cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LPS‐induced chlorosis in chrysanthemum as influenced by genotype and ammonium/nitrate ratio

Abstract The influence of ammonium/nitrate ratio on the chlorophyll content and induction of chlorosis under low‐pressure sodium (LPS)‐lamps was examined in two cultivars of Chrysanthemum morifoliurn Ramat. ('Mountain Snow’ and ‘Fiesta') found previously to differ in sensitivity to water stress. Plants were grown in a peat moss‐vermiculite mix under controlled environments for 39 days under LPS lamps at a photosynthetic photon flux of 320 umol s‐1 m‐2. Plants were fertilized twice daily with one of three complete nutrient solutions containing nitrogen at a NH4/NO3 ratio: of 0/100; 50/50; or 100/0. Significant differences in the severity and rate of development of chlorosis were observed depending upon the genotype and NH4/NO3 ratio. Drought‐tolerant ‘Fiesta’ showed little chlorosis after 39 days of treatment while drought‐sensitive ‘Mountain Snow’ exhibited marked bleaching of the leaves as the percentage of NH4 in the solution increased. Bleaching appeared first in the youngest leaves on the main shoot a...
Cavity Filling Technique in Mastoid Surgery

A method for reducing the size of the operation cavity in modified radical and radical mastoid operations is described. Two stilated flaps are used, a postauricular and a meatal flap. The postauricular flap is skin-lined and includes also thick subcutaneous tissue. The distal part of the meatal flap consists of subcutaneous tissue without any epidermis. In order to avoid the recurrence of cholesteatoma in a filled operation cavity, neither flap is placed over that part of the operation cavity where cholesteatoma has been observed. In many cases the ultimate operation cavity is only a small extension of the medial upper part of the auditory canal. In those cases, too, where the primary operation cavity is very large, the final result is an operation cavity without any recesses posteriorly, laterally and distally. The cavity is lined with real skin, which has no increased tendency towards desquamation. Therefore, periodic inspection and cleaning of the cavity can be utterly reduced. The thick postauricular ...
Association of Breastfeeding Intensity and Bottle-Emptying Behaviors at Early Infancy With Infants' Risk for Excess Weight at Late Infancy

OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that infants who were breastfed more intensively during early infancy (≤6 months) will be less likely to have excess weight during late infancy (>6 months) and to examine the independent impact of infant-initiated bottle emptying and mothers9 encouragement of bottle emptying on infants9 risk for excess weight. METHOD. The sample consisted of 1896 mothers who participated in postpartum surveys of the Infant Feeding Practice Study II and who provided at least 1 weight measurement of their infants during the second half of infancy. We used multiple logistic regression models to assess the association between infants9 risks for excess weight during the second half of infancy and 3 self-reported feeding practices during the first half of infancy after adjusting for a series of sociodemographic characteristics. The early feeding practices examined included the percentage of all milk feedings in which infants consumed breast milk (breastfeeding intensity), the frequency of bottle feedings in which infants initiated bottle emptying, and the frequency of bottle feedings in which mothers encouraged bottle emptying. RESULTS. Infants fed with low ( 80%). Infants who often emptied bottles in early infancy were 69% more likely than those who rarely emptied bottles to have excess weight during late infancy. However, mothers9 encouragement of bottle emptying was negatively associated with their infants9 risk for excess weight during the second half of infancy. CONCLUSIONS. Infants’ risk for excess weight during late infancy was negatively associated with breastfeeding intensity but positively associated with infant-initiated bottle emptying during early infancy. These findings not only provide evidence for the potential risk of not breastfeeding or breastfeeding at a low intensity in development of childhood obesity, but they also suggest that infant-initiated bottle emptying may be an independent risk factor as well.
Celebration of Excellence in Teaching: What is Your Philosophy?

The University of Georgia’s Teaching Academy celebrates its 15 anniversary this fall. The Academy began in 1999 with 13 charter members as part of an initiative by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Association for Higher Education to launch teaching academy campus programs nationwide. Today, with more than 100 members, the UGA academy promotes excellence in teaching through workshops, symposia and other events; assists with university level instructional awards; and receives funding for special events from the Office of the President and the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Each fall the academy inducts new members from nominations or being the recipient of a major university-wide teaching award. New inductees are asked to write a two page statement of their teaching philosophy. It is my joy to read these statements: I am struck by the thoughtful, engaged, and creative faculty at the University of Georgia. Their statements show an in-depth careful consideration of their educational beliefs and pedagogy. This fall, as I read the 11 personal statements, the word “engagement” stood out. The newly elected members and former teaching scholars describe a strong passion for their disciplines, interest in the student experience and perspective, and acknowledgement of the importance of student growth and development into the future. I hope you will be inspired by a few brief quotes from former and soon-to-be Teaching Academy members. On the importance of engagement in teaching and learning...
Developmental changes in inspiratory network complexity and burst timing in rat in vivo

