cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sesquiterpene and diterpene lactones from melampodium longipilum

Abstract the aerial parts of Melampodium longipilum afforded two new diterpene lactones, 17-hydroxy- and 17-acetoxyacanthoaustralide, and a new sesquiterpene lactone, repandin E, besides the known melampolides enhydrin and fluctuanin.
Progress in the Clinical Use of 3-(Ortho-Toloxy)-1, 2-Propanediol (Mephenesin) in Neurologic Disorders

THE distress of many motor disorders is produced by exaggerated stretch reflexes (spasticity), excessive resistance to passive movement (rigidity) or abnormal involuntary movement of central origin (hyperkinesia). To be satisfactory, a therapeutic agent must be easy to administer, preferably orally, effective in prolonged administration and devoid of untoward side effects. Specifically, it should depress abnormal motor activity without impairing consciousness, coordination or normal motor functions. Numerous agents used on this service and elsewhere have failed in one or more respects. Parpanit,1 Prostigmine and intravenous injection of procaine have been ineffective. Though the belladonna alkaloids have been helpful in selected cases . . .
Induction of erythroid colony forming cells (CFU-E) in murine spleen by endotoxin.

SummaryInjection of endotoxin induced in the spleens of normal and of polycy-themic mice a dose-related increase in CFU-E. In the intact normal mice these precursors developed into erythroblasts and resulted in increases in 59Fe incorporation into heme. In mice whose endogenous Ep was suppressed by polycythemia no differentiation of the precursors took place. The time course of the CFU-E increase after endotoxin suggests proliferation of precursors as the most plausible mechanism.
Alkylations of “enolates” generated from amino carbene complexes of chromium

Abstract The carbanion generated from the methyl (pyrrolidino) chromium carbene complex 6a reacts with a variety of alkylating reagents to provide good to high yields of monoalkylated products. The alkylation reactions of the amino carbene complex were found to be significantly more efficient than alkoxy carbene complex analogs. Dialkylation was not detected and might be explained by the observed sluggish alkylation of the ethyl (pyrrolidine) carbene complex 6b .
A technique for the study of electrically stimulated tissue with 14C-labeled substrates

Abstract A technique for electrically stimulating cerebral cortex tissue is described. Improvement in flask design eliminates electrical failure while gaining speed in tissue mounting. Details are given of the apparatus used with isotopes in brain metabolism studies.
A Paradigm Shift in E-mail Treatment?

While sending self-destructing messages is not new, that capability is now available to the general Internet-user population. Services such as BigString and StealthText promise protection by making it difficult for recipients to capture message contents ? providing a form of security via obscurity. However, unscrupulous individuals can take advantage of these services to deceive unsuspecting recipients. In addition to examining the aforementioned services and their claims, this paper considers possible benefits and drawbacks and the ethics of their use in a variety of circumstances. It suggests appropriate forms of disclosure and alternative technologies to facilitate them. Steps recipients can take to protect themselves are also considered. Possible ramifications affecting how e-mails and other forms of messages are treated in legal processes are discussed.
The Impact of Employment of Part-Time Surgeons on the Expected Surgeon Shortage

Background The trend for choosing to work part-time (PT) in medicine is increasing. We hypothesize that strategies to employ PT surgeons and prolong the duration of practice might reduce the surgeon shortage considerably. We calculated the effects of PT employment on the surgical workforce. Study Design We estimated the surgical workforce in obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, thoracic surgery, ENT, orthopaedic surgery, urology, and neurosurgery to be 99,000 in 2005. We assumed 3,635 Board Certificates would be granted each year and surgeons will practice for 30 years, with 3,300 retiring each year. Scenarios were constructed with one-quarter (scenario 1), one-half (scenario 2), or three-quarters (scenario 3) of potential retirees working half-time for an additional 10 years. Results By 2030, with other variables unchanged, the United States would have 4,125; 8,250; and 12,375 additional PT surgeons under scenario 1 (4% increase), scenario 2 (8% increase), and scenario 3 (12% increase), respectively, with a corresponding reduction in the shortage of surgeons. Conclusions An opportunity exists to reduce the shortage of surgeons by offering models for PT employment particularly to mid-career women and retiring surgeons. Employment models should address flexible work schedules, malpractice premium adjustments, academic promotion, maintenance of certification and licensure, and employment benefits.
Towards a Multidimensional Measure of Governance

