cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Residual toxicity of soil-applied chlorothalonil on mycorrhizal symbiosis in Leucaena leucocephala

The residual effect of the fungicide chlorothalonil on the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) symbiosis was evaluated in a greenhouse experiment. The soil used was an oxisol (Tropeptic Eutrustox) treated with P to obtain target levels near-optimal for VAM activity or sufficient for nonmycorrhizal host growth. In the uninoculated soil treated with the former P level, the fungicide reduced VAM colonization of roots and completely suppressed symbiotic effectiveness measured in terms of pinnule P content. When this soil was inoculated with Glomus aggregatum, symbiotic effectiveness was significantly reduced but not eliminated by 50 mg of the fungicide kg−1. At higher chlorothalonil levels, VAM effectiveness but not VAM colonization was completely suppressed in the inoculated soil. The pattern with which chlorothalonil influenced tissue P content and dry matter yield at the time of harvest closely paralleled its effect on VAM effectiveness. In the soil treated with P level sufficient for nonmycorrhizal host growth, the adverse effect of the fungicide on the above variables was appreciably milder than when the host relied on VAM fungi for its P supply. The toxic effect of the fungicide, therefore, was partly offset by P fertilization, suggesting that VAM fungi were more sensitive to chlorothalonil than the host. Our results demonstrate that although the toxic effect of chlorothalonil declined as a function of time, a significant level of toxicity persisted 12.5 weeks after the chemical was applied to soil.
Testing Stereotype Threat: Does Anxiety Explain Race and Sex Differences in Achievement?

Steele's (1992, 1997) stereotype-threat theory attempts to explain underperformance of minority students in academic domains and of women in mathematics. Steele argues that situational self-relevance of negative group stereotypes in testing situations increases the anxiety these students experience and that these differential anxiety levels explain performance differences. Research shows that manipulation of stereotype threat can affect academic performance. However, there has been little research testing whether anxiety does at least partially explain the relationship between race and achievement. The goal of this study was to examine whether anxiety will explain racial differences in academic performance and gender differences in math performance in the context of a nationally representative sample of high school seniors. Partial mediation was observed, with anxiety explaining significant portions of the racial differences in academic performance. Anxiety also partially explained sex differences in math achievement, although the effect sizes were very small. These results provide general support for Steele's stereotype-threat hypothesis.
De-regulation of ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis and the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma

Malignant melanoma is similar to the other types of cancer in terms that the pathogenesis of this lethal disease includes abnormal activation of proteins that mediate oncogenic signaling as well as inhibition of anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic protein regulators. Activity of both types of cellular regulators is often dependent on their abundance and is determined by the rate of proteolysis via the ubiquitin pathway. Aberrations in ubiquitin-dependent degradation of regulatory proteins frequently occur in human cancers including malignant melanoma. Melanoma cells that re-program ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis toward accelerated degradation of protein regulators of tumor suppression and abnormal stabilization of oncogenic proteins are likely to gain an advantage in growth and survival. Specific characteristics of melanoma biology include rapid metastasizing and resistance to conventional anticancer therapy. Exploration of these traits should place an emphasis on a subset of the signal transduction pathways that are governed by a number of key protein regulators whose stability and activity becomes deregulated during progression of malignant melanoma. Targeting the ubiquitination and degradation of these pivotal proteins may provide a promising new therapeutic approach to treatment of this disease.
Peptide capillary zone electrophoresis mass spectrometry of recombinant human erythropoietin: An evaluation of the analytical method

An evaluation of capillary zone electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CZE-MS) as an analytical methodology for the separation and characterization of complex glycopeptides and nonglycopeptide structures has been performed. The evaluation employed endoproteinase V8 digested recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) that was further fractionated by reverse phase chromatography. The peptides were subjected to sequence analysis and evaluated by capillary electrophoresis, with or without mass detection, for peptide purity. The peptide mass determined from the sequence was then compared to the mass obtained from CZE-MS. Glycosylation sites and carbohydrate branch patterns were easily determined, site specific microheterogeneity (either O-acetylation of N-acetylneuraminic acids or lactosamine extensions of the carbohydrate chain length) was assessed directly, glycosylation site occupancy was evaluated qualitatively, and nonglycopeptides were resolved and analyzed on-line with ease. Incomplete peptide digestion products were detected and identified by CZE-MS. Protein sequence coverage by CZE-MS was 98.2 percent complete from a single map. Off-line evaluation of peptide purity by CZE greatly aided the interpretation of multiple sequence analysis and, in validating that, the CZE-MS was detecting all peptides present. All off-line CZE and on-line CZE-MS experiments employed a capillary that was dynamically coated with Polybrene in the presence of polyethylene glycol; separations were conducted in 0.67 M formic acid.
The future of psychiatry is here

This Editor’s Commentary, originally printed in the last issue of Current Psychiatry Reports (Volume 1, Number 2), contained several errors. The publisher takes full responsibility for these errors and apologizes to the author. The Editor’s Commentary is reprinted below in its correct form.
The Lee model and the √-meson

The Lee model with cut-off is adapted to the case of a spin-one V particle interacting with two spin-zero particles in ap-wave state. The ρ0⟺π+- system is then discussed in terms of this (much simplified) model. It is found, as might be expected, that the p-meson pole (on the second sheet) dominates ππ scattering in the model, and that the renormalized coupling constant is essentially independent of the cut-off.
Radioiodocholesterol scintigraphy in adrenal gland tumors.

