cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Counseling Older Adults to Control Hypertension (COACH) trial: Design and methodology of a group-based lifestyle intervention for hypertensive minority older adults

The disproportionately high prevalence of hypertension and its associated mortality and morbidity in minority older adults is a major public health concern in the United States. Despite compelling evidence supporting the beneficial effects of therapeutic lifestyle changes on blood pressure reduction, these approaches remain largely untested among minority elders in community-based settings. The Counseling Older Adults to Control Hypertension trial is a two-arm randomized controlled trial of 250 African-American and Latino seniors, 60 years and older with uncontrolled hypertension, who attend senior centers. The goal of the trial is to evaluate the effect of a therapeutic lifestyle intervention delivered via group classes and individual motivational interviewing sessions versus health education, on blood pressure reduction. The primary outcome is change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure from baseline to 12 months. The secondary outcomes are blood pressure control at 12 months; changes in levels of physical activity; body mass index; and number of daily servings of fruits and vegetables from baseline to 12 months. The intervention group will receive 12 weekly group classes followed by individual motivational interviewing sessions. The health education group will receive an individual counseling session on healthy lifestyle changes and standard hypertension education materials. Findings from this study will provide needed information on the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions delivered in senior centers. Such information is crucial in order to develop implementation strategies for translation of evidence-based lifestyle interventions to senior centers, where many minority elders spend their time, making the centers a salient point of dissemination.
Colander: a probability-based support vector machine algorithm for automatic screening for CID spectra of phosphopeptides prior to database search.

We developed a probability-based machine-learning program, Colander, to identify tandem mass spectra that are highly likely to represent phosphopeptides prior to database search. We identified stat...
Truthmaking, metaethics, and creeping minimalism

Creeping minimalism threatens to cloud the distinction between realist and anti-realist metaethical views. When anti-realist views equip themselves with minimalist theories of truth and other semantic notions, they are able to take on more and more of the doctrines of realism (such as the existence of moral truths, facts, and beliefs). But then they start to look suspiciously like realist views. I suggest that creeping minimalism is a problem only if moral realism is understood primarily as a semantic doctrine. I argue that moral realism is better understood instead as a metaphysical doctrine. As a result, we can usefully regiment the metaethical debate into one about moral truthmakers: In virtue of what are moral judgments true? I show how the notion of truthmaking has been simmering just below the surface of the metaethical debate, and how it reveals one metaethical view (quasi-realism) to be a stronger contender than the others.
Urticaria and angioedema.

Urticaria and angioedema are common disorders that can severely impair the quality of a patient's life and can be extremely difficult to treat. Symptoms can persist for years to decades. The causes of urticaria and angioedema are varied and may be immunologic, nonimmunologic, or idiopathic. This article reviews the literature and provides primary care physicians with up-to-date information of the epidemiology, basic pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of this common and often debilitating condition. Additionally, clinical manifestations of acute and chronic urticaria, hereditary and acquired angioedema, as well as the physical urticarias will be discussed. Mt Sinai J Med 78:784–802, 2011.© 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Longitudinal alterations of executive function in non-psychotic adolescents at familial risk for schizophrenia

Genetic diathesis to schizophrenia may involve alterations of adolescent neurodevelopment manifesting as cognitive deficits. Brain regions mediating executive function (fronto-striatal circuits) develop during adolescence while those supporting elementary aspects of attention (e.g. sustained focused attention) have a more protracted maturation beginning in childhood. We hence predicted that adolescents at risk for schizophrenia would show a failure of normal maturation of executive function. We prospectively assessed 18 offspring and 6 siblings of schizophrenia patients (HR) and 28 healthy controls at baseline, year-1 and year-2 follow-up using the Continuous Performance Test [visual-d'] and Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST). Perseverative errors on the WCST in HR remained stable but decreased in controls over the follow-up (study-group by assessment-time interaction, p=0.01, controlling for IQ). No significant study-group by assessment-time interactions were seen for sustained attentional performance. HR may not improve while healthy subjects progressively improve on executive function during adolescence and early adulthood. Our results suggest an altered maturational trajectory of executive function during adolescence in individuals at familial risk for schizophrenia.
NGAL-Siderocalin in kidney disease

Kidney damage induces the expression of a myriad of proteins in the serum and in the urine. The function of these proteins in the sequence of damage and repair is now being studied in genetic models and by novel imaging techniques. One of the most intensely expressed proteins is lipocalin2, also called NGAL or Siderocalin. While this protein has been best studied by clinical scientists, only a few labs study its underlying metabolism and function in tissue damage. Structure-function studies, imaging studies and clinical studies have revealed that NGAL-Siderocalin is an endogenous antimicrobial with iron scavenging activity. This review discusses the "iron problem" of kidney damage, the tight linkage between kidney damage and NGAL-Siderocalin expression and the potential roles that NGAL-Siderocalin may serve in the defense of the urogenital system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cell Biology of Metals.
State space analysis of human timing: Timing accuracy limit is 9 ms

