cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-frequency somatic embryogenesis, nuclear DNA estimation of milkweed species (Asclepias latifolia, A. speciosa, and A. subverticillata), and genome size stability of regenerants

A high-frequency somatic embryogenesis was developed for three Asclepias species, A. latifolia (broadleaf milkweed), A. speciosa (showy milkweed), and A. subverticillata (horsetail milkweed) using gibberellic (GA3) and the amino acid l-proline. A somatic embryo initiation medium consisting of MS salts (Murashige and Skoog, in Physiol Plant 15:473–497, 1962) with Gamborg’s (1968) vitamins, 1.5 µM 2,4-D, 2.3 µM kinetin, and 2% (w/v) sucrose supplemented with various concentrations of l-proline (0, 8.7, or 17.4 mM) combined with various of concentrations of GA3 (0, 2.9, or 5.8 µM), resulting in nine different media (MWM0–MWM8). All media produced callus, but no embryos were obtained on the control medium which contained no l-proline or GA3. Once calli produced somatic embryos, they were transferred to a medium referred to as somatic embryo conversion medium or SECM, which contained MS salts with Gamborg’s vitamins (Gamborg et al., Exp Cell Res 50:151–158, 1968), 2.3 µM kinetin, 2.9 mM GA3, 1.5% (w/v) sucrose, 8 g/L. The conversion percentage of somatic embryos into plants was high for all media, in particular for MWM2 (17.4 mM l-proline + 0 µM GA3) with conversion rates of 90.2, 93.4, and 97% for A. latifolia, A. speciosa, and A. subverticillata, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to estimate the nuclear DNA content of both seed-derived and in vitro grown plants. The 2C-DNA values of all three species were 0.92 pg, which did not differ from the values of in vitro grown plants, thus verifying that the regeneration system produces genetically stable plants.
Field Assisted Photoemission from Nanocrystalline Diamond and Diamond Field Emitter Arrays

Field emission from nanocrystalline diamond and especially from diamond field emitters is known to have an onset at low electric fields of a few MV/m, although the discussion on the agreement of the results with the classical Fowler-Nordheim model is still pending. While measurements of pure photoemission from flat nanocrystalline diamond agree reasonably well with the 3-step photoemission model for the wide bandgap semiconductor with low electron affinity, we are not aware of systematic studies of photoemission in the ~0.1-5 MV/ m range, where the electron emission mechanism is expected to be affected by the Schottky effect and crossover with the field emission. In order to understand applicability of field enhanced photoemission from diamond to generation of bright coherent photo-gated electron beams suitable for dielectric laser accelerators, we have designed a system to measure spectral response (quantum efficiency vs wavelength) of ~mm-sized samples with up to 5 MV/ m electric field in the anode-cathode gap. The system is based on an incoherent Xe lamp-based tunable ultaviolet light source, therefore relatively large and dense diamond field emitter arrays are required for comparative studies of arrays versus flat nanocrystalline diamond samples. We present the results of our original measurements in the range between 195 nm and 270 nm. Potential schemes of laser-triggered photoemission from a single diamond field emitter tip are discussed in view of the obtained results.
Takeover and Handover Requests using Non-Speech Auditory Displays in Semi-Automated Vehicles

Since non-speech sounds can convey urgency well, they have been used as alerts in the vehicle context, including control transitions (handover and takeover) in automated vehicles. However, their potential has not been fully investigated to make use in international standards. To contribute to making authentic standards, the present paper investigated the effects of various non-speech displays to further refine auditory variables. Twenty-four young drivers drove in the driving simulator that had both handover and takeover transitions between manual and automated modes with a secondary task. The reaction times for handover and takeover and other sound user experience questionnaire results are reported with discussions and future work.
AutoDock CrankPep: combining folding and docking to predict protein-peptide complexes.

Motivation Protein-peptide interactions mediate a wide variety of cellular and biological functions. Methods for predicting these interactions have garnered a lot of interest over the past few years, as witnessed by the rapidly growing number of peptide-based therapeutic molecules currently in clinical trials. The size and flexibility of peptides has shown to be challenging for existing automated docking software programs. Results Here we present AutoDock CrankPep or ADCP in short, a novel approach to dock flexible peptides into rigid receptors. ADCP folds a peptide in the potential field created by the protein to predict the protein-peptide complex. We show that it outperforms leading peptide docking methods on two protein-peptide datasets commonly used for benchmarking docking methods: LEADS-PEP and peptiDB, comprised of peptides with up to 15 amino acids in length. Beyond these datasets, ADCP reliably docked a set of protein-peptide complexes containing peptides ranging in lengths from 16 to 20 amino acids. The robust performance of ADCP on these longer peptides enables accurate modeling of peptide-mediated protein-protein interactions and interactions with disordered proteins. Availability and implementation ADCP is distributed under the LGPL 2.0 open source license and is available at http://adcp.scripps.edu. The source code is available at https://github.com/ccsb-scripps/ADCP. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Fine-tuning arguments and biological design arguments: can the theist have both?

