cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linear solvation energy relationships in micellar liquid chromatography and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

Abstract Linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) were used to evaluate and characterize chemical interactions that influence retention behavior in micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC). High correlations were found between solutes' capacity factors in MLC and in MEKC, as well as binding constants to micelles and their solvatochromic parameters using two anionic surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium cholate (SC), and one cationic surfactant, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C14TAB). Surprisingly, in the C14TAB MLC system capacity factor (k′) vs. solvatochromic parameters gives better correlation than log k′ vs. solvatochromic parameters, which is an opposite behavior to that observed in the SDS MLC system. The capacity factors in the C14TAB MLC system were characterized using LSERs with and without organic modifiers. It was found that the addition of a small amount of short-chain alcohols (e.g., 7% 2-propanol or 5% butanol) does not significantly change the high correlations between k′ vs. solvatochromic parameters. The changes in the coefficients with the volume fraction of organic solvents were explained by comparing the differences in chemical natures between mobile phase and stationary phase. Stationary phase shows a significant effect on the chemical interactions in MLC through LSER study using a diphenyl column and a C8 column. LSERs were also used to characterize retention behavior in MEKC. High correlations between the logarithm of solutes' capacity factors and their solvatochromic parameters were observed for a group of 25 uncharged substituted aromatic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with SDS and SC micelles. It was found that solutes' size and basicity are the two dominant factors that influence the migration behavior in MEKC.
Making a molecular wire: charge and spin transport through para-phenylene oligomers.

Functional molecular wires are essential for the development of molecular electronics. Charge transport through molecules occurs primarily by means of two mechanisms, coherent superexchange and incoherent charge hopping. Rates of charge transport through molecules in which superexchange dominates decrease approximately exponentially with distance, which precludes using these molecules as effective molecular wires. In contrast, charge transport rates through molecules in which incoherent charge hopping prevails should display nearly distance independent, wirelike behavior. We are now able to determine how each mechanism contributes to the overall charge transport characteristics of a donor−bridge−acceptor (D−B−A) system, where D = phenothiazine (PTZ), B = p-oligophenylene, and A = perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI), by measuring the interaction between two unpaired spins within the system's charge separated state via magnetic field effects on the yield of radical pair and triplet recombination product.
Discovering gene annotations in biomedical text databases

Genes and gene products are frequently annotated with Gene Ontology concepts based on the evidence provided in genomics articles. Manually locating and curating information about a genomic entity from the biomedical literature requires vast amounts of human effort. Hence, there is clearly a need forautomated computational tools to annotate the genes and gene products with Gene Ontology concepts by computationally capturing the related knowledge embedded in textual data. In this article, we present an automated genomic entity annotation system, GEANN, which extracts information about the characteristics of genes and gene products in article abstracts from PubMed, and translates the discoveredknowledge into Gene Ontology (GO) concepts, a widely-used standardized vocabulary of genomic traits. GEANN utilizes textual "extraction patterns", and a semantic matching framework to locate phrases matching to a pattern and produce Gene Ontology annotations for genes and gene products. In our experiments, GEANN has reached to the precision level of 78% at therecall level of 61%. On a select set of Gene Ontology concepts, GEANN either outperforms or is comparable to two other automated annotation studies. Use of WordNet for semantic pattern matching improves the precision and recall by 24% and 15%, respectively, and the improvement due to semantic pattern matching becomes more apparent as the Gene Ontology terms become more general. GEANN is useful for two distinct purposes: (i) automating the annotation of genomic entities with Gene Ontology concepts, and (ii) providing existing annotations with additional "evidence articles" from the literature. The use of textual extraction patterns that are constructed based on the existing annotations achieve high precision. The semantic pattern matching framework provides a more flexible pattern matching scheme with respect to "exactmatching" with the advantage of locating approximate pattern occurrences with similar semantics. Relatively low recall performance of our pattern-based approach may be enhanced either by employing a probabilistic annotation framework based on the annotation neighbourhoods in textual data, or, alternatively, the statistical enrichment threshold may be adjusted to lower values for applications that put more value on achieving higher recall values.
Equivalence of Dirac quantization and Schwinger's action principle quantization

We show that the method of Dirac quantization is equivalent to Schwinger's action principle quantization. The relation between the Lagrange undetermined multipliers in Schwinger's method and Dirac's constraint bracket matrix is established and it is explicitly shown that the two methods yield identical (anti)commutators. This is demonstrated in the non-trivial example of supersymmetric quantum mechanics in superspace.
Factors associated with self-reported health: a twin study of older African American women.

