cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weed suppression by deleterious rhizobacteria is affected by formulation and soil properties

Deleterious rhizobacteria (DRB) suppress weed growth in field tests and are considered potential weed biological control agents. This study compared the relative inhibitory action of the DRB Pseudomonas fluorescens strain G2-11 in different formulations, corn gluten meal (CGM), and semolina flour, toward wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), green foxtail (Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.), and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik) seeds and seedlings in soil assays. Strain G2-11 successfully established in semolina flour as an inoculum formulation but was incompatible with CGM presumably because of antibacterial factors present. The effect of DRB and plant products on seed germination and plant growth were influenced by soil, with the strongest effects seen in fine sandy loam. Semolina flour alone reduced root growth of all target plants except for velvetleaf in silt loam. Green foxtail seed germination was greatly reduced by strain G2-11. With the exception of wheat seedling growth, strain G2-11 enhanced growth-suppressive qualities of semolina flour. Results suggest that natural plant products such as CGM and semolina flour alone and formulated with selected DRB may be important components for weed management considerations in sustainable agriculture.
German shepherd dog pyoderma: a prospective study of 12 dogs.

Twelve German shepherd dogs, each diagnosed as having a recurrent or refractory deep pyoderma (i.e., German shepherd dog pyoderma [GSP]), were evaluated for several parameters over a six-year period. Results indicated that GSP could be associated with flea allergy dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, cell-mediated immunodeficiency, or hypothyroidism, or could be an idiopathic disease. The combination of diseases present for a given dog varied from case to case. Adequate control of the pyoderma was achieved only after each identified underlying disease was treated specifically, along with aggressive concurrent medical therapy using systemic antibiotics and medicated baths.
The scope of linguistic study

(1964). The scope of linguistic study. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 1-12.
Ethiopian Immigrants' Racial Identity Attitudes and Depression Symptomatology: An Exploratory Study.

The relationship between depression and racial identity attitudes of Ethiopian immigrants in the United States was investigated. A total of 101 participants completed the Tedla-Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-15 (a depression measure) and the Racial Identity Attitudes Scale-Amharic and gave demographic information, including a brief measure of their reference group. A positive correlation was found between preencounter attitudes of racial identity (in which one denies oneself membership into one's race) and depression and between preencounter attitudes and reference group identification. Depression was best predicted by education level. Individuals who endorsed preencounter attitudes of racial identity, in which one denies oneself membership into the Black race (pro-White/anti-Black attitudes), were not only more likely to identify Europeans as their reference group but were also significantly more likely to be depressed.
INTERLEUKIN-2 (IL-2) AND IL-12 ENHANCE HIV GP120-SPECIFIC CELL-MEDIATED CYTOTOXICITY (CMC) OF MONONUCLEAR CELLS FROM HIV-INFECTED(HIV+) PATIENTS.† 58

INTERLEUKIN-2 (IL-2) AND IL-12 ENHANCE HIV GP120-SPECIFIC CELL-MEDIATED CYTOTOXICITY (CMC) OF MONONUCLEAR CELLS FROM HIV-INFECTED(HIV+) PATIENTS.† 58
On the Need for Work as Such

The need for work as such, along with physical need, are the two fundamental needs that flow directly from the materiality of human nature. For this reason, these two needs, taken together, are referred to as human material need. The embodiment of human beings is crucial for both social economics and the social economy, because without embodiment there would be no human material need and without that need there would be no social economy and therefore no social economics. This article proceeds from three main premises: (1) Man is not an object but a person, and for that reason matters much; (2) Work is organised and performed through two main modes conforming to the duality of human nature – these modes are referred to as teamwork and contribution; (3) Work has two main effects on persons conforming also to the duality of human nature – these modes are referred to as individual development and belonging.
On linear extension majority graphs of partial orders

Abstract The linear extension majority (LEM) graph (X, > p) of a finite partially ordered set (X, P) has x>p y for elements x and y in X just when more linear extensions L of P on X have xLy than yLx. A linear extension L of P on X is a linear order on X with P ⊆ L. There exist finite partially ordered sets (X, P) whose LEM graphs have no >p-maximal elements, in which case every x in X has an x′ in X for which x′>p x.
Transition of the Rolling Dynamic Deflectometer Device from a Screening Tool to an Evaluation Tool for Rigid Airfield Pavement Projects

For the past decade, the rolling dynamic deflectometer (RDD), a continuous deflection measurement device, has been used as a screening tool in identifying problematic airport pavements for repair. The RDD has not seen much use, however, as an evaluation tool to measure characteristics such as moduli of pavement layers and load-transfer efficiency (LTE). The primary goal of this research was to develop the hardware and software to take the RDD from a screening tool to an evaluation tool for airport pavement projects. In this study, the RDD as an evaluation tool could obtain (a) continuous measurement of rolling deflection basins (for the backcalculation of layer moduli to be studied) and (b) continuous evaluation of joint LTEs. Four subtasks were conducted: (a) investigation of parameters affecting the RDD measurements, (b) use of an increased number of rolling sensors, (c) improvement of RDD data processing (distance-based deflection profile with increased spatial resolution), and (d) a series of field te...
Alternative Test Question Sequencing in Introductory Financial Accounting