There are at least two kinds of design arguments for theism: fine-tuning arguments and biological design arguments. Dougherty and Poston (2008) have argued that the success of one requires the failure of the other, and vice versa. The reason is that the success of these arguments hinges on the following crucial probability: the probability that biological life exists somewhere in the universe given that (a) our universe is finely tuned and that (b) biological development is unguided by intelligence. According to Dougherty and Poston, fine-tuning arguments require that the crucial probability is high while biological design arguments require that the crucial probability is low. As a result, at most one of these design arguments can factor into a cumulative case argument for theism. I argue that this is mistaken. Specifically, I show that fine-tuning arguments can succeed even if the crucial probability is low.
Nonrandomized Real-World Evidence to Support Regulatory Decision Making: Process for a Randomized Trial Replication Project.

Recent legislation mandates that the US Food and Drug Administration issue guidance regarding when real-world evidence (RWE) could be used to support regulatory decision making. Although RWE could come from randomized or nonrandomized designs, there are significant concerns about the validity of RWE assessing medication effectiveness based on nonrandomized designs. We propose an initiative using healthcare claims data to assess the ability of nonrandomized RWE to provide results that are comparable with those from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We selected 40 RCTs, and we estimate that approximately 30 attempted replications will be completed after feasibility analyses. We designed an implementation process to ensure that each attempted replication is consistent, transparent, and reproducible. This initiative is the first to systematically evaluate the ability of nonrandomized RWE to replicate multiple RCTs using a structured process. Results from this study should provide insight on the strengths and limitations of using nonrandomized RWE from claims for regulatory decision making.
Fat Chance: Probability from 0 to 1

In a world where we are constantly being asked to make decisions based on incomplete information, facility with basic probability is an essential skill. This book provides a solid foundation in basic probability theory designed for intellectually curious readers and those new to the subject. Through its conversational tone and careful pacing of mathematical development, the book balances a charming style with informative discussion. This text will immerse the reader in a mathematical view of the world, giving them a glimpse into what attracts mathematicians to the subject in the first place. Rather than simply writing out and memorizing formulas, the reader will come out with an understanding of what those formulas mean, and how and when to use them. Readers will also encounter settings where probabilistic reasoning does not apply or where intuition can be misleading. This book establishes simple principles of counting collections and sequences of alternatives, and elaborates on these techniques to solve real world problems both inside and outside the casino. Pair this book with the HarvardX online course for great videos and interactive learning: https://harvardx.link/fat-chance.
Use What You Have: Cross-Campus Collaboration for Effective Teaching

With the increasing cost of education and the needs for high impact teaching strategies, it is critical for fashion merchandising instructors to be creative, seek resources, and identify alternative solutions, especially in small programs that lack the resources and financial support. In order to overcome these challenges and implement the Affordable Learning Solutions Initiative of the California State University system, the instructor of the Visual Merchandising course experimented with cross campus collaborations with the library on campus to provide students real life projects that cost students little or no money. The findings of the study reveal that the collaboration benefited both the fashion students and librarians. It highlighted the important role that academic libraries can play in effective fashion education.
Reducing heart dose with protons and cardiac substructure sparing for mediastinal lymphoma treatment

Purpose Electrocardiogram-gated computed tomography with coronary angiography can be used for cardiac substructure sparing (CSS) optimization, which identifies and improves avoidance of cardiac substructures when treating with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). We investigated whether intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) would further reduce dose to cardiac substructures for patients with mediastinal lymphoma. Patients and Methods Twenty-one patients with mediastinal lymphoma were enrolled and underwent electrocardiogram-gated computed tomography angiography during or shortly after simulation for radiotherapy planning. Thirteen patients with delineated cardiac substructures underwent comparative planning with both IMPT and IMRT. Plans were normalized for equivalent (95%) target volume coverage for treatment comparison. Results Thirteen patients met criteria for this study. The median size of the mediastinal lymphadenopathy was 7.9 cm at the greatest diameter. Compared with IMRT-CSS, IMPT-CSS significantly reduced mean dose to all cardiac substructures, including 3 coronary arteries and 4 cardiac valves. Use of IMPT significantly reduced average whole-heart dose from 9.6 to 4.9 Gy (P < .0001), and average mean lung dose was 9.7 vs 5.8 Gy (P < .0001). Prospectively defined clinically meaningful improvement was observed in at least 1 coronary artery in 9 patients (69%), at least 1 cardiac valve in 10 patients (77%), and whole heart in all 13 patients. Conclusions For patients with mediastinal lymphoma, IMPT-CSS treatment planning significantly reduced radiation dose to cardiac substructures. The significant improvements outlined in this study for proton therapy suggest possible clinical improvement in alignment with previous analyses of CSS optimization.
Symptom experiences in post-treatment cancer survivors: associations with acceptance and commitment therapy constructs

