cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding barriers and opportunities for adoption of conservation practices on rented farmland in the US

Abstract Agricultural conservation programs often focus on farm operators when promoting conservation practices. However, much of U.S. farmland is owned by landowners not directly involved in farm operations. Rental arrangements on these lands can dis-incentivize the adoption of conservation practices that could improve soil health, water quality, and land values. To date, agricultural conservation policy has largely ignored the role of non-operating landowners (NOLs) and rental arrangements. We help improve the evidence-base for policy by identifying barriers to adoption of conservation practices on rented farmlands. Analysis of forty interviews with NOLs, operators, farm managers and university extension personnel in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana revealed five categories of barriers: cash rent lease terms, rental market dynamics, information deficits/asymmetries, cognitive/interpersonal, and financial motivations. Some barriers, such as risk aversion and farm aesthetics were expressed by both NOLs and operators, while other barriers, such as status quo bias and annual renewal of leases were only expressed by NOLs and operators, respectively. To overcome barriers to conservation, interviewees recommended improving communication between NOLs and operators and modifying cash rent lease terms in order to build in flexibility for equitable sharing of risks and rewards. Agricultural conservation programs could readily apply these results—possibly working with intermediaries (e.g., farm managers, lawyers)—to offer communication and lease tools and assistance to NOLS and operators. Future research should evaluate the efficacy of these conservation interventions and how intermediaries affect the balance of power between NOLs and operators.
Reading the rainbow: LGBTQ-inclusive literacy instruction in the elementary classroom

Reviewed by Paul HartmanSchool of Teaching and Learning, Illinois State University, Chicago, IL, USAIn U.S. elementary classrooms, the focus on high-stakes testing and mandated-curricula can often ...
Line Waves and Unidirectional Propagation on Metasurfaces

We have developed a new kind of waveguide in which the modes consist of the interface states between two complementary impedance surfaces. It is analogous to two-dimensional surface waves, which are bound to the planar interface between two media, but in this case the waves are bound to the one-dimensional line interface between two sheets. They have several important properties, including a field singularity, and unidirectional propagation of two orthogonal modes, such that the polarization is locked to the propagation direction. We will examine how they are realized using metasurfaces, and their relationship to other media such as photonic topological insulators and chiral materials.
Preoperative quadriceps weakness preferentially predicts postoperative aberrant movement patterns during high-demand mobility following total knee arthroplasty

Abstract Background Nearly all patients with total knee arthroplasty show aberrant movement patterns during tasks requiring greater joint demand compared to matched peers. Greater movement compensation leads to increased loading onto other joints, decreased functional capacity and limited reserve for independence later in life. Understanding how preoperative predictors contribute to postoperative aberrant movement patterns is needed to make better decisions for patients considering total knee arthroplasty. Methods Forty-seven patients were tested preoperatively and six months following primary total knee arthroplasty. Demographic (age, sex, body mass), self-reported (knee pain, perception of physical performance, physical activity level), physical performance (quadriceps strength, lower limb power and timed stair climbing) and surgical metrics were collected as predictor variables. Three-dimensional models based on joint mechanic asymmetry during a decline walking task were collected at six months postoperatively. Decline walking is a preferred means to assess the surgical knee's contribution to limb performance during high-demand tasks. Bootstrap inclusion fraction was employed to compare the stability of each predictor variable prior to the final regression model. Results Preoperative quadriceps strength (β = 0.33; p = 0.04) showed a significant relationship with knee extensor angular impulse during loading phase. No other predictor variable had any meaningful relationship with aberrant movement patterns (p > 0.05). Conclusion Our findings highlight patients' preoperative quadriceps strength as a meaningful predictor of postoperative performance. Preoperative quadriceps strength should be addressed when considering the knee's ability to contribute to higher demanding mobility tasks following surgery.
Matrix trees

We propose a new data representation for octrees and kd-trees that improves upon memory size and algorithm speed of existing techniques. While pointerless approaches exploit the regular structure of the tree to facilitate efficient data access, their memory footprint becomes prohibitively large as the height of the tree increases. Pointerbased trees require memory consumption proportional to the number of tree nodes, thus exploiting the typical sparsity of large trees. Yet, their traversal is slowed by the need to follow explicit pointers across the different levels. Our solution is a pointerless approach that represents each tree level with its own matrix, as opposed to traditional pointerless trees that use only a single vector. This novel data organization allows us to fully exploit the tree's regular structure and improve the performance of tree operations. By using a sparse matrix data structure we obtain a representation that is suited for sparse and dense trees alike. In particular, it uses less total memory than pointer-based trees even when the data set is extremely sparse. We show how our approach is easily implemented on the GPU and illustrate its performance in typical visualization scenarios.
Cost and Scalability Analysis of Porcine Islet Isolation for Islet Transplantation: Comparison of Juvenile, Neonatal and Adult Pigs

