at random positions but normal if the particles start at thermal equilibrium positions. Thermal equilibration leads to normal diffusion, or to diffusion as normal as the obstacles allow.
Hyperspectral imaging applied to medical diagnoses and food safety

This paper analyzes the feasibility and performance of HSI systems for medical diagnosis as well as for food safety. Illness prevention and early disease detection are key elements for maintaining good health. Health care practitioners worldwide rely on innovative electronic devices to accurately identify disease. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an emerging technique that may provide a less invasive procedure than conventional diagnostic imaging. By analyzing reflected and fluorescent light applied to the human body, a HSI system serves as a diagnostic tool as well as a method for evaluating the effectiveness of applied therapies. The safe supply and production of food is also of paramount importance to public health illness prevention. Although this paper will focus on imaging and spectroscopy in food inspection procedures -- the detection of contaminated food sources -- to ensure food quality, HSI also shows promise in detecting pesticide levels in food production (agriculture.)
Turn-On DNA Damage Sensors for the Direct Detection of 8-Oxoguanine and Photoproducts in Native DNA

The integrity of the genetic information in all living organisms is constantly threatened by a variety of endogenous and environmental insults. To counter this risk, the DNA-damage response is employed for repairing lesions and maintaining genomic integrity. However, an aberrant DNA-damage response can potentially lead to genetic instability and mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, or cell death. To directly monitor DNA damage events in the context of native DNA, we have designed two new sensors utilizing genetically fragmented firefly luciferase (split luciferase). The sensors are comprised of a methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) attached to one fragment of split luciferase for localizing the sensor to DNA (50–80% of the CpG dinucleotide sites in the genome are symmetrically methylated at cytosines), while a damage-recognition domain is attached to the complementary fragment of luciferase to probe adjacent nucleotides for lesions. Specifically, we utilized oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1) to detect 8-oxoguanine caus...
Cyclin D1—a prognostic marker in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma that is tightly associated with high-risk human papillomavirus status

Human papillomavirus–related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has a unique biology and improved prognosis. A new focus is to identify prognostic biomarkers specifically in this human papillomavirus–positive cohort. We analyzed cyclin D1 immunostaining on a tissue microarray of patients with known clinical follow-up and p16 and human papillomavirus status (by E6/E7 RNA in situ hybridization). Cyclin D1 staining was read visually and digitally. Cutoffs of 5%, 10%, and 30% were separately analyzed as was linear intensity data derived from the image analysis. For the 202 tumors, cyclin D1 expression was > 10% in 25.7% (visual) and 35.5% (digital) of the cases. It was > 30% in 15.8% (visual) and 16.5% (digital) of the cases. High cyclin D1 by both methods, cutoffs, and expression intensity was associated with poorer overall, disease-free, and disease-specific survival in univariate analysis. However, low cyclin D1 expression was also tightly associated with human papillomavirus RNA (P < 1.0 × 10−18 for all cutoffs) and p16 positivity (P < 1.0 × 10−14 for all cutoffs). In multivariate analysis using the digital 30% cutoff (the strongest cyclin D1 assessment method), only T stage, p16 status, smoking, and treatment approach associated with survival. Intensity of cyclin D1 expression did, however, significantly substratify the human papillomavirus RNA–positive patients into prognostic subgroups independent of other variables. In summary, cyclin D1 overexpression correlates strongly with patient survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, but its relationship with human papillomavirus status is very tight, and the complex nature of this correlation likely limits any clinical application for cyclin D1 assessment.
A Case of Stereotactic Radiation in Skull Base Solitary Fibrous Tumor: More Harm Than Good?

Objective Due to its location, total resection of a skull base solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) can lead to morbidity with injury to lower cranial nerves, and a decision must be made between subtotal resection with possible stereotactic radiotherapy or total resection with cranial nerve morbidity. We report the long-term outcomes and review the literature of a case of stereotactic radiation in SFT to provide evidence for making this decision. Design A retrospective case review. Setting An academic tertiary referral center. Results We present a case with > 10 years follow-up of radiation following skull base SFT, initially misdiagnosed as schwannoma, where radiotherapy did not improve recurrence or metastatic behavior and led to complications during subsequent surgical resection. Conclusions SFT often masquerades as schwannoma, especially in the skull base. Careful immunohistochemistry, including CD34 expression, is critical to the diagnosis and management. This case highlights that total tumor resection of SFT remains the gold standard of treatment. Stereotactic radiation is not recommended in the management of skull base SFT.
Optimum mode size criterion for low-gain lasers

