cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whole genome sequencing of canids reveals genomic regions under selection and variants influencing morphology

Domestic dog breeds are characterized by an unrivaled diversity of morphologic traits and breed-associated behaviors resulting from human selective pressures. To identify the genetic underpinnings of such traits, we analyze 722 canine whole genome sequences (WGS), documenting over 91 million single nucleotide and small indels, creating a large catalog of genomic variation for a companion animal species. We undertake both selective sweep analyses and genome wide association studies (GWAS) inclusive of over 144 modern breeds, 54 wild canids and a hundred village dogs. Our results identify variants of strong impact associated with 16 phenotypes, including body weight variation which, when combined with existing data, explain greater than 90% of body size variation in dogs. We thus demonstrate that GWAS and selection scans performed with WGS are powerful complementary methods for expanding the utility of companion animal systems for the study of mammalian growth and biology.
Exploring the Relative Efficiency of Sustainable Industry Leaders: A DEA Approach

We examine the relative efficiency of organizations named as sustainability industry leaders in the 2017 DJSI index. Our study uses the overall sustainability as well as dimensional -- economic, social and environmental -- scores to examine the extent to which these dimensional scores were instrumental in producing overall scores. We also examine what improvements in dimensional scores would be necessary for better sustainability reputations. We use data envelope (DEA) to examine our questions. Our research has implications for both academic research and practice. Our main contribution is the application of DEA for benchmarking and improving organizations’ sustainability reputations.
Shareholder Coordination, Corporate Governance, and Firm Value

Ease of coordination can enable diffuse shareholders to play a more effective role in corporate governance and thereby increase firm value. Using geographical proximity and correlation in portfolio allocation decisions as proxies for the ease of coordination, I find evidence that ease of coordination among institutional shareholders is positively associated with firm value. To identify the effect of shareholder coordination on firm value, I exploit two plausibly exogenous shocks to shareholder coordination, namely mergers of asset management firms and the 1992 proxy reform. Difference-in-differences estimates show that ease of coordination increases firm value. I further show that an exogenous decrease in ease of shareholder coordination leads to fewer anti-takeover provisions being rescinded, overly excessive CEO compensation, lower equity-based pay for CEOs, and a lower likelihood of that a CEO is replaced following poor performance. Overall, these findings suggest that ease of coordination improves firm value by enhancing the governance role provided by shareholders.
High-Efficiency, High-Temperature, Air-Stable Cu, Mn and Fe Oxides Nanoparticles-Pigmented Silicone Solar Selective Coatings via Hot Spray-Coating Method

We report Cu, Mn and Fe oxides nanoparticles-pigmented silicone solar selective coatings on Inconel substrates via hot spray-coating. It owns high-temperature resistance and improved thermal efficiency for future concentrating solar power systems.
HPV vaccines for prevention of cervical pre-cancer in adolescent girls and women

The evidence presented in this Cochrane meta-analysis shows the HPV vaccination confers significant benefit in preventing cervical pre-cancer. NNT of 60 for preventing one cervical pre-cancer (women 15 to 25 years old with or without HPV infection). The effect is higher for lesions associated with HPV16/18. The data also demonstrates an absence of serious adverse events. Therefore, we have assigned a color recommendation of Green (Benefit > Harm) to this vaccine.
The National Pharmaceutical Council: Endorsing the Construction of Imaginary Worlds in Health Technology Assessment

All too often, organizations embrace standards for health technology assessment that fail to meet those of normal science. A value assessment framework has been endorsed that is patently in the realm of pseudoscience. If a value assessment framework is to be accepted, then claims for the value of competing products must be credible, evaluable and replicable. If not, for example, when the assessment relies on the construction of an imaginary lifetime incremental cost-per-quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY) world, then that assessment should be rejected. Such an assessment would fail one of the central roles of normal science: the discovery of new facts through an ongoing process of conjecture and refutation where provisional claims can be continually challenged. It is no good defending an endorsement of a value framework that fails expected standards on the grounds that it has been endorsed by professional groups and reflects decades of development. This is intellectually lazy. If this is the case, then the scientific revolution of the 17th century need not have happened. The purpose of this commentary is to consider the recommended standards for health technology assessment of the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC), with particular reference to proposed methodological standards in value assessment and the commitment to mathematically impossible QALYs.
The Order-Chaos Transition of Two Trapped Ions

Publisher Summary Trapped particles can describe two very different kinds of motion: (1) small oscillations about equilibrium points in an ordered array and (2) disordered, apparently random motion. Transitions between those two types of motion could be induced by varying the trapping potential. This chapter describes order–chaos transitions in a deterministic dynamical system. Analysis of the extended trajectories shows the typical characteristics of deterministic chaos: the Fourier spectrum is continuous even though the system has only six degrees of freedom, and the largest Lyapunov exponent goes from zero in the quasiperiodic state to a positive value in the chaotic state. The chapter describes an experiment that shows the transition between ordered and chaotic motion for two trapped, laser-cooled barium ions. The ions were detected by scattered laser light at 493 nm together with a second laser at 650 nm that also cooled the ions. In the chaotic state, the fluorescence count rate drops dramatically due to the large Doppler effect.
Consolidative or palliative whole brain radiation for secondary CNS diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma.