Developmental changes in intrinsic membrane properties and synaptic transmission are present within the central respiratory neural network. The influence of maturation on the complex dynamics (i.e., complexity) underlying the central respiratory neural network as well as burst timing, however, remain to be examined. Therefore, we calculated the approximate entropy (ApEn; as an index of network complexity) of inspiratory motor discharges recorded from the diaphragm in spontaneously breathing urethane-anesthetized neonatal rats. Our findings demonstrate that changes in central inspiratory neural network complexity and burst timing occur with maturation, such that in the older neonatal rats, the neural controller exhibits higher ApEn (i.e., less system order) and longer inspiratory bursts. We suggest that these changes not only reflect the developmental reconfiguration of the central respiratory network but also provide quantitative insight into the extent of reconfiguration.
Carbon metabolism in Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids

Carbon metabolism in Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids is reviewed. Additionally, the bacteroid tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and its regulation under oxygen-limited conditions is considered, with emphasis on possible sites of TCA cycle rate-limiting reactions. Furthermore, we consider other adaptive pathways that may be employed by these organisms while in symbiosis. These pathways include: (1) a poly-β-hydroxy-butyrate shunt, (2) a malate-aspartate shuttle, (3) an α-ketoglutarate-glutamate shunt, (4) a modified dicarboxylic acid cycle, and (5) fermentation pathways leading to lactate, acetaldehyde and ethanol. The effects of oxygen limitation on host carbon metabolism are also considered briefly.
The demography of Calanus finmarchicus (Copepoda: Calanoida) in the Middle Atlantic Bight, USA, 1977–2001

The spatial distribution and annual cycle of abundance for the late-stage copepodites of the calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus are described for the shelf and slope waters of the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB), a subregion of the US Northeast large marine ecosystem. Samples were collected with bongo nets from 1977 to 2001 on broad-scale surveys of the region and from a continuous plankton recorder (CPR) towed at 10-m depth along a route that traversed the area. The copepod’s abundance in shelf waters increased rapidly in early spring and reached maximum levels in May‐June. It declined slowly thereafter, until a minor secondary pulse occurred in late autumn, which was followed by the annual winter low. Slope water abundance of C. finmarchicus peaked in April and was virtually absent there at 10-m depth from July through the following February. The two samplers, both portrayed similar high interannual abundance variability with no long-term trend evident for the 25-year period. Cluster analysis pinpointed three shelf areas with similar abundance patterns, one of which was a region of high density located in the northeastern offshore waters. Evidence is presented that indicates the source of this high abundance is likely from the populations that overwinter in deep water basins of the Gulf of Maine (GOM). The copepod’s interannual abundance variability was found to be negatively correlated with water temperature and unrelated to fluctuations of the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) index.
Development and Evaluation of Enteric-Coated Penicillamine Tablets

Commercially available 250-mg penicillamine tablets were converted into enteric-coated tablets. Based on in vitro dissolution and disintegration tests, tablets coated with five layers of a cellulose acetate phthalate formulation by a modified pan coating technique were judged to be superior to other coated tablets. These tablets resisted disintegration in simulated gastric fluid over a 4-h period and disintegrated in an average of 21 min in simulated intestinal fluid. Enteric-coated penicillamine tablets were tested in vivo in nine weanling pigs divided into three groups: a negative control group, a test group dosed with enteric-coated penicillamine tablets, and a positive control group dosed with uncoated tablets. The incidence of GI tract bleeding, as determined by daily occult blood tests of the stools, was significantly less in the animals receiving the enteric-coated tablets when compared with the positive control group. The enteric-coated dosage form appeared to decrease GI tract irritation caused by penicillamine. Plasma concentration-time curves for penicillamine in the pigs were similar in shape to those reported in humans. Atypical double peaks occur in both species. Relative bioavailability of the enteric-coated tablet was found to be 67% when compared with the uncoated tablet. This apparent reduction is probably due to a large intrasubject variation in areas under the plasma concentration-time curves and not to a dosage form effect.
Simultaneous extratympanic electrocochleography and auditory brainstem responses revisited

The purpose of this study was to revisit the two-channel, simultaneous click-evoked extratympanic electrocochleography and auditory brainstem response (ECoG/ABR) recording technique for clinical use in normal hearing participants. Recording the compound action potential (AP) of the ECoG simultaneously with ABR may be useful when Wave I of the ABR is small or diminished in patients with sensorineural or retrocochlear disorder and minimizes overall test time. In contrast to some previous studies that used the extratympanic electrode both as non-inverting electrode for the ECoG and inverting electrode for ABR, this study maintained separate recording channel montages unique to conventional click-evoked ECoG and ABR recordings. That is, the ABR was recorded using a vertical channel (Cz to ipsilateral earlobe), while the ECoG with custom extratympanic electrode was recorded using a horizontal channel (tympanic membrane to contralateral earlobe). The extratympanic electrode is easy to fabricate inhouse, or can be purchased commercially. Maintaining the conventional ABR montage permits continued use of traditional normative data. Broadband clicks at a fixed level of 85 dB nHL were presented with alternating polarity at stimulus rates of 9.3, 11.3, and 15.3/s. Different stimulation rates were explored to identify the most efficient rate without sacrificing time or waveform morphology. Results revealed larger ECoG AP than ABR Wave I, as expected, and no significant difference across stimulation rate and no interaction effect. Extratympanic electrode placement takes little additional clinic time and may improve the neurodiagnostic utility of the ABR.
The Effects of Chronic Multitasking on Analytical Writing