Understanding timing accuracy in humans is critical as it presents an important constraint on skilled motor performance. The limits intrinsic to the central nervous system, however, remain highly disputed and reported values range from 1ms to 9ms. Using a virtual throwing task that allowed precise control and measurement of task performance, this study explored the bounds of human timing accuracy in a long-term learning experiment. Eleven naive subjects practiced 240 throws per day for 11 days. We hypothesized that subjects (1) cannot control timing more accurately than 9 ms, and (2) shape their hand trajectory to become less sensitive to timing inaccuracy. A state space analysis of timing developed by [1] was used to quantify change in timing accuracy and sensitivity of the hand trajectory with practice. Consistent with our hypothesis, results revealed that subjects reached a limit in their timing accuracy at approximately 9.5 ms. Subjects also showed a monotonic increase of time insensitivity of the hand trajectory. These results support the prior finding of [1] that timing accuracy is a limiting factor in skilled performance, and that humans shape their movements to compensate for this intrinsic limitation.
End-User System Development: Lessons from a Case Study of IT Usage in an Engineering Organization

How much end-user computing is too much? Should end users develop systems? This case looks at a study of end user computing within the engineering organizations of an electric utility undergoing deregulation. The case was initiated when management perceived that too much engineering time was spent doing IS functions. The case found that there was significant effort being expended on system development, support, and ad hoc use. Reviews of a few key systems illustrate quality problems found with the end-user developed systems. Several issues were identified affecting system development including use of programming standards, documentation, infrastructure integration, and system support. Additionally, the issues of obsolescence, security, and procurement are discussed.
Improving Milk Intake in Milk-Averse Lactose Digesters and Maldigesters

Objective: To determine whether a 21-day milk-drinking intervention could reverse milk aversion. Design: Participants consumed increasing amounts of cow’s milk for 21 days. Milk and dairy consumption, aversion, and likeness were assessed pre- and post-intervention and at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. Setting: A large Midwestern university. Participants: Twenty-seven milk-averse individuals completed the intervention, 26 completed the 3-month follow-up, and 24 completed the 6-month follow-up. Main Outcomes Measured: Participants self-reported milk and dairy consumption, aversion, and degree to which they liked milk. Analysis: Analysis of variance determined between-subject effects. Independent samples ttest determined the effect of time. Fisher exact test determined factors affecting milk consumption. Results: Lactose digesters and maldigesters showed a significant decrease in overall symptom scores after the milk intervention, with no significant difference between groups. Independent of digestive status, subjects demonstrated a significant decrease in aversion, an increase in the amount to which they liked milk, and an increase in milk and overall calcium consumption at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. Conclusions and Implications: The results suggest a reversal of milk avoidance and the possibility that milk avoiders can increase likeness and incorporate milk into their diet after exposure.
High-performance liquid chromatographic preparation of single-site carrier-free pancreatic polypeptide hormone radiotracers

The preferred radiotracer for use in radioimmuno- and receptor assays is one which is as similar as possible to the native hormone in both physicochemical and biological properties. Until recently, rapid detailed evaluation of iodination methodology as well as separation of site-specific tracers and their evaluation relative to the native protein has not been possible. Using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic methodology (C8 or C18 columns) we have evaluated a variety of iodination techniques and conditions. Procedures were found that allow the isolation of site-specific radiolabelled protein hormones in a rapid, reproducible and quantitative manner. The radiotracers are of the highest possible specific activity, have very low levels of damage and are more stable than tracers prepared by conventional techniques. This methodology has been applied to preparing tracers of beef, pork and human insulins, proinsulins and C-peptides as well as analogues of these proteins. In addition, the methodology has been applied to somatostatin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. The use of these tracers yielded increased sensitivity and reproducibility in a number of radioimmunoassays (e.g. C-peptide and glucagon), more reproducible results in radioreceptor assays (e.g. insulin receptors) and more defined studies on drug absorption and degradation. Finally, scale-up of our isolation procedures has yielded the 127I-analogue for homologous binding and displacement studies.
Molecular changes in myosin caused by methylmercuric hydrome

Abstract An ultracentrifugal study has been made on myosin treated with methylmercuric hydroxide. 1. 1. Myosin is transformed by tritration of its -SH groups with methylmerucuric hydroxide to a faster-sedimenting product. This occurs in the same range of methyl-mercuric hydroxide titration at which the calcium-activated ATPase activity is inhibited. A parallelism can be demonstrated between the loss of ATPhase activity and the loss of myosin due to the transformation process. 2. 2. Complete titration of the -SH groups of myosin with methylmercuric hydroxide causes the release of a small subunit with sedimentation rate of 1.6 S, at 25° but not at 15°. 3. 3. These results suggest that the -SH groups whose titration causes inactivation of ATPase activity are responsible for the configurational integrity of the active site, and that release of the small subunit is not related to titration of these -SH groups.
3,4-Dihydroxyproline: A New Amino Acid in Diatom Cell Walls