We analyzed 25 patients receiving whole brain radiation (WBRT) for secondary CNS lymphoma (SCNSL), grouped by consolidative intent (after complete/partial response, n = 13) vs. palliative intent (i...
Travel burnout: Exploring the return journeys of pilgrim-tourists amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract This study investigates the timely, yet academically unexplored, topic of travel burnout. The study explores the return journeys of pilgrim-tourists from Iran to Pakistan during COVID-19 pandemic and contextualizes travel burnout as a negative emotional state placed in the existing theoretical streams. The conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989; 2004) provided theoretical support to guide current study's research agenda. On the basis of a qualitative grounded theory research design, 47 in-depth interviews of pilgrim-tourists were conducted. Travel burnout emerged as a multidimensional concept comprising 3 core dimensions, i.e., low tourist self-efficacy, travel exhaustion and emotional maladaptation. Travel burnout anchors emerged as those factors that facilitated preservation of the tourists' resources when travel circumstances became beyond their regulation. The results pave the way for a more theoretically sound conceptualization of travel burnout. For destination marketing organizations, various avenues are identified that need attention to alleviate the tourist concerns that lead to burnout.
How to Make Mediation Safer in Cases of High Conflict

This short article gives mediators practical advice on making mediation a safer process, particularly if the mediator anticipates the cases will involve a high level of conflict.
Brand X Internet Services v. FCC: The Case of the Missing Policy Argument

People seeking Internet access through their cable lines may soon have new choices. Today, a consumer with Comcast Cable can only purchase cable modem service from Comcast or a Comcast-affiliated provider, usu ally a Comcast subsidiary.1 If the decision in Brand X Internet Services v. Federal Communications Commission2 is upheld by the United States Su preme Court, that consumer will eventually be able to choose from other cable Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating on Comcast's connection to the customer's home.
Cross-Selling Optimization for Customized Promotion.

The profit of a retail product not only comes from its own sales, but also comes from its influence on the sales of other products. How to promote the right products to the right customers becomes one of the key issues in marketing. In this paper, we propose a new formulation of promotion value by considering cross-selling effects within selected products and customers, which were largely ignored by existing work. We investigate the problem of customized promotion, which identifies promotional products and customers so that the promotion effect can be maximized. This problem can be decomposed into two subproblems: product selection and customer selection. The baseline methods entail an exhaustive traversal of all possible product and customer combinations, which is computationally intractable. As an alternative, we propose greedy and randomized algorithms to produce approximation solutions in an efficient manner. Experiments on both synthetic and real-world supermarket transaction data demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms.
Approximating Glass Ceiling Effects Using Cross‐Sectional Data

This chapter reviews methodological issues surrounding the measurement of glass ceiling effects and summarizes findings from one cross-sectional analysis study.
Performance of manufacturing cells for group technology: a parametric analysis

Publisher Summary There have been few research efforts to study the behavior of cellular manufacturing (CM) systems as a function of setup time, processing time, and their ratio. This ratio is found to be a critical parameter in identifying the proper manufacturing environment for the suitability of CM. An analytical model is used in the chapter to compare the relative performance of a partitioned (cellular) system with an unpartitioned (functional) system as a function of the ratio between setup time and processing time per unit, varying over a large domain of values. As per the comparison, the ratio between setup time and processing time per unit in combination with the setup time value impacts the performance measures of flow time and work-in-process for both partitioned system and unpartitioned system. Also identified are the domain values over which both systems are infeasible, as well as the values at which feasibility exists. Conditional characteristics concerning the relative performance of the two strategies are identified. The performance criteria used are flow time and work-in-process.
Desmoplakin I and desmoplakin II. Purification and characterization.