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has improved symptom and quality-of-life outcomes in pilot research with post-treatment cancer survivors. To further test the ACT model, the present study examined relationships between ACT constructs and subgroups of post-treatment survivors based on the severity of common symptoms. Survivors who had completed primary treatment for stage I or II cancer (N = 203) participated in this one-time survey. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify subgroups of survivors based on the severity of fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Multinomial logistic regressions employing Vermunt’s 3-step approach were used to examine ACT constructs (e.g., mindfulness, acceptance, values progress) as correlates of survivor subgroups based on symptoms. The LCA showed three survivor classes: (1) mild-to-moderate levels of all symptoms except for normal pain intensity; (2) mild anxiety, moderate fatigue, and normal levels of all other symptoms; and (3) normal levels of all symptoms. Lower mindfulness, acceptance, and values progress and higher cognitive fusion, psychological inflexibility, and values obstruction were associated with a greater likelihood of being in class 1 or 2 than in class 3. Findings are consistent with the ACT model. Survivors with greater symptom burden reported greater withdrawal from personally meaningful activities and less acceptance of their cancer diagnosis and internal experiences (e.g., thoughts, feelings, symptoms). Findings provide strong justification for further testing of ACT to reduce symptom-related suffering in cancer survivors.
Private Enterprise, International Development, and the Cold War

This article sheds light on the role of foreign direct investment as an instrument for economic development and, in turn, for the advancement of U.S. foreign policy goals during the Cold War. From ...
Visual processing and fold-change detection by the larva of the simple chordate Ciona

Visual processing transforms the complex visual world into useful information. Ciona, a close relative of vertebrates, has one of the simplest nervous systems known, yet has a range of visuomotor behaviors. Among them are negative phototaxis and a looming-shadow response. These two behaviors are mediated by separate photoreceptor groups acting via distinct, but overlapping, neural circuits. We show here that processing circuits underlying both behaviors transform visual inputs to generate fold-change detection (FCD) outputs. In FCD, the response scales with the relative fold changes in input, but is invariant to the overall magnitude of the stimulus. Several different circuit architectures can generate FCD responses. Both the behavioral outputs and the putative circuitry for the two visuomotor behaviors point to them using different FCD circuits. Pharmacological treatment points to circuits in the posterior brain vesicle of Ciona, a region we speculate shares homology with the vertebrate midbrain, as important for FCD.
Length of Stay After Joint Arthroplasty is Less Than Predicted Using Two Risk Calculators.

Abstract Background Predicting the length of stay (LOS) after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) has become more important with their recent removal from inpatient-only designation. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program surgical risk calculator and the CMS’ diagnosis-related group (DRG) calculator are two common LOS predictors. The aim of our study was to determine how our actual LOS compared with those predicted by both the ACS and DRG. Methods 99 consecutive TJA (49 hips and 50 knee procedures) were reviewed in Medicare-eligible patients from four fellowship-trained arthroplasty surgeons. Predicted LOS was calculated using the DRG and ACS risk calculators for each patient using demographics, medical histories, and comorbidities. LOS was compared between the predicted and the actual LOS for both total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using paired t-tests. Results Actual LOS was shorter in the THA group vs the TKA group (1.29 days vs 1.46 days, P Conclusion We found the actual LOS was significantly shorter than that predicted by both the DRG and ACS risk calculators. Current risk calculators may not be accurate for contemporary fast-track protocols and newer tools should be developed.
Peptide/Receptor Evolution Explains the Lipolytic Function of the Neuropeptide TLQP-21

Functional diversity of peptide substrates and their cognate G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCR) are often the result of a long evolutionary process shaped by accumulation of mutations and natural selection. Even small changes in amino acid sequence can drastically alter their binding affinity and receptor activation. Since GPCR are often investigated as molecular targets for pharmacotherapies, it is fundamentally essential to experimentally compare peptide/receptor interaction when translating promising pre-clinical therapeutic efficacy into humans. Here, we focused on the role of the Complement 3a Receptor (C3aR1) activated by the VGF-derived neuropeptide TLQP-21 in rodent and human cell system, and used molecular modelling and evolutionary analysis to infer the exact mechanism of ligand/receptor interaction. After having characterized the mechanism of TLQP-21 potentiation of beta-Adrenergic Receptor (bARs)-induced lipolysis in rodent adipocytes, we used structural data-driven homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulation to identify the TLQP-21 binding motif and its corresponding C3aR1 binding site. We found that the mouse/rat TLQP-21 had enhanced binding affinity at the human C3aR1, when compared to the human TLQP-21. Similarly, the mouse/rat TLQP-21, but not the human TLQP-21, potentiate lipolysis in human adipocytes. This surprising finding led us to reconstruct the evolution of sequence motifs within the C3aR1 binding site and the TLQP-21 pharmacophore in the Murinae sub-family of rodents, to identify changes which explain the pharmacological efficacy by virtue of enhanced hydrophobicity, and which represent stark enhancement of function for a neuropeptide that is thus rendered a potent agonist at C3aR1. Since we further demonstrated that changes in gene expression of critical nodes in TLQP-21/C3aR1-mediated lipolysis are conserved in obesity for humans and mice, and that the rodent peptide is a potent agonist at the human C3aR1, our discovery can pave the way to investigate a peptide/receptor mechanism and to develop novel pharmacotherapies for obesity and other disease conditions in which C3aR1 has been implicated.
Performance characterization of a power generation unit–organic Rankine cycle system based on the efficiencies of the system components