An analog of proline, 2, 3-cis-3, 4-trans-3, 4-dihydroxy-L-proline, was found in the cell walls of the eight species of diatoms studied and was isolated from the proteinaceous material of the wall of Navicula pelliculosa. The properties of this substance are described; its structure was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectros-copy.
Radiosurgical salvage therapy for patients presenting with recurrence of metastatic disease to the brain.

OBJECTIVE: Radiosurgery has emerged as an important modality in the management of metastatic disease to the brain. A number of groups have published results suggesting that high local control rates can be achieved, with improvements in overall survival that rival the results of open surgical treatment. Typically, however, whole-brain radiotherapy has been used in the salvage therapy of patients who have undergone previous craniotomy or radiosurgery. We describe our experience with radiosurgical salvage in this group of patients. METHODS: From August 1994 to February 1999, 190 patients with brain metastasis were treated with gamma unit radiosurgery at our institution. A subset of 45 patients, who underwent radiosurgical salvage for new tumors in a region remote from an initially treated tumor, form the population base for this study. The usual criteria for repeat treatment were recurrence with five or fewer discrete lesions outside of the previously treated radiosurgical volume and Karnofsky Performance Scale score of at least 70. Survival and freedom from progression were measured from the time of radiosurgical treatment and were computed by the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. Two or more curves were compared using the log-rank method. RESULTS: In this subgroup of patients, a total of 176 tumors were treated. The median time from first radiosurgical procedure to first salvage was 17.4 weeks. Median survival from the second radiosurgical intervention was 28 weeks. Of the 45 study patients, 34 patients underwent a single salvage procedure, 10 patients underwent two salvage procedures, and 1 patient had three salvage procedures. The actuarial freedom from progression for treated tumors at 52 weeks was 92.4%. Patients undergoing upfront whole-brain irradiation were less likely to require salvage therapy (P = 0.008). There were 33 deaths after salvage radiosurgery during the reporting period. Central nervous system causes accounted for 13 deaths, whereas 19 deaths resulted from systemic disease. The cause of death in one patient could not be determined. No statistically significant advantage in overall survival could be demonstrated in patients treated with whole-brain irradiation. CONCLUSION: Radiosurgical salvage represents a valuable means of treatment for central nervous system recurrence for patients who have undergone previous treatment for metastatic disease to the brain. Whole-brain irradiation may reduce the need for salvage therapy, but no advantage in overall survival could be demonstrated in this subgroup.
Carcinoembryonic antigen in fetal eccrine glands: an immunohistochemical study.

: Developing fetal eccrine glands were examined for the presence of Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) using an unlabeled antibody peroxidase-anti-peroxidase technique and rabbit antibody to human CEA. The earliest sign of commitment to the formation of an eccrine gtand was the presence of CEA within a single keratinocyte in fetal epidermis. As the eccrine unit evolved, we found CEA in both acrosyringeal cells and the ductal cells. Although the function of CEA in eccrine gland remains undefined, this substance may play an integral role in the earliest development of the gland as well as in its normal function in the adult.
Membrane Structure Characterization Using Variable-Period X-Ray Standing Waves

The variable-period x-ray standing wave (XSW) technique is emerging as a powerful tool for studying membrane structure. However, two significant problems arise when the method is used to characterize membranes of thickness dL < 100 A. First, the surface roughness, sigma(r), of the supporting reflecting mirror convolutes with the intrinsic half-width of the marker atom distribution in the membrane, sigma(in), and contributes to an apparent half-width, sigma, which is measured in the XSW experiment. Here we show how the latter terms are related quantitatively [sigma(in) = (sigma2 - sigma(r)2)(1/2)], such that rough mirrors give rise to larger marker atom distribution widths, sigma, and how the required quantity sigma(in) can be determined in the XSW measurement. Second, when the mean position of the marker atom layer, (z), is close to one or both boundaries of the membrane, its distribution function is truncated at the boundary. In such cases, we show why marker atom distribution should be expressed in terms of its first and second moments. We also demonstrate by numerical simulations of realistic samples how the physical parameters, sigma(r), sigma, (z), and dL, affect x-ray reflectivity and fluorescence yield profiles as an aid in their interpretation.
Studies on hypoxia. IV. Differential response of respiratory enzymes in various organs of adult rats.

