cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prefrontal cortical involvement in phencyclidine-induced activation of the mesolimbic dopamine system: behavioral and neurochemical evidence

Acute administration of phencyclidine to rats potently activates mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic neurons. The activation of dopamine release and utilization in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens are associated with profound cognitive impairment and hyperlocomotion, respectively. This dopaminergic activation by phencyclidine is not mediated by direct effects on the cell body regions of the dopamine neurons; however, phencyclidine augments dopamine release locally in the terminal fields. In the present study, the possible involvement of the prefrontal cortex in mediating activation of the mesolimbic dopamine system by phencyclidine was examined. Ibotenic acid lesions of the prefrontal cortex attenuated the biochemical activation of the mesolimbic dopamine neurons by PCP, and prefrontal lesions sharply blunted phencyclidine-, but not amphetamine- or novelty-, induced hyperlocomotion. In addition, injection of phencyclidine directly into the prefrontal cortex increased dopamine utilization in the nucleus accumbens and induced hyperlocomotion. In summary, these studies show that phencyclidine activates the mesolimbic pathway through a mechanism in the prefrontal cortex, possibly by disinhibiting the cortical circuit and activating corticofugal glutamatergic release in the ventral tegmental area.
Rmote sensing of leaf water content for winter wheat using grey relational analysis (GRA), stepwise regression method (SRM) and partial least squares (PLS)

Leaf water content (LWC) is an important parameter for evaluating crop health and predicting crop yield. The objective of this study was to compare two methods for the precision of estimating LWC in winter wheat by combining stepwise regression method and partial least squares (SRM-PLS) or PLS based on the relational degree of grey relational analysis (GRA) between water vegetation indexes (WVIs) and LWC. Firstly, using data from 2008 was utilized to analyze the grey relationships between LWC and the selected typical water vegetation indices (WVIs) to determined the sensitivity of different WVIs to LWC. Secondly, the two methods of estimating LWC in winter wheat were compared, one was to directly use PLS and the other was to combine SRM-PLS based on the sensitive WVIs was selected by GRA between WVIs and LWC, and then the method with the highest determination coefficient (R2) and lowest root mean square error (RMSE) was selected to estimate LWC in winter wheat. The results showed that the relationships between the first five WVI and LWC were stable by using GRA, and then LWC was estimated by using PLS and SRM-PLS at anthesis for winter wheat with 0.63 and 0.46. To validate two model estimation accuracy by using 2009 data, we compared actual value with predicted value by using PLS and SRM-PLS and RMSEs were 2.6 % and 3.12 %, respectively. The results indicated that the estimation accuracy of LWC could be improved by using GRA firstly and then by using PLS and SRM-PLS.
An excimer-pumped beta -BaB/sub 2/O/sub 4/ optical parametric oscillator tunable from 354 nm to 2.370 mu m

A pulsed singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO) has been constructed which can provide tunable coherent radiation over the entire wavelength range extending from 354 nm in the near ultraviolet, throughout the visible, to 2.370 mu m in the near infrared using a single beta -BaB/sub 2/O/sub 4/ crystal. The oscillator is pumped at 308 nm by a pulsed narrow band injection-seeded XeCl excimer laser in a near-field pumping configuration, and energy conversion efficiencies (optical-to-optical) in excess of 10% have been obtained in a 12-nm-long crystal across the OPO tuning range. The requirements placed upon the spectral and spatial coherence of the pump laser for optimum OPO operation are discussed. Experimental results on several oscillator parameters, including tuning range, oscillation threshold, energy conversion efficiency, and spatial and temporal characteristics, are presented. >
A longitudinal, qualitative analysis of the context of substance use and sexual behavior among 18- to 29-year-old men after their release from prison

Substance use, sexual behavior, and reincarceration among 89 men from 5 state prisons across the USA, aged 18-29 years, were examined in relation to individual patterns of coping with community reintegration after their release from prison. Analyses of a series of qualitative interviews conducted over a 6-month period post-release revealed three global reintegration coping patterns: moving toward successful reintegration, resuming behavioral patterns that preceded incarceration, and reintegrating through withdrawal or isolation. Four key contextual factors that differentiated these three coping patterns were the consistency and extensiveness of social relationships, the nature of social support, and the degree of structural stability (e.g., stable employment and housing). Participants were assigned a Likert scale score (1 for poor rating to 3 for better rating) for their pattern of global reintegration and for their rating on each of the four contextual factors across the longitudinal qualitative interviews. Collectively, these five factors differentiated the prevalence and frequency of substance use, patterns of sexual behavior, and incidence of reincarceration as assessed by a quantitative survey administered 6 months post-release. Poorer ratings on all five contextual indices were related to the use of substances other than marijuana and alcohol. Men with less consistent social relationships reported more sexual partners. However, vaginal or anal sex without a condom was associated with greater social consistency and greater structural stability, possibly due to the presence of a steady main partner. Reincarceration was significantly associated with poorer global reintegration ratings, more negative social support, and less structural stability. These findings highlight the need to consider the role of social and structural support systems in HIV and sexually transmitted infection risk reduction interventions for men after their release from prison.
Dissociative Excitation of Vacuum Ultraviolet Emission Features by Electron Impact on Molecular Gases. III. CO2