(1991). Alternative Test Question Sequencing in Introductory Financial Accounting. Journal of Education for Business: Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 116-119.
Enhancement of ultrafast supercontinuum generation in water by the addition of Zn 2+ and K + cations

Nonlinear-optical properties of various salts and water solutions were measured using an 8-psec laser pulse at 530 nm. It was found that the optical Kerr effect and supercontinuum signals were several times larger in saline water than in pure water. The optical Kerr effect signals from saturated aqueous solutions of ZnCl2 were about 35 times greater, and the self-phase-modulation signals from saturated aqueous solutions of K2ZnCl4 were about 10 times greater.
A Foveal Inset for Large Display Environments

We introduce a system that adds a foveal inset to large-scale projection displays. The effective resolution of the foveal inset projection is higher than the original display resolution, allowing the user to see more details and finer features in large data sets. The foveal inset is generated by projecting a high-resolution image onto a mirror mounted on a pan-tilt unit (PTU) that is controlled by the user with a laser pointer. Our implementation is based on Chromium and supports many OpenGL applications without modifications.
Quantitative measurements of cerebral blood flow in rats using the FAIR technique: correlation with previous iodoantipyrine autoradiographic studies.

Flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) is a recently introduced MRI technique for assessment of perfusion that uses blood water as an endogenous contrast agent. To characterize the FAIR signal dependency on spin tagging time (inversion time (TI)) and to validate FAIR for cerebral blood flow (CBF) quantification, studies were conducted on the rat brain at 9.4 T using a conventional gradient-recalled echo sequence. The T1 of cerebral cortex and blood was found to be 1.9 and 2.2 s, respectively, and was used for CBF calculations. At short TIs ( 1.5 s, the CBF calculated from FAIR is independent of the spin tagging time, suggesting that the observed FAIR signal originates predominantly from tissue/capillary components. CBF values measured by FAIR with TI of 2.0 s were found to be in good agreement with those measured by the iodoantipyrine technique with autoradiography in rats under the same conditions of anesthesia and arterial pCO2. The measured pCO2 index on the parietal cortex using the FAIR technique was 6.07 ml/100 g/min per mmHg, which compares well with the pCO2 index measured by other techniques. The FAIR technique was also able to detect the regional reduction in CBF produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.
Plasma polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene. III. Reproducibility and effects of substrate and reactor materials

Plasma polylmerization occurs in plasmas surrounded by surfaces and polymer formation is one of the complicated interactions that take place between active species and molecules which constitute surfaces and gas phases. Effects of reactor wall, substrate materials, flow rate, and discharge power on polymer formation, and properties of polymer deposits were investigated by ESCA, IR (infrared) spectroscopy, and the measurement of system pressure. The effect of surface is important at the initial stage of plasma polymerization which can be easily detected by the system pressure change; however, integrated properties such as IR spectroscopy and the deposition rate show the effect in a less pronounced manner. ESCA, which reflects the properties of surface (approximately 20 A˚ in depth), showed the effect of surface in an even less sensitive manner. The amount and properties (including the effects of surfaces) are dependent on plasma polymerization parameter W/FM(W, wattage; F, volume flow rate; and M, molecualar weight of monomer) and the location of deposition within a reactor. IR and ESCA data clearly showed the dependence of polymer properties on W/FM; i.e., increase of W and decrease of M to be equivalent. When all these factors were kept under control, the reproducibility of plasma polymerization was found to be excellent.
PTSD symptoms in a cohort of National Guard soldiers deployed to Iraq: Evidence for nonspecific and specific components

Abstract Background There is evidence that some of the symptoms included under the current diagnostic criteria for PTSD are not unique to PTSD and instead represent general distress. This study attempted to delineate the nonspecific and specific components of PTSD by examining the relation of PTSD symptoms to trauma exposure and demoralization in a cohort of National Guard soldiers deployed to Iraq. Methods Data were collected from a cohort of 348 combat deployed National Guard soldiers participating in the readiness and resilience in National Guard soldiers (RINGS) study. Current DSM-IV PTSD diagnoses and trauma exposure were determined 6 to 12 months following soldiers' return from deployment using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale. Level of trauma exposure (as measured by a combat exposure scale), demoralization and self-reported PTSD symptoms were assessed with self-report questionnaires. Results Dysphoria symptoms had the weakest relation with trauma exposure and the strongest relation with demoralization. In addition, these symptoms had high rates of endorsement in a group of soldiers without trauma exposure. Intrusions were strongly related to trauma and were significantly higher in the group with trauma exposure compared to the no-trauma group. Limitations These findings may not generalize to survivors of other types of trauma, service members from other era's, or even service members from different regions or military branches who have different demographic and duty characteristics. Conclusions Emphasizing symptoms of PTSD that are strongly related to trauma exposure will be important for the differential diagnosis of PTSD.
Molecular Characterization and Localization of the Human MAFG Gene