The influence of the geometric relationship between laser pump and mode distributions on the performance of low-gain lasers has been analyzed. By considering cases in which the pump size is varied for a constant mode size and the mode size is varied for a constant pump size, a figure of merit has been defined through which laser performance can be optimized. The analysis shows that for any value of the pump radius R0, the figure of merit is a maximum when w, the 1/e radius of the Gaussian resonator mode, is approximately equal to R0.
Tectonic rotations in the Cascade Range of southern Washington

Paleomagnetic directions from 34 widely distributed sampling sites in presumed Oligocene volcanic rocks from the Cascade Mountains of southern Washington are well grouped with a mean and confidence interval of declination = 27°, inclination = 64°, and α 95 = 4.5°. When compared to an expected direction, computed from the Oligocene reference pole for stable North America, a clockwise rotation of 33.5° ± 14° has apparently occurred. This result is not significantly different from several other studies from neighboring parts of the Cascades and Coast Range of southern Washington and suggests that the two ranges have rotated as a single unit during post-Eocene time. Comparison with the results from rocks of similar age in Oregon suggests that at least two crustal blocks are involved in Pacific Northwest tectonics. Inclinations in most Coast Range and Cascade Paleogene rocks indicate that these provinces have been translated slightly northward, as well as rotated.
Some confusion concerning integral isoconversional methods that may result from the paper by Budrugeac and Segal Some methodological problems concerning nonisothermal kinetic analysis of heterogeneous solid-gas reactions

Budrugeac and Segal (Int. J. Chem. Kinet.33, 564, 2001) have generally criticized the integral isoconversional methods for producing a systematic error in the activation energy, whose value varies with the extent of conversion. We stress that this error is practically eliminated in the advanced integral isoconversional methods when using integration over small time segments (Vyazovkin, S. J. Comput Chem.22, 178, 2001) © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 418–420, 2002
QUESTION: Is math anxiety a figment of the imagination? ANSWER: Never! (A neurological glimpse at mathematics anxiety)

This article argues that there are measurable physiological and observable psychological factors which contribute to mathematics anxiety. The author contends that these factors can be contrasted with the psychophysiological correlates related to mathematics creativity. Next, the author describes some of the psychopathologies associated with mathematics anxiety and finally offers suggestions for ways teachers can improve the inner environments (minds and bodies) of their students as well as the outer environments (mathematics classrooms and school systems) to reduce mathematics anxiety and enhance mathematics creativity.
Usenet News for electronic information sharing

UCNS is pleased to announce the availability of a new Usenet News server on campus, news.uga.edu. Usenet News is an electronic public forum in which you can participate in discussions and exchange information with millions of people around the world. This article will explain what Usenet News is, how it works, and how you can take advantage of this tremendous resource.
Mutational spectrum of ICR‐191 at the hprt locus in human lymphoblastoid cells

Human TK6 lymphoblasts were treated with the acridine derivative ICR-191, and mutants at the hprt locus were isolated. Mutant hprt cDNA was reverse-transcribed from mRNA, amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and sequenced. Additions of single G:C base pairs (+1 frameshift mutations) in repetitive G:C sequences were found in 82% (32/39) of the mutants. Sixteen of the +1 frameshifts analyzed were located in a single sequence of six consecutive guanine bases in exon 3. The remaining +1 frameshifts occurred at six different GGG sequences (14 mutants) and a single GGGG sequence (2 mutants) in other hprt exons. The repetitive guanine sequences that underwent frameshift mutagenesis were located in both the transcribed and nontranscribed strands of hprt. No single base deletions (-1 frameshift mutations) were observed. Base substitutions were observed in 13% (5/39) of the clones analyzed and occurred at both G:C and A:T bases. Loss of exon 4 from the cDNA was also observed in 5% (2/39) of the mutants. Hprt mutants containing seven consecutive guanines (produced from a +1 frameshift in a GGGGGG sequence) were treated with ICR-191 and wild-type revertants selected in CHAT medium. Revertants were recovered at a frequency of approximately 10−7 and contained the wild-type sequence (GGGGGG) in all clones analyzed. The observed frequency of ICR-191-induced -1 frameshift reversion in the GGGGGGG sequence was ∼500-fold lower than the estimated frequency of +1 frameshifts observed in the wild-type GGGGGG sequence following the same ICR-191 treatment. These results suggest that ICR-191 produces predominantly +1 frameshift mutations at the hprt locus in human cells. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Walter Benjamin's sex work: prostitution and the state of exception

