cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Honey, I Sequenced the Kids: Preventive Genomics and the Complexities of Adolescence.

How much control should individuals have over their genomic data? Although this question has been extensively discussed in debates about return of genomic incidental findings (IFs), Lazaro-Munoz and colleagues consider it in another putative context: population-based preventive genomic sequencing (PGS) programs that would target rare, highly penetrant, and medically actionable genetic (MAG) conditions. The authors advocate for a “menu” rather than a “panel” approach to the management of genomic information—allowing participants greater discretion regarding genes to be analyzed—because it better resonates with prevalent notions of patients’ autonomy, choice, and patient-centered decision making in medical contexts. This is an important discussion, which will likely continue. However, the article does not address the implications of either approach for minors; indeed, it does not mention minors at all. Although steering away from genomic dilemmas in minors may simplify the discussion, it misses important considerations for this substantial group of stakeholders. As genetic testing in pediatrics increases, knowledge of adolescents’ genetic propensities may have substantial positive and negative impact on their life plans, identity, and other aspects of their development. Consideration of their interests in this evolving context is consistent with the increasing recognition of children, especially adolescents, as active participants in medical decision making. In this commentary, we highlight the complexities involved with the management of genomic findings of adolescents and offer possible ways to enhance their autonomous choices in such processes.
Effects of experimenter's gender on subject's performance.

Abstract In order to investigate the interaction of experimenter's sex and subject's sex and resultant effects on performance, 60 male and 60 female college students were placed into three groups of 20 males and 20 females each. Each group was tested on a pursuit rotor under one of three conditions: male experimenter presence, female experimenter presence, or no experimenter presence. Five trials of 20-sec. duration each were administered to every subject. Results indicated a significant interaction effect between group gender performance and experimenter gender. However, follow-up comparison tests did not reveal any specific mean differences, and the data were discussed in light of these findings.
Integrating Technology into Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs: Creating Shared Visions.

While the importance of integrating technology into the curriculum is frequently discussed, to-date, most teacher education initiatives for enhancing instruction with technology have been the resul...
Characterization of the first American case of familial prion disease due to the PRNP-G114V mutation (P4.103)

Objective: To determine the clinical, biochemical, and transmissible properties of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) due to a G114V mutation of the prion protein gene ( PRNP) in the first reported U.S. case. Background: The G114V mutation of PRNP has been reported to cause CJD in two non-American families, although PrP Sc type and transmissibility have not been detailed. Design/Methods: Case report, biochemical studies, and mouse transmissions. Results: A 24 year-old Polish-American man developed confusion and memory difficulties, followed by progressive cognitive decline with language impairment and loss of motor skills. He became withdrawn, ataxic, and developed agraphia. Extrapyramidal features, including cogwheel rigidity, stooped posture, and reduced arm swing were noted. EEG showed grade 2 dysrhythmia, but no periodic discharges. Brain MRI demonstrated left greater than right cortical atrophy in addition to restricted diffusion within the cortical ribbon on DWI sequences. The cognitive impairment, aphasia, and ataxic gait progressed until the patient was wheelchair bound, developed myoclonus, and died at age 29. Pathology included diffuse spongiform degeneration with PrP plaque-like collections in basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellar molecular layer. Protease-resistant PrP Sc from brain displayed an atypical PrP Sc -type that lacked the high molecular weight diglycosylated fraction and an electrophoretic mobility intermediate between Type 1 and 2. Sequencing of PRNP revealed a G114V mutation allelic with 129Met. The patient’s father died at age 34 with a similar phenotype and “autopsy proven CJD”, although genetics were not available. Intracerebral inoculation of brain homogenates to CJD-susceptible transgenic mice that express human PrP-129M did not develop clinical or pathological signs of prion disease after ~600 days of observation. Conclusions: This is the first report of an American family carrying the G114V mutation of PRNP . The atypical PrP Sc -type and lack of transmissibility distinguish this from typical CJD and offers an opportunity to better understand prion transmissibility. Disclosure: Dr. Mikhail has nothing to disclose. Dr. Busch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Norstrom has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pytel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gambetti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mastrianni has received research support from Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
Coboundaries for commuting transformations

Let $\tau$ and $\sigma$ be two commuting ergodic measure preserving transformations of a probablity space, and $\mathrm{Cob}(\tau)$, $\mathrm{Cob}(\sigma)$ be the sets of their coboundaries. We show that the inclusion $\mathrm{Cob}(\sigma) \subseteq \mathrm{Cob}(\tau)$ holds if and only if $\sigma = \tau^{n}$ for some $n \in \mathbb{Z}$. The transformations $\tau$ and $\sigma$ have exactly the same coboundaries if and only if $\sigma = \tau^{\pm1}$. Some related results and open questions are discussed.
Manipulation of ligand binding affinity by exploitation of conformational coupling.