This study examined risk factors associated with self-reported health (SRH) in a genetically informative sample of older African American female twins. An interview was conducted with a national sample of 180 African American female twin pairs. Questions included: SRH, demographics, health behaviors, chronic diseases, and functional status. SRH was dichotomized into negative (fair/poor) and positive (good/very good/excellent). Logistic regression for clustered data was used to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. In multivariable analyses, IADL limitations (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.7–2.0) and a chronic disease index (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.5) were associated with negative SRH. In multivariate within-twin pair analysis, controlling for genetics/shared familial environment, IADLs (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.1–2.7), and increasing numbers of chronic diseases (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3–3.2) remained significantly associated with negative SRH.
Unified model of energy transfer for arbitrary Franck-Condon offset and temperature

Abstract The Huang-Rhys-Pekar Wp(T, S) function is known to give the thermal-Franck-Condon (FC) weight of single-center radiative and non-radiative transitions for arbitrary energy mismatch pħω0, temperature T, and FC offset S. The thermal-FC weight for energy transfer is shown also to be Wp(T, S), with S enlarged to be the sum of the S values of the energy donor and energy acceptor. This result generalizes an earlier result of Miyakawa and Dexter for low-temperature Poisson functions. The Wp function with enlarged S is equivalent to the overlap of the donor emission and acceptor absorption bands in the Forster-Dexter theory. Experimental verification is good except for the p dependence of non-radiative and energy-transfer rates for S small (e.g. 4f → 4f transitions). Here, if the smooth, exponential p dependences (exponential energy-gap laws) that have been drawn through many 4f → 4f transition rates in certain hosts (Y2O3, LaF3) are fitted with a Wp(T, S) function with a single S value, this S value is too large to describe 4f → 4f transitions.
Proof-of-concept rare cancers in drug development: the case for rhabdomyosarcoma

Rare diseases typically affect fewer than 200,000 patients annually, yet because thousands of rare diseases exist, the cumulative impact is millions of patients worldwide. Every form of childhood cancer qualifies as a rare disease-including the childhood muscle cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). The next few years promise to be an exceptionally good era of opportunity for public-private collaboration for rare and childhood cancers. Not only do certain governmental regulation advantages exist, but these advantages are being made permanent with special incentives for pediatric orphan drug-product development. Coupled with a growing understanding of sarcoma tumor biology, synergy with pharmaceutical muscle disease drug-development programs, and emerging publically available preclinical and clinical tools, the outlook for academic-community-industry partnerships in RMS drug development looks promising.
INITIAL GROWTH OF AL2O3 ON NIAL(001)

O3 films were prepared by oxygen exposure at room temperature and subsequent annealing. The initial stages of oxidation such as the reconstruction of the clean NiAl(001) surface, oxygen adsorption on the bare surface, and finally the growth of the ordered Al2O3 films on a NiAl(001) have been explained on the basis of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) measurements. The main result is the identification of the oxide growth of ordered Al2O3 as a thermally activated, fast, local ordering process of a precovered amorphous oxide phase arising from oxygen stimulated Al segregation after exposure at room temperature. The surface morphology is determined by the density of the disordered Al2O3 nuclei in the amorphous oxide phase which can be controlled by oxygen exposure.
Automated Neurite Extraction Using Dynamic Programming for High-Throughput Screening of Neuron-Based Assays

High-throughput screening (HTS) of cell-based assays has recently emerged as an important tool of drug discovery. The analysis and modeling of HTS microscopy neuron images, however, is particularly challenging. In this paper we present a novel algorithm for extraction and quantification of neurite segments from HTS neuron images. The algorithm is designed to be able to detect and link neurites even with complex neuronal structures and of poor imaging quality. Our proposed algorithm automatically detects initial seed points on a set of grid lines and estimates the ending points of the neurite by iteratively tracing the centerline points along the line path representing the neurite segment. The live-wire method is then applied to link the seed points and the corresponding ending points using dynamic programming techniques, thus enabling the extraction of the centerlines of the neurite segments accurately and robustly against noise, discontinuity, and other image artifacts. A fast implementation of our algorithm using dynamic programming is also provided in the paper. Any thin neurite and its segments with low intensity contrast can be well preserved by detecting the starting and ending points of the neurite. All these properties make the proposed algorithm attractive for high-throughput screening of neuron-based assays.
Function prediction for in silico protein mutagenesis using transduction and active learning

As wet lab mutagenesis is expensive and time consuming one would use instead in silico mutagenesis. Towards that end, this paper proposes a novel method, T-RF-AL, for in silico mutagenesis. The method combines the merits of transduction, random forests, and active learning, the latter driven by a criterion of maximum curiosity. The feasibility of the T-RF-AL is shown on predicting mutant activity for HIV-1 Protease (HIV-1) and Bacteriophage T4 Lysozyme (T4) datasets. The new method, incremental in nature, compares favorably against random forests using the same active learning criteria, that of maximum curiosity. The observed advantages include better prediction accuracy that is achieved faster and using less training data.
Selective induction of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases in atrial and ventricular myocardium in patients with atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) produces changes in atrial structure and extracellular matrix composition, which is regulated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Moreover, AF often occurs in the setting of congestive heart failure (CHF), which also affects MMPs. Whether changes in MMPs or the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) within atrial and ventricular myocardium are differentially regulated with AF remains unclear. Myocardium from the walls of the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle was obtained from the explanted hearts of 43 patients with end-stage CHF. AF was present in 23 patients (duration 1 to 84 months). The remaining 20 patients served as non-AF controls. The groups were well matched clinically, but left atrial (LA) size was increased in the AF cohort (5.5 ± 0.8 vs 4.9 ± 0.7 cm, p
Chemical synthesis: The art of chemistry