Hitherto critics have developed a very articulate sense of how The Arcades Project draws on a psychoanalytic theory of sexuality to reframe a Marxist analysis of commodity culture, as Sigrid Weigel puts it. This essay argues that the issue of sovereign violence, implicit in patriarchy, is a crucial and neglected facet of how The Arcades Project frames the ‘erotic phenomena of modernity’, one that emerges most clearly through Benjamin's engagement with the figure of prostitution. If Benjamin, at moments, can imagine his own political awakening as a sexual flight from the bourgeois habitus into the labyrinth of the polis, with the prostitute at its centre, it is a flight that also falters precisely at the moment that it encounters the compromising entanglement of sexuality with those forms of life abandoned by the law. The tensions in Benjamin's work, between autobiography and critique, between prostitution as a figure for a broader sense of objectification and sexuality as a specific site of power that ins...
Quantifying gene network connectivity in silico: scalability and accuracy of a modular approach

Large, complex data sets that are generated from microarray experiments, create a need for systematic analysis techniques to unravel the underlying connectivity of gene regulatory networks. A modular approach, previously proposed by Kholodenko and co-workers, helps to scale down the network complexity into more computationally manageable entities called modules. A functional module includes a gene's mRNA, promoter and resulting products, thus encompassing a large set of interacting states. The essential elements of this approach are described in detail for a three-gene model network and later extended to a ten-gene model network, demonstrating scalability. The network architecture is identified by analysing in silico steady-state changes in the activities of only the module outputs, communicating intermediates, that result from specific perturbations applied to the network modules one at a time. These steady-state changes form the system response matrix, which is used to compute the network connectivity or network interaction map. By employing a known biochemical network, the accuracy of the modular approach and its sensitivity to key assumptions are evaluated.
Transportation Planning and Implementation in Cities of the Third World: The Case of Bangkok:

The Bangkok Metropolitan Region is synonymous with unprecedented growth as well as with traffic conditions which rival the worst in the world. The current transportation situation has evolved quickly, yet planners, international donors, and many government leaders were not unaware of the magnitude of the evolving problem. The federal and municipal governments have at their disposal a number of state-of-the-art transportation plans but seem unable to implement the most important of the recommendations. In this paper Bangkok's transportation woes are described in terms of the obstacles that face the agencies charged with implementing improvements. The discussion is focused on institutional issues as well as the political structure responsible for much of the current crisis.
Measurement of Scalar Variance Dissipation from Lagrangian Floats

Abstract Simultaneous measurements of temperature, salinity, their vertical gradients, and the vertical gradient of velocity across a 1.4-m-long Lagrangian float were used to investigate the accuracy with which the dissipation of scalar variance χ can be computed using inertial subrange methods from such a neutrally buoyant float. The float was deployed in a variety of environments in Puget Sound; χ varied by about 3.5 orders of magnitude. A previous study used an inertial subrange method to yield accurate measurements of e, the rate of dissipation of kinetic energy, from this data. Kolmogorov scaling predicts a Lagrangian frequency spectrum for the rate of change of a scalar as ΦDσ/Dt(ω) = βsχ, where βs is a universal Kolmogorov constant. Measured spectra of the rate of change of potential density σ were nearly white at frequencies above N, the buoyancy frequency. Deviations at higher frequency could be modeled quantitatively using the measured deviations of the float from perfect Lagrangian behavior, yi...
Cohort study of risk factors for breast cancer in post menopausal women.

OBJECTIVES The present study assessed more than 800 potential risk factors to identify new predictors of breast cancer and compare the independence and relative importance of established risk factors.
Normative developmental challenges and dieting and eating disturbances in middle school girls.