The human MAFG gene encodes a basic-leucine zipper (bZIP) protein that belongs to a family of transcription factors related to the v-maf oncogene. The ubiquitously expressed MAFG protein dimerizes with blood cell-specific bZIP factor p45 NF-E2, indicating that it may play a role in regulating hematopoietic gene expression. We have characterized the human MAFG gene and shown that it consists of at least three exons, which are separated by small introns. The first exon is not translated. The genomic structure of the MAFG locus is highly conserved between human and chicken. We have mapped the MAFG gene to human chromosome region 17q25 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Several putative human disease loci have been mapped to this telomeric portion of chromosome 17.
Stoichiometric modeling of Clostridium acetobutylicum fermentations with non-linear constraints.

A stoichiometric model of Clostridium acetobutylicum and related strains has been previously derived. The stoichiometric matrix of the model contains a singularity which has prevented the calculation of a unique set of fluxes which describe the primary metabolic activity. To resolve the singularity, we have developed a non-linear constraint relating the acetate and butyrate uptake fluxes. Subsequently, we developed a software package utilizing a model independent heuristic global optimization approach to solve the resultant non-linear problem. We have validated the use of the non-linear constraint by correlating calculated butyrate production pathway flux profiles with measured intracellular pH profiles. Finally, we examined a controled batch fermentation to determine that the acid formation pathways play critical roles throughout solventogenesis. The broader usefulness of reformulating the stoichiometric model as a constrained minimization problem is discussed.
A Comparative Analysis of the Diffusion and Participatory Models in Development Communication

The field of development communication is dominated by two conceptual models: diffusion and participation. These models have distinct theoretical roots and differing emphases in terms of program designs and goals. This article examines the extent of the gap and the overlap between them by comparing the objectives and outcomes of 44 projects. The two approaches differ in the underlying philosophies, frameworks, program strategies, and measurement tools, but the gap between these approaches is being bridged by proponents of both models, who knowingly or unknowingly have borrowed elements from one another.
Learning Organizations in Construction

The transformation of organizations from production-oriented entities to proactive learning entities that continuously leverage the knowledge of the workforce is a primary objective of management researchers. This focus has significant relevance to the construction industry where production-related research has predominantly overshadowed organizational development research. As one effort to change this emphasis, the writers present a research effort designed to study current organization learning techniques and technologies fielded by organizations both inside and outside of the construction industry. Through a series of exploratory case studies, the writers developed a maturity model together with the Construction Industry Institute that provides construction organizations with a framework for developing a learning organization culture. The maturity model focuses on learning organization characteristics of leadership, processes and infrastructure, communication/collaboration, education, and culture at the organization, community, and individual levels. This paper introduces the results of that effort including a presentation of the learning organization maturity model, framework application, and the overall characteristics of a learning organization.
Prefrontal broadband noise, working memory, and genetic risk for schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that increased variability of prefrontal physiological responses may represent a fundamental mechanism underlying frontal lobe deficits in schizophrenia. Increased response variability (“noise”) is thought to result from impaired phase resetting of stimulus-induced dynamic changes of ongoing rhythmic oscillations (field potentials) generated in the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons. In the present study, the authors explored whether this particular physiological abnormality predicts working memory performance and is related to the genetic risk for schizophrenia. METHOD: Prefrontal response variability of discrete frequency components was investigated across a broad frequency range (0.5–45.0 Hz) during processing of an oddball paradigm in patients with schizophrenia (N=66), their clinically unaffected siblings (N=115), and healthy comparison subjects (N=89). RESULTS: As hypothesized, prefrontal noise was negatively correlated with working memory performance across all s...
Design of drug-resistant alleles of type-III phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases using mutagenesis and molecular modeling.

Molecular modeling and site directed mutagenesis were used to analyze the structural features determining the unique inhibitor sensitivities of type-III phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase enzymes (PI4Ks). Mutation of a highly conserved Tyr residue that provides the bottom of the hydrophobic pocket for ATP yielded a PI4KIIIβ enzyme that showed greatly reduced wortmannin sensitivity and was catalytically still active. Similar substitutions were not tolerated in the type-IIIα enzyme rendering it catalytically inactive. Two conserved Cys residues located in the active site of PI4KIIIα were found responsible for the high sensitivity of this enzyme to the oxidizing agent, phenylarsine oxide. Mutation of one of these Cys residues reduced the phenylarsine oxide sensitivity of the enzyme to the same level observed with the PI4KIIIβ protein. In search of inhibitors that would discriminate between the closely related PI4KIIIα and -IIIβ enzymes, the PI3Kγ inhibitor, PIK93, was found to inhibit PI4KIIIβ with significantly ...
Quasilinearization, difference approximation, and nonlinear boundary value problems