Success in the synthesis of natural products often requires the ability to react a single part of a molecule to the exclusion of others.
Reliability and validity of reflection exercises for obstetrics and gynecology residents.

Objective Self-evaluation is an essential skill throughout a physician's career, and reflection is thought to be a necessary mechanism for effective self-evaluation. The aim of our study was to establish the reliability and validity of structured assessments of critical self-reflection. Study Design Thirty-two residents completed 6 exercises that were scored from 0 (no description of event) to 6 (deep reflection). We calculated interrater and internal consistency reliability for the exercises and compared scores by postgraduate year and with other competency assessments. Results Residents completed 183 reflections. Interrater reliability was 0.89. Surgical skill reflections scored highest (score, 3.2 ± 0.91 [SD]). Five exercises had adequate internal consistency reliability (0.62). Senior residents received higher reflection scores than junior residents; the magnitude of difference was similar for other competency measures and not statistically significant. Reflection scores were correlated with professionalism and communication skill assessments (score, 0.36-0.37; P Conclusion Self-reflection can be assessed reliably with scored exercises that demonstrate concurrent validity with other assessments. We encourage further research that should include multiple training programs to further evaluate our approach for the assessment of reflection in postgraduate education.
Sample size determination for an exponential survival model with an unrestricted covariate

We derive formulae for estimating sample size and power for detecting the effect of an unrestricted covariate on survival time. These are useful in designing survival studies with different patterns of recruitment and follow-up when survival time is exponentially distributed. We use the asymptotic covariance matrix, conditional expectation and Taylor's expansion techniques to develop these formulae. Computer simulations indicate that the asymptotic approximations used in developing the formulae are good over a range of parameter values and different patterns of recruitment and follow-up that are relevant to survival studies.
REPLACEMENT OF THE GLYCOINOSITOL PHOSPHOLIPID ANCHOR OF DROSOPHILA ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE WITH A TRANSMEMBRANE DOMAIN DOES NOT ALTER SORTING IN NEURONS AND EPITHELIA BUT RESULTS IN BEHAVIORAL DEFECTS

Abstract Drosophila has a single glycoinositol phospholipid (GPI)-anchored form of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) encoded by the Ace locus. To assess the role that GPI plays in the physiology, of AChE, we have replaced the wild-type GPI-AChE with a chimeric transmembrane form (TM-AChE) in the nervous system of the fly. Ace null alleles provided a genetic background completely lacking in endogenous GPI-AChE, and Ace minigene P transposon constructs were used to express both GPI- and TM-AChE forms in the tissues where AChE is normally expressed. Control experiments with the GPI-AChE minigene demonstrated a threshold between 9 and 12% of normal AChE activity for adult viability. Ace mutant flies were rescued by GPI-AChE minigene lines that expressed 12-40% of normal activity and were essentially unchanged from wild-type flies in behavior. TM-AChE minigene lines were able to rescue Ace null alleles, although with a slightly higher threshold than that for GPI-AChE. Although rescued flies expressing GPI-AChE at a level of 12% of normal activity were viable, flies expressing 13-16% of normal activity from the TM-AChE transgene died shortly after eclosion. Flies expressing TM-AChE at about 30% of normal levels were essentially unchanged from wild-type flies in gross behavior but had a reduced lifespan secondary to subtle coordination defects. These flies also showed reduced locomotor activity and performed poorly in a grooming assay. However, light level and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry showed no differences in the localization of GPI- and TM-AChE. Furthermore, endogenous and ectopic-induced expression of both AChEs in epithelial tissues of the adult and embryo, respectively, showed that they were sorted identically. Most epithelial cells sorted GPI- and TM-AChE to the apical surface, but cuticle-secreting epithelia sorted both proteins basolaterally. Our data suggest that rather than having a primary role in protein sorting, the GPI anchor or AChE plays some other more subtle cellular role in neuronal physiology.
Winter-season mesopause and lower thermosphere temperatures in the northern polar region

