cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biochip using a biofluidic system for detection of E. coli and other pathogens

This work provides an overview of progress made, in our laboratory, towards the development of a practical biochipbased technology with a biofluidics system for the detection of E. coli and other pathogens. Efforts have been devoted towards efficient coupling between a compact biofluidics sample/reagent delivery system and an integrated circuit (IC) biochip, consisting of a 2-dimensional photosensor array, for on-chip monitoring of bioassays. The complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology has been implemented to design and produce the IC biochip, which features a 4x4 array of independently addressable photodiodes that are integrated with amplifiers, discriminators and logic circuitry on a single platform. The CMOS-based biochip offers the advantages of compactness and low power consumption, making it better suited for field use than other array detectors, including CCDs. The biofluidics system includes a 0.4 mL hybridization chamber, which accommodates disposable sampling platforms embedded with bioreceptors for selective capture of pathogen DNA, proteins, or antibodies in discrete zones. The independently operating photodiodes of the IC biochip offer the capability of monitoring of multiple assays. Highlights of this work include highly sensitive detection of E. coli (<50 organisms) and quantitative capability with a linear dynamic range of 3-5 orders of magnitude for various assays.
Nutritional Composition of Tamales and Corn and Wheat Tortillas

Abstract Tamales and corn and wheat tortillas were purchased from various sources in Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. in 1988 and 1989. A total of 16 tamales and 10 corn and 11 wheat tortillas from different sources were analyzed for proximate composition and mineral content. Corn tortillas averaged 5.9% protein, 2.3% lipid, and 240 kcal/100 g, while the wheat tortillas averaged 8.3% protein, 7.1% lipid, and 328 kcal/100 g. The tamales averaged 5.4% protein, 11.2% lipid, and 215 kcal/100g. The tamales were divided into two classes of either "green corn" or beef. The green corn tamales averaged 4.9% protein, 11.9% lipid, and 221 kcal/100 g, while the beef tamales averaged 6.0% protein, 10.6% lipid, and 206 kcal/100 g. Corn tortillas had mineral concentrations for calcium of 214 mg/100 g, phosphorus of 71 mg/100g, iron of 1.7 mg/100g, and zinc of 1.5 mg/ 100 g, while wheat tortillas had values for calcium of 70 mg/100 g, phosphorus of 50 mg/100 g, iron of 6.8 mg/100g, and zinc of 0.7 mg/100 g. Tamales had values of calcium of 82.3 mg/100 g, phosphorus of 83 mg/100g, iron of 2.9 mg/100g, and zinc of 1.5 mg/100 g. All composition data are expressed on a wet weight basis.
Breaking down brick walls: design, construction, and prototype fabrication knowledge in architecture

Architectural designs are not just collections of 3D objects. Architects have both high-level aesthetic design intent, and intent for the functionality of the building; these must eventually translate into real-world construction materials and processes. Physical prototypes are still essential for the architect and their clients to get a feel for whether designs "work". An exciting recent development in architecture is the use of industrial robots to automatically construct 3D prototype architectural models. But programming the robots requires tedious procedures of low-level commands, far removed from the designer's intent. Adeon is a system that integrates high-level architectural design knowledge, including aesthetic and stylistic intent, with knowledge about materials and construction processes, and robot programming code for constructing prototype 3D physical models. It centers around collecting and associating "common sense" knowledge, expressed in English and converted to a knowledge representation about the various levels. It provides a graphic editor that allows architects to draw high-level aesthetic designs, perhaps referencing known styles or historical examples, and retrieving relevant construction, materials, and cost information. It automatically produces a robot program for constructing the prototype. We present examples detailing the design of various styles of brick walls. Adeon is an interesting example of how to provide an interface for creative work that spans both high-level and low-level concerns.
Does Television Kill? Testing a Period-Characteristic Model

This study examined whether historical percentages of U.S. households with television predict homicide arrest rates from 1960 through 2000. Controlling for age and birth cohort, increased television penetration 15 years earlier predicted greater arrest rates. This possible effect appeared to decline among older age groups. Two interpretations are discussed. First, increased penetration may have coincided with the causes of crime. Second, television may increase homicide arrests. Also examined is the possible confounding or mediating influence of marriage-divorce ratios and unemployment rates. Controls for these did not eliminate all evidence of a television-arrest rate association.
Uncovering the hidden medical curriculum through a pedagogy of discomfort.