This paper proposes a new index of governance based on the Alkire-Foster methodology and compares it with the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance. The proposed new index improves on existing measures of governance in two ways. First, it is able to incorporate both cardinal and ordinal variables without having to assign cardinal meaning to ordinal variables. The cardinalization of ordinal variables can lead to ambiguous rankings depending on the choice of the cardinal scale. Second, by borrowing the mechanism of cutoffs found in poverty measurement literature, the index can focus attention on nations deprived in terms of governance. The index is computed for the 48 countries of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s data. The groups of best-performing and worst-performing nations identified by each of the two methods are largely similar. However, there are some differences among the middle order governance nations. An additional advantage of the proposed methodology is that it involves counting each country’s achievements in the dimensions of governance, which can be presented in a report card of governance.
Histologic changes in the human vein wall adjacent to indwelling central venous catheters.

PURPOSE Central venous catheter dysfunction can be caused by thrombosis (of the catheter or vessel itself), fibrin sheath formation, or infection. These sequelae can lead to costly interventions, loss of the access device, or loss of access sites in as many as one-third of patients. This study examined the histologic changes in the access vein and superior vena cava wall that is adjacent to central venous catheters in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS The access vein, brachiocephalic vein, and superior vena cava were excised en bloc at autopsy from six patients with central venous catheters. The specimens were processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The specimens were examined for histologic changes in the vein wall adjacent to the catheters, changes in the intima, and the presence of associated thrombus. RESULTS Three catheters had been in place 90 days (long term). Two microscopic patterns were observed. The short-term catheters displayed foci of local intimal injury with endothelial denudation and a layer of adherent thrombus. The second pattern, seen in the long-term catheters, consisted of smooth muscle cell proliferation leading to vein wall thickening. Focal areas of catheter attachment to the vein wall, composed of thrombus in varying stages of organization, collagen, and endothelial cells, were also observed. CONCLUSIONS After short-term catheter placement, focal areas of endothelial injury were seen in the vein wall adjacent to the catheter. Associated thrombus may or may not be present. Long-term catheters displayed vein wall thickening and bridges from the vein wall to the catheter. These observations represent a progressive reaction of the human vein wall to access devices.
Trace formulas for a rigid asymmetric rotator-type Hamiltonian

Abstract The general form of the trace of the N th power of a rigid asymmetric rotator-type Hamiltonian is derived. Explicit formulas are given for N = 1, 2, ⋯, 7 for the traceless form of the Hamiltonian. The results obtained are valid for integral and half-integral angular momentum quantum numbers j .
Sensitive versus classified information.

In his Editorial “Academic health I” (20 Aug., p. [1077][1]), Donald Kennedy refers to provisions of research awards that require control of information that “may be sensitive or inappropriate” (according to National Security Decision Directive 189). As an individual with a history of employment in the defense industry, I can assure you that there are no legal definitions of information beyond “classified” and “unclassified.” Scientific information that is not classified is not subject to any restriction, controls, or prior restraints on the part of the federal government, as a matter of law. There is no such thing, technically, legally, or officially, as “unclassified information that may be sensitive or inappropriate.” There is such a thing as classified information that is deemed “sensitive,” as well as “secret” and “top secret,” and there are some other variations on the specific categories of classified information in the intelligence, military, and atomic energy arenas. I urge all recipients of federal grants to search for such terms in your grant documents, cross them out, and refer the matter to your legal department. If you are involved in classified research, you will know it. If not, the government does not have any right or authority to impose any quasi-classification restriction on you in the name of national security, homeland defense, or any other supposed national interest. # Response {#article-title-2} I am in agreement—indeed, in sympathy—with Gropp's concern that misallocation of resources will be an important consequence of privation. The tuition increases mentioned by Newsome may have been used to fund financial aid, but we have no data—and in any event, even current tuition in most state universities is far below the real cost of education. That takes us to Rosenzweig, who describes the consequences of current policies far more convincingly than I can. As for Vernon, the words “may be sensitive or inappropriate” were not mine. They were used by government contract monitors in research agreements with universities. When Vernon states (reassuringly?) that scientific information that is not classified is not subject to any such restrictions, he is stating government policy, all right. But since some government employees either don't know the policy or ignore it, Science 's readers should follow the advice in Vernon's last paragraph. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.305.5687.1077
Folk housing revisited