Traditional approaches for increasing the affinity of a protein for its ligand focus on constructing improved surface complementarity in the complex by altering the protein binding site to better fit the ligand. Here we present a novel strategy that leaves the binding site intact, while residues that allosterically affect binding are mutated. This method takes advantage of conformationally distinct states, each with different ligand-binding affinities, and manipulates the equilibria between these conformations. We demonstrate this approach in the Escherichia coli maltose binding protein by introducing mutations, located at some distance from the ligand binding pocket, that sterically affect the equilibrium between an open, apo-state and a closed, ligand-bound state. A family of 20 variants was generated with affinities ranging from a ∼100-fold improvement (7.4 nM) to a ∼two-fold weakening (1.8 mM) relative to the wild type protein (800 nM).
Gauged q -fields

The straightforward description of q-deformed systems leads to transition amplitudes that are not numerically valued. To give physical meaning to these expressions without introducing ad hoc remedies, one may exploit an “internal” Fock space already defined by the q-algebra. This internal space may be interpreted in terms of internal degrees of freedom of the deformed system or alternatively in terms of non-locality. It is shown that the q-deformation may give stringy characteristics to a Yang-Mills theory.
Acidification Impacts on Fish Populations: A Review

The clearest evidence for impacts of acidic deposition is the documentation of adverse effects on fish populations. Loss of fish populations associated with acidification of surface waters has been documented for five areas—the Adirondack region of New York State, the LaCloche Mountain region of Ontario, Nova Scotia, southern Norway, and southern Sweden. In other regions of the world with low alkalinity waters receiving acidic deposition, acidification of surface waters does not appear to have progressed to levels clearly detrimental to fish. Three major mechanisms for the disappearance of fish populations with acidification have been proposed: (1) decreased food availability and/or quality, (2) fish kills during episodic acidification, and (3) recruitment failure. Each probably plays some role, although recruitment failure has been hypothesized as the most common cause of population loss.
Teaching through popular film: A small group analysis of the Poseidon adventure

Popular film is an apt vehicle for explicating communication theory. This view assumes that both art and theory reflect communication as practiced in our culture. To demonstrate the potential of film as a teaching aid, one popular film, The Poseidon Adventure, is critically analyzed as reflecting small group theory. The essay specifically emphasizes group identity and leadership as indicative of the film's capacity for use in the classroom. Some other aspects of group interaction which a reader might wish to consider are also suggested.
Genomic DNA sequencing of mRNA splicing mutants in the hprt gene of Chinese hamster ovary cells.

We have analyzed 41 mRNA-splicing mutants from the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribo-syl-transferase (hprt) gene of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Twenty-two of these mutants produced single cDNA PCR products with a partial or complete exon deletion; 19 mutants produced multiple cDNA PCR products, and most of these products contained one or more deleted exons. The affected exons and surrounding in-trons were amplified from genomic DNA and sequenced in order to identify mutations causing aberrant splicing. We found acceptor site mutations in 14 mutants, donor site mutations in 10 mutan's, exonic mutations in 8 mutants, and no mutations in 5 mutants. Four mutants from solvent controls did not amplify the appropriate exons and were considered genomic deletion mutants. Our previous work [Manjanatha MG et al. (1994): Mutat Res 308;65–75] showed that nonsense mutants in the hprt gene of CHO cells are associated with multiple cDNA PCR products containing deleted exons and a low abundance of hprt mRNA if the mutation is found in an internal exon. The present results are consistent with these associations being facilitated by instability of mRNA after ribosome termination at nonsense codons. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
TU‐E‐141‐02: Coverage‐Based Treatment Planning to Accommodate Deformable Organ Variations in Prostate Cancer Treatment

Purpose: To (1) investigate the dosimetric impact of interfraction deformable organ motion for high‐risk prostate cancer treatments and (2) compare two coverage‐based planning (CP) techniques with the fixed margin‐based planning (FM).Methods: 19 patients with 8–13 prostate CT images were used to model interfraction deformable organ changes using principal component analysis (PCA). Displacement vector fields (DVFs) that map from each of the 8–13 images to the reference image were analyzed with PCA to determine the dominant eigenmodes, which were then used to predict the synthetic patient geometries for virtual treatment course simulation. For each patient, an intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plan with zero PTV margin on target structures (CTVprostate and CTVseminalVesicles) was created, then evaluated by simulating 1000 30‐fraction virtual treatment courses. Each fraction was prostate centroid aligned. Probabilistic metrics, including 5% and 95% percentile DVHs (pDVH) and TCP/NTCP distributions, were computed. Patients whose D98 failed to achieve 95% coverage probability objective D98,95>=78Gy (CTVprostate) or D98,95>=66Gy (CTVseminalVesicles) were replanned using (1) FM (PTVprostate = CTVprostate + 5mm, PTVseminalVesicles = CTVseminalVesicles + 8mm), (2) CP OM which optimized uniform margins for CTVprostate and CTVseminalVesicles to meet the CP objective, and (3) CPCOP which directly optimized coverage‐based objectives for all structures of interest. Results: For zero‐PTV‐margin plans, 0/19 patients satisfied objective D98,95 for both CTVprostate and CTVseminalVesicles. The selected margins used in FM failed to ensure target coverage for 8/19 patients. 11 CP OM plans and 8 CPCOP plans were favored over the other plans by achieving desirable D98,95 while sparing more normal tissues. Conclusion: The dosimetric impact of deformable organ motions for prostate centroid alignment treatment is not insignificant. Coverage‐based treatment planning techniques can produce better plans than FM, while relative advantages of CP OM and CPCOP are patient specific. Supported by NIH P01‐CA‐116602 and Philips Medical Systems. Supported by NIH P01‐CA‐116602 and Philips Medical Systems; NIH P01‐CA‐116602 and Philips Medical Systems
Return on capital analysis: U.S.-based multinational corporations versus U.S. domestic corporations