SummaryAdult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to acute anoxia of 6-min duration in an environment of purified nitrogen containing 30-40 ppm of oxygen. Six tissues, namely, the heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, parotid, and submandibular gland, were analyzed with respect to the changes in succinate and lactate dehydrogenase activities caused by anoxia. The results show that, while both enzyme activities are suppressed in the organs studied, SDH activity was most suppressed in the heart, kidney, and pancreas. On the other hand, the submandibular gland showed a significant increase in LDH activity. These results support the view that the reduction of protein synthesis in different organs following exposure to anoxia is variable.
Analysis of the Protected Status of Maltreated Children and Youth

Violence to children has been common throughout history, yet society's response to child abuse and neglect has developed quite slowly. The delay in recognizing and responding to child maltreatment, and the problems of structuring protection for children, are related strongly to the fact that children cannot exercise adult powers. Changes in the "status" of children will be enduring only as adults continue exercising their powers wisely on behalf of children. Under the law, status is a concept both used and misused on behalf of children. There seems to be no coherent view of childhood providing a consistent influence on legal decisions. Rather than ignoring many of the complexities of children's status, children's law should be better related to the degree of protection required by the child's or youth's developmental stage. Language: en
Vitamin D Status and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the United States Adolescent Population

At the end of the 19th century, there was an epidemic of vitamin D-deficient rickets in US children that resulted in growth retardation, muscle weakness, skeletal deformities, and tetany.1 With the fortification of milk and other foods with vitamin D and the encouragement of moderate sunlight exposure, rickets was almost completely eradicated by the middle of the 20th century.2 While rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults may represent the extreme consequences of severe vitamin D deficiency, lesser degrees of deficiency or insufficiency may have important health effects. Indeed, increased parathyroid hormone levels during childhood and adolescence, secondary to vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency results in calcium resorption from the skeleton, which may lower peak bone mass and increase the risk of developing osteoporosis during adulthood.3–5 Although a great deal of attention has been justifiably placed on understanding the consequences of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency on bone health, a growing body of evidence from several lines of scientific inquiry indicates hypovitaminosis D may influence the development of cardiovascular disease.6 Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, an indicator of vitamin D status incorporating both cutaneous production from sunlight exposure and dietary intake,7 have been observed in cerebrovascular,8,9 heart failure,10 and coronary heart disease patients.8,11 Furthermore, low vitamin D has been linked with higher rates of metabolic syndrome,12 hypertension,13 diabetes,14 myocardial infarction,15 peripheral arterial disease,16 and cardiovascular disease.17 While cardiovascular disease events occur most frequently during or after the fifth decade of life, pathological evidence suggests precursors of cardiovascular disease originate in childhood.18,19 Longitudinal studies have shown risk factor levels in young adulthood track into and predict the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in adulthood.20,21 A significant association between vitamin D and cardiovascular risk factors in youth would suggest that the successful repletion of vitamin D has the potential to improve the cardiovascular risk profile during childhood and adolescence, and lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Compared to adults, however, very little is known about the association between vitamin D and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in youth. The present study sought to examine the association of serum vitamin D levels with select cardiovascular disease risk factors and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among a nationally representative population-based sample of US adolescents aged 12–19 years.
Discourse structure and mental models

What children know about discourse and its conventions before they start to read may influence their acquisition of reading skill.
Free-electron lasers driven by RF linacs

Using an electron beam in a magnetic field as the gain medium, free-electron lasers offer a powerful new source of tunable, coherent radiation. Results are just becoming available from several new experiments, but they confirm the theoretical promise of these devices. Backed up by a strong base of accelerator technology, free-electron lasers using RF linacs are expected to become important in applications requiring wavelengths from the infrared part of the spectrum to the vacuum ultraviolet.
Use of frozen sections in the examination of sentinel lymph nodes in patients with melanoma

This article examines the different views regarding the use of frozen sections and other rapid techniques in sentinel lymph nodes from patients with cutaneous melanoma. Special attention is given to the pros and cons of such techniques.
Role of surfactant and pH on dissolution properties of fenofibrate and glipizide--a technical note.

Depending on the dose size and solubility characteristics of low solubility drugs, a meaningful and discriminatory power of dissolution rate testing can be demonstrated. Saturation solubility of fenofibrate and glipizide in different media were determined. Solubility of fenofibrate increased directly with SLS concentration. For a 54-mg fenofibrate tablet, SLS at 0.025 M level is required for a discriminative dissolution test, while for 160-mg tablet, dissolution condition and levels of SLS should be optimized; higher concentrations may be effective (ie, 0.052 M, ∼1.5%). A pH 6.8 phosphate buffer medium is appropriate for glipizide 10-mg tablet dissolution study, when formulation ingredients include excipients with surface activity (eg, HPMC).
A bivariate mixed-effects location-scale model with application to ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data