As Fred Kniffen observed, vernacular buildings identify culture and record our relationships with physical and social environment. Influenced by Kniffen, twentieth‐century cultural geographers used...
Mechanism of coupling drug transport reactions located in two different membranes

Gram- negative bacteria utilize a diverse array of multidrug transporters to pump toxic compounds out of the cell. Some transporters, together with periplasmic membrane fusion proteins (MFPs) and outer membrane channels, assemble trans-envelope complexes that expel multiple antibiotics across outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria and into the external medium. Others further potentiate this efflux by pumping drugs across the inner membrane into the periplasm. Together these transporters create a powerful network of efflux that protects bacteria against a broad range of antimicrobial agents. This review is focused on the mechanism of coupling transport reactions located in two different membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. Using a combination of biochemical, genetic and biophysical approaches we have reconstructed the sequence of events leading to the assembly of trans-envelope drug efflux complexes and characterized the roles of periplasmic and outer membrane proteins in this process. Our recent data suggest a critical step in the activation of intermembrane efflux pumps, which is controlled by MFPs. We propose that the reaction cycles of transporters are tightly coupled to the assembly of the trans-envelope complexes. Transporters and MFPs exist in the inner membrane as dormant complexes. The activation of complexes is triggered by MFP binding to the outer membrane channel, which leads to a conformational change in the membrane proximal domain of MFP needed for stimulation of transporters. The activated MFP-transporter complex engages the outer membrane channel to expel substrates across the outer membrane. The recruitment of the channel is likely triggered by binding of effectors (substrates) to MFP or MFP-transporter complexes. This model together with recent structural and functional advances in the field of drug efflux provides a fairly detailed understanding of the mechanism of drug efflux across the two membranes.
Project MATCH: training for a promotora intervention.

PURPOSE Adequate training and support are critical for community health workers (promotoras de salud in Spanish) to work effectively. Current literature on promotora training is limited by a focus on promotoras' knowledge and satisfaction immediately after training. The relevance of training to subsequent work performance and the need for ongoing training are rarely addressed. This article describes the training and evaluation components of a promotora intervention focused on diabetes self-management. Training Methods Project MATCH (the Mexican American Trial of Community Health Workers) is a clinical trial designed to test the effectiveness of an intensive, promotora-based intervention to improve disease self-management for Mexican Americans with diabetes. The MATCH investigators designed a multicomponent promotora training program that provided both initial and ongoing training. The investigators used multiple methods to determine promotoras' knowledge levels, initial competency in intervention delivery, and changes in this competency over time. Evaluation Methods and Results The evaluation results show that although the initial training provided a solid knowledge and skills base for the promotoras, the ongoing training was critical in helping them deal with both intervention-related and personal challenges. CONCLUSIONS The experiences of the MATCH study suggest that in addition to strong initial training, promotora interventions benefit from ongoing training and evaluation to ensure success.
Limit loads of ship structure components using the elastic modulus adjustment procedure (EMAP)

Abstract In this paper, the m α -tangent method is implemented in conjunction with elastic modulus adjustment procedure (EMAP) and an algorithm has been proposed for limit load estimation. This technique is applied to a number of ship structure components possessing different kinematic redundancies. Specifying spatial variations in the elastic modulus, numerous sets of statically admissible and kinematically admissible stress and strain distributions are generated, and both lower and upper bound limit load multipliers are obtained. Utilizing the lower and upper bound multipliers, accurate limit loads of ship structure components are then determined using the m α -tangent method. Results are compared with the inelastic finite element results and the available analytical solutions.
A factor analysis of contraceptive preferences.