Three predictions based on Levine and Smolak's (1992) developmental model of dieting and eating disturbances were tested: (1) Changes in pubertal status and/or dating status increase the probability of nonpathological dieting in middle school girls; (2) concurrent change in pubertal status, dating status, and academic stress increases the probability of subclinical eating disturbances in girls with a slender body ideal; and (3) the co-occurrence of modeling cues and direct messages from peers and/or family about the importance of weight, shape, and dieting increases the probability of these effects. Three hundred eighty-two girls were asked about menarcheal status, dating status, and academic stress, as well as attitudes about shape, eating behavior, and perceptions of peer and family pressures for slenderness. Results confirmed several of the predictions, suggesting that the interaction among cumulative developmental changes in early adolescence, adherence to a slender body ideal, and sociocultural pressures for thinness may be useful in distinguishing middle schoolers at risk for subclinical eating disturbances from both girls who do not diet and girls whose dieting is or will be "normative."
CUTIS LAXA, HYPOSPADIAS AND OLIGOHYDRAMNIOS SEQUENCE IN A NEWBORN: A DISCRETE SYNDROME

This boy's birth weight was 2960 gm. Sonogram done at 14 weeks gestation was normal; at 30 weeks sonogram showed no amniotic fluid. Cesarian section at 35½ weeks revealed a deformed infant with loose folds of skin hung around his head in an "elephant man" appearance. A cape-like fold drooped from the nape of his neck, and redundant skin hung from his trunk and extremities. Hands and feet were puffy like little balloons. On the right was a "Potter ear", and the palate was high-arched. The shoulders, radial heads and hips were dislocated. The digits appeared to dislocate in various directions. There was a left club foot. The phallus had a swollen foreskin, with 3rd degree hypospadias. Scrotum was hypoplastic with palpable right gonad. Karyotype was 46,XY. Renal, abdominal and head sonography were normal, as were echocardiography and EKG. The case closely resembles that of Kaye et al. (AJDC.127:115,1974). Experimental oligohydramnios in animals results in multiple articular deformities (including club feet), high-arched or cleft palate and primitive digits (DeMyer and Baird, Teratology 2:33 1969). Our patient shows many of the deformities seen in human oligohydramnios sequence. We propose that this clinical picture may be explained by a genetic defect (?single gene disorder) mediating the genital anomaly, cutis laxa and oligohydramnios, and that the various deformations follow in the train of the oligohydramnios.
Asian American career development: A qualitative analysis

Abstract This study used a modified version of consensual qualitative research design to examine how contextual, cultural, and personal variables influence the career choices of a diverse group of 12 Asian Americans. Seven domains of influences on career choices emerged including family, culture, external factors, career goals, role models, work values, and self-identity. Furthermore, several overarching themes were discovered that expressed elements of many of these domains. These themes highlighted the pervasive and influential role that both culture and family of origin play in the construction of meaning that these Asian American participants made from their career choices. Implications of these domains and themes and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Physical activity monitoring and sharing platform for manual wheelchair users

Unlike able-bodied ambulatory population, wheelchair users do not have adequate access to technologies that monitor and motivate physical activity (PA). We developed a physical activity monitoring and sharing platform (PAMS) especially suited for capturing PA that are part of the lifestyle in wheelchair users and motivating them to be physically active via social networking based applications. This paper describes the general infrastructure and components of the prototype PAMS. The monitoring unit is designed to capture the activity type, amount, and associated energy expenditure of wheelchair users. The sharing unit consists of a web-based application and an Android-based mobile application built on top of Facebook platform and allows wheelchair users to self-monitor and share their PA information with their community of interest. The prototype PAMS is being evaluated for its reliability in capturing PA, validity in measuring PA parameters, and usability of the sharing applications among wheelchair users. We expect the PAMS will enable wheelchair users to track their own PA participation and become more physically active, leading to better overall health, greater community participation, and higher quality of life.
Enhancement of Ventricular Mechanics Following Bidirectional Superior Cavopulmonary Anastomosis in Patients with Single Ventricle

Seventeen consecutive patients undergoing bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis (BDCPA) using normothermic, noncardioplegic, cardiopulmonary bypass were studied preoperatively and early postoperatively (12.2 days) using transthoracic echocardiographic techniques. The purpose of the study was to assess the changes in left ventricular mechanics associated with the change in blood flow related to the BDCPA. Of the 17 patients, pulmonary atresia and tricuspid stenosis was present in 7, tricuspid atresia in 6, double inlet left ventricle in 3, and severe pulmonic stenosis with straddling of the tricuspid valve in 1. All other forms of single ventricle type anatomy and other patients undergoing BDCPA were excluded for the purposes of this study. The mean left ventricular end-diastolic volume index fell from 120 ml/m2 to 91.1 mL/m2 (p < 0.05). Similarly the left ventricular end-systolic volume index fell from 55.8 mL/m2 to 42.3 mL/m2, respectively (p < 0.05). The stroke volume index also fell from 64.5 mL/m2 to 48.8 mL/m2. Left ventricular ejection fraction was preserved and was unchanged in every patient. It was concluded that BDCPA, performed as described above, preserves left ventricular function and that the systolic and diastolic volumes as well as the stroke volume are significantly decreased as evidence of improvement of left ventricular mechanics. The continued use of the BDCPA either as a definitive procedure or as a staged procedure in preparation for total cavopulmonary connection is therefore endorsed.
Premixed flame propagation characteristics in a supersonic airstream

