cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Continental Landscape Evolution and the Plant-Fossil Record: Long Term Hydrologic Controls on Preservation

Continental depositional environments preserve the majority of the macrofloral record since the advent of land-plant colonization in the mid-Paleozoic, and wetland representatives are encountered more commonly than those that grew under more seasonal conditions. It has been assumed that preservation potential and future recovery of plant debris are high once detritus is introduced into any appropriate environment of deposition (e.g., fluvial-lacustrine or paludal setting), regardless of prevailing associated climate, sediment load, or geochemistry at the time of emplacement or interval thereafter. If a plant fossil is identified in any part of a stratigraphic interval, even if it occurs solely as an impression, it has been presumed that favorable conditions persisted over time to facilitate this record. Conversely, the absence of fossil plants in a stratigraphic sequence commonly has been interpreted as the result of catastrophic perturbation across the landscape, rather than the ascribing their absence to taphonomic filters that may have operated millennia after burial. Terrestrial landscapes are affected by aggradational, equilibrium, and degradational processes that control not only the local or regional water table, but also the long-term fossilization potential of organic debris entombed within these sediments. Fossil plants have the highest preservation potential when high water tables are maintained long-term within soils (e.g., histosols, entisols, gleyed soils), or in settings that are maintained below the maximum draw down of the regional water table (e.g., channel barforms, abandoned channels, lakes) of aggradational landscapes. When landscapes reach equilibrium, extensive pedogenesis ensues and the development of deep mature soils (e.g., calcisols) results in the bacterial degradation of any previously buried plant debris due to extreme penetration of atmospheric gases. When sediment is removed during landscape degradation, the local and/or regional water table is reset lower in the unconsolidated stratigraphy, once again promoting rapid decay of previously buried detritus at depth. These processes, operating under time frames of centuries to millennia and longer (lakh), control the ultimate preservational mode of plants recovered from the fossil record.
Emerging From the Haze: A Pilot Study Evaluating Feasibility of a Psychoeducational Intervention to Improve Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Gynecologic Cancer Survivors.

Purpose:The objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the (1) applicability of a 15-hour attending-taught psychoeducational intervention in a retrospective cohort and (2) feasibility of a traine...
Risks and Benefits of Side-Channels in Battlefields

As networked devices and applications make their way into our battlefields, their behaviors need to take into account these highly adversarial cyber-physical environments. On the dark side of the spectrum, undesired side-channels put our sensitive data at risk; hence, side-channel-protected devices and implementations should be promoted. On the bright side of the spectrum, side-channel analysis may be correlated with observed and hidden events, and enable causality inference and watermarking. This paper describes some unique risks and benefits that may be obtained from side-channel analyses in battlefields.
Vitamin D3 as a potentially modifiable factor in mild cognitive impairment.

MCI is a clinical diagnostic term for elderly subjects with impaired cognitive performance that does not significantly interfere with independent living. MCI, an intermediate condition between normal cognition and dementia, is typically divided into amnestic or non-amnestic subtypes, with single-domain or multidomain distinctions. After the diagnosis, some subjects with MCI develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia or other dementias resulting from non-AD brain diseases, whereas a substantial proportion of subjects may later be diagnosed as cognitively normal or remain diagnosed with MCI even after a prolonged period. Although the reason for the various clinical courses in subjects with MCI remains unclear, a recent large clinicopathological longitudinal study revealed disease …
Role of the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in the Community Hospital.

Background The role of the neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) is well established in the neonatal intensive care unit. The level IV NNP is traditionally supported by large multidisciplinary teams while the level I to III NNP may be the sole in-house provider with limited resources. Purpose The purpose of this research project is to identify the NNP role, responsibilities, and barriers to practice in the level I, II, and III newborn care settings. Methods This study used a descriptive, exploratory design to examine NNP roles and responsibilities in level I, II, and III care centers via an online survey. Results Of the respondents (171), the majority (71.3%) work 24-hour shifts, 51.5% being the single NNP during the day with 67.8% being alone at night. Nearly 27% have limited or are without ancillary support while 29.8% cannot meet some standards of care due to inadequate resources. Almost 22% lack written protocols and procedural opportunities are limited or a concern for 15.8% of the NNPs. Implications for practice A better understanding of the responsibilities of the level I to III NNP will assist with developing staffing guidelines, influence practice models, and guide recruitment and retention of the NNP. Implications for research A systematic literature review yielded articles on the value of nurse practitioners and their ability to deliver safe, effective and cost-conscience care but not on what the role entails on a daily basis. Further studies are needed to specifically compare the role of the level IV NNP to the level I, II, and III NNP to further delineate NNP functionality according to level of care.
Fabrication technique for a custom implant emergence profile on 3D printed casts.