Abstract We study the difference between U.S.-based multinational corporations (MNCs) and U.S. domestic corporations (DCs) in terms of management efficiency with return on capital as the measure of management efficiency. We use a fixed effect model to account for heterogeneity and/or the time-specific effect and find that MNCs have lower management efficiency than DCs, which holds after we control for the effects of firm size, GDP growth rate, and growth opportunity on management efficiency. One reason for the low efficiency is the MNCs’ inability to manage their assets well relative to DCs. We also find that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between return on capital and degree of internationalization, which implies an optimal degree of internationalization. Our result does not confirm the recently proposed three-stage model.
Expression of a Porphyromonas gingivalis hemagglutinin on the surface of a Salmonella vaccine vector

Live, attenuated Salmonella strains can serve as vectors for the delivery of recombinant vaccine antigens for development of oral mucosal vaccines. Various vaccine parameters can affect the immune responses elicited by Salmonella vectors, including the expression level, location and timing of expressed antigens. We have previously established immunogenic Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strains which cytoplasmically express hemagglutinin B (HagB) of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a putative periodontal pathogen. In this study, we sought to determine whether the 39 kDa HagB protein could be stably expressed on the surface of an avirulent Salmonella vaccine strain. The hagB gene was cloned into an expression plasmid as a C-terminal fusion with Lpp-OmpA, a hybrid surface display system. High expression of Lpp-OmpA-HagB proved to be toxic to the vaccine strain, and it was necessary to introduce attenuating mutations in the trc promoter. Stable expression was obtained in transformants with promoter mutations that resulted in low levels of expression. The expression of Lpp-OmpA-HagB was confirmed by ELISA and Western blot. Localization to the outer membrane/periplasm was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy using immunogold labeling, surface labeling of whole mounts using electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and by quantitation of HagB in cytoplasmic, as well as inner and outer cell membrane fractions. When delivered orally in mice, the surface-expressing strain induced higher serum IgG and IgA responses to HagB than a cytoplasmic expressing strain, while responses in secretions were comparable. These results suggest that surface localization may differentially enhance the immunogenicity of antigens expressed by live, avirulent Salmonella vaccine vectors.
Effect of lattice expansion on the Curie temperature of granular nickel films

Abstract The magnetic susceptibility, particle size, and lattice constant have been measured as a function of composition for films consisting of small nickel grains in a silica matrix. The compositional dependence of T c agrees with that predicted from the observed lattice expansion for low silica concentrations.
My year in the lab: lessons for the student researcher

S tudent lab research projects, even when unsuccessful in a conventional sense, can provide a valuable window into how real-world research science works. Here, I discuss five general observations, made while conducting my own independent research project, that might be helpful to prospective student researchers. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct an independent research project with my microbiology professor at Montgomery College, Dr. Margaret Birney, from June 2011 through May 2012. This project sought to combine a few fundamental ideas: since bacteria use chemical messages to coordinate simple behaviors, since a number of organisms have evolved anti-predator chemical warning systems, and since bacteriophages (viral predators of bacteria) have been shaping bacterial evolution for billions of years, I wanted to see if bacteria might be able to utilize an anti-phage warning system to collectively defend against phage attack. For most of the project, it seemed that such a warning system did indeed exist. We found that bacterial populations pre-treated with an ‘‘infected filtrate’’ (molecules fromother bacteria exposed to phage) survived better against phage attack than did control populations pre-treated with an ‘‘uninfected filtrate,’’ or molecules from normal bacteria not exposed to phage. After exploring further aspects of this antiphage warning system, I prepared a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal, but on the advice of a mentor, I decided to run a few more controls before sending it in. It soon became clear that we had missed something from almost the very beginning: an overlooked control snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, rendering our conclusions unsupportable and my manuscript unpublishable. Even though the project didn’t ultimately succeed in a conventional sense, my time in the lab was far from unproductive. To the contrary, working on this project gave me a year-long window into how real-world science works and the planning, diligence, critical thinking, and people skills that are required for successful research. The goal of this piece, then, is to share with the readers of BIOS some of the most important things I learned during my year as a student researcher.
Post‐mitotic cellular reorganisation in the diatom Cymatopleura solea: The role of microtubules and the microtubule centre