31 cases of ascertained tumors of the adrenal glands were selected in order to evaluate the usefulness of 131I-19-iodocholesterol sicntigraphy among the various diagnostic procedures. This group of cases included malignant (4) and benign (16) tumors of the adrenal cortex; 3 cases of malignant medullary neoplasms and 8 pheochromocytomas.
Embarking on a republic of benevolence ? New survey findings on charitable giving

In this article, the authors provide a tentative answer to a vexing statistical question about the level of charitable giving in the United States: Why does the Indepndent Sector's (IS) Survey of G...
Addition of interleukin-2 in vitro augments detection of lymphokine-activated killer activity generated in vivo.

Thein vivo administration of repetitive weekly cycles of interleukin-2 (IL-2) to patients with cancer enhances the ability of freshly obtained peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to lyse both the natural-killer(NK)-susceptible K562 and the NK-resistant Daudi targets. Lysis of both targets is significantly augmented by inclusion of IL-2 in the medium during the cytotoxicity assay. This boost is much greater for cells obtained following thein vivo IL-2 therapy than for cells obtained prior to the initiation of therapy or for cells from healthy control donors. In addition to direct lytic activity, the PBL obtained followingin vivo IL-2 show a rapid increase in lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity with more prolongedin vitro IL-2 exposure, indicating that LAK effectors primedin vivo respond with “secondary-like” kinetics to subsequent IL-2in vitro. Lymphocytes from healthy control individuals, cultured in IL-2 under conditions attempting to simulate thein vivo IL-2 exposure, function similarly to PBL obtained from patients following IL-2, in that low-level LAK activity was significantly boosted by inclusion of IL-2 during the cytotoxic assay and the cells also responded with secondary-like kinetics to subsequent IL-2in vitro. The augmentation of the LAK effect was also dependent on the dose of IL-2 added during the 4-h51Cr-release cytotoxicity assay, with higher doses of IL-2 having a more pronounced effect. While continuous infusion of IL-2 induces a greater cytotoxic potential per milliliter of blood obtained from patients, the peak serum IL-2 levels attained are greater with bolus IL-2 infusions. These pharmacokinetic results, together with the IL-2 dose dependence of LAK activity generatedin vivo shown in this report, suggest that a combination of treatment with bolus IL-2 infusions superimposed on continuous IL-2 infusion may transiently expose IL-2 dependent LAK cells, activatedin vivo, to higher concentrations of IL-2, facilitating theirin vivo cytotoxic potential.
Enalaprilat augments arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity in patients with heart failure

Abstract Objectives. This study sought to determine the effects of enalaprilat on reflex control of sympathetic nerve activity. Background. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors decrease mortality in patients with congestive heart failure. Their efficacy appears to be related importantly to antiadrenergic effects, the mechanism for which has not been determined. Because baroreflexes tonically inhibit sympathetic outflow, and baroreflexes are blunted in heart failure, we hypothesized that these agents reduce sympathetic activity by augmenting baroreflexes. Methods. We assessed baroreflex control sympathetic nerve activity and heart rate in patients with congestive heart failure and in control subjects before and after enalaprilat (0.02 mg/kg body weight intravenously). Arterial baroreflexes were perturbed by bolus administration of sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine. Cardiopulmonary baroreflexes were perturbed by lower body negative pressure and head-down tilt. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity was recorded by microneurography. Results. Enalaprilat decreased systolic blood pressure in patients with heart failure and control subjects. Sympathetic nerve activity increased in control subjects but decreased in patients with heart failure after enalaprilat despite reductions in central venous pressure in this group. Baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity was unchanged by enalaprilat in control subjects. In patients with heart failure, both arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity was enhanced by enalaprilat. Baroreflex control of heart rate was unchanged by enalaprilat in either group. Conclusions. Enalaprilat augments both arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreflex control of sympathetic activity in heart failure. These augmented inhibitory influences are associated with a reduction in sympathetic outflow and may contribute to the beneficial effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in heart failure.
Compact totally disconnected k-divisible semigroups