Chronic multitaskers perform worse on core multitasking skills: memory management, cognitive filtering and task switching, likely due to their inability to filter irrelevant stimuli [17]. Our experiment examines effects of chronic multitasking with task-relevant and irrelevant distractors on analytical writing quality. We found a general switch cost and, when controlling for that cost, effects of chronic multitasking habits: heavy multitaskers write worse essays in the irrelevant condition and better essays in the relevant condition. Our study changes multitasking research paradigms in two fundamental ways: it studied a realistic writing scenario including access to both irrelevant and relevant distractors. We found that the effect of chronic multitasking is complex; heavy multitaskers are seduced by unrelated distractors but able to integrate multiple sources of relevant information.
Intensive stuttering modification therapy: a multidimensional assessment of treatment outcomes.

Nineteen adults who stutter participated in a 3-week intensive stuttering modification treatment program (the Successful Stuttering Management Program [SSMP]). A series of 14 fluency and affective-...
Ventricular Structure and Function in Children With Sickle Cell Disease Using Conventional and Tissue Doppler Echocardiography

Conventional 2-dimensional, M-mode, and spectral Doppler echocardiographic techniques have documented abnormal ventricular function in adults with sickle cell disease (SCD), but assessments in children are conflicting. Tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) provides additional information about myocardial function. Two-dimensional, M-mode, tricuspid regurgitation jet velocity (TRJV) data, and tissue Doppler echocardiographically derived myocardial velocity measurements of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular function were taken from children with SCD compared to those of similar healthy historical controls and correlated with clinical characteristics and hemoglobin levels. Compared to 55 controls, 54 children with SCD (mean age 14.2 years, range 6 to 21) had a larger left ventricle, greater LV mass, and higher LV fractional shortening; 30% had increased pulmonary artery pressure (TRJV ≥2.5 m/s). Conventional echocardiographic measurements of LV systolic function and spectral Doppler measurements of LV and right ventricular diastolic function were essentially normal, but TDE indicated that 31% of SCD children had evidence of LV diastolic dysfunction (peak early diastolic velocity of LV inflow Doppler/peak early diastolic velocity at lateral mitral valve annulus >8), a finding that correlated with lower hemoglobin levels. Although decreasing hemoglobin levels in children with SCD correlated with LV hypertrophy, LV dilation, and LV diastolic dysfunction, long-term transfusion or hydroxyurea therapy did not affect these measurements. In conclusion, 1/3 of children with SCD had tissue Doppler echocardiographic evidence of LV diastolic dysfunction, which was correlated with hemoglobin levels. Adding serial assessments of ventricular function with TDE to conventional echocardiography may detect early cardiac changes, especially in children with severe anemia.
Pancreatic Lesions Induced by a Single Dose of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine and Selection by Resistance to Cytotoxicity

The experiments reported here were undertaken to ascertain whether the principle of the selection and rapid emergence of carcinogen-initiated cells based on their resistance to cytotoxicity demonstrated in rat liver is applicable to hamster pancreas. Hamsters injected with a single dose of 70 mg/kg body weight of the pancreatic carcinogen, N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine, were subjected to pancreatic injury and regeneration induced by DL ethionine followed by methionine rescue while on a continuous daily regimen of 10 mg/kg body weight of N-nitroso-2,6-dimethylmorpholine by gavage. Randomly selected animals were killed weekly from the 4th week following the induction of regeneration through the 10th week. This carcinogenic schedule ‘significantly decreased the time of emergence of cell injury, cell death, and proliferative, preneoplastic, and neoplastic lesions of the exocrine pancreas. Carcinoma in sitii and invasive adenocarcinoma of pancreatic ducts appeared during the 7th and 8th week after induction of pancreatic regeneration, earlier than results obtained with multiple dose carcinogenesis experiments.
Giant piezoresistance effect in silicon nanowires

The piezoresistance effect of silicon1 has been widely used in mechanical sensors2,3,4, and is now being actively explored in order to improve the performance of silicon transistors5,6. In fact, strain engineering is now considered to be one of the most promising strategies for developing high-performance sub-10-nm silicon devices7. Interesting electromechanical properties have been observed in carbon nanotubes8,9. In this paper we report that Si nanowires possess an unusually large piezoresistance effect compared with bulk. For example, the longitudinal piezoresistance coefficient along the 〈111〉 direction increases with decreasing diameter for p-type Si nanowires, reaching as high as −3,550 × 10−11 Pa–1, in comparison with a bulk value of −94 × 10−11 Pa−1. Strain-induced carrier mobility change and surface modifications have been shown to have clear influence on piezoresistance coefficients. This giant piezoresistance effect in Si nanowires may have significant implications in nanowire-based flexible electronics, as well as in nanoelectromechanical systems.
Membrane Disruption by Antimicrobial Fatty Acids Releases Low-Molecular-Weight Proteins from Staphylococcus aureus