Vacuum ultraviolet multiplets of C I, C II, and O I were produced by electron impact on CO2. Absolute emission cross sections for these multiplets were measured from threshold to 350 eV. The electrostatically focused electron gun used is described in detail. The atomic multiplets which were produced by dissociative excitation of CO2 and the cross sections at 100 eV are presented. The dependence of the excitation functions on electron energy shows that these multiplets are produced by electric-dipole-allowed transitions in CO2.
Human glucocorticoid receptor α transcript splice variants with exon 2 deletions : Evidence for tissue- and cell type-specific functions

Alternative splicing of exon 9 in human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR) transcripts yields two native hGR transcripts and proteins, hGRalpha and hGRbeta. We have now identified four novel hGRalpha transcripts that have various deletions of exon 2 sequences. Among these hGRalpha splice variants, three of them, 1A1/E2dist hGRalpha, 1A2/E2prox hGRalpha, and 1A3/E3 hGRalpha, arise from the hGR 1A promoter, while 1B/E3 hGRalpha comes from the hGR 1B promoter. When fused to Flag and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) tags at the carboxy terminus, all transcript variants can be correctly translated in vitro and in vivo. The Flag-tagged hGRalpha protein variants can functionally bind to a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) and can mediate hormonal stimulation of a pGRE-luciferase reporter gene. Compared to the "classical", native hGRalpha, these four variants exhibit a cell type-specific activation of a reporter gene, and this is influenced by the hGRalpha 3' untranslated region in the hGR transcript. When equal amounts of the cDNAs for these GRalpha variant proteins are transfected into cells, they can exhibit lower or higher transcriptional activation compared to the classical GR. Furthermore, the EGFP-tagged proteins are nuclear localized, even in the absence of hormone. Using quantitative reverse transcription PCR, we found that these transcripts exist at a low level in CEM-C7 cells and IM-9 cells, although the concentrations of the 1A3/E3 hGRalpha and 1B/E3 hGRalpha transcripts are higher than for hGRbeta transcripts, while 1A1/E2dist hGRalphaand 1A2/E2prox hGRalpha transcript levels are comparable to the 1A1 hGRalpha and 1A2 hGRalpha (without the exon 2 deletions) transcript levels, respectively. Because these novel hGR, N-terminal deleted, protein variants have altered biological activity, their expression could potentially affect the hormone sensitivity or resistance in leukemia and be useful in diagnosing hormone-sensitive or -resistant disease.
THE "TIP OF THE ICEBERG" IN A SOUTHERN SUBURBAN COUNTY The Fight for a Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday

All across America on January 20, 1986, there were celebrations and school holidays in honor of the first holiday of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. In the county of Henrico, a suburb of Richmond, Virginia, the students were in school. Henrico's school administration and school board decided that the students should be in school learning about the contributions of Dr. King. The African American community in the suburb of Henrico County believed this was a slap in the face. The county observed birthdays for White historical figures but would not observe the first federal holiday for one of the most prominent African Americans in the 20th century. This article examines how the King holiday issue mobilized the Black community into political action. It also analyzes how African Americans are trying to secure equal rights in public policies and political representation in the increasingly diversified suburbs of the South.
The Development of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version

In preparation for implementation of RDA—Resource Description and Access (RDA), the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) members have been revising ancillary AACR2 cataloging tools produced and maintained by the PCC. This column will focus on describing the features of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version published in 2012.
An analysis of Holland's interest types for women: A comparison of the Strong-Holland and the ACT vocational interest profile scales for women

Abstract The purpose of this paper was to examine the basic vocational interest dimensions of women. Two interest inventories designed to measure the six interest dimensions described by Holland (1966) were administered to 126 university freshman women. The correlations between corresponding scales of the two instruments was generally high and application of the spatial configuration analysis resulted in the expected circular ordering found in previous studies. The usefulness of the basic interest dimensions when counseling with women was discussed from a practical and a theoretical point of view.
Placement of radiopaque clips for tumor localization in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and breast conservation therapy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with inoperable and locally advanced breast cancer, and its use is increasing in patients with earlier stage, operable breast cancer. From 80% to 90% of patients have a significant clinical response rate of the primary tumor to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Although the dramatic response is desirable, and it has been demonstrated that a pathologic complete response (pCR) is prognostic, clinical and radiologic complete tumor response complicates the surgical excision because it is difficult to verify accurate localization of the site of the previous tumor. The use of a radiopaque marker placed in the tumor bed has been reported as a safe and inexpensive technique that allows for subsequent localization of the tumor bed before surgical resection in patients who are receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.1–6 A report on 28 patients who underwent clip placement and preoperative chemotherapy indicated that preoperative wire localization of the tumor bed would have been impossible in 35.7% of patients and difficult in 21.4% of patients without the aid of the clip. Dash et al. concluded that the clip placement was valuable in 57% of patients at the time of preoperative needle localization.4 Edeiken and colleagues reported a similar experience with ultrasound-guided implantation of metallic markers in 49 patients to mark the tumor bed in anticipation of complete or near complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The markers reportedly were the only remaining evidence of the original tumor site in 23 of 49 patients (47%), and the authors concluded that this technique effectively addresses the problem of preoperative localization of the tumor bed in patients who are expected to achieve a complete or near complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.5 Although the studies described above support the utility of clip placement in approximately 50% of individuals for preoperative tumor bed localization in patients who are receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the potential impact on locoregional control currently is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine whether patients who were treated with breast conservation after neoadjuvant chemotherapy had improved local control if radiopaque coils/clips were placed to mark the primary tumor.
Does exposure of preovulatory oocytes to ultrasonic radiation affect reproductive performance