Abstract Desmoplakins I and II (DP1 and DP2), major cytoskeletal structural proteins concentrated in desmosomes, have been purified in milligram quantities from keratomed pig tongue epithelium. DP1 and DP2 extracted from purified desmosomes in 4 M urea were chromatographed on DEAE-cellulose and remained soluble after removal of urea during subsequent chromatography. The two proteins differed by only about 15% in molecular weight (Mr = 285,000 for DP1 and 225,000 for DP2 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels) were found to have similar Svedberg constants, 6.7 S (DP1) and 6.4 S (DP2); nevertheless, separation was readily achieved by gel filtration, since DP1 has a Stokes radius (Rs) of 164 nm, but DP2 has a Rs = 90 nm. Calculated molecular mass was 462,000 daltons for DP1 and 242,000 daltons for DP2, suggesting that DP1 may be a dimer in solution and DP2 a monomer. Cross-linking by disuccinimidyl suberate of 125I-labeled DP1 or DP2 at nanomolar concentrations confirmed that DP1 is a dimer by doubling of its apparent Mr on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and indicated that DP2, which failed to become cross-linked, is a monomer. DP1 in the presence of 8 M urea could not be cross-linked, indicating that urea dissociated the dimers. Calculated frictional ratios (f/f0 = 3 for DP1 and 2 for DP2) indicate that both proteins are highly asymmetric. Rotary shadowing of DP1 demonstrated flexible dumbbell-like extended shapes with a maximal length of about 180 nm with a central rod and coiled or folded end domains. DP2 showed variable extended shapes of maximal length of 78-93 nm. The increased length and Rs of desmoplakin I is probably accounted for by formation of tail-to-tail dimers. Two-dimensional peptide maps and amino acid analysis showed very similar profiles for the two proteins. Purified keratin filaments failed to bind DP1 or DP2, and prekeratins polymerized in vitro and sedimented failed to remove desmoplakins, suggesting that desmoplakins do not bind keratins directly. These studies provide a basis for functional and detailed structural studies with purified native desmosomal proteins.
Risk Aversion and Supply Chain Contract Negotiation

We employ the Nash bargaining solution to determine the value of an opportunity to negotiate a contract in an archetypal supply chain game. This unifies the allocation of payoffs and the selection of the type of contract in a bilateral supply chain; a supplier delivers goods to a news vendor retailer who stocks in anticipation of stochastic seasonal demand. Both firms have concave, ordinal utility functions which allows us to model both risk-neutrality and risk-aversion. We characterize the Nash-optimal contracts, and contrast the cases where both firms are risk-neutral and where at least one of the firms is risk-averse. Risk aversion, it turns out, has a significant impact on the contract terms and one firm's risk aversion may be advantageous to the other. This suggests that each firm should strive to find a supply chain partner based on its own and its prospective partner's sensitivities to risk. For example, risk-neutral firms have an incentive to avoid other risk-neutral firms as their supply chain partners.
Na+-dependent and -independent C−/HCO3− exchangers in cultured rabbit esophageal epithelial cells

Abstract Background: The mechanisms by which esophageal epithelial cells regulate intracellular pH (pH 1 ) in a physiological solution are unknown. Methods: Basal-type esophageal cells growing in primary culture were loaded with the fluorescent dye 2′,7′-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) to study pH 1 by microfluorimetry. Results: The pH 1 in HEPES buffer was 7.7 ± 0.03, a value higher than that in CO2HCO3− buffer, 7.2 ± 0.1. Cells in HEPES switched to CO2HCO3− buffer rapidly acidified to pH 1 of 7, then alkalinized to a new steady-state pH 1 . The mechanisms for alkalinization in CO2HCO3− were dependent on two exchangers, one amiloride-sensitive and the other 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS)-sensitive, the latter dependent on Na o and Cl 1 and so indicative of an Na + -dependent Cl−HCO3− exchanger. Cells in a CO2HCO3− buffer rapidly alkalinized to pH 8.2 when switched to HEPES, then acidified to a new steady-state pH 1 . Acidification in HEPES was largely caused by a DIDS-sensitive, Cl o -dependent, non-Na o -requiring mechanism, indicative of a cell-acidifying Na-independent Cl−HCO3− exchanger. Conclusions: In a physiological buffer, esophageal cells have at least three exchangers for regulation of pH 1 .
Mucin expression in reactive gastropathy: an immunohistochemical analysis.