Cell division in Cymatopleura requires precise and major relocations of the nucleus and chioroplast which have been followed by time-lapse cinematography and with the electron microscope. These movements are (1) the premitotic nucleus migrating to one end of the cell; (2) after cytokinesis, the daughter nuclei moving back to the cell centre, often oscillating several times while establishing their final location; (3) the single chloroplast folding over and sandwiching the central nucleus; and (4) the folded end of the chloroplast stretching back to fill the empty half of the cell. In all cases, straight, actively moving, transient strands of cytoplasm are associated with the movement of the nucleus and chloroplast, and these often appear to be pulling on the surface or the fold of the chloroplast which undergoes transient distortion. These movements are rapid and colchicine-sensitive. Ultrastructurally, they appear to be mediated by the prominent microtubule centre (MC) and its associated cytoskeleton of microtubules (MTs) although MTs do not attach directly to either nucleus or chloroplast. The MC is located close to the moving nucleus. Later, it moves ahead of the moving chloroplast and its MTs ensheath the tip. Later still, it is seen embedded in the fold of the chloroplast. In all three situations, MTs from it are seen in the strands of cytoplasm radiating from this area across the vacuole. After these events, the MC resumes its usual interphase situation on the nuclear surface.
Change in Strategy: The Relationship of Attribution, Expectancy, Performance, and Satisfaction.

Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine the degree to which change in examination preparation is related to measures of attribution, expectancy, prior performance, perceived success/failure, and satisfaction. Subjects were students in an intermediate graduate statistics course. Although performance is the single best predictor of change in preparation, three attribution measures and satisfaction contributed unique predictive variance. While expectancy was significantly related to change in preparation, it did not add uniquely to the multiple correlation.
Development Effort in Speculative Real Estate Competitions

Abstract I model speculative development races when the time at which the development effort becomes profitable is uncertain. I first treat the decision of a speculator who has exclusive rights to the development prize. I then show that development races intensify development effort compared with the collectively optimal level of effort. Development races with identical speculative developers reduce aggregate profits and bring forward development time, whether or not joint development externalities are present. In such races, land use policies that restrict the number of permitted developers can enhance collective returns.
GABA and glutamate in mating-activated cells in the preoptic area and medial amygdala of male gerbils

The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MeApd), the posterodorsal preoptic nucleus (PdPN), and the medial cell group of the sexually dimorphic preoptic area (mSDA) contain cells that are activated specifically at ejaculation as assessed by Fos expression. The mSDA also expresses Fos early in the mating context. Because little is known about the neurotransmitters of these activated cells, the possibility that they use γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or glutamate was assessed. Putative glutamatergic cells were visualized with immunocytochemistry (ICC) for glutamate and its neuron-specific transporter. Their distributions were compared with those of GABAergic cells visualized with ICC for the 67-kDa form of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) and in situ hybridization for GAD67 messenger RNA (mRNA). Colocalization of Fos and GAD67 mRNA in recently mated males indicated that half of the activated cells in the PdPN, mSDA, and lateral MeApd are GABAergic. Colocalization of Fos and glutamate suggested that a quarter of the activated mSDA and lateral MeApd cells are glutamatergic. The PdPN does not appear to have glutamatergic cells. In the lateral MeApd, the percentage of activated cells that are GABAergic (45%) matches the percentage that project to the principal part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST; 43%), and the percentage likely to be glutamatergic (27%) matches the percentage projecting to the mSDA (27%). The latter could help to trigger ejaculation. The distribution of GABAergic and putative glutamatergic cells in the caudal preoptic area, caudal BST, and medial amygdala of male gerbils is also described. J. Comp. Neurol. 459:290–300, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Isolated Heart Perfusion Techniques for Rapid Screening of Myocardial Preservation Methods: Anoxia versus Ischemia

Isolated nonworking and working heart preparations are described and recent modifications that increase their reliability and scope are reviewed. Isolated perfused tissues are superior to other models for screening myocardial preservation techniques. The metabolic and functional differences between anoxia and ischemia are stressed, myocardial glycolysis is reviewed, and from basic studies potentially fruitful avenues for investigation of myocardial preservation techniques are outlined. Better application of available knowledge of myocardial metabolism could further reduce the risks of cardiac operation.
Fate of tritiated noradrenaline at the sympathetic nerve-endings.

