cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fate of Prometryn in Prometryn-Tolerant and -Susceptible Cotton Cultivars

Abstract Prometryn is a soil-applied herbicide used in cotton production; however, it can cause cotton injury. Our objective was to determine the mechanism of differential tolerance among cultivars as related to differences in prometryn absorption, translocation to photosynthetic tissue or lysigenous glands, and metabolism. The prometryn-tolerant cultivars, Pima S-7 ( Gossypium barbadense L.), a Pima-type cotton, and Acala 1517-75 ( G. hirsutum L.), an Upland-type cotton, were compared to the prometryn-sensitive Upland-type cultivars, Delta Pine 5415 ( G. hirsutum ) and Acala 2711 glandless ( G. hirsutum ). Uptake and metabolism of prometryn by excised tissue in solution, uptake and translocation of prometryn by roots or hypocotyls in whole plants in soil, and the concentrations of prometryn in lysigenous glands in whole plants were compared among the cultivars. In the excised tissue study, root tissue absorbed more prometryn than did excised hypocotyl tissue over 2 hr for all cultivars; Pima S-7 root and hypocotyl tissue absorbed more prometryn than Acala 1517-75 or Delta Pine 5415 over time, and no metabolites of prometryn were found in any of the tissues. In the whole-plant study where roots or hypocotyls were exposed to prometryn in soil, prometryn root uptake by Delta Pine 5415 was lower than by Pima S-7 or Acala 1517-75, while hypocotyl uptake and translocation did not differ among cultivars. Therefore, differential prometryn tolerance among these cultivars cannot be explained by differences in uptake or translocation. However, uptake and translocation were greater in root-treated compared to hypocotyl-treated seedlings, regardless of cultivar, over time. Lysigenous glands contained higher levels of prometryn relative to other stem tissue; however, the amount of prometryn in glands was no greater in susceptible Delta Pine 5415 than in tolerant Pima S-7. Thus, differential prometryn tolerance in these cotton cultivars is not due to differential prometryn absorption, translocation, metabolism, or concentration in lysigenous glands.
The quadrupolar Kondo effect: A new mechanism for heavy electrons

Abstract An explicit mapping between an Anderson model for a non-Kramers uranium (U) ion in a cubic metallic host to a two-channel pseudo-spin Kondo model is demonstrated. Thus the heavy electron behavior of UBe 13 may arise from a pure electric quadrupole Kondo effect. The origin of small characteristic temperatures despite relatively conduction-f mixing is clarified. In addition to UBe 13 , other candidate materials (including PrPb 3 , UPt 4 Au and Tb in Th) which might exhibit this effect are discussed. A critical review is given of experiments which suggest to the contrary that there is a low lying Kramers' doublet in UBe 13 .
The environmental and climatic distribution of dinoflagellate cysts in modern marine sediments from regions in the North and South Atlantic Oceans and adjacent seas

Abstract Quantitative treatments of 168 dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from modern marine sediments were used to decipher the salient environmental and climatic features of the distribution of common living cyst-based taxa. Surface sediment samples were studied by routine palynological methods from estuarine, continental shelf, slope and rise zones, and abyssal plains between latitudes 62°N and 27°S within fourteen geographic regions of the North and South Atlantic Oceans, the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas and from one region in the southeastern Pacific Ocean near Peru, to meet this general objective. The results were expressed as percentages of species present and statistically analyzed by multivariate Q -mode factor analysis, cluster analysis and by calculation of a diversity index, using pre-existing computerized routines. Inshore to offshore and latitudinal (climatic) variations in distribution were identified and they involved individual taxa, associations of species, species diversity and specimen densities (cysts per gram of sediment). They were related empirically to changing surface water environments above and this suggested that biologic-ecologic phenomena, which involve species-water type relationships for different taxa, combined with hydrodynamic (current) systems, are the most important factors that control cyst distribution in the bottom thanatocoenosis. However, geologic factors such as recycling of older specimens and outcroppings of relict Pleistocene-Early Holocene sediments exert their influence too. An ecologic classification for extant cyst-based species is proposed in the format of classical “plankton elements”. This format is dictated by the existence of dual trends (environmental and climatic) in cyst distribution. It is suggested that genesis of ecologic species-groups of this nature during evolution can be interpreted by or “predicted” from stability-predictability concepts as developed in contemporary ecologic work, if surface water masses are considered to represent unique hydrographic climates with innate stability and predictability characteristics. This concept of “hydroclimatic stability” is used to identify fossilizable living dinoflagellates as being environmentally adapted to unstable conditions around continental margins and comparable shallow-water environments around oceanic islands. In addition there is a tendency for the more stenotopic extant cyst-based taxa to be adaptively specialized towards more stable sectors of nearshore and offshore plankton environments which develop at the terminal and subterminal ends of temperature and salinity regimes or profiles. One taxonomic change is introduced: Planinosphaeridium choanum (Reid 1974) nov. comb. is proposed from the basionym Ataxiodinium choanum Reid 1974.
Cost benefit analysis of mesh reinforcement of stapled left pancreatectomy

Objectives Pancreatic leak is a morbid complication following left pancreatectomy, which results in prolonged hospitalization, additional diagnostic testing and invasive procedures. The present authors have previously demonstrated that mesh reinforcement of stapled left pancreatectomy results in fewer pancreatic leaks. This study was conducted to investigate whether mesh reinforcement also results in cost benefits for the health care system.
Clinical practice. Osteoarthritis of the knee.