Abstract A procedure is described for fabricating a removable resilient soft-tissue replica that accurately replicates the contoured emergence profile of an interim implant-supported restoration on a cast fabricated by 3D printing. The technique uses digital scanning and 3D printing technologies to produce a 3D printed replica of the implant-supported interim crown, which is then used to fabricate the custom soft-tissue replica. This straightforward technique allows the accurate replication of the emergence profile without retaining the interim crown or fabricating a new one. No additional clinical appointments are needed.
Quantification of the Photon Absorption, Scattering, and On-Resonance Emission Properties of CdSe/CdS Core/Shell Quantum Dots: Effect of Shell Geometry and Volumes.

Reliable quantification of the optical properties of fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) is critical for their photochemical, -physical, and -biological applications. Presented herein is the experimenta...
Psychometric evaluation of the Ryff’s Scale of psychological wellbeing in self-identified American entrepreneurs

Abstract In recent years, psychological wellbeing is gaining importance in entrepreneurship research. And, one of the most critical measures of psychological wellbeing is Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Wellbeing (SPWB). The SPWB consists of six dimensions: Autonomy, Environmental mastery, Personal growth, Positive relations with others, Purpose in life, and Self-acceptance. However, previous studies have noted that the psychometric properties of the SPWB in various contexts as problematic. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the SPWB – 42 Item version in a sample of self-identified American entrepreneurs. Data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) were used to test the SPWB’s psychometric properties. The data were subjected to various statistical analyses, which revealed that the proposed 6-factor structure of the SPWB was conditionally supported in the entrepreneurial context. Based on the psychometric evaluation, suggestions are made for future studies investigating psychological wellbeing in entrepreneurship settings. To date, the present study is the first to test the psychometric properties of the SPWB in the context of entrepreneurship research.
Soil health and the revolutionary potential of Conservation Agriculture

Abstract Humanity has already degraded, and continues to degrade, a substantial portion of the world’s agricultural land. Soil degradation resulting from conventional agricultural practices commonly involves soil loss (erosion), depletion of soil organic matter, pH changes (acidification), and disruption of soil life. In contrast, Conservation Agriculture practices that reduce erosion, enhance soil health, and rebuild soil organic matter cultivate beneficial soil life, producing both economic and environmental benefits. Adoption of soil-health building regenerative farming practices based on the principles of Conservation Agriculture can help reverse the problem of soil degradation that has plagued societies throughout history. Doing so would contribute to addressing the problems of sustainably feeding the world, increasing soil-based carbon sequestration, and reducing off-farm water pollution.
Synthesis of polymer nanoparticles via electrohydrodynamic emulsification-mediated self-assembly.

Abstract Hypothesis Electrospray can rapidly produce fine, organic solvent-in-water emulsions in the absence of surfactant via electrohydrodynamic emulsification (EE), a reverse configuration of traditional electrospray. This paper investigates whether EE can produce high-quality nanocomposites comprised of block co-polymers and organic nanoparticles (NPs) via the interfacial instability (IS) self-assembly method. Surfactant-free approaches may increase encapsulation efficiency and product uniformity, process speed, and ease of downstream product purification. Experiments All particles were produced using EE-mediated self-assembly (SA) (EE-SA). Particles were produced using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymers as proof of concept. Then, block copolymer (BCP) micelles were synthesized from polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) (PS 9.5 kDa:PEO 18.0 kDa) in the presence and absence of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) or quantum dots (QDs). Encapsulant concentration was varied, and the effect of encapsulant NP ligands on final particle size was investigated. Findings EE-SA generated both pure polymer NPs and nanocomposites containing SPIONs and QDs. PLGA particles spanned from sub- to super-micron sizes. PS-b-PEO NPs and nanocomposites were highly monodisperse, and more highly loaded than those made via a conventional, surfactant-rich IS process. Free ligands decreased the size of pure BCP particles. Increasing encapsulant levels led to a morphological transition from spherical to worm-like to densely loaded structures.
Conjugated molecule based 2D perovskites for high-performance perovskite solar cells

Conjugated molecules have been typically utilized as either hole or electron extraction layers to boost the device performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), formed from three-dimensional (3D) perovskites, due to their high charge carrier mobility and electrical conductivity. However, the passivating role of conjugated molecules in creating two-dimensional (2D) perovskites has rarely been reported. In this study, we report novel conjugated aniline 3-phenyl-2-propen-1-amine (PPA) based 2D perovskites and further demonstrate efficient and stable PSCs containing a (PPA)x(MAPbI3)1−x/MAPbI3 bilayer thin film (where MA is CH3NH3+). The (PPA)x(MAPbI3)1−x/MAPbI3 bilayer thin film possesses superior crystallinity and passivated trap states, resulting in enhanced charge transport and suppressed charge carrier recombination compared to those of a 3D MAPbI3 thin film. As a result, PSCs containing the (PPA)x(MAPbI3)1−x/MAPbI3 bilayer thin film exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.98%, which is approximately a 25% enhancement compared to that of the MAPbI3 thin film. Moreover, un-encapsulated PSCs containing the (PPA)x(MAPbI3)1−x/MAPbI3 bilayer thin film retain 50% of their initial PCE after 1200 hours in an ambient atmosphere (25 °C, and 30 ± 10 humidity), whereas PSCs with the 3D MAPbI3 thin film show significant degradation after 100 hours and a degradation of more than 50% of their original PCE after 500 hours. These results demonstrate that the incorporation of conjugated molecules as organic spacer cations to create 2D perovskites on top of 3D perovskites is an effective way to approach high-performance PSCs.
Long-Term Urban Market Dynamics Reveal Increased Bushmeat Carcass Volume despite Economic Growth and Proactive Environmental Legislation on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.