PREVIOUS work in this Laboratory has shown that tritiated adrenaline and tritiated noradrenaline are taken up and retained in certain tissues for long periods of time1,2. It was also demonstrated that chronic denervation of sympathetic nerves resulted in the decreased ability of denervated tissues to take up administered tritiated noradrenaline and adrenaline3. These observations indicated that sympathetic nerve-endings selectively took up and retained circulating catecholamines. This property enabled us to label the nerve-endings with tritiated noradrenaline and to study its fate on liberation from sympathetic nerves.
On nonlinear singular perturbation problems

We consider two types of singular perturbation problems. In the first part we consider boundary value problems of the type Δu=ef(x,u,Du,D 2 u,D 3 u) 0<x n <1, u(x',0)=u(x',1)=0. Here u=u(x),x=(x',x n ),x'eT n−1 , 0≤x n ≤1, where T n−1 is the n−1 dimensional torus, Du, D 2 u, D 3 u denote all derivatives of u of orders one, two and three
Epistemic Authority: A Theory of Trust, Authority, and Autonomy in Belief

Epistemic self-reliance (or ‘epistemic egoism’) often operates as a tacit ideal underpinning normative discussions regarding the appropriate practices of belief formation and maintenance. According...
Chrysotherapy in the treatment of corticosteroid-dependent asthma

The efficacy of parenteral gold therapy was evaluated in patients with steroid-dependent asthma. Five of eight patients improved in terms of reduced steroid requirement while they were maintaining or improving lung function. Two patients developed significant proteinuria that resolved with cessation of gold. Chrysotherapy appears to have a corticosteroid-sparing effect in some patients and may have a useful role in the management of severe refractory asthma.
Efficient measurement of amylose content in cereal grains

Abstract Rapid and economical measurement of amylose content in barley is important for genetic study and breeding improvement of this trait. Seventeen genotypes with a wide range of amylose contents were used to compare the amylose measurement accuracy of the cost-effective iodine–potassium iodide (I:KI) method to the commercially available enzyme-based Megazyme protocol. Comparable accuracy from I:KI was demonstrated in low amylose samples (below 10% dried base), as were limitations in regular or high amylose samples. To address the major cost of sample preparation in nutritional trait analysis, the I:KI method was also employed for amylose detection from β-glucan and free phosphate assay samples. Results indicated that samples used in β-glucan and phosphate assays could be further utilized for amylose measurement. Amylose detection accuracy using I:KI method from those assayed samples is comparable to that using the Megazyme method in low and regular amylose samples. Development of protocols for the double assays from one grain sample will significantly reduce the labor cost associated with sample preparation and will streamline the screening of early generation barley populations, where seed sample amounts are limited.
Control of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) action by regulation of IGF-I receptor expression.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) control many aspects of growth, development and differentiation, and aberrant IGF action is implicated in a number of pathological states. Most of the actions of both IGF-I and IGF-II are mediated by their activation of the IGF-I receptor, a transmembrane tyrosine kinase that is structurally and functionally related to the insulin receptor. Control of the IGF-I receptor number at the cell surface is an important level at which IGF action can be regulated. Cell- surface receptor number, in turn, is principally determined by the level of expression of the IGF-I receptor gene. An important transcriptional regulatory factor that appears to be responsible for controlling IGF-I receptor gene expression is the product of the WT1 Wilms tumor suppressor gene. This latter protein functions by binding to specific sequences in the IGF-I receptor promoter and repressing transcription. During normal renal development, increased expression of the WT1 gene leads to repression of IGF-I receptor gene expression, allowing differentiation of the metanephrogenic blastema into renal epithelium. Persistent receptor expression due to mutational loss of WT1 function may contribute to the etiology of Wilms tumor. Decreased WT1 expression and subsequent up- regulation of the IGF-I receptor has also been implicated in non-malignant proliferative disorders such as benign prostatic hyperplasia.
When Governments Collide in the South Atlantic: Britain Coerces Argentina during the Falklands War

How effective are parliamentary democracies at sending coercive signals and orchestrating them into coherent messages? Are parliamentary democracies any better at doing this than presidential democracies? In order to answer these questions, the research project uses an in-depth analysis of the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War as a case study. This article seeks to determine how effective the United Kingdom was at sending coercive signals and orchestrating them into coherent messages. In general we observe that the United Kingdom suffered from many of the same problems in executing a coercive strategy as presidential governments do.
Reliability of small amounts of cancer in prostate biopsies to reveal pathologic grade.