A bivariate mixed-effects location-scale model is proposed for estimation of means, variances, and covariances of two continuous outcomes measured concurrently in time and repeatedly over subjects. Modeling the two outcomes jointly allows examination of BS and WS association between the outcomes and whether the associations are related to covariates. The variance-covariance matrices of the BS and WS effects are modeled in terms of covariates, explaining BS and WS heterogeneity. The proposed model relaxes assumptions on the homogeneity of the within-subject (WS) and between-subject (BS) variances. Furthermore, the WS variance models are extended by including random scale effects. Data from a natural history study on adolescent smoking are used for illustration. 461 students, from 9th and 10th grades, reported on their mood at random prompts during seven consecutive days. This resulted in 14,105 prompts with an average of 30 responses per student. The two outcomes considered were a subject's positive affect and a measure of how tired and bored they were feeling. Results showed that the WS association of the outcomes was negative and significantly associated with several covariates. The BS and WS variances were heterogeneous for both outcomes, and the variance of the random scale effects were significantly different from zero.
The interrelationship between air temperature and humidity as applied locally to the skin: The resultant response on skin temperature and blood flow with age differences

Background Most studies of the skin and how it responds to local heat have been conducted with either water, thermodes, or dry heat packs. Very little has been accomplished to look at the interaction between air humidity and temperature on skin temperature and blood flow. With variable air temperatures and humidity’s around the world, this, in many ways, is a more realistic assessment of environmental impact than previous water bath studies.
Epistemology Contextualized: Social‐Scientific Knowledge in a Postpositivist Era*

In the production of knowledge about social life, two social contexts come together: the context of investigation, consisting of the social world of the investigator, and the context of explanation, consisting of the social world of the actors who are the subject of study. The nature of, and relationship between, these contexts is imagined in philosophy; managed, rewarded, and sanctioned in graduate seminars, journal reviews, and tenure cases; and practiced in research. Positivism proposed to produce objective knowledge by suppressing the nonlogical and nonobservational aspects of the contexts. Attacks on positivism disputed the effectiveness and rationality of this strategy. Thus “postpositivism” can be understood as a series of attempts to reconstitute the relation between the contexts as the basis for accurate social knowledge. Two of the most important of these attempts—grounded theory and postmodern anthropology—are considered, and a synthesis, which draws from the insights of cultural sociology, is ...
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Activates the Equine Luteinizing Hormone β Promoter Through a Protein Kinase C/Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway

GnRH regulation of LH secretion is well understood and involves Ca(2+) mobilization. However, the mechanism by which GnRH activates transcription of the LHbeta gene is controversial. GnRH is known to elevate intracellular calcium and activate the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway. The present study evaluated the pathway(s) involved in GnRH induction of LHbeta transcription. We have previously reported that the equine LHbeta (eLHbeta -448/+60) promoter is active in alphaT3-1 cells. Therefore, we created a clonal, stably transfected alphaT3-1 gonadotroph cell line harboring the eLHbeta promoter (-448/+60) fused to the luciferase reporter gene. Administration of a GnRH agonist resulted in induction of promoter activity that was completely inhibited by the antagonist antide. Various calcium-affecting drugs had no effect on the promoter. Administration of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) elicited an activation similar to, albeit lower than, that with GnRH. Down-regulation or pharmacological inhibition of PKC completely blocked PMA's induction of the promoter, while GnRH induction was only partly attenuated. Treatment with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase inhibitor, PD98059, completely inhibited the activation of eLHbeta by PMA but only partly diminished GnRH's induction. Expression of the transcription factor, early growth response protein 1 (Egr1), correlated completely with activation of MAPK, suggesting that Egr1 is the factor through which PKC/MAPK acts. Our data suggest that GnRH induces activity of the eLHbeta promoter by activating a signal transduction cascade involving PKC-MAPK-Egr1 but that has no significant requirement for calcium.
Within-Season Nest Reuse by Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) in Eastern Colorado

Abstract. The Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) is a declining migratory shorebird that nests on shortgrass prairies across the western Great Plains. This ground-nesting species exhibits an uncommon split-clutch mating system, in which each member of a pair simultaneously incubates a nest and uniparental care continues throughout brood-rearing. We report on an observation of within-season nest reuse in this species. To our knowledge, this report includes the first documented occurrence of 2 different Mountain Plovers using the same nest cup in the same breeding season. Nest reuse could represent a time- and energy-saving strategy for renesting individuals.
Dynamic Response Of An Electro-Optical Imaging System

A theoretical model for characterizing the dynamic response of an electro-optical imaging system is developed. The model relates the spatial frequency degradations of an image display with the phosphor characteristics as well as with the relative velocity with which the object moves away from the sensor.
Marine Polychaete Annelids of Easter Island