Ultrasonography of preovulatory oocytes has been reported to lead to reduced litter size in rats. Because of the growing popularity of ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration in human in vitro fertilization programs, further study of ultrasonic radiation's effect on the preovulatory oocyte is warranted. We used 106 virgin Sprague-Dawley rats which, on the evening of proestrus, received ultrasonic radiation of sham treatment after the onset of the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. No differences were found between control (C) and experimental (US) animals in pregnancy rate, number of corpora lutea, implantations, pups, and mean pup and placental weights at autopsy on day 22 of pregnancy. Ultrasonic radiation applied to meiotically active, preovulatory oocytes did not affect the reproductive performance of these rats.
Patterns of migration and residency in coastal cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii from two tributaries of the lower Columbia River

Coastal cutthroat trout Onchorhynchus clarkii clarkii life-history variants, migration and freshwater residency were monitored using stationary passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag arrays in two tributaries of the Columbia River from 2001 to 2005 (Abernathy Creek, river kilometre, rkm 76) and from 2002 to 2005 (Chinook River, rkm 6). In 2001-2003 and 2002-2003 (Abernathy and Chinook, respectively), 300-500 coastal O. c. clarkii were captured in each tributary by electrofishing and implanted with 23 mm PIT tags. PIT arrays monitored movements from the initiation of tagging through the spring of 2005. Rotary screw traps were also operated on both tributaries. In Abernathy Creek, 28% of tagged individuals were observed through either active capture or passive interrogation. Of these, 32% were identified as migrants and 68% were identified as residents. In the Chinook River, 48% of tagged fish were observed subsequent to tagging; 92% of these fish were migrants and only 8% were resident. In both tributaries, a greater proportion of resident fish were in the upper reaches. The majority of migrants (78-93%) moved the spring following tagging. Migrants leaving at age 2+ years tended to grow faster than those that migrated at age 3+ years or residents. Patterns of growth or growth opportunities may influence both patterns of life-history expression and the timing of migration.
Combining various types of belief structures

We first discuss the basic ideas of the Dempster-Shafer belief structure. We particularly emphasize the associated measures of plausibility and belief. We discuss the cumulative distribution function associated with a belief structure. We next turn to the issue of combining multiple belief structures. Two different types of combination of belief structures are investigated. The first, which we refer to as the fusion of belief structures, occurs when the belief structures being combined are providing information about the same variable. Here we make use of the Dempster rule. The second type, which we refer to as the joining of belief structures, occurs when the belief structures being combined are providing information about different variables. Here we make use of a belief structures cumulative distribution function and the Sklar theorem. The classic belief structures typically have a finite number of focal elements; here we began to look at belief structures which have a continuum of focal elements.
FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES CONSEQUENT TO HIGH DOSAGES OF RADIOACTIVE IODINE

THERE is perhaps a natural feeling of urgency on the part of many laboratory and clinical workers which prompts the application of radioactive fission products to useful purposes. In adopting radioiodine as a tool for the selective and controlled destruction of cancerous or hyperactive thyroid tissue clinical medicine has far outstripped the laboratory experimentalists in the use of this powerful agent. The need for further information concerning the general and specific effects of highly radiant doses of radioactive iodine in the organism is apparent; the recognition of this need, if one may now judge from the published literature, has stimulated the institution of programs of study of radiation effects of radioiodine in many laboratories. In this report it is our purpose to summarize the work of several years devoted to observation of sequelae in mice subsequent to administration of high, “radiotoxic” dosages of the radioactive isotope, I131 (1,2, 3). Whereever feasible the relations of these results to...
Policy Solutions To Address The Foreign-Educated And Foreign-Born Health Care Workforce In The United States

Foreign-educated and foreign-born health workers constitute a sizable and important portion of the US health care workforce. We review the distribution of these workers and their countries of origi...
Three-Dimensional Analysis of Cracking Through the Boundary of a Two-Phase Material