Abstract Mesopause/lower thermosphere nocturnal temperatures have been deduced from spectrophotometric observations of the night airglow OH emissions at Longyearbyen, Svalbard (78°N), during four winter seasons (1980–1985). A monthly average temperature maximum of 223 K is found to occur in January with monthly averages of 206, 212,212 and 198 K respectively for November, December, February and March. A relatively low temperature in late December followed by a very warm mesopause in early January seems to be consistent for all four seasons and might be associated with changes in transmission of gravity waves to the upper mesosphere in connection with stratospheric and lower mesospheric circulation changes.
Initiation of DNA systhesis in mouse 3T3 fibroblasts in response to a specific factor

Abstract A factor in rat plasma that promotes the initiation of DNA synthesis in confluent 3T3 (mouse) fibroblast cells is shown to be distinct from the factor that promotes cellular multiplication. Treatment of rat plasma at acid pH allows for separation of these peptides by Sephadex gel filtration.
First Report of Powdery Mildew of Carrot and Parsley Caused by Erysiphe heraclei in Washington State

From 2002 to 2004, the anamorph of Erysiphe heraclei DC was observed on plants from processing carrot fields in central WA. The teleomorph, not previously reported in Washington, was discovered in ...
Nephrotoxicity of several newer agents

There is widespread agreement that drug nephrotoxicity plays a major role in the high incidence and prevalence of acute renal failure in both hospitalized and nonhospitalized patients. Recent reviews have suggested that between 5% and 10% of acute renal failure recognized in such patients is caused, at least in part, by drugs [2]. Antibiotics play a major role in these nephrotoxicities, but other drugs are clearly implicated in many cases. The incidence of acute renal failure caused by nephrotoxic agents is particularly notable among the elderly, and there are several reasons for this: (1) there is an age-related decline in glomerular filtration rate in older individuals, and this leads to a decreased clearance of primary drugs or the metabolites of such drugs; (2) there may be a decrease in kidney blood flow and an increase in concentration of some drugs in the cells of medulla; (3) primary differences exist between the elderly and nonelderly and pharmacokinetics of drugs. For example, there may be an increase in free-drug concentration in the elderly in conjunction with hypoalbuminemia, or because of retained metabolites [2]; (4) a decrease in total body water may also alter drug distribution in an adverse way; (5) finally, there may also be a decrease in hepatic metabolism with longer half-lives of some drugs. For example, in a recent study by Dowling et al, individuals with underlying renal disease had a decrease in the maximum cytochrome P450 enzyme activity inducible by rifampin as compared to normal controls [3]. With regard to the fate of individuals who develop acute renal failure caused by nephrotoxicity, several outcomes have been reported. In most cases, the drug
Inhibition of induced endochondral bone development in caffeine-treated rats

We have addressed questions raised by the observation in fetal rats of delayed ossification induced by caffeine at maternal doses above 80 mg/kg body weight per day. The effect of caffeine on endochondral bone development and mineralization has been studied in an experimental model system of bone formation which involves implantation of demineralized bone particles (DBP) in subcutaneous pockets of young growing rats. Caffeine's effects on cellular events associated with endochondral ossification were examined directly by quantitating cellular mRNA levels of chondrocyte and osteoblast growth and differentiation markers in DBP implants from caffeine-treated rats harvested at specific stages of development (day 7 through day 15). Oral caffeine administration to rats implanted with DBP resulted in a dose dependent inhibition of the formation of cartilage tissue in the implants. Histologic examination of the implants revealed a decrease in the number of cells which were transformed to chondrocytes compared to control implants. Those cartilaginous areas that did form, however, proceeded through the normal sequelae of calcified cartilage and bone formation. At the 100 mg/kg dose, cellular levels of mRNA for histone, collagen type II, and TGF beta were all reduced by greater than 40% of control implants consistent with the histological findings. Alkaline phosphatase activity in the implants and mRNA levels for proteins reflecting the hypertrophic chondrocyte and bone phenotype, collagen type I and osteocalcin were markedly decreased compared to controls. Lower doses of 50 and 12.5 mg/kg caffeine also resulted in decreased cellular proliferation and transformation to cartilage histologically and reflected by significant inhibition of type II collagen mRNA levels (day 7). The effects of caffeine on gene expression observed in vivo during the period of bone formation (day 11 to day 15) in the DBP model were similar to the inhibited expression of H4, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and osteopontin found in fetal rat calvarial derived osteoblast cultures following 24 hour exposure of the cultures to 0.4 mM caffeine. Thus the observed delayed mineralization in the fetal skeleton associated with caffeine appears to be related to an inhibition of endochondral bone formation at the early stages of proliferation of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells to cartilage specific cells as well as at later stages of bone formation.
Destruction of animal and vegetable tissue by combustion in the Parr oxygen bomb.

