cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning to see by learning to draw: Probing the perceptual bases and consequences of highly skilled artistic drawing

AbstractIn this paper, I review the empirical evidence for advantages in visual perception and attention that may be associated with high levels of drawing skill. Particularly in the last few decades, some substantial progress on these issues has been made, although frequently with inconsistent or even contradictory results across studies, some substantial methodological issues and limitations, and divergent theoretical perspectives. Despite the lively messiness of the current state of research on artists and perception, a core set of findings about the nature of artists’ expertise is emerging, rooted in superior object understanding and attentional flexibility. Moreover, key unresolved questions, like causal relations between drawing skill and perception and the longitudinal development of perceptual changes as drawing skill develops or is trained, are highly amenable to investigation and should continue to inform this set of issues.
An examination of ecological predictors of health literacy in black college students.

ABSTRACTObjective: Health literacy is a determinant of health, but disparities in health literacy persist. This study examined the influence of ecological factors on college students’ health litera...
Antecedents of Service Strategy Adoption by Manufacturing Firms

Manufacturers are increasingly complementing their products with new services in order to satisfy a broader array of customer needs and increase the value of their offerings. A manufacturer’s diver...
Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals How Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 Initiates DNA Break Repair

Summary DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair is essential for maintaining our genomes. Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 (MRN) and Ku70-Ku80 (Ku) direct distinct DSB repair pathways, but the interplay between these complexes at a DSB remains unclear. Here, we use high-throughput single-molecule microscopy to show that MRN searches for free DNA ends by one-dimensional facilitated diffusion, even on nucleosome-coated DNA. Rad50 binds homoduplex DNA and promotes facilitated diffusion, whereas Mre11 is required for DNA end recognition and nuclease activities. MRN gains access to occluded DNA ends by removing Ku or other DNA adducts via an Mre11-dependent nucleolytic reaction. Next, MRN loads exonuclease 1 (Exo1) onto the free DNA ends to initiate DNA resection. In the presence of replication protein A (RPA), MRN acts as a processivity factor for Exo1, retaining the exonuclease on DNA for long-range resection. Our results provide a mechanism for how MRN promotes homologous recombination on nucleosome-coated DNA.
Ultrarobust Biochips with Metal-Organic Framework Coating for Point-of-Care Diagnosis.

Most biosensors relying on antibodies as recognition elements fail in harsh environment conditions such as elevated temperatures, organic solvents, or proteases because of antibody denaturation, and require strict storage conditions with defined shelf life, thus limiting their applications in point-of-care and resource-limited settings. Here, a metal–organic framework (MOF) encapsulation is utilized to preserve the biofunctionality of antibodies conjugated to nanotransducers. This study investigates several parameters of MOF coating (including growth time, surface morphology, thickness, and precursor concentrations) that determine the preservation efficacy against different protein denaturing conditions in both dry and wet environments. A plasmonic biosensor based on gold nanorods as the nanotransducers is employed as a model biodiagnostic platform. The preservation efficacy attained through MOF encapsulation is compared to two other commonly employed materials (sucrose and silk fibroin). The results show...
Inventory Control: Backordering

The major changes in this chapter, from the previous chapter, are: (1) we now allow for backorders; (2) we maximize profit instead of minimizing cost; and (3) we discount future monies back to their present value.
Using oral quality of life measures in geriatric dentistry.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this paper is to present potential uses of existing oral-specific quality of life (OQOL) instruments in geriatric dentistry. METHOD Selected existing OQOL instruments were reviewed. Three examples of how such instruments have or could be used in geriatric dentistry are presented. CONTENT OF REVIEW Nine OQOL instruments are briefly reviewed. The potential uses in geriatric dentistry include population applications and uses with individuals for political, theoretical and practical reasons. Practical uses include identification of persons needing treatment, assessing oral health needs in populations and estimating resources required to meet those needs, as endpoints in clinical trials and as measures of the impact of care provided. CONCLUSIONS The ultimate value of OQOL measures will be measured by their usefulness in improving care of patients. The development of streamlined instruments and a core instrument which can be used in multiple populations and serve as a baseline to which other measures are added is recommended.
Human Erotic Age Orientation: A Conclusion

“Pedophile” and “ephebophile” are categorical labels for individuals who have in common a preferential sexual attraction to the attributes of children and adolescents, respectively. Given the multiplicity of human attributes, why are some individuals, who are attracted to certain human attributes, encumbered by labels such as “homosexual” or “pedophile” while other individuals, who are attracted to other human attributes, such as stature, skin complexion, or body shape, go unlabeled and therefore uncategorized? If all categories are arbitrary, why are some individuals, like “homosexuals” and “pedophiles,” labeled and others not?
Design of a 33-Knot Aluminum Catamaran Ferry