The two-phase boundary is modeled as the interface between two perfectly-bonded elastic, isotropic, homogeneous half spaces with different elastic constants. The planar crack on either side of the interface may be arbitrarily orientated with respect to the interface boundary. The body-force method is used to derive a set of coupled two-dimensional singular integral equations which are solved numerically. Numerical results are given for a penny-shaped crack symmetrically oriented with respect to the interface
High Pressure Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Study of CO Poisoning of Ethylene Hydrogenation on Pt(111) and Rh(111) Single Crystals

Using a high-pressure scanning tunneling microscope we monitored the coadsorption of hydrogen, ethylene, and carbon dioxide on platinum(111) and rhodium(111) crystal faces in the mtorr pressure range at 300 K in equilibrium with the gas phase. During the catalytic hydrogenation of ethylene to ethane in the absence of CO the metal surfaces are covered by an adsorbate layer that is very mobile on the time scale of STM imaging. We found that the addition of CO poisons the hydrogenation reaction and induces ordered structures on the single-crystal surfaces. Several ordered structures were observed upon CO addition to the surfaces precovered with hydrogen and ethylene: a rotated ( × )R23.4° on Pt(111), and domains of c(4 × 2)-CO + C2H3, previously unobserved (4 × 2)-CO + 3C2H3, and (2 × 2)-3CO on Rh(111). A mechanism for CO poisoning of ethylene hydrogenation on the metal single crystals was proposed, in which CO blocks surface metal sites and reduces adsorbate mobility to limit adsorption and reaction rate o...
Novel anti-carcinogenic activity of an organosulfide from garlic: inhibition of H-RAS oncogene transformed tumor growth in vivo by diallyl disulfide is associated with inhibition of p21H-ras processing.

Abstract In this study, we report a novel anticarcinogenic activity of an organosulfur compound from garlic, diallyl disulfide (DADS). DADS treatment significantly inhibited the growth of H- ras oncogene transformed tumors in nude mice. As compared to controls, the appearance of tumors was also delayed markedly by oral administration of DADS. The inhibition of tumor growth by DADS treatment correlated with the inhibition of p21 H-ras membrane association in the tumor tissue. The levels of membrane associated p21 H-ras were markedly lower in the tumor tissues of DADS treated mice as compared to controls. An opposite trend, however, was evident for cytosolic p21 H-ras . Furthermore, DADS treatment resulted in a significant inhibition of hepatic as well as tumoral 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity. These results indicate that DADS suppresses the growth of H- ras oncogene transformed tumors in nude mice by inhibiting the membrane association of tumoral p21 H-ras .
The life cycle impacts of feed for modern grow-finish Northern Great Plains US swine production.

A life cycle assessment (LCA) model was developed to analyze the environmental impacts per head of swine for typical feed rations of Northern Great Plains (NGP) US grow-finish swine production. The all-inclusive ‘field to gate’ approach incorporated steps ranging from corn and soybean production to shipping the market weight pig to a slaughtering facility. Feed production scenarios included: (1) a standard feed diet of 72% corn and 28% soymeal using 100% synthetic fertilizer; (2) standard feed diet using 40% manure as fertilizer; (3) modified feed diet using dry distillers gains with solubles (DDGS), with 100% DDGS allocation towards ethanol production; and (4) modified feed diet with 50% DDGS allocation towards ethanol production. For the standard NGP feed diet, enteric emissions and feed production were the two largest contributors towards climate change impacts, while feed production further resulted in significant contributions towards human health damage (44.6%), ecosystem diversity (67.4%), and resource availability (75.0%). DDGS incorporation assuming 100% allocation reduced corn and soymeal inputs considerably, resulting in overall decrease in impacts associated with climate change (−2.7%), terrestrial acidification (−7.1%), and both marine (−14.6%) and freshwater eutrophication (−22.7%); however terrestrial ecotoxicity increased (+22.9%) due to natural gas drying. 50% DDGS allocation increased all impact categories, with the greatest change found for terrestrial ecotoxicity (48.4%). The study results highlight the significant LCA impact contributions associated with feed during grow-finish swine production, and the benefits associated with DDGS incorporation; however, LCA benefits were realized only if 100% DDGS allocation was applied towards ethanol production.
An Examination of the Vulnerability Hypothesis

Follow-up information from three groups of older persons (community residents, clinic clients, the institutionalized) confirms and extends data presented by Youmans and Yarrow [1] indicating that increasing interdependence among different areas of functioning increases with age, possibly resulting in increased vulnerability in time of loss. Some implications of these findings were indicated.
White Family Values in Ann Petry's Country Place