Abstract This paper analyzes the potential of using the waste heat from a power generation unit to generate additional electricity using an organic Rankine cycle to reduce operational cost, primary energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions in different locations in the U.S. The power generation unit–organic Rankine cycle system is compared with a conventional system in terms of operational cost, primary energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions reduction. A parameter ( R min ), which is based on system efficiencies, is established to determine when the proposed power generation unit–organic Rankine cycle system would potentially provide savings versus the conventional system in which electricity is purchased from the utility grid. The effect on the R min parameter with variation of each system efficiency is also analyzed in this paper. Results indicated that savings in one parameter, such as primary energy consumption, did not imply savings in the other two parameters. Savings in the three parameters (operational cost, primary energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions) varied widely based on location due to prices of natural gas and electricity, source-to-site conversion factors, and carbon dioxide emissions conversion factors for electricity and natural gas. Variations in each system efficiency affected R min , but varying the power generation unit efficiency had the most dramatic effect in the overall savings potential from the proposed system.
The synthesis of digital machines with provable epistemic properties

Researchers using epistemic logic as a formal framework for studying knowledge properties of AI systems often interpret the knowledge formula K(x, φ) to mean that machine x encodes φ in its state as a syntactic formula or can derive it inferentially. By defining K(x, φ), instead, in terms of the correlation between the state of the machine and that of its environment, the formal properties of modal system S5 can be satisfied without having to store representations of formulas as data structures. In this paper, we apply the correlational definition of knowledge to machines with composite structure. In particular, we describe how epistemic properties of synchronous digital machines can be analyzed, starting at the level of gates and delays, by modeling the machine's components as agents in a multi-agent system and reasoning about the flow of information among them. We also introduce Rex, a language for recursively computing machine descriptions, and illustrate how it can be used to construct machines with provable knowledge properties.
Restructuring Agency Relationships in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry: An Economic Analysis

Recent state legislative reforms of real estate agency relationships suggest that traditional agency law and practice are not meeting the needs of the parties involved in a residential real estate ...
Novel methods to incorporate photosensitizers into nanocarriers for cancer treatment by photodynamic therapy

Objective: A hydrophobic photosensitizer, 2-[1-hexyloxyethyl]-2-devinyl pyropheophorbide-a (HPPH), was loaded into nontoxic biodegradable amine functionalized polyacrylamide (AFPAA) nanoparticles using three different methods (encapsulation, conjugation, and post-loading), forming a stable aqueous dispersion. Each formulation was characterized for physicochemical properties as well as for photodynamic performance so as to determine the most effective nanocarrier formulation containing HPPH for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Materials and Methods: HPPH or HPPH-linked acrylamide was added into monomer mixture and polymerized in a microemulsion for encapsulation and conjugation, respectively. For post-loading, HPPH was added to an aqueous suspension of pre-formed nanoparticles. Those nanoparticles were tested for optical characteristics, dye loading, dye leaching, particle size, singlet oxygen production, dark toxicity, in vitro photodynamic cell killing, whole body fluorescence imaging and in vivo PDT. Results: HPPH was successfully encapsulated, conjugated or post-loaded into the AFPAA nanoparticles. The resultant nanoparticles were spherical with a mean diameter of 29 � 3 nm. The HPPH remained intact after entrapment and the HPPH leaching out of nanoparticles was negligible for all three formulations. The highest singlet oxygen production was achieved by the postloaded formulation, which caused the highest phototoxicity in in vitro assays. No dark toxicity was observed. Post-loaded HPPH AFPAA nanoparticles were localized to tumors in a mouse colon carcinoma model, enabling fluorescence imaging, and producing a similar photodynamic tumor response to that of free HPPH in equivalent dose. Conclusions: Post-loading is the promising method for loading nanoparticles with hydrophobic photosensitizers to achieve effective in vitro and in vivo PDT. Lasers Surg. Med. 43:686–695, 2011. 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Offspring chemical cues affect maternal food provisioning in burrower bugs, Sehirus cinctus