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the suitability of using hull panels with alternating fixed and floating frames for a 30-40 knot aluminum catamaran ferry. A prototype 4.6 m x 1.8 m bottom hull panel with alternating frames is analyzed numerically and physically tested. The corresponding finite-element analyses and test results are in good agreement. The results show that the floating frame hull panel design is a feasible structure for an aluminum catamaran. The floating frame structure was then used for a 33-knot, 250-passenger aluminum catamaran ferry designed to meet the ABS High Speed Craft rules. A midship section of the catamaran hull was analyzed using the finite-element method. Catamaran weight estimates, heave and pitch motions, and powering estimates are also provided. The results show that the alternating floating frame structure was within the ABS rules stress allowables.
Identification of gene expression logical invariants in Arabidopsis

Numerous gene expression datasets from diverse tissue samples from the plant variety Arabidopsis thaliana have been already deposited in the public domain. There have been several attempts to do large scale meta-analyses of all of these datasets. Most of these analyses summarize pairwise gene expression relationships using correlation, or identify differentially expressed genes in two conditions. We propose here a new large scale meta-analysis of the publicly available Arabidopsis datasets to identify Boolean logical relationships between genes. Boolean logic is a branch of mathematics that deals with two possible values. In the context of gene expression datasets we use qualitative high and low expression values. A strong logical relationship between genes emerges if at least one of the quadrants is sparsely populated. We pointed out serious issues in the data normalization steps widely accepted and published recently in this context. We put together a web resource where gene expression relationships can be explored online which helps visualize the logical relationships between genes. We believe that this website will be useful in identifying important genes in different biological context. The web link is http://hegemon.ucsd.edu/plant/.
CANONICAL FACTORIZATION OF THE QUOTIENT MORPHISM FOR AN AFFINE G $$ \mathbb{G} $$ a-VARIETY

Working over a ground field of characteristic zero, this paper studies the quotient morphism π : X → Y for an affine $$ \mathbb{G} $$ a-variety X with affine quotient Y. It is shown that the degree modules associated to the Ga-action give a uniquely determined sequence of dominant $$ \mathbb{G} $$ a-equivariant morphisms, $$ X={X}_r\to {X}_{r-1}\to \cdots \to {X}_1\to {X}_0=Y, $$ where Xi is an affine $$ \mathbb{G} $$ a-variety and Xi + 1 → Xi is birational for each i ≥ 1. This is the canonical factorization of 𝜋. We give an algorithm for finding the degree modules associated to the $$ \mathbb{G} $$ a-action, and this yields the canonical factorization of 𝜋. The algorithm is applied to compute the canonical factorization for several examples, including the homogeneous (2, 5) action on $$ {\mathbb{A}}^3 $$ The Freeness Conjecture, introduced in the paper's last section, asserts that, for any $$ \mathbb{G} $$ a-action on $$ X={\mathbb{A}}^3 $$ the polynomial ring k[X] is a free module over $$ k{\left[X\right]}^{{\mathbb{G}}_a} $$ .
Acquaintance Type 5: Allies

Allies have the explicit objective of strengthening themselves as much as possible by forming powerful, ideally unbreakable alliances with other parties. In order to achieve this objective, instead of simply being partners of convenience, they are committed to defending the other party’s interests as if they were their own.
Enriching Analytics Models with Domain Knowledge for Smart Manufacturing Data Analysis.

Today, data analytics plays an important role in Smart Manufacturing decision making. Domain knowledge is very important to support the development of analytics models. However, in today's data ana...
Impact on Chinese nurses roles after study abroad: An exploratory study

Background and objective: Studying abroad to expand professional development is growing worldwide with nurses traveling to different countries to expand their knowledge and skills. The impact a study abroad experience has on one’s professional role and personal life upon return is an important area of study. Depending on the individual and the level of support from hospital leadership, academic institutions and family, the experience could have a positive or negative impact on their professional role and personal life when returning to their home country. The objective of this study was to understand how a one-year study abroad experience impacted 1) Chinese nurses’ clinical practice, 2) their professional role, and 3) their personal life 6 months after returning home. Methods: A 10-item 6-month post entry electronic survey using Likert scale (1 = very weak to 7 very strong) and open-ended questions was developed. 29 Chinese nurses were invited to complete the survey via email invitation. Quantitative analysis was conducted on the first 5 questions and content analysis was conducted on the remaining 5 questions. Results: A total of 16 participants (55%) completed the survey. For the first 5 questions, a change was noted from students’ responses at program completion. For the last 5 questions, detailed examples of obstacles and challenges faced in their professional role and personal life following their return were shared. Conclusions: Findings suggest that while studying abroad influences one’s professional role and practice initially, the influence may not be enduring as the originating culture may have a stronger impact. Hosting and visiting organizations need to prepare individuals who study abroad to transition home successfully to meet both the professional role and personal life challenges one may face.
Linking Cultural Diversity and Innovation: A Literature Review

Workplace Cultural diversity has been a recurrent topic in research in the last decades. Five determinants of innovation that have been subject of study by scholars have been identified and analyzed. Literature review has suggested that demographics trends (Choudaha et al, 2012; Shresta & Heisler, 2011; Aud & Ramani, 2010) promise a more diverse workforce in the future. There are some gains involved with these changes and a few drawbacks that organizations need to learn to manage.
Relationship of trauma exposure and PTSD to cigarette smoking prevalence, frequency, and quantity: Data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.

Individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) smoke cigarettes at much higher prevalences than the general population. Less is known about PTSD and other smoking behaviors (e.g., smoking quantity and frequency) or about smoking among individuals who experience trauma. Objective To examine differences in cigarette smoking behaviors among adults in the United States (a) with no exposure to trauma or PTSD, (b) with trauma but no PTSD, and (c) with PTSD. Methods Data came from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-II (NESARC-II, 2004-2005) and included demographics, PTSD diagnoses, traumatic events, and smoking behaviors. Odds ratios and group differences in smoking prevalence and behaviors based on PTSD diagnoses and exposure to traumatic experiences were calculated. Results Traumatic events and PTSD diagnoses were both associated with greater smoking prevalences than persons without trauma or PTSD. Individuals with PTSD who smoke were more likely to report daily smoking than those without PTSD who smoke (Cohen's d = 0.19). Cigarette users with either trauma or PTSD smoked more cigarettes per day than cigarette users without trauma or PTSD (Cohen's d = 0.35). US adults with trauma exposure or PTSD have higher smoking prevalences and more intense smoking behaviors than those without PTSD or trauma. Conclusion Trauma or PTSD may each serve as a clinical indicator of increased risk of cigarette smoking-related health problems and prompt the implementation of targeted interventions to reduce the harms of smoking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Minimal Clinically Important Difference, Substantial Clinical Benefit, and Patient Acceptable Symptom State of Outcome Measures Relating to Shoulder Pathology and Surgery: a Systematic Review

To provide a comprehensive summary of available literature on the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), substantial clinical benefit (SCB), and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for various shoulder conditions and outcomes and to identify factors that influence these metrics. Over the past 2 years, there has been an increasing interest in utilizing MCID, SCB, and PASS as a gauge to evaluate the success of an intervention for shoulder conditions. Efforts at calculating these thresholds have yielded multiple and inconsistent values and are further compounded by the proliferation of different PROMs in the shoulder literature. The MCID, SCB, and PASS values of shoulder PROMs vary widely with study-specific characteristics, including patient demographics, shoulder pathology, treatment, shoulder instrument, study methodology, and calculation method. The differences in these factors are not inconsequential and could lead to large discrepancies in threshold values. It is crucial that clinicians are mindful of these variables when designing future studies to calculate these metrics or when utilizing previously published values to determine the success of an intervention.
Efficient and stochastic mouse action switching during probabilistic decision making

Abstract To gain insight into the process by which animals choose between actions, we trained mice in a two-armed bandit task with time-varying reward probabilities. Whereas past work has modeled the selection of the higher rewarding port in such tasks, we sought to also model the trial-to-trial changes in port selection – i.e. the action switching behavior. We find that mouse behavior deviates from the theoretically optimal agent performing Bayesian inference in a hidden Markov model (HMM). Instead the strategy of mice can be well-described by a set of models that we demonstrate are mathematically equivalent: a logistic regression, drift diffusion model, and ‘sticky’ Bayesian model. Here we show that switching behavior of mice is characterized by several components that are conserved across models, namely a stochastic action policy, a representation of action value, and a tendency to repeat actions despite incoming evidence. When fit to mouse behavior, the expected reward under these models lies near a plateau of the value landscape even in changing reward probability contexts. These results indicate that mouse behavior reaches near-maximal performance with reduced action switching and can be described by models with a small number of relatively fixed-parameters.
Risk factors for keratoconus progression after treatment by accelerated cross-linking (A-CXL): A prospective 24-month study.