The limited availability of human islets has led to the examination of porcine islets as a source of clinically suitable tissue for transplantation in patients with diabetes mellitus. Islets from porcine donors are commonly used in both in vitro and in vivo experiments studying diabetes mellitus. However, there are significant differences in quality and quantity of islet yield depending on donor pig age, as well as substantial differences in the costs of pancreas procurement in adult versus neonatal and juvenile pigs. In this study, we compared the total cost per islet of juvenile pig pancreata with that of neonatal and adult pigs. Although adult porcine pancreata yield, on average, more than five times the amount of islets than do juvenile and neonatal pancreata, we found that the high price of adult pigs led to the cost per islet being more than twice that of juvenile and neonatal islets (US $0.09 vs $0.04 and $0.02, respectively). In addition, neonatal and juvenile islets are advantageous in their scalability and retention of viability after culture. Our findings indicate that isolating neonatal and juvenile porcine islets is more cost-effective and scalable than isolating adult porcine islets.
Binding of histidine and proline with graphene: DFT study

Abstract M06-2X/6-31G(d) level calculations were performed to examine the interactions of two α-amino acids (histidine and proline) individually with two finite-sized graphene sheets (C62H20 and C186H36). The conformers and orientations of histidine and proline on the surface of graphene play an important role in determining the stabilities of complexes. The number and type of non-bonding interactions such as π-π, C H⋯π, N H⋯π and O H⋯π account for the stabilization of the complexes. The binding energy in aqueous phase generally decreases compared to gas phase. HOMO-LUMO energy gap of graphene is not altered by binding of either proline or histidine.
Synthesis and spectral analysis of (±)-cis-N-[1-(2-hydroxy-2-phenyl-ethyl)-3-methyl-4-piperidyl]-N-phenylpropanamide and (±)-cis-N-[1-(2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)-3-methyl-4-piperidyl]-N-phenylpropanamide

Treatment of (±)-cis-N-(3-methyl-4-piperidyl)-N-phenylpropanamide (2) with styrene oxide (1) yielded a mixture of (±)-cis-N-[1-(2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl)-3-methyl-4-piperidyl]-N-phenylpropanamide (3) and (±)-cis-N-[1-(2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)-3-methyl-4-piperidyl]-N-phenylpropanamide (4). The structure of compound 3 was confirmed by an unambiguous synthesis via (±)-cis-N-[1-(2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)-3-methyl-4-piperidyl]-N-phenylpropanamide (6). The proton and carbon-13 resonances of compounds 3 and 4 were assigned with the aid of two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation experiments.
Blockchain or Distributed Ledger Technology What Is in It for the Healthcare Industry

Distributed ledger technology has seen its debut into communities of practice in healthcare where the reliance on knowledge sharing between participants postulates the foundations of secure and distributed knowledge, especially in some sensitive context, such as patient information. This knowledge is essential for the practice of care from patient contact to research, pharmaceutical supply chain, medication adherence and management of the plethora of bedside data into a collection of knowledge about the patient, essential to quality care. We introduce different schools of thought and implementation contexts of the distributed ledger technology or Blockchain. We provide an overview of Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology, focused on the Healthcare industry, as an initial assessment of the validity of an application of Distributed Ledger Technology in a specific knowledge management model to solve problems related to knowledge sharing in medical knowledge management systems. The paper summarizes some instances of most likely and unlikely uses of Blockchain in the healthcare setting. The paper also introduces a few use cases where some short-term benefits from such implementation.
Optical Properties of MXenes

In the past decade, two-dimensional (2D) materials have had a significant impact on the physics and optics research community as they are observed to interact with light in a large variety of unique ways. MXenes have been added to this class of 2D in 2011. Ever since their discovery, they have been explored by a growing number of different fields of research, including optics and nanophotonics. In relation to optics, in the past few years, researchers have demonstrated a number of widely useful and interesting features of the MXenes, for example, optical transparency, plasmonic behavior, optical nonlinearity, efficient photothermal conversion, tunability of optical response, etc. These have led to application of the MXenes in functional metamaterial devices, mode-locked lasers, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), photothermal therapy (PTT), and so on. In this chapter, we start by reviewing the theoretical and experimental approaches in studying the optical properties of the MXenes and then discuss the impactful optical device demonstrations.
“Am I Doing What I think I’m Doing?”: The Importance of a Theoretical Frame when Integrating Tablets in Teacher Education

In the following self-study, we share our investigation of the shifts in faculty pedagogical beliefs, instructional practices, and curricular decision-making while engaged in a cycle of reflection on tablet-focused teacher education course. We conducted this inquiry into our practice, using Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) and the Substitution-Augmentation-Modification-Redefinition (SAMR) model as frameworks to examine data from interviews and reflective writing. We conclude the need for the explicit connection of technology professional development, specifically tablet technology, with a meaningful theoretical framework, in order for faculty to engage in effective integration. We also share our model for examining the development of instructor’s thinking about integrating technology, including influences on thinking and classification of instructional decisions into the SAMR taxonomy.
Eight things to know about business research data