(1958). Destruction of Animal and Vegetable Tissue by Combustion in the Parr Oxygen Bomb. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal: Vol. 19, No. 5, pp. 378-381.
Atherosclerosis Causing Recurrent Catastrophic Aortopulmonary Shunt Dehiscence in a Patient with Alagille Syndrome

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is an autosomal dominant disorder associated with cholestatic liver disease, pulmonary valvar stenosis or atresia, vasculopathy, and renal disease. Although the liver and cardiac manifestations contribute to overall morbidity and mortality during their life span, these patients also carry a burden of important but often underappreciated vascular abnormalities. This report describes a 3 year-old girl with Alagille syndrome, hepatic cholestasis, systemic hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, and major aortopulmonary collaterals (TOF/PA/MAPCAs). She presented for bilateral pulmonary artery plasty and central shunt upsizing. She then experienced three shunt dehiscence episodes, necessitating emergent intervention. Autopsy showed diffuse atherosclerosis and significant atherosclerotic plaque at the site of shunt dehiscence. This is the first reported case of ALGS with TOF/PA/MAPCAs and catastrophic shunt dehiscence due to significant generalized vasculopathy caused by dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. Dyslipidemia, a known comorbidity in ALGS, is one of few modifiable risk factors that should be screened for and treated, particularly before cardiac surgery.
Host country uncertainty, intra‐MNC production shifts, and subsidiary performance

This study examines whether or not production shifts occur among the foreign subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs) under the influence of differing macroeconomic conditions in their host countries. This study compares intra-MNC production shifts under the influence of exchange rate changes across different host countries. Our findings indicate that the increase of a subsidiary's production at the time of its host country currency depreciation decreases the production of other subsidiaries within the same MNC network. Our empirical evidence also shows that MNC subsidiaries that engage in production shifts with other affiliated subsidiaries command a higher performance. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of aroma volatiles in key lime essential oils (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle)

The most intense aroma volatiles of extracted and distilled oils from the peels of key lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) were identiﬁed using gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Over 50 odour-active volatiles were detected in the extracted oil, and over 60 in the distilled oil. Geranial, neral and linalool were found to dominate the lime oil aroma in both oils, which accounted for their fresh, ﬂoral citrus-like character. Many simple aldehydes contributed to the aroma of the extracted oil, giving it a characteristic lime tone. The distilled oil contained many new odourants, resulting from the acid-catalysed distillation, which imparted woody, musty, spicy and balsamic notes to its aroma. These are C10 alcohols and ethers and many sesquiterpenes, most of which possess lower odour activity and contribute to the more intense piney aroma of the distilled oil. 7-Methoxycoumarin was found to be one of the more intense odourants in the extracted oil. Caryophyllene oxide and humulene oxide II were found to be major odourants in the distilled oil; their intensities varied with the method of analysis of the oil. They contribute a sawdust-like and skunky odour, respectively, to the distilled lime oil. Many sesquiterpenes were found to possess some odour activity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of selected characteristics of pregnancy drug registries

Given that half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended and some prescription drugs are frequently used by reproductive-age women, there is an increasing interest in establishing pregnancy registries to monitor fetal exposures and pregnancy outcomes. Physicians report prenatal exposures and pregnancy outcomes, including birth defects, to these registries. We compared pooled data from four pregnancy registries with data from a population-based birth defects surveillance system, the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP); specifically we compared the defect prevalence by organ system and severity, the number of defects per baby, and timeliness. We also compared the number of zidovudine exposures identified by a registry to the number identified by 29 states with HIV surveillance. The registries' overall defect prevalence (41/1471, 2.7%) was slightly lower than MACDP (6157/195642, 3.2%). The defect prevalence by organ system was similar, except for genitourinary defects which had a lower prevalence in the registries than in MACDP (RR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.07,0.67). The prevalence of having an internal defect or severe defect reported was lower in the registries (RR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.53,1.06, and RR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0. 57,1.19, respectively). The mean number of defects identified per affected infant was 2.82 in MACDP and 1.68 in the registries. Both systems received 69% of defect reports by 6 months after birth. In similar 6-month periods, U.S. HIV surveillance identified 300 prenatal zidovudine exposures, while the registry received 134 worldwide reports. If registries improve their ascertainment of defects and exposed pregnancies, they will increase their chance of detecting signs of possible teratogenicity. Teratology 60:356-364, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Composite solitons and magnetic resonances in superfluid He 3 - A

Making use of the Ginzburg-Landau free energy describing the textures in superfluid $^{3}\mathrm{He}$-$A$, detailed properties of a composite soliton (which involves both $\stackrel{^}{l}$ and $\stackrel{^}{d}$ vectors) are studied. It is shown that $\stackrel{^}{d}$ solitons (or magnetic solitons) are unstable against formation of composite solitons in an open system. The stability of the composite soliton as well as the magnetic resonance associated with them are considered.
The Effects of Social Activism on the Occupational Experience, Locus of Control, and Well-Being of Black Midlife Women:

The purpose of this study was to address the confluence of social activism, occupational experience, and overall well-being in midlife Black college-educated women. The participants included 205 Black women who graduated from a historically Black university between the years of 1958 and 1968. This study of educated Black midlife women resulted in a number of suggestive findings. The structural equation model supported the relationship between social activism and occupational experience in this sample of women.
Rates of Improvement by Progeny Testing in Dairy Herds of Various Sizes

Summary Rates of genetic gain in milk production by progeny testing were examined, using characteristics of Michigan Holsteins. The production records from 34,073 Holsteins on DHIA test averaged 12,237lb. of milk and 435lb. of fat (305-2×-ME). AI daughters numbered 5,098 from 187 bulls and averaged 12,305lb. of milk and 444lb. of fat. Characteristics found were: repeatability, .46 for milk, .40 for fat; heritabilities from correlations between AI paternal sisters, .31 for milk, .23 for fat; regression of future AI daughters on first n tested AI daughters, n n + 12 for milk and n n + 16 for fat; average age at calving 4.4 yr.; cows removed annually, 26.3%, one-tenth involuntarily in each of the first four lactations and one-fourth in later lactations; and heifers born which come into production, 70%. In herds of less than 100 cows, progeny testing was less efficient in improving the expected rate of genetic gain than the use of young sires selected on the basis of their dams' production. In herds of 100 and 200 cows, progeny testing had a slight advantage over the latter method. Progeny testing in AI populations of 10,000 tested cows gave possibilities of annual genetic progress of from 1.7 to 2.3% of the average annual yield, depending upon the number of sires sampled and the proportion of those sampled which are selected for service. Further improvement seems possible if the percentage of cows on test were increased and if more efficient use were made of the tested bulls in AI service.
Metal−Bis(helicene) Assemblies Incorporating π-Conjugated Phosphole-Azahelicene Ligands: Impacting Chiroptical Properties by Metal Variation

The synthesis of phosphole-modified aza[6]helicenes and the complexation of these pi-conjugated ditopic ligands with metallic ions are described. The chiroptical properties of these metal-bis(helicene) assemblies were experimentally evaluated and studied by first-principles theoretical calculations. The results show that the metal impacts the chiroptical properties of these complexes through electronic interactions with the chiral pi-conjugated ligands.
Rate-Controlled Constrained-Equilibrium Calculations of Ethanol-Oxygen Mixture

The Rate-Controlled Constrained-Equilibrium method (RCCE) is a powerful technique for simplifying the treatment of chemical reactions in complex systems. The method is based on the assumption that slow chemical reactions impose constraints on the allowed composition of such systems. Since the number of constraints can be very much smaller than the number of species, the number of rate equations to be integrated can be considerably reduced. In the present work, a kinetic scheme with 55 species and 366 reactions has been used to investigate stoichiometric Ethanol-oxygen mixture in a constant energy constant volume chamber. The state of the system was determined by three fixed elemental constraints: elemental carbon, elemental oxygen and elemental hydrogen and six variable constraints: moles of fuel, moles of fuel radicals, total number of moles, moles of free valence, moles of free oxygen, moles of OH+O+H. The 9 rate equations for the constraint potentials (LaGrange multipliers associated with the constraints) were integrated over a range of 1400 K-1700 K for initial temperature and 1atm-10atm for initial pressure. The RCCE calculations were in good agreement with detailed calculations and were faster than detailed calculations, which required integration of 55 species rate equations.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The role of home blood pressure telemonitoring in managing hypertensive populations

Hypertension is a common chronic disease affecting nearly one-third of the United States population. Many interventions have been designed to help patients manage their hypertension. With the evolving climate of healthcare, rapidly developing technology, and emphasis on delivering patient-centered care, home-based blood pressure telemonitoring is a promising tool to help patients achieve optimal blood pressure (BP) control. Home-based blood pressure telemonitoring is associated with reductions in blood pressure values and increased patient satisfaction. However, additional research is needed to understand cost-effectiveness and long-term clinical outcomes of home-based BP monitoring. We review key interventional trials involving home based BP monitoring, with special emphasis placed on studies involving additionally behavioral modification and/or medication management. Furthermore, we discuss the role of home-based blood pressure telemonitoring within the context of the patient-centered medical home and the evolving role of technology.
World History, Identity and Political Change

This article focuses on the rise of world history and the challenges it poses to curricula that emphasize history in service to national or civilizational identity. The nature and causes of the world history movement are juxtaposed to the continuing or renewed attachment to more nationalist history. Specific clashes around world history, particularly but not exclusively in the United States, have focused on opposing views about history and identity. Compromises continue to results, as well as clear delays in world history interest in many regions and many programs. Yet world history continues to gain ground, fundamentally because, at its best, it provides many of the tools needed for responsible understanding of globalization past and present.
Incremental Evolution of Complex General Behavior