A finite difference method combined with the quasilinearization technique is used to solve the nonlinear two-point boundary value problems. This method does not have the stability problem connected with the marching integration techniques. A scheme which can be used to reduce the rapid access memory requirements of digital computers is also proposed. The steady state equations resulting from mass and energy balances in a tubular reactor with axial diffusion are solved by this method. With very poor initial approximations, only three to seven iterations are needed to obtain the correct answer.
Role of superantigens in human disease

Superantigens include bacterial products (mainly of streptococci and staphylococci) that stimulate T cells to proliferate nonspecifically through interaction with class II major histocompatibility complex products on antigen-presenting cells and then with variable regions on the beta chain of the T cell receptor complex. They include pyrogenic toxins (streptococcal scarlet fever toxins of serotypes A, B, and C, toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, and staphylococcal enterotoxin serotypes A, B, Cn, D, E, and G), streptococcal M protein, staphylococcal exfoliative toxin, and recently identified pyrogenic toxins made by groups B, C, F, and G streptococci and Streptococcus sanguis. Pyrogenic toxin superantigens cause acute toxic shock syndrome and are associated with toxic shock-like syndromes. Superantigens cause symptoms via release of immune cytokines. These proteins should be considered potential causes of illnesses such as rheumatic fever, arthritis, Kawasaki syndrome, atopic dermatitis, and guttate psoriasis because of their potent immune system-altering capacity.
Partitioned Fixed-Priority Preemptive Scheduling for Multi-core Processors

Energy and thermal considerations are increasingly driving system designers to adopt multi-core processors. In this paper, we consider the problem of scheduling periodic real-time tasks on multi-core processors using fixed-priority preemptive scheduling. Specifically, we focus on the partitioned (static binding) approach, which statically allocates tasks to processing cores. The well-established 50% bound for partitioned multiprocessor scheduling [10] can be overcome by task-splitting (TS) [19], which allows a task to be split across more than one core. We prove that a utilization bound of 60% per core can be achieved by the partitioned deadline-monotonic scheduling (PDMS) class of algorithms on implicit-deadline task sets, when the highest-priority task on each processing core is allowed to be split (HPTS). Given the widespread usage of fixed-priority scheduling in commercial real-time and non real-time operating systems (e.g. VxWorks, Linux), establishing such utilization bounds is both relevant and useful. We also show that a specific instance of PDMS HPTS, where tasks are allocated in the decreasing order of size, called PDMS HPTS DS, has a utilization bound of 65% on implicit deadline task-sets. The PDMS HPTS DS algorithm also achieves a utilization bound of 69% on lightweight implicit-deadline task-sets where no single task utilization exceeds 41.4%. The average-case behavior of PDMS HPTS DS is studied using randomly generated task-sets, and it is seen to have an average schedulable utilization of 88%. We also characterize the overhead of task-splitting using measurements on an Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
Automatic Edman Microsequencing of Peptides Containing Multiple Unnatural Amino Acids

Abstract It is now routine using automatic Edman microsequencing to determine the primary structure of peptides or proteins containing natural amino acids; however, a deficiency in the ability to readily sequence peptides containing unnatural amino acids remains. With the advent of synthetic peptide chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, and the large number of commercially available unnatural amino acids, there is a need for efficient and accurate structure determination of short peptides containing many unnatural amino acids. In this study, 35 commercially available α-unnatural amino acids were selected to determine their elution profile on an ABI protein sequencer. Using a slightly modified gradient program, 19 of these 35 PTH amino acids can be readily resolved and distinguished from common PTH amino acids at low picomole levels. These unnatural amino acids in conjunction with the 20 natural amino acids can be used as building blocks to construct peptide libraries, and peptide beads isolated from these libraries can be readily microsequenced. To demonstrate this, we synthesized a simple tripeptide “one-bead one-compound” combinatorial library containing 14 unnatural and 19 natural amino acids and screened this library for streptavidin-binding ligands. Microsequencing of the isolated peptide–beads revealed the novel motif Bpa-Phe(4-X)-Aib, wherein X = H, OH, and CH 3 .
A rheological and morphological study of a copolyester liquid crystal/polypropylene blend system

The effects of composition and shear rate on the rheology and morphology of blends of LC–3000, a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer consisting of 60/40 of hydroxybenzoic acid and poly(ethylene terephthalate), with polypropylene were studied. It was found that the rheological properties depend in a complex manner on composition and applied shear. Both positive and negative deviations from the log-additivity rule were observed at low shear rates. Significant viscosity reduction was measured when the dispersed phase was a nematic TLCP. The accompanying microstructural transitions were characterized a posteriori, and it was found that the state of dispersion of the TLCP phase also influences the viscosity reduction phenomenon. A nematic, fibrillar TLCP phase shows a viscosity reduction of the order of fourfold with respect to the viscosity of the matrix. Another important finding was that the stability of these fibers would not be expected from work on other non-TLCP-containing immiscible blends. This suggests that the unique rheology of the TLCP minor phase is relevant to the formation of stable fibers. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Prenatally Diagnosed Ruptured Vesico-allantoic Cyst Presenting as Patent Urachus at Birth