What lies beneath the formal or overt curriculum may impair students' professional growth and development, including their ability to foster genuine relationships with patients and others, and may contribute to the inadvertent, often negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors expressed by medical students and witnessed by educators within and external to the classroom environment. To understand the impact a hidden medical curriculum has on both students and educators, I look at one particular model often used in medical education – the physician–patient relationship. I show how this therapeutic relationship ought to be understood through a pedagogy of discomfort, a model developed by Megan Boler (Feeling Power; Emotions and Education, 1999), as a way to uncover the hidden curriculum as it engages students in a collective, critical discourse through which their sense of self in relation to others becomes the groundwork for their professional and moral development. Understanding the physician–patient relationship through a pedagogy of discomfort also teachers students how to critically think about the different values and beliefs held by physicians and patients and how to begin to recognize themselves as physicians in relation to their patients and others.
Dropouts, spells of time, and credits in postsecondary education: Evidence from longitudinal surveys☆

Abstract This paper examines the tendency to leave higher education without completing credentials, using nationally-representative longitudinal surveys for the high school classes of 1972 and 1980. The results measure dropout rates in several different ways; they indicate that dropping out increased during this period, and is substantially higher in community colleges, technical institutes and private vocational schools, compared with four-year colleges. Many students who leave without completing credentials have very short spells of postsecondary education and earn small numbers of credits, casting doubt on the convention that non-completing vocational students have still learned enough to improve their performance and competitiveness in the labor market. One policy implication is that federal policy, in general and specifically in the area of vocational education, ought to be as concerned with progress through postsecondary education as with access.
Construction of orthonormal bases in higher symmetry classes of tensors

We present a method for constructing an orthonormal basis for a symmetry class of tensors from an orthonormal basis of the underlying vector space. The basis so obtained is not composed of decomposable symmetrized tensors. Indeed, we show that, for symmetry classes of tensors whose associated character has degree higher than one, it is impossible to construct an orthogonal basis of decomposable symmetrized tensors from any basis of the underlying vector space. We end with an open problem on the possibility of a symmetry class having an orthonormal basis of decomposable symmetrized tensors.
Combining clinicopathological predictors and molecular biomarkers in the oncogenic K-RAS/Ki67/HIF-1α pathway to predict survival in resectable pancreatic cancer

Combining clinicopathological predictors and molecular biomarkers in the oncogenic K-RAS/Ki67/HIF-1 α pathway to predict survival in resectable pancreatic cancer
Simulation of gum naval stores production systems.

Abstract A discrete event simulation model was developed to represent major aspects of gum naval stores production operations, including bark chipping, oleoresin harvesting, transport of work crews and products, equipment breakdowns and weather delays. Simulation models were executed for 61 different conditions involving two alternative labor management systems and 15 model parameters. Important findings indicated that present systems had a low degree of labor utilization, and a high level of yield losses (16 to 18%). Harvest efficiency averaged 43·4 kg per man-hour for all workers and 106·5 kg per man-hour harvesting. Daily productivity averaged 3069 trees chipped-treated, and 2·4 metric tonnes of oleoresin harvested. In comparisons between labor management systems, ‘flexible’ systems had a 23% higher harvest efficiency than ‘fixed’ systems because of the ability to meet temporary peak workloads. Delays caused by harvest workers waiting for the tractor-wagon represented a bottleneck in harvest activities. Adding a ‘backup’ tractor-wagon unit reduced harvest delays 39-fold. Operating parameters exerting strong effects on harvest efficiency were stand density, cup size, tree diameter, cup fullness threshold, and harvest inspection interval. Yields per man-hour varied by a factor of two between best and worst conditions. Under the base conditions simulated, the number of laborers could be reduced by 40% without sacrificing harvest yields.
Axillary recurrence in women with a negative sentinel lymph node and no axillary dissection in breast cancer.

Objectives Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is widely used for staging breast cancer. SLNB accurately determines axillary lymph node status with a low false negative rate. There remains concern that omitting axillary dissection may lead to recurrence in the axilla, and impact long term survival. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of axillary lymph node recurrence in patients who had a negative sentinel lymph node and did not undergo axillary node dissection. Methods Data was collected on all patients who had negative SLNB at Roswell Park Cancer Institute between July 1997 and June 2002. Demographics, type of operation, postoperative systemic, and radiation therapy, co-morbidity score, hormone receptor status, and the pathologic features of the tumor were abstracted for each patient. For each woman with recurrence, the dates of recurrence, the site(s) of recurrence, and the treatment for recurrence were recorded. Results With a median follow-up of 33 months, 15 of 335 (4.5%) women who had negative SLNBs and who did not undergo completion axillary dissection developed a cancer recurrence. Only two patients (0.6%) had an axillary recurrence. Conclusions The rate of axillary recurrence following a negative sentinel node biopsy is the same or less than axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) alone. Concerns that omitting completion axillary dissection following a negative SLNB will increase the rate of axillary recurrence appear unfounded. J. Surg. Oncol. 2006;93: 129–132. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Coulomb Gap and Correlated Vortex Pinning in Superconductors