Hired by Columbia Pictures in 1957, Ann Petry wrote a script called "That Hill Girl" for a movie featuring Hollywood glamour girl Kim Novak. The job must have been a dream come true for Petry. In an autobiographical essay for Contemporary Authors, she confessed to "an absolute passion" for the movies: "I'm addicted to them-good ones, bad ones, indifferent ones" (266). Petry sold the rights to her third novel, The Narrows (1953), though it never materialized on the silver screen. The black novelist speculated, no doubt correctly, that the interracial affair at the center of the narrative proved too controversial for the 1950s movie industry. Petry's second novel, Country Place, would have been controversial, too, but for a different reason. Published in 1947, the novel mocks the sentimentality of postwar white family narratives such as William Wyler's award-winning film The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), which dramatizes the difficult homecomings of three veterans. Country Place tells a similar story about white folks, but without the happily-ever-after ending. Country Place belongs to a group of "white life" novels published by black writers in the years following World War Two. Some of these novels, like Frank Yerby's Foxes of Harrow (1946) and Willard Motley's Knock on Any Door (1947), became bestsellers and then major Hollywood films. Although such novels were generally well received when first published, subsequent critics have too quickly dismissed the works that Langston Hughes,
Direct Numerical Simulation of a Film Cooling Jet

Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of a film cooling jet is presented. In DNS no turbulence models are introduced, and the turbulent length scales in the flow field are fully resolved. Therefore the calculations are expected to provide an accurate representation of reality, and the numerical data can be used to understand the flow physics and to compute turbulence budgets. In this paper, a DNS for an inclined jet at a jet Reynolds number of 3068 is presented. Statistics for the various budgets in the turbulence kinetic energy and dissipation rate equations are computed and presented to provide a basis for improvements to the turbulence models. A new wall function based on DNS results for a film cooling flow is presented.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Expression of BCL-2 Oncoprotein and P53 Protein Accumulation in Bone Marrow Metastases of Androgen Independent Prostate Cancer

ABSTRACTPurpose: We correlated the expression of bcl-2 with accumulation of p53 protein in bone marrow metastases from patients with androgen independent prostate cancer and a history of hormonal ablation therapy. These results were correlated with clinical parameters, including the extent of bone marrow metastases and patient survival.Materials and Methods: All 43 patients studied had evidence of prostate cancer progression following androgen deprivation therapy and histologically confirmed bone marrow metastases. Decalcified tissue sections were used for immunohistochemical evaluation of bcl-2 protein and p53 protein accumulation.Results: We previously established that p53 protein accumulation as detected by immunohistochemistry is a reliable indicator of p53 gene mutation in prostate cancer. Immunoreactivity was demonstrated for p53 protein in 22 of 43 cases and for bcl-2 protein in 14. A total of 28 cases (65%) exhibited immunohistochemical evidence of p53 and/or bcl-2 expression, and 15 (35%) were ne...
Conducting the mitotic symphony.

'Checkpoints' ensure the accuracy of the process by which duplicated chromosomes are segregated into two new cells during cell division. A new checkpoint that operates early on in the chromosome-separating process has now been identified.
Treatment of insomnia. Getting to the root of sleeping problems.

PreviewThe consequences of insomnia go beyond the irritability we've all experienced after a long, sleepless night. The likelihood of accidents and poor judgment is greatly increased when a person is drowsy and unalert from insufficient sleep, especially if sleep problems go on night after night. The authors outline a practical patient-assessment approach to identify common causative factors in the primary care setting. In addition, they discuss behavioral and pharmacologic therapy and describe when referral to a sleep-disorder clinic is indicated.
Drugs used by students: caffeine, tobacco, marihuana, cocaine and alcohol.

Istvan and Matarazzo (1984) reported that research indicated a weak association between the use of tobacco, alcohol and caffeine but that no study had explored the use of all three drugs together. The present study examined the use of caffeine, tobacco, marihuana, cocaine and alcohol by 115 male and 119 female students, aged 18 to 22 yr., and enrolled in college courses. Students were asked anonymously to indicate whether they were currently using each of these drugs. Phi correlations showed that che use of cigarettes, marihuana, and cocaine were relared (phis = 0.36 co 0.43).? Similarly use of beer, wine, hard liquor, and cocktails were all related (phis = 0.19 to 0.48). This pattern of results was obtained for the total sample and for men and for wornen separately. For men only, use of coffee was associated with the use of cigarettes and ~narihuana (phis = 0.17 and 0.19). For men, the use of alcohol was not associated with the use of cigarettes, marihuana, and cocaine. For women, however, use of alcohol (especially hard liquor) was related to the use of cigarettes, marihuana, and cocaine (phis 0.32 to 0.38). Factor analyses (using SPSSX PC extraction with a varimax rotation) confirmed these patterns of a~sociarion.~ Of the 28 phi correlations, 28 were positive (and 22 were statistically significant) so, over-all, the use of different drugs was positively associated, though clusters of drugs which are strongly related can be identified.
Comparative morphometry and steroidogenic function of antral ovine follicles destined for ovulation or atresia.

