cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The feeding value of extruded corn grain in a corn silage-based ration for high-producing Holstein cows and heifers during mid lactation.

The objective of this study was to investigate the feeding value of extruded corn in a corn silage-based ration for high-producing Holstein cows during mid lactation. Sixteen multiparous and 8 primiparous Holstein cows (106 ± 49.7 d in milk; 43.7 ± 5.27 kg of milk/d) were paired based on parity, days in milk, milk production, and body condition score and assigned to 1 of 2 dietary treatments in a randomized block design for 10 wk including a 2-wk adaptation period. Cows were fed a total mixed ration and milked 3 times per day. Diets contained 44% forage (3:1; corn silage:grass silage), 44.7% grain, and either extruded corn (EXC) or finely ground corn (FGC) at 11.3% of ration dry matter. No significant differences were detected in dry matter intake, milk protein yields, fat-corrected milk yields, or body condition score between cows fed FGC and cows fed EXC. Multiparous cows fed EXC produced more milk during wk 3 through 8 with a reduced milk fat content compared with multiparous cows fed FGC. Milk protein content was greater for primiparous cows fed EXC during wk 5 through 8 compared with primiparous cows fed the FGC ration. The major effect of feeding 2.7 kg/d of EXC compared with FGC was an increase in milk production and a reduction in milk fat content for multiparous cows, and an increase in milk protein content for primiparous cows.
Osteoplastic flap versus modified endoscopic Lothrop procedure in patients with frontal sinus disease.

The aim of the present study was to review the clinical results of osteoplastic flap procedure with abdominal fat obliteration and modified endoscopic Lothrop procedure. Charts of patients with fro...
Using satellite data to characterize the temporal thermal behavior of an active volcano: Mount St. Helens, WA

ASTER thermal infrared data over Mt. St Helens were used to characterize its thermal behavior from Jun 2000 to Feb 2006. Prior to the Oct 2004 eruption, the average crater temperature varied seasonally between -12 and 6 C. After the eruption, maximum single-pixel temperature increased from 10 C (Oct 2004) to 96 C (Aug 2005), then showed a decrease to Feb 2006. The initial increase in temperature was correlated with dome morphology and growth rate and the subsequent decrease was interpreted to relate to both seasonal trends and a decreased growth rate/increased cooling rate, possibly suggesting a significant change in the volcanic system. A single-pixel ASTER thermal anomaly first appeared on Oct 1, 2004, eleven hours after the first eruption - 10 days before new lava was exposed at the surface. By contrast, an automated algorithm for detecting thermal anomalies in MODIS data did not trigger an alert until Dec 18. However, a single-pixel thermal anomaly first appeared in MODIS channel 23 (4 um) on Oct 13, 12 days after the first eruption - 2 days after lava was exposed. The earlier thermal anomaly detected with ASTER data is attributed to the higher spatial resolution (90 m) compared with MODIS (1 m) and the earlier visual observation of anomalous pixels compared to the automated detection method suggests that local spatial statistics and background radiance data could improve automated detection methods.
Controlling photochemistry with distinct hydrophobic nanoenvironments.

A combination of hydrophobic forces and guest templation drive the assembly of cavitands into molecular capsules. Encapsulated guests such as dibenzyl ketones reside in an essentially dry environment, and upon irradiation, undergo rearrangement processes that are templated by the shape of the 1 nm × 2 nm cavity.
Investigation of Longitudinal Control System for a Small Hydrofoil Boat

An analysis of a hydromechanical system for longitudinal control of a small hydrofoil boat is presented. The system incorporates height and acceleration sensors operating flaps on the foils through a mechanical linkage. Effects of some of the system parameters on the stability and response to waves are shown. The results indicate that the system is capable of providing adequate stability, but the response to stern waves at low frequencies is larger than desired.
Shape of Liquid Immiscibility Volume in the System Barium Oxide-Boric Oxide-Silica

The shape of the immiscibility volume in the system BaO-B2O3-SiO2 is determined from data on seventeen compositions. The ternary critical solution curve originates at the critical point in the binary system BaO-B2O3, located at 1225°C. and 15 weight % BaO. It extends almost linearly to its terminus on the silica primary-phase surface, at about 1405° C. and the composition 18 weight % BaO, 10.5% B2O3, 71.5% SiO2. By extrapolation of the ternary critical solution curve, the critical point of the postulated meta-stable immiscibility region in the binary system BaO-SiO2 is located at 1430° C. and 18.5 weight % BaO.
Pure Hydrogen Production by Partial Dehydrogenation of Cyclohexane and Methylcyclohexane over Nanotube-Supported Pt and Pd Catalysts

Stacked-cone carbon nanotubes (SC-CNT) were used as the support medium to prepare Pt and Pd catalysts for partial dehydrogenation of cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane to produce pure hydrogen. Results show that 0.25 wt % Pt/SC-CNT catalyst has the same catalytic activity and selectivity to produce aromatic products and hydrogen as a commercial 1 wt % Pt/Al2O3 catalyst. Even 0.1 wt % Pt/SC-CNT shows high reaction activity for the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, and this catalyst has the highest turn over number (TON) for hydrogen production. Transmission electron microscopy established that the mean diameter of the Pt nanoparticles dispersed on the SC-CNT remained approximately 1−2 nm even after cyclohexane dehydrogenation reaction. Pd supported on SC-CNT was not nearly as effective as Pt/SC-CNT for the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane.
Behaviorally determined neurophysiological properties of MFB self-stimulation fibers.