Measured values of flame angles are presented to aid the design of premixed combustion chambers and prediction of flame propagation. Flame spread, velocity, and dependence of burning rate on the properties of unburned flow and on turbulence levels are compared with the measured values. The premixed flame angle is found proportional to the amount of heat released, and correlates readily with the fuel mixture ratio through the rate of heat release or rate of water formation. Finite rate combustion affects flame angle mostly at off-stoichiometric conditions. The pilot affects the flame angle if abundant unburnt fuel is present in the pilot hot gases. Viscosity runs several times over the rated level.
Reliability of the Ego-Grasping Scale:

Research using Knoblauch and Falconer's Ego-Grasping Scale is reviewed. Using a sample of 695 undergraduate students, the scale had moderate reliability (Cronbach alpha, odd-even numbered items, and test-retest), but a principal-components analysis with a varimax rotation identified five components, indicating heterogeneity in the content of the items. Lower Ego-Grasping scores appear to be associated with better psychological health. The scale has been translated and used with Korean, Kuwaiti, and Turkish students, indicating that the scale can be useful in cross-cultural studies.
TAK1 regulates multiple protein kinase cascades activated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide.

During inflammation the balance be- tween cell activation and cell death is determined by the tight regulation of multiple intracellular enzyme cascades. Key regulatory steps often involve protein kinases. We show that the prototypical pro-inflamma- tory molecule, bacterial lipopolysaccharide, activates multiple protein kinases such as p38, JNK, IKK-b, and PKB/Akt via transforming growth factor b-acti- vated kinase-1 (TAK1). We also show that TAK1 plays an important role in similar activation pathways triggered by interleukin-1. Thus TAK1 must be con- sidered as an important component of intracellular signaling pathways in cells involved in host responses to physiological and/or environmental stress signals during inflammation. J. Leukoc. Biol. 68: 909-915; 2000.
Identifying suitable regions for amaranth production using a geographic information systems approach

Amaranth is an alternative grain crop that shows significant promise in the U.S. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to analyze the most suitable regions for growing amaranth in Missouri. GIS software provides tools to manipulate and display geographically based information, in this case the factors affecting amaranth's suitability. Of several such factors considered, the ones used were soils, rainfall, sorghum production, disease potential, and labor availability. Soil, rainfall, and disease information were assumed to be direct factors in yield potential. Current sorghum production areas were considered likely areas for amaranth production, given the similarities between the crops. Labor availability also was assumed to affect adoption, since amaranth requires more labor than traditional grain crops. The analysis showed that central and southeastern Missouri would be the most favorable areas for amaranth production. Other suitable areas are along the Mississippi and Missouri river valleys and in western Missouri. This GIS approach can be modified to include additional factors and refinements, and could be used with other alternative crops or for other regions of the country.
Theoretically determined multiple‐scattering effects of dust on Umkehr observations

An earlier theoretical treatment by DeLuisi (1967) of the optical effect of dust on Umkehr observations, yielded some differences from dust effects determined by an experimental method. The differences were thought to be due to errors in the observations used to obtain the experimental results, and the primary-scattering restriction imposed on the theoretical calculations. A theoretical investigation was performed recently to assess the effect of multiple-scattering in an atmosphere with dust. The new results are in better agreement with the experimental data and apparently explain nearly all the differences encountered with the theoretical primary-scattering results.
Nomenclatural Changes for Monardella (Lamiaceae) in California