The skin represents an important barrier for pathogens and is known to produce fatty acids that are toxic toward gram-positive bacteria. A screen of fatty acids as growth inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus revealed structure-specific antibacterial activity. Fatty acids like oleate (18:1Δ9) were nontoxic, whereas palmitoleate (16:1Δ9) was a potent growth inhibitor. Cells treated with 16:1Δ9 exhibited rapid membrane depolarization, the disruption of all major branches of macromolecular synthesis, and the release of solutes and low-molecular-weight proteins into the medium. Other cytotoxic lipids, such as glycerol ethers, sphingosine, and acyl-amines blocked growth by the same mechanisms. Nontoxic 18:1Δ9 was used for phospholipid synthesis, whereas toxic 16:1Δ9 was not and required elongation to 18:1Δ11 prior to incorporation. However, blocking fatty acid metabolism using inhibitors to prevent acyl-acyl carrier protein formation or glycerol-phosphate acyltransferase activity did not increase the toxicity of 18:1Δ9, indicating that inefficient metabolism did not play a determinant role in fatty acid toxicity. Nontoxic 18:1Δ9 was as toxic as 16:1Δ9 in a strain lacking wall teichoic acids and led to growth arrest and enhanced release of intracellular contents. Thus, wall teichoic acids contribute to the structure-specific antimicrobial effects of unsaturated fatty acids. The ability of poorly metabolized 16:1 isomers to penetrate the cell wall defenses is a weakness that has been exploited by the innate immune system to combat S. aureus.
Sudanese Perspectives on Resettlement in Australia

Resettlement programs for people from a refugee background must respond to a variety of concerns as people from diverse backgrounds and often longstanding periods of upheaval and hardship enter their new resettlement communities. Host countries approach the demands of resettlement through varying programs and policies and those differences across countries can profoundly affect the newcomers' experiences. The current study employs quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the individual and contextual factors that influence the resettlement experience for adults from Sudan being resettled in Queensland, Australia. Ninety Sudanese adults were recruited through snowball sampling techniques for the quantitative study, with 10 individuals purposefully selected to complete the semistructured qualitative interview. In the quantitative sample, 25 to 30% of participants reported significant symptoms of psychological distress and frequent experiences of discrimination, and the majority of participants reported integration (identifying with both Australian and Sudanese cultures) as their method of acculturation. Participants reported feeling initially welcomed into Australia, with positive influences including bonding and bridging capital, which helped them in their adaptation, and negative influences including problems with the resettlement programs and experiences of discrimination. The findings underscore the importance of sociopolitical context on refugee experiences of the resettlement process.
Block copolymer-based gadolinium nanoparticles as MRI contrast agents with high T1 relaxivity.

Aims: To synthesize block copolymer-based gadolinium nanoparticles (Gd-NPs) and evaluate their potential as a new MRI contrast agent. Materials & Methods: The Gd-NPs were developed through coordination of gadolinium chelates into a pentablock copolymer synthesized by two sequential atom transfer radical polymerizations, and evaluated by measuring their T1 relaxivity in vitro and imaging their T1 contrast in tissue using MRI. Results: Solution and MRI studies demonstrated that these Gd-NPs exhibit remarkably high T1 relaxivity on both per particle and per gadolinium ion basis, and can generate a much better MRI contrast compared with gadolinium chelates alone. Conclusion: These novel Gd-NPs may have important applications in magnetic resonance-based medical imaging.
Species Diversity in Lorisids: A Preliminary Analysis of Arctocebus, Perodicticus, and Nycticebus

In recent decades, the strepsirhine family, Lorisidae1, has been thought of as consisting taxonomically of only four extant genera, of which two are considered to be monotypic: the Asian Loris (which is now apparently confined to the island of Sri Lanka), and the African Perodicticus potto. The African genus, Arctocebus, apparently comprises two species, A. calabarensis and A. aureus. And the Asian genus Nycticebus also is supposed to embrace only two species, N. pygmaeus and the somewhat larger N. coucang. N. pygmaeus is distributed roughly throughout the mainland of southeast Asia. N. coucangis sympatric with N. pygmaeus on the mainland, but also occurs on the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and, purportedly, the Philippines.
A pathway for spatial memory encoding

The medial prefrontal cortex has been shown to play a role for rodents in successful completion of tasks that require spatial memory, but the pathways responsible for the transmission of spatial information to the mPFC, and the nature and timing of such information, are unknown. Recently, Spellman, Rigotti, Ahmari, Fusi, Gogos, and Gordon (Nature, 522, 309-314, 2015) addressed these questions in an eloquent and ingenious series of experiments, which we review in the broader context of the neurobiology of spatial memory.
The Influence of Diapause on Respiration in Adult Male and Female Black Blowflies, Phormia regina

The blowfly, Phormia regina (Meigen), is known to overwinter as an adult and may occasionally exhibit flight behavior on warm winter days (Wallis 1962, Dondero and Shaw 1971, Siverly 1972). Stoffolano (1973) reported that both sexes of P. regina experience an imaginal diapause that is characterized by failure of the ovaries to develop in the female and hypertrophy of adult fat body in both sexes. Additionally, both sexes have undeveloped accessory reproductive glands.
Examining Connections between the Police and Prosecution in Sexual Assault Case Processing: Does the Use of Exceptional Clearance Facilitate a Downstream Orientation?