Abstract Context.—Reactive gastropathy is the second most common diagnosis made on gastric biopsies. Increased epithelial proliferation and modifications of epithelial cytokeratin profile, distinct from those of Helicobacter pylori gastritis, have been previously reported. However, the evaluation of mucins, important components of the protective mucosal mucous layer, has not been reported. Objective.—To investigate alterations of membrane and secreted mucins in reactive gastropathy of various etiologies using antibodies against mucin glycoproteins. Design.—Thirty-eight gastric biopsies diagnosed as reactive gastropathy, related to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n = 18) or bile reflux (n = 6) or of indeterminate etiology (n = 14), were evaluated using antibodies to MUC1, MUC5AC, MUC6, and MUC2. All cases were confirmed to be negative for H pylori. The biopsies were classified in 3 groups based on the severity of cytoarchitectural changes (mild, moderate, and severe). Mucin expression and its distrib...
Effect of time on the shear bond strength of glass ionomer and composite orthodontic adhesives.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of time on the shear bond strength of a resin-reinforced glass ionomer and a composite adhesive system specifically (1) within half an hour after bonding the bracket to the tooth and (2) at least 24 hours from the time of bonding when the adhesive has achieved most of its bond strength. Ninety-one freshly extracted human molars were collected and stored in a solution of 0.1% (weight/volume) thymol. The teeth were cleaned and polished. The teeth were randomly separated into four groups: Group I, glass ionomer adhesive debonded within 30 minutes from initial bonding; Group II, glass ionomer adhesive debonded after 24 hours immersion in deionized water at 37°C; Group III, composite adhesive debonded within 30 minutes from initial bonding; Group IV, composite adhesive debonded after 24 hours immersion in deionized water at 37°C. The results of the analysis of variance comparing the 4 experimental groups (F = 59.3) indicated the presence of significant differences between the 4 groups (P = .0001). In general, the shear bond strengths were significantly greater in the 2 groups debonded after 24 hours. This was true for both the resin-modified glass ionomer ( x = 8.8 ± 3.6 MPa) and the composite ( x = 10.4 ± 2.8 MPa) adhesives. On the other hand, the shear bond strengths were significantly lower in the 2 groups debonded within 30 minutes of their initial bonding. The bond strength of the resin-modified glass ionomer adhesive ( x = 0.4 ± 1.0 MPa) was significantly lower than that for the composite ( x = 5.2 ± 2.9 MPa) adhesive. The present findings indicated that the resin reinforced glass ionomer adhesive has a significantly lower initial bond strength but increased more than 20-fold within 24 hours. In comparison, the composite adhesive has a significantly larger initial bond strength that doubled within 24 hours. The clinician needs to take these properties into consideration when ligating the initial arch wires. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 1999;116:616-20)
Detection of relativistic particles.

It appears possible to extend the application of most of the existing detection techniques to the identification and separation of charged particles in the relativistic energy region.One can probably extend these applications, in certain limited cases, up to an energy region of several hundred billion electron volts. However, for general applications in the identification of particles in the ultrarelativistic region, the existing detectors are rather limited, and new methods and approaches are desirable. At present, detectors making use of the relativistic rise effect seem to show considerable promise.
Equivalent harm? The relative roles of maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence in antisocial outcomes for young adults

Abstract This study investigates whether child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) have an equivalent effect on young adult violence and criminality, including adult relationship violence, and whether experiencing both types of family violence enhances the risk of adverse outcomes. The study utilizes data from the Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS), a cohort study of the development of delinquency and other youth problems in a community sample of 1000 diverse urban youth, followed from age 14 to adulthood, to bolster our knowledge of these phenomena. Responses to well-validated measures come from a combination of interviews with parents and youth and from official records. Results generally indicate that maltreated children are more likely to demonstrate adult antisocial behavior than children exposed to IPV. Thus, our results indicate that both types of family violence are not equivalently harmful in the development of antisocial and violent behavior. In addition, the results indicate that experiencing both forms of family violence increases the risk of some antisocial outcomes in young adulthood compared to experiencing either one in isolation. Implications for research and services are considered.
Deletion mutants that alter differential RNA processing in the E3 complex transcription unit of adenovirus

Abstract Region E3 of the adenovirus encodes about ten overlapping mRNAs ( a to j ) with different splicing patterns and with two RNA 3′ end sites termed E3A and E3B. We have examined how deletions in 12 viable virus mutants affect differential RNA processing in E3. We assayed E3 mRNAs by the nuclease-gel and RNA blot procedures. Some deletions had no effect whereas others (e.g. deletion of a 3′ splice or the E3A 3′ end signal) had the anticipated effects on RNA processing. However, deletions in two regions had surprising effects. Deletions in one region (nucleotides 1691 to 2044) enhanced splicing at the upstream 951 5′ splice site and the downstream 2157 and/or 2880 3′ splice sites. Some of these deletions prevented RNA 3′ end formation at the downstream E3A site. Deletion in the other region (nucleotides 2173 to 2237) enhanced an upstream splice site (951 to 2157) such that almost all pre-mRNA was processed into mRNA f . We suggest that these two regions contain cis -acting signals that regulate differential RNA processing. We discuss the results in terms of RNA folding and scanning models for splicing, as well as models for differential RNA 3′ end formation at the E3A versus the E3B site.
The Great Snowstorm of February 1973 over Georgia

(1974). The Great Snowstorm of February 1973 over Georgia. Weatherwise: Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 192-198.
An asymmetric synthesis of A 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 a ring-synthon

An efficient asymmetric synthesis of the A-ring of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 from α-bromoacrolein is described. The key steps of the synthesis are the Evans type syn-selective asymmetric aldol reaction of bromoacrolein with the boron enolate of 3-chloroacetyl-4(S)-isopropyl oxazolidinone and ring closure by Heck type reaction of a vinyl bromide onto an α,β-unsaturated ester in the exo-mode.
Treatment Integrity Assessment: How Estimates of Adherence, Quality, and Exposure Influence Interpretation of Implementation.