Female burrower bugs (Sehirus cinctus, Hemiptera: Cydnidae) show extended care for their offspring. They guard their clutch and feed the hatched nymphs up to the third larval instar. Previous research indicated that nymphs partly regulate maternal food provisioning, but how nymphs accomplish this is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that nymphs solicit maternal provisioning by condition-dependent chemical signalling and we postulated the existence of a solicitation pheromone. Clutches of 30 nymphs were handreared in either low- or high-food conditions. After moult to second instar, cuticular compounds were extracted in hexane. An independent set of test mothers caring for offspring were subsequently exposed to extracts of nymphs from either the low- or the high-food treatment. Two control groups were also involved, one exposed to the solvent hexane and one with no treatment. As predicted for a solicitation pheromone, test mothers exposed to extracts from nymphs reared under low food provisioned more than those exposed to extracts from nymphs reared under high-food treatment. Contrary to our expectation, however, nymph extracts had an overall inhibiting effect on maternal provisioning. The effects of extract exposure on maternal provisioning were short-lasting, suggesting that the critical cues may be volatile. Our results suggest complex chemical communication in burrower bug families for the short-term regulation of maternal provisioning, potentially involving both provisioning-releasing solicitation pheromones and inhibiting chemical cues.
Forensic Analysis of a PlayStation 3 Console

The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a powerful gaming console that supports Internet-related activities, local file storage and the playing of Blu-ray movies. The PS3 also allows users to partition and install a secondary operating system on the hard drive. This “desktop-like” functionality along with the encryption of the primary hard drive containing the gaming software raises significant issues related to the forensic analysis of PS3 systems. This paper discusses the PS3 architecture and behavior, and provides recommendations for conducting forensic investigations of PS3 systems.
Optimal non-linear processor control for residual-echo suppression

The main goal of this paper is to establish an objective measure of non-linear processor (NLP) control quality for echo suppression after echo cancellation, as a basis for an optimal design of NLP control. As tools for reaching the goal, mathematical modeling and analysis of echo cancellation and suppression are used. Since the optimality assumes knowledge of the parameters of the echo cancellation process, the effects of the uncertain parameters on the objective measure of NLP control quality are studied. The performance of NLP control is investigated under ideal and non-ideal circumstances.
Hierarchical Spatial Gossip for Multiresolution Representations in Sensor Networks

In this article we propose a lightweight algorithm for constructing multiresolution data representations for sensor networks. At each sensor node u, we compute O(log n) aggregates about exponentially enlarging neighborhoods centered at u. The ith aggregate is the aggregated data from nodes approximately within 2i hops of u. We present a scheme, named the hierarchical spatial gossip algorithm, to extract and construct these aggregates, for all sensors simultaneously, with a total communication cost of O(n polylog n). The hierarchical gossip algorithm adopts atomic communication steps with each node choosing to exchange information with a node distance d away with probability ∼ 1/d3. The attractiveness of the algorithm can be attributed to its simplicity, low communication cost, distributed nature, and robustness to node failures and link failures. We show in addition that computing multiresolution aggregates precisely (i.e., each aggregate uses all and only the nodes within 2i hops) requires a communication cost of Ω(n√n), which does not scale well with network size. An approximate range in aggregate computation like that introduced by the gossip mechanism is therefore necessary in a scalable efficient algorithm. Besides the natural applications of multiresolution data summaries in data validation and information mining, we also demonstrate the application of the precomputed multiresolution data summaries in answering range queries efficiently.
Biological availability of phosphorus from basic steel slag

Abstract Basic steel slag (BSS) was investigated to determine the availability of its P for lambs and any subsequent effect on animal performance. A basal diet containing 0.048% P was given at a rate of 800 g/animal/day for 25 days to deplete 16 wether lambs of readily metabolizable P. Subsequently, lambs were randomly assigned to two P-supplemented diets, one containing BSS-phosphate and the other, monosodium phosphate (MSP) as a control. The P level in each diet was increased to 0.21%. The repletion period lasted 15 days. During the last 7 days of both basal and supplemental periods, faeces and urine were collected. Apparent absorption, retention, absorption of supplement, serum P and Ca levels, haemoglobin and haematocrit values, body weight and daily feed intake of the BSS-supplemented lambs did not differ ( P > 0.05) from MSP-supplemented animals. The results suggest that P in BSS-phosphate is almost as well utilized as that in MSP. If the values for MSP are set at 100%, the biological availability of BSS-phosphate would be 77.8, 83.8, 86.7 and 90.3%, respectively, for apparent absorption, retention, absorption and retention of supplement. For BSS-supplemented lambs, feed consumption tended to be less than in the basal period. Three of the lambs supplemented with BSS developed slight-to-moderate diarrhea during the supplemental period. Results suggest that P in BSS-phosphate is almost as well utilized as that in MSP for meeting the P requirements of growing wethers.
Personal Attitudes or Structural Factors? A Contextual Analysis of Breastfeeding Duration:

A personal attitudes model (i.e., infant feeding choices are based on personal attitudes primarily) and a structural factors model (i.e., feeding choices are shaped by the structural contexts of women's lives, as much as personal attitudes) of women's breastfeeding behavior were tested by surveying a longitudinal sample of 548 mostly European American women recruited for the Wisconsin Maternity Leave and Health Project. Personal attitudes (enjoyment of breastfeeding, gender-role attitudes, and work and family salience) accounted for half as much variance in breastfeeding duration for women who were employed outside the home compared to those who were not. For women employed outside the home, both structural variables (length of maternity leave and workplace flexibility) and personal attitudes predicted duration. These results have implications for how we construct the issue of women's breastfeeding decisions.
Maternal and Child Health