Incomplete obliteration of the vesico-allantoic lumen results in a wide spectrum of urachal anomalies. We report 2 cases of unusual prenatal imaging of a vesico-allantoic cyst presenting as a patent urachus at birth. CASE REPORTS Case 1. A 38-year-old woman underwent ultrasound at 12 weeks of gestation, which revealed a fetus with an extraabdominal 15 mm. cyst communicating with the fetal bladder. Followup at 18 and 21 weeks showed a dilated bladder and cyst enlargement to 30 mm. (fig. 1, A). At 25 weeks the cyst had disappeared. Instead, a small remnant bulged out caudal to the umbilical insertion (fig. 1, B). The bladder seemed to empty directly into the amniotic cavity as minimal bladder filling was noted on subsequent ultrasonography. Examination of the neonate demonstrated urachal mucosa protruding through a defect at the caudal border of the umbilicus. The neonate voided from this defect and the urethra. Catheterization confirmed communication with the bladder (fig. 2). No other anomalies were noted. The cyst remnant was excised and the apex of the bladder was closed. Postoperative voiding and ultrasonography of kidneys and bladder were normal. Case 2. A 31-year-old woman underwent ultrasound, which revealed a 25-week fetus with an extra-abdominal cyst communicating with the bladder. From 32 weeks onward the cyst could not be visualized, suggesting cyst rupture. The male neonate presented with a lesion with urinary discharge caudally from a widely implanted cord. Cannulation of the defect showed communication with the bladder. No other anomalies were noted. The urachal fistula was excised. Postoperative voiding and ultrasonography of bladder and kidneys were normal. DISCUSSION
Effect of kinin receptor antagonists on renal hemodynamic and natriuretic responses to volume expansion.

The role of kinins in the natriuretic and papillary blood flow (PBF) responses to intravenous administration of 0.9% sodium chloride solution equal to 5% of body weight over 30 min was evaluated using a B1-kinin receptor antagonist (des-Arg9, [Leu8]bradykinin, 2.5 micrograms/min i.v.) and a B2-kinin receptor antagonist (D-Arg, [Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]bradykinin, 2.5 micrograms/min i.v.). In control rats, PBF increased 43 +/- 5% after the volume expansion with saline. Administration of the B1-kinin receptor antagonist had no significant effect on basal PBF or the rise in PBF produced by volume expansion. In contrast, administration of the B2-kinin receptor antagonist decreased basal PBF by 18 +/- 3% and prevented the rise in PBF during volume expansion. Urine osmolality was lower in the rats treated with the B1-antagonist and higher in rats infused with the B2-kinin antagonist than in control animals after volume expansion (587 +/- 47 and 1,082 +/- 83 vs. 907 +/- 124 mosmol/kgH2O, respectively). The initial natriuretic response during the first 30 min after volume expansion was similar in rats given vehicle or the kinin antagonists. However, cumulative sodium excretion over the 2-h course of the experiment was significantly lower in the rats given the B2-receptor antagonist than in control rats (92 +/- 7 vs. 101 +/- 9% of the administered load). The B1-kinin receptor antagonist had no effect on cumulative sodium excretion; however, glomerular filtration rate was 30% lower in rats receiving the B1-antagonist than in control rats after volume expansion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Contrasting Responses of Nitrogen-Fixation in Arctic Lichens to Experimental and Ambient Nitrogen and Phosphorus Availability

Abstract We investigated the influence of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on N2-fixation and abundance of two of the most common N2-fixing arctic lichens, Peltigera aphthosa and P. polydactyla, in two common moist upland tundra types, acidic and non-acidic tundra, at Toolik Lake, Alaska. Acidic tundra has higher N and lower P availability than non-acidic tundra. We measured the abundance of the lichens in control (no fertilization), N- and P-fertilized plots, and N2-fixation using the acetylene reduction assay method on lichens from control and P-fertilized plots from both tundra types. Lichens on N-treated plots were too scarce to include in our N2-fixation estimates. Lichen abundance was lower in plots fertilized with N than in control and P-fertilized plots, while per-biomass N2-fixation rates were higher in P-fertilized plots than in control plots. Per-biomass rates of N2-fixation did not differ between acidic and non-acidic tundra, but both lichen species are more abundant on acidic tundra. Thus, des...
Relationship between cervical mucus and basal temperature cycles.