The assessment of treatment integrity is important for determining the effectiveness of an intervention. Treatment integrity, a multidimensional construct, can be evaluated in two ways: by session or component. In this study, adherence, quality, and exposure data are estimated using permanent product data from implementation of the PAX Good Behavior Game to demonstrate how varied assessment of treatment integrity can influence interpretation of implementation. Implications for implementers and school-based decisions are discussed.
The benefits of adjuvant radiation therapy after therapeutic lymphadenectomy for clinically advanced, high-risk, lymph node-metastatic melanoma.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) on regional recurrence and survival after therapeutic lymphadenectomy (TL) for clinically advanced, lymph node-metastatic melanoma. METHODS: Six hundred fifteen patients who had clinically advanced, regional lymph node-metastatic disease underwent TL. All patients were appropriate potential candidates for adjuvant RT (enlarged or multiple positive lymph nodes, extracapsular extension) because of a high risk for regional recurrence regardless of whether or not they received RT. Patient-related, tumor-related, and treatment-related variables that were associated with recurrence, survival, and treatment-related morbidity with and without RT were analyzed. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 5 years. The actuarial 5-year regional lymph node basin control rate was 81%. On multivariate analysis, the number of positive lymph nodes, the number of lymph nodes removed, and the use of adjuvant RT were associated with improved regional control. Treatment-related morbidity, particularly lymphedema, was increased with the use of adjuvant RT and an inguinal site of lymph node metastases. At last follow-up, 268 patients were alive with actuarial 5-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates of 40% and 48%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, DMFS and DSS both were influenced by the number of positive lymph nodes and the number of lymph nodes removed. In addition, DSS was influenced by primary tumor thickness and the receipt of adjuvant RT. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant RT was associated with improved regional lymph node basin control compared with TL alone in patients with high-risk, clinically advanced, lymph node-metastatic melanoma. Although it is a regional therapy, adjuvant RT also may have an impact on DSS.
Ethnic Differences in Tipping: Evidence, Explanations, and Implications

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many waiters and waitresses deliver poor service to ethnic minorities because they believe that ethnic minorities are poor tippers. How managers should deal with this problem depends in part on whether or not ethnic minorities really do tip less than Whites and (if they do) on when and why this occurs. This paper reports on 2 studies that address these issues. The results indicate that Asians tip less than do Whites in comparisons across (but not within) restaurants and that Blacks tip less than do Whites in comparisons both across and within restaurants. Various explanations for these ethnic differences are tested, and the managerial implications of the results are discussed.
Final focus shielding designs for modern heavy-ion fusion power plant designs

Recent work in heavy-ion fusion accelerators and final focusing systems shows a trend towards less current per beam, and thus, a greater number of beams. Final focusing magnets are susceptible to nuclear heating, radiation damage, and neutron activation. The trend towards more beams, however, means that there can be less shielding for each magnet. Excessive levels of nuclear heating may lead to magnet quench or to an intolerable recirculating power for magnet cooling. High levels of radiation damage may result in short magnet lifetimes and low reliability. Finally, neutron activation of the magnet components may lead to difficulties in maintenance, recycling, and waste disposal. The present work expands upon previous, three-dimensional magnet shielding calculations for a modified version of the HYLIFE-II IFE power plant design. We present key magnet results as a function of the number of beams. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Direct Method to Determine the Antibiotic Susceptibility of Rapidly Growing Blood Pathogens

Standardized direct disk diffusion antibiotic susceptibility testing on monomicrobial blood cultures is compared with the Food and Drug Administration method. The direct method yields acceptable data and may conserve 24 h in reporting results.
Evaluation of possible intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition routes for assembling the central tetracyclic core of the potent marine antiinflammatory agent mangicol A

Abstract A plan for enantioselective construction of the mangicol A framework by means of intramolecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition is outlined. First to be assembled is the enantiopure cyclopentenecarboxylic acid 16 . Of the several approaches targeting the 1,3-diene component 56 , only that involving palladium-catalyzed enyne cyclization proved successful. Following the coupling of 16 to 56 , we were unable to bring about any detectable level of (4π+2π) cycloaddition. Activation of the diene by incorporation of an OSiEt 3 substituent on a terminal sp 2 -hybridized center likewise proved unsuccessful. Further facilitation was sought in the form of cyclopentenonecarboxylate 66 . However, thermal activation, Lewis acid catalysis, and high-pressure conditions proved ineffective and did not lead to C–C bond formation. These studies serve to underscore the extent to which steric complications can complicate matters and the extent to which they must be skirted to arrive at the title compound.
Conversion of oils and fats using advanced mesoporous heterogeneous catalysts

Natural oils and fats are emerging as a biobased alternative feedstock to conventional crude oil in the production of chemicals and transportation fuel. However, many of these biobased chemicals are not currently cost competitive with petrochemicals because of high raw material and production costs. To improve the economic outlook of the biobased chemicals, the use of suitable catalysts becomes imperative. Recently, the discovery of advanced material synthesis strategies such as supramolecular-assembled mesoporous materials has created new opportunities in tailoring catalyst properties specifically for the conversion challenges encountered with oils and fats. These nanostructured materials have a combination of extremely high surface areas and flexible pore sizes that makes them attractive for catalysis applications. This article reviews the application of this new class of advanced materials for the conversion of oils and fats to biobased chemicals.
A Rural Economic Indicator System