Abstract A number of experiments have demonstrated that such neurophysiological properties as latent addition, neural refractoriness and temporal summation can be behaviorally measured in double pulse studies of the self-stimulation system of the rat. Since these phenomena have been investigated exclusively in the posterior lateral hypothalamic medial forebrain bundle (PH-MFB) or in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain, the present experiment investigated these properties in an anterior area of the MFB. Eight rats were tested with PH-MFB electrodes and nine rats were tested with anterior preoptic electrodes (POA-MFB). The double pulse derived self-stimulation curves revealed: (a) a higher overall rate of responding for PH-MFB self-stimulation than for POA-MFB self-stimulation even though a higher current level was needed for POA-MFB self-stimulation; (b) refractory period differences between POA-MFB and PH-MFB electrodes; (c) evidence for latent addition; and (d) evidence for temporal summation. These results are discussed in terms of self-stimulation mapping studies of the rat diencephalon, the anatomy of the MFB, and previous double pulse self-stimulation studies.
Photometric and interferometric observations of a mid-latitude stable auroral red arc

Observational results of the mid-latitude stable auroral red arcs of October 30/31 and October 31/November 1, 1968 are presented. The measurements were made with a turret photometer and a 6 in. dia. high resolution, pressure scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer. The structure, intensity, and position of the red arc were determined from photometer scan measurements which show that the arc was stable, persisted for more than 12 hr, and moved southward during the night. The arc appeared to extend across the eastern part of the United States tilted to lines of constant magnetic L-shells. The results of the Doppler temperature measurements made with the Fabry-Perot interferometer show no measurable neutral gas temperature increase within the red arc.
Visual attention to competing social and object images by preschool children with autism spectrum disorder.

Eye tracking studies of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report a reduction in social attention and an increase in visual attention to non-social stimuli, including objects related to circumscribed interests (CI) (e.g., trains). In the current study, fifteen preschoolers with ASD and 15 typically developing controls matched on gender and age (range 24–62 months) were eye tracked while viewing a paired preference task of face and object stimuli. While co-varying verbal and nonverbal developmental quotients, preschoolers with ASD were similar to controls in their visual attention to faces presented with objects unrelated to CI, but attended significantly less than controls to faces presented with CI-related objects. This was consistent across three metrics: preference, prioritization and duration. Social attention in preschoolers with ASD therefore appears modulated by salience of competing non-social stimuli, which may affect the development of both social and non-social characteristics of the disorder.
SATISFACTION AND ROLE STRAIN AMONG MIDDLE‐AGE AND OLDER REENTRY WOMEN STUDENTS

Abstract The major purposes of this study were: (1) to investigate a range of variables associated with satisfaction and strain experienced in the student role by mature (age 35 and over) reentry women students; and (2) to develop and test a model for predicting satisfaction and role strain in mature reentry women students. Questionnaire data were obtained from 141 women 35 years old and over who were enrolled as undergraduates at a major midwestern university. Significant correlates of satisfaction in the student role included: rated helpfulness of professors' attitudes, helpfulness of counseling, and psychological support from children and friends. Significant correlates of strain in the student role included: dissatisfaction with job, rated helpfulness of financial aid, and number of years since previous school enrollment; age of youngest child was correlated negatively with strain in the student role. Multiple regression results showed that the strongest predictor of satisfaction in the student role w...
Polar stratospheric cloud visualization: volume reconstruction from intersecting curvilinear cross sections

The CALIPSO satellite launched by NASA in 2006 uses an on-board LIDAR instrument to measure the vertical distribution of clouds and aerosols along the orbital path. This satellite's dense vertical sampling of the atmosphere provides previously unavailable information about the altitude and composition of clouds, including the polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) that play an important role in the annual formation of polar ozone holes. Reconstruction of cloud surfaces through interpolation of CALIPSO data is challenging due to the sparsity of the data in the non-vertical dimensions and the complex sampling pattern created by intersecting non-planar orbital paths. This paper presents a method for computing cloud surfaces by reconstructing a continuous cloud surface distance field. The distance field reconstruction is performed via shape-based interpolation of the cloud contours on each cross section using a medial axis representation of each contour. The interpolation algorithm employs a projection operator that is defined in terms of (latitude, longitude, altitude) coordinates, so that projection between cross sections follows the earth's curved atmosphere and preserves cloud altitude. This process successfully interpolated cloud contours from CALIPSO data acquired during the 2006 polar winter and enabled three-dimensional visualization of the PSCs.
An ultrashort mixing length micromixer: the shear superposition micromixer.