Summary Factor analysis of acceptability ratings given to 10 contraceptive methods by 178 Ss (78 male, 100 female) identified four groupings: (a) coitusdependent—condom, diaphragm, and foam or jelly; (b) surgical—vasectomy and tubal ligation; (c) coitus-inhibiting—abstinence, rhythm, and withdrawal; and (d) coitus-independent—intrauterine device and pill. Factor scores were computed and correlated with variables from the Adjective Check List, California F Scale, California Psychological Inventory, College Vocabulary Test, Miller-Fisk Sexual Knowledge Questionnaire, and Rotter's locus-of-control scale. Although the yield of significant correlations was modest, several heuristic patterns of covariation with the personality and cognitive measures were noted.
Ca2+ channel-independent requirement for MAGUK family CACNB4 genes in initiation of zebrafish epiboly.

CACNB genes encode membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) proteins once thought to function exclusively as auxiliary β subunits in assembly and gating of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Here, we report that zygotic deficiency of zebrafish β4 protein blocks initiation of epiboly, the first morphogenetic movement of teleost embryos. Reduced β4 function in the yolk syncytial layer (YSL) leads to abnormal division and dispersal of yolk syncytial nuclei, blastoderm retraction, and death, effects highly similar to microtubule disruption by nocodazole. Epiboly is restored by coinjection of human β4 cRNA or, surprisingly, by mutant cRNA encoding β4 subunits incapable of binding to Ca2+ channel α1 subunits. This study defines a YSL-driven zygotic mechanism essential for epiboly initiation and reveals a Ca2+ channel-independent β4 protein function potentially involving the cytoskeleton.
Serial nerve conduction studies of the tail of rhesus monkey ( Macaca mulatta ) and potential implications for interpretation of human neurophysiological studies

It is well accepted in clinical medicine that nerve conduction studies are helpful in the diagnosis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. However, some clinicians utilize serial nerve conduction studies to make inferences regarding the progression of peripheral neuropathy. The validity of this clinical construct has not been established. In order to determine the variability in serial nerve conduction studies, sensory and motor responses were obtained from the caudal nerve of the tail of a diabetic monkey. In particular, the sensory and motor nerve conduction studies were obtained on seven separate occasions over a period of 4.5 months in a diabetic Macaca mulatta monkey. The coefficient of variation in the motor onset latency, motor amplitude, sensory onset latency and sensory amplitude was 10.7%, 56.4%, 4.2% and 23.4%, respectively. These results suggest that physicians should be cautious in making clinical inferences based on the changes in serial nerve conduction studies.
Citrobacter Infections in Humans: Experience at the Seattle Veterans Administration Medical Center and a Review of the Literature

The genus Citrobacter is a distinct group of human pathogens comprising three species: Citrobacter freundii (biotypes a and b), Citrobacter amalonaticus, and Citrobacter diversus. In this review the clinical and microbiologic experience during 1972-1978 at the Seattle Veterans Administration Medical Center (Seattle, Wash.) with 298 isolates of Citrobacter is analyzed in relation to a survey of the literature. The most common sources of citrobacter isolates were urine, sputum, and soft tissue exudates. Members of this genus can cause neonatal meningitis and, perhaps, gastroenteritis in both children and adults. Although deep tissue infections due to Citrobacter have been reported only occasionally, in this study a large number of cultures of peritoneal fluid and bone contained Citrobacter. Most isolates of Citrobacter were from elderly, debilitated patients and either represented secondary infections or were of indeterminate clinical significance.
PEROXIDATIVE AND RADIATION DAMAGE TO ISOLATED LYSOSOMES.

Abstract Isolated rat-liver lysosomes peroxidized at a comparatively slower rate that either mitochondria or microsomes, but when subjected to induced free radical systems like autoxidizable compounds, linoleate emulsion and hydrogen peroxide, the lysosomal membrane was found extremely libile to such damage as indicated by release of bound enzymes. Ultraviolet light and gamma radiation had also similar lysing effect of the membrane of isolated lysosomes. The differential release and inactivation pattern of various enzymes suggest differences in molecular binding and organization of these enzymes in lysosomal particles.
Sediment Transport over Ripples in Oscillatory Flow