Business researchers are using increasingly large and unique datasets on a wide range of topics. For librarians without prior experience with large-scale business and finance data it can be overwhe...
Seizures Among Patients with Brain Metastases: A Population- and Institutional-level Analysis

Objective To test the hypothesis that subets of patients with brain metastases (BrM) without seizures at intracranial presentation are at increased risk for developing seizures, we characterized the incidence and risk factors for seizure development among seizure-naive patients with BrMs. Methods We identified 15,863 and 1,453 patients with BrM utilizing Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare data (2008–2016) and Brigham and Women9s Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute (2000–2015) institutional data, respectively. Cumulative incidence curves and Fine/Gray competing risks regression were used to characterize seizure incidence and risk factors, respectively. Results Among SEER-Medicare and institutional patients, 1,588 (10.0%) and 169 (11.6%) developed seizures, respectively. On multivariable regression of the SEER-Medicare cohort, Black vs White race (hazard ratio [HR] 1.45 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.22–1.73], p 4 BrM at diagnosis (HR 1.60 [95% CI, 1.12–2.29], p = 0.01), presence of BrM in a high-risk location (HR 3.62 [95% CI, 1.60–8.18], p = 0.002), and lack of local brain-directed therapy (HR 3.08 [95% CI, 1.45–6.52], p = 0.003) were associated with greater risk of seizure development. Conclusions The role of antiseizure medications among select patients with BrM should be re-explored, particularly for those with melanoma, a greater intracranial disease burden, or BrM in high-risk locations.
Strength of Soils under Dynamic Loads

This paper deseribes apparatus developed and results of tests performed to investigate the strength characteristics of soils and soft rocks under dynamic loads.
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces inflammation via TLR2-dependent activation of the NF-κB pathway

Pathogenesis of COVID-19 is associated with a hyperinflammatory response; however, the precise mechanism of SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation is poorly understood. Here we investigated direct inflammatory functions of major structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2. We observed that spike (S) protein potently induces inflammatory cytokines and chemokines including IL-6, IL-1s, TNFa, CXCL1, CXCL2, and CCL2, but not IFNs in human and mouse macrophages. No such inflammatory response was observed in response to membrane (M), envelope (E), and neucleocapsid (N) proteins. When stimulated with extracellular S protein, human lung epithelial cells A549 also produce inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Interestingly, epithelial cells expressing S protein intracellularly are non-inflammatory, but elicit an inflammatory response in macrophages when co-cultured. Biochemical studies revealed that S protein triggers inflammation via activation of the NF-κB pathway in a MyD88-dependent manner. Further, such an activation of the NF-κB pathway is abrogated in Tlr2-deficient macrophages. Consistently, administration of S protein induces IL-6, TNF-a, and IL-1 s in wild-type, but not Tlr2-deficient mice. Together these data reveal a mechanism for the cytokine storm during SARS-CoV-2 infection and suggest that TLR2 could be a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19.
Microstrain Behavior of Metal-Matrix Composites

Metal matrix composites compression microstrain behavior, analyzing continuous fiber composites of magnesium-boron and copper-tungsten
Robust Classification with Adiabatic Quantum Optimization

We propose a non-convex training objective for robust binary classification of data sets in which label noise is present. The design is guided by the intention of solving the resulting problem by adiabatic quantum optimization. Two requirements are imposed by the engineering constraints of existing quantum hardware: training problems are formulated as quadratic unconstrained binary optimization; and model parameters are represented as binary expansions of low bit-depth. In the present work we validate this approach by using a heuristic classical solver as a stand-in for quantum hardware. Testing on several popular data sets and comparing with a number of existing losses we find substantial advantages in robustness as measured by test error under increasing label noise. Robustness is enabled by the non-convexity of our hardware-compatible loss function, q-loss.
Jasmonic acid-induced resistance to the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, in conventional and transgenic cottons expressing Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal proteins

To assess potential interactions between Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) proteins and jasmonic acid (JA)-induced resistance to the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Smith & Abbot (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), three commercial Stoneville cotton cultivars, Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae) (‘ST 475', a conventional cultivar; ‘ST 4575 BR', a Bollgard® cultivar expressing Cry1Ac protein; and ‘ST 4554B2RF', a Bollgard II® cultivar expressing Cry2Ab2 in addition to Cry1Ac), were treated with JA. Two experiments were conducted with 6-day-old S. frugiperda larvae on three cotton cultivars at two phenological stages. The first experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions and used excised cotton leaves; the second experiment was performed under greenhouse conditions on intact cotton plants. Relative growth rates (RGRs) and leaf area consumed by 6-day-old S. frugiperda larvae were determined for each combination of treatments. Overall, JA treatment and cultivars significantly impacted RGR and leaf area consumption. Significant JA treatment*cultivar interactions were observed for RGR of larvae in the laboratory experiment and for leaf area consumption in the greenhouse experiment. An additional experiment evaluated S. frugiperda neonates on the same JA and cotton cultivar combinations (at a single phenological stage) under laboratory conditions. Neonate survival was determined after 3, 5, and 10 days of feeding, and final larval weight after 10 days of feeding. Overall, JA treatment and cultivars significantly impacted final weight and survival of S. frugiperda. Significant JA treatment*cultivar interactions were observed for final weight and on overall survival of S. frugiperda. Combination of the cotton tissue expressing pyramided Bt proteins with JA treatment demonstrated the greatest negative impact on larval development. Apparent synergism between Bt proteins and JA-induced resistance emphasizes that traditional host plant resistance has a role to play in combination with Bt technology.
A New Topology for an Axiom of Quantum Mechanics