Bushmeat hunting is extensive in west and central Africa as both a means for subsistence and for commercial gain. Commercial hunting represents one of the primary threats to wildlife in the region, and confounding factors have made it challenging to examine how external factors influence the commercial bushmeat trade. Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea is a small island with large tracts of intact forest that support sizeable populations of commercially valuable vertebrates, especially endemic primates. The island also has a low human population and has experienced dramatic economic growth and rapid development since the mid-1990’s. From October 1997 – September 2010, we monitored the largest bushmeat market on Bioko in Malabo, recording over 197,000 carcasses for sale. We used these data to analyze the dynamics of the market in relation to political events, environmental legislation, and rapid economic growth. Our findings suggest that bushmeat hunting and availability increased in parallel with the growth of Equatorial Guinea’s GDP and disposable income of its citizens. During this 13-year study, the predominant mode of capture shifted from trapping to shotguns. Consequently, carcass volume and rates of taxa typically captured with shotguns increased significantly, most notably including intensified hunting of Bioko's unique and endangered monkey fauna. Attempts to limit bushmeat sales, including a 2007 ban on primate hunting and trade, were only transiently effective. The hunting ban was not enforced, and was quickly followed by a marked increase in bushmeat hunting compared to hunting rates prior to the ban. Our results emphasize the negative impact that rapid development and unenforced legislation have had on Bioko’s wildlife, and demonstrate the need for strong governmental support if conservation strategies are to be successful at preventing extinctions of tropical wildlife.
Teaching Human Resource Management Concepts with Experiential Exercises

This manuscript provides a series of situation-based homework assignments that we have developed for our undergraduate level Human Resource Management (HRM) course. Theseassignments are constructed in such a way that they mimic some of the job tasks that an HR Professional might have to complete. On the first day of class, students are congratulated for being hired as an HR Manager at a fictitious organization1and are then provided with a packet of assignments. Throughout the course, students complete the assigned tasks which are presented as brief HR cases/scenarios and answer several questions related to each. Due to spacelimitations, we are providing only three of the ten exercise assignments we require along with three questions for each exercise. The three assignments have been provided intact for ease of use by instructors. Following the exercise assignments, we provide teaching notes, teaching objectives, and sample answers/responses for each of the three exercises. We encourage interested readers to contact us for the additional information (Appendix A contains a synopsis of all ten assignments, along with the complete list of required questions for each). The assignments presented below cover the topics of Equal Employment Opportunity and Legal Compliance, Selection, and Performance Management. Since students “work” for the same organization across the term, all of the scenarios weave together and the students seem to greatly appreciate the continuity. Overall, we believe that these experiential exercises have heightened student understanding, interest, and ability to apply the material covered in our HR courses. We think other educators might be interested in using them in their courses as well.
7.10 Molecular Approaches to Studying Chlamydia

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses molecular approach to the study of Chlamydia . Chlamydiae are the causative agents of several significant diseases of humans and animals. Chlamydia trachomatis is the etiologic agent of trachoma, the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide and is also the most common cause of sexually transmitted disease. Chlamydiae are prokaryotic obligate intracellular parasites that undergo a distinctive developmental cycle within non-lysosomal vacuoles of a eukaryotic host cell. Infection is initiated by an environmentally stable, extracellular cell type, which is called an elementary body (EB). EBs differentiates intracellularly to metabolically active cell types termed “reticulate bodies” (RBs), which multiply by binary fission until late in the cycle when they differentiate back to EBs. Molecular genetic approaches to study chlamydial biology are severely limited by the absence of means to alter chlamydiae genetically. A large part of the difficulty with molecular genetic approaches can be attributed to their obligate intracellular lifestyle. The chapter further explains cloning of chlamydial genes.
A Generalized Model for Predictive Data Mining

This paper describes a flexible model for predictive data mining, EGB2, which optimizes over a parameter space to fit data to a family of models based on maximum-likelihood criteria. It is also shown how EGB2 can integrate asymmetric costs of Type I and Type II errors, thereby minimizing expected misclassification costs. Importantly, it has been shown that standard methods of computing maximum-likelihood estimators are generally inconsistent when applied to sample data having different proportions of labels than are found in the universe from which the sample is drawn. We show how a choice estimator based on weighting each observation's contribution to the log-likelihood function, can contribute to estimator consistency and how this feature can be implemented in EGB2.
TESTICULAR STEROLS. II. CONVERSION OF LANOSTEROL TO CHOLESTEROL AND STEROID HORMONES BY CELL-FREE PREPARATIONS OF RAT TESTICULAR TISSUE.