In this paper, we present results of a large-eddy simulation of flow and suspended sediment transport around prototypical ripples based on “long-wave ripples” as measured at Duck, N.C., in waves of height 1 m and period of 10 s . Solving the volume-filtered Navier–Stokes equations for the momentum and an advection–diffusion equation with a setting term for the suspended sediment, we obtain time-dependent, three-dimensional descriptions of the velocity, pressure, and sediment concentration fields. Although the main flow and sediment transport patterns are governed by a quasi-two-dimensional vortex formation–ejection mechanism, we illustrate the three-dimensional structure of both, and make qualitative comparisons with the results of other researchers. We conclude with analysis of concentration time series measured at a point and interpret them within the larger framework of the flow. The present simulations demonstrate that the flow over these larger-scale ripples resembles that over vortex ripples quite s...
Dopamine and Prolactin in Human Pregnancy

The interrelationship between dopamine and PRL during human pregnancy was investigated. Amniotic fluid collected from 104 pregnant women of different gestational ages was analyzed for dopamine by a radioenzymatic assay and for PRL by a RIA. The PRL concentration during the first trimester was 380 ng/ml, rose to approximately 5000 ng/ml during the second and third trimesters, and decreased to 1090 ng/ml near term. Dopamine in the amniotic fluid was approximately 1.1 ng/ ml throughout most of gestation, but rose to 2.4 ng/ml near term. Norepinephrine was low or undetectable (<0.12 ng/ml) during most of gestation, but increased to 0.4 ng/ml at term. Epinephrine was undetectable in all samples. The amniotic fluid also contained significant amounts of conjugated dopamine and norepinephrine, the levels of which rose near term. Dopamine in cord plasma from fetuses was 2.0 ng/ml, which was twice that in plasma from parturients or nonpregnant women. Norepinephrine levels (0.6-0.9 ng/ml) were similar in the fetal a...
Methods for xenoestrogen testing

Abstract Research in our laboratories has focused on development of a battery of in vivo and in vitro bioassays for determining estrogenic activity and potency of different classes of natural and synthetic industrial-derived estrogenic compounds (xenoestrogens) including food/beverage extracts, phytoestrogens, phenolic compounds, organochlorine pesticides and pollutants. For many of the weak estrogenic compounds, their activity as estrogen receptor (ER) agonists or antagonists is dependent on the gene/gene promoter, cell context and expression of ER α or ER β isoform. For example, extracts of red wine, bound to the ER, exhibited estrogenic activity in T47D, MCF-7 (breast) and Hep G2 (liver) human cancer cell lines, whereas reconstituted organochlorine pesticide residues found in food were active only in Hep G2 cells that transiently expressed ER α or ER β . The relative potencies of red wine extracts versus reconstituted organochlorine pesticides were assay-dependent; however, estrogen equivalent daily intakes from a glass of red wine (∼0.5–2 μg estrogen equivalents/day) were at least 10 3 higher than observed for the reconstituted organochlorine pesticide mixtures. Risk assessment of xenoestrogens and other synthetic chemicals which modulate endocrine responses must take into account high dietary levels of natural products in food, drugs and health food store extracts which also modulate endocrine responses.
Surface states and annihilation characteristics of positrons trapped at reconstructed semiconductor surfaces

Abstract Positron probes of the Si(1 0 0) surface that plays a fundamental role in modern science and technology are capable to non-destructively provide information that is both unique to the probe and complimentary to that extracted using other more standard techniques. This paper presents a theoretical study of positron “image-potential” surface states and annihilation characteristics of surface trapped positrons at the Si(1 0 0) surface. Calculations are performed for the reconstructed Si(1 0 0)-p(2 × 2) surface using the modified superimposed-atom method to account for discrete-lattice effects, and the results are compared with those obtained for the non-reconstructed and reconstructed Si(1 0 0)-(2 × 1) and Si(1 1 1)-(7 × 7) surfaces. The effect of orientation-dependent variations of the atomic and electron densities on localization and extent of the positron surface state wave function at the semiconductor surface is explored. The positron surface state wave function is found to extend into the Si lattice in the regions where atoms are displaced from their ideal terminated positions due to the p(2 × 2) reconstruction. Estimates of the positron binding energy and positron annihilation characteristics reveal their sensitivity to the specific atomic structure of the topmost layers of Si. The observed sensitivity of annihilation probabilities to crystal face indicates that positron spectroscopy techniques could serve as an important surface diagnostic tool capable of distinguishing different semiconductor surfaces and defining their state of reconstruction.
Polymerization of equilibrium vesicles