THE demand for indicators describing the nonfarm economic environment of rural residents is increasing faster than the supply. A rapidly changing economic environment for farmers and other rural people is leading to accelerated economic and social adjustments for residents of farm, rural nonfarm, and urban places. Continued maldistributions of income among families, places of residence, and geographic areas are leading to increased dissatisfaction with the current economic situation. A comprehensive data base for thoroughly describing and explaining the economic environment of rural residents is nonexistent. Obstacles to set-
Effect of nonpeptide angiotensin receptor antagonists on water intake and salt appetite in rats.

Abstract Nonpeptide angiotensin AT-1 and AT-2 receptor antagonists were administered cerebroventricularly to rats and their effects on various types of angiotensin II (AII)-stimulated water and NaCl intakes examined. The AT-1 receptor blocker, losartan potassium (DUP 753), inhibited water intake evoked by central administration of AII, with the 50% inhibitory dose being less than 0.1 μg. The functional inhibition by higher doses lasted at least 1 h. The AT-2 receptor antagonist PD 123319 also inhibited AII-induced water intake, but at doses about tenfold higher than losartan. Central, but not peripheral, administration of losartan partially inhibited NaCl intake induced by either sodium depletion, treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (CEIs), or adrenalectomy. PD 123319 partially inhibited NaCl intake induced by both sodium depletion and administration of CEI, but not after adrenalectomy. Another AT-2 receptor antagonist, CGP 42112A, likewise inhibited NaCl intake after sodium deprivation. These data suggest that both AT-1 and AT-2 receptor subtypes in the brain are involved in angiotensin-related water and NaCl intakes.
Intraoperative echocardiography for diagnosis of unsuspected hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

1 NTRAOPERATIVE echocardiography allowed successful separation from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) of a patient who had to be placed back on CPB after aortic valve replacement (AVR) due to a previously unknown obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by demonstrating left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Furthermore, LVOT obstruction after AVR may not be a rare event and routine intraoperative echocardiography during AVR would lead to early detection of this problem. This is the first report describing the use of intraoperative echocardiography to make the diagnosis of LVOT obstruction after AVR during the initial operative period.
Multiple levels of inquiry in cognitive science

Gibsonian ecological psychology, symbolic information processing, and connectionist information processing are frequently construed as three competing paradigms or research traditions, each seeking dominance in experimental psychology and in cognitive science generally. There is an important element of truth in this perspective, and any adequate account of the development of experimental psychology over the past 30 years would have to examine seriously how the various conceptual frameworks, experimental endeavors, and social institutions have figured in this conflict. But the goal of this paper is not to characterize the historical dynamics within experimental psychology and cognitive science; rather, it is to consider what sorts of rapprochement is possible. Rapprochement, however, is not sought simply for its own sake or out of an a priori conviction that scientific enterprises should be unified. Spirited controversy between competing traditions is often an important component of progess (Laudan, 1977). Rapprochement has a purpose when alternative theoretical traditions have reached a point when each confronts serious shortcomings that can best be overcome by incorporating alternative perspectives. In this paper I try to show that this is the situation that exists in experimental psychology and cognitve science generally with respect to the three traditions enumerated above. I first explore how cognitive inquiry directed at internal procedures for processing information could benefit from a detailed study of the context of cognition, including insights provided by the Gibsonian tradition. Second, I examine the current controversy between symbolic and connectionist approaches and address the question of what contributions each offers to the other. Finally, I offer a framework in which multiple levels of inquiry in cognitve science can be related.
Managing congestion in decentralized matching markets

We consider a decentralized two-sided matching market in which agents arrive and depart asynchronously. As a result, it is possible that an agent on one side of the market (a "buyer") identifies an agent on the other side of the market (a "seller") who is a suitable match, only to find that the seller is already matched. We find using a mean field approach that lack of knowledge about availability can create large welfare losses to both buyers and sellers. We consider a simple intervention available to the platform: limiting visibility of sellers. We find that this intervention can significantly improve the welfare of agents on both sides of the market; sellers pay lower application costs, while buyers are less likely to find that the sellers they screen have already matched. Somewhat counterintuitively, the benefits of showing fewer sellers to each buyer are greatest in markets in which there is a shortage of sellers.
The communication challenges presented by nanofoods

Nanotechnology has the potential to lead to healthier, safer and better tasting foods, and improved food packaging, but the hesitation of the food industry and public fears in some countries about tampering with nature may be holding back the introduction of nanofoods.
Some factors affecting the release of a water-soluble drug from a compressed hydrophilic matrix.