The positions of columnar pins and magnetic flux lines determined from a decoration experiment on B${\mathrm{i}}_{2}$S${\mathrm{r}}_{2}$CaC${\mathrm{u}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ were used to calculate the distribution of pinning energies in the Bose glass phase. A wide Coulomb gap is found, with effective gap exponent ${s}_{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{\approx}1.2$, as a result of interactions between the vortices. As a consequence, the variable-range hopping transport of flux lines is considerably reduced with respect to the noninteracting case, the effective Mott exponent being enhanced from ${p}_{0}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1/3$ to ${p}_{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{\approx}0.5$ for this sample.
Effects of l-Triiodothyronine and the Thyromimetic L-94901 on Serum Lipoprotein Levels and Hepatic Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor, 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase, and Apo A-I Gene Expression

Abstract The mechanisms by which thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine (T 3 )) and a thyromimetic, 2-amino-3-(3,5-dibromo-4-[4-hydroxy-3-(6-oxo-1,6-dihydro-pyridazin-3-ylmethyl)-phenoxyl]-phenyl)-propionic acid (L-94901), lower plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and raise plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels was investigated in thyroidectomized and sham-operated rats. Thyroidectomy resulted in a 77% increase in plasma LDL cholesterol, a 60% decrease in plasma triglycerides, and a modest reduction in HDL cholesterol. Daily oral dosing with T 3 (10–170 nmol/kg) or L94901 (100–1000 nmol/kg) for 7 days decreased plasma LDL cholesterol in thyroidectomized rats by 60–80%, respectively. This reduction in LDL cholesterol was accompanied by a dose-dependent increase in HDL cholesterol levels of up to 60%. Thus, the ratio of LDL to HDL was decreased from 1.01 to 0.12 after treatment with L-94901 and to 0.25 after dosing with T 3 . In sham-operated animals, T 3 and L-94901 lowered LDL cholesterol by 61 and 46%, respectively, and increased HDL cholesterol by 25 and 53%, respectively. Immunoblotting analysis of liver membranes prepared from thyroidectomized or sham-operated rats demonstrated that LDL receptor protein levels were increased by up to eight-fold. Northern blotting analysis revealed similar large increases in hepatic LDL receptor mRNA levels that accounted for the increases in LDL receptor protein levels. Hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase mRNA, protein, and activity were increased 2- to 3-fold. The T 3 - and L-94901-mediated increases in serum HDL levels were associated with 2- to 3-fold increases in apo A-I mRNA levels. In contrast with most other hypocholesterolemic agents, T 3 and L-94901 significantly increase HDL cholesterol levels in addition to decreasing LDL cholesterol levels due to induction of hepatic apo A-I and LDL receptor gene expression.
Ultrafast dynamics of non-thermal carriers in GaAs

We have studied carrier-carrier scattering in hot electron-hole plasmas, using both experiments and molecular dynamics calculations. Experiments were performed using photoluminescence via neutral acceptor recombination in GaAs. Moderate plasma densities were generated using femtosecond laser pulses at 1.7 eV. Experiments and calculations indicate that for hot non-equilibrium distributions carrier-carrier scattering can dominate the electron scattering at carrier densities as low as 8*1015cm-3. We discuss the nature of the carrier-carrier scattering and the validity of classical molecular dynamics calculations.
Accuracy of upper gastrointestinal swallow study in identifying strictures after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery

Abstract Background Stricture at the gastrojejunal anastomosis after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a significant sequela that often requires intervention. The diagnosis of stricture is usually established by a recognized constellation of symptoms, followed by contrast radiography or endoscopy. The purpose of this report was to evaluate the accuracy of contrast swallow studies in excluding the diagnosis of gastrojejunal stricture. Methods A retrospective analysis of the charts of 119 patients who had undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, representing 41 upper gastrointestinal (GI) swallow studies, was conducted. Of those patients who underwent GI swallow studies, 30 then underwent definitive upper endoscopy to confirm or rule out stricture. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value of the swallow studies were calculated. Results Of the 30 patients who underwent upper endoscopic examination for symptoms of stricture after laparoscopic gastric bypass, 20 were confirmed to have a stricture. The sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value of the upper GI swallow study in this group was 55%, 100%, and 53%, respectively. The demographics of the patients with strictures were similar to those of the study group as a whole. Conclusion The results of our study have shown that a positive upper GI swallow study is 100% specific for the presence of stricture. However, the sensitivity and negative predictive value of upper GI swallow studies were poor, making this modality unsatisfactory in definitively excluding the diagnosis of gastrojejunal stricture.
SRI International FASTUS system: MUC-6 test results and analysis