AbstractAfter several decades of research on how the criminal justice system handles reports of sexual assault, the attrition of cases at the police and prosecutor stages continues to draw the attention of policy makers, victim advocates, and academics. Such attrition has implications for thousands of victims and their alleged offenders each year. Current estimates show that significant rates of attrition persist and vary across jurisdictions. Recent work in two jurisdictions reveals a pattern of exceptional clearances being used to close sexual assault cases reported to the police and that prosecutors are weighing in at the arrest stage. Broadening this analysis we use incident data from a multitude of jurisdictions that report to the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in combination with data from other law enforcement sources to investigate how legal and extra-legal incident factors as well as agency factors differentiate the decision to clear cases by exceptional means from clearance by ...
Associations of social support and stress with postpartum maternal mental health symptoms: Main effects, moderation, and mediation.

ABSTRACTPoor maternal mental health during the postpartum period can have significant effects on the health of mothers, infants, and families. The findings from cross-sectional studies suggest that stress and social support are related to maternal mental health. This study contributes to the literature through the use of longitudinal data, and examines moderation and mediation among these factors. In 2012–2013, mothers completed surveys assessing stress, social support, and depressive and anxiety symptoms following birth (n = 125), and 3 months (n = 110) and 6 months (n = 99) after birth. The authors examined temporal associations, moderation, and mediation of social support on the relationship between stress and postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms using modified Poisson regression models and the counterfactual approach to mediation. Current levels of stress and social support were associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, both independently and when considered together at multiple time poin...
Alcohol-Induced Stimulation Mediates the Effect of a GABRA2 SNP on Alcohol Self-Administrated among Alcohol-Dependent Individuals

Background A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in GABRA2 (rs279858) may moderate subjective response (SR) to alcohol. Results of studies in non-dependent drinkers examining this GABRA2 SNP on SR have been equivocal. This study examined this SNP’s direct and indirect effects on alcohol self-administration in dependent drinkers. Method The sample consisted of 63 Caucasian, non-treatment-seeking individuals with alcohol dependence. Subjective stimulation was assessed using the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale following consumption of an alcoholic priming drink (target breath alcohol content = 0.02 g%). Participants were subsequently offered the opportunity to self-administer up to eight additional drinks. Results Controlling for baseline stimulation, T-allele homozygotes, relative to individuals with at least one copy of the C-allele, reported greater initial stimulation, t (58) = 2.011, p = 0.049. Greater stimulation predicted greater subsequent alcohol self-administration, t (57) = 2.522, p = 0.015. Although rs279858 genotype did not directly impact self-administration ( t (57) = −0.674, p = 0.503), it did have an indirect effect (95% confidence interval [0.068, 1.576]), such that T-allele homozygotes reported greater stimulation, which in turn predicted greater self-administration. Conclusion These results suggest that the influence of this SNP on SR differs depending on dose or stage of dependence. This study is the first to demonstrate an indirect effect of rs279858 genotype on drinking through SR. Although C-allele carriers have been shown to have an increased risk for alcohol dependence, in our dependent sample, greater stimulation was found among T-allele homozygotes, suggesting that the influence of SR on developing and maintaining dependence differs based on rs279858 genotype. This study demonstrates an indirect effect of rs279858 genotype on drinking through SR. Although C-allele carriers have an increased risk for alcohol dependence, in our dependent sample, greater stimulation was found among T-allele homozygotes, suggesting that the influence of SR on developing dependence differs based on rs279858 genotype.
Preliminary discussion on preparation fighting weighty fire of the flammabilitive and explosive oil tanker

The corporations inshore or near the river which produce combustible and explosive material are in a large number. These large-scale corporations bring new opportunities and challenge to the local fire control. How to fight the potential fatal fire occurs at this kind of corporations. In this essay,we have discussed the method of fire fighting from all aspects such as information source,fundamental establishment,fire fighting equipment,the techniques to put out a fire,linkage mechanism and so on.
Extending Arbitration of Securities Disputes in American Law