Nomenclatural changes in Monardella Bentham (Lamiaceae) are introduced to more accurately circumscribe the specific and subspecific entities in the genus in California. Examination of herbarium specimens and digital images and analysis of biogeographical data from additional fieldwork has revealed morphological continuities and discontinuities. Four new species are described: M. boydii A. C. Sanders & Elvin, M. eremicola A. C. Sanders & Elvin, M. mojavensis Elvin & A. C. Sanders, and M. sinuata Elvin & A. C. Sanders. Five new subspecies are described: M. australis Abrams subsp. jokerstii Elvin & A. C. Sanders, M. hypoleuca A. Gray subsp. intermedia A. C. Sanders & Elvin, M. linoides A. Gray subsp. sierrae Elvin & A. C. Sanders, M. sinuata subsp. nigrescens Elvin & A. C. Sanders, and M. undulata Bentham subsp. arguelloensis Elvin & A. C. Sanders. Eight new combinations and/or rank changes are proposed: M. australis subsp. cinerea (Abrams) A. C. Sanders & Elvin, M. breweri A. Gray subsp. glandulifera (I. M. Johnston) Elvin, M. breweri subsp. lanceolata (A. Gray) A. C. Sanders & Elvin, M. breweri subsp. microcephala (A. Gray) Elvin & A. C. Sanders, M. linoides subsp. anemonoides (Greene) Elvin & A. C. Sanders, M. linoides subsp. erecta (Abrams) Elvin & A. C. Sanders, M. undulata subsp. crispa (Elmer) Elvin & A. C. Sanders, and M. venosa (Torrey) A. C. Sanders & Elvin. The description of one taxon is emended: M. undulata subsp. undulata. Lectotypes are designated for M. lanceolata A. Gray and M. sanguinea Greene. We address each of these changes within informal species groupings or alliances.
Design rationale systems: understanding the issues

Most current design rationale systems fail to consider practical concerns, such as cost-effective use and smooth integration. The author identifies seven technical and business issues and describes their implications.
Expect the unexpected: clinical trials are key to understanding post-intensive care syndrome

Long-term follow-up of randomized prospective trials of treatments in the intensive care unit may allow us to attain some understanding of the causes of post-intensive care syndrome. This in turn may allow us to produce better long-term outcomes among survivors of critical illness.
COUNTERPOINT: Test the value of hyperthermia in patients with carcinoma of the cervix being treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation

Major advances in the treatment of locally advanced cervical carcinoma were reported in 1999-2000 in five studies from the Gynecologic Oncology Group, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and Southwestern Oncology Group. Collectively these trials reported a decrease in the risk of recurrence or death from cervical cancer ranging from 30-50% with the use of concurrent chemoradiation, as compared with radiation alone. On the basis of these trials the National Cancer Institute in 1999 issued a clinical alert concluding 'Strong consideration should be given to the incorporation of concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy with radiation therapy in women who require radiation therapy for treatment of cervical cancer.' Concurrently with these publications there appeared the publication in the Lancet in 2000 of the Dutch Deep Hyperthermia Group trial of radiotherapy alone versus combined radiation and hyperthermia for locally advanced pelvic tumors including carcinoma of the cervix. This multi-center phase III trial demonstrated an approximate doubling of the three year survival from 27 to 51% for the addition of hyperthermia to radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma. Additional trials to test the value of hyperthermia in patients with cervical carcinoma treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation are imperative and take precedence over a trial to investigate the value of chemotherapy in patients treated with hyperthermia and radiation.
Veterans Affairs research on health information technologies for diabetes self-management support.

Background:Like many patients with diabetes, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients frequently fall short of self-management goals and experience multiple barriers to self-care. Health information technologies (HITs) may provide the tools that patients need to manage their illness under the direction of their primary care team.Methods:We describe several ongoing projects focused on HIT resources for self-management in VA. VA researchers are developing HITs that seek to bolster a variety of potential avenues for self-management support, including patients' relationships with other patients, connections with their informal care networks, and communication with their health care teams.Results:Veterans Affairs HIT research projects are developing services that can address the needs of patients with multiple challenges to disease self-care, including multimorbidity, health literacy deficits, and limited treatment access. These services include patient-to-patient interactive voice response (IVR) calling s...
Identification of Her-2/Neu CTL epitopes using double transgenic mice expressing HLA-A2.1 and human CD.8.