The health of pregnant mothers, infants, children, and adolescents is an important public health issue. Maternal and child health services such as prenatal care, primary and preventive care, immunizations, and medical treatment are vital, because they have the potential to make a difference in health status and health costs over a whole lifetime. The maternal and child health status indicators in this chapter include inadequate prenatal care, preconception health care coverage, unintended pregnancy, preconception overweight and obesity, birth defects, and infant mortality.
Effect of arginine on serum levels of insulin and growth hormone in obese subjects.

Abstract After the infusion of argine, serum levels of immunoreactive human growth hormone increased only slightly in obese subjects, reaching a peak value at 60 minutes of 7.9 ± 2.5 ng./ml. (mean ± S.E.M.) vs. 28 ± 6 ng./ml. in normal subjects, in spite of comparable rises in serum levels of α-amino-nitrogen. In contrast, changes in serum levels of immunoreactive insulin were similar in both groups, with a peak value at 30 minutes of 144 ± 50 μU/ml. in obese and 145 ± 17 μU/ml. in normal subjects.
Bi-Continuous Nanoporous Structure Formation via Compound Decomposition

During a dealloying process, reactive components in an alloy are selectively dissolved, leaving behind a bi-continuous porous structure composed of the remaining more noble constituents. This morphology has attracted attention in a variety of applications such as catalysis, actuation and sensing. Here, we show that similar morphologies evolve by selective dissolution of ionic and covalent compounds. Examples discussed in the work include chemical reduction of CuSO4(5H2O) to nanoporous (NP) Cu, electrochemical reduction of AgCl to NP Ag, and thermal decomposition of PbCO3 to NP PbO. These NP structures have tunable ligament size and porosity, and retain the parent compound's 3-dimensional shape and size. Since the chemical decomposition route requires no demanding alloy preparation it can serve as a convenient alternative for the manufacture of NP media for a wide spectrum of materials. Our work also unveils a fascinating hidden side of many common chemical reactions and elucidates a universal correlation between selective dissolution and the formation of self-organized bi-continuous structures.
The in situ dynamics of dendritic cell interactions

Dendritic cells (DCs) regulate T cell function by promoting either tolerance or activation, and in the latter case, by directing response quality. New imaging tools now permit direct visualization of the relevant DC-T cell interactions in vivo and have provided a new perspective on the dynamics of these crucial cellular contacts. Here we discuss the insights generated by these analyses and the controversies/unanswered questions that need to be addressed in future work.
Babesiosis of Companion Animals and Man

Babesiosis is a tickborne hematozoan disease that affects most vertebrate hosts, including humans. It is of worldwide economic significance and has been the source of much study and review. A wide spectrum of disease ranging from asymptomatic carrier states to fulminant diseases resulting in death may occur. In the United States, dogs are the most commonly affected companion animal. This article reviews the etiology, pathogenesis, symptomatology, and treatment of babesiosis in companion animals and humans.
Disposition of fucose in brain.

— Labelled fucose administered to rats in vivo was rapidly incorporated into brain glycoproteins, but not into any other brain constituents, including glycolipids and acid mucopolysaccharides. Maximum incorporation of tritium-labelled fucose into brain glyco-proteins occurred 3–6 h after intraperitoneal injection in young or adult rats, and the half-time for the turnover of glycoprotein-fucose in young rats was approximately 2 weeks. Within 3 h after the administration of either [1-3H]fucose or fucose generally labelled with tritium, 75 per cent of the total acid-soluble radioactivity in plasma and brain was found to be volatile, and by 24 h after injection more than 90 per cent of the acid-soluble radioactivity was volatile. The tritium in labelled fiicose appears to undergo arapid exchange reaction with hydrogen atoms in body water, although the tritium in fucose glycosidically- linked to glycoproteins is biologically stable. The rapid disappearance of labelled free fucose from the plasma and tissues of the rat precludes the possibility of any significant degree of reutilization of labelled precursor, and provides support for other data indicating that the turnover of fucose in brain glycoproteins is relatively slow in comparison to that of hexosamine and sialic acid. Activities of α-L-fucosidase in rat brain, with pH optima at 40 and 6.0, had essentially the same Km (4 × 10−4 M and 3.2 × 10−4 M, respectively) with p-nitrophenyl-α-L-fucopyranoside as substrate. Activities of both were competitively inhibited by L-fucose. However, the Kt measured at pH 4 (1.9 × 10−2) was almost ten times greater than that measured at pH 6 (1.5 × 10−4).
Comparison of estrogen receptor levels in breast cancer samples from mastectomy and frozen section specimens