Spontaneous vesicles form in aqueous solutions of mixtures of cationic and anionic surfactants. Here we report that vesicles are also found in systems containing a polymerizable monomer as a fourth component and that these vesicles can be polymerized with retention of the equilibrium structure. This is a convenient and versatile approach in which the vesicle architecture can be controlled by equilibrium surfactant self- assembly prior to polymerization, while the microstructure of the spherical polymer network can be controlled by the choice of monomer and degree of cross-linking.
Characterization of resistance to Aphis glycines in soybean accessions

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, is a pest of soybean [Glycine max L. (Merrill)] in Asia, and its recent establishment in North America has led to large, recurring outbreaks that have challenged pest management practitioners there to seek environmentally responsible means for its control. Growth-chamber experiments were conducted to determine and characterize host-plant resistance among several soybean accessions. Soybean plants were first screened for resistance by rating the population growth of A. glycines in two tests. All plants of PI 230977 and 25% of PI 71506 plants were resistant (≤100 aphids per plant) in the first screening test. All ‘Dowling’, PI 71506 and PI 230977 were resistant (≤150 aphids per plant), and 50% of plants of line ‘G93-9223’ were resistant in the second test. Follow-up experiments showed that antixenosis was a modality of resistance based on reduced nymphiposition by A. glycines on Dowling, PI 230977 and PI 71506 in no-choice tests and on fewer numbers of A. glycines on Dowling, PI 230977, PI 71506 and G93-5223 in distribution tests. Antixenosis in Dowling and PI 230977 was stronger in the unifoliolate leaves than in other shoot structures, whereas distribution of A. glycines within plants of PI 71506 and G93-5223 suggested comparable suitability between unifoliolate leaves and other shoot structures of these accessions. Antibiosis to A. glycines was evident as a lower proportion of aphids that reproduced on PI 230977 and from fewer progeny on PI 230977 and Dowling than on 91B91. The number of days from birth to reproduction by A. glycines did not differ among accessions. Results confirmed Dowling and PI 71506 as strong sources of resistance to A. glycines. The levels of antixenosis and antibiosis to A. glycines in PI 230977 and antixenosis to A. glycines in G93-9223 suggest that these accessions may also be valuable to soybean breeding programs as sources of resistance.
Incorporation of Label into Pollen Tube Walls from Myoinositol-labeled Lilium longiflorum Pistils

Compatible and incompatible pollen tubes growing on detached Lilium longiflorum pistils which had been prelabeled with myoinositol-U-14C take up a portion of the label and utilize it for biosynthesis of tube wall substance. The label is transferred from pistil to pollen tubes apparently via the secretion products (exudate) of the pistil. The exudate thus appears to have a major nutritional role in pollen tube growth in vivo.
Response of territorial male song sparrows to song types and variations

The song repertoires of male song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) are comprised of distinct song types and many overlapping variations within each type. This study examines the sensitivity of territorial male song sparrows to both multiple song types and variation within types. A playback experiment was conducted using stimulus tapes that had either single songs (but not variations), song variations (but not types) or a single song. Response during playback was similar for all three stimulus groups, but diminished sooner after playback for the single-song tape. Thus our results indicate that male song sparrows are sensitive to song variability both within and among song types.
Improved semiclassical approximation

A modification of the semiclassical method, applicable in massless theories, is proposed. It is shown that in 0 and 1 dimensions this approximation produces excellent numerical agreement with the exact or otherwise-computed results. The generalization to higher dimensions is discussed.
Preservation of existing housing: A key element in a revitalized national housing policy

Abstract A key aspect of the continuing housing policy debate is how best to spend limited resources to aid the poor. Recently, the policy has focused on whether it is more effective to intervene on the supply side via provision of a voucher or rental certificate that enables a low‐income household to secure decent housing in the private market. This paper argues that preserving and maintaining the affordability of the remaining stock of unsubsidized low‐cost housing will require a skillful balancing of supply‐and demand‐side interventions. Exclusive reliance on vouchers will not do the job, especially since large segments of the poor do not receive any form of housing assistance. Flexible programs to expand the purchasing power of poverty‐level households must be developed.
PCAP: probe choice and analysis package—a set of programs to aid in choosing synthetic oligomers for contig mapping