SRI International participated in the MUC-6 evaluation using the latest version of SRI's FASTUS system [1]. The FASTUS system was originally developed for participation in the MUC-4 evaluation [3] in 1992, and the performance of FASTUS in MUC-4 helped demonstrate the viability of finite state technologies in constrained natural-language understanding tasks. The system has undergone significant revision since MUC-4, and it is safe to say that the current system does not share a single line of code with the original. The fundamental ideas behind FASTUS, however, are retained in the current system: an architecture consisting of cascaded finite state transducers, each providing an additional level of analysis of the input, together with merging of the final results.
Gene therapy for AF: A dream too far?

m h a o p t t d s h c o r t a Somatic cell gene therapy utilizes the introduction of functional genes (or gene segments) into target cells to produce the proteins lacking or dysfunctional in a specific disease. After Watson and Crick decoded the building blocks of human DNA in the early 1950s, it did not take long for researchers to think about how to fix faulty genetic coding by delivering the correct one. However, these ideas were met with moral and ethical scrutiny that continues to date pertaining to changing one’s genetic material. Marshal Nirenberg, who shared the Nobel Prize in 1968 ith H. Gobind Khorana and Robert W. Holley for describng the genetic code, comments in Science:
Closed-form solution for determining emitter location using time difference of arrival measurements

A direct and short derivation of an algorithm based on the closed-form solution of the nonlinear equations for emitter location using time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements from N + 1 receivers, N /spl ges/ 3, is given.
Cycling of stomatal aperture in leaves of plants with crassulacean acid metabolism under constant conditions

When leaves of plants with C3 metabolism are detached and held in darkness, they senesce and the stomata close. Because the relation of senescence and stomatal closure is very close, if not actually causal, the question arose as to whether in the leaves of plants with Crassulacean acid metabolism whose stomata open at night the relationship to senescence would be reversed. Detached leaves of four species of Hoya, floated on water in constant darkness or constant light, were found to show no large differences in stomatal aperture (measured as diffusion resistance) between those in the light or dark, but the aperture changed in a regular circadian rhythm. In some leaves the rhythm was simple, in others the peak showed small secondary peaks, but in all cases the values were nearly the same in the light as in the dark, throughout the cycle. Previous culture of the intact plants under normal day/night conditions gave results similar to those with plants that had had prolonged culture under constant light or darkness. In those cases when the stomata were more open in the dark, the chlorophyll content was greater than when the stomata were more open in the light; but when they were more open in the light, the chlorophyll content showed little difference between light and dark. When the leaves had only their petioles in water they showed greater senescence in the light than in the dark, and the stomata were more tightly closed in the light, especially at the apical ends. All four species of Hoya gave similar results. We deduce that senescence of these leaves is modified by stomatal aperture, and generally in the same direction as in C3 leaves, but that in continuous light or darkness the primary control over the aperture is the endogenous cycle.
Clinical characteristics, process of care, and outcomes of Hispanic patients presenting with non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: Results from Can Rapid risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress ADverse outcomes with Early implementation of the ACC/AHA Guidelines (CRUSADE)

Background Data regarding the management of non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE ACS) in Hispanic patients, the largest and fastest-growing minority in the United States, are scarce. Methods We sought to describe the clinical characteristics, process of care, and outcomes of Hispanics presenting with NSTE ACS at US hospitals. We compared baseline characteristics, resource use, and inhospital mortality among 3936 Hispanics and 90280 non-Hispanic whites with NSTE ACS from the CRUSADE Quality Improvement Initiative. Results The regional distribution of Hispanics in CRUSADE paralleled that in the US Census. Hispanics were younger (65 vs 70 years, P P P P P P P P P Conclusions Although hispanics have a different risk factor profile and are treated less aggressively during hospitalization when they present with NSTE ACS, these treatment differences do not appear to affect inhospital outcomes. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term consequences of these findings.
Les nouveaux marchés du travail: monopsone et faiblesse syndicale

Resume. Comment se peut-il que partout les employeurs connaissent des penuries de main-d'aeuvre de plus en plus graves? Pourquoi les salaires n'augmentent-ils pas dans les economies en expansion? Selon les auteurs, le declin du pouvoir syndical a permis aux employeurs d'avoir la haute main sur la determination des salaires et conditions d'emploi, sur un marche du travail monopsonistique. Ils rejettent le modele de la concurrence parfaite, avec ajustement de l'offre et de la demande, et considerent que, loin d'etre une curiosite pedagogique, celui du monopsone, avec inegalite du rapport de forces, se generalise. Il faut retablir la capacite d'expression des salaries pour que les bons resultats macroeconomiques ne s'accompagnent d'effets pernicieux, comme les inegalites salariales ou l'affaiblissement des droits des travailleurs.
Challenges of treating a 466-kilogram man with acute kidney injury.