We discuss the von Neumann axiom that the state space (and also the space for observables) of a quantum system is the (topologically complete) Hilbert space. We argue that the topological structure of the Hilbert space is quite independent of the other main postulates of quantum theory, and show that it can be replaced by another topological vector space which leads to a mathematically rigorous theory of scattering and decay. One of the most interesting results of the new theory is the semigroup time evolution which reveals a fundamental time asymmetry at the microphysical level.
Suppression of B cell responsiveness by LP-BM5 retrovirus-induced myeloid derived suppressor cells generated during a murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a role for negative checkpoint regulator expression on the MDSCs (VIR7P.1059)

The inhibitory activities of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) against T cell responses are well established in tumor microenvironments. We published (2013, J. Virol. 87:2058-2071) on the induction of monocytic MDSCs during infection of susceptible B6 mice by LP-BM5 retrovirus, which causes a profound immunodeficiency. These MDSCs inhibited not only T, but also B cell, responsiveness to polyclonal stimulation in ex vivo suppression assays. Whereas MDSC inhibition of stimulated T cell proliferation and IFN-gamma production was largely iNOS/NO dependent, MDSC suppression of B cell responses was only partially (~50%) due to iNOS/NO - as shown by using iNOS inhibitors and LP-BM5 infected iNOS k.o. mice as a source of MDSCs. Here, we further study additional suppressive mechanism(s) in the MDSC inhibition of B cell responsiveness. Using MDSCs from LP-BM5 infected mice of negative checkpoint regulator knock-out origin, and specific blocking antibody, MDSC suppression of B cell responses was partly dependent on MDSC expression of certain checkpoint regulators. Combining the use of reagents to interrupt both iNOS/NO and checkpoint regulation lead to a synergistic blocking of MDSC suppression of B cell responsiveness. These results were compatible with a role for MDSC in LP-BM5 induced immunodeficiency and highlight the involvement of multiple and unique suppressive pathways in the under-studied area of MDSC suppression of B cell responses.
Level Structure of Te 1 1 6 , 1 1 8 , 1 2 0 , 1 2 2

The decays of ${\mathrm{I}}^{116,118,120,122}$ have been studied by use of isotopically separated sources produced by proton spallation of lanthanum. Ge(Li) $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray singles spectra and Ge(Li)-Ge(Li) coincidence spectra have been obtained and used in constructing level schemes for the corresponding Te daughters.
Particle identification with aerogel Ĉerenkov detectors

OF THE THESIS PARTICLE IDENTIFICATION WITH AEROGEL CERENKOV DETECTORS by Michael Carl Florida International University, 2003 Miami, Florida Professor Joerg Reinhold, Major professor Two detectors for charged particle identification have been built and tested. First, a test setup for a diffusion box threshold detector, using a 5 cm thick aerogel radiator has been designed and tested at the KEK PS facility in Japan. Using white Millipore paper as a diffuse reflector inside a diffusion box, the Cerenkov light gets scattered randomly until it hits one of the photomultipliers. On average up to 20 photoelectrons detected for pions at 1.2 GeV/c have been observed. Second, collection of Cerenkov light with an acrylic wavelength shifting plate was investigated. The test setup consisted of a plate, 30 cm long, 10 cm wide, and 1 cm thick placed behind a 5 cm deep stack of aerogel tiles. On the long ends the wavelength shifter was read out by two 5-inch photomultipliers. The response of the system to pions and protons at 1.2 GeV/c momentum was measured at the KEK PS facility in Japan. On average 6 photoelectrons radiated in the aerogel could be detected.
Why Don't Students Like School?: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom

Acknowledgments. The Author. Introduction. CHAPTER 1 Why Don't Students Like School? CHAPTER 2 How Can I Teach Students the Skills They Need When Standardized Tests Require Only Facts? CHAPTER 3 Why Do Students Remember Everything That's on Television and Forget Everything I Say? CHAPTER 4 Why Is It So Hard for Students to Understand Abstract Ideas? CHAPTER 5 Is Drilling Worth It? CHAPTER 6 What's the Secret to Getting Students to Think Like Real Scientists, Mathematicians, and Historians? CHAPTER 7 How Should I Adjust My Teaching for Different Types of Learners? CHAPTER 8 How Can I Help Slow Learners? CHAPTER 9 What About My Mind? Conclusion. Notes. Index. Credit Lines.
Taking Punishment Gladly: Bill Tilden's Performances of the Unruly Male Body