Estrogen receptor assays were performed in 13 cases of carcinoma of the breast on two samples of tumor tissue. One was the usual sample obtained from the specimen submitted for frozen section. The other sample was taken from tumor tissue remaining in the mastectomy specimen. Eight of the 13 cases were positive for estrogen receptors determined by the dextran-coated charcoal method. The initial frozen section specimens showed estrogen receptor levels 1.6 to 6.5 times greater than the mastectomy specimens, which were lower in seven of eight cases. One case showed no change in estrogen receptor levels. The devitalization of the breast during mastectomy, mechanical and possible chemical injury to the tumor, and delays in obtaining the mastectomy specimen are factors that cause a decreaSE in receptor levels. A tumor with a low level of estrogen receptor might possibly yield a false negative result in a mastectomy specimen.
On the inefficient extraction of rents by dictators

Most countries in the world are governed by autocracy; that is, some form of one man rule - be it monarchy or dictatorship. Dictatorship is a prevalent form of autocracy, with a majority of the world's population living under this type of rule. Yet when analyzed from an economic point of view, dictatorships do not appear to be efficient. They are not efficient in 'social' terms, and more strangely, they do not appear to be efficient from the dictator's viewpoint. Take one example. In Bulandia, a fictitious country, a general from the army overthrows the government and establishes himself as the supreme leader. He promptly places those who helped him in the revolution in key government positions, as well as granting them favors in the business world. Such positions and favors are considered rewards for supporting the revolution; they can be considered a cost of the revolution. Suppose the general appoints his brother, an air force colonel, as head of the newly established National Mining Industry. His brother, having no background in business or engineering is, to say the least, not the most qualified man for the job. But it is assumed that he must be granted the position in order to maintain a stable coalition - he must be paid off. If this is the only problem (the payoff), why does the dictator use such an inefficient method of pay-off? Why doesn't he, for example, have the industry managed by a foreign mining company which can actually generate profits, and then use these profits to
Effect of Bromide and Iodide Ions on the Formation and Speciation of Disinfection Byproducts during Chlorination

Two natural waters were fortified with various levels of bromide or iodide ions (0−30 μM) and chlorinated in the laboratory to study the impact of bromide and iodide ions on the formation and speciation of disinfection byproducts. Trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), total organic halogen (TOX), and its halogen-specific fractions total organic chlorine (TOCl), bromine (TOBr), and iodine (TOI), were measured in this work. The molar yields of THMs and HAAs increased as the initial bromide concentration increased. No significant change in TOX concentration was found for varying bromide concentrations. However, TOX concentrations decreased substantially with increasing initial iodide concentrations. At higher levels of bromide, there was a decreasing level of unknown TOX and unknown TOCl but an increasing level of unknown TOBr. The extent of iodine substitution was much lower than that of bromine substitution when comparing identical initial concentrations because a substantial amount of iodide wa...
Four-way regulation of mosquito yolk protein precursor genes by juvenile hormone-, ecdysone-, nutrient-, and insulin-like peptide signaling pathways

Anautogenous mosquito females require a meal of vertebrate blood in order to initiate the production of yolk protein precursors by the fat body. Yolk protein precursor gene expression is tightly repressed in a state-of-arrest before blood meal-related signals activate it and expression levels rise rapidly. The best understood example of yolk protein precursor gene regulation is the vitellogenin-A gene (vg) of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. Vg-A is regulated by (1) juvenile hormone signaling, (2) the ecdysone-signaling cascade, (3) the nutrient sensitive target-of-rapamycin signaling pathway, and (4) the insulin-like peptide (ILP) signaling pathway. A plethora of new studies have refined our understanding of the regulation of yolk protein precursor genes since the last review on this topic in 2005 (Attardo et al., 2005). This review summarizes the role of these four signaling pathways in the regulation of vg-A and focuses upon new findings regarding the interplay between them on an organismal level.
From pixels to scene graphs in introductory computer graphics courses

Abstract The field of computer graphics is expanding and evolving rapidly. Past computer graphics courses addressed low-level topics such as line drawing algorithms (Computers and Graphics 2000;24(1):151–155) while the graphics industry has moved toward scene graph representations of three-dimensional scenes. This discrepancy has moved some educators to suggest graphics courses exclude 2D topics for concentration on 3D. This paper suggests that such a switch is unnecessary and provides a course outline blending old and new topics to provide breadth and relevancy without abandoning the basics.
Amphiphilic copolymers of glycidol with nonpolar epoxide comonomers

To explore the industrially used copolymerization of glycidol with other epoxide species, a series of copolymers of glycidol with various comonomers (epichlorohydrin, isopropyl glycidyl ether, 1,2-epoxybutane, propylene oxide, and glycidyl phenyl ether) has been synthesized by cationic ring-opening polymerization in dichloromethane, using boron trifluoride diethyl etherate as the initiator. The facile synthesis proceeded at room temperature under ordinary atmosphere. The air- and temperature-stable products—mostly clear, colorless, viscous liquids—are proposed to consist of a hyperbranched polyglycidol core (incorporating varying fractions of comonomer) with arms made from comonomer-derived repeat units. These copolymers had low molecular weights and rather broad molecular weight distributions. There was wide variation in the polarity of these copolymers, depending on the comonomer used, resulting in materials that were soluble in solvents ranging from benzene to water. The glass-transition temperatures observed for these copolymers also varied widely, ranging from −56 to 1°C. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 2290–2299, 2001
Modeling photon output caused by backscattered radiation into the monitor chamber from collimator jaws using a Monte Carlo technique