Predispute arbitration agreements pertaining to securities claims arising under section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act 1934 and Rule 10b-5 are now enforceable as a result of the recent Supreme Court decision in Shearson/American Express, Inc. v. McMahon. This decision therefore empowers investors to waive their rights to have such disputes decided in a judicial forum. In McMahon, Eugene and Julia McMahon brought suit against Shearson/American Express and its representative, Mary Ann McNulty, alleging that Shearson, through McNulty, had (1) engaged in fraudulent and excessive trading of the McMahons' accounts, and (2) made false statements and omitted material facts when advising the McMahons in violation of section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act 1934, and Rule 10b-5. In addition, they asserted (3) a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) claim, and (4) alleged violations of State laws regarding fraud and breach of fiduciary duties.The District Court ruled that the arbitration agreements were not contracts of adhesion as plaintiffs had claimed and, citing the United States Supreme Court decision in Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. v. Byrd, held that plaintiff's predispute arbitration agreements were enforceable, based on the strong national policy supporting such enforcement. Thus, the Securities Exchange Act disputes as well as the State law claims were arbitrable, but with respect to plaintiff's RICO claim, however, the District Court ruled that in the light of the important federal policies underlying enforcement of RICO provisions, that claim was not arbitrable. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's decision with respect to the state law and RICO issues but reversed it on the Securities Exchange Act claims. As authority for the reversal, the Court of Appeals cited the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Wilko v. Swan which held that the non-waiver provisions of the Securities Exchange Act prevented investors from waiving their right to have disputes arising under section 12(2) of the Securities Act 1933 decided in a judicial forum. The Court of Appeals therefore extended the Wilko precedent to the McMahons’ Securities Exchange Act claims as it had done in earlier decisions. The Supreme Court affirmed the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on the state law and RICO issues but reversed it on the Securities Exchange Act claims.
Was funktioniert? Teamarbeit !

Im Oktober 2012 hatte ich eine uble Erkaltung. Ohne eine ganze Reihe rezeptfreier Medikamente ware ich vollig kampfunfahig gewesen. Ich konnte kurz in die Universitat gehen, ein wenig Papierkram erledigen und mein Seminar leiten, aber anschliesend ging ich sofort wieder nach Hause und ins Bett. Nachdem ich drei oder vier Tage im Pseudoephedrinnebel verbracht hatte, schaffte ich es, wieder, ohne eine Handvoll Pillen aufzustehen. Jetzt ging ich sofort in die Sporthalle und spielte eine Stunde Basketball.
Avoiding Pitfalls With Implementation of Randomized Controlled Multicenter Trials: Strategies to Achieve Milestones.

You breathe a huge sigh of relief because you just received the official notice of award that your grant was funded by the American Heart Association (AHA), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), or the Patient‐Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Your award will fund a
A study of application sensitivity to variation in message-passing latency and bandwidth

This study measures the effects of changes in message latency and bandwidth for production-level codes on a current generation tightly coupled MPP, the Intel Paragon. Messages are sent multiple times to study the application sensitivity to variations in band - width and latency. This method preserves the effects of contention on the interconnection network. Two applications are studied, PCTH, a shock physics code developed at Sandia National Laboratories, and PSTSWM, a spectral shallow water code developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. These codes are significant in that PCTH is a {open_quote}full physics{close_quotes} application code in production use, while PSTSWM serves as a parallel algorithm test bed and benchmark for production codes used in atmospheric modeling. They are also significant in that the message-passing behavior differs significantly between the two codes, each representing an important class of scientific message-passing applications.
PR_103: Pain Reproduction During Lumbosacral Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection Does Not Affect Outcome

Objective: Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are widely used in clinical practice for the treatment of low back radicular pain. Anecdotally it has been conveyed that the reproduction of a patient's usual pain during ESI was of prognostic value as to which patients would show favorable results from the procedure, however, there is no data available to support this supposition. Design: Retrospective. Setting: Outpatient Spine and Sports Medicine Clinic. Patients: Patients with lumbosacral radicular pain treated with fluoroscopically guided contrast enhanced lumbosacral trans- foraminal ESI. Outcome Measures: 11-point pain intensity numeric rating scale (PI-NRS). Results: Overall the procedure provided statistically significant pain relief in both groups A (typical radicular pain reproduced) and B (typical radicular pain not reproduced) immediately and significant pain reduction was maintained until the time of the follow-up No reduction in pain was seen in group A vs. B, although in group B there was a strong trend toward having higher pain scores at all times. Conclusion: The reproduction of a patient's typical radicular pain during a fluoroscopically guided contrast enhanced lumbosacral transforaminal ESI does not predict a significant decrease in pain scores immediately after the procedure or at follow up.
Explicit construction of C2 surfaces for meshes of arbitrary topology

ABSTRACTPresented in this paper is an approach to construct a C2-continuous surface for a mesh of arbitrary topology. The construction process is subdivision surface based, with modification performed on extra-ordinary patches to ensure C2-continuity of the resulting surface. Implementation is easy because modification is patch-based. The resulting surface has an explicit expression of the form WMG for each extra-ordinary patch where W is a parameter vector, M is a constant matrix and G is the patch-wise control point vector. Therefore, computing derivatives, normals and curvatures for points in the domain of the given mesh is very easy and, consequently, the resulting surface is suitable for operations such as shape analysis, shape optimization, surface energy minimization etc. The construction process includes constraints so that the shape of the resulting C2 surface is very similar to the surface generated by subdivision. More importantly, the resulting C2 surface satisfies the convex hull property.
Analysis of polymer surfaces by SIMS 17