Although historians have read the athleticism of seven-time national tennis champion Bill Tilden as a cover for his sexual identity, his playing style was very much a product of his existence outside normative gender expectations in the 1920s. Tennis allowed Tilden to engage in the homosocial amateur sporting code of upper-class Northeasterners—establishing psychological intimacy with playing partners, opponents, and proteges—while also adapting the more “roughneck” and varied techniques of working-class Californian players into a style that observers celebrated for both its power and its beauty. Tilden defied contemporary expectations that bourgeois white men should eventually limit their participation in leisure and settle down with marriage and stable capitalist production, while using athletic movement to bridge gender categories in the creation of his own “artistic” self-expression.
Initial experience with the eXtend System: a relocatable frame system for multiple-session gamma knife radiosurgery.

Objective To present our initial experience with the Elekta eXtend System, a relocatable frame system for multiple-fraction or serial multiple-session radiosurgery Methods The eXtend System comprises a carbon-fiber frame system known as the eXtend Frame, a vacuum cushion, and a vacuum pump/vacuum surveillance system. The eXtend Frame comprises a carbon-fiber frame, a mouthpiece with dental impression, and a configurable front-piece that accepts the mouthpiece and rigidly attaches to the carbon-fiber frame. Treatment preparation involves creating a dental impression, fitting the patient to the frame system at the Gamma Knife, acquiring a stereotactic computed tomography (CT) scan, and co-registering a volumetric magnetic resonance image. Measurements taken at the time of CT imaging using high-precision electronic probes locate the patient's head within the eXtend frame. These measurements are compared to measurements taken at the time of treatment to ensure the patient is in proper treatment position. Vacuum surveillance interlocks pause the treatment if the patient moves within the eXtend frame. Results As of June 2010, we have treated four patients at the University of Virginia with the eXtend System. In all cases treated to date, we were able to complete all fractions of the prescribed treatments. In addition, while in some cases repositioning before a given fraction required several attempts, we were able to achieve a radial repositioning error of less than 1 mm without taking new reference measurements and repeating patient setup and imaging. Conclusions Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has traditionally been a single-fraction treatment modality. The eXtend System expands the range of indications for GKRS to those that may benefit from multi-fraction or serial multi-session techniques. The relocatable eXtend frame can provide non-invasive head fixation while maintaining a high accuracy, high dose, and the steep gradients associated with GKRS.
What do you feel? Adolescent drug and alcohol users show altered brain response to pleasant interoceptive stimuli

BACKGROUND: Altered interoception, i.e., processing of stimuli from inside the body, has been considered an important component of drug-taking behavior. However, approaches to examine interoceptive sensitivity in humans have been limited. This study examined the hypothesis that adolescents with substance use disorder show altered interoceptive processing, measured by stimulating mechano-receptive C-fibers (MR-CF) via soft touch. METHODS: Adolescents with substance use disorders (SUD, n=15) and comparison youth (CON, n=17) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during anticipation or reception of a positively valenced "Soft Touch" consisting of MR-CF stimulation to the palm or forearm. Visual analog scales (VAS) indexed subjective interoceptive experience (e.g., pleasantness, intensity). RESULTS: Across all conditions, SUD displayed attenuated left posterior insula activation compared to CON. Greater left anterior insula and right lentiform nucleus activation was evident during the application of soft touch for SUD but not for CON. Whereas for CON, greater left anterior insula activation was associated with higher pleasantness ratings, pleasantness was linked to less anterior insula activation in SUD. Finally, within SUD, attenuated posterior insula activation was related to more recent cannabis use. CONCLUSIONS: SUD adolescents exhibit blunted somatovisceral processing of pleasant stimulation, heightened sensitivity in regions responsible for processing reward value, and altered relationships between interoceptive processing and subjective experience. Language: en
Pyruvate restores contractile function and antioxidant defenses of hydrogen peroxide-challenged myocardium.