Homogenate of rate testicular tissue (10 000 × g for 20 min) was incubated with labeled lanosterol that was prepared biosynthetically from [2-14C]mevalonate. The oxidative demethylation of lanosterol to C27 sterols was observed by the rate of release of labeled CO2. No absolute requirement for added cofactors was demonstrated. The maximal rate of demethylation by testicular tissue was 4 mμmoles/h per 100 mg protein. The supernatant fraction from high-speed centrifugation of testicular tissue or liver supported the same rate of demethylation by liver microsomes. This rate was 6 times greater than the corresponding rate with testicular microsomes. In the presence of mitochondria, labeled CO2 was liberated from lanosterol by both the demethylation reactions and by the oxidation of the side]hain fragment that is formed during the conversion of C27 sterols to C21 steroids. The rate of conversion of lanosterol to C27 sterols and C21 steroids was determined by difference. Inhibition of demethylation decreased the formation of steroids. The time-course of conversion of labeled lanosterol and [4-14C]cholesterol to testosterone and the effect of inhibition suggest that cholesterol or other C27 sterols are biosynthetic intermediates between lanosterol and testosterone.
The role of training and empowerment in environmental performance

Purpose – The purpose of this study to propose a model that links the following human resource (HR) factors: employee environmental empowerment, employee environmental training, employee environmental teamwork, managerial environmental empowerment and managerial environmental training, to environmental performance as perceived by managers.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was administered to 220 manufacturing organizations in Mexico. The survey instrument was self‐report format with attitudinal variables. Items were adopted from previously published scales. A hypothesized model of the variable relationships with structural equation modelling analysis was tested.Findings – The results suggest that managers perceive that both environmental training and environmental empowerment are important to themselves and employees. In this study, overall environmental training had a stronger relationship with the dependent variables than environmental empowerment. In the case of the employee level, the effects wer...
Morphogenesis in hydra: II. Peduncle and basal disc formation at the distal end of regenerating hydra after exposure to low temperatures

When Hydra oligactis is excised below the tentacles and incubated for a short time in concentrations of colchicine that inhibit spindle formation in dividing cells, a peduncle and basal disc subsequently form at the cut distal end, where hypostome and tentacles normally form (Corff & Burnett, 1969). Since recent reports suggest a similarity in the action of colchicine and low temperature, in this study the effects of low temperatures on regenerating hydra were investigated. High hydrostatic pressure and low temperature have been shown to act synergistically with colchicine to inhibit the first mitotic division in sea urchin eggs (Marsland, 1968). Colchicine and cooling have also been shown to cause disintegration of the microtubule system in Actinosphaerium (Tilney, 1965). We have previously discussed peduncle and basal disc formation at the distal end in terms of colchicine inhibition of cell division and the possible action of colchicine on the nervous system (Corff & Burnett, 1969).
Effect of cortisol on energy expenditure and amino acid metabolism in humans

Hydrocortisone was infused overnight into nine normal healthy adults on three occasions at 0, 80, and 200 micrograms.kg-1.h-1, producing plasma cortisol concentrations of 10.6 +/- 1.2, 34.0 +/- 2.0, and 64.9 +/- 4.3 micrograms/dl, respectively. L-[1-13C]leucine, L-[phenyl-2H5]phenylalanine, and L-[2-15N]glutamine were infused during the last 7 h of hypercortisolemia to measure amino acid kinetics. During the last 3.5 h, somatostatin, glucagon, and insulin were infused to reduce the cortisol-induced elevation in plasma insulin to basal. Hypercortisolemia increased plasma glucose, free fatty acid (FFA), and insulin concentrations. Institution of the somatostatin clamp returned insulin to basal but increased glucose and FFA. Acute hypercortisolemia increased protein breakdown 5-20%, as measured by increases in leucine and phenylalanine appearance rates. Normalizing insulin during hypercortisolemia did not alter phenylalanine flux but enhanced leucine appearance rate, the latter result indicating that insulin was affecting leucine metabolism during hypercortisolemia. The fraction of the leucine flux that was oxidized was not significantly increased with hypercortisolemia, but disposal by the nonoxidative route of leucine uptake for protein synthesis was increased. Hypercortisolemia increased cycling of amino acids by increasing protein breakdown and synthesis, but the increase in this process could have increased resting energy expenditure (REE) only 1-2%. Hypercortisolemia increased glutamine flux in a dose-dependent fashion through an increase in de novo synthesis, which presumably reflects increased release from skeletal muscle. Hypercortisolemia increased REE 9-15% at the 80 and 200 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 infusion rates. Respiratory quotient did not rise with cortisol infusion but tended to decrease, suggesting that the increase in REE was fueled by increased oxidation of fat. These data demonstrate that hypercortisolemia increases metabolic rate and may be in part responsible for the hypermetabolic state in injury.
Explaining the Intended Use of Nonprescription Analgesics: A Test of the Fishbein Behavioral Intention Model