One of the early results [5] regarding divisibility in semigroups states that no finite non-degenerate group is divisible. A sequel to this (which in view of well-known results on compact semigroups is a generalization) is that a compact semigroup is divisible if and only if each component is a divisible subsemigroup [2]. Consequently, a finite semigroup is divisible if and only if it is an idempotent semigroup. However, it is of some interest to know which finite semigroups are k-divisible for a given positive integerk≥2. In this note we present a complete characterization of finitek-divisible semigroups, and use this along with a result of K. Numakura [8], to characterize compact totally disconnected k-divisible semigroups
RELIABILITY IN CONSTRUCTING GENOGRAMS: A STUDY AMONG MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY DOCTORAL STUDENTS

Although genograms are widely utilized in the field of marriage and family therapy, there has been no empirical research establishing marriage and family therapists' accuracy in using the genogram as an information-gathering tool. This article reports results of an evaluation of how accurately marriage and family therapy doctoral students record content information on genograms. Subjects included 17 doctoral students in AAMFT accredited marriage and family therapy programs who constructed genograms from a fictitious scenario. The results indicate that marriage and family therapy doctoral students are highly accurate in recording named persons' names and symbols; moderately accurate in recording unnamed persons, occupations, relationship descriptors, medical issues, personal issues and descriptive phrases, and other significant symbols; and most inaccurate in recording dates and ages. Students' accuracy scores for recording content data on genograms were not found to be significantly correlated with experience level in the doctoral program or self-rated genogram construction ability. Implications for marriage and family therapists and trainers are provided, including a call for more standardized instruction in genogram construction.
Embryonic Stem Cells Do Not Stiffen on Rigid Substrates

It has been previously established that living cells, including mesenchymal stem cells, stiffen in response to elevation of substrate stiffness. This stiffening is largely attributed to the elevation of the tractions at the cell base that is associated with increases in cell spreading on more-rigid substrates. We show here, surprisingly, that mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) do not stiffen when substrate stiffness increases. As shown recently, these cells do not increase spreading on more-rigid substrates either. However, these ESCs do increase their basal tractions as substrate stiffness increases. We conclude that these ESCs exhibit mechanical behaviors distinct from those of mesenchymal stem cells and of terminally differentiated cells, and decouple its apical cell stiffness from its basal tractional stresses during the substrate rigidity response.
Synthesis and properties of different metal complexes of the siderophore desferriferricrocin

Desferriferricrocin is a cyclic hexa-peptide siderophore with three hydroxamates as primary coordination groups. It forms metal complexes with Fe(III), Cr(III), Al(III), Ga(III), Cu(II), and Zn(II). These complexes were prepared and characterized using UV-vis, circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS). The mononuclear trivalent metal complexes of desferriferricrocin were stable in aqueous solutions, and their coordination centers primarily adopted the lambda configuration. The formation of multinuclear complexes of desferriferricrocin was determined by ESI-MS. Desferriferricrocin was able to bind up to three Cu(II) and two Zn(II) respectively. Heteronuclear complexes containing one trivalent and one divalent were also determined. In these complexes, amide nitrogens were utilized as alternative binding groups of desferriferricrocin in addition to the primary binding groups, the hydroxamates.
Transitions in Morphotropic PMN-PT Single Crystals

Single crystals in the relaxor-ferroelectric lead magnesium niobate (PMN)-lead titanate (PT) and lead zinc niobate (PZN)-lead titanate (PT) systems provide a significant advantage for detecting and classifying objects in littoral waters. Their extremely large electromechanical coupling factor (k 33 > 0.90) and piezoelectric coefficient (d 33 > 1000 pC/N) offer both broadband and high acoustic source level capabilities. Two different transition pathways can be accessed in a morphotropic PMN-0.30PT composition. Resonance experiments on a length extensional bar fabricated from a multi-domain, [001] oriented and poled PMN- 0.30PT crystal revealed a monotonically decreasing Young's modulus as a function of temperature with a sudden stiffening near 85°C corresponding to a ferroelectric rhombohedral (F R )-ferroelectric tetragonal (F T ) transition. Quasi-static, zero field stress-strain response revealed an elastic instability of the F R near 30 MPa compression. This instability is attributed to a ferroelectric...
Troubling Heroes: Of Rosa Parks, Multicultural Education, and Critical Pedagogy

In this article, the author explores some of the implications of cultural studies perspectives on representation, curriculum, and pedagogy. The most significant and far reaching of these implications has to do with the postmodern disruption of the binary opposition that has framed thinking about education in the modern era: the logos/mythos or truth/myth binary. To develop these ideas, the article focuses on the mythologizing of Rosa Parks as a new, multicultural hero in American education and popular culture. The author argues that although the growing attention to Parks's life must be taken as a hopeful sign that new multicultural heroes are beginning to be celebrated in the curriculum, as Parks's life has been mythologized, it increasingly has been incorporated within a nonthreatening and even culturally conservative mythology. The article then explores some of the attributes of alternative, more progressive mythologizings of Parks's life.
Recognition of DNA structure by 434 repressor