Abstract R. T. M ALLET , J. E. S QUIRES , S. B HATIA AND J. S UN . Pyruvate Restores Contractile Function and Antioxidant Defenses of Hydrogen Peroxide-Challenged Myocardium. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2002) 34, 1173–1184. Purpose: Pyruvate, a natural energy-yielding fuel in myocardium, neutralizes peroxides by a direct decarboxylation reaction, and indirectly augments the glutathione (GSH) antioxidant system by generating NADPH reducing power via citrate formation. The possibility that pyruvate's antioxidant actions could mediate its enhancement of contractile performance in prooxidant-challenged myocardium was investigated in isolated working guinea-pig hearts reversibly injured by hydrogen peroxide. Methods: Hearts were challenged by 10 min perfusion with 100 μ M H2O2, followed by 90 min H2O2-free perfusion. Metabolic and antioxidant treatments (each 5 m M ) were administered at 30–90 min post-H2O2. Phosphocreatine phosphorylation state, GSH/glutathione disulfide redox potential (GSH/GSSG) and key enzyme activities were measured in snap-frozen myocardium. Results: H2O2 exposure depleted myocardial energy and antioxidant reserves and produced marked contractile impairment that persisted throughout the H2O2 washout period. Relative to untreated post-H2O2 myocardium, pyruvate restored contractile performance, increased GSH/GSSG 52% and maintained phosphocreatine phosphorylation state; in contrast, lactate lowered cardiac performance and phosphorylation state. Neither the pharmacological antioxidant N -acetylcysteine (NAC) nor the pyruvate analog α-ketobutyrate increased cardiac function; both treatments increased GSH/GSSG but lowered phosphocreatine potential. H2O2 partially inactivated aconitase, creatine kinase and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), but all three enzymes spontaneously recovered during H2O2 washout. Pyruvate did not further activate these enzymes and unexpectedly inhibited GAPDH by 60–70%. Conclusion: Pyruvate promoted robust contractile recovery of H2O2-challenged myocardium by the combination of citrate-mediated antioxidant mechanisms and maintenance of myocardial energy reserves.
Short-term progressive spinal deformity following laminoplasty versus laminectomy for resection of intradural spinal tumors: analysis of 238 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Gross total resection of intradural spinal tumors can be achieved in the majority of cases with preservation of long-term neurological function. However, postoperative progressive spinal deformity complicates outcome in a subset of patients after surgery. We set out to determine whether the use of laminoplasty (LP) vs laminectomy (LM) has reduced the incidence of subsequent spinal deformity following intradural tumor resection at our institution. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 238 consecutive patients undergo - ing resection of intradural tumor at a single institution. The incidence of subsequent pro - gressive kyphosis or scoliosis, perioperative morbidity, and neurological outcome were compared between the LP and LM cohorts. RESULTS: One hundred eighty patients underwent LM and 58 underwent LP. Patients were 46 ± 19 years old with median modified McCormick score of 2. Tumors were intramedullary in 102 (43%) and extramedullary in 102 (43%). All baseline clinical, radiographic, and operative variables were similar between the LP and LM cohorts. LP was associated with a decreased mean length of hospitalization (5 vs 7 days; P = .002) and trend of decreased incisional cerebrospinal fluid leak (3% vs 9%; P =.14). Following LP vs LM, 5 (9%) vs 21 (12%) patients developed progressive deformity (P=.728) a mean of 14 months after surgery. The incidence of progressive deformity was also similar between LP vs LM in pediatric patients < 18 years of age (43% vs 36%), with preoperative scoliosis or loss of cervical/lumbar lordosis (28% vs 22%), or with intramedullary tumors (11 % vs 11 %). CONCLUSION: LP for the resection of intradural spinal tumors was not associated with a decreased incidence of short-term progressive spinal deformity or improved neurological function. However, LP may be associated with a reduction in incisional cerebrospinal fluid leak. Longer-term follow-up is warranted to definitively assess the long-term effect of LP and the risk of deformity over time.
Expression of Yeast NDI1 Rescues a Drosophila Complex I Assembly Defect

Defects in mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function have been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and aging. Mitochondrial complex I (NADH dehydrogenase) is the largest and most complicated enzyme of the ETC with 45 subunits originating from two separate genomes. The biogenesis of complex I is an intricate process that requires multiple steps, subassemblies, and assembly factors. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a Drosophila model of complex I assembly factor deficiency. We show that CG7598 (dCIA30), the Drosophila homolog of human complex I assembly factor Ndufaf1, is necessary for proper complex I assembly. Reduced expression of dCIA30 results in the loss of the complex I holoenzyme band in blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and loss of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase activity in isolated mitochondria. The complex I assembly defect, caused by mutation or RNAi of dCIA30, has repercussions both during development and adulthood in Drosophila, including developmental arrest at the pupal stage and reduced stress resistance during adulthood. Expression of the single-subunit yeast alternative NADH dehydrogenase, Ndi1, can partially or wholly rescue phenotypes associated with the complex I assembly defect. Our work shows that CG7598/dCIA30 is a functional homolog of Ndufaf1 and adds to the accumulating evidence that transgenic NDI1 expression is a viable therapy for disorders arising from complex I deficiency.
Factors affecting the next generation of women leaders: Mapping the challenges, antecedents, and consequences of effective leadership

This article introduces a conceptual model for understanding how young women perceive the current challenges of leadership. Numerous studies and articles claim that women are better educated, more experienced, and better suited for leadership positions than ever before. This news is encouraging, but the number of women in leadership roles in American politics gained less than one percentage point this year, hovering around 22%, while in the private sector many organizations have yet to place a single woman on their board. The proportion of women on corporate boards is 16%, with no evidence that this is likely to grow in the near future. What is even more discouraging is that these low numbers are not significantly higher than those in many developing nations. It is evident that women are underrepresented in top leadership positions and must intensely challenge the status quo. This article presents results of a study based on in-depth interviews with college women who are seeking paths to leadership. The researchers employ qualitative analytical research tools to explore the complexities of the phenomena. The findings bring a greater understanding of the antecedents and consequences that lie beneath the challenges affecting the next generation of women leaders.
Hamiltonian properties of domination-critical graphs