We report for the first time a laminar high-performance continuous micromixing process of two fluids over a length of 200 microns in under 10 milliseconds achieved by an optimization of the control parameters amplitude and frequency in the mixing device denoted as ‘Shear Superposition Micromixer’. We improve mixing time by approximately 5 orders of magnitude over diffusion-limited mixing. The data indicate that rapid mixing is a result of the combined action of Taylor–Aris dispersion in the main and secondary microchannels and unsteady vortex motion that occurs at finite Reynolds number, which occurs above a threshold amplitude and frequency. The mixing performance is quantified using micron-resolution particle image velocimetry (micro-PIV) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
Adjuvant radiation therapy for colon cancer

Post-operative radiation therapy has been used in selected patients with colon cancer. In contrast with rectal cancer, the primary failure pattern in colon cancer is abdominal. Local failure does occur, but is less frequent and more difficult to detect. Retrospective data suggest a benefit from local/regional radiation therapy on local control and disease-free survival in subsets of patients compared to historical controls. An ongoing phase III intergroup trial (INT 0130) will determine if local/ regional radiation therapy improves the results of chemotherapy in subsets of patients with high-risk colon cancer. In general, the results of whole abdominal radiation plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) have been disappointing. However, the more recent data from the Southwest Oncology Group pilot trial are encouraging. In contrast to rectal cancer, where adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation therapy is standard treatment in high-risk patients, the use of radiation therapy (either local/regional or whole abdomen) in colon cancer remains investigational.
Damage-induced localized hypermutability.

Genome instability continuously presents perils of cancer, genetic disease and death of a cell or an organism. At the same time, it provides for genome plasticity that is essential for development and evolution. We address here the genome instability confined to a small fraction of DNA adjacent to free DNA ends at uncapped telomeres and double-strand breaks. We found that budding yeast cells can tolerate nearly 20 kilobase regions of subtelomeric single-strand DNA that contain multiple UV-damaged nucleotides. During restoration to the double-strand state, multiple mutations are generated by error-prone translesion synthesis. Genome-wide sequencing demonstrated that multiple regions of damage-induced localized hypermutability can be tolerated, which leads to the simultaneous appearance of multiple mutation clusters in the genomes of UV-irradiated cells. High multiplicity and density of mutations suggest that this novel form of genome instability may play significant roles in generating new alleles for evolutionary selection as well as in the incidence of cancer and genetic disease.
Dichoptic interaction of harmonically related spatial and temporal frequencies

Steady-state visual evoked potentials were recorded in response to contrast Reprint requests: Dr. Elmar T. Schmeisser, Division of Ocular Hazards, Letterman Army complex (sum of two spatial frequencies) suprathreshold sinusoidal gratings of two and six cycles/degree in a 5° field. Sine mode counterphasing enhances the second temporal harmonic component of the evoked waveform; square mode counterphasing generates a response with essentially all the power at the fundamental temporal frequency. Digital sums of observed responses to simple gratings presented alone had significantly greater amplitudes than any observed response to presented complex gratings. Response amplitudes ranked significantly by condition: binocular > dichoptic > monoptic. It is concluded that (a) sinusoidal counterphasing stimuli lead to two stimulus events per shift (an observed grating onset and offset), and (b) spatial frequency channels that are harmonically related in 1∶3 ratio do not destructively interfere with each other in either monoptic or dichoptic presentation.
Photoreversal kinetics of the I1 and I2 intermediates in the photocycle of photoactive yellow protein by double flash experiments with variable time delay.

We investigated the kinetics of photoreversal from the I1 and I2 intermediates of photoactive yellow protein (PYP) by time-resolved optical absorption spectroscopy with double flash excitation. A first flash, at 430 nm, initiated the photocycle. After a variable time delay, the I1 intermediate was photoreversed by a second flash, at 500 nm, or a mixture of I2 and I2‘ intermediates was photoreversed by a second flash, at 355 nm. By varying the delay from 1 μs to 3 s, we were able to selectively excite the intermediates I1, I2, and I2‘. The photoreversal kinetics of I2 and I2‘ at 21 different delays and two wavelengths (340 and 450 nm) required two exponentials for a global fit with time constants of τ1 = 57 ± 5 μs and τ2 = 380 ± 40 μs (pH 6, 20 °C). These were assigned to photoreversal from sequential I2 and I2‘ intermediates, respectively. The good agreement of the delay dependence of the two amplitudes, A1 and A2, with the time dependence of the I2 and I2‘ populations provided strong evidence for the seq...
2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in critically ill children in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Objective:To compare the clinical features, management, and outcome of critically ill children with H1N1 to children with seasonal influenza from the previous three influenza seasons.Design:The overall number of hospitalizations and the proportion cared for in the pediatric intensive care unit durin
Social process as everyday practice: the micro politics of community-based conservation and development in southeastern Mexico