This research examined the usefulness of the Fishbein Behavioral Intention Model as a conceptual framework in explaining consumer intention to use over-the-counter analgesics. Specifically, the study used structural equation models to estimate model parameters and to assess the adequacy of the model to the data. Each of the model components -cognitive attitude, affective attitude, behavioral intention, subjective norm, and past behavior- was assessed by using multiple measures. Nested models were used to evaluate the relationships among the constructs in the model. A mail questionnaire was used to obtain data from a random sample of households (n = 220; response rate = 41%). The results supported the usefulness of the Fishbein Behavioral Intention Model. About 87% of the variation in intention was accounted for by the model. Cognitive attitude, past behavior, and subjective norms were found to influence behavioral intention indirectly through the impact on affective attitude.
A Modified Three-Phase Model for Determining the Elastic Constants of a Short Fiber Composite

A micromechanics model is presented for determining the elastic constants of unidirectional composites reinforced with short fibers. The model is based on the modification of a 3-phase embedded concentric cylinder model. In this modification the cylindrical fibers are replaced by composite fibers which reflects the distance between fiber ends in the aligned short fiber composite, i.e., the fiber cylinder is assumed to be constructed of a fiber length and a matrix length. A strength-of-materials approach is then utilized for determining the elastic properties of the compostie fiber. All elastic constants are determined by this procedure.
A test agent for testing agents and their communities

Current research and development of agent-based systems has focused primarily on architectures, protocols, frameworks, messaging infrastructure and community interactions. As intelligent agent-based systems take over operations in the financial community, transportation, manufacturing, utilities, aerospace, and the military, assurances will need to be given to the owners and operators of these systems that these non-deterministic, learning systems operate correctly. In many of these environments errors in software can result in large financial losses or bodily harm. To build confidence in the owners and users of agent-based systems, testing and monitoring will need to be done that will instill confidence that these systems work correctly and that errors can be quickly found.
Structural determinants in substrate recognition by proton-amino acid symports in plasma membrane vesicles isolated from sugar beet leaves.

Abstract Amino acids are actively transported across the plasma membrane of plant cells by proton-coupled symports. Previously, we identified four amino acid symports in isolated plasma membrane vesicles, including two porters for the neutral amino acids. Here we investigated the effect of amino acid analogues on neutral amino acid transport to identify structural features that are important in molecular recognition by Neutral System I (isoleucine) and Neutral System II (alanine and leucine). d -Isomers of alanine and isoleucine were not effective transport antagonists of the l -isomers. These data are characteristic of stereospecificity and suggest that the positional relationship between the α-amino and car☐yl groups is an important parameter in substrate recognition. This conclusion was supported by the observation that β-alanine and analogues with methylation at the α-carbon, at the car☐yl group, or at the β-amino group were not effective transport inhibitors. Specific binding reactions were also implicated in these experiments because substitution of the α-amino group with a space filling methyl or hydroxyl group eliminated transport inhibition. In contrast, analogues with various substitutions at the distal end of the amino acid were potent antagonists. Moreover, the relative activity of several analogues was influenced by the location of sidechain branches and Neutral Systems I and II were resolved based on differential sensitivity to branching at the β-carbon. The kinetics of azaserine and p-nitrophenylalanine inhibition of leucine transport were competitive. We conclude that the binding site for the car☐yl end of the amino acid is a well-defined space that is characterized by compact, asymmetric positional relationships and specific ligand interactions. Although the molecular interactions associated with the distal portion of the amino acid were less restrictive, this component of the enzyme-substrate complex is also important in substrate recognition because the neutral amino acid symports are able to discriminate between specific neutral amino acids and exclude the acidic and basic amino acids.
New Plenoculus Fox from Utah's San Rafael Desert (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

Two new species of Plenoculus are described— P. fremonti and P. ute —and distinguished from related Plenoculus . New distribution records for P. palmarum Williams, P. deserti Williams, and P. stygius Williams are listed
Distopyrenis japonica (ascomycota, Pyrenulaceae), a new lichen-allied lichenicolous fungus from Chiba-ken, central Japan