In complexes of bacteriophage 434 binding sites with 434 repressor the central 4 bp of the 14 bp site are not contacted by the protein, although changes in these bases alter binding site affinity for the repressor. Our previous data suggested that the ability of the non-contacted central bases to be overtwisted in repressor-DNA complexes governs affinity of the binding site for 434 repressor. This idea was tested by examining the affinity of two central sequence variant 434 binding sites for 434 repressor as a function of binding site average twist. The 434 repressor preferred the relatively overwound binding site to the two more underwound forms. The greatest affinity enhancement resulting from increasing twist was observed with a binding site that is relatively underwound and more resistant to twisting deformation. Consistent with the idea that 434 repressor overtwists its binding site upon DNA binding, we show that 434 repressor is capable of binding to sites bearing a single base insertion in their center (a 15mer), but binds poorly to binding sites bearing central base deletions (12mer and 13mer). The N-terminal dimer interface plays a large role in determining 434 repressor central base preferences. Mutations in this interface eliminate central base discrimination and/or site size preferences. These mutations also lead to changes in the size of the repressor footprint on the various sized DNA sites that are consistent with their binding characteristics.
Prion protein and human cognition

Prion protein (PrP) is probably the only known infectious protein that possesses chameleon-like features, as reflected not only in its conformation but also in its function. Cellular PrP (PrPC), rich in α-helical structures, is believed to be functionally involved in neurotransmitter metabolism, immune cell activation, cell adhesion, signal transduction, copper metabolism, antioxidant activity, and programmed cell death. Its pathologic conformer (PrPSc), rich in β-sheet structures, plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of prion diseases, a group of age-related transmissible neurodegenerative disorders which, as in Alzheimer's disease, inevitably attack human cognition. Histologically, PrP is highly concentrated in the central nervous system although it is also widely expressed in the peripheral tissues and organs at lower levels. Observations indicating that a pronounced cognitive deficit is often evident in the early stage of prion diseases strongly imply that PrP is associated with human cognition. Indeed, cognitive deficit is one of a few phenotypes identified in mice lacking PrP. This article highlights evidence of the involvement of PrPC in human cognition. In addition, it puts forth the hypothesis that two potential PrP-implicated pathways are operative in human cognition.
Gender and Topic.

This article has two purposes. The first is to examine the relationship between topic and gender on the basis of observation of naturally occurring conversations among all-male, all-female, and mixed gender groups. The second is to undertake an analysis of the relative importance or triviality of these conversations as perceived by the conversants themselves. Several unexpected agreements and differences were found. (Sociolinguistics, conversational topic, gender-related language differences, intuition versus data-based investigation in the study of language, speech acts, English, United States)
Interview: Pediatric diabetes management: past, present and future

Silva Arslanian speaks to Sarah Freeston, Commissioning Editor: Silva Arslanian is the Richard L Day Endowed Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (PA, USA). She is the Director of the NIH-funded Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (PA, USA) and Director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center, in addition to having been the principal investigator of the NIH-funded Diabetes Fellowship Training (T32) and Pediatric Diabetes Scholars Program (K12). Arslanian obtained her medical degree from the American University of Beirut (NY, USA) and completed her pediatric residency training at the same institution. She completed her fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (PA, USA). Arslanian is funded by NIH, research foundations and pharmaceutical companies. Her research focus is the investigation of the pathophysiology of childhood Type 2 diabetes and its treatment. She has made ...
The magnetic moment distribution in Cu2MnAl

Abstract Saturation magnetization and neutron diffraction measurements were made on an ordered Cu2MnAl sample in order to determine the distribution of magnetic moments in this ferromagnetic alloy. The magnetization measurements were made by the ballistic method in fields up to 5 kOe and at sample temperatures of 298 and 77°K. The magnetic moments obtained at these temperatures were 3.2 and 3.7 μB per molecule. The neutron diffraction data were obtained at 298°K using a magnetic field of 12 kOe to separate the magnetic and nuclear scattering. The nuclear scattering showed a long range order parameter S = 0.98, while the magnetic scattering revealed that within 0.1 μB the entire moment of the molecule could be attributed to the manganese atom.
Tale of Two Cities: the Origins of Modern Cairo

The major metropolis in almost every newly industrializing nation is not a single unified city but, in fact, two quite different cities, physically juxtaposed but architecturally and socially distinct. Many observers have noted this in non-western countries throughout the world. These dual cities have usually been a legacy from the colonial past and, while increasing national autonomy and “nativization” are tending slowly to blend the two patterns, many generations may be required before the bifurcations drawn in the nineteenth century have been erased.
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM OF HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED MALE RATS BY HYPOPHYSEAL SYNERGIST, PREGNANCY-PROLAN AND COMBINATIONS THEREOF