Abstract Objectives To examine grade reliability when biopsies contain very small amounts of prostate cancer. Prostate biopsy findings are known to undergrade prostate cancer compared with the pathologic specimens yet remain the only grade guiding disease management. Methods The presence of a clinically significant grade change from biopsy cores to matched prostatectomy specimens was examined in 371 patients. The biopsies were characterized for primary and secondary Gleason grade, number of positive cores, and total linear length of cancer. The pathologic specimens were characterized for cancer volume and relative percentage by grade. The rates of upgrading or downgrading were tested against all clinical and biopsy information for any significant predictive value. Results The overall rate of upgrading was 40.7% and downgrading was 16.1%. Upgrading was constant and independent of any clinical or biopsy tumor volume indexes. Specifically, when cancer was present in only one biopsy core and measured 2 mm or less (n = 48), it was just as predictive of the pathologic grade as that from any greater number of positive cores and any greater extent of cancer length present. Downgrading was less frequent for biopsies with small amounts of cancer. Conclusions Histologic grading from small amounts of cancer in prostate biopsies is reliable and not more prone to grading errors. A repeat biopsy for these patients may not be indicated.
A host-parasitoid interaction with Allee effects on the host

We explore the addition of Allee effects to single-species discrete-time models with overcompensatory density dependence. When the intrinsic growth rate of the population, r, is large, the population bifurcates into chaos. The population goes extinct if r is either below a threshold level or very large. The model is then used to study host-parasitoid interactions with and without Allee effects in the host. The coexistence of the host and parasitoid populations both depends on threshold levels of r, threshold levels of the host population size, and the parasitoid potential, which is the product of the searching efficiency of the parasitoid for the host, and the fecundity of the parasitoid. The addition of Allee effects has a negative impact on the coexistence of both populations.
Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

▪ Abstract Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is an important mechanism for charge transfer in a wide variety of systems including biology- and materials-oriented venues. We review several are...
Cerebral asymmetry in facial affect perception by women: neuropsychological effects of depressed mood.

40 right-handed women, half of whom had been classified with depressed mood and the other half as nondepressed, participated in a tachistoscopic study of the influence of depressed mood on the cerebral hemispheric processing of Ekman and Friesen's 1976 happy, sad, and neutral emotional faces using a forced-choice reaction-time paradigm with only happy and sad alternatives as response manipulanda. The women with depressed mood were also characterized by elevated scores on both state and trait anxiety, suggestive of an anxious-depressive state with heightened arousal. Primary findings for the tachistoscopic data indicated that women with depressed mood as compared to nondepressed women displayed significantly faster reaction times to sad faces presented in the right visual field and happy faces presented in the left visual field. These results are suggestive of differential arousal of both the left and right cerebral hemispheres in this sample of anxious-depressed women and are discussed in light of arousal...
Chronic aspiration shifts the immune response from adaptive immunity to innate immunity in a murine model of asthma

Objective and design The hypothesis that aspiration of gastric fluid drives the anti-ovalbumin response toward a Th2 reaction even in animals not prone to Th2 responses was evaluated.
SU-FF-T-403: Comparison of Calculated RBE Between Actively Scanned and Passively Scattered Carbon Beams Based On GEANT4 Monte Carlo Simulations

Purpose: To compare calculations of the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for a passively scattered carbon beam to that for a scanned beam with the same physical dose distribution in the spread out Bragg peak (SOBP). It is possible that differences in the spectrum of the fragments between the two beams could significantly affect the RBE, making it difficult to compare clinical doses from scattered and scanned carbon beams. Method and Materials: A simulation program based on the GEANT4 toolkit was developed to mimic measurements and other simulations from a passively scattering carbon beam at the NIRS in Japan. Closely spaced pristine Bragg peaks in water were simulated for both a scanned beam — where depth was adjusted by adjusting energy directly — and for a passively scattered beam — where depth was adjusted by changing the thickness of an aluminum degrader. Pristine peaks were then weighted to fit a pre‐defined SOBP dose distribution. RBEs for both beams were calculated using the linear‐quadratic survival model in use at NIRS. The depth dose, calculated RBE, and effective doses were then compared between the scanned beam simulation and the passive beam simulation. Results: No significant difference was found in the calculated RBE between the scanned carbon beam and the scattered carbon beam. After fitting to the SOBP region of previously published data, no significant difference was found in the dose, RBE, or effective dose between the scanned beams and the scattered beam. Conclusion: This work indicates that it should be possible to equate the biological effective doses between scattered and scanned carbon beams in so much as the LQ RBE model used can predict differences in the beams.
Externalizing employment: Flexible staffing arrangements in US organizations

Abstract Flexible staffing arrangements (such as temporary, contract, and part-time work) enable organizations to externalize administrative control or limit the duration of employment. We examine the prevalence and correlates of such arrangements using a recent large, representative survey of US establishments. We first develop a typology of flexible staffing arrangements and discuss reasons why organizations may adopt them. We then present measures of these flexible staffing arrangements and describe their distribution among US establishments. Finally, we examine hypotheses about the types of employers that are more or less likely to use the various types of flexible staffing arrangements, finding support for both cost-reduction and resource dependence perspectives. The use of flexible arrangements is more common in large establishments, in seasonal industries, and in establishments with highly female workforces.
Interactive effects of simulated acidic fog and ozone on field-grown alfalfa