A 66-year-old woman who is overweight reports bilateral knee pain of gradual onset during the past several months that increasingly has limited her activities. Last week, when walking down the stairs, she nearly fell when her knee gave way. She does not recall having injured her knee, and she has no morning stiffness and no pain in other joints. She has tried taking up to eight extra-strength (500 mg each) acetaminophen tablets daily without success and has never had ulcers or stomach bleeding. How should the patient be evaluated and treated?
Language mapping with navigated repetitive TMS: proof of technique and validation.

Objective Lesion-based mapping of speech pathways has been possible only during invasive neurosurgical procedures using direct cortical stimulation (DCS). However, navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) may allow for lesion-based interrogation of language pathways noninvasively. Although not lesion-based, magnetoencephalographic imaging (MEGI) is another noninvasive modality for language mapping. In this study, we compare the accuracy of nTMS and MEGI with DCS.
Radiative processes in poly(phenylene vinylene)

Abstract Within a single-electron Su-Schrieffer-Heeger-like model Hamiltonian for poly(phenylene vinylene) we investigate the effect of electron-lattice coupling on the radiative decay of polaron-excitons, using a lattice relaxation theory together with a real-space random-phase-approximation. In general, the phonon modes in the ground state and the polaron-exciton configurations differ not only in their frequencies and equilibrium positions but also in their principal axes. However, in our calculation of the transition amplitude, we neglect the latter and consider only one decay channel for each (polaron-exciton) normal mode. Since our theoretically obtained photoluminescence spectra fit quite well with experiments, it seems unnecessary to include the difference in principal axes explicitly and, consequently, to allow for more decay channels.
Propranolol-induced inhibition of cardiac microsomal calcium-uptake, calcium-binding, and epinephrine-stimulated adenylate cyclase

Both cardiac microsomal Ca-binding and Ca-uptake were inhibited by propranolol. Both 1-propranolol (which has β-blocking and local anaesthetic actions) and d-propranolol (which lacks the former action) inhibited Ca-binding and Ca-uptake; sensitivity to the 1-isomer being slightly greater than that to the d-isomer. Inhibition of Ca-binding by propranolol could be reversed by Ca2+; kinetic analysis indicated the existence of competitive inhibition between Ca2+ and the drug. Inhibition of Ca-uptake by propranolol was also partially reversed by Ca2+, although kinetic analysis to define competition could not be carried out because Ca-uptake in the range of Ca2+ concentration < 3 x 10"6 M does not exhibit saturation kinetics. Isoproterenol in concentrations equal to or greater than those of propranolol did not reverse inhibition of either Ca-binding or Ca-uptake. Cardiac microsomal adenylate cyclase was not inhibited by concentrations of d,l-propranolol that inhibit Ca-binding and Ca-uptake but the stimulation of adenylate cyclase by 10"4 M epinephrine was abolished by an equimolar concentration of d,l-propranolol. Inhibition of cardiac microsomal Ca-binding and Ca-uptake cannot, therefore, be attributed to a direct β-blocking action of propranolol upon calcium transport by the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Triple marker screening and pregnancy outcomes: statistical methods and results

Objective: To evaluate the association between adverse pregnancy outcome and a false-positive elevated risk for Down’s Syndrome using triple marker screening. Methods: A retrospective review of women with triple marker screening indicating an elevated risk for Down’s Syndrome identified 76 women with false-positive screens. False-positives were determined by a risk greater than 1:364 with a normal karyotype or a normal newborn examination. A matched control group of 152 women with normal triple marker screens was then compared to assess the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome. Pregnancy outcomes evaluated included preterm delivery, intrauterine growth retardation, premature preterm rupture of membranes, preeclampsia, placenta previa, placental abruption, and fetal or neonatal death. Results: Complete data were available for 228 women (76 study patients and 152 matched controls) who underwent multiple marker screening between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 1998. Mean gestational age at delivery was found to be 37.9 weeks versus 38.2 weeks (P <0.87), whereas mean birth weight was 3,164 g versus 3,146 g (P <0.43). No significant differences in outcome variables were noted after comparison with controls: preterm delivery (18% versus 12%, P <0.17), intrauterine growth retardation (2.6% versus 3.3%, P <0.79), premature preterm rupture of membranes (5.3% versus 4.0%, P <0.64), intrauterine fetal demise (0% versus 1.3%, P <0.32), preeclampsia (17.1% versus 9.9%, P <0.12), placenta previa (1.3% versus 1.3%, P <1.00), placental abruption (1.3% versus 2.5%, P <0.52). No significant difference was found for overall adverse outcome (26.3% versus 23.0%, P <0.56). Conclusions: Our data indicate that a false-positive triple marker screen for Down’s syndrome does not predict an increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes overall.
A collocation solution of the nonlinear equations for axisymmetric bending of shallow spherical shells