Abstract The Her-2/neu protooncogene is associated with malignant transformation and aggressive disease. Because of its overexpression in tumor cells and because it has been shown to be immunogenic, this protein represents an excellent target for T-cell immunotherapy. By identifying potential HLA-A2.1-binding peptides from the Her-2/neu sequence, peptides were selected as candidate T-cell epitopes. The immunogenicity of each peptide was evaluated by priming double transgenic mice expressing both the human (hu) CD8 and HLA-A2.1 molecules with synthetic peptides corresponding to these sequences. Because of the lack of interaction between murine CD8 and HLA-A2.1, expression of huCD8 on murine cells facilitates recognition of HLA molecules on human tumor cell lines. This led to the identification of two peptides that elicit an A2-restricted CTL response, one of which has not been previously identified. Both peptidespecific CTL populations were able to specifically lyse A2.1 and Her-2/neu expressing human tumor cells originating from a variety of tissues, demonstrating the utility of this murine model in identifying peptides presented by human cells. However, several Her-2/neu peptides previously reported to be immunogenic for human CTL were found not to be immunogenic in transgenic mice. The basis for these discrepancies is discussed.
A real-time ADPCM encoder using variable order prediction

The compression of digitally encoded speech in real-time is of interest to those working on voice transmission and storage systems. This paper evaluates the application of a variable order predictor to Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) to lower the bit rate without mitigating the speech quality. The technique encodes the speech waveform by using a lattice prediction filter to predict the input speech waveform and then adaptively quantizing the prediction error. The prediction error is monitored and the minimum order predictor filter is determined for a prescribed error for each analysis speech segment. The order selection algorithm is derived and a program flow chart given for the fixed point implementation. By using the minimum order filter, one reduces the number of coefficients that have to be coded. A comparison is then done to contrast the new variable order algorithm with the more conventional fixed order LPC algorithm. Results include the favorable SNR performance of the coder for various bit rates in the mid-band (10-32 Kb/s) range as well as the coding aspects on the Digital Signal Processing Chip (TMS320). Several programming innovations such as adaptive bit allocation for correlation coefficient normalization are also described. Work is now in program to extend this research to lower bit rates and includes the application of noiseless compression techniques on the encoded residual.
Folate Replacement by Tetrahydrohomopteroate in Triazine-Resistant Bacteria

Tetrahydrohomopteroate, which inhibits the growth of Streptococcus faecium (Streptococcus faecalis ATCC 8043), replaces folate as a growth factor in chlorguanide triazine-resistant strains of this organism.
Optimal wavelet sub-band selection using genetic algorithm

In this paper, we proposed a technique to select optimal subset of features extracted from subbands generated from wavelet packets. The algorithm first selects an optimal subset of subbands, then it selects the subset of features belongs to these subbands. The genetic algorithm was used for the selection task. Our experiment shows that the algorithm effectively reduces the computation time and increases the accuracy.
GSWLAN: a new architecture model for a generic and secure wireless LAN system

Existing WLAN security schemes are few and product specific. While there exist some schemes for dealing with problems relating to information integrity, there are hardly any standard solutions for security problems relating to quality of service and network health maintenance in wireless networks. In the absence of strong standards, the existing approach to general WLAN security is vendor specific. We propose a low cost and generic secure WLAN architecture which can be implemented on WLANs comprising of access points from different vendors. A behavior monitoring scheme which validates the model has been developed and tested.
Validity of protein-osmolality versus protein-creatinine ratios in the estimation of quantitative proteinuria from random samples of urine in children.

Abstract Background:Proteinuria is an important marker of kidney disease. Simple methods to determine the presence of proteinuria in a semiquantitative fashion require measurement of either a protein-creatinine or protein-osmolality ratio. Methods:Urine samples from 134 healthy infants and children and 150 children from the pediatric nephrology practice were analyzed to develop normative data for protein-osmolality ratios on random urine samples and compare protein-osmolality with protein-creatinine ratio as a predictor of 24-hour urine protein excretion. Children were grouped according to age. Three groups were established: infants ( 2 O/mOsm · L; for children between 2 and 8 years old, 0.14; and for children older than 8 years, 0.17 ( P = not significant between age groups). The corresponding optimal cutoff value for protein-creatinine ratio for the entire group of children older than 2 years is 0.20. Area under the curve analysis of receiver operator characteristic curves showed protein-creatinine ratio was superior to protein-osmolality ratio for predicting abnormal amounts of proteinuria in children and adolescents ( P
Analysis of c-Ki-ras mutations in human colon carcinoma by cell sorting, polymerase chain reaction, and DNA sequencing.