Dose per monitor unit in photon fields generated by clinical linear accelerators can be affected by the backscattered radiation into the monitor chamber from collimator jaws. Thus, it is necessary to account for the backscattered radiation in computing monitor unit setting for a treatment field. In this work, we investigated effects of the backscatter from collimator jaws based on Monte Carlo simulations of a clinical linear accelerator. The backscattered radiation scored within the monitor chamber was identified as originating either from the upper jaws (Y jaws), or from the lower jaws (X jaws). From the results of Monte Carlo simulations, ratios of the monitor-chamber-scored dose caused by the backscatter to the dose caused by the forward radiation, R(x,y), were modeled as functions of the individual X and Y jaw positions. The amount of the backscattered radiation for any field setting was then computed as a compound contribution from both the X and Y jaws. The dose ratios of R(x,y) were then used to calculate the change in photon output caused by the backscatter, Scb(x,y). Results of these calculations were compared with available measured data based on counting the electron pulses or charge from the electron target of an accelerator. Data from this study showed that the backscattered radiation contributes approximately 3% to the monitor-chamber-scored dose. A majority of the backscattered radiation comes from the upper jaws, which are located closer to the monitor chamber. The amount of the backscatter decreases approximately in a linear fashion with the jaw opening. This results in about a 2% increase of photon output from a 10 cm x 10 cm field to a 40 cm x 40 cm field. The off-axis location of the jaw opening does not have a significant effect on the magnitude of the backscatter. The backscatter effect is significant for monitor chambers using kapton windows, particularly for treatment fields using moving jaws. Applying the backscatter correction improves the accuracy of monitor-unit calculation using a model-based dose calculation algorithm such as the convolution method.
A microscopic bonding model for the compositional dependence of the first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) in GexSe1-xalloys

This article analyzes results from two papers that have studied the first sharp diffraction peak, FSDP, in GexSe1-x alloys as a function of the alloy composition, x. The research reported in one of these papers obtained the FSDP in eighteen closely spaced compositions for x between 0.15 and 0.4, and included the intermediate phase, IP, regime between x = ∼0.2 and ∼0.25. S(Q) structure factor plots from diffraction measurements were characterized empirically in terms with several different fitting functions. These second paper used Monte-Carlo methods for a smaller set of compositions. In this paper, the positions and widths of the FSDP's peaks as a function of alloy composition are correlated with changes in the atomic bonding from Se-rich to Ge-rich regimes. Additionally this paper identifies medium range order, MRO, length scales for chemical bonding self-organizations within the IP regime that are important for promoting macroscopic strain reduction. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The influence of quinidine and procaine amide on myocardial contractility in vivo.

Abstract Quinidine and procaine amide were tested in experiments on dogs regarding their ability to alter myocardial contractility. Myocardial tension was measured directly by a strain gauge arch attached to the left ventricle in vivo . Both drugs in doses greater than 20 mg. per kg. depress contractility and their effects are similar on a weight basis. Considering that the therapeutic doses of procaine amide are generally larger than those of quinidine, the negative inotropic effect of the former is therapeutically more significant than that of the latter. The drugs altered the contractile tension curves in a characteristic manner so that both the peak contractile tension and the area under the tension-time curve were reduced. Reduction of the peak contractile tension to less than 40 per cent of its control value was found to be incompatible with subsequent recovery. Changes of a lesser magnitude were generally reversible. Administration of both drugs produced bradycardia and hypotension. The decrease in blood pressure followed the change of contractility. Both returned to control values during recovery. It is suggested that the negative inotropic effects of these drugs may be related to their known ability to increase the intracellular concentration of potassium in the myocardium.
The Effects of Explanations on Negative Reactions to Deceit.

Debra L. Shapiro University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill This study examined a model of the relative mitigating effects of three types of explanations on the negative reactions of subjects who had been told that they had been deceived. Explanations were found to mitigate differentially feelings of disapproval, injustice, punitiveness, and unforgiveness, depending on the type of explanation, the severity of the outcome the subjects experienced, how adequate they judged the explanation to be, and how honest they felt the explainer was. The perceived adequacy of the explanation was more important in mitigating negative reactions than the type of explanation, although punitiveness was affected, more than the other negative reactions, by the type of explanation and was moderated more by the outcomes of greater severity. The study shows that whether explanations have a mitigating effect on negative reactions depends on more than the characteristics of the explanations and the explainer, which have been the focus of previous research.'