Several researchers have demonstrated how complex action sequences can be learned through neuroevolution (i.e., evolving neural networks with genetic algorithms). However, complex general behavior such as evading predators or avoiding obstacles, which is not tied to specific environments, turns out to be very difficult to evolve. Often the system discovers mechanical strategies, such as moving back and forth, that help the agent cope but are not very effective, do not appear believable, and do not generalize to new environments. The problem is that a general strategy is too difficult for the evolution system to discover directly. This article proposes an approach wherein such complex general behavior is learned incrementally, by starting with simpler behavior and gradually making the task more challenging and general. The task transitions are implemented through successive stages of Delta coding (i.e., evolving modifications), which allows even converged populations to adapt to the new task. The method is...
Enumeration and antibiotic resistance patterns of fecal indicator organisms isolated from migratory Canada geese (Branta canadensis).

Thermotolerant fecal indicator organisms carried by migratory waterfowl may serve as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. To determine the extent to which such antibiotic resistance markers were present in migratory Canada geese (Branta canadensis) on the Maryland Eastern Shore, we isolated Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli from fresh feces and examined the antibiotic resistance profiles of these bacteria. Samples were obtained in October 2002, January 2003, and March 2003. Thermotolerant E. coli counts ranged from 0 to 1.0×107 colony forming units (CFU)/0.1g (g−1) wet weight of feces, whereas Enterococcus spp. counts ranged from 1.0×102−1.0×107 CFU g−1 wet weight of feces. Primary isolates of each indicator organism were tested against a panel of 10 antibiotics. Greater than 95% of E. coli isolates were resistant to penicillin G, ampicillin, cephalothin, and sulfathiazole; no E. coli were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Enterococcal isolates showed highest resistance to cephalothin, streptomycin, and su...
Policy Punctuations in Colorado Water Law: The Breakdown of a Monopoly

The actors, influences, and processes that combine forces to change policy subsystems are modeled in punctuated equilibrium theory wherein monopolistic policy subsystems are broken down through changes in policy images and venue shopping spurred by a critical mobilization of actors. Studying a case of policy change in Colorado water rights, this research examines multiple levels of policy change—local, state, and cross-case. This research finds that at the state level, punctuated equilibrium theory accurately explains the process by which policies changed to allow for recreational in-channel uses of water. At the local level, however, these processes are not clearly evident. Using media coverage as a proxy measure for agenda status also shows that policy image change and high public agenda status did not lead to these policy changes within Colorado communities. This article discusses whether we should therefore discount punctuated equilibrium as a model of policy change in this case.
Clinical characteristics and treatment outcome for nonvestibular schwannomas of the head and neck.

Purpose: Studies involving head and neck schwannomas have focused predominantly on involvement of the vestibulocochlear nerve complex (acoustic neuroma) because of the associated morbidity related to lesions involving that region. However, the majority of head and neck schwannomas are not of vestibular nerve origin and may also produce significant morbidity due to involvement of the orbit, skull base, and cranial nerves. The purpose of this study is to examine the presenting signs and symptoms, location, nerve of origin, and outcome after treatment of patients with nonvestibular schwannomas of the head and neck. Materials and methods: The medical and pathological records of all patients with nonvestibular head and neck schwannomas treated at a single institution between 1979 and 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Eighteen (69%) of 26 patients presented with symptoms secondary to mass effect or nerve deficit. The parapharyngeal space was the most common site of tumor origin occurring in 8 patients (31%). The nerve of origin was identified in 16 patients (62%). Twenty-three patients (88%) had complete surgical excision, and 3 patients (12%) had subtotal resection. Postoperative nerve injury occurred in 16 patients (62%) with resolution in 7 patients (44%). Conclusions: Nonvestibular head and neck schwannomas occur most commonly in the parapharyngeal space, and presenting signs or symptoms are usually related to mass effect or neural deficit. Complete tumor removal is often achieved, but subtotal or near-total resection may be indicated for patients with extensive skull base, middle ear, or facial nerve involvement. Postoperative morbidity is associated with nerve injury from the surgical approach and/or resection of the involved nerve.
Imaging scattering orientation with spatial frequency domain imaging

Optical imaging techniques based on multiple light scattering generally have poor sensitivity to the orientation and direction of microscopic light scattering structures. In order to address this limitation, we introduce a spatial frequency domain method for imaging contrast from oriented scattering structures by measuring the angular-dependence of structured light reflectance. The measurement is made by projecting sinusoidal patterns of light intensity on a sample, and measuring the degree to which the patterns are blurred as a function of the projection angle. We derive a spatial Fourier domain solution to an anisotropic diffusion model. This solution predicts the effects of bulk scattering orientation on the amplitude and phase of the projected patterns. We introduce a new contrast function based on a scattering orientation index (SOI) which is sensitive to the degree to which light scattering is directionally dependent. We validate the technique using tissue simulating phantoms, and ex vivo samples of muscle and brain. Our results show that SOI is independent of the overall amount of bulk light scattering and absorption, and that isotropic versus oriented scattering structures can be clearly distinguished. We determine the orientation of subsurface microscopic scattering structures located up to 600 μm beneath highly scattering (μ(') (s) = 1.5 mm(-1)) material.
Improving Undersampled MRI Reconstruction Using Non-local Means