A number of factors controlling the rate of drug release from a hydrophilic matrix were investigated. The release of chlorpheniramine maleate from a hydrated methylcellulose matrix was found to be controlled largely by drug diffusivity rather than dissolution of polymer and water penetrability. The release pattern obtained appears to follow the theoretical relationships previously proposed for solid drugs dispersed in solid matrices.
Skeletal Complications in Men with Prostate Cancer: Effects on Quality-of-Life Outcomes throughout the Continuum of Care

Abstract Objective: Men with prostate cancer survive for many years after diagnosis and are at risk for clinically important skeletal complications throughout the course of their disease. This review discusses the effect of skeletal complications on quality of life and treatment options available to maintain bone health throughout the continuum of care for prostate cancer. Methods: Published studies were identified through MEDLINE searches, reviewing bibliographies of relevant articles, and reviewing abstracts from scientific meetings. Results: At the time of diagnosis, many men with prostate cancer are osteopenic or osteoporotic. Subsequent androgen ablation therapy increases bone loss and the risk of fracture. The development of bone metastases further increases the risk of skeletal complications, including pathologic fractures and bone pain requiring radiation therapy. Skeletal complications result in significant morbidity and reductions in the quality of life and survival of these patients. Pathologic fractures and radiation to bone (for palliation of pain) are associated with significant declines in physical functioning and emotional well-being. Fractures can also significantly reduce overall survival. Conclusions: Skeletal complications arising from bone metastases and bone loss can adversely affect quality of life. Therefore, bisphosphonates, which maintain bone health and reduce skeletal complications in men with prostate cancer, should improve the quality of life in these patients. Zoledronic acid is effective in preventing skeletal-related events in men with advanced prostate cancer.
The effects of chromatin diminution on the pattern of C-banding in the chromosomes of Acanthocyclops vernalis Fischer (Copepoda: Crustacea)

Chromatin diminution is the loss of selected regions of pre-somatic cell chromosomes during early development, resulting in the removal of a large amount of the genomic DNA from the pre-somatic cells. In copepods, diminution is characterized by the formation of heterochromatically staining regions, or H-segments, which contain the chromatin to be lost. The removal of H-segments during diminution also must represent a major restructuring of the chromosomes which contained them. In order to examine the effects of diminution on the morphology and structure of the chromosomes, the C-banding technique was used. This procedure revealed that most C-bands present in the pre-diminution complement were absent in the post-diminution set. Additionally, in order to explore further the possible composition of the DNA contained in H-segments, a comparison, based on the relationship of C-bands to highly-repetitive DNA in chromosomes, was made between pre-diminution C-bands and H-segments. This comparison showed that not all H-segments are at chromosomal locations which produce a C-band, indicating that H-segments are perhaps not entirely composed of genetically inert DNA, as is currently supposed.
Mine detection from multiple acoustic backscatter data

The classification of mine-like and non-mine-like objects using acoustic backscatter data is considered. Backscatter data for 6 objects at 5 degree intervals in aspect is used. The data preprocessing is described; this includes location of the starting point of the received signals and multipath removal. Various features and classifiers are considered. Excellent performance is achieved.
Schistosomiasis: impact on childhood and adolescent growth malnutrition and morbidity.

Abstract Schistosomiasis affects more than 200 million individuals residing in developing countries. The majority of those infected are children and adolescents because of high exposure to infective water and low levels of acquired immunity. Lack of sanitary human waste disposal, vector control, and regular antiparasitic treatments create conditions leading to endemic infection levels in many regions. Because of the impact of schistosomiasis on nutrient loss and dietary intake, the energetic demands for growth and development are not met. Short-term decreases in nutritional status and long-term delays in size for age have been observed in many different cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in all three major schistosome species. Infected children have reduced weight for height, skinfold thickness, and, in some cases, height for age compared with uninfected peers. Because of the many other influences on malnutrition in children in developing countries, randomized designs have provided the best causal evidence of the negative influence of schistosomiasis on nutritional status, size for age, hemoglobin and iron-deficiency anemia, and cognitive function. In these short-term randomized studies, infected children treated with antischistosomal drugs show increases in skinfold thickness, weight, hemoglobin levels, and cognition relative to the untreated children. Schistosomiasis infection at all levels of intensity exerts detrimental effects on growing children. The burden of disease from schistosomiasis must be broadened conceptually and operationally to include disturbances in nutritional status, growth, and cognitive function among children and adolescents. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
OPPORTUNITY RECOGNITION DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE NASCENT ENTREPRENEURS: A TEST OF BHAVE'S MODEL

Examining the opportunity recognition processes of black and white entrepreneurs may help improve the lagging rate of black entrepreneurship. Based on the framework provided by Bhave's (1994) model of new venture creation, and using data collected through the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics, we found significant differences between the percentage of black and white nascent entrepreneurs who recognized externally-stimulated versus internally-stimulated opportunities and their projected firm revenues. As predicted, black nascent entrepreneurs were more likely to pursue externally-stimulated opportunities with significantly lower expected revenues than their white counterparts. Academic and practical implications are discussed and future research directions are offered.
Accidental stent fracture due to chest trauma after percutaneous Melody valve implantation

A 12-year-old boy was treated with percutaneous Melody valve implantation (Medtronic, Inc., USA) due to a severe right ventricular (RV) to pulminary artery (PA) homograft stenosis. Two years later, while playing at a swimming pool, the boy received a powerful and unexpected hit to his back by a rubber tyre. He immediately complained …
Short-term trials and long-term effects.