Abstract A collocated load is developed to replace a theoretically prescribed load to obtain an approximate solution to the nonlinear shallow shell problem. Any axisymmetric load, continuous or noncontinuous, may be treated together with any symmetrical edge condition-clamped, simple, roller or elastic support. Convergence is not proved and a solution is judged acceptable when the residuals at noncollocated points meet arbitrarily imposed smallness criteria. By meeting these criteria an equipollent load is obtained with the associated deformations satisfying the conditions of compatibility to within a small prescribed error. Examples of load-deflection curves, stress and deflection curves and residual errors are given.
How long is too long? The effect of the duration of anaesthesia on the incidence of non-urological complications after surgery

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between the duration of anaesthesia and non-urological complication (NUC) rates after surgery, as the increasing complexity of minimally invasive and laparoscopic procedures in urology has resulted in longer surgery and anaesthesia, and information on the effect of this on NUC rates is limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS We identified 2196 patients who had open radical nephrectomy or nephron-sparing surgery at our institution between 1989 and 2002. Patients were subdivided into groups I, II, and III according to the duration of general anaesthesia (<4, 4–6 and ≥6 h, respectively). NUCs after surgery, and mortality during and after surgery, were evaluated. RESULTS There were 1340, 723, and 133 patients in groups I, II and III, respectively. The incidences of any NUC were 3.1%, 5.8% and 13.5%, respectively. The odds ratios for the likelihood of a NUC were 1.91 (P = 0.004) and 4.84 (P < 0.001) for groups II and III, respectively. These differences remained significant even after adjusting for patient and tumour characteristics. Perioperative mortality was highest in group III, at 2.3%, vs 0.4% in groups I and II. CONCLUSIONS Longer anaesthesia is associated with an increase in the incidence of perioperative complications and mortality, especially when the duration of anaesthesia is >6 h. This increase appears to be independent of patient’s preoperative health status, tumour extent and blood loss.
Performance of single-and dual-color detectors using InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattices

We report on a heterojunction band gap engineered single- and dual-color photodetectors with pBiBn and pBp architecture, respectively. The detailed optical and electrical characterization of these devices has been performed. The pBiBn detector demonstrated a specific detectivity of 3 × 1010 Jones at 8m wavelength and a specific detectivity of 5 × 1011 Jones and 2.6 × 1010 Jones for MWIR (at 5 μm) and LWIR (9 μm) absorbers, respectively, has been measured for dual-band pBp detector. Observed performance of unipolar barrier devices is superior to the performance of homojunction single-and dual-color detectors based on the same material system and operating at the same wavelength range.
Association of a Peripheral Blood Metabolic Profile with Coronary Artery Disease and Risk of Subsequent Cardiovascular Events

Background— Molecular tools may provide insight into cardiovascular risk. We assessed whether metabolites discriminate coronary artery disease (CAD) and predict risk of cardiovascular events. Methods and Results— We performed mass–spectrometry–based profiling of 69 metabolites in subjects from the CATHGEN biorepository. To evaluate discriminative capabilities of metabolites for CAD, 2 groups were profiled: 174 CAD cases and 174 sex/race-matched controls (“initial”), and 140 CAD cases and 140 controls (“replication”). To evaluate the capability of metabolites to predict cardiovascular events, cases were combined (“event” group); of these, 74 experienced death/myocardial infarction during follow-up. A third independent group was profiled (“event-replication” group; n=63 cases with cardiovascular events, 66 controls). Analysis included principal-components analysis, linear regression, and Cox proportional hazards. Two principal components analysis–derived factors were associated with CAD: 1 comprising branched-chain amino acid metabolites (factor 4, initial P =0.002, replication P =0.01), and 1 comprising urea cycle metabolites (factor 9, initial P =0.0004, replication P =0.01). In multivariable regression, these factors were independently associated with CAD in initial (factor 4, odds ratio [OR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.74; P =0.02; factor 9, OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.87; P =0.003) and replication (factor 4, OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.91; P =0.02; factor 9, OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.91; P =0.01) groups. A factor composed of dicarboxylacylcarnitines predicted death/myocardial infarction (event group hazard ratio 2.17; 95% CI, 1.23 to 3.84; P =0.007) and was associated with cardiovascular events in the event-replication group (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.08 to 2.14; P =0.01). Conclusions— Metabolite profiles are associated with CAD and subsequent cardiovascular events. Received January 24, 2009; accepted February 1, 2010. # CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE {#article-title-2}
MITOTIC RESPONSES TO EXTRACTS OF MIRACIDIA AND CERCARIAE OF SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI IN THE AMEBOCYTE-PRODUCING ORGAN OF THE SNAIL INTERMEDIATE HOST BIOMPHALARIA GLABRATA

Suspensions of miracidia and cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni were subjected to repeated freeze–thaw cycles and then injected into resistant Salvador strain Biomphalaria glabrata snails. A pronounced increase in the number of mitotic figures, relative to uninjected, sham-injected, or diluent (water)–injected controls, was observed in the amebocyte-producing organ (APO) at 3 days postinjection (PI). After centrifugation of miracidia freeze–thaw extract (FTE), the resulting supernatant (FTS) and pellet possessed equal stimulatory activity that was approximately half that seen with FTE. Ultracentrifugation of miracidia FTS resulted in a supernatant that retained full activity, indicating a soluble molecule. Heat treatment of miracidia FTE reduced but did not eliminate activity, suggesting a nonprotein active component. Concentration or dilution of FTS by a factor of 10 gave a nonlinear dose–response relationship. Susceptible NIH albino snails injected with miracidia FTE had increased mitotic activity in the ...
Intelligent control of autonomous underwater vehicles: the Orca project