15 healthy young women who had normal menstrual histories and normal pelvic structures were subjects in this study designed to determine the relationship between cervical mucus and basal temperature cycles. 8 of the women were of known fertility. Most of the subjects were followed through at least 3 or 4 cycles; 4 of the women were studied for from 8-15 cycles. Daily observations save during menstruation were made whenever possible. The cervical mucus was obtained from the external os and from the cervical canal by aspiration. An effort was made to obtain all the mucus available at any 1 time and all specimens were weighed. Basal temperatures taken vaginally were recorded in the usual manner. A total of 80 cycles were observed and in all of these an increased mucus production was noted at midcycle. The amount of mucus which can be obtained from the canal at a single aspiration is small ranging from 15-50 milligrams in the preovulatory and postovulatory phases of the cycle. As the cycle enters the ovulatory phase the amount of mucus secreted increases markedly and reaches a peak production approximately in the middle of the ovulatory phase. The amount of mucus which can be aspirated at the time of this maximal secretion varies from 113-738 milligrams. The quantity then falls to the postovulatory level in 2-3 days. On the basis of quantity and degree of opalescence of the mucus secretion it was possible to determine the length of the ovulatory phase within 1 day in 37 cycles. These observations were made on a group of 12 subjects whose menstral cycles ranged from 22-37 days in length. The period of markedly increased mucus production varied from 3-7 days with an average of 5 days. The time in the cycle at which this phase of increased mucus secretion appeared was related more closely to the of the onset of the subsequent menses than to the time of the preceding menstrual period. The day on which the cervical secretion attained its maximal production was noted in 53 cycles ranging in length from 22-37 days. These observations were made on 13 subjects. When the days of the cycle were numbered in the usual manner the time of maximal mucus secretion varied from day 9 to day 24. Basal temperatures were recorded in 65 cycles on 14 subjects and all of these showed curves of the diphasic type characteristic of normal women in the reproductive age. Sufficient information was available to correlate the time of the temperature shift with the period of increased mucus production in a total of 56 cycles in 14 subjects. In 38 of these cycles the temperature shift was clearly defined. In only 2 instances did the shift occur at a time when the mucus was not increased in amount. The study indicates that a close correlation exists between the phase of increased cervical secretion and the time of the shift in basal temperature.
Probing conformational propensities of histidine in different protonation states of the unblocked glycyl-histidyl-glycine peptide by vibrational and NMR spectroscopy

Histidine has been shown to play a major role in a number of biological systems. Being able to understand unconstrained conformational distributions of histidine and their dependence on the environment can shed light on the structure–function relation with regard to its multiple roles in biochemical processes such as proton transfer, ligand binding, protein folding and maintaining protein intrinsic disorder. We utilized polarized Raman, FTIR, vibrational circular dichroism and 1H NMR spectroscopy to probe the conformational distribution of the central histidine in the unblocked tripeptide H-Gly-His-Gly-OH in D2O. Our results show that in the double protonated state (GHG++), 94% of the histidine residue resides in the upper left quadrant of the Ramachandran plot with an equal partition between polyproline II (pPII) and β-strand conformations. In this protonation state, enthalpic and entropic differences between the two conformations are practically eliminated, which indicates reduced backbone and/or side chain hydration. On the contrary, the single protonated state (GHG+), while only marginally different with regard to the pPII/β partition at room temperature (β-strand is now slightly favored), shows an enthalpic stabilization of pPII by 43.02 kJ/mol, which is being compensated by an entropic stabilization of β-strand (0.145 kJ/(mol K)). This indicates a much stronger coupling between peptide and water. At neutral pH, where the imidazole side chain of the histidine residue is deprotonated, GHG in D2O forms a hydrogel above a peptide concentration of approximately 25 mm. Some experimental evidence suggests that the preceding peptide aggregation involves hydrogen bonding between the C-terminal groups and the imidazole NH group. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Flipped Instructional Technology: Developing MIS Competencies Applying Enterprise Resource Planning

Most recently, the Flipped Classroom concept has drawn attention by educators as a means of organizational and individual competencies. The goal in the university setting is to improve cognitive practice and increase learning in the value creation process and the zone of proximal development ZPD environment. Seeing one experiences this newest pedagogy in "flipped classroom" design, it has changed various educational disciplines in business education due to the increase in the success in learner motivation and comprehension-based on the objectives required for course work. Educational technology has played a key role providing a catalyst in this achievement. For example: The ZPD and experiential learning are applied in the growth of specialist in the field of management information systems MIS.
Studies on vaccination of infants against influenza with influenza hemagglutinin.

SummaryInfants 2-6 mo of age were given 3 doses of influenza hemagglutinin vaccine. One group received 250 CCA units of vaccine at intervals of 1 mo. A second group was given 250 CCA units with an interval of 2 mo between the first and second dose and an interval of 1 mo between the second and third dose. A slightly better antibody response was obtained with this schedule.In a second experiment, infants 6-9 mo of age were given an initial series of either 300 CCA units of aqueous or aluminum phosphate adsorbed hemagglutinin vaccine. These infants exhibited a better antibody response than younger ones. When after 9-12 mo a third dose of the same vaccine was given, a secondary response was achieved. The response of infants who received adsorbed vaccine was slightly higher. The response of infants to polyvalent influenza hemagglutinin is similar to their response to other inactivated vaccines.
Exploring Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Law and Policy Reforms