Caring for super obese patients (body mass index > 50 kg/m 2 ) presents a number of complex and unique clinical challenges, particularly when acute kidney injury is present. We describe our experience treating the heaviest individual with acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy reported to date. A 24-year-old black man was admitted to our hospital with fever, vomiting, progressive weakness, shortness of breath, and hemoptysis. Admission weight was 1,024 lbs (466 kg), height was 6 ft 4 in (1.9 m), and body mass index was 125 kg/m 2 . During hospitalization, the patient experienced oligoanuric acute kidney injury and required initiation of continuous and subsequently intermittent renal replacement therapy. This clinical scenario identifies the many challenges involved in caring for super obese patients with acute kidney injury and may be a harbinger of what awaits the nephrology community in the obesity pandemic era.
Analysis of MOSFET failure modes in LLC resonant converter

The trend in telecom power supplies is towards increasing power density. The drive for high power density in switch mode power supplies is pushing high switching frequency. This increase in switching frequency is limited by switching losses. To minimize switching loss, soft switching techniques such as zero voltage switching (ZVS) or zero current switching (ZCS) are adapted for high switching frequency converters. LLC resonant half bridge converters become essential topology for greater efficiency and lower profile in switching power supplies. Nowadays, it is widely accepted for telecom power supplies due to many advantages. However, many power MOSFET failures are reported on LLC resonant converter. This paper analyzes failure operation modes and mechanisms of power MOSFETs in LLC resonant converters and shows root cause of the failures. A solution for these failure modes is proposed to improve the system reliability.
Pulse annealing of gold

Abstract The anneal of the excess resistance quenched into gold has been studied at temperatures up to 418°C. No significant deviation from room temperature annealing behaviour is seen. This is interpreted to imply a minimum divacancy binding energy in gold of 0.35 eV.
Self-monitoring of blood glucose in overweight type 2 diabetic patients

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SBGM) is widely recommended for both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients despite the lack of evidence of benefit in glucose control or as an aid in weight loss in type 2 subjects. This study tested the hypothesis that combined use of SMBG and dietary carbohydrate (CHO) counting, using the blood monitoring results to shape dietary CHO quotas, is beneficial in managing type 2 diabetes. Twenty-three overweight (body mass index, BMI 27.5-44 kg/m2) patients aged 40-75 participated in a 28-week behavioral weight control program. Baseline hemoglobin HbA1c ranged between 9.5% and 13.5% (normal range 5.5%-7.7%). Subjects were matched for weight, sex, and HbA1c and assigned to small (4-8 participants) groups which met weekly for 12 weeks and then monthly for 16 weeks. After 8 weeks, the groups were randomized either to continue the behavioral program or to have SMBG and dietary CHO counting. Glucose monitoring was performed 6 times daily (pre- and 2 h postprandially) for the first month, focusing on the meal increment and correlating this to dietary CHO intake. Weight loss was identical in both groups during the year of follow-up. The HbA1c level showed a progressive decline in experimental subjects (P < 0.05), whereas there was no improvement in control subjects.
Animal and farm influences on the dynamics of antibiotic resistance in faecal Escherichia coli in young dairy calves

It is believed that the intensive use of antibiotics in the management of disease in pre-weaned calves contributes to high levels of antibiotic resistance in commensal and pathogenic bacteria. We described the temporal dynamics of antibiotic-susceptibility patterns seen in bovine enteric Escherichia coli in pre-weaned calves on dairy farms and dedicated calf-rearing facilities. Cohorts of 30 calves at each of six farms were sampled at 2-week intervals during the pre-weaning period. Faecal E. coli isolates were analyzed for antibiotic susceptibility to 12 antibiotics with the disk-diffusion method and grouped using cluster analysis of inhibition-zone patterns. The influences of calf age, farm-type, and individual-calf antibiotic therapy on the clusterings were assessed using stratified analyses and cumulative multinomial logistic regression using generalized estimating equation with antibiotic-resistance cluster as an ordinal-dependent variable. The model controlled for farm and cohort by a nested design and included a repeated measure on calf at each sampling occasion. E. coli from calves 2 weeks of age were more likely to be increasingly multiply resistant than E. coli from day-old calves (OR = 53.6), as were 4- and 6-week-old calves (OR = 29.8 and 16.4, respectively). E. coli from calves on dedicated calf-rearing facilities were more likely to be increasingly multiply resistant than E. coli from dairy-reared calves (OR = 2.4). E. coli from calves treated with antibiotics within 5 days prior to sampling were also more likely to be increasingly multiply resistant than E. coli from calves not exposed to individual antibiotic therapy (OR = 2.0).
Blood clearance rates of adenovirus type 5 in mice.