The prospects for obtaining highly accurate mass assignments in polymer surface studies using state-of-the-art time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) have been investigated systematically. For a thick film of poly(ethylene terephtalate) (PET), the reproducibility of mass measurement in both positive ion (range m/z = 0-600) and negative ion (range m/z 0-350) modes has been studied in statistical fashion over a period of several months. Glyceryl monostearate, representing a typical polymer additive, was studied both on PET and as a very thin film on aluminum in order to compare the behavior of insulating and conducting samples
Cardiac melanoma: Retrospective review of a rare disease at the Mayo clinic (1988–2015)

Abstract Background Melanoma metastasizing to the heart (cardiac melanoma) is a rare entity that has been described only in autopsy studies or isolated pre-mortem case reports. We aim to better characterize cardiac melanoma, and describe its presenting features, imaging findings, and disease course with a case series collected over nearly 30years. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with cardiac melanoma at the Mayo Clinic from 1988 to 2015. Qualitative analysis was performed on patient demographics, clinical history, and imaging modalities. Results 11 patients (7 male, median age 63years) were identified with cardiac melanoma. Shortness of breath (64%) was the most common presenting symptom. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was utilized in the assessment of all patients though it failed to identify 20% of masses that were seen on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) or cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The majority of masses were located within the cardiac chambers (46% right atrium, 18% right ventricle, 18% left atrium), and 36% appeared mobile on TTE. Patients lived for a median of 68months (interquartile range [IQR] 14–143months) after the initial diagnosis of primary melanoma, and only 12months (IQR 2–150months) after diagnosis of cardiac melanoma. Conclusion Echocardiography can generally identify most cases of cardiac melanoma, though it misses one-fifth of masses seen on FDG PET/CT or CMR. Cardiac melanoma is associated with a poor prognosis.
Development of a plug and play ImmunoPCR technique for the analysis of biomolecules

Aim: ImmunoPCR technology combines the advantages of specificity and robustness of a ligand binding assay with the amplification potential of PCR. We describe through three case studies a plug-and-play immuno polymerase chain reaction (iPCR) technique to measure biomolecules. Results: Case Study 1 demonstrated feasibility of measurement of IgG1 in cerebrospinal fluid at the desired level of sensitivity with minimal cost and timelines of clinical assay implementation. Case Study 2 translated the iPCR protocol to measure multiple IgG1 analytes in cerebrospinal fluid. Case Study 3 demonstrated broad applicability of the technique to yet another analyte IL-6. Conclusion: The advantages of our iPCR approach were: lack of reliance on a single vendor for technology platform/software, minimal reliance on proprietary reagents and reduced method development times and cost.
Enzyme Architecture: The Role of a Flexible Loop in Activation of Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase for Catalysis of Hydride Transfer.

The side chain of Q295 of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from human liver (hlGPDH) lies in a flexible loop, that folds over the phosphodianion of substrate dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP). Q295 interacts with the side-chain cation from R269, which is ion-paired to the substrate phosphodianion. Kinetic parameters kcat/Km (M–1 s–1) and kcat/KGAKHPi (M–2 s–1) were determined, respectively, for catalysis of the reduction of DHAP and for dianion activation of catalysis of reduction of glycolaldehyde (GA) catalyzed by wild-type, Q295G, Q295S, Q295A, and Q295N mutants of hlGPDH. These mutations result in up to a 150-fold decrease in (kcat/Km)DHAP and up to a 2.7 kcal/mol decrease in the intrinsic phosphodianion binding energy. The data define a linear correlation with slope 1.1, between the intrinsic phosphodianion binding energy and the intrinsic phosphite dianion binding energy for activation of hlGPDH-catalyzed reduction of GA, that demonstrates a role for Q295 in optimizing this dianion binding energy....
Evaluation of cell phone induced driver behavior at a type II dilemma zone

Cell phone usage may impair a driver’s decision-making at a dilemma zone. This research seeks to identify the impact of cell phone usage on different dilemma zone driver behaviors. Participants wer...
Microbiological Instrumentation for the Food Industry: A Review

With the advent of computers, automated and semi- automated instrumentation, used for the identification and detection of food-related microorganisms (such as salmonellae, staphylococci, clostridia, Listeria, and Campylobacter) as well as food system analyses, has increased dramatically. There are many instruments which use different techniques to reach the same answers as far as detection and identification are concerned. If only one type of bacteria is sought (e.g., salmonellae) rather than all that might be present, different instrumentation would be indicated.
Neural coding of sex-specific social information in the mouse brain.