Abstract Acid precipitation events, primarily in the form of fogs with pH as low as 2.0, have been reported from both urban and agricultural areas of California. If low pH acidic precipitation increased stomatal conductance, flux of gaseous air pollutants into mesophyll spaces could increase, thereby increasing susceptibility of plants to air pollution injury. The potential for this interaction is acute in California because of high ambient ozone (O3) levels present in areas frequently subjected to fogs. A field experiment was conducted to determine the interactive effects of simulated acidic fog and O3 on stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, foliar injury, and yield of an established stand of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plants were exposed to five levels of O3 for 12 hr daily for 4 weeks. Ozone was added in proportion to its concentrations in ambient air. Levels ranged from 1 4 of ambient to twice ambient concentrations. Simulated fog solutions of pH 2.0, 3.2, 4.4, and 5.6 acidified with 2:1 HNO3:H2SO4 were applied from 0300 to 0500 three times per week for 4 weeks. Treatments were replicated twice. Alfalfa was harvested when plants were at 1 10 bloom stage and crown sprouts exceeded 4 cm in length. Results indicated that both stomatal conductance and photosynthesis decreased with increasing acidity of fog. Foliar injury attributable to acid deposition was observed only in the pH 2.0 fog treatment. Alfalfa yield was significantly reduced by both acid fog and O3, but the interaction between the two was not statistically significant. The threshold for significant growth reduction in alfalfa exposed to simulated fog in open-top chambers was pH 2.0 and pH 3.2 for alfalfa in ambient-air plots.
Response to Comment on "Gene Regulatory Networks and the Evolution of Animal Body Plans"

Contrary to Coyne's assertions, our paper did not advocate a macromutational innovation of phyla but considered the consequences of the introduction of developmental constraints for the evolution of gene regulatory networks based on recent empirical studies of gene regulatory networks.
3H-thymidine is a defective tool with which to measure rates of DNA synthesis

SPECIFIC AIMSMetabolic incorporation of tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) into cellular DNA is still a widely used protocol to monitor rates of DNA synthesis and cell proliferation despite accumulating evidence demonstrating the ability of this radiochemical to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In this study, we used stable isotope-labeled thymidine and chemical reaction interface mass spectrometry (CRIMS) to 1) determine whether 3H-TdR inhibits the rate of DNA synthesis in mouse 3T3 fibroblasts and 2) monitor the time course of any possible inhibition. Our findings not only urge caution in interpreting data from experiments using the radioactive tracer to determine the rates of DNA synthesis and cell replication, but also demonstrate the superiority of stable isotopic methods in analyzing these processes.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. Dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation and DNA synthesisFigure 1⤻ A demonstrates that incorporation of 3H-TdR inhibits cell proliferation. To determine whether this inhibit...
A Comprehensive Newborn Falls Initiative One Year Later

Paper Presentation Objective To reduce and prevent newborn falls at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. Design Evidence-based quality improvement project. Sample Mothers, infants, and staff at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. Methods The problem of newborn falls has been recognized in many hospitals; however, there are not yet evidence-based guidelines to direct hospitals in addressing this serious issue. From December 2011 to July 2012, there were seven newborn falls on the hospital's postpartum unit. In the spring of 2012, a committee formed to examine each fall event, review the literature on newborn falls, and talk to other hospitals about their experiences. Using this information, the committee created a policy on newborn falls prevention and developed education and tools for family members and staff. A comprehensive newborn falls initiative launched in July 2012, and 6 months later, staff members took anonymous surveys to evaluate implementation of the new protocol. Implementation Strategies The Policy and Procedure on Newborn Falls Prevention was implemented in July 2012 and addressed protocol for education of parents, infant transport, placement of infant for sleeping, review of maternal medications, assessment of environment and mother's level of consciousness, and prevention of falls during infant feedings. Staff members attended a required class on newborn falls and received further education from staff meetings, e-mails, and flyers. Two new charting tools (Newborn Fall Risk Assessment Tool and Post-Fall Debriefing Form) were created to address newborn falls. Staff members educate family members on falls at admission, the beginning of each shift, and as needed and instruct parents to call before and after infant feedings so that bed side rails can be raised and lowered as an added precaution. Information on newborn falls has also been added to the safety instruction sheet read to and signed by parents at admission; this sheet is posted on mirrors in patient bathrooms and on signs in rooms and included in the postpartum booklets and crib cards. Results The results of the staff survey indicate that 100% of staff members attended the newborn falls class; 95% read the newborn falls policy, and 89% the falls risk assessment tool at least once per shift. During the year following program implementation (July 2012 to July 2013), no newborn falls occurred. Conclusion/Implications for Nursing Practice Hospitals seeking to reduce and prevent newborn falls may learn from the experience of Huntsville Hospital and its newborn falls initiative.
Surgical Treatment of the Superficial and Perforating Veins