In the program, PCAP, we provide a methodology for choosing synthetic oligonucleotide probes to be used in contig mapping experiments. The package serves the purpose of presenting a series of short oligonucleotides (8-12mers) that are chosen based on constraints with respect to frequency of occurrence within a particular genome and the G+C content of the oligonucleotides. The four programs contained within the package: (i) convert GenBank files to a format useable by the package; (ii) calculate trinucleotide and tetranucleotide frequencies in available sequence data on a particular species; (iii) present the user with upper and lower bounds on the frequencies of hybridization sites for oligonucleotide probes of length 8-12, (iv) allow the user to place constraints on site frequency and G+C content and provides a list of short probe sequences that fit these criteria. These sequences can then be synthetically produced and used in hybridization experiments to carry out contig mapping.
Overweight and obesity among low-income women in rural West Virginia and urban Los Angeles County

We described the prevalence of overweight and obesity among low-income women in rural West Virginia (WV) and urban Los Angeles County (LA County). Both communities participated in the national Communities Putting Prevention to Work program during 2010-2012. In each community, we completed health assessments on adult women recruited from public-sector clinics serving low-income populations. All participants answered survey questions regarding socio-demographics and diets. In both jurisdictions, we assessed obesity using objectively measured height and weight (calculated BMI). As part of each community case study, we performed multivariable regression analyses to describe the relationships between overweight and obesity and selected covariates (e.g., dietary behaviors). Overweight and obesity were prevalent among low-income women from WV (73%, combined) and LA County (67%, combined). In both communities, race and ethnicity appeared to predict the two conditions; however, the associations were not robust. In LA County, for example, African American and Hispanic women were 1.4 times (95% CI=1.12, 1.81) more likely than white women to be overweight and obese. Collectively, these subpopulation health data served as an important guide for further planning of obesity prevention efforts in both communities. These efforts became a part of the subsequent Community Transformation Grants portfolio.
The National Cancer Institute's Smoking, Tobacco, and Cancer Program

Unlike the days following the 1964 report of the Surgeon General on the health consequences of smoking, the NCI's emphasis is no longer on the definition of the problem and the accumulation of evidence linking smoking and tobacco use to cancer. The emphasis now is on reducing the prevalence of tobacco use throughout the US. The cancer control objectives for the nation now specify that we need to reduce the percentage of adults who smoke from the 34% rates found in 1983 to 15% or less by the year 2000, and reduce the percentage of youths who smoke by age 20 from 36% characteristic in 1983 also to 15% or less. By doing so, the NCI will contribute to the continued gain in reduced incidence of cancer.
Factors influencing health promoting activities of mothers caring for ventilator-assisted children.

Abstract The extensive care a ventilator-assisted child (VAC) requires when cared for in the home can impact the mother’s ability to participate in health promotion activities. The purpose of this study was to examine health promotion activities and the relationships among functional status of the child, impact of the illness on the family, coping, social support, and health promotion activities of mothers who care for ventilator-assisted children at home. Thirty-eight primary female caregivers, mostly mothers, participated in the study and completed the Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire (PLQ), measures of child’s functional status, impact of the illness on the family, coping, social support, and demographic data. Findings revealed that the mothers scored low on the nutrition, exercise, relaxation, and general health promotion subscales of the PLQ. Functional status of the child and coping were positively correlated with participation in health promotion activities, whereas impact of the child’s illness on the family was inversely related to health promotion of the mothers. Regression analysis revealed that functional status of the child and coping were significant predictors of mothers’ participation in health promotion activities. The high demands associated with caring for a VAC with poor functioning can be a significant risk factor for not participating in health promotion activities. Nurses need to help mothers with coping and finding resources to help mediate the stress related to caring for their child, thereby helping the mothers to maintain their own health.
Nonstomatal inhibition of photosynthesis in sunflower at low leaf water potentials and high light intensities