This study increases the number of species of marine polychaete annelids known to occur at Easter Island from 11 to 60, of which 43 are identified to species. Nearly 90% of these occur in the tropical Indo-West Pacific region, but 60% are of circumtropical distribution. The strong Indo-West Pacific zoogeographic affinity is consistent with other taxa of Easter Island inshore marine animals for which data are available, the fishes, corals, and gastropod molluscs. Polychaete species composition and abundance were determined in substrate samples from two types of microhabitat in a tidepool. A sample of 290 ml of sand and 70 ml of algae contained 1,779 specimens of 41 species of polychaetes (species diversity H′ = 2.57). A basalt boulder of surface area 340 cm2 contained a polychaete assemblage of 864 specimens of 35 species (H′ = 2.49). Population density of the latter sample is equivalent to 25,400 polychaetes/m2. Of the 49 species present in the two samples, 34 were identified to species. Although 27 species (55%) were common to both samples, similarity as measured by Cλ, which weighs differences in relative abundance, was only 24%. More than half of all polychaetes present in the two samples belonged to the family Syllidae; they comprised 65% of the individuals in the sand-algae sample and 35% in the boulder sample. Spirorbinae predominated numerically in the boulder sample (40%). Chaetopteridae (10%) and Spionidae (8%) were the next most abundant families in the sand-algae sample.
EFFECT OF RESPONSE PRACTICE VARIABLES ON LEARNING SPELLING AND SIGHT VOCABULARY

Four experiments were conducted to examine variables associated with response practice as an instructional technique for individuals with intellectual disabilities. In Experiment 1, the effect of the cover component in the “cover write” method was evaluated, as were the comparative effects of written versus oral practice of spelling words by rehabilitation clients. The results showed that the cover procedure generally did not enhance performance over and above that produced by practice alone, and written practice generally was not superior to oral practice. Experiment 2 demonstrated that less response practice (i.e., five times) was as effective as more practice (i.e., 10 and 15 times) for teaching spelling to adolescents with developmental disabilities. Experiments 3 and 4 also showed that even less response practice (i.e., one time) was as effective as more practice (five times), and irrelevant practice following errors was as effective as relevant practice for teaching spelling and sight vocabulary to adolescents with behavior disorders and developmental disabilities, respectively. The findings suggest that a parsimonious procedure of limited response practice and positive reinforcement may be effective for the tasks and populations studied.
Specific Interaction of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Surface Glycoprotein with Human DC-SIGN

DC-SIGN, a cell surface C-type lectin expressed on dendritic cells (DCs), is thought to play key roles in the interaction of DCs with T cells as well as in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pathogenesis (reviewed in reference 4). By binding to intracellular adhesion molecule 3 (ICAM-3), DC-SIGN facilitates the initial interaction between DCs and resting T cells, which leads to antigen recognition and initiation of the immune response (6). DC-SIGN is also a unique type of attachment factor for HIV type 1 (HIV-1) in that it binds the envelope glycoprotein gp120 of HIV-1 and promotes infection in trans of target CD4+ T cells (5). It is believed that HIV may exploit DC-SIGN for its transport from mucosal sites of infection to permissive T cells in secondary lymphoid organs. DC-SIGN also binds HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus surface glycoproteins (10) and can enhance infection in cis, especially when CD4 and coreceptor levels are limiting (7). We were thus interested to study potential DC-SIGN interaction with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the causative agent of feline AIDS in the domestic cat (8). Feline DC-SIGN has not been cloned, and reagents and protocols for the preparation of feline DCs are in development. However, based on a previous demonstration of FIV binding to human CXCR4 (13), we initiated studies utilizing human DC-SIGN.
Multiple Regression Analysis of a Poisson Process

Abstract A multiple regression model based on the Poisson density is discussed. Point estimation by maximum likelihood results in estimating equations which can be solved by iteration based on scoring or on a successively revised weighted least squares estimator. The first round of each iterative process is shown to be BAN, provided that the ordinary least squares estimator is used as the initial condition. A minimum chi-squared estimator, which can be computed directly from sample observations, is derived and shown to be BAN. A consistent estimator of the variance-covariance matrix for each estimation procedure is given.
Nanomedicine and Society

Nanomedicine is a reality of medical research and clinical practice, and it offers new and promising approaches to fundamental problems in medicine. Most prominent are the early detection of neoplastic disease and the individualized treatment of metastases. These potentially transformational developments require careful scrutiny of the potential impact of nanomedicine on society, so that the community can guide its deployment in keeping with the fundamental tenets of medical ethics.
Contributions of Ecological School Mental Health Services to Students' Academic Success