Studies on the action of the hypophyseal substance which in small quantities acts synergically to intensify the effect of prolan in normal immature animals or hypophysectomized animals have hitherto been conducted almost exclusively with females. It has been possible, however, to show that with some changes in the conditions of the experiment, typical synergic intensification of prolan effects can be secured with normal immature males. Nevertheless, as was the case with females, crucial evidence of the action of the synergist must be sought in hypophysectomized males. A further interest attaches to the gonadotropic effects of this hypophyseal substance on hypophysectomized males for it has been possible to show that in addition to its complementary or synergic action when combined with prolan, when it is administered alone it exerts selective effects on the testes of hypophysectomized males. The hypophyseal material in question administered at the dose levels and for the time intervals herein reported, un...
Filtered Ranking for Bootstrapping in Event Extraction

Several researchers have proposed semi-supervised learning methods for adapting event extraction systems to new event types. This paper investigates two kinds of bootstrapping methods used for event extraction: the document-centric and similarity-centric approaches, and proposes a filtered ranking method that combines the advantages of the two. We use a range of extraction tasks to compare the generality of this method to previous work. We analyze the results using two evaluation metrics and observe the effect of different training corpora. Experiments show that our new ranking method not only achieves higher performance on different evaluation metrics, but also is more stable across different bootstrapping corpora.
A new molecular target for blunting organ fibrosis. Focus on “Secreted Frizzled-related protein 2 as a target in antifibrotic therapeutic intervention”

fibrosis is a pathology associated with failure of many different organs, including the heart, lung, kidney, liver, and the vasculature. Fibrosis results from wound healing (and in some cases developmental) processes that become prolonged or dysregulated. Following tissue damage, inflammation at the
Residence, dropping out, and delinquency rates

Dropout and delinquency rates vary greatly across communities. The highest rates occur in urban areas with large underclass populations. The purpose of this study was to characterize communities along dimensions that supposedly contribute to the concentration of youth deviance and to compare rates of delinquency across communities with distinctive profiles. Zip code areas in a southwestern urban center constitute the unit of analysis. Community economic variables turn out to be stronger predictors than family variables. In addition, contrary to expectation, the association between dropout rates and delinquency rates was weak. Using a typology of communities classified by different levels of delinquency and dropping out, it was possible to differentiate among community characteristics conducive to each type of youth deviance.
The Development and Ocean Testing of an AUV Docking Station for a 21" AUV

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has developed an AUV docking station for a 21-inch (54 cm) diameter AUV. The system was designed for operation with cabled undersea observatories in water depths up to 4 km deep and has been demonstrated in the open ocean, though at much shallower depths. The program demonstrated successful autonomous homing and docking, data downloads, uploading of new mission plans, battery recharging, and complete power cycling of the AUV. We describe the design, and at-sea tests.
The Direct Solution of the Transportation Problem with Reduced Matrices

A discussion of the importance of a direct method in obtaining all the solutions of a transportation problem, and in obtaining solutions of more general problems, is followed by a discussion of methods of reduced matrices in which the transportation matrix is reduced, by a series of subtractions from rows and columns, to a transformed matrix to which the orthogonality condition is applicable. The direct method proceeds in a series of simple steps to the determination of zero terms having associated xij values which eventually satisfy the row and column equations. Formal and informal versions are presented and application is made to several general problems.
Potential Use of Transport and Dispersion Model Ensembles for Forecasting Applications

AbstractUsing ensembles to improve the simulation of plume dispersion is becoming a more common practice. One of the biggest challenges in creating ensembles is developing the appropriate member selection process to get the most accurate results, quantify ensemble uncertainty, and use computing resources more efficiently by avoiding the use of redundant model information. In this work, two reduction techniques are tested: one that is independent of observations and is based on the exclusion of redundant members by using uncorrelation as a measure of distance among the members and a second one based on measured data, which minimizes the mean square error (MSE) of the average of all possible model combinations. These techniques are applied to a 24-member ensemble, created by varying the boundary layer parameterizations in the meteorological WRF Model and dispersion Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (HYSPLIT) simulating six releases of the Cross-Appalachian Tracer Experiment (CAPT...
Real-Time PCR Quantification of rbcL (Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase) mRNA in Diatoms and Pelagophytes