Summary Purpose Identification of potential predictive factors for keratoconus progression after treatment by accelerated Cross-linking (A-CXL) Secondary objectives Evaluation of clinical and topographic outcomes for two years following accelerated cross-linking treatment for progressive keratoconus including: best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), thinnest pachymetry, maximum keratometry (Kmax), cylinder. Study Prospective, interventional, monocentric study. Site Metz-Thionville Regional Medical Center, Lorraine University, Mercy Hospital, Metz, France. Patients and methods We included 82 eyes of 60 patients between March 2014 and June 2016 who underwent accelerated corneal cross-linking (A-CXL) with epithelial debridement for progressive keratoconus, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. A complete clinical evaluation and corneal topography were performed before cross-linking, and subsequently at 6, 12 and 24 months post-procedure. The following parameters were monitored during follow-up: best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), minimal pachymetry, maximum keratometry (Kmax), mean anterior and posterior curvatures, maximum posterior curvature, presence of optical aberrations, subdivided into spherical aberration, coma, astigmatism, higher order optical aberrations and residual optical aberrations. After a 2-year follow-up, two groups, defined as “responders” and “non-responders” to treatment, were separated for analysis, and their initial characteristics were compared. Results Data for 82 eyes of 60 patients with progressive keratoconus with a mean age of 24 ± 7 years were studied. Fourteen eyes (17.1%) showed signs of progression after treatment by A-CXL (non-responders), and 68 eyes (82.9%) showed stabilization of the disease (responders). Characteristics of non-responding eyes after A-CXL included a younger mean age (20 ± 5 vs. 25 ± 7 years) (P = 0.04) and a lower initial mean BCVA for non-responders of 0.44 ± 0.16 logMAR vs. 0.29 ± 0.19 logMAR (P = 0.03). Non-responders also had a higher mean maximal posterior curvature (AKB) of −10.84 ± 1.72D vs. −9.46 ± 1.12D (P = 0.03). They also showed more higher order optical aberrations (3.84 ± 1.72D vs. 2.4 ± 1.02D; P = 0.01), including coma (3.85 ± 1.81D vs. 2.1 ± 1.01D; P = 0.03) and more residual aberrations than responders (1.05 ± 0.44D vs. 0.45 ± 0.6D; P = 0.005). No significant differences were found between responders and non-responders for the other parameters in our study. Conclusion Eyes with progressive keratoconus who did not respond to A-CXL treatment were the most aggressive cases in the youngest patients, with highest maximum corneal curvatures and most pronounced optical aberrations. These patients should be informed in advance of the high risk of non-response to A-CXL treatment, and of the potential need for additional treatment in the future.
Pediatric Mental Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions of the Delivery of Partial Hospitalization and Outpatient Services via Telehealth during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has required healthcare providers to deliver services via telehealth. Unfortunately, many mental healthcare providers have not received direct training in telehealth delivery....
Teaching the Economics of Poverty and Discrimination as a Study Abroad in South Africa

Study abroad programs can be immensely rewarding for both student and professor alike. However, the high start-up costs for teaching a study abroad course can be intimidating. This chapter describes our experience teaching the economics of poverty and discrimination in South Africa. We not only discuss the reasons for choosing South Africa as a destination, we also lay out the details for assignments, planning, budgeting, and field trips. Our aim is that this chapter will help those wishing to lead a similar program by lowering their start-up costs so that more such programs can be offered.
The Cosmopolitan First Amendment: Protecting Transborder Expressive and Religious Liberties

We live in an interconnected world in which expressive and religious cultures increasingly commingle and collide. In a globalized and digitized era, we need to better understand the relationship between the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and international borders. This book focuses on the exercise and protection of cross-border and beyond-border expressive and religious liberties, and on the First Amendment's relationship to the world beyond US shores. It reveals a cosmopolitan First Amendment that protects cross-border conversation, facilitates the global spread of democratic principles, recognizes expressive and religious liberties regardless of location, is influential across the world, and encourages respectful engagement with the liberty regimes of other nations. The Cosmopolitan First Amendment is the product of historical, social, political, technological and legal developments. It examines the First Amendment's relationship to foreign travel, immigration, cross-border communication and association, religious activities that traverse international borders, conflicts among foreign and US speech and religious liberty models, and the conduct of international affairs and diplomacy.
Inhibition of erbB1/2 by small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but not trastuzumab, affects metabolic pathways: Implications for cardiac toxicity.

PR-1 Background: Therapies targeting ErbB2 represent an attractive strategy in breast cancer. Trastuzumab, an anti-ErbB2 monoclonal antibody, is an approved treatment for patients with ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancers. Lapatinib is a potent, reversible inhibitor of ErbB2 and ErbB1 tyrosine kinases (TKI) and is currently in Phase III clinical trials in breast and other carcinomas. The principal adverse event attributable to trastuzumab is cardiac toxicity. This study was conducted to elucidate mechanisms that affect metabolic pathways by a TKI and an antibody directed to ErbB2 and their effects on breast cancer cells, primary human adipocytes and cardiomyocytes. Synergistic effects with cytotoxic agents were also tested.Materials and methods: Western blotting was used for p-Akt, p-Erk1/2, p-AMPKα and p-eEF2 (Cell Signaling, Beverly, MA); ERRα, ERRγ (R & D Systems Minneapolis, MN); PGC-1 (Chemicon International, Temecula, CA); MCAD (Cayman Chemicals, Ann Arbor, MI) and Actin (Sigma, St. Louis, MO). Lipid staining: cells were fixed in NBF and stained with Oil Red O (Sigma). Cells: AU565, BT474 breast cancer cells and primary cardiomyocytes were grown in RPMI supplemented with 15% BFS and treated with BAPTA/AM (Calbiochem): 5-30 μM; GW-2974 (Sigma): 1-25 μM; trastuzumab (Genentech): 5-50 mg/ml; Heregulin (LabVision, Fremont, CA): 5-100 ng/ml; doxorubicin: 50 ng/ml; TNFα: 100 ng/ml.Results: Our results show that treatment with GW-2974/lapatinib on ErbB1/2 inhibits fatty acid metabolic pathways through activation of adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK), a key regulator in mitochondrial energy producing pathways, in human cardiac cells, and breast cancer cells. The changes include phosphorylation of AMPK, eEF2, upregulation of ERRα and PGC-1, activators of fatty acid oxidation, in cardiomyocytes and breast cancer cells, downregulation of fatty acid synthase (FAS), and changes in ion and calcium channels. In addition to fatty acid oxidation, depletion of amino acids occurred. The metabolic changes were reversed by calcium chelation. Trastuzumab failed to activate AMPK, but downregulated survival pathways. There were dramatic differences in the cytotoxic synergistic effect between GW-2974 and trastuzumab.Conclusions: Our results show that treatment using TKI to ErbB1/ErbB2 pathways in breast cancer cells, and human cardiomyocytes results in activation of AMPK. AMPK regulates cellular energy homeostasis. Activation of AMPK after stress is associated with protection of cells against ischemia and nutrient depletion and cytotoxic agents, helping to preserve the levels of cellular ATP and cellular survival. Thus, activation of AMPK provide protection against cellular damage by ErbB targeted therapy alone or when given in combination with chemotherapy. The failure of trastuzumab to activate AMPK points to the source of its cardiac toxicity and synergy with cytotoxic agents.
A Framework for Assessing the Business Value of Information Technology Infrastructures