This article explores the everyday exchanges associated with community-based natural resources management in southeastern Mexico to suggest how formal and informal social practices shape conservation and development outcomes. Discussions of social process in most policy analyses emphasize formal exchanges based in rational action but typically overlook the impact of everyday social practices, which often occur “off-stage.” First, I build on existing conceptualizations of social process in the policy sciences by exploring culturally-informed approaches focused on everyday practice, infrapolitics, and performance. Second, I present a case study detailing the emergence and decline of a timber marketing fund to reveal how informal lending among community members contributed to the decapitalization of the fund. Third, I trace flows of economic capital from the fund in order to discuss specific policy outcomes. Fourth, I present ethnographic and archival evidence showing the persistence and frequency of informal lending, the performative aspects of local social process, and the character of “off-stage” interactions. I conclude with a discussion of social process that extends analysis beyond values-based outcomes to consider how long-standing practices based in particular logics (political cultures) collide with formalized (technocratic) practices of the public sphere. I employ this conceptual approach to critically examine questions of petty corruption and local conflict, to uncover multiple dimensions of micro political interaction, and to explore how cultural perspectives on social process might inform policy responses.
Dynamic management of TurboMode in modern multi-core chips

Dynamic overclocking of CPUs, or TurboMode, is a feature recently introduced on all x86 multi-core chips. It leverages thermal and power headroom from idle execution resources to overclock active cores to increase performance. TurboMode can accelerate CPU-bound applications at the cost of additional power consumption. Nevertheless, naive use of TurboMode can significantly increase power consumption without increasing performance. Thus far, there is no strategy for managing TurboMode to optimize its use across all workloads and efficiency metrics. This paper analyzes the impact of TurboMode on a wide range of efficiency metrics (performance, power, cost, and combined metrics such as QPS=W and ED2) for representative server workloads on various hardware configurations. We determine that TurboMode is generally beneficial for performance (up to +24%), cost efficiency (QPS/$ up to +8%), energy-delay product (ED, up to +47%), and energy-delay-squared product (ED2, up to +68%). However, TurboMode is inefficient for workloads that exhibit interference for shared resources. We use this information to build and validate a model that predicts the optimal TurboMode setting for each efficiency metric. We then implement autoturbo, a background daemon that dynamically manages TurboMode in real time without any hardware changes. We demonstrate that autoturbo improves QPS=$, ED, and ED2 by 8%, 47%, and 68% respectively over not using TurboMode. At the same time, autoturbo virtually eliminates all the large drops in those same metrics (−12%, −25%, −25% for QPS/$, ED, and ED2) that occur when TurboMode is used naively (always on).
Impacts of Aerosol Particle Size Distribution and Land Cover Land Use on Precipitation in a Coastal Urban Environment Using a Cloud-Resolving Mesoscale Model

Urban environments influence precipitation formation via response to dynamic effects, while aerosols are intrinsically necessary for rainfall formation; however, the partial contributions of each on urban coastal precipitation are not yet known. Here, the authors use aerosol particle size distributions derived from the NASA aerosol robotic network (AERONET) to estimate submicron cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and supermicron CCN (GCCN) for ingestion in the regional atmospheric modeling system (RAMS). High resolution land data from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) were assimilated into RAMS to provide modern land cover and land use (LCLU). The first two of eight total simulations were month long runs for July 2007, one with constant PSD values and the second with AERONET PSDs updated at times consistent with observations. The third and fourth runs mirrored the first two simulations for “No City” LCLU. Four more runs addressed a one-day precipitation event under City and No City LCLU, and two different PSD conditions. Results suggest that LCLU provides the dominant forcing for urban precipitation, affecting precipitation rates, rainfall amounts, and spatial precipitation patterns. PSD then acts to modify cloud physics. Also, precipitation forecasting was significantly improved under observed PSD and current LCLU conditions.
Success in grateful patient philanthropy: insights from experienced physicians.

a s Facing challenging economic conditions, medical schools and teaching hospitals have turned increasingly to philanthropy as a way to supplement declining clinical revenues and reduced research budgets. One pproach to offset these diminished returns is to comit efforts to “grateful patient” programs that concenrate on satisfying patients and their families, especially amilies with significant assets. Support from grateful patients is the single most important source for substantive philanthropic gifts in medicine. When paients develop strong relationships with their physician r hospital, they may become deeply invested and reolve to support them. Involvement of physician faclty members in grateful patient philanthropy may be a omplex undertaking with ethical considerations as paients evolve to become donors. Some physicians ay feel uneasy because there are no clear guidelines bout norms or best practices. Moreover, most physiians have not received training in this area and have imited experience responding to inquiries about finanial support of their programs from patients. For those
Foreign aid in the making of economic policy in Sri Lanka, 1977–1983

The paper analyzes the interaction between inflows of foreign aid and the character of the economic policies pursued by the Sri Lankan government between 1977 and 1983. Aid did not support the policies of liberalization and balanced public investment that were preferred by donors. Rather it enabled the Sri Lankan government to push forward with the Mahaweli irrigation scheme on a scale that worked against both liberalization and other components of public investment. The process that led to the adoption and funding of the Mahaweli scheme and continued support for that scheme even after its impact on the overall economic program had become apparent is examined in detail, with particular emphasis on the decisions and behavior of both the Sri Lankan government and of aid donors.
Paraoxonase-2 Deficiency Aggravates Atherosclerosis in Mice Despite Lower Apolipoprotein-B-containing Lipoproteins ANTI-ATHEROGENIC ROLE FOR PARAOXONASE-2