Establishing a useful presence in the ocean is becoming increasingly important to science, industry, and the military, yet the undersea environment is hostile to human presence. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) offer a solution. Before widespread use of AUVs is practical, however, mechanisms for intelligent control must be developed. In this paper, we report on the Orca project, which has the aim of creating a robust, intelligent, mission-level controller for long-range ocean science AUVs. Orca is now being built and tested in simulation; in the future, it will undergo in-water tests aboard the Marine Systems Engineering Laboratory's EAVE-III vehicles. In this paper, we discuss the motivation behind the project, the Orca program, and our current status and future work.
Objections to tubal sterilization: what reversibility can and cannot overcome.

Abstract In a study of 1074 women, 696 and 338 subjects would not seriously consider permanent and hypothetically reversible sterilization, respectively; they were asked to explain their feelings. The reason accounting for most objections to permanent sterilization (65%) was irreversibility and of the subjects who would not consider reversible sterilization or were unsure, 42.7% attributed their principal objection to unnecessary surgery, a factor at least currently intrinsic to the procedure and not readily overcome by education. Many of the remaining objections to both permanent and reversible sterilization may be amenable to change either through education or financial subsidies. In response to a question concerning female attractiveness subsequent to permanent sterilization, 3% of the sample felt attractiveness would decrease and 17.5% were unsure of the surgery's effect. Unsure responses were largely negative in character. This issue is important because of its relationship to intention to undergo sterilization. Upon consideration of reversible sterilization, negative and unsure responses significantly declined, even on the part of those women whose friends have had a poor experience with currently available procedures. Thus, whereas the option of reversibility cannot overcome objections to surgery, it does overcome those regarding permanency; moreover, the temporary character it bestows upon surgical sterilization appears to help certain individuals overcome their fears of losing their physical appeal as a result of such procedures.
Peer Support System as the Heart of Inservice Education.

(1978). Peer support system as the heart of inservice education. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 17, Staff Development: New Directions, pp. 245-247.
Rhenium oxohalides: synthesis and crystal structures of ReO3Cl(THF)2, ReOCl4(THF), Re2O3Cl6(THF)2, and Re2O3Cl6(H2O)2.

Convenient methods to prepare solvated rhenium oxochlorides are described; these compounds should serve as useful starting materials for rhenium chemistry. Treatment of perrhenic acid, HReO4, with chlorotrimethylsilane or with thionyl chloride, followed by addition of tetrahydrofuran, forms the new oxochloride complexes ReO3Cl(THF)2 and ReOCl4(THF), respectively. Small amounts of two dinuclear oxochlorides, which evidently resulted from adventitious hydrolysis, were also isolated: Re2O3Cl6L2, where L = THF or H2O. All four compounds were characterized by X-ray crystallography. The rhenium(VII) complex ReO3Cl(THF)2 adopts a distorted octahedral geometry in which the three oxo ligands are in a facial arrangement; the rhenium(VI) complex ReOCl4(THF) adopts a trans octahedral structure. The two dinuclear rhenium(VI) compounds both have a single, nearly linear, bridging oxo group; on each Re center, the three terminal chlorides adopt a mer arrangement, and the terminal oxo and the coordinated Lewis base are mutually trans. The water ligand in the aqua complex is hydrogen bonded to nearby THF molecules. IR data are given.
Fluoroscopic-guided approaches to radiofrequency vein ablation.

Abstract Purpose Ultrasound-guided antegrade access during endovenous lower-extremity vein ablation may be problematic. This study describes fluoroscopic-guided retrograde access to the target veins in cases in which antegrade access proved unfeasible. Materials and Methods The retrograde technique was used to treat a total of 38 legs in 33 patients in whom antegrade access failed. This approach was selected because of small caliber or spasm of the proximal (ie, lower) great saphenous vein (GSV; n=22), proximal (ie, lower) GSV spasm during access (n = 2), previous incomplete vein ablation (n = 7), skin disease over the proximal GSV (n = 6), and tortuous proximal GSV anatomy (n = 1). Thirty-two legs were treated with an ipsilateral retrograde approach and six were treated with a contralateral retrograde approach. Radiofrequency ablation with or without sclerotherapy was then performed. Results The technical success rate for retrograde access and subsequent ablation was 100%. No procedural complications occurred. At 1 month, five patients with active ulcers exhibited ulcer healing (100%). Conclusions The fluoroscopic retrograde approach can be used to treat GSV reflux when traditional antegrade access is not feasible.
The institute's professional forum: an extension to the overdetermined celestial fix

I show that a previous algorithm that computes the overdetermined celestial fix by a least-squares fit includes nonequal weights for a set of observations of several celestial bodies, and I give an extension to the algorithm that weights the observations uniformly.
A 2.5 V 10 bit SAR ADC

Presented here is a 10 bit SAR ADC working over a wide supply range of 5.5 V to 2.5 V. The circuit is built in a CMOS process with Metal-Poly capacitors. Issues related to low voltage sampling circuitry design and low voltage high speed comparator design are discussed. Silicon evaluation results are presented.
Erosion of Dielectric Solids by High-Energy Ions