Information technology (IT) infrastructure investments are an extremely important part of e-business and constitute a major portion of IT investments in many organizations. IT infrastructure investments include investments in connectivity, systems integration, and data storage that may be used by multiple applications. Prior research has recognized the importance of a flexible IT infrastructure as a source of competitive advantage. Evidence regarding the value of IT infrastructures is anecdotal, and there is a realization that large investments in IT infrastructures are often difficult to justify. This paper expands on the idea that the value of an IT infrastructure depends on its use in an organizational context, and presents a relatively simple approach to understanding and assessing the value of IT infrastructure investments. This approach is based on the asset valuation literature in finance. An example is provided to illustrate the proposed approach, and managerial implications are discussed.
Comparative evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of a pH-sensitive enteric coated pancreatic enzyme preparation with conventional pancreatic enzyme therapy in the treatment of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

The therapeutic efficacy of a pH-sensitive enteric coated pancreatic enzyme preparation was compared with conventional pancreatic enzyme preparations in 6 adult patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Fecal fat excretion and postprandial duodenal recovery of orally ingested pancreatic enzymes were evaluated after ingestion of each preparation. Fecal fat excretion decreased significantly (p less than 0.005) on treatment with pH-sensitive and conventional pancreatic enzyme preparations. Postprandial concentration and delivery of trypsin and lipase in samples aspirated from duodenojejunal junction were higher after ingestion of conventional pancreatic enzyme preparation as compared to the pH-sensitive enteric coated preparation. The difference, however, did not reach statistical significance. Our observations suggest that the pH-sensitive enteric coated pancreatic enzyme preparation is only as effective as conventional pancreatic enzyme preparations in controlling fat malabsorption in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Failure of pH-sensitive enteric coated preparation to deliver greater quantities of pancreatic enzymes at duodenojejunal junction is most likely related to the impaired release of enzymes from microspheres due to low intraluminal pH in the upper small intestine in pancreatic insufficiency.
Recovery of neural signaling following oxygen glucose deprivation is greater in Syrian hamster hippocampi than in rat hippocampi (877.10)

Previous studies showed that neurons in mammalian obligatory hibernators are less damaged by oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) than those of non-hibernating species. But it is unknown if recovery of hippocampal signal processing after transient OGD is greater in facultative hibernators (e.g., Syrian hamsters) than in rats (non-hibernators). We tested the hypotheses that 30 min after OGD exposure, recovery would be greater: (1) at low vs. high temperatures in both species and (2) in hamsters vs. rats. Following Schaffer collateral stimulation, evoked responses from CA1 neurons were measured at 25oC, 30oC, and 35oC. A 15 min baseline response was recorded for slices perfused in oxygenated artificial cerebrospinal fluid (O2aCSF). Perfusate was then switched to aCSF minus glucose and gassed with nitrogen (OGD) for 10 min, after which it was returned to O2aCSF for 30 min. Degree of recovery from OGD was significantly greater (P<0.05) at lower temperatures in hamster and rat slices, supporting hypothesis 1. Addi...
Historic variation in the diet of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) in the Northwest Atlantic

Abstract Background: traditionally, diets of harp seals in the NW Atlantic have been described using the prevalence of prey items in stomachs. This paper uses an alternative method, reconstructed wet weight, and prevalence to provide new data about dietary variation in nearshore and offshore areas. Methods: diet was determined by reconstructing the contents of 3,299 stomachs collected in 1982, 1986 and 1990–1993 in nearshore and offshore locations. Wet weights of prey were derived from measurements of otoliths and squid beaks in the stomachs. Results: annual, geographic and seasonal differences were observed in the diets of seals collected near Laborador, NE, W and S Newfoundland, and in off-shore areas. In nearshore NE Newfoundland there was a drastic shift in diet from a heavy reliance on capelin (Mallotus villosus) in 1982, to polar cod (Boreogadus saida) from 1986 to 1993. Conclusions: while previous studies concluded that capelin was the major prey, reconstructions of stomach contents have revealed that polar cod has been the most important prey in nearshore areas since 1986. In contrast, capelin is the major component in the offshore diet. Atlantic cod represented only a minor part of prey weight consumed in either area since 1982.
Comparison of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Uptake and Marker Integration in Bacilli and Protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis

trp(+)his(-) donor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was added to highly competent trp(-)his(+) recipient bacilli and to protoplasts prepared from these bacilli, and the cell-DNA complexes were incubated for 30 min. The complexes were then washed and lysed, and their DNA was analyzed on a trp(-)his(-) strain for the donor marker trp(+), the resident marker his(+), and for the recombinant trp(+)his(+) combination. The extracts of the bacillary complexes contained a normal percentage of donor markers (0.1-0.2%), and the number of trp(+)his(+) doubles (20% of all trp(+) transformants) indicated that the donor DNA had become integrated into the resident genomes. The protoplast complexes contained 10 to 1,000 times fewer donor markers and almost no recombinants. This indicated that, in protoplasts, marker uptake was minimal and recombination was absent. Uptake was also measured with (3)H-labeled DNA. On the average, protoplasts took up one-fiftieth as much DNA as bacilli. It was concluded that, probably, protoplasts took up no DNA at all, that there were no DNA affinity sites on the surface of the protoplasts, and that the residual marker and radioactivity uptake was due to imperfections in the experimental system. The data and conclusions differed sharply from earlier ones of Hirokawa and Ikeda despite the fact that the techniques of these authors were followed in repeat experiments.
Interference Between Direct Nuclear Reactions and Coulomb Excitation with Alpha Particles on Sm 154 , Er 166 , and W 182

Striking destructive interference effects have been observed in the $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ excitation of the ${2}^{+}$ and ${4}^{+}$ ground-state band rotational states in deformed even-$A$ $^{154}\mathrm{Sm}$, $^{166}\mathrm{Er}$, and $^{182}\mathrm{W}$. The $E2$ and $E4$ transition moments and charge deformation parameters, ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{20}^{c}$ and ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{40}^{c}$, are given.[NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{154}\mathrm{Sm}(\ensuremath{\alpha},{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$, $E=11\ensuremath{-}19$ MeV; $^{166}\mathrm{Er}(\ensuremath{\alpha},{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$, $E=12.5\ensuremath{-}19.5$ MeV, $^{182}W(\ensuremath{\alpha},{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$, $E=13\ensuremath{-}21$ MeV; measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}({E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}};\ensuremath{\theta}={150}^{\ensuremath{\circ}})$; deduced $B(E2)$, $B(E4)$. Enriched targets. Extracted model-dependent deformations, ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{20}$ and ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{40}$.]
Stimulation-induced changes in NADH fluorescence and mitochondrial membrane potential in lizard motor nerve terminals

To investigate mitochondrial responses to repetitive stimulation, we measured changes in NADH fluorescence and mitochondrial membrane potential (Ψm) produced by trains of action potentials (50 Hz for 10–50 s) delivered to motor nerve terminals innervating external intercostal muscles. Stimulation produced a rapid decrease in NADH fluorescence and partial depolarization of Ψm. These changes were blocked when Ca2+ was removed from the bath or when N-type Ca2+ channels were inhibited with ω-conotoxin GVIA, but were not blocked when bath Ca2+ was replaced by Sr2+, or when vesicular release was inhibited with botulinum toxin A. When stimulation stopped, NADH fluorescence and Ψm returned to baseline values much faster than mitochondrial [Ca2+]. In contrast to findings in other tissues, there was usually little or no poststimulation overshoot of NADH fluorescence. These findings suggest that the major change in motor terminal mitochondrial function brought about by repetitive stimulation is a rapid acceleration of electron transport chain (ETC) activity due to the Ψm depolarization produced by mitochondrial Ca2+ (or Sr2+) influx. After partial inhibition of complex I of the ETC with amytal, stimulation produced greater Ψm depolarization and a greater elevation of cytosolic [Ca2+]. These results suggest that the ability to accelerate ETC activity is important for normal mitochondrial sequestration of stimulation-induced Ca2+ loads.
Decorrelating code-timing estimation for CDMA systems with long codes and bandlimited chip waveforms

This paper addresses the problem of multiuser code-timing estimation for asynchronous uplink CDMA systems with aperiodic spreading codes and bandlimited chip waveforms. Two decorrelating code-timing estimation schemes, namely the FLS and FWLS estimators, are developed, one based on least-squares (LS) while the other on weighted LS (WLS) processing in the frequency domain. The two proposed estimators offer different tradeoffs between complexity and estimation accuracy. Due to a unique signal structure in the frequency domain, both the FLS and FWLS estimators admit efficient recursive implementation, a subject also elaborated in this paper, which results in complexity reduction remarkably by orders of magnitude compared to direct implementation. Numerical results show that both of the proposed estimators can support overloaded systems (with more users than the processing gain) in multipath fading environments, and significantly outperform a conventional technique based on matched-filter processing.
Healing Rhythms: The World of South Korea's East Coast Hereditary Shamans

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Simon Mills Year: 2007 Pages: 134 Publisher: Ashgate Publishing ISBN: 978-0-7546-5845-0 (hard cover). Prices: $54.95 USD(hard cover).
Ribonucleotide reductase in developing brain.