Distopyrenis japonica sp. nov. is described from Chiba-ken, central Japan. It is characterized by simple ascomata with a sublateral ostiole, and narrow ascospores (12–15×5–6 μm) with a euseptum developed in the median distoseptum. In the holotype, the fungus seems to grow parasitically on a crustose lichen,Graphis proserpens. This is the first record of a lichenicolous habit amongDistopyrenis.
Early hypofractionated salvage radiotherapy for postprostatectomy biochemical recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Postprostatectomy adjuvant or salvage radiotherapy, when using standard fractionation, requires 6.5 to 8 weeks of treatment. The authors report on the safety and efficacy of an expedited radiotherapy course for salvage prostate radiotherapy. METHODS: A total of 108 consecutive patients were treated with salvage radiation therapy to 65 grays (Gy) in 26 fractions of 2.5 Gy. Median follow-up was 32.4 months. Median presalvage prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was 0.44 (range, 0.05-9.50). Eighteen (17%) patients received androgen deprivation after surgery or concurrently with radiation. RESULTS: The actuarial freedom from biochemical failure for the entire group at 4 years was 67% ± 5.3%. An identical 67% control rate was seen at 5 years for the first 50 enrolled patients, whose median follow-up was longer at 43 months. One acute grade 3 genitourinary toxicity occurred, with no acute grade 3 gastrointestinal and no late grade 3 toxicities observed. On univariate analysis, higher Gleason score (P = .006), PSA doubling time ≤12 months (P = .03), perineural invasion (P = .06), and negative margins (P = .06) showed association with unsuccessful salvage. On multivariate analysis, higher Gleason score (P = .057) and negative margins (P = .088) retained an association with biochemical failure. CONCLUSIONS: Hypofractionated radiotherapy (65 Gy in 2.5 Gy fractions in about 5 weeks) reduces the length of treatment by from 1-½ to 3 weeks relative to other treatment schedules commonly used, produces low rates of toxicity, and demonstrates encouraging efficacy at 4 to 5 years. Hypofractionation may provide a convenient, resource-efficient, and well-tolerated salvage approach for the estimated 20,000 to 35,000 US men per year experiencing biochemical recurrence after prostatectomy. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
A unique case of adolescent neuroborreliosis presenting with multiple cranial neuritis and cochlear inflammation on magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract Background Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States and is caused by infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi . In children, neuroborreliosis usually presents as peripheral facial nerve palsy and lymphocytic meningitis and only rarely is associated with cranial polyneuritis. Patient Description We present a 15-year-old with tinnitus, hearing loss, and facial nerve palsy in the setting of acute, severe right arm pain and a several week history of malaise and headache. Lumbar puncture was notable for lymphocytic pleocytosis. Serologic testing demonstrated positive Lyme antibody and a positive immunoglobulin M Western blot. Immunofluorescent assay of cerebrospinal fluid was also positive for anti-Lyme immunoglobulin M. Audiologic testing revealed mixed, right-sided hearing loss. Neuroimaging demonstrated cranial polyneuritis and right-sided cochlear inflammation. The patient was treated with parenteral ceftriaxone with resolution of his symptoms at close follow-up. Discussion Neuroborreliosis with radiculopathy, lymphocytic meningitis, and cranial polyneuritis is a rare presentation of pediatric Lyme disease. Additionally, cochlear inflammation along with cranial nerve VIII inflammation may contribute to hearing loss in patients with neuroborreliosis.
Using satellite imagery and the k-nearest neighbors technique as a bridge between strategic and management forest inventories

Abstract Strategic forest inventory programs produce forest resource estimates for large areas such as states and provinces using data collected for a large number of variables on a relatively sparse array of field plots. Management inventories produce stand-level estimates to guide management decisions using data obtained with sampling intensities much greater than for strategic inventories. The costs associated with these greater sampling intensities have motivated investigations of alternatives to traditional sample-based management inventories. This study focused on a relatively inexpensive alternative to management inventories that uses strategic forest inventory plot data, Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery, and the k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) technique. The approach entailed constructing stem density and basal area per unit area maps from which stand-level means were estimated as averages of k-NN pixel predictions. The study included investigations of the benefits of selecting optimal combinations of k-NN feature space variables derived from the TM imagery and the benefits of modifying the k-NN technique to eliminate spurious nearest neighbors. For both the stem density and basal area per unit area training data, the selection of optimal feature space covariates produced less than 1.5% improvement in root mean square error relative to using all covariates. The k-NN modification improved the sum of mean squared deviations for stand-level stem density and basal area per unit area estimates by 7–20% depending on the k-NN feature space covariates. For the best combination of feature space covariates, estimates of stand-level means were within confidence intervals for validation estimates for 11 of 12 stands for stem density and for 10 of 12 stands for basal area per unit area.
Increased leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium in preeclampsia is inhibited by antioxidants

Objective To test the hypothesis that plasma from women with preeclampsia increases leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelial cells and that antioxidants inhibit this effect. Study Design Plasma from 12 women with severe preeclampsia and 12 with normal pregnancy was tested in an in vitro leukocyte-endothelium adhesion assay in the presence or absence of vitamin E, vitamin C, or N-acetylcysteine. Results Preeclamptic plasma significantly increased monocyte (U937 cells) and T-cell (Jurkat) adhesion to human umbilical vein (HUVEC) and microvascular endothelial cells, compared with normal pregnant plasma. The antioxidants vitamin E, vitamin C, and N-acetylcysteine significantly inhibited monocyte adhesion to HUVEC in the presence of preeclamptic but not normal pregnant plasma. Increased adhesion in response to preeclamptic plasma was not mediated through a protein kinase C (PKC) mechanism, because the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I had no effect on adhesion in the presence of preeclamptic plasma. Conclusion Severe preeclampsia is associated with increased leukocyte-endothelium adhesion and clinically useful antioxidants can inhibit this effect.
Comments on Cesaratto's ‘Transition to fully funded pension schemes: a non-orthodox criticism’