A fast ion passing through matter loses energy mainly by its interaction with electrons along its path. In an insulator the resulting electronic excitation may be sufficiently long lived that some of this energy is transferred to motion of the atomic nuclei, which leads to track formation and to the ejection of atoms from surfaces where the ion enters or leaves the material. The resulting erosion involves sputtering yields that are comparable to those observed at much lower bombarding energies where nuclear recoil processes dominate the energy loss of the incident ion. This paper briefly summarizes our experimental and theoretical work that concerns this electronic excitation erosion mechanism. The solids in which we have observed such effects include SiO2, CaF2, UF4, A12O3, and LiNbO3.
Higher-level phylogeny of Asian and American coralsnakes, their placement within the Elapidae (Squamata), and the systematic affinities of the enigmatic Asian coralsnake Hemibungarus calligaster (Wiegmann, 1834)

1 The snake family Elapidae contains over 60 genera (about 300 species) of highly venomous snakes. About one-third of the alpha-taxonomic diversity of the Elapidae comprises coralsnakes: a major radiation of colourful venomous snakes including six genera distributed in Asia and the Americas. In this study, we examine molecular phylogenetic and descriptive morphological evidence for the placement of the monotypic coralsnake genus Hemibungarus (H. calligaster (Wiegmann)) among the elapids, and clarify the relationships among genera traditionally referred to as 'coralsnakes'. We use two mitochondrial gene fragments (ND4 and cyt-b) and a nuclear gene fragment (c-mos) to estimate relationships among elapids and other colubroid snakes, based on parsimony and likelihood methods, as well as Bayesian phylogenetic methods incorporating complex partitioned models of nucleotide evolution. As different phylogenetic methods provided alternativee results, we include an extensive examination of molecular phylogenetic analyses to facilitate a transparent and thorough exploration of the data. Additionally, we highlight external morphological and hemipenial characters that appear to further support molecular hypotheses for the placement of Hemibungarus, and relationships among the Elapinae. Owing to conflicting descriptions of morpho- logical characters in the literature, and the unavailable of comparative morphological data for certain key species, we include detailed descriptions of the hemipenes of Bungarus caeruleus (Schneider), B. fasciatus (Schneider), Calliophis nigrescens Gunther, Dendroaspis polylepis (Gunther), H. calligaster (Wiegmann), Naja naja (Linnaeus) and Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor). We present evidence that Asian and American coralsnakes (Calliophis, Sinomicrurus, Micruroides, Micrurus and Leptomicrurus) form an exclusive clade, distantly related to Hemibun- garus. Thus, despite long-held beliefs of systematic affinities based on morphology and colour pattern, our results suggest that Hemibungarus is not (phylogenetically) a coralsnake, but instead shares an exclusive common ancestor with Afro-Asian elapine genera (Elapsoidea, Dendroaspis and Ophiophagus). Results of our molecular phylogenetic analyses also support the recognition of two primary clades of elapids corresponding to the subfamilies Elapinae and Hydrophiinae. Additionally, we provide evidence that the Elapinae consists of two main clades: (1) coralsnakes s.s. (Calliophis, Sinomicrurus, Micruroides, Micrurus, Leptomicrurus), and (2) the remaining genera of Afro-Asian species, including cobras, kraits, mambas and Hemibungarus. We suggest a new classification for these two elapine clades: Calliophini for the coralsnakes (Calliophis, Sinomicrurus, Micrurus, Micruroides and Leptomicrurus), and Hemibungarini for the remaining Afro-Asian elapine species, including Hemibungarus. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 151, 809-831.
Grape Juice, But Not Orange Juice or Grapefruit Juice, Inhibits Human Platelet Aggregation

Coronary artery disease is responsible for much mortality and morbidity around the world. Platelets are involved in atherosclerotic disease development and the reduction of platelet activity by medications reduces the incidence and severity of disease. Red wine and grapes contain polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids, which can reduce platelet aggregation and have been associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. Citrus fruits contain different classes of polyphenolics that may not share the same properties. This study evaluated whether commercial grape, orange and grapefruit juices, taken daily, reduce ex vivo platelet activity. In a randomized cross-over design, ten healthy human subjects (ages 26-58 y, five of each gender) drank 5-7.5 mL/(kg. d) of purple grape juice, orange juice or grapefruit juice for 7-10 d each. Platelet aggregation (whole blood impedance aggregometry, Chronolog Model #590) at baseline was compared to results after consumption of each juice. Drinking purple grape juice for one week reduced the whole blood platelet aggregation response to 1 mg/L of collagen by 77% (from 17.9 +/- 2.3 to 4.0 +/- 6.8 ohms, P = 0.0002). Orange juice and grapefruit juice had no effect on platelet aggregation. The purple grape juice had approximately three times the total polyphenolic concentration of the citrus juices and was a potent platelet inhibitor in healthy subjects while the citrus juices showed no effect. The platelet inhibitory effect of the flavonoids in grape juice may decrease the risk of coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarction.
HIV/AIDS-related institutional mistrust among multiethnic men who have sex with men: Effects on HIV testing and risk behaviors