Abstract Ribonucleotide reductase activity has been measured as a function of gestational age in the brains of the mouse, rat, chicken, and human, and in the cerebellum of rats during the first 2 weeks after birth. Some of the properties of the cerebral enzyme have been determined. The pattern of activity found in the developing brain is related to the period of neuronal proliferation.
Rosette formation between rat thymocytes and guinea pig erythrocytes requires “active” fetal calf serum: II. Characterization of the receptor-bearing thymocytes☆

Abstract High proportions of thymocytes from many rat strains participate in rosette formation (RF) with guinea pig erythrocytes only in the presence of non-heated fetal calf serum. Adult Lewis rat spleens, lymph nodes, peripheral blood and bone marrow contain very few cells capable of participating in RF. Adult levels of cells participating in RF are present in Lewis rat thymus from the perinatal period onward. Essentially, no cells participating in RF are found in the spleens or bone marrow of Lewis rats during the perinatal period. Thymocytes participating in RF are sensitive to high doses of cortisone and low doses of irradiation in vivo. After sublethal irradiation, thymuses are rapidly repopulated by cells participating in RF. After lethal irradiation followed by bone marrow transplantation, thymuses are repopulated by donor cells that can participate in RF. Of interest, a moderate proportion of thymocytes from many mouse strains also can participate in RF. This subpopulation of murine thymocytes are highly cortisone sensitive.
Analysis of Science Textbook Recommendations Provided for Students with Disabilities

Teachers' manuals from three major elementary science textbook series were analyzed. These textbooks provided specific instructional recommendations for students with disabilities in mainstream classes. Findings reveal that (a) the textbooks did not provide recommendations for all categories of disabilities as defined in Public Law 94-142; (b) many recommendations did not specifically address the learning needs of the students for whom they were intended; and (c) there were no consistency in the nature of recommendations provided for any given category of disability. Results indicate that special education and mainstream teachers should monitor the usefulness of published materials that claim to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
The rapid detection of polyphosphate in broiler chicken breast muscle

Summary A method for rapid detection of the presence of injected polyphosphate or a mixture of polyphosphate and sodium chloride solutions in broiler breast muscle has been developed. Detection is based on the ratio of sodium and phosphorus (as P2O5) concentrations found in a trichloroacetic acid (TCA) extract of the muscle. Comparison of acid digested and undigested TCA extracts showed that the presence of these added salts could be demonstrated equally well without acid digestion. The method has been satisfactorily applied to the analysis of deep-frozen broilers purchased from supermarkets.
Modulation of mammary gland development in pre-pubertal mice as affected by soya and milk protein supplements.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of soya and whey milk protein, a-lactalbumin (a-LA), on mammary gland morphology and the structural support of the gland, in pre-pubertal mice after 7 d of treatment. In Expt 1, weaned (day 21) CD1 mice were given one of the four treatments, three included dietary supplements: (1) control diet, casein, (2) soya, (3) a-LA and (4) subcutaneous injection of 2·5mg oestradiol benzoate in 20ml maize oil and fed the control diet. All diets were isoenergetic with equal protein concentrations. All groups that were not treated with oestradiol received the vehicle. Whole-mount analyses were performed to determine longitudinal ductal growth and terminal end bud development. DNA was extracted from the gland and assessed by spectrophotometry (260/280 nm). Tissue extracts for extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), tissue inhibitor of MMP2 (TIMP2), and serum oestradiol and mammary tissue epidermal growth factors (EGF) were measured by immunoassays. Expt 2 utilised the Her2/neu transgenic strain, with the same protocols. Statistical significance was determined by one-way ANOVA. From Expt 1 and 2, soya and a-LA significantly increased ductal elongation when compared with the oestrogen and control groups. These results were corroborated by data on total DNA and the ratio of MMP2:TIMP2. The ratio of MMP2:TIMP2 was affected by a-LA. Serum oestradiol was decreased only in the oestradiol-treated groups in both experiments. Soya is known to be oestrogenic and can act on epithelia directly. The mechanism by which a-LA affects glandular development is by modulating the ECM or by promoting the synthesis/activity of EGF.
Simultaneous Determination of Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors Using Human Uterus as a Standard

Abstract Numerous reports have shown a high degree of correlation between the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors in cancerous breast tumors and response to endocrine therapy. There are several methods in use for measurement of these receptors, but all are time consuming and require large amounts of tumor tissue. Our laboratory needed a faster and simpler method to determine receptor concentration. We describe here an assay which utilizes human uterus extract with known receptor concentration as a standard to determine receptor concentration of tumor tissues. This method is simple, fast and will allow determination of estrogen and progesterone receptor in up to ten patient samples at one time.
Incentive-based modeling and inference of attacker intent, objectives, and strategies