Persistence of adenovirus type 5 in blood has implications for the pathogenicity of the virus infection and for the use of this virus in oncolysis and gene therapy. In this study, the kinetics of adenovirus clearance from blood in mice has been evaluated. After a single inoculation of concentrated virus into the vena cava, virus half-life was less than 2 min. Depletion of Kupffer cells (KC) resulted in increased viraemia. After tail-vein injection, virus and latex beads co-localized within KC. An important factor in clearance by KC is the negative charge of particles. Deletion of the hexon hypervariable region 1 acidic stretch decreased the negative charge of the virion but it did not increase blood persistence. Coating with PEG (‘PEGylation’) reduced the clearance rate but also reduced infectivity.
Influence of Coronary Flow upon Oxygen Consumption and Cardiac Performance

The influence of induced changes in coronary flow upon oxygen consumption and cardiac performance were observed in the in situ isovolumic left ventricle. This preparation was established with auxiliary pumps which bypass the dog's right and left heart and by inserting a balloon into the left ventricle so that the latter ejected no blood. Coronary flow was set or varied by a retrograde aortic perfusion pump. Oxygen consumption of the heart was found to be coronary flow dependent or independent, according to the conditions of the experiment. When it is coronary flow dependent there is usually a similar relationship between coronary flow and cardiac performance. In a single preparation, it was sometimes found that cardiac oxygen consumption was coronary flow dependent at lower rates of coronary flow and independent at higher flow rates. Possible explanations and clinical applications are given.
Competition in mechanisms

We consider settings where sellers compete by announcing auctions or mechanisms. We sketch why, in our opinion, it is important to understand and survey some of the main results to date. We then describe recent results in 2 settings. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future progress.
The Contribution of Mesoscale Convective Complexes to Rainfall across Subtropical South America

This study uses a database consisting of 330 austral warm-season (October‐May) mesoscale convective complexes (MCCs) during 1998‐2007 to determine the contribution of MCCs to rainfall across subtropical South America (SSA). A unique precipitation analysis is conducted using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42 version 6 data. The average MCC produces 15.7 mm of rainfall across 381 000 km 2 , withavolumeof7.0km 3 . MCCsin SSAhavethelargestprecipitation areascomparedtoNorthAmericanand African systems. MCCs accounted for 15%‐21% of the total rainfall across portions of northern Argentina and Paraguay during 1998‐2007. However, MCCs account for larger fractions of the total precipitation when analyzed on monthly and warm-season time scales. Widespread MCC rainfall contributions of 11%‐20% were observed in all months. MCCs accounted for 20%‐30% of the total rainfall between November and February, and 30%‐50% in December, primarily across northern Argentina and Paraguay. MCCs also produced 25%‐66% of the total rainfall across portions of west-central Argentina. Similar MCC rainfall contributionswereobservedduringwarmseasons.AnMCCimpactfactor(MIF)wasdevelopedtodetermine the overall impact of MCC rainfall on warm-season precipitation anomalies. Results show that the greatest impactson precipitation anomaliesfromMCCrainfallwerelocatednearthecenteroftheLa Platabasin.This study demonstrates that MCCs in SSA produce widespread precipitation that contributes substantially to the total rainfall across the region.
The effect of adsorbed water on the dielectric properties of CaCO3 filled polyethylene composites

The dielectric dispersion and loss of a polyethylene–CaCO3 composite have been investigated in the 50 Hz–100 kHz frequency and 20–140°C temperature ranges, and compared with those for a normal mechanical mixture. The different theoretical interpretations are reviewed and compared with the data. The observed dispersion and loss are probably due to adsorbed water at the PE-CaCO3 interface; both disappear on heating. The high-frequency permitivities can be well approximated by theoretical models, but the frequency-dependent phenomena cannot be interpreted in terms of a simple interfacial polarization mechanism. The universal response theory provides a useful tool for interpreting the measurements.
Teachers teaching misconceptions: a study of factors contributing to high school biology students’ acquisition of biological evolution-related misconceptions

Research has revealed that high school students matriculate to college holding misconceptions related to biological evolution. These misconceptions interfere with students’ abilities to grasp accurate scientific explanations and serve as fundamental barriers to understanding evolution. Because the scientific community regards evolution as a vital part of science education, it is imperative that students’ misconceptions are identified and their sources revealed. The purpose of this study was to identify the types and prevalence of biological evolution-related misconceptions held by high school biology teachers and their students, and to identify those factors that contribute to student acquisition of such misconceptions, with particular emphasis given to the role of the teacher. Thirty-five teachers who taught at least one section of Biology I during the 2010 to 2011 academic year in one of 32 Oklahoma public high schools and their respective 536 students served as this study’s unit of analysis. The Biological Evolution Literacy Survey, which possesses 23 biological evolution misconception statements grouped into five categories, served as the research tool for identifying teachers’ misconceptions prior to student instruction and students’ misconceptions both prior to and following instruction in biological evolution concepts, calculating conception index scores, and collecting demographic data. Multiple statistical analyses were performed to identify statistically significant (p < .05) relationships between variables related to student’s acquisition of biological evolution-related misconceptions. Analyses revealed that students typically exit the Biology I classroom more confident in their biological evolution knowledge but holding greater numbers of misconceptions than they initially possessed upon entering the course. Significant relationships between student acquisition of misconceptions and teachers’ bachelor’s degree field, terminal degree, and hours dedicated to evolution instruction were also revealed. In addition, the probabilities that specific biological evolution-related misconceptions were being transmitted from teachers to their students were also identified. This study reveals some problematic issues concerning the teaching of biological evolution in Oklahoma’s public high school introductory biology course. No doubt, multiple factors contribute in varying degrees to the acquisition and retention of student misconceptions of biological evolution. However, based on this study’s results, there is little doubt that teachers may serve as sources of biological evolution-related misconceptions or, at the very least, propagators of existing misconceptions. It is imperative that we as educators identify sources of student biological evolution-related misconceptions, identify or develop strategies to reduce or eliminate such misconceptions, and implement these strategies at the appropriate junctures in students’ cognitive development.
A perspective on emerging polymer technologies for bisphenol‐A replacement