In this paper we show that every connected, 3-γ-critical graph on more than 6 vertices has a Hamiltonian path.
DETECTION OF BACILLUS CEREUS DIARRHEAGENIC TOXIN USING A RAT LIGATED INTESTINAL LOOP ASSAY

A study was performed to determine if the rat ligated intestinal loop assay could detect Bacillus cereus diarrheagenic toxin. The results obtained indicated that this assay system could be used for such a purpose but it was not as sensitive as the young rabbit ligated ileal loop assay. When rats were used, concentrating the cell free culture filtrate of B. cereus 30- to 40-fold was necessary to detect diarrheagenic toxin activity with the intestinal loop assay.
Inhibition of colicin B by enterochelin.

An inhibitor of colicin B excreted into the culture media by E. coli strains, and hyperproduced by exb mutants, is shown to be the iron chelator enterochelin (= enterobactin). Production of the inhibitor by E. coli exb + is regulated by the concentration of iron in the medium. The exb mutants fall into two classes: exbA , also having the properties of tonB mutants, and exbB which have a partial requirement for methionine.
Project Self-Esteem

An elementary school black studies program was conducted in three black schools as a program of primary prevention. Lower-class and lower middle-class parents and caretakers of the school children were interviewed to determine the extent of community approval of the program. It was hypothesized that less approval would be observed among the lower-class parents. Middle-class parents did show more strong approval but the large majority of both groups approved generally of the programs. Middle-class parents were more likely to approve of community control of the schools and the groups differed in their reasons for approving the programs.
Low-angle resistivity anomaly in layered superconductors.

The pinning effect of vortex lines by the layered structure (intrinsic pinning) on the resistivity of high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} superconductors in the mixed state is investigated by means of perturbation theory. A sharp drop in the resistivity at small angles for which vortex lines are almost aligned with the {ital ab} planes is shown to occur even in a high-temperature region where the pinning potential is reduced by thermal fluctuations.
Determination or Corona Starting Voltages or Nonunirorm Fields in Air

Until recently spark-over and corona starting voltages could be predetermined satisfactorily only in cases where experimental curves or empirical formulas were available. The advent of the Townsend theory,1 and later its modification, led to a general method in breakdown calculations, although these were not entirely successful until a more complete knowledge of the Townsend coefficients for air was obtained.2-4 Based upon this knowledge and from published data Ver Planck5 developed a method especially applicable for calculating initial breakdown voltages for nonuniform fields which converge toward the cathode. Though still empirical the increased data enabled more accurate results to be obtained from this method. The purpose of this paper is to apply the theory to a case where the field is produced between a flat plate and an edge formed by two intersecting planes, verifying experimentally.
High Priority Research Relevant to Energy Issues in the Field of Process and Systems Dynamics and Control

This paper summarizes a set of high priority basic engineering research needs in the field of Process and Systems Dynamics and Control which are important to the development of future energy technologies. These needs have been defined and recommended to the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the direction and oversight of the American Automatic Control Council representing the major professional societies having expertise in the field. Ten generic research areas have been defined which are grouped within four major recommended fields of basic engineering research: on-line optimization and control, systems methodology, measurement methodology and instrumentation, and modeling. Research in each of these fields has the potential for broad energy impact in transportation, processing, energy conversion and delivery, manufacturing, environmental aspects and other applications which consume significant amounts of energy. It is estimated that the recommended research could result in savings of total energy use of 1–10 percent depending on the application, which at current prices could range from $5 to $50 billion per year, based on research funding of $20 to $30 million per year. The results and recommendations summarized in this paper are based on the report entitled, “Basic Research in Engineering: Process and Systems Dynamics and Control” [1].
A dual-reporter, diagnostic vector for prostate cancer detection and tumor imaging

Detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a screening strategy for prostate cancer is limited by the inability of the PSA test to differentiate between malignant cancer and benign hyperplasia. Here, we report the use of a cancer-specific promoter, inhibition of differentiation-1 (Id1), to drive a dual-reporter system (Ad5/3-Id1-SEAP-Id1-mCherry) designed for detection of prostate cancer using a blood-based reporter-secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) and tumor visualization using a fluorescent reporter protein, mCherry. In human prostate tumors, Id1 levels are correlated with increased Gleason grade and disease progression. To evaluate the performance of the dual-reporter system, a prostate cell panel with varying aggressive phenotypes was tested. Following infection with the Ad5/3-Id1-SEAP-Id1-mCherry vector, expression of the SEAP and mCherry reporters was shown to increase with increasing levels of cellular Id1. No correlation was observed between Id1 and PSA. To evaluate in vivo performance, flank tumors were grown in athymic male mice using three prostate cancer cell lines. Following intra-tumoral injection of the vector, tumors formed by cells with high Id1 had the greatest reporter expression. Interestingly, tumors with the lowest levels of Id1 and reporter expression produced the greatest amounts of PSA. These data support the use of Ad5/3-Id1-SEAP-Id1-mCherry as a predictor of prostate cancer malignancy and as a strategy for tumor localization.
Correlation Effects in Atoms. I. Helium