Objective:To review the techniques and results of surgical treatment of the superficial and perforating veins in patients with chronic venous insufficiency.Methods:The current techniques used at the Mayo Clinic for treatment of simple varicose veins and venous ulcers are presented. Results of subfascial endoscopic perforator vein surgery (SEPS) are discussed and data from large centres are tabulated. Results are compared with those reported following non-operative management.Synthesis:High ligation and invagination stripping of the incompetent segment of the saphenous vein, with stab avulsion of branch varicosities, is the optimal surgical technique to ablate superficial venous incompetence. SEPS is safer than open perforator vein ligation and is the technique of choice to interrupt incompetent perforating veins. A review of 12 series on SEPS, that included 361 limbs, found an ulcer recurrence rate of 10% in those 211 patients who underwent ablation of superficial reflux together with SEPS. One hundred an...
The Load-Bearing Mechanosome Revisited.

We introduced the mechanosome hypothesis in 2003 as a heuristic model for investigating mechanotransduction in bone (Pavalko et al., J Cell Biochem, 2003, 88(1):104–112). This model suggested specific approaches for investigating how mechanical information is conveyed from the membrane of the sensor bone cell to the target genes and how this transmitted information from the membrane is converted into changes in transcription. The key concepts underlying the mechanosome hypothesis are that load-induced deformation of bone deforms the sensor cell membrane; embedded in the membrane are the focal adhesion and cadherin–catenin complexes, which in turn are physically connected to the chromatin via a solid-state scaffold. The physical stimulation of the membrane launches multiprotein complexes (mechanosomes) from the adhesion platforms while concomitantly tugging target genes into position for contact with the incoming mechanosomes, the carriers of the mechanical information to the nucleus. The mechanosome is comprised of an adhesion-associated protein and a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling transcription factor. Upon arrival at the target gene, mechanosomes alter DNA conformation and thus influence the interactions between trans-acting proteins along the gene, changing gene activity. Here, we update significant progress related to the mechanosome concept since publication of our original hypothesis. The launching of adhesion- and cytoskeletal-associated proteins into the nucleus toward target genes appears to be a common mechanism for regulating cell response to changes in its mechanical microenvironment.
Adaptation to a spatial impulse: implications for Fourier transform models of visual processing.

Abstract Spatial frequency adaptation was analyzed in terms of three representative models of the Fourier transform theory of visual processing. Each model predicted that subjects who exhibited normal sine-wave grating adaptation should show substantial adaptation over a wide range of spatial frequencies following exposure to a narrow bar of high luminance (one-dimensional spatial impulse). In the experiments, two highly practiced subjects who showed normal sine-wave adaptation, showed little adaptation to a 140 cd/m2 bar subtending 0.6', superimposed on a background of 4.63 cd/m2 subtending 1.75°. Two control experiments with a third subject indicated that neither a photoreceptor nonlinearity nor a power function transformation of the luminance distribution could account for the discrepancy. The lack of adaptation to the spatial impulse suggests that present Fourier transform models which postulate phase-independent frequency channels in the visual system are inadequate for the description of the visual response to suprathreshold aperiodic stimuli. A receptive field model of spatial frequency processing and phase encoding is suggested to account for the results.
Managerial job stress in the hotel industry

Abstract This study examines managerial job stress and coping mechanisms in the hotel industry. Over 400 middle- and upper-level managers representing 23 different hotels were administered questionnaires. Findings suggest that perceptions of job Stressors lead to self-reported psychological, physiological, and behavioral strains. Personal or individual coping mechanisms did not appear to alleviate job strain. Due to managers' perceptions of the costs related to worker stress, several organizational strategies for stress reduction and prevention are offered.
Family coercion and valid consent

Coercion is commonly said to invalidate consent, and that is always true if the source of the coercion is the physician. However, if it is a family member who coerces the patient to consent, the resultant consent may be quite valid and treatment should proceed.
Mothers' Perceptions of the Toy Play of Preschoolers with Intellectual Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine mothers' perceptions of the toy play of their preschool children with intellectual disabilities. Participants were 57 mothers of children aged 2 to 5 years. Each mother completed a 16-item questionnaire that focused on the characteristics of the toy play in which her child engaged. Data are presented descriptively and with respect to the significance of differences between response percentages. The majority of mothers reported that their children not only engaged in appropriate play with toys, but that their children engaged in advanced levels of play. Mothers also reported that their children would play with toys for extended periods of time during a given day, would play with a combination of toys, and needed little, if any, prompting to engage toys. Such reports stand in sharp contrast to much of the extant play literature and provide a rarely examined, yet invaluable, parent perspective. The implications for the use of parent reports is discussed.