We have analyzed colon carcinomas by a combination of histological enrichment, cell sorting, polymerase chain reaction, and direct sequencing of the c-Ki- ras -2 gene. DNA was chemically extracted from 50-µm sections of paraffin-embedded colon carcinomas and amplified in vitro , and mutations were documented directly by DNA sequencing. Enrichment for tumor cells was obtained histologically and by sorting nuclei on the basis of DNA content differences. Mutations in codon 12 were present in both aneuploid and diploid subpopulations of sorted carcinomas, suggesting that these mutations precede ploidy alterations in the progression of these neoplasms. We have demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing DNA from tissues treated with different fixatives, including methyl carnoys, formalin, and Hollande's solution. This procedure allows one to retrospectively reconstruct the temporal relationship between the occurrence of mutations and sequential morphological changes during tumorigenic progression.
Resource Allocation and Managerial Oversight of Local Morning Newscasts

In this mixed-methods study of local morning newscasts, the researchers examine current approaches to managerial oversight and resource allocation for morning newscasts and explore the content focus and expansion plans for the time period.A Web survey of 117 news directors found no significant differences between number-one rated stations and non-number-one rated stations in terms of the number of hours of news produced, the number of times per week managers watch the morning shows or discuss shows with their staffs, or the staff sizes on morning shows. However, the vast majority of respondents believe that a combination of adding staff and providing greater managerial oversight to the morning news block would be the most effective way to boost a station's morning news ratings.In-depth interviews with news directors for some of the highest-rated morning newscasts in the country describe how they update content and set the agenda for the day to create their successful morning news programs.
Onset of Pain Threshold Changes Induced by Neonatal Monosodium Glutamate

Neonatal administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) results in a number of anatomical, physiological and behavioral abnormalities, including changes in pain thresholds and analgesic responses. The present study compared the onsets of MSG-induced changes in jump thresholds, hot-plate latencies, and body weight. At 30, 60 and 80 days of age, MSG-treated rats weighed significantly less than rats treated with either saline or hypertonic saline (HSAL), a control for possible osmolarity effects. Jump thresholds of MSG-treated rats were significantly lower than those of saline-treated rats at 80, but not at 45 days of age. In contrast, HSAL treatment decreased jump thresholds at 45, but not at 80 days of age. Hot-plate latencies of MSG-treated rats were significantly longer than saline-treated rats across the time course of testing at 21, 45 and 80 days of age. Thus, not only did MSG treatment induce differential effects upon pain thresholds, but the onsets of such changes varied as a function of the test. The...
Genomic Evidence Reveals Numerous Salmonella enterica Serovar Newport Reintroduction Events in Suwannee Watershed Irrigation Ponds

Our previous work indicated a predominance (56.8%) of Salmonella enterica serovar Newport among isolates recovered from irrigation ponds used in produce farms over a 2-year period (B. Li et al., Appl Environ Microbiol 80:6355–6365, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02063-14). This observation provided a valuable set of metrics to explore an underaddressed issue of environmental survival of Salmonella by DNA microarray. Microarray analysis correctly identified all the isolates (n = 53) and differentiated the S. Newport isolates into two phylogenetic lineages (S. Newport II and S. Newport III). Serovar distribution analysis showed no instances where the same serovar was recovered from a pond for more than a month. Furthermore, during the study, numerous isolates with an indistinguishable genotype were recovered from different ponds as far as 180 km apart for time intervals as long as 2 years. Although isolates within either lineage were phylogenetically related as determined by microarray analysis, subtle genotypic differences were detected within the lineages, suggesting that isolates in either lineage could have come from several unique hosts. For example, strains in four different subgroups (A, B, C, and D) possessed an indistinguishable genotype within their subgroups as measured by gene differences, suggesting that strains in each subgroup shared a common host. Based on this comparative genomic evidence and the spatial and temporal factors, we speculated that the presence of Salmonella in the ponds was likely due to numerous punctuated reintroduction events associated with several different but common hosts in the environment. These findings may have implications for the development of strategies for efficient and safe irrigation to minimize the risk of Salmonella outbreaks associated with fresh produce.
Summarizing Student Responses to Reflection Prompts

We propose to automatically summarize student responses to reflection prompts and introduce a novel summarization algorithm that differs from traditional methods in several ways. First, since the linguistic units of student inputs range from single words to multiple sentences, our summaries are created from extracted phrases rather than from sentences. Second, the phrase summarization algorithm ranks the phrases by the number of students who semantically mention a phrase in a summary. Experimental results show that the proposed phrase summarization approach achieves significantly better summarization performance on an engineering course corpus in terms of ROUGE scores when compared to other summarization methods, including MEAD, LexRank and MMR.