Cesaratto's critique of the neoclassical approach to pension reform is valuable, but he has overextended his argument in applying it to proposals to use pre-funding as a mechanism for achieving greater public ownership and for redistributing wealth progressively. The fiscal surpluses needed to pre-fund the public pension system could increase investment, provided that they are offset by an appropriately stimulating monetary policy. The post-Keynesian investment literature descending from Kalecki's principle of increasing risk motivates on non-neoclassical grounds the interest sensitivity of investment required to make this policy mix effective. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
Projected population-level effects of thiobencarb exposure on the mysid, Americamysis bahia, and extinction probability in a concentration-decay exposure system.

Population-level effects of the mysid, Americamysis bahia, exposed to varying thiobencarb concentrations were estimated using stage-structured matrix models. A deterministic density-independent matrix model estimated the decrease in population growth rate (λ) with increasing thiobencarb concentration. An elasticity analysis determined that survival of middle stages provided the largest contribution to λ. Decomposing the effects of λ in terms of changes in the matrix components determined that reduced reproduction had a large influence on population dynamics at lower thiobencarb concentrations, whereas reduced survivorship had the largest impact on populations at higher concentrations. A simulation model of a concentration-decay system was developed to demonstrate the importance of integrating chemical half-life and management practices in determining population viability. In this model, mysids were originally exposed to a high thiobencarb concentration (300 μg/L) that decayed an order of magnitude in the number of mysid generations corresponding to thiobencarb half-life values under three different exposure regimes. Environmental stochasticity was added to the model to estimate the cumulative extinction probability of mysids exposed to fluctuating concentrations of thiobencarb in random environments. The cumulative extinction probability increased with thiobencarb half-life, stochasticity, and concentration present at the time of a new exposure. The model demonstrated the expansion of population projection models in determining the ecological impact of a population exposed to pesticides.
Mind the Gap: Why Large Group Deficits in Political Knowledge Emerge—And What To Do About Them

Large group differences in political knowledge raise strong concerns about lasting inequities in U.S. politics. I argue such gaps emerge when factual questions operate unevenly across diverse populations, thereby inflating actual knowledge differences between groups. I illustrate this by revisiting the large knowledge deficit often observed among Latinos relative to Whites. Using a survey with traditional factual questions (e.g., what office is held by John Roberts?) and new Latino-themed items (e.g., what office is held by Marco Rubio?), I show that Whites are more likely than Latinos to correctly answer many conventional questions due to item features that are unrelated to people’s level of knowledge (i.e., item bias). Latino-themed questions, however, do not display these extraneous characteristics. Consequently, Whites and Latinos have equal odds in correctly answering these latter items, provided they have the necessary knowledge level. I also show how such item quality differences matter in practical terms. Accordingly, I establish that using a scale of unbiased items reduces the Latino-White knowledge deficit from 31 to 8 %, with the latter gap more fully explained by individual differences in established correlates of political knowledge. I then show that uneven item performance distorts inferences about knowledge’s influence on mass opinion. I discuss the implications of these results for political knowledge’s conceptualization and measurement in an increasingly diverse U.S. polity.
Cardiac output monitoring: a contemporary assessment and review.

Objective:An increasing number of minimally or noninvasive devices are available to measure cardiac output in the critical care setting. This article reviews the underlying physical principles of these devices in addition to examining both animal and human comparative studies in an effort to allow c
Serum endothelin-1 concentrations and cold provocation in primary Raynaud's phenomenon

To determine whether the vasoconstriction in Raynaud's phenomenon is associated with raised concentrations of the endothelium-derived vasoconstrictor endothelin (ET-1), responses to cold pressor testing were examined in 7 subjects with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and in 7 control subjects. Baseline serum ET-1 levels (pg/ml), as measured by radioimmunoassay, were three times higher in Raynaud's subjects (5.3 [SEM 1.7] pg/ml) than in controls (1.7 [0.3]). With progressive local cooling digital arterial pulsatility, as measured by plethysmography, fell earlier and to a greater extent in Raynaud's subjects than in controls, with a half-maximum decrement in pulsatility occurring at 27 [2.6] degrees C and 18 [0.5] degrees C, respectively. Temperature reduction sufficient to cause loss of pulsatility in the Raynaud's subjects produced increases in ET-1 concentrations in both groups that were greater in Raynaud's (10.3 [4.4] pg/ml) than in control subjects (2.7 [0.9] pg/ml). Serum ET-1 in the contralateral arm rose in parallel to but to a lesser extent than that in the cold-challenged arm. Increases in ET-1 concentrations were temporally related to loss of pulsatility but followed the onset of symptoms. Thus the increased basal and stimulated serum endothelin concentrations in Raynaud's disease are associated with the enhanced, prolonged vasospasm of this disorder.
Kernel estimation for additive models under dependence