Obtaining high quality images in MR is desirable not only for accurate visual assessment but also for automatic processing to extract clinically relevant parameters. Filtering-based techniques are extremely useful for reducing artifacts caused due to under sampling of k-space (to reduce scan time). The recently proposed Non-Local Means (NLM) filtering method offers a promising means to denoise images. Compared to most previous approaches, NLM is based on a more realistic model of images, which results in little loss of information while removing the noise. Here we extend the NLM method for MR image reconstruction from under sampled k-space data. The method is applied on T1-weighted images of the breast and T2-weighted anatomical brain images. Results show that NLM offers a promising method that can be used for accelerating MR data acquisitions.
Tracer advection using dynamic grid adaptation and MM5

Abstract A dynamic grid adaptation (DGA) technique is used to numerically simulate tracer transport at meso- and regional scales. A gridpoint redistribution scheme is designed to maximize heuristic characteristics of a “good” grid. The advective solver used in conjunction with the DGA is the multidimensional positive definite advection transport algorithm (MPDATA). The DGA results for regional tracer transport are compared against results generated using the leapfrog as well as MPDATA advection schemes with uniformly spaced, static grids. Wind fields for all tracer transport algorithms are provided by the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5). A mesoscale-sized test case with idealized initial condition and wind field clearly shows qualitatively and quantitatively the advantage of using the dynamic adaptive grid, which is a marked reduction in numerical error. These results are further corroborated by more realistic test cases that used NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data from 6–...
The case: Bunche–Da Vinci Learning Partnership Academy

The Bunche–Da Vinci case presents a situation at Bunche Elementary School that the four theorists were asked to address in their evaluation designs.
Computational approaches to the development of perceptual expertise

Dog experts, ornithologists, radiologists and other specialists are noted for their remarkable abilities at categorizing, identifying and recognizing objects within their domain of expertise. A complete understanding of the development of perceptual expertise requires a combination of thorough empirical research and carefully articulated computational theories that formalize specific hypotheses about the acquisition of expertise. A comprehensive computational theory of the development of perceptual expertise remains elusive, but we can look to existing computational models from the object-recognition, perceptual-categorization, automaticity and related literatures for possible starting points. Arguably, hypotheses about the development of perceptual expertise should first be explored within the context of existing computational models of visual object understanding before considering the creation of highly modularized adaptations for particular domains of perceptual expertise.
Boca‐dependent maturation of β‐propeller/EGF modules in low‐density lipoprotein receptor proteins

The extracellular portions of cell surface receptor proteins are often comprised of independently folding protein domains. As they are translated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), some of these domains require protein chaperones to assist in their folding. Members of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family require the chaperone called Boca in Drosophila or its ortholog, Mesoderm development, in the mouse. All LDLRs have at least one six-bladed β-propeller domain, which is immediately followed by an epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeat. We show here that Boca is specifically required for the maturation of these β-propeller/EGF modules through the secretory pathway, but is not required for other LDLR domains. Protein interaction data suggest that as LDLRs are translated into the ER, Boca binds to the β-propeller. Subsequently, once the EGF repeat is translated, the β-propeller/EGF module achieves a more mature state that has lower affinity for Boca. We also show that Boca-dependent β-propeller/EGF modules are found not only throughout the LDLR family but also in the precursor to the mammalian EGF ligand.
ECTOPARASITES AND OTHER EPIFAUNISTIC ARTHROPODS OF SYMPATRIC COTTON MICE AND GOLDEN MICE: COMPARISONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR VECTOR-BORNE ZOONOTIC DISEASES

Ectoparasite and epifaunistic arthropod biodiversity and infestation parameters were compared between 2 sympatric small rodent species, the cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus (Le Conte)) and golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli (Harlan)), in southern Georgia from 1992 to 2003. Because the cotton mouse is known to be a reservoir of more vector-borne zoonotic pathogens than the golden mouse, we hypothesized that it would be parasitized by more ectoparasites that are known to be vectors of these pathogens. Cotton mice (n = 202) were parasitized by 19 species of arthropods, whereas golden mice (n = 46) were parasitized by 12 species. Eleven species of arthropods were recovered from both host species, whereas 7 were recorded only from cotton mice, and 1 species only from golden mice. Infestation prevalences (percent of mice parasitized) were significantly higher for 1 species of arthropod (the tropical rat mite Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst)) infesting cotton mice and for 4 species (the flea Peromyscopsylla scotti...