In their policy forum “placebo-controls in short-term clinical trials of hypertension,” S. M. Al-Khatib and co-authors demonstrate with meta-analysis that the use of such controls is not associated with an increased risk of serious adverse events for participants in these studies ( Science 's
Presence of an intracellular endometrial inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis duing early pregnancy in the cow

Previous studies have detected reduced endometrial secretion of prostaglandins during pregnancy in cattle. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that reduced secretion of prostaglandins is caused by induction of anintracellular endometrial inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis. The microsomal fraction of parturient bovine cotyledons was utilized as a source of enzymes for prostaglandin synthesis. Endometrial tissues collected at Day 17 of the estrous cycle (n=12) and pregnancy (n=12) were homogenized and subjected to differential centrifugation for preparation of microsomes and a highspeed (100,000 × g) cytosolic supernatant. Endometrial intracellular preparations were then examined for the ability to modulate prostaglandin synthesis by cotyledonary microsomes from parturient cows. Endometrial intracellular preparations from cyclic cows decreased (P< 0.05) PGF synthesis by cotyledonary microsomes to a slight extent (supernatant, 21% reduction; microsomes, 11% reduction), while preparations from pregnant cows markedly decreased (P< 0.01) PGF synthesis (supernatant, 63% reduction, microsomes, 28% reduction; supernatants vs microsomes, P< 0.01. Regardless of the amount of arachidonic acid available as substrate (25–400 μg) endometrial supernatant from pregnant cows (pooled sample) caused a 50% inhibition (IC50) of prostaglandin synthesis at a tissue equivalent of 270 ± 9.1 mg. The mechanism of inhibition by endometrial high-speed supernatant from pregnant cows appears to be non-competitive with respect to arachidonic acid. The inhibitor(s) may be proteinacous (70–75 kDa and 25–35 kDa) and can be precipitated by 20% saturated amonium sulfate. In conclusion, early pregnancy in cattle appears to be associated with increased amounts of an intracellular endometrial inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis.
Extended muffin-tin orbital theory applied to the reaction of CO+ H 2 on Ni(001)

The method using energy bands from a linear combination of muffin-tin orbitals has been extended so that the unit cell is now divided into muffin-tin and non-muffin-tin regions, instead of atomic Wigner-Seitz cells. The full potential including the nonspherical contribution to the potential is still included throughout the unit cell. The new method has been applied to the interaction of CO+${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ on Ni(001) surface. Through use of three-dimensional charge-density plots, we show that CO forms C+C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ through disproportionation. We also show that the Ni(001) surface can break the carbon-oxygen bond of formaldehyde, but not carbon monoxide.
Minimally invasive management of thoracoabdominal penetrating trauma in a child.

Historically, penetrating injuries to the thoracoabdominal region, especially those from high-velocity guns shots, have been a definite indication for laparotomy. As experience with computed tomographic (CT) scanning for traumatic injury has expanded, some of these injuries have been managed conservatively in cases with tangential trajectories. In patients who need exploration, the abdominal incision is typically from the subxiphoid area to pubic ramus, to allow for complete inspection of the entire peritoneal cavity. An incision of this magnitude poses substantial postoperative pain, risk for infection and hernia development, prolonged hospital stay, prolonged functional recovery, and poor cosmesis. Laparoscopy has been described as an alternative approach for diagnosis and, recently, treatment of intra-abdominal and diaphragmatic injuries in adults. Advantages of laparoscopy include faster rehabilitation, the avoidance of a negative laparotomy and a decrease in long-term complications. The utilization of therapeutic laparoscopy has been limited to penetrating trauma with simple trajectories (stab wounds) or solid-organ injuries. However, there have been no reports for the use of laparoscopy for thoracoabdominal gunshot injury with multiorgan involvement. Therefore, we describe a case of penetrating thoracoabdominal gunshot injury in a pediatric patient with multiorgan involvement, successfully treated with laparoscopy and thoracoscopy.
Recognition and management of anthrax--an update.

Infection with Bacillus anthracis, commonly known as anthrax, has reemerged as a weapon of bioterrorism. This review article revisits and updates our 1999 review of anthrax and contains practical information for the physician faced with a possible case of this dangerous infection.