This article describes an ecological framework for school mental health services that differs in important ways from existing service delivery models. The model is based on research describing ecological frameworks underlying students' school success. Ecological characteristics of schools and classrooms that promote academic success are described and used to support the case that students' school success is integrally related to their psychological well-being. Then, familiar data-based consultation strategies can be used to systematically track and strengthen these ecological elements in classrooms and schools. Integration of the ecological model into existing strategies for school mental health services can strengthen the contributions of school psychologists to routines and practices that support students' success in school.
Induction of Vasculogenic Mimicry Overrides VEGF-A Silencing and Enriches Stem-like Cancer Cells in Melanoma

The basis for resistance to VEGF inhibition is not fully understood despite its clinical importance. In this study, we examined the adaptive response to VEGF-A inhibition by a loss-of-function analysis using plasmid-based shRNA. Tumor xenografts that initially responded to VEGF-A inhibition underwent an adaptation in vivo leading to acquired resistance. VEGF-A blockade in tumors was associated with HIF-1α expression and an increase in CD144+ vasculogenic mimicry (VM), leading to formation of channels displaying Tie-1 and MMP-2 upregulation. CD133+ and CD271+ melanoma stem-like cells (MSLC) accumulated in the perivascular niche. Tumor xenografts of melanoma cell populations that were intrinsically resistant to VEGF-A blockade did not exhibit any of these features, compared to non-target control counterparts. Thus, melanomas which are initially sensitive to VEGF-A blockade acquire adaptive resistance by adopting VM as an alternate angiogenic strategy, thereby enriching for deposition of MSLC in the perivascular niche through a HIF-1α-dependent process. Conversely, melanomas which are intrinsically resistant to VEGF-A blockade do not show any evidence of compensatory survival mechanisms that promote MSLC accumulation. Our work highlights the potential risk of anti-VEGF treatments owing to a selective pressure for an adaptive resistance mechanism that empowers the development of stem-like cancer cells, with implications for how to design combination therapies that can improve outcomes in patients.
Effects of 6/85-Strain Mycoplasma gallisepticum Inoculation Alone at Ten Weeks of Age or in Conjunction with F-Strain Mycoplasma gallisepticum Inoculation Overlays at Twenty-Two or Forty-Five Weeks of Age on the Performance of Commercial Egg-Laying Hens

The effects of 6/85-strain Mycoplasma gallisepticum (6/85MG) inoculation alone or in conjunction with a F-strain M. gallisepticum (FMG) overlay and its timing on the performance of commercial egg-laying hens were investigated. Control birds received sham inoculations at 10 wk of age. A second treated group of birds was inoculated with 6/85MG at 10 wk of age, a third treatment group of birds was inoculated with 6/85MG at 10 wk and received an overlay of FMG at 22 wk, and a fourth treatment group was inoculated with 6/85MG at 10 wk followed by a 45-wk overlay inoculation of FMG. Parameters investigated between 20 and 55 wk of age included BW, mortality, weekly and total egg production, egg weight, relative eggshell conductance, eggshell weight per unit of surface area, percentage shell weight, yolk/albumen ratio, and egg shape index. Hen age effects were reported for BW, egg weight, yolk/albumen ratio, and egg production. No treatment effects or hen age x treatment interactions were noted for those parameters except for yolk/albumen ratio, and no significant effects of any kind were noted for the remaining parameters examined. At wk 47, a significant treatment effect for yolk/albumen ratio was noted. The yolk/albumen ratio in the group of birds that received 6/85MG at 10 wk followed by an overlay of FMG at 22 wk was significantly lower than the sham control birds and those that were inoculated with 6/85MG at 10 wk followed by a 45-wk overlay inoculation of FMG. Prelay 6/85MG inoculations may be a suitable substitute for prelay FMG inoculations, and FMG overlays during lay on prelay 6/85MG inoculations may provide continual protection without eliciting any subsequent suppressive effects on performance.
High-performance thin-layer chromatographic analysis of neutral lipids and phospholipids in Biomphalaria glabrata patently infected with Echinostoma caproni

This study examined the effects of larval trematode infection on the neutral lipid and phospholipid content of Biomphalaria glabrata patently infected with the daughter rediae of Echinostoma caproni. Uninfected snails were used as matched controls. As determined by qualitative high-performance silica gel thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), the major neutral lipids present in the whole bodies and digestive gland–gonad complexes in both snail populations were free sterols, free fatty acids, and triacylglycerols, and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Quantitative analysis by HPTLC with visible and UV scanning reflectance densitometry showed no significant differences in the concentrations of these lipids in whole bodies of infected snails vs the controls, but the concentration of triacylglycerols in the infected digestive gland–gonad complex was significantly less than that of the uninfected. No qualitative differences in neutral lipids and phospholipids in shell or plasma samples were found between infected vs uninfected snails.
Emergia: Driving Profitability on Help Desk Contracts