Objective To investigate relationships between institutional mistrust (systematic discrimination, organizational suspicion, and conspiracy beliefs), HIV risk behaviors, and HIV testing in a multiethnic sample of men who have sex with men (MSM), and to test whether perceived susceptibility to HIV mediates these relationships for White and ethnic minority MSM. Method Participants were 394 MSM residing in Central Arizona (M age = 37 years). Three dimensions of mistrust were examined, including organizational suspicion, conspiracy beliefs, and systematic discrimination. Assessments of sexual risk behavior, HIV testing, and perceived susceptibility to HIV were made at study entry (T1) and again 6 months later (T2). Results There were no main effects of institutional mistrust dimensions or ethnic minority status on T2 risk behavior, but the interaction of systematic discrimination and conspiracy beliefs with minority status was significant such that higher levels of systematic discrimination and more conspiracy beliefs were associated with increased risk only among ethnic minority MSM. Higher levels of systematic discrimination were significantly related to lower likelihood for HIV testing, and the interaction of organizational suspicion with minority status was significant such that greater levels of organizational suspicion were related to less likelihood of having been tested for HIV among ethnic minority MSM. Perceived susceptibility did not mediate these relationships. Conclusion Findings suggest that it is important to look further into the differential effects of institutional mistrust across marginalized groups, including sexual and ethnic minorities. Aspects of mistrust should be addressed in HIV prevention and counseling efforts.
Dealing with denial-of-service attacks in agent-enabled active and programmable infrastructures

Denial of service (DoS) attacks is a well-known problem with victims even among prestigious commercial sites. Such attacks in traditional networking are difficult to recognize and to handle. An active infrastructure that can dynamically respond to event-triggered requests can deal better with recognition and handling of DoS attacks. We present a DoS attack response system architecture and we demonstrate via an application scenario its dynamicity and flexibility in dealing with this kind of attack. The approach is based on agent-enabled active programmable infrastructures and makes heavy use of mobile agent technology in order to asynchronously respond to critical situations. Finally, we comment on the pros and cons of our approach and discuss future directions that could be followed.
Change in Academic Coauthorship, 1953–2003

Coauthored scholarship increased substantially across fields of science during the twentieth century, but it is unclear whether this growth reflects change in the behavior of individual scientists (i.e., career aging) or publishing differences between cohorts of researchers (i.e., cohort succession). I examine the publication records of an interdisciplinary sample of university scientists and find evidence of both career-aging and cohort-succession processes, although cohort differences are much more pronounced than individual changes. Specifically, scientists in this sample increased the percentage of their articles with coauthors by 0.63 percentage points annually. However, compared to those who received their PhDs between 1953 and 1962, scientists who entered the workforce between 1983 and 1991 coauthored approximately one third more of their early career articles (35.63 percentage points). Additionally, career-aging processes in coauthorship varied by PhD cohort, with earlier trained researchers incre...
The Medical Model in Psychotherapy Its Limitations and Failures

This article discusses the limitations and failures of the medical model in psychotherapy. Specifically, the article shows that (a) the medical model does not accurately describe what actually occurs in psychotherapy; (b) the model continues to dominate the field not because of its accuracy but because of its questionable ties with medicine, science, and the health insurance industry; (c) the model obscures the fact that psychotherapy is an interpersonal process, not a medical procedure; and (d) the model fails to account for the fact that the vast majority of clients use psychotherapy for support, guidance, and personal growth instead of treatment for mental illness. Implications of this analysis are presented.
Complete Fe-Mg solid solution in lithium niobate and perovskite structures in titanates at high pressures and temperatures

A new high-pressure MgTiO3 phase with the lithium niobate structure (R3c) has been recovered from experiments at 21 GPa and 1200 8C. Phases with the lithium niobate structure were also synthesized for intermediate compositions between FeTiO3 and MgTiO3 and their lattice parameters determined. Previous thermodynamic calculations indicated the stable FeTiO3 phase at high pressure has the perovskite structure while the lithium niobate polymorph is a metastable quench phase. This suggests that these magnesium-iron titanates with lithium niobate structures may also be metastable quench phases from perovskite. This example of a complete solid solution between Fe and Mg in the lithium niobate structure probably reveals a case of complete solid solution between Fe and Mg in the A sites of the perovskite structure.
Selective Pharmacologic Inhibition of a PASTA Kinase Increases Listeria monocytogenes Susceptibility to β-lactam Antibiotics

While β-lactam antibiotics are a critical part of the antimicrobial arsenal, they are frequently compromised by various resistance mechanisms, including changes in penicillin binding proteins of the bacterial cell wall. Genetic deletion of the penicillin binding protein and serine/threonine kinase-associated protein (PASTA) kinase in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been shown to restore β-lactam susceptibility. However, the mechanism remains unclear, and whether pharmacologic inhibition would have the same effect is unknown. In this study, we found that deletion or pharmacologic inhibition of the PASTA kinase in Listeria monocytogenes by the nonselective kinase inhibitor staurosporine results in enhanced susceptibility to both aminopenicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics. Resistance to vancomycin, another class of cell wall synthesis inhibitors, or antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis was unaffected by staurosporine treatment. Phosphorylation assays with purified kinases revealed that staurosporine selectively inhibited the PASTA kinase of L. monocytogenes (PrkA). Importantly, staurosporine did not inhibit a L. monocytogenes kinase without a PASTA domain (Lmo0618) or the PASTA kinase from MRSA (Stk1). Finally, inhibition of PrkA with a more selective kinase inhibitor, AZD5438, similarly led to sensitization of L. monocytogenes to β-lactam antibiotics. Overall, these results suggest that pharmacologic targeting of PASTA kinases can increase the efficacy of β-lactam antibiotics.
Dimensional and occlusal changes in fluid resin dentures.