Abstract An experimental model was established in the ewe allowing one to predict with accuracy an antral follicle that coincidentally would either undergo ovulation (6–8 mm diameter) or atresia (3–4 mm diameter) following synchronization of luteal regression and the onset of the gonadotropin surge. Quantitative morphometric and hormonal criteria were used to make direct comparisons of such follicles collected throughout the preovulatory period. There were progressive alterations in percentages of granulosa cells exhibiting pyknotic nuclei, dispersion of granulosa cells, oocyte maturation, thecal vascular dynamics and extravasation of leukocytes. Nevertheless, no significant variations in temporal patterns were observed between follicular classification. The most notable anatomical distinction between preovulatory and atretogenic follicles was that the former had come into closer contact with the ovarian surface epithelium. The dominant follicle had a higher capacity than the subordinate follicle to produce estradiol before the gonadotropin surge; however, ensuing profiles of steroidogenic function (i.e., shift from the Δ 5 to Δ 4 pathway) occurred in parallel. Thus, in many respects the follicular mechanics of ovulation and atresia in the sheep appear analogous.
Lack of mosquitocidal activity by the cytolytic protein of the Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis parasporal crystal

A 25,000-dalton cytolytic protein was isolated from the parasporal crystal ofBacillus thuringiensis subsp.israelensis. Hemolytic activity of this protein decreased with increasing pHs and was totally inhibited at pH 10.0. No mosquito larvacidal activity was observed with this protein either in the solubilized form or when the protein was adsorbed to latex beads.
BMS-275183–induced gene expression patterns in head and neck carcinoma

Abstract Purpose BMS-275183 is an orally bioavailable taxane that has antitumor activity in preclinical cancer models. However, limited BMS-275183 studies have been performed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. The purpose of this study is to identify the biological activity of BMS-275183 on HNSCC. Materials and Methods Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, HN6, HN12, and HN30, were exposed to BMS-275183. BMS-275183–induced growth suppression, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis were measured. Then, expression of selected proteins that were induced by BMS-275183 was determined by Western blot analysis. Results BMS-275183 suppressed proliferation and induced G2M arrest and apoptosis in all HNSCC cell lines tested. BMS-275183 altered the expression of cell-cycle regulators, such as cyclin A and cyclin B1. The expression of E2F and p27 was decreased and increased, respectively, in all HNSCC cell lines. Cleaved caspase 3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were increased in HN6 and HN12 cells. epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) expression were decreased by BMS-275183 in HN6 and HN30 cell lines, whereas phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (pEGFR) was decreased in only HN6 cells. Conclusions BMS-275183 induced cellular apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, and altered gene expression in HNSCC via molecular pathways similar to other taxanes. These preclinical experiments suggest that BMS-275183 may be useful in treating HNSCC and that the aforementioned genes can potentially be used as surrogate end-point biomarkers.
Growing dryland grain sorghum in clumps to reduce vegetative growth and increase yield

Stored soil water and growing season precipitation generally support early season growth of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in dryland areas but are insufficient to prevent water stress during critical latter growth stages. The objective of this study was to determine if growing plants in clumps affected early season growth and subsequent grain yield compared to uniformly spaced plants. We hypothesized that growing grain sorghum plants in clumps would result in fewer tillers and less vegetative growth so that more soil water would be available during the grain-filling period. Results from 3 yr at Bushland, TX, and 1 yr at Tribune, KS, showed that planting grain sorghum in clumps of three to six plants reduced tiller formation to about one per plant compared to about three for uniformly spaced plants. Grain yields were increased by clump planting by as much as 100% when yields were in the 1000 kg ha 21 range and 25 to 50% in the 2000 to 3000 kg ha 21 range, but there was no increase or even a small decrease at yields above 5000 kg ha 21 . Our results suggest that planting grain sorghum in clumps rather than spaced uniformly conserves soil water use until later in the season and may enhance grain yield in semiarid dryland environments.
Catecholamine levels in the whole brain and the probability of memory formation are not related

Abstract Amnesia was induced with reserpine or was blocked with 1-dopa and 5-hydroxytryptophan before or after passive avoidance training in mice. The levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the whole brain were measured in corresponding groups with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. No correlation was found between retention and the levels of these catecholamines in the brain.
The benefits of skimming in data fusion

Data fusion methods commonly use and compare all the documents returned by multiple retrieval systems to create a new result list. On the one hand, as documents further down in the result lists are considered, a document's probability of being relevant decreases significantly. On the other hand, retrieval systems tend to find similar relevant documents when searching the same database, but they do not find them in the same rank positions. Thus, data fusion methods need to consider all of the documents returned by the retrieval systems. Using TREC 3, 6, 7, 8, 12 and 13 data, this paper examines how “skimming”, where the number of documents examined in the result lists is gradually increased, can help to identify relevant documents. It is shown that “gradual skimming” and what can be learned as the list depth is increased can help to improve the retrieval effectiveness of data fusion methods.
Litter chemistry changes more rapidly when decomposed at home but converges during decomposition–transformation