Paraoxonases (PONs) are a family of proteins that may play a significant role in providing relief from both toxic environmental chemicals as well as physiological oxidative stress. Although the physiological roles of the PON family of proteins, PON1, PON2, and PON3, remain unknown, epidemiological, biochemical, and mouse genetic studies of PON1 suggest an anti-atherogenic function for paraoxonases. To determine whether PON2 plays a role in the development of atherosclerosis in vivo, we generated PON2-deficient mice. When challenged with a high fat, high cholesterol diet for 15 weeks, serum levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose were not significantly different between wild-type and PON2-deficient mice. In contrast, serum levels of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)/low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly lower (-32%) in PON2-deficient mice compared with wild-type mice. However, despite lower levels of VLDL/LDL cholesterol, mice deficient in PON2 developed significantly larger (2.7-fold) atherosclerotic lesions compared with their wild-type counterparts. Enhanced inflammatory properties of LDL, attenuated anti-atherogenic capacity of high density lipoprotein, and a heightened state of oxidative stress coupled with an exacerbated inflammatory response from PON2-deficient macrophages appear to be the main mechanisms behind the larger atherosclerotic lesions in PON2-deficient mice. These results demonstrate that PON2 plays a protective role in atherosclerosis.
Problems in assessing suicide potential among psychiatric patients

1. Clinicians are often asked to predict infrequent events, such as suicide. 2. Use of an objective test or device to aid in such prediction is attractive and tempting. 3. A limited trial of a promising paper-and-pencil test illustrates some of the problems met in a clinical situation. 4. An outline of further difficulties in field application of such a psychometric device is presented. 5. A discussion of the importance of time, economy and feasibility in assessing the usefulness of such prediction instruments points out their failure to improve on the use of clinical signs.
The effects of changing the osmolarity of the ringer on acetylcholine release at the frog neuromuscular junction

Abstract Increases in the osmolarity of the Ringer are known to increase spontaneous acetylcholine release from motor nerve endings while paradoxically decreasing release from stimulated nerves. Evidence is presented suggesting the rise in osmolarity acts by increasing the ionic strength of the axoplasm, altering electrostatic interactions between the acetylcholine-containing vesicles and the inner face of the nerve terminal.
Mechanical shedding of L-selectin from the neutrophil surface during rolling on sialyl Lewis x under flow.

The interaction of L-selectin expressed on leukocytes with endothelial cells leads to capture and rolling and is critical for the recruitment of leukocytes into sites of inflammation. It is known that leukocyte activation by chemoattractants, the change of osmotic pressure in cell media, or cross-linking of L-selectin all result in rapid shedding of L-selectin. Here we present a novel mechanism for surface cleavage of L-selectin on neutrophils during rolling on a sialyl Lewis x-coated surface that involves mechanical force. Flow cytometry and rolling of neutrophils labeled with Qdot®-L-selectin antibodies in an in vitro flow chamber showed that the mechanical shedding of L-selectin occurs during rolling and depends on the amount of shear applied. In addition, the mechanical L-selectin shedding causes an increase in cell rolling velocity with rolling duration, suggesting a gradual loss of L-selectin and is mediated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Thus, these data show that mechanical force induces the cleavage of L-selectin from the neutrophil surface during rolling and therefore decreases the adhesion of cells to a ligand-presenting surface in flow.
Nanostructure TEM analysis of diamond cold cathode field emitters

Abstract Diamond cold-cathode devices have demonstrated significant potential as electron field emitters. Ultra-sharp diamond pyramidal tips (~ 5 nm tip radius) have been fabricated, and show improvement in emission when compared to conventional field emitters. However, the emission mechanisms in these complex diamond nanostructures are not well understood. Transmission electron microscopy performed in this study provides new insight into tip structure and composition with implications for field emission and diamond growth.
Daniel C. Moore, MD, and the renaissance of regional anesthesia in North America.

While much attention is paid to the early days of organized regional anesthesia in North America under the leadership of Gaston Labat in New York, there was a period of decline in energy and activity in those techniques after the demise of his original American Society of Regional Anesthesia in 1940. In the years after World War II, questions were raised about the safety and utility of regional blockade. Dr. Daniel C. Moore emerged as a colorful and enthusiastic advocate of regional techniques, effectively leading a renaissance of regional anesthesia interest through his textbook, teaching, and research in Seattle, Washington. His proteges were instrumental in the rebirth of American Society of Regional Anesthesia and the extensive spread of regional anesthesia today.
Potato tuber bruising in the Cleveland and Rochester markets