Transcriptional activity is often used as a surrogate for gene expression in environmental microbial communities. We developed a real-time PCR assay in which the ABI-Prism (PE Applied Biosystems) detection system is used for quantification of large-subunit ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate caboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) mRNA in diatoms and pelagophytes both in cultures and from natural phytoplankton communities. Plasmid DNA containing rbcL inserts, as well as in vitro transcribed mRNA of the plasmids, was used to generate standard curves with a dynamic range of more than 6 orders of magnitude with high accuracy and precision (R2 = 0.998). Expression levels in a cultured diatom (Phaeodactylum tricornutum) were quantified through one light-dark cycle by using traditional 35S-labeled oligonucleotide hybridization and real-time PCR. The mRNA levels detected by the two techniques were similar and correlated well (R2 = 0.95; slope = 1.2). The quantities obtained by hybridization were slightly, yet significantly, larger (t = 5.29; P = 0.0011) than the quantities obtained by real-time PCR. This was most likely because partially degraded transcripts were not detected by real-time PCR. rbcL mRNA detection by real-time PCR was 3 orders of magnitude more sensitive than rbcL mRNA detection by hybridization. Diatom and pelagophyte rbcL mRNAs were also quantified in a profile from an oligotrophic site in the Gulf of Mexico. We detected the smallest amount of diatom rbcL expression in the surface water and maximum expression at a depth that coincided with the depth of the subsurface chlorophyll maximum. These results indicate that real-time PCR may be utilized for quantification of microbial gene expression in the environment.
Occurrence of Butyltin Compounds in Freshwater Mussels (Elliptio complanata) from Contaminated Aquatic Areas in Ontario, Canada

The antifouling agent tributyltin (TBT) is extremely toxic to some aquatic organisms. The accumulation of butyltin compounds in the tissues of freshwater mussels from contaminated areas in Ontario was studied in the field with caged mussels (Elliptio complanata). Mussels were placed in four sites for 11 months, and one site for 6 months, in locations of previous contamination of water and sediments. Additional cages were exposed for 5 months at two of the sites to study the effect of mussel size on accumulation. The mussels were collected at regular intervals for butyltin analysis. After almost one year of exposure at four locations, the TBT contents in tissue of mussels were 9 to 148 ng as Sn/g (wet weight). The results showed that concentrations of TBT in mussels were related to the mussel size and the concentrations of TBT in contaminated aquatic areas, and that concentrations in mussel tissue increased dramatically over winter. The results of the experiment demonstrated that caged mussels are useful for indicating the presence of TBT in aquatic systems.
Exploiting the Internet: strategies and frameworks for a small business

The Internet represents one of the most dramatic, widespread innovations of recent times. For the small businessperson, it can be both a tremendous opportunity as well as a potential threat. This paper presents a series of frameworks and examples to help a small businessperson recognize, and develop a strategy to cope with, the electronic commerce opportunities and threats posed by the Web. Potential uses of the web with respect to five different stakeholders are presented: customers, intermediaries, suppliers, competitors, and employees.
Quantitative analysis of localized stresses in irradiated stainless steels using high resolution electron backscatter diffraction and molecular dynamics modeling

Abstract Quantitative measurements of stress near dislocation channel–grain boundary (DC–GB) interaction sites were made using high resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HREBSD) and have been compared with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Tensile stress normal to the grain boundary was significantly elevated at discontinuous DC–GB intersections with peak magnitudes roughly an order of magnitude greater than at sites where slip transfer occurred. These results constitute the first measurement of stress amplification at DC–GB intersections and provide support to the theory that high normal stress at the grain boundary may be a key driver for the initiation of irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracks.
Aspirational City: Desiring Singapore and the Films of Tan Pin Pin

Since its dramatic metamorphosis from British colonial port to gleaming ‘world class city’, Singapore has become an object of imitative desire for cities around the world, and has even begun exporting its urban planning techniques to countries such as China, Brazil, the UAE and Rwanda. This essay considers some of the implications of Singapore's ascendance to position of aspirational city for the Global South. I begin by reflecting on the distinct spatial technologies the Singaporean state has utilized to elevate itself to a model, neoliberalizing global city. As disruptions of the mimetic desire for Singapore, I analyse several films by Singaporean documentary filmmaker Tan Pin Pin: 9th August (2006), Singapore Gaga (2005) and 80kmh (2004). The films reveal disregarded and ephemeral perspectives of the city, deconstructing the spatial imaginaries that underpin triumphant narratives of Singapore's rise. Tan's films index heterogeneous desires for differential spaces – communal, rural and transnational – a...
Oöthecae of the Blattaria