Animals respond to sensory cues emitted by their conspecifics by initiating a repertoire of sex-specific social behaviors, such as mating, fighting, and parental care. These behavioral responses are thought to be largely driven by genetically pre-programmed circuits. However, they can also vary significantly according to the animal’s previous social experience and physiological state, suggesting that the underlying circuits are shaped by adaptive modulatory changes. Modern tools of neuroscience have enabled the direct interrogation of circuits driving sex-specific behaviors and helped unravel key neural mechanisms underlying their function and modulation. In particular, recent work has shown how individual neuronal responses may combine with population activity to encode specific social information in both sexes. In this review, we summarize recent findings on how sex-specific sensory information is processed in social behavioral circuits.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback for Adults with Persistent Noncombat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

OBJECTIVE To test the effectiveness of a mental health therapy designed to reduce noncombat-related persistent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 30 adult outpatients with a diagnosis of PTSD. The individual treatment offered modules to address PTSD nightmare distress, dissociation, general core skills, alterations in arousal and reactivity, avoidance, intrusion, and negative alternations in cognitions and mood. The therapeutic approach centered on cognitive behavioral therapy and heart rate variability biofeedback. METHODS The study had 2 components: The quality improvement project that performed the treatment within a standard care environment, and a retrospective medical chart review process that analyzed the results. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition, was used to confirm the initial PTSD diagnosis and was the primary measure used to monitor change in the diagnosis following treatment. RESULTS None of the patients who completed the PTSD treatment met criteria for a PTSD diagnosis in the posttreatment assessment. A 1-sample test of proportions, with a 95% confidence interval and a significance level of p < 0.05, showed p = 0.0008, and that the proportion of patients who would not have PTSD if the study was repeated would be 86.77% to 100.00%. The treatment dropout rate was 13% (4 patients). CONCLUSION The study findings suggest that this intervention is an effective treatment for helping adult patients, including those with a history of childhood abuse, remit their PTSD diagnosis.
Two-Step Read Scheme in One-Selector and One-RRAM Crossbar-Based Neural Network for Improved Inference Robustness

Introducing a threshold switching selector in a resistive random access memory (RRAM) is essential for implementing a crossbar array that accurately accelerates neuromorphic computations. But, at an expense, a read voltage ( ${V}_{\text {read}}$ ) to be used for inference tasks is inevitably boosted. Therefore, this brief shows the effect of the enlarged ${V}_{\text {read}}$ on the stability of conductance states of the RRAM relevant to the inference robustness. The multiple conductance states of the analog RRAM achieved by a SPICE simulation are stable under consecutive 106 cycles of nominal ${V}_{\text {read}}$ . However, each state of the one selector and one RRAM begins to be disturbed at ~104 cycles due to the boosted ${V}_{\text {read}}$ . More importantly, when a certain state exceeds to the next state due to the accumulated ${V}_{\text {read}}$ stress, a classification accuracy of the neural network is significantly degraded. We, thus, introduce a two-step read scheme that separates the roles of turning on the selector and reading the states. As the selector is turned on rapidly with an additional large pulse, the following ${V}_{\text {read}}$ can be lowered. As a result, the read disturbance is minimized, and the optimized two-step pulse scheme allows 106 MNIST images to be recognized with >95% accuracy in the neural network.
A cybernetic model of work-life balance through time

Abstract Answering a call for a more fully developed concept of work-life balance (WLB), we use person-environment fit and control theories to develop a model of WLB incorporating the work, family, and personal domains. We propose a cybernetic model which recognizes that individuals have a desired balance among the three domains that serves as a standard against which they compare their perceptions of WLB at any given point in time. Our cybernetic model suggests that individuals will seek to restore balance when a negative imbalance is perceived. Further we propose that role senders and resources in the domains, as well as anticipated future WLB and retrospective perceptions of WLB also affect desired balance and actions. We discuss the implications of the proposed model for future research and practice.
A Hybrid Algorithm for Speckle Noise Reduction in SAR Images

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images are usually impaired by Speckle Noise that appears as granules that result in degrading the fine details in the image. In order to reduce/remove such speckle noise, various processing algorithms have been considered in literature. In this paper, we introduce a Hybrid Algorithm based on spatial domain as well asfrequency domain processing of SAR images so as to allow for better removal of speckle noise and preservation of the fine details. The proposed hybrid algorithm resulted in better than 30dB improvement in the signal to noise ratio; i.e. in significant reduction/removal of most of the speckle noise from the image while preserving of image’s fine details. Theperformance of the implemented hybrid algorithm for speckle noise reduction has been compared with the published respective performance results obtained by other algorithms. Pros and cons of various algorithms are also given along with conclusions and directions for future work.
Facial Fractures in Young Adults: A National Retrospective Study.

Objectives:“Young adulthood” is a term used to define individuals falling within the 18- to 22-year-old age range. Injuries account for more than a third of emergency department visits in this popu...
“It didn’t make me a better teacher”: inservice teacher constructions of dilemmas in high-stakes teacher evaluation

ABSTRACTThis article explores how inservice teachers articulate and challenge notions of effective teaching as part of an environment of high-stakes teacher evaluation (HSTE) in Tennessee. Drawing ...