1. Retail store samples of potatoes purchased in Cleveland and Rochester and analyzed at Ithaca showed an average of 6.11 per cent damage and 2.21 per cent serious damage from tuber bruising. This represents 38.6 per cent of the total damage from all causes. 2. Bruising damage averaged considerably higher in chain groceries than in independent groceries, and fruit and vegetable stores. Injury was least in potatoes used by institutions such as hotels, cafeterias, restaurants and hospitals. These differences are caused partially by different methods of buying and handling. 3. The Green Mountain variety showed a much greater percentage of injury than any other variety studied. White Rurals appeared to resist bruising more than Russet Rurals when handled in the same way. 4. Fifty-eight 30-pound samples analyzed at the car and later in the retail market showed an increase of more than three-fold in total bruising damage from handling, the final total percentage by weight being 12.69 Per cent. 5. The Green Mountain was the least resistant to rough handling. Chippewa and Katahdin, two new varieties, showed an even smaller increase in damage from bruising than did the White Rurals.
Patient punctuality and clinic performance: observations from an academic-based private practice pain centre: a prospective quality improvement study.

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an intervention to alter patient unpunctuality. The major hypothesis was that the intervention will change the distribution of patient unpunctuality by decreasing patient tardiness and increasing patient earliness. Design Prospective Quality Improvement. Setting Specialty Pain Clinic in suburban Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Participants The patient population ranged in age from 18 to 93 years. All patients presenting to the clinic during the study period were included in the study. The average monthly volume was 86.2 (SD=13) patients. A total of 1500 patient visits were included in this study. Interventions We tracked appointment times and patient arrival times at an ambulatory pain clinic. An intervention was made in which patients were informed that tardy patients would not be seen and would be rescheduled. This policy was enforced over a 12-month period. Primary and secondary outcome measures The distribution of patient unpunctuality was developed preintervention and at 12 months after implementation. Distribution parameters were used as inputs to a discrete event simulation to determine effects of the change in patient unpunctuality on clinic delay. Results Data regarding patient unpunctuality were gathered by direct observation before and after implementation of the intervention. The mean unpunctuality changed from −20.5 min (110 observations, SD=1.7) preintervention to −23.2 (169, 1.2) at 1 month after the intervention, −23.8 min (69, 1.8) at 6 months and −25.0 min (71, 1.2) after 1 year. The unpunctuality 12 months after initiation of the intervention was significantly different from that prior to the intervention (p Conclusions Physicians and staff are able to alter patient arrival patterns to reduce patient unpunctuality. Reducing tardiness improves some measures of clinic performance, but may not always improve waiting times. Accommodating early arriving patients does serve to improve clinic performance.
A secure directory service based on exclusive encryption

We describe the design of a Windows file-system directory service that ensures the persistence, integrity, privacy, syntactic legality, and case-insensitive uniqueness of the names it indexes. Byzantine state replication provides persistence and integrity, and encryption imparts privacy. To enforce Windows' baroque name syntax - including restrictions on allowable characters, on the terminal character, and on several specific names - we develop a cryptographic process, called "exclusive encryption," that inherently excludes syntactically illegal names and that enables the exclusion of case-insensitively duplicate names without access to their plaintext. This process excludes entire names by mapping the set of allowed strings to the set of all strings, excludes certain characters through an amended prefix encoding, excludes terminal characters through varying the prefix coding by character index, and supports case-insensitive comparison of names by extracting and encrypting case information separately. We also address the issues of hiding name-length information and access-authorization information, and we report a newly discovered problem with enforcing case-insensitive uniqueness for Unicode names.
An Exploratory Study of Posttraumatic Growth in Children Following a Natural Disaster

This study extends L. G. Calhoun and R. G. Tedeschi's (1998) model of posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive change resulting from the struggle with trauma, to children by exploring the construct among youngsters who experienced Hurricane Floyd and the subsequent flooding. Despite burgeoning interest in PTG, few studies have examined the phenomenon among non-adults. This first systematic study of PTG in children explores hypothesized linkages among PTG and social support, competency beliefs, and ruminative thinking. Results suggest that competency beliefs relate to PTG and that a supportive social environment and ruminative thinking are associated with positive competency beliefs. Contrary to expectations, social support did not relate to rumination. Findings testify to the merit of studying the PTG process in children. Clinical implications and future directions are considered.
A meta-analytic review of the effects of psychotherapy control conditions for anxiety disorders

BackgroundLittle is known about the magnitude of improvement associated with psychotherapy control conditions for adult anxiety disorders. This information is important for the design of psychosocial treatment efficacy studies.MethodWe performed a computerized search of treatment outcome studies of anxiety disorders conducted between the first available year and 1 March 2007. In addition, we examined the reference lists from identified articles and asked international experts to identify eligible studies. We included studies that randomly assigned adult patients suffering from anxiety disorders to either cognitive–behavioral treatment or psychotherapy control condition. For each study, the two authors independently selected psychometrically sound measures of anxiety disorder severity. In addition, we collected data on attrition and treatment response.ResultsOf the 1165 studies that were initially identified, 19 studies (454 patients) met inclusion criteria and were included in the analyses. The random effects analysis yielded a pre- to post-treatment Hedges' g effect size of 0.45 (95% confidence interval 0.35–0.46, z=8.50, p<0.001). The mean weighted response and attrition rates were 25.0% and 14.2%, respectively. There was no evidence for publication bias, nor was there a significant relationship between the effect size and diagnostic group, study year or number of treatment sessions.ConclusionsPsychotherapy control conditions are associated with significant improvements when administered to adults suffering from anxiety disorders. In addition, they are associated with a relatively low attrition rate. These findings can inform the design of future psychotherapy outcome studies.
An Intelligent Flight Control Design with Guaranteed Flying Quality