Summary This study evaluated complete dentures processed with fluid acrylic resins. The dentures were constructed with the aid of a new flask and modified spruing procedures, with the teeth immobilized in the hydrocolloid mold, and with slight mechanical vibration provided during the pouring of the resin. The fluid resin dentures were compared with the dentures constructed by the compression-molding technique and processed with heat-curing acrylic resin. The results indicate that the fluid resin dentures underwent more processing shrinkage (0.617%) than the conventionally processed dentures (0.377%). However, the fluid resin dentures seemed to function as well as the heat-cured dentures. The excessive reduction in the vertical dimension of the occlusion usually observed with fluid resin dentures was minimized; the average cusp height reduction was −0.089 mm. Individual tooth movement, voids, visible porosity, and other surface deficiencies were eliminated.
Mixed versus Pure Display Format in Integration and Nonintegration Visual Display Monitoring Tasks

In four experiments we examined the effect of varying the types of display coding (analog, verbal, digital) used in a visual monitoring task. In pure display conditions all indicators within a display were of the same type, and in mixed conditions display type varied across indicators. Subjects performed either integration tasks, which required responses based on information contained in two indicators, or nonintegration tasks, in which responses could be made based on a single indicator value. Results replicated previous findings of the superiority of analog indicators in tasks of this type and also indicated that the integration/nonintegration task distinction is not an important variable to take into account when designing displays. It is suggested that detailed analyses of decision task demands are required in designing visual displays.
Effect of commuting on the detection and characterization performance of the Bayesian Aerosol Release Detector

The Bayesian Aerosol Release Detector (BARD) is a system designed to detect and characterize disease outbreaks caused by aerosol releases of B. anthracis. The detection algorithm of BARD requires, among other things, an accurate estimation of the number of spores that would be inhaled under a specific release scenario. This is a challenging problem, in part due to the lack of fine-grained data on the mobility patterns of the exposed population. Indeed, the only type of spatial information routinely contained in biosurveillance databases is the residential administrative unit-such as the home zip code-of each case. The current version of BARD detector deals with this challenge by making the simplifying assumption that exposure to anthrax would occur at onepsilas residential unit. This paper presents an experimental study to assess how BARDpsilas performance would be impacted by incorporation of a commuting model in outbreak simulation. Our results show that incorporation of commuting in simulation leads to statistically and practically significant changes in BARDpsilas detection and characterization performance.
Role for Cdk1 (Cdc2)/Cyclin A in Preventing the Mammalian Origin Recognition Complex's Largest Subunit (Orc1) from Binding to Chromatin during Mitosis

The eukaryotic origin recognition complex (ORC) selects the genomic sites where prereplication complexes are assembled and DNA replication begins. In proliferating mammalian cells, ORC activity appears to be regulated by reducing the affinity of the Orc1 subunit for chromatin during S phase and then preventing reformation of a stable ORC-chromatin complex until mitosis is completed and a nuclear membrane is assembled. Here we show that part of the mechanism by which this is accomplished is the selective association of Orc1 with Cdk1 (Cdc2)/cyclin A during the G2/M phase of cell division. This association accounted for the appearance in M-phase cells of hyperphosphorylated Orc1 that was subsequently dephosphorylated during the M-to-G1 transition. Moreover, inhibition of Cdk activity in metaphase cells resulted in rapid binding of Orc1 to chromatin. However, chromatin binding was not mediated through increased affinity of Orc1 for Orc2, suggesting that additional events are involved in the assembly of functional ORC-chromatin sites. These results reveal that the same cyclin-dependent protein kinase that initiates mitosis in mammalian cells also concomitantly inhibits assembly of functional ORC-chromatin sites.
Elementary theory of bed-sediment entrainment by debris flows and avalanches

[1] Analyses of mass and momentum exchange between a debris flow or avalanche and an underlying sediment layer aid interpretations and predictions of bed-sediment entrainment rates. A preliminary analysis assesses the behavior of a Coulomb slide block that entrains bed material as it descends a uniform slope. The analysis demonstrates that the block's momentum can grow unstably, even in the presence of limited entrainment efficiency. A more-detailed, depth-integrated continuum analysis of interacting, deformable bodies identifies mechanical controls on entrainment efficiency, and shows that entrainment rates satisfy a jump condition that involves shear-traction and velocity discontinuities at the flow-bed boundary. Explicit predictions of the entrainment rateEresult from making reasonable assumptions about flow velocity profiles and boundary shear tractions. For Coulomb-friction tractions, predicted entrainment rates are sensitive to pore fluid pressures that develop in bed sediment as it is overridden. In the simplest scenario the bed sediment liquefies completely, and the entrainment-rate equation reduces toE = 2μ1gh1 cos θ(1 − λ1)/ v¯1, where θ is the slope angle, μ1 is the flow's Coulomb friction coefficient, h1 is its thickness, λ1 is its degree of liquefaction, and v¯1is its depth-averaged velocity. For values ofλ1ranging from 0.5 to 0.8, this equation predicts entrainment rates consistent with rates of 0.05 to 0.1 m/s measured in large-scale debris-flow experiments in which wet sediment beds liquefied almost completely. The propensity for bed liquefaction depends on several factors, including sediment porosity, permeability, and thickness, and rates of compression and shear deformation that occur when beds are overridden.
Does global diversity mean anything