Recent attention surrounds bisphenol-A (BPA) due to potential estrogen mimicry and human health hazards. The public's negative reactions to these concerns threaten the commercial use of BPA requiring the global polymer community to investigate suitable replacements for commercial products that demand very good thermal and mechanical properties from BPA. This review highlights four classes of polymers that often utilize BPA for enhancing specific properties: polycarbonates, polyesters, epoxies and polyimides. A compilation of recent efforts involving the design of BPA-free polymers is provided. Alternative monomers include 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol and isosorbide, and emerging polymers that exhibit acceptable thermal and mechanical properties are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
The Odyssey of William English Walling: Revisionism, Social Democracy, and Evolutionary Pragmatism

In the history of American socialism William English Walling occupies a special place. Born into a wealthy Midwestern family, Walling was educated at the University of Chicago and Harvard, but soon found a calling as a social reform activist when he learned first hand about the conditions of working people as an Illinois factory inspector and a habitue of turn-of-the-century social settlement houses and the Jewish ghetto scene. From that point forward Walling was a major influence wherever he directed his fertile mind and instinct for provoking controversy and precipitating new movements. In 1903, Walling helped found the National Women's Trade Union League and became president of its New York chapter. Six years later he cobbled together a group of anti-racist socialists to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – then invited W.E.B. DuBois to become editor of its journal, The Crisis.
The exemplar methodology: An approach to studying the leading edge of development

The exemplar methodology is a useful, but to date underutilized, approach to studying developmental phenomena. It features a unique sample selection approach whereby individuals, entities, or programs that exemplify the construct of interest in a highly developed manner form the study sample. Studying a sample of highly developed individuals yields an important view of the leading edge of development that cannot be gleaned using other methodologies. A picture of the full range of development requires not only an understanding of typical and deficient growth, as provided by existing methodologies, but also of complete or nearly complete development, as provided by the exemplar methodology. Accordingly, the exemplar methodology represents a critical tool for developmental psychologists. In spite of this, because it has rarely been written about, the exemplar methodology has only been used to study a relatively narrow range of developmental constructs. Therefore, the present article defines the exemplar methodology, addresses key conceptual issues, and briefly outlines steps to utilizing the approach.
Sensory-dependent asymmetry for a urine-responsive olfactory bulb glomerulus

An unusual property of the olfactory system is that sensory input at the level of the first synapse in the olfactory bulb takes place at two mirror image glomerular maps that appear identical across the axis of symmetry. It is puzzling how two identical odor maps would contribute to sensory function. The functional units in these maps are the glomeruli, ovoid neuropil structures formed by axons from olfactory sensory neurons expressing the same olfactory receptor. Here we find that the genetically identified P2 glomeruli are asymmetric across the axis of symmetry in terms of responsiveness to urine volatiles and neuroanatomical structure. Furthermore, P2 asymmetry is modified by sensory deprivation and abolished by decreased BDNF levels. Thus, while mirror odor maps show symmetry at the macroscopic level in maps encompassing the entire surface of the olfactory bulb, they display asymmetry at the level of the single glomerulus.
Behaviour of pigs with viral and bacterial pneumonia