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that soil organic matter (SOM) is largely composed of microbial products rather than plant compounds that resist decomposition. The chemical transformation of leaf litter components during decomposition is critical in controlling SOM formation. Plant leaf litter tends to decompose faster in its native environment than when it is placed under other vegetation types. This home-field advantage (HFA) suggests that decomposer communities are specialized to most efficiently degrade the litter found in their native environment, possibly through the production of specific enzymes that degrade unique compounds within that litter. Could this affect the degree to which leaf litter chemistry is altered during decomposition? We used pyrolysis-molecular beam mass spectrometry (py-MBMS) to analyze whether the chemistry of aspen and lodgepole pine litter was altered to a greater degree when decomposed in its home environment compared to an away environment. We had previously reported a 4% HFA for pine litter decomposition rates in this reciprocal experiment, and attributed that effect to differences in decomposer communities. Our high-resolution analysis revealed that litter chemistry also changed to a greater extent in its home environment. The changes in litter chemistry were more pronounced for the more recalcitrant pine litter, suggesting that decomposer community specialization is more important for recalcitrant litter. The accumulation of microbial products and microbially-transformed plant components resulted in an overall convergence in litter chemistry as decomposition proceeded, but the imprints of both initial litter chemistry and decomposer communities remained evident. The detection of new compounds in decomposed litter and the HFA effect on litter chemistry suggest that decomposer communities affect both the rate at which individual compounds within litter are decomposed, and the chemical nature of compounds that are incorporated into SOM.
Subsolidus Phase Equilibria in the System SrO-B2O3-SiO2

The subsolidus compatibility relations in the system SrO-B2O3- SiO2 were determined by solid-state reaction techniques and X-ray powder diffraction methods. The system was found to contain 11 subsolidus compatibility relations, one stable ternary compound (Sr3B2SiO8), and one metastable ternary compound with a probable composition SrB2Si2O8.
Evidence for oxidative DNA damage in the hippocampus of elderly patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Objective The authors investigated the idea that some patients with schizophrenia exhibit a chronic, deteriorating course without showing frank neurodegeneration at postmortem examination. Oxidative damage is one form of cellular injury that may cause cellular dysfunction without necessarily leading to neuron death. Methods Authors obtained postmortem hippocampi from 13 elderly non-psychiatric comparison cases and 10 patients with “poor-outcome” schizophrenia. The groups were compared for the presence of neuronal 8-hydroxy, 2′ deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a robust marker of oxidized DNA, and neuronal Ki-67, a marker of cell-cycle activation, as well as neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid-beta senile plaques, and astrocytosis. Results The mean proportion of neurons exhibiting 8-OHdG immunoreactivity was 10 times higher in schizophrenia than in comparison cases. Ki-67 was similarly elevated and was correlated with 8-OHdG in the schizophrenia group. There were no significant between-group differences for densities of neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid-beta plaques, or astrocytes. Conclusions Our data provide evidence for oxidative DNA damage and coordinated cell-cycle activation in elderly “poor-outcome” schizophrenia. These findings could have important implications for cellular metabolism, gene expression, and membrane functioning in schizophrenia.
Performance Evaluation of Two Azeotropic Refrigerant Mixtures of HFC-134a With R-290 (Propane) and R-600a (Isobutane)

The reduction in chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) production and the scheduled phase-out of these ozone-depleting refrigerants require the development and determination of environmentally safe refrigerants for use in heat pumps, water chillers, air conditioners, and refrigerators. This paper presents a performance evaluation of a generic heat pump with two azeotropic refrigerant mixtures of HFC-134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) with R-290 (propane) and R-600a (isobutane); R-290/134a (45/55 by mass percentage) and R-134a/600a (80/20 by mass percentage). The performance characteristics of the azeotropes were compared with pure CFC-12, HFC-134a, HCFC-22, and R-290 at the high temperature cooling and heating conditions including those using liquid-line/suction-line heat exchange. The coefficient of performance of R-290/134a is lower than that of HCFC-22 and R-290, and R-134a/600a shows higher coefficient of performance than CFC-12 and HFC-134a. The capacity for R-290/134a is higher than that for HCFC-22 and R-290, and R-134a/600a exhibits higher system capacity than CFC-12 and HFC-134a. Experimental results show that the discharge temperatures of the studied azeotropic mixtures are lower than those of the pure refrigerants, CFC-12 and HCFC-22.
Improving Social Work Students' Understanding of Health and Social Justice Knowledge through the Implementation of Service Learning at a Free Community Health Clinic

Service learning is a teaching strategy that involves engaging in a mutually beneficial partnership between a community and students in the classroom. Social work education and service learning share core values of service and social justice and, when unified, can offer students unique opportunities to engage in meaningful application of knowledge and skills in a real-world setting. This article provides an exemplar describing the unique student learning outcomes that resulted from a service learning partnership between graduate-level social work students in a diversity course and a community health clinic serving Latino immigrants and Burmese refugees.
Interjudge Agreement in Videofluoroscopic Studies of Swallowing