Emergia wants to keep its customers happy with its contact center service, but the margins on the help desk contract are dangerously low. Can Miguel Neira, the COO, increase margins while preserving the customer relationship?Learning Objective: This case can be used to teach students how to develop time equations to estimate the cost of activities in a firm. The dataset that complements the case helps students learn how to use regression analysis to estimate time equations. Finally the case can be used to discuss performance measurement and incentives in customer-supplier relations and the implications of off-shoring in the context of call centers.
Exponentially weighted moving average control charts for monitoring customer service quality comments

This paper examines the use of variable control charts with data that originates in text form and uses factors extracted from the text by latent semantic analysis. We demonstrate how text data from customer comments is analysed as well as the steps necessary to visualise the extracted factors on an Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) chart. We also show how the factors correspond to latent service related issues and how using the EWMA chart to monitor those factors allows for addressing and improving service quality issues. We also review issues in text mining and suggest areas for future research.
Implications of Childhood Autism for Parental Employment and Earnings

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in parental labor force participation, hours of work, and annual earnings associated with childhood autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Commentary: A multidisciplinary approach to developing mental health training for law enforcement.

Vermette et al .[1][1] address a topic that affects many mental health clinicians and their patients. Policy changes, including deinstitutionalization, inadequate funding of outpatient treatment, and stringent commitment requirements, may have contributed to an increase in the frequency of police
Overview of the Possible Targets for Viral Chemotherapy

The ideal target for prevention of viral infections is eradication of either the virus or the host, since both are required to produce an infection. For a variety of reasons, mostly personal, we would all agree to preferably eliminate the virus. Such an approach appears to have been accomplished with the world-wide elimination of the virus responsible for smallpox. This was achieved by a highly successful campaign of surveillance and containment by vaccination in order to prevent its spread, rather than by universal routine immunization.
The Effects of Protein Restriction on Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and IGF-Binding Proteins in Chickens

The effect of dietary protein restriction (5% and 10% compared to control 20%) on circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) was examined in young (18-day-old) chickens during a 2-week period. Reductions in dietary protein caused progressive growth retardation as evidenced by decreased body-weight gain and reduced bone growth. The decrease in plasma concentrations of IGF-I appeared to be directly related to dietary protein levels (i.e., the lower the amount of dietary protein, the greater the reduction in the circulating concentrations of this growth factor). Three IGFBPs with MWs of 30, 36, and 40 kDa were detected by radioligand assay following separation by SDS-electrophoresis. Binding activity of the 30-kDa IGFBP was transiently increased on Day 3 by protein restriction (both 5% and 10%). The 36-kDa IGFBP was also affected by protein restriction with binding activity of this IGFBP decreased throughout the study. The binding activity of the 40-kDa IGFBP was transiently increased on Days 3 and 7 but subsequently decreased on Days 10 and 14 in the 10% protein group. In the 5% protein group, binding activity of the 40-kDa IGFBP was decreased throughout the study. The decrease in circulating concentrations of IGF-I appeared to be inversely related to the initial increase in the binding activity of the 30-kDa IGFBP on Day 3 (5% and 10% protein) and to the increased binding activity of the 40-kDa IGFBP on Days 3 and 7 (10% protein). This may suggest that bioavailability of plasma IGF-I is decreased initially due to increased binding with these IGFBPs. However, binding activity of all three IGFBPs then decreased in a manner directly related to the decreasing IGF-I plasma concentrations for the remainder of the experiment. The initial increase in binding activity observed with the 30-kDa IGFBP is similar to that observed with IGFBP-1 in mammals in that both of these IGFBPs respond rapidly to nutritional deprivation. Decreased protein intake would certainly have an impact on the amount of available proteins required for the synthesis of these growth factors.
Research and Application on Shanxi Power Backbone Optical WDM Self-Healing Mesh Network

This paper analyses the business requirement in 12th Five-Year Plan period and the necessity for building next generation WDM system in terms of power production,operation management and information application.Considering the impact of serious natural disasters on power grid,it compares WDM ring network with mesh network and introduces a solution for optimizing network and building a self-healing mesh network.By researching and analyzing OTN technology,it defines the choice of electrical layer based full-service optical cross connect switch and GMPLS intelligent control plane.The paper also gives a brief description on system configuration,the characteristic of DTN equipments and business applications.It displays the analysis of test data of simulation of OTN with multiple faults.Finally,it summaries the experience of building large-scale OTN network and proposes a solution for whether to do optical fiber fusion splicing in ODF of transformer with switch mode of fiber optic connector in optical channel composed of multiple optical cables.
Development of advanced integrated micro-sensor

The development of an advanced integrated micro-sensor has been introduced by the structure characteristic and performance and manufacture of acoustic emission micro-sensors,vibration sensors,multi-sensor coupon and wireless integrated micro-sensors.