The evolution of ovoviviparity and viviparity in the Blattaria necessitated a change from a hard rigid ootheca that was dropped shortly after its formation, to a soft, flexible, reduced egg case which was retracted internally into a uterus. Such changes have taken place in the oothecae of the Blaberoidea (Polyphagidae, Blattellidae, Blaberidae), the phyletic line which evolved ovoviviparity, but not in the Blattoidea (Cryptocercidae, Blattidae). In the blaberoid line, polyphagid oothecae have keels and an anterior flange. Respiratory structures, denticles, and the production of calcium oxalate crystals (which undoubtedly contribute to the rigidity of the ootheca) arose within the polyphagids. The flange became markedly reduced in some Polyphagidae and was lost in most Blattellidae, although relics of this structure can still be seen in some Plectopterinae and Blattellinae oothecae. In some Blattellidae (Plectopterinae, Blattellinae, Ectobiinae) there is a marked decrease in the size of the denticles and a tendency for the thickened margin of the keel to lie flat against the micropylar ends of the eggs. The oothecae of most Blattellidae possess large amounts of calcium oxalate crystals. However, species of Blattella and Chorisia that retain their oothecae externally during embryogenesis show a gradual loss of this compound. In the Blaberidae, all of which incubate their eggs internally, the keel, as it occurs in the blattellids, has been lost; in some blaberids greatly reduced keels are present as relics. The oothecae of all blaberids are flexible, lack calcium oxalate crystals, and are thin compared to most oviparous species. The greatest reduction of the oothecal membrane occurs in the viviparous species Diploptera punctata (Eschscholtz).
Systemic Involvement in the CRST Syndrome

The CRST syndrome would appear to be a variant of the more rapidly progressive form of scleroderma. Although attention has been focused on the characteristic changes in the skin and fingers, diffuse changes occur in many other organ systems. In the two cases described here, renal involvement is already present.
Oncology Informatics: Behavioral and Psychological Sciences

Abstract The behavioral and psychological sciences have generated a robust knowledge base over the last two decades that can be leveraged to advance oncology informatics and improve cancer control. In this chapter, we contend that the behavioral and psychological sciences add value through articulating the most promising theoretical models and approaches for designing, developing, and evaluating digital health technologies and informatics solutions. Examples in clinical care settings are given that illustrate how fundamental behavioral and psychological constructs inform the design and evaluation of clinical decision support systems for tobacco cessation, emotional distress screening and management, physical activity promotion, and for creating automated conversational agents for support and assistance in understanding complex consent forms. The future success of oncology informatics is predicated on drawing from the best available scientific evidence and behavioral informatics can serve as a core resource.
Sero-epidemiologic investigation on rickettsiosis of humans and livestock in Lushi county.

Objective To understand the sero-epidemiological features of rickettesiosis of humans and domestic animals in Lushi county.Methods 244 serum samples of people and 97 serum samples of livestock were collected in different geographic area including 4 towns for serological testing.Antibodies against 8 rickettsiae,including R.typhi,R.heilongjiangii or R.sibirica,Orientia tsutsugamushi Karp or Kato,Ehrlichia chaffeensis,Anaplasma phagocytosis,Bartonella henselae,Coxiella burnetii and Hainan spotted fever group of rickettsia were examined by using immunofluorescence assays(IFA).Results Antibodies against 8 rickettsiae were all found in humans and livestock.The positive rate of antibody against Anaplasma phagocytosis appeared to be the highest(26.23 %) and Orientia tsutsugamushi Karp or Kato to be the lowest(0.82 %) in humans,the rate of Hainan spotted fever group of rickettsia to be the highest(90.72 %) and Coxiella burnetii to be the lowest(8.25 %) in livestock.There were significant differences in serum antibody levels of Anaplasma phagocytosis in humans of different regions.The rate of R.typhi and Orientia tsutsugamushi Karp or Kato of sheep,Bartonella henselae of cattle,R.heilongjiangii or R.sibirica of dog was significantly higher than that of other animals.Conclusion It is evident that the rickettsial infection of humans and domestic animals are common in Lushi county,and the further investigation of rickettsiosis should be developed.
Algorithm of PWM and FRC Grayscale for 256 K Color LCD Driver

This paper describes the algorithm which mixed PWM and FRC grayscale used in 256 K color LCD driver. This arithmetic implementation reduces hardware logic gates and frequency.
The Nurse-Patient Assignment: Purposes and Decision Factors.

OBJECTIVE Identify purposes and decision factors of the nurse-patient assignment process. BACKGROUND Nurse-patient assignments can positively impact patient, nurse, and environmental outcomes. METHODS This was an exploratory study involving interviews with 14 charge nurses from 11 different nursing units in 1 community hospital. RESULTS Charge nurses identified 14 purposes and 17 decision factors of the nurse-patient assignment process. CONCLUSIONS The nurse-patient assignment is a complex process driven by the patient, nurse, and environment. Further study is needed to identify factors linked to patient safety, nurse, and environmental outcomes.
Interaction of microspheres with blood constituents. III. Macrophage phagocytosis of various types of polymeric drug carriers.