Abstract Nonparametric estimation of the conditional mean function for additive models is investigated in cases where the observed data are dependent. We use an additive kernel estimator which is a sum of Nadaraya—Watson estimators. Under a strong mixing condition, the kernel estimator is shown to be asymptotically normal and to achieve the univariate optimal rate of convergence in mean squared error.
Descriptive Analysis of the Drug Name Lexicon

The complexity of the drug use process is managed in part by developing systematic nomenclature for drugs. This nomenclature is cataloged in a variety of drug information databases. Answers to simple questions about the whole population of brand and generic drug names, however, are not easily obtained. This paper provides a descriptive analysis of the drug name lexicon, with a primary (though not exclusive) emphasis on drugs marketed in the United States. Using the techniques of computational lexicography, one large database of trademark names (the US Patent and Trademark database) and one large database of nonproprietary names (the USP Dictionary of USAN and International Drug Names) were analyzed. Results describe a variety of distributional characteristics of drug names, including the number of characters per name, the number of syllables per name, and the number of words per name. Distributions of pairwise similarity and distance scores for a large sample of names are provided, as are lists of the 25 most common initial and terminal bigrams and trigrams. The information should be of interest to trademark attorneys, patient safety advocates, regulators, and students of drug nomenclature.
GROWTH OF VITAMIN DEFICIENT RATS TREATED WITH THYMOCRESCIN11

ONE OF us (W.O.N., I) has recently reviewed the literature on thymic physiology, but a few historical points need emphasis here. In 1929 Asher and Ratti (2) reported growth promotingeffects of aqueous extracts of calf thymus. They found that young rats, maintained in darkness on McCollum/s rachitogenic diet and injected with thymic extract, continued to grow and showedno clinical or histological evidence of rachitis. Asher (3) has reviewed the subsequent work of his group and set forth the procedure for the preparation of the most potent extracts. These have marked growth promoting and gonadotropic effects in dosages as low as 1 mg./day on animals on deficient diets. The material is characterizedas a protein and lipid-free polypeptide. Following Asher/s procedure (3), 150 kg. of fresh calf thymus were processed, yielding 263 gm. of dry thymocrescin.2
Comparative study on quiescent crystallization kinetics of isotactic polyolefins

Quiescent melt crystallization rates of various polyolefins including high density polyethylene (PE), isotactic form of polypropylene (PP), polybutene-1 (PB1), and poly(4-methyl pentene-1) (P4MP1) were investigated under both isothermal and nonisothermal conditions using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The order of overall crystallization rates under quiescent conditions from fast to slow was found to be: PE, P4MP1, PP and PB1. The Avrami equation was used to analyze isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization processes, respectively. In order to compare relative crystallization rates of these polymers, continuous cooling transformation curves for each polymer under nonisothermal condition as well as the plot of crystallization half-time as a function of crystallization temperature under isothermal conditions were constructed. Comparisons were made of the relative rate of crystallization of the different isotactic polyolefins with each other and with reports in the literature. Isotactic polyolefins with linear side groups crystallize increasingly more slowly as the side group lengthens with polypentene-1 (PPT1) and polyhexene-1 (PH1) crystallizing even more slowly than PB1. It is notable that P4MP1, which has isobutyl as a bulky side group, and apparently poly(3-methyl butene-1) (P3MB1) showed fairly high crystallization rates. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
The fractional shortening-velocity ratio: Validation of a new echocardiographic doppler method for identifying patients with significant aortic stenosis

Previous studies have shown that Doppler echocardiographic methods based on the continuity equation can accurately determine aortic valve area in patients with clinically significant aortic stenosis; nonetheless, methods based on the continuity equation are time-consuming and may not be technically possible in all subsets of patients. The purpose of this study was to develop and prospectively evaluate a simpler new noninvasive method for determining aortic valve area. With this new method, aortic valve area is obtained by dividing the percent fractional anteroposterior shortening at the midventricular level by 4V2, where V is the peak instantaneous Doppler-derived flow velocity across the aortic valve. In the first part of the study, the fractional shortening-velocity ratio was used to examine a group of 25 patients evaluated retrospectively. There was a highly significant linear relation between the fractional shortening-velocity ratio (FSVR) and the aortic valve area (AVA) determined by the Gorlin formula at cardiac catheterization: FSVR = 1.1(AVA) - 0.1 (r = 0.88; significance of slope p less than 0.001). Furthermore, a fractional shortening-velocity ratio less than 1.1 reliably identified all patients with clinically significant aortic stenosis (aortic valve area less than 1 cm2), whereas a fractional shortening-velocity ratio less than 0.8 reliably identified all patients with critical aortic stenosis (aortic valve area less than 0.7 cm2). This new method was then validated by prospectively applying the fractional shortening-velocity ratio to a group of 44 patients from two separate institutions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)