First paragraphs: Books have played an important role in shaping the United States' food, agricultural, and environmental systems. One of the most influential is a1906 book entitled The Jungle written by Upton Sinclair that used investigative reporting to descriptively portray the working and living conditions endured by immigrants working in American meatpacking factories. Sinclair horrified readers and stimulated public outrage that led to political pressure to enact the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, as well as establish the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Another influential book, Silent Spring (1962) by Rachel Carson, led to stronger pesticide regulations and launched the environmental movement. More recent examples include Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser (2001) and a series of writings by Michael Pollen (e.g., The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World (2001) and The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006)). Both authors raised awareness about the associations between an increasingly industrialized food supply and obesity. These literary pieces provide unique, descriptive food systems insights; however, individually or collectively, they do not provide a systematic approach to understanding the complex and dynamic set of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures established under global, federal, tribal, state, and local authority governing our food, agricultural, and environmental systems. As advocacy mounts for various reforms and research advances our understanding of the multifaceted opportunities and challenges for our current and future food, agricultural, and environmental systems, a need exists for a transdisciplinary examination of the historical and contemporary legal and political developments influencing these systems. ...
Strategies for expressing multiple foreign genes in plants as polycistronic constructs

With an ever-increasing frequency, it has become desirable to express many foreign genes in the same transgenic plant. A range of approaches to this problem have been eplored in the period since gene transfer was developed as a useful tool in plant science. These have ranged from assembly of multiple transcription units on a single DNA vector, to the execution of several independent transformations involving single genes followed by successive rounds of hybridization to yield plant lines with the desired combination of genes, to cotransformation with multiple plasmids followed by molecular screening to identify desired transgenic plants. Recent developments have provided new alternatives to the problem of the expression of multiple foreign genes in plants, approaches that revolve around the expression of polycistronic mRNAs. This review summarizes the current status of the area of polycistronic gene expression in transgenic plants, within the context of multigene expression.
Oxidation of highly unstable <4 nm diameter gold nanoparticles 850 mV negative of the bulk oxidation potential.

Here we describe the oxidation of <4 nm diameter Au nanoparticles (NPs) attached to indium tin oxide-coated glass electrodes in Br– and Cl– solution. Borohydride reduction of AuCl4– in the presence of hexanethiol or trisodium citrate (15 min) led to Au NPs <4 nm in diameter. After electrochemical and ozone removal of the hexanthiolate ligands from the thiol-coated Au NPs, Au oxidation peaks appeared in the range 0–400 mV vs Ag/AgCl (1 M KCl), which is 850–450 mV negative of the bulk Au oxidation peak near 850 mV. The oxidation potential of citrate-coated Au NPs is in the 300–500 mV range and those of 4 and 12 nm diameter Au NPs in the 660–780 mV range. The large negative shift in potential agrees with theory for NPs in the 1–2 nm diameter range. The oxidation potential of Au in Cl– solution is positive of that in Br– solution, but the difference decreases dramatically as the NP size decreases, showing less dependence on the halide for smaller NPs.
Effects of Density and Host Quality on Rate of Development, Survivorship, and Sex Ratio in the Carmine Spider Mite

The effects of host quality and mite density on developmental rate, survivorship and sex ratio of Tetranychus cinnabarinus were investigated. Males developed faster than females and more females than males were produced. Female mites reared on good leaves tended to produce offspring with a slightly slower developmental rate and lower sex ratio and survivorship than females from poor quality leaves. The effects were shown to be indirect influences of density. Good leaf quality during oviposition and development of offspring resulted in relatively faster developmental rates and higher survivorship of offspring but had no effect on sex ratio. The density regimes used drastically affected the traits. At high density, the mites showed a marked reduction in developmental rate, survivorship, and sex ratio as compared with mites reared in the low density regime.
Western Scrub-Jay breeding biology in central Colorado

The breeding ecology of the Western Scrub-Jay ( Aphelocoma californica ) in the midwestern United States is relatively unknown compared with Aphelocoma species in other geographic regions. We examined Western Scrub-Jay breeding biology in Colorado between 1970 and 1992. Incubation was initiated in early April and lasted 16 days, while the nestling stage lasted approximately 17-18 days. Clutch size averaged 4.0 eggs per nest, reproductive success was 25%, and productivity averaged 0.66 fledglings per nest. The low reproductive success and productivity measures may be due to high predator densities in the surrounding suburban landscape. Western Scrub-Jays preferred nesting in eastern red cedar ( Juniperus virginianus ) with nests placed on southern exposures. Western Scrub-Jays bred monogamously and were more similar in their breeding biology to the Island Scrub-Jay ( Aphelocoma insularis ) than to the Florida Scrub-Jay ( Aphelocoma coerulescens ).
Interactive development and evaluation of an independently accessible video education system for rehabilitation.