The variational-perturbation method has been applied to the study of correlation effects in the helium atom. Starting from the Hartree-Fock Hamiltonian as zeroth-order approximation, we have evaluated the correlation energy through fifth order in perturbation theory. With a ten-parameter trial wave function we get ${E}_{\mathrm{corr}}=\ensuremath{-}0.0419$ atomic units, which differs from the exact value by 0.4% and shows the rapid convergence of this type of Hartree-Fock perturbation theory. Comparison is also made with similar calculations using Hartree or hydrogenic Hamiltonians as starting points.
Timing of the right ventricular apical electrogram during sustained ventricular tachycardia: Relation to surface QRS morphology and potential clinical implications

To evaluate the timing of the right ventricular (RV) apical electrogram in relation to the QRS complex during ventricular tachycardia (VT), 94 episodes of sustained uniform VT were analyzed in 56 patients. The timing of the RV apical electrogram varied and could be recorded from 33 ms before to 180 ms (mean 77 ± 44 ms) after the onset of the QRS complex. The timing of the RV apical electrogram, expressed both as an absolute value and as a percentage of a QRS width, was significantly different when right bundle branch block (BBB) morphology VT (95 ± 37 ms) and left BBB morphology VT (40 ± 34) were compared (p
Foibles, Follies, and Fusion: Assessment of Statistical Label Fusion Techniques for Web-Based Collaborations using Minimal Training.

Labeling or parcellation of structures of interest on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential in quantifying and characterizing correlation with numerous clinically relevant conditions. The use of statistical methods with automated techniques or complete data sets from several different raters has been proposed to simultaneously estimate both rater reliability and true labels. An extension to these statistical based methodologies was proposed that allowed for missing labels, repeated labels and training trials. Herein, we present and demonstrate the viability of these statistical based methodologies using real world data contributed by minimally trained human raters. The consistency of the statistical estimates, the accuracy compared to the individual observations and the variability of both the estimates and the individual observations with respect to the number of labels are discussed. It is demonstrated that the Gaussian based statistical approach using the previously presented extensions successfully performs label fusion in a variety of contexts using data from online (Internet-based) collaborations among minimally trained raters. This first successful demonstration of a statistically based approach using "wild-type" data opens numerous possibilities for very large scale efforts in collaboration. Extension and generalization of these technologies for new application spaces will certainly present fascinating areas for continuing research.
Comparative extraction methods for spectrophotometric analysis of uric acid in avian excreta.

Different extraction techniques were compared in uric acid analysis of avian excreta. These include five extraction reagents (0.1 M sodium hydroxide, 0.1 M glycine buffer, 0.068 m lithium carbonate, 0.136 M lithium carbonate and sodium borate buffer, pH 9.1). Each extraction reagent was used with four excreta sample weights (50, 100, 150 and 200 mg) for four extraction periods (10, 20, 30 and 40 min) in four extraction volumes (5, 10, 15 and 20 ml). Extraction with sodium hydroxide gave lower uric acid concentration; however, glycine buffer extraction gave uric acid concentration that was higher (P < 0.05) than extraction with lithium carbonate or sodium borate buffer. Uric acid concentration increased with increase in sample weight and decreased with decrease in reagent volume when extracted with glycine buffer. Filtration of sodium hydroxide and glycine buffer extract with 1‐kDa low‐binding regenerated‐cellulose membrane did not alter uric acid extraction efficiency from avian excreta. Regardless of len...
A Framework for Evaluating the Consequences Programs of Assessment

How can the enterprise of looking at the consequences of testing in America be moved forward? What are the responsibilities of the key actors? How can we accumulate the evidence that we need?
Unimolecular and bimolecular reactions in the C4H6+⋅ system: Experiment and theory

New experimental data on the metastable reactions of C4H6+⋅ are presented. The bimolecular reactions between C2H2+⋅ and C2H4 and between C2H4+⋅ and C2H2 have been reinvestigated using a tandem ICR. Total rate constants and branching ratios were measured and isotopic scrambling investigated using deuterium labeling. The experimental data reported here and the PIPECO data of Werner and Baer [J. Chem. Phys. 62, 2900 (1975)] are compared with the predictions of the transition state switching model. Good agreement was found between the predictions of the model and the experimental data. The branching ratios were found to be strong functions of both energy and angular momentum. In the bimolecular reaction between C2H2+ and C2H4 charge transfer appears to occur predominently via a loosely bound intermediate which only samples a small volume of the available C4H+⋅6 phase space.
Information Theoretic and Entropy Methods: An Overview

Information Theory (IT) methods, concepts, and solutions are now much more widely recognized, understood, and employed. Sometimes they are “rediscovered” and cited in ways that more closely reflect...