Although the ability to model and infer Attacker Intent, Objectives and Strategies (AIOS) may dramatically advance the literature of risk assessment, harm prediction, and predictive or proactive cyber defense, existing AIOS inference techniques are ad hoc and system or application specific. In this paper, we present a general incentive-based method to model AIOS and a game theoretic approach to infer AIOS. On one hand, we found that the concept of incentives can unify a large variety of attacker intents; the concept of utilities can integrate incentives and costs in such a way that attacker objectives can be practically modeled. On the other hand, we developed a game theoretic AIOS formalization which can capture the inherent inter-dependency between AIOS and defender objectives and strategies in such a way that AIOS can be automatically inferred. Finally, we use a specific case study to show how AIOS can be inferred in real world attack-defense scenarios.
CCL2 (Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1) in cancer bone metastases

The paradigm of cancer development and metastasis is a comprehensive, complex series of events that ultimately reflects a coordinated interaction between the tumor cell and the microenvironment within which the tumor cell resides. Despite the realization that this relationship has changed the current paradigm of cancer research, the struggle continues to more completely understand the pathogenesis of the disease and the ability to appropriately identify and design novel targets for therapy. A particular area of research that has added a significant understanding to cancer metastasis is the role of chemokines and chemokine receptors. Here we review the current concepts of CCL2 (monoctye chemoattractant protein 1) and its role in tumor metastasis with particular interest to its role in the development of bone metastases.
Orientation of Cattle Fetuses In Utero in Relation to Stage of Pregnancy

Abstract The orientation in utero of cattle fetuses was studied in 494 pregnant cows (478 singly pregnant; 16 twin pregnant). Fetuses were in anterior presentation if the head was oriented toward the cervix and in posterior presentation if the head was oriented toward the uterotubal junction. Data were considered for 10 day stages of gestation (Day 40 to 170) and for 15 day stages (Day 171 to 280). Before 100 days and between 101 and 200 days of pregnancy the proportion of fetuses in anterior presentation approximated 50%. After 201 days of pregnancy 82.7% of fetuses were in anterior presentation, and orientation was different (x 2 = 16.49:1 df) from random (50:50). After 216 days all fetuses were in anterior presentation. Data from twin pregnancies were too few to be conclusive, but no trends were dissimilar from those in singly pregnant cows. Anterior presentation of fetuses is assumed not later than 216 days of gestation in normal pregnancies.
Predictors of clinical trial dropout in individuals with co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol dependence.

Abstract Background Individuals with co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol dependence have particularly low rates of retention in clinical trials. Past research has identified a variety of factors associated with dropout in this population, but few have been replicated. The present study investigated the ability of several baseline variables to predict clinical trial dropout in a sample of individuals with co-morbid bipolar and alcohol use disorders. Methods Demographics, psychiatric diagnoses, recent alcohol use, mood pathology, and risk taking behavior (measured with the Balloon Analogue Risk Task) were evaluated as predictors of dropout from a randomized clinical trial of acamprosate for individuals with co-morbid bipolar and alcohol use disorders ( n = 30) using stepwise logistic regression. Results Risk taking behavior was the only significant predictor of dropout in the present study (OR = 1.44, p = 0.03); opiate dependence marginally predicted dropout as well (OR = 13.46, p = 0.08). A model consisting of these predictors, as well as acamprosate group status ( p = 0.13), provided excellent prediction of dropout (i.e., area under the ROC curve = 0.94; R 2 = 0.53). Conclusions Given the robust relationship between risk taking and dropout in the present study, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task may represent a valuable tool for researchers to predict who will drop out of clinical trials for comorbid bipolar and substance use disorders.
Trinocular Stereo: Theoretical Advantages and a New Algorithm

This paper presents a new three-camera stereo matching algorithm, called the Trinocular Local Matching Algorithm (TLMA), that helps to overcome some of the inherent problems in binocular matching. These problems include (1) the inability of binocular algorithms to obtain matches for horizontal edge segments, (2) secondary errors that arise in image regions containing unmatched horizontal segments, (3) the inability of binocular algorithms to obtain matches in occluded regions, (4) incorrect matches that may be accepted in occluded regions, and (5) the matching ambiguity of periodic image texture. TLMA matches images taken from cameras positioned on the vertices of an isosceles right triangle. Edges detected in the base image are matched with either the right or top image. For each candidate match a support value is computed using three support measures: the disparity gradient, the trinocular disparity gradient and cross-channel consistency multiresolution. Support values are compared for competing matches to determine the confidence in each match. High confidence matches that pass a final consistency check, called the area rule, are accepted as correct. TLMA is shown to avoid some of the design errors of previous trinocular algorithms. Preliminary experimental results on both real and synthetic images comparing TLMA with a similarly defined binocular algorithm demonstrate TLMA's effectiveness in producing improved matching results.