Videofluoroscopic swallowing examinations of 3 patients with dysphagia were reviewed independently by 10 speech-language pathologists. Prior to viewing each video, clinicians were provided with information about the patient's history, the results of a bedside swallow examination, and oral-facial and oral motor control examinations. Clinicians completed a swallowing observation protocol as they viewed each video. They then recommended, from a list of treatment strategies, intervention techniques that would be most appropriate for each patient. Interjudge agreement was calculated by determining how many clinicians observed a given swallowing event or deficit, and how many recommended a given treatment strategy. Results suggest that the level of interjudge agreement for videofluoroscopic evaluations is not encouragingly high.
Multiple Duodenal Diverticula: A Rare Cause of Massive Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Hemodynamic Instability

Duodenal diverticula are usually asymptomatic and identified incidentally on imaging studies. In this report, we present a case of massive gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding from multiple duodenal diverticula. A 43-year-old man was evaluated for lightheadedness, hematemesis, and melena. Patient was hypotensive and resuscitated with intravenous fluids and blood products. Upper endoscopy revealed multiple diverticula in the bulb, sweep and second portion of the duodenum with active bleeding from specific diverticulum. Epinephrine was injected around the bleeding diverticulum and multiple endoclips were applied. Patient continued to have persistent melena and required multiple units of packed red blood cells. Repeat endoscopy showed active bleeding from another duodenal diverticulum controlled with endoclips. Patient still had persistent bleeding, thus angiography was performed. Celiac artery stenosis was visualized with poststenotic dilatation. Embolization of the gastroduodenal artery could not be performed due to its retrograde flow supplying the hepatic artery proper. Patient underwent exploratory laparotomy with no further bleeding visualized through a gastrostomy. Duodenum diverticulum is a rare cause of massive upper GI hemorrhage. Endoscopy might not be successful in identifying the bleeding site. There is a high incidence of re-bleeding with endoscopic interventions. Surgery remains the definitive treatment in cases with life-threatening hemorrhage. J Med Cases. 2015;6(10):444-446 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2229w
Anthropogenic impacts of irrigation on the arthropod community structure of a coastal sage scrub habitat in Los Angeles

We evaluated the effects of an irrigation system on the community structure of arthropods in a coastal sage scrub chaparral habitat. We placed 5 traps in the irrigated site and 5 traps in control site, for a total of 10 sticky traps (using Tree Tanglefoot) in an area adjacent to Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles, California. The traps were set at the irrigated and non-irrigated site on Telegraph Weed for one week. Results showed that morphospecies richness, relative abundance, and taxonomic order representation were higher at the control site than at the irrigated site. Our study documents how anthropogenic impacts in a coastal sage scrub habitat can alter the community composition of invertebrates in the fringe habitats surrounding the last wetlands in Los Angeles County.
Function over Form: Security at the Bruce T. Halle Library

The Bruce T. Halle Library at Eastern Michigan University opened in June 1998 as a model for university libraries in the twenty-first century. Modifications, nevertheless, had to be made in the past decade. This article provides a quick overview of the initial building design and subsequent changes with particular emphasis on building security. Special security challenges involved an integrated digital swipe card access control system, extended hours for a computer lab with no direct outside access when the library was closed, the necessary addition of security cameras, and modification of room use policy.
Optimal doping profiles via geometric programming

We first consider the problem of determining the doping profile that minimizes base transit time in a (homojunction) bipolar junction transistor. We show that this problem can be formulated as a geometric program, a special type of optimization problem that can be transformed to a convex optimization problem, and therefore solved (globally) very efficiently. We then consider several extensions to the basic problem, such as accounting for velocity saturation, and adding constraints on doping gradient, current gain, base resistance, and breakdown voltage. We show that a similar approach can be used to maximize the cutoff frequency, taking into account junction capacitances and forward transit time. Finally, we show that the method extends to the case of heterojunction bipolar junction transistors, in which the doping profile, as well as the profile of the secondary semiconductor, are to be jointly optimized.
Application of matched-filtering to extract EEG features and decouple signal contributions from multiple seizure foci in brain malformations

Developmental brain malformations often cause intractable and in many cases generalized and/or multifocal seizures. Surgical intervention is not possible in these cases as it is difficult to isolate the epileptogenic foci. Scalp EEG signals recorded during such seizures include coupled contributions from different sources. If it was possible to decouple these contributions based on differences in both their signatures and inter-arrival times at different electrodes, it would subsequently be possible to estimate the locations of the seizure foci. For this purpose, we applied matched filtering to scalp EEG data from 3 patients with multifocal seizures, using patient-specific source-related short EEG segments as the template waveforms. These segments were assumed to be seizure-related based on distinct sets of inter-arrival times at different channels and alternating signal polarities. We present preliminary results and demonstrate that matched filtering can be successfully applied to extract decoupled signal components from the EEG, generated by potentially distinct sources, and thus with distinct inter-arrival times but partially overlapping spectra.