Biodegradable polymers in the form of microparticulate drug carriers in the 1 to 5 μm size range have been found to interact with cultured monocytes-macrophages. Peritoneal exudate cells harvested from female mice were analyzed for their capacity to internalize particles of the synthetic polymers, poly(giycolic acid), a copolymer of polyglycolic and polylactic acids, a derivative of the natural polymer, hydroxyethyl starch, and 2 inert polystyrene microspheres. Uptake of all the microparticles appeared to occur rapidly once contact was made between the particle and the cell surface. The interaction with the macrophages was quantitatively assessed by determining the ratio of the area of phagocytized particles to the cytoplasmic area in the cell. Maximum loading in all cases occurred in 6–8 hours and biodegradation or digestion was evident within 24 hours with the hydroxyethyl starch microspheres and within 48 hours with the others. The results suggest that systemic or local targeting of drugs and proteins to macrophages with biodegradable polymers is a viable option worthy of additional development.
A New Multiuser Detector for Synchronous CDMA Systems in AWGN Channels

The decorrelating decision-feedback (DDF) multiuser detector based on Cholesky factorization has been proven to improve the performance of the users in the detection process. For relatively low crosscorrelation values between user signals this detector performs quite well. The detector described in this paper employs two triangular matrices (upper and lower) and soft output information to improve the data estimates over the DDF detector. Significant performance gains can be achieved over the DDF. Also, the users tend to have their bit error probabilities clustered. Thus, the performance of a certain user is less dependent on its position in the detection process than for the DDF.
HER3 Expression Is a Marker of Tumor Progression in Premalignant Lesions of the Gastroesophageal Junction

Overexpression of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), including members of the HER family, has prognostic and therapeutic significance in invasive esophagogastric carcinoma. RTK expression in premalignant gastroesophageal lesions has not been extensively explored. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples of esophageal biopsy specimens from 73 patients with Barrett's esophagus with either low-grade dysplasia (LGD) (n = 32) or high-grade dysplasia (HGD) (n = 59) were analyzed for HER1, HER2, HER3 and CMET expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Immunophenotype was correlated with histologic and clinical features. High-grade dysplasia (HGD) was associated with overexpression of HER1 (20.7% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.023), HER2 (5.3% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.187) and HER3 (47.4% vs. 9.4%, p<0.001) compared to low-grade dysplasia (LGD). There was a significant association of HER2 (20.0% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.022) and HER3 (80.0% vs. 40.4%, p = 0.023) overexpression in HGD lesions associated with foci of invasive carcinoma compared to those without invasive foci. Overexpression of CMET was observed in 42.9% of specimens, was increasingly observed with HGD compared to LGD (58.3% vs. 36.7%, p = 0.200), and was most often co-expressed with HER3 (62.5% of HER3-positive specimens vs. 38.2% of HER3-negative specimens, p = 0.212). In summary, HER3 is frequently overexpressed in high-grade dysplastic lesions of the gastroesophageal junction and may be a marker of invasive progression. These data provide rationale for targeting HER2 and HER3 pathways in an early disease setting to prevent disease progression.
Fall recognition using wearable technologies and machine learning algorithms

Falls are common and dangerous for the elderly or individuals with decreased independence or functional limitations. Fall recognition is extremely important for fallers, healthcare providers, and society. Immediate fall recognition triggers emergency services and potentially decreases individuals time with injury without care. Acute post-fall intervention works to mitigate life threatening fall consequences, decrease fall risk through rehabilitation, and improve quality of life. Extended from our research on real-time fall risk estimation with the functional reach test and Timed Up and Go test built in mStroke, a real-time and automatic mobile health system for post-stroke recovery and rehabilitation, our investigation here is expanded to include fall recognition by taking advantage of wearable technologies and machine learning algorithms. Up to three wearable sensors are employed to acquire raw motion data related to activities of daily living or falls. Feature selection and classification on the basis of machine learning algorithms are explored for fall recognition. The fall recognition performances are presented to justify their accuracy and reliability. Meanwhile, the effects of sensor placement/location and the feature number on the recognition performance are also discussed in this paper.
Learning without Boundaries? Institutional Constraints and Professionals Engagement in Gig Economy

The rising of crowdsourcing gives full-time professionals more flexibility in learning, yet whether such a seemly boundaryless occupational setting facilitates or inhibits the actual engagement in crowdsourcing for professionals with learning orientation is still under exploration. Using data from 4041 doctors who answered 1,374,858 questions from 1,192,215 patients on a mobile healthcare crowdsourcing website across 26 weeks, I explored (a) how professionals learning orientation influences their engagement in gig economy over time, and (b) how online and offline institutional constraints moderate such relationship. Drawing on achievement motivation theory, I found that learning orientation is more likely to enhance professionals commitment ¨C manifested in response frequency, but not initiative ¨C manifested in response speed when the online acceptance rate is high. Learning orientation is more likely to inhibit both commitment and initiative when the offline employer's status is high. The interaction be...