(1985). Interactive Development and Evaluation of an Independently Accessible Video Education System for Rehabilitation. The Journal of The American Paraplegia Society: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 38-41.
Connections to Numeracy

Volume of rectangular prisms extended into an interesting scaling problem: One child asked if they could try to build a Soma cube as large as the teacher’s demonstration Soma cube (made with very large individual cubes) using the smaller Soma figures. Initially they built four Soma cubes using the small sets of Soma figures and arranged them to look like a very large Soma figure #2. They eagerly attacked the problem of how many little individual cubes were in this figure each showing at least two ways to find the answer. The following week they built a huge cube using 27 smaller sets of Soma cubes and calculated 27 × 27 to find how many little individual cubes were in this model. Permutations within cake patterns: At the end of each year, the children were challenged to create a “cake” with the seven Soma figures. The cake had to have 24 cubes for a base and three “candles” on the second level. They created several 3 × 8 and 4 × 6 cakes and drew the top plan view coding patterns for these to submit to the baker. We share how children from three different cohorts discovered the permutations of each cake design from the three or four Soma figures (#1, #5, #6, and #7) that have the same 3-cube footprint.
Mayor Robert F. Wagner and the Unfinished Business of the New Deal

Mayor Robert F. Wagner constructed an interest group coalition to support the extension of social services in New York and an increase in the size and scope of local government. Mayor Wagner also increased the administrative strength of local government by reforming and professionalizing city agencies, and developing policy and budget capacity within the office of the mayor. Mayor Wagner allowed city workers to organize unions, established the municipal hospital system, increased education spending and built public housing. While Mayor Wagner initially partnered with Tammany Hall leader Carmine De Sapio in the 1950s, tensions mounted as the mayor sought to establish his independence from the city’s political party leaders, and to avoid traditional patronage politics at a time when reformers were growing increasingly unhappy with clubhouse politics.
Abstract 4753: Ovarian cancer stem cell marker ALDH1A2 is a candidate biomarker for patient selection for intraperitoneal chemotherapy

Objective. To evaluate ovarian cancer stem cells as predictors of survival we analyzed associations of cancer stem cell markers ALDH1, CD117 and CD133 with survival outcomes among patients with high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGS OvCa). Methods. Data from HGS OvCa patients who were surgically staged prior to treatment with IP (n = 90) or IV-only (n = 398) chemotherapy was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression tested associations of tumor mRNA expression of 5 cancer stem cell markers with progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Expression was analyzed as a continuous variable by restricted mean survival (RMS) analysis. Mean PFS or OS were compared between IP and IV groups by permutation testing stratified by expression. P-values were two-tailed. Results. Increased tumor ALDH1A2 expression was associated with decreased OS among patients treated with IP chemotherapy, HR 2.36 (1.16-4.80), p = 0.017. IP treated patients with upper 20th percentile ALDH1A2 expression had decreased OS compared to bottom 20th percentile expression (30.4 versus 51.1 months, -20.7 months difference, p = 0.017). RMS curves for PFS and OS of IP versus IV treated patients crossed at high ALDH1A2 expression, indicating that IP treated patients had decreased survival compared to IV-only treated patients. Patients with upper 20th percentile ALDH1A2 expression treated with IP versus IV-only chemotherapy had no difference in mean PFS (21.3 versus 21.6 months, -0.3 months difference, p = 0.67) and decreased OS (30.4 versus 35.3 months, -4.9 months difference, p Conclusions. High primary tumor ALDH1A2 expression was independently associated with significantly decreased OS among patients treated with IP chemotherapy. High ALDH1A2 was associated with lack of benefit or decreased survival among patients treated with IP compared to IV-only adjuvant chemotherapy. Citation Format: Brandon-Luke L. Seagle, Monica Dandapani, Chen Hui Luo, Claire Hoppenot, Robert Samuelson, Kevin H. Eng, Kunle Odunsi, Shohreh Shahabi. Ovarian cancer stem cell marker ALDH1A2 is a candidate biomarker for patient selection for intraperitoneal chemotherapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4753.
Aggressive Initial Presentation of HLA-B27 Uveitis in Older Individuals: A Case Series.

ABSTRACTPurpose: HLA-B27-associated uveitis is classically thought to be a disease of the young, with a median age of onset in the 30s. There is a paucity of literature reporting on older individuals with HLA-B27 uveitis. Here, we describe cases of HLA-B27 uveitis presenting initially at age ≥70.Methods: Retrospective review of patients with HLA-B27-associated uveitis that presented initially at ≥70 years of age.Results: Three patients were identified. All presented with aggressive inflammation (hypopyon in two cases) and two were treated for suspected endophthalmitis. All cases were controlled sufficiently with prolonged topical anti-inflammatory therapy. One patient who was lost to follow-up demonstrated one recurrence over a 3-year period.Conclusions: This series highlights the aggressive initial presentation of HLA-B27-associated uveitis in the older population, and demonstrates the favorable response, and limitation of recurrences, with topical immunosuppressive therapy.