The behavioural response to infection is well organized and may enhance disease resistance and facilitate recovery, but the behaviour of pigs with an acute respiratory infection has not been assessed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate behaviour of pigs inoculated with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mh) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Sixty-four pigs were subjected to one of four treatment combinations (2 � 2 factorial) of Mh (inoculated at 4 weeks of age) and PRRSV (inoculated at 6 weeks of age). The four treatments were (1) control, (2) inoculation with Mh, (3) inoculation with PRRSV, and (4) inoculation with both Mh and PRRSV. One-half of the pigs from each treatment were killed 7 days after PRRSV inoculation for purposes unrelated to this study and hence were not used for behavioural analysis. Pigs that were included were video recorded during the 18 h light phase for 13 days beginning the day of PRRSV inoculation. Food intake and time spent feeding, active (standing, including walking, sitting, or feeding) and lying were determined. When pigs were lying a determination was made as to whether they were lying ventrally or laterally, and in contact with a penmate. Body temperaturewasmeasured7and14daysafterPRRSVinoculation.AfterinoculationwithPRRSV,therewas no significant main effect of Mh or interaction between Mh and PRRSV for food intake, body temperature, or any behaviour measured. Thus, the four treatments were pooled to form two treatments designated PRRSV negative (control and Mh; PRRSV� ) and PRRSV positive (PRRSV and Mh with PRRSV; PRRSV+) and analyzed. Each day after PRRSV inoculation, PRRSV+ pigs spent less time (P = 0.005)
Nonadditive effects of leaf litter species diversity on breakdown dynamics in a detritus-based stream.

Since species loss is predicted to be nonrandom, it is important to understand the manner in which those species that we anticipate losing interact with other species to affect ecosystem function. We tested whether litter species diversity, measured as richness and composition, affects breakdown dynamics in a detritus-based stream. Using full-factorial analyses of single- and mixed-species leaf packs (15 possible combinations of four dominant litter species; red maple (Acer rubrum), tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), chestnut oak (Quercus prinus), and rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum)), we tested for single-species presence/absence (additive) or species interaction (nonadditive) effects on leaf pack breakdown rates, changes in litter chemistry, and microbial and macroinvertebrate biomass. Overall, we found significant nonadditive effects of litter species diversity on leaf pack breakdown rates, which were explained both by richness and composition. Leaf packs containing higher litter species richness had faster breakdown rates, and antagonistic effects of litter species composition were observed when any two or three of the four litter species were mixed. Less-consistent results were obtained with respect to changes in litter chemistry and microbial and macroinvertebrate biomass. Our results suggest that loss of litter species diversity will decrease species interactions involved in regulating ecosystem function. To that end, loss of species such as eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) accompanied by predicted changes in riparian tree species composition in the southeastern United States could have nonadditive effects on litter breakdown at the landscape scale.
The PEP Liquid Level System

A liquid level system has been installed in the accelerator housing of the PEP storage ring. This instrument spans the entire 2.2 km circumference of the PEP project, and over one hundred readouts provide reference elevations which are used for the accurate alignment of accelerator components. The liquid level has proven to be extremely precise (± 0.10 mm) and quick to use, and it has contributed to the accurate alignment of PEP before beam turn-on. Since the liquid level readouts are rigidly attached to the accelerator housing, the liquid level has been a convenient means to monitor the settling of the accelerator housing.
FDTD analysis of a new leaky traveling wave antenna

A new antenna is proposed based on a structure first constructed by Menzel (1979) that utilizes the leaky wave phenomena of the first higher order mode. This work seeks to determine the effect on performance of the antenna due to varying geometries. Standard antenna range far-field and near-field measurements are not sensitive enough to extract the propagation constant. A numerical simulation was thus developed using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method to extract the propagation constant. The simulation was validated with published analytical data as well as measured data.
Optical birefringence of the linear chain antiferromagnet CuBr2·2DMSO

Abstract Measurements of the linear magnetic birefringence have been made on single crystals of CuBr 2 ·2DMSO between 3.4 and 250 K. These data agree well with the predicted magnetic specific heat of a spin 1 2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain. The exchange strength was found to be -11.4(3) K. No indication of ordering was seen.
D2 dopamine receptor gene in psychiatric and neurologic disorders and its phenotypes.

The D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) has been one of the most extensively investigated gene in neuropsychiatric disorders. After the first association of the TaqI A DRD2 minor (A1) allele with severe alcoholism in 1990, a large number of international studies have followed. A meta-analysis of these studies of Caucasians showed a significantly higher DRD2 A1 allelic frequency and prevalence in alcoholics when compared to controls. Variants of the DRD2 gene have also been associated with other addictive disorders including cocaine, nicotine and opioid dependence and obesity. It is hypothesized that the DRD2 is a reinforcement or reward gene. The DRD2 gene has also been implicated in schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder, movement disorders and migraine. Phenotypic differences have been associated with DRD2 variants. These include reduced D2 dopamine receptor numbers and diminished glucose metabolism in brains of subjects who carry the DRD2 A1 allele. In addition, pleiotropic effects of DRD2 variants have been observed in neurophysiologic, neuropsychologic, stress response, personality and treatment outcome characteristics. The involvement of the DRD2 gene in certain neuropsychiatric disorders opens up the potential of a targeted pharmacogenomic approach to the treatment of these disorders.