A major goal of paleobiological research since the early 1960s has been the reconstruction in quantitative terms of the history of biological diversity. Spearheaded by Valentine (1969), Raup (1972, 1976a,b), and Sepkoski (1979, 1981, 1984, 1990, 1993), this effort has yielded estimates of global diversity through time, as well as calculations of global rates and magnitudes of extinction and diversification. A consensus emerging in the early 1980s (Sepkoski et al. 1981) indicated that global marine invertebrate diversity rose through the Cambrian and Ordovician periods to a plateau, which with brief extinction-related interruptions was maintained from the mid-Paleozoic to the mid-Mesozoic. Beginning in the Cretaceous, diversity rose again, reaching a peak in the late Neogene. The five mass extinctions of the Phanerozoic, and more or less distinct episodes of diversification, were identified and distinguished from many lesser events (Raup and Sepkoski 1982). Comparable studies, with varying results, were conducted on land vertebrates (Benton 1985, 1989), land plants (Knoll et al. 1979; Niklas et al. 1980, 1983; Tiffney 1981; Knoll 1984), early protistans (Knoll 1994), insects (Labandeira and Sepkoski 1993), and life as a whole (Van Valen 1984, 1985; Van Valen and Maiorana 1985; Signor 1990; Valentine et al. 1991; Benton 1995; Courtillot and Gaudemer 1996; Miller and Foote 1996). Recent analyses of diversity through time (Alroy et al. 2001), utilizing several different methodological protocols for handling sampling biases and taxon counting, have called some of the earlier work into question. Alroy and colleagues tentatively propose that global genus-level marine diversity reached plateaus of similar magnitude during the mid-Paleozoic and in the Cretaceous to Recent interval, with no detectable rise in diversity during the latter interval. Commenting on the new study, …
A Constructive Reformist’s Perspective on Voluntary Conservation Easements

In an article written especially for the Ecosystem Marketplace, Nancy A. McLaughlin, an expert on the legal issues surrounding easements, argues that conservation easements, with some reforms, can be a relatively efficient and effective means of pursuing conservation goals in the United States.
Is it Time to Start Quantifying the Amount of High-grade Cancer on Pathology?

Since its creation, the Gleason score has been an effective and powerful tool for stratifying risk in men with prostate cancer (PCa). Previous studies have suggested significant heterogeneity in Gleason 7 PCa [1] and propose that traditional methods of Gleason scoring that merely differentiate between Gleason 3 + 4 and 4 + 3 cancer do not sufficiently account for this heterogeneity. In the study by Deng et al [2] published in thismonth’s issue of European Urology, the authors assessed close to 1000 radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens that displayed Gleason 7 histopathology and compared traditional methods of Gleason scoring with three alternative methods that quantify the amount of Gleason 4 in the prostate as a continuous [4_TD$DIFF]score. The authors reported that all three methods of quantifying the amount of high-grade tumor as a continuous [4_TD$DIFF]score provided better prediction of biochemical recurrence (BCR) than traditional Gleason scoring. The area under the curve (AUC) for discriminating BCR ranged from 0.83 to 0.84 for the three quantitative methods of Gleason scoring and was 0.82 for the traditional approach. The authors concluded thatmethods that quantify the amount of high-grade tumor in the prostate provide better prediction of BCR and better risk stratification inmenwith Gleason 7 PCa comparedwith traditional Gleason scoring. A basic concept in statistics is that when you break up a continuous variable into a set of categories, you lose information, and that can reduce the power of your test. The current study applies this concept to our approach of grading Gleason 7 PCa. Using our current methods of Gleason grading, a Gleason 3 + 4 tumor with 5% pattern 4 would be allocated to the same group as Gleason 3 + 4 with 45% pattern 4. Clearly, these tumors may display
Differentiability Properties of Metric Projections onto Convex Sets

It is known that directional differentiability of metric projection onto a closed convex set in a finite-dimensional space is not guaranteed. In this paper, we discuss sufficient conditions ensuring directional differentiability of such metric projections. The approach is based on a general theory of sensitivity analysis of parameterized optimization problems.
An Evaluation of Some VDT Lighting Variables

It has been difficult to differentiate statistically among lighting conditions. A questionnaire, using 12 positive adjectives, was developed which was sensitive enough to show differences among lighting variables. Twenty subjects each spent 20 minutes in each of 12 conditions. The 12 conditions were all combinations of screen glare (high and low), ambient light source (kiosk and kiosk + ceiling), and document luminance (25, 160 and 320 cd/m2). The criterion was put on a scale of 0–100%. Kiosk + ceiling lighting (score = 69%) was preferred to kiosk lighting (59%). Medium document brightness (73%) was preferred to high (63%) and low (56%). Low glare (67%) was preferred to high glare (61%).