This paper investigates an adaptive pole placement control design aiming at guaranteed flying qualities, which are specified by military standards. Flying qualities are updated online with different flight regimes and are adjusted by the performance measurements of the aircraft. The certainty equivalence principle is used to achieve robust adaptive pole placement control design. The aerodynamics of the F-16 fighter aircraft are linearized at various operating points and are identified online to adapt to the dynamic changes and to account for uncertainties and possible failures. The proposed adaptive scheme is simulated using a nonlinear F-16 model and its performances are compared with those of a traditional gain-scheduling scheme.
Zinc finger transcription factor zDC is a negative regulator required to prevent activation of classical dendritic cells in the steady state

Classical dendritic cells (cDCs) process and present antigens to T cells. Under steady-state conditions, antigen presentation by cDCs induces tolerance. In contrast, during infection or inflammation, cDCs become activated, express higher levels of cell surface MHC molecules, and induce strong adaptive immune responses. We recently identified a cDC-restricted zinc finger transcription factor, zDC (also known as Zbtb46 or Btbd4), that is not expressed by other immune cell populations, including plasmacytoid DCs, monocytes, or macrophages. We define the zDC consensus DNA binding motif and the genes regulated by zDC using chromatin immunoprecipitation and deep sequencing. By deleting zDC from the mouse genome, we show that zDC is primarily a negative regulator of cDC gene expression. zDC deficiency alters the cDC subset composition in the spleen in favor of CD8+ DCs, up-regulates activation pathways in steady-state cDCs, including elevated MHC II expression, and enhances cDC production of vascular endothelial growth factor leading to increased vascularization of skin-draining lymph nodes. Consistent with these observations, zDC protein expression is rapidly down-regulated after TLR stimulation. Thus, zDC is a TLR-responsive, cDC-specific transcriptional repressor that is in part responsible for preventing cDC maturation in the steady state.
Silicon-based ceramics from polymer precursors

A hyperbranched polycarbosilane of the type (R 3 SiCH 2 -) x (-SiR 2 CH 2 -) y - (-SiR(CH 2 -) 1.5 ) z (-Si(CH 2 -) 2 ) l (R = H, -CH 2 CH=CH 2 , or OR) has been prepared, which was used as a source of inorganic/organic hybrid materials and, through pyrolysis, as a pre- cursor to inorganic solids with unusual microstructures and properties. A partially allyl-sub- stituted derivative "AHPCS", nominally ('Si(allyl) 0.1 H 0.9 CH 2 ') n , has been extensively stud- ied as a precursor to silicon carbide (SiC) and is now used commercially as a SiC matrix source for C- and SiC-fiber-reinforced composites and binder for particulate ceramics. The alkoxy derivatives, ('Si(OR) 2 CH 2 ') n , (R = Me, Et) yield, after hydrolysis and condensation, carbosilane/siloxane gels with unusually high surface areas (700-900 m 2 /g) and micro- porosity that is retained in the resultant SiO x C y ceramics formed after pyrolysis to 1000 °C. The fully condensed ('Si(O)CH 2 ') n gel in the latter case was obtained as thin, adherent films on Si surfaces by spin coating and was found to exhibit dielectric constants as low as 2.0 after heating to 400 °C. The SiC precursor, AHPCS, has also been used recently, along with other polymeric precursors, to make two-phase (SiC/C and SiC/BN) amorphous ceramics that exhibit unusual microstructures and thermal/mechanical properties. These microstructures are formed during the mixing and thermosetting of the constituent polymers, which undergo phase separation due to their immiscibility. Certain of the SiC/C composites, which have the C phase uniformly distributed as ca. 1-µm droplets in a SiC x matrix, exhibit high oxidation resistance, and microindentation tests on the SiC/BN system suggest unusual toughness.
Vaccination against Smallpox in the Posteradication Era

The following introduction describes the context in which the national smallpox vaccination program was implemented and highlights the significance of the key policy, programmatic, or scientific challenges, observations, and lessons learned that are presented in the articles that follow within this supplement to Clinical Infectious Diseases. Although the execution of this national program posed multiple complex and varied challenges, the focus of this supplement is on vaccine-associated adverse events and vaccine safety.
Drosophila Pipe protein activity in the ovary and the embryonic salivary gland does not require heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans

The Drosophila pipe gene encodes ten related proteins that exhibit amino acid sequence similarity to vertebrate heparan sulfate 2-O-sulfotransferase. One of the Pipe isoforms, which is expressed in the ventral follicular epithelium, is a key determinant of embryonic dorsoventral polarity, suggesting that Pipe-mediated sulfation of a heparan sulfate proteoglycan provides a spatial cue for dorsoventral axis formation. We used several approaches to investigate this possibility in the work described here. We determined the nucleotide alterations in 11 different pipe alleles. Ten of the mutations specifically affect the pipe isoform that is expressed in the ovary. Among these ten mutations, two alter an amino acid in the putative binding site for 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate, the universal sulfate donor. Using Alcian Blue, a histochemical stain that detects sulfated glycans, we observed a novel, pipe-dependent macromolecule in the embryonic salivary glands. Genes known to participate in the formation of heparan sulfate in Drosophila are not required for the production of this material. To investigate whether a heparan sulfate proteoglycan is involved in pipe function in dorsoventral patterning, we generated females carrying follicle cell clones mutant for heparan sulfate synthesis-related genes. Embryos from follicles with mutant clones did not exhibit a dorsalized phenotype. Taken together, our data provide evidence that Pipe acts as a sulfotransferase, but argue against the hypothesis that the target of Pipe is a heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan.
Redesigning the Substrate Specificity of Human O6-Alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferase. Mutants with Enhanced Repair of O4-Methylthymine†

Human O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (MGMT) repairs potentially cytotoxic and mutagenic alkylation damage at the O(6)-position of guanine and the O(4)-position of thymine in DNA. We have used random sequence mutagenesis and functional complementation to obtain human MGMT mutants that are resistant to the MGMT inhibitor, O(6)-benzylguanine [Encell, L. P., Coates, M. M., and Loeb, L. A. (1998) Cancer Res. 58, 1013-1020]. Here we describe screening of O(6)-benzylguanine-resistant mutants for altered substrate specificity, i.e., for an increased level of utilization of O(4)-methylthymine (m(4)T) relative to that of O(6)-methylguanine (m(6)G). One mutant identified by the screen, 56-8, containing eight substitutions near the active site (C150Y, S152R, A154S, V155G, N157T, V164M, E166Q, and A170T), was purified and characterized kinetically. The second-order rate constant for repair of m(4)T by the mutant was up to 11.5-fold greater than that of WT MGMT, and the relative m(4)T specificity, k(m(4)T)/k(m(6)G), was as much as 75-fold greater. In competition experiments with both substrates present, the mutant was 277-fold more sensitive to inhibition by m(4)T than WT MGMT. This mutant, and others like it, could help elucidate the complex relationship between adduction at specific sites in DNA and the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of alkylating agents.
Christiansen effect display element

In a display based on thermal modulation of the Christiansen effect, a film suspension of ground glass in a liquid of high dispersive power is electrically heated in a desired pattern and projected to produce a color-controlled image.
Notch pathway inhibition depletes stem-like cells and blocks engraftment in embryonal brain tumors.

The Notch signaling pathway is required in both nonneoplastic neural stem cells and embryonal brain tumors, such as medulloblastoma, which are derived from such cells. We investigated the effects of Notch pathway inhibition on medulloblastoma growth using pharmacologic inhibitors of γ-secretase. Notch blockade suppressed expression of the pathway target Hes1 and caused cell cycle exit, apoptosis, and differentiation in medulloblastoma cell lines. Interestingly, viable populations of better-differentiated cells continued to grow when Notch activation was inhibited but were unable to efficiently form soft-agar colonies or tumor xenografts, suggesting that a cell fraction required for tumor propagation had been depleted. It has recently been hypothesized that a small population of stem-like cells within brain tumors is required for the long-term propagation of neoplastic growth and that CD133 expression and Hoechst dye exclusion (side population) can be used to prospectively identify such tumor-forming cells. We found that Notch blockade reduced the CD133-positive cell fraction almost 5-fold and totally abolished the side population, suggesting that the loss of tumor-forming capacity could be due to the depletion of stem-like cells. Notch signaling levels were higher in the stem-like cell fraction, providing a potential mechanism for their increased sensitivity to inhibition of this pathway. We also observed that apoptotic rates following Notch blockade were almost 10-fold higher in primitive nestin-positive cells as compared with nestin-negative ones. Stem-like cells in brain tumors thus seem to be selectively vulnerable to agents inhibiting the Notch pathway. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(15): 7445-52)
Good People and Dirty Work

“& une secte est le noyua et le levain de toute foule& . Etudier la foule c'est juger un drame d'aprks ce qu'on voit sur la scene; etudier la secte c'est le juger d'apres ce qu'on voit dans les coulisses.” Sighele, S. Psychologie des sectes . Paris, 1898. Pp. 62, 63, 65.1
Thermal conductivity of mixtures of argon‐helium, argon‐nitrogen, and argon‐neon

A secondary concentric cylinders cell was used to measure the thermal conductivity of binary mixtures of argon-nitrogen, argon-helium, and argon-neon approximately 20, 40, 60, and 80 vol. % at 75°C, and pressures to 2,800 atm. Measurements were made also on the pure gases argon and nitrogen.