The inhibition of photosynthesis at low leaf water potentials was studied in soil-grown sunflower to determine the degree to which photosynthesis under high light was affected by stomatal and nonstomatal factors. Below leaf water potentials of -11 to -12 bars, rates of photosynthesis at high light intensities were insensitive to external concentrations of CO(2) between 200 and 400 microliters per liter. Photosynthesis also was largely insensitive to leaf temperature between 10 and 30 C. Changes in CO(2) concentration and temperature had negligible effect on leaf diffusive resistance. The lack of CO(2) and temperature response for both photosynthesis and leaf diffuse resistance indicates that rates of photosynthesis were not limited by either CO(2) diffusion or a photosynthetic enzyme. It was concluded that photosynthesis under high light was probably limited by reduced photochemical activity of the leaves at water potentials below -11 to -12 bars.
Cation stacking faults in magnesium germanate spinel

Widely extended, cation stacking faults in experimentally deformed Mg2GeO4 spinel have been studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The faults lie on {110} planes. The displacement vector is of the form $$\frac{1}{4}\left\langle {1\bar 10} \right\rangle $$ and is normal to the fault plane. The partial dislocations which bound the stacking fault have colinear Burgers vectors of the form $$\frac{1}{4}\left\langle {1\bar 10} \right\rangle $$ which are normal to the fault plane.
An implementation of design-based learning through creating educational computer games: A case study on mathematics learning during design and computing

This mixed-method case study examined the potential of computer-assisted, math game making activities in facilitating design-based math learning for school children. Sixty-four middle school children participated in Scratch-based, math game making activities. Data were collected via activity and conversation observation, artifact analysis, interviewing, and survey. The study findings indicated that participants developed significantly more positive dispositions toward mathematics after computer game making. The study also found that experience-driven game design processes helped to activate children's reflection on everyday mathematical experiences. Mathematical thinking and content experience were intertwined within the process of computer game authoring. On the other hand, children designers were involved in game-world and story crafting more than mathematical representation. And it was still challenging for them to perform computer game coding with abstract reasoning.
Psychosocial outcomes 1-7 years after comprehensive milieu-oriented neurorehabilitation: the role of pre-injury status.

Primary objective: To explore pre-injury variables related to post-discharge psychosocial status and identify factors related to work and driving outcomes.Methods and procedures: Ninety-three brain-injured patients attended a holistic milieu-oriented neurorehabilitation program and were contacted 1–7 years post-discharge.Experimental interventions: Questionnaire data addressing pre-injury and post-injury work, driving, income, marital status and living situation.Main outcomes and results: 74.3% were involved in competitive work and/or school with 86.0% productive at follow-up. Post-injury income decreased significantly compared with pre-injury levels. Pre-injury relationship status did not differ significantly from post-injury; 81.1% remaining in a stable relationship or married at follow-up. Pre-injury and post-injury accident rates were related; 73.1% drove at follow-up. Higher education, non-right hemispheric injury, shorter treatment length and return to work related to driving. Younger age, higher ed...
Effects of fern thickets on woodland development on landslides in Puerto Rico

. Thicket-forming ferns are common colonizers of disturbed habitats in the tropics, but little is known about their ecology. The effects of thickets formed by the fern Dicranopteris pectinata on tree seedlings on five landslides in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in northeastern Puerto Rico were both positive and negative. Soil moisture and total soil N were higher under fern thickets than in adjacent open areas and soil bulk density and soil surface temperatures were lower. Germination of seeds of the tree Cecropia schreberiana was higher for seeds sown under fern thickets than for those sown into adjacent open areas. Tree seedlings of Tabebuia hetero-phylla exhibited a threefold reduction in photosynthesis under ferns, probably resulting from a twelvefold reduction of photosynthetic photon flux density. Growth of Tabebuia seedlings was reduced under ferns but the distribution of seedlings of naturally occurring woody plants was not strongly correlated with the presence of fern thickets. Although fern thickets on low-nutrient landslide soils appear to facilitate germination, they inhibit growth of tree seedlings and may, therefore, delay forest development on landslides in Puerto Rico.
Forward Contracting Costs for Illinois Corn and Soybeans: Implications for Producer Pricing Strategies

The implied costs of forward contracting Illinois corn and soybean prices at planting-time are estimated. Thirty years of basis data are collected for seven regions in Illinois. Forward basis quotes are collected at planting-time (May) and actual basis levels are recorded at harvest time (October). Costs embedded in the forward basis quote are estimated and the implications for producer marketing strategies are examined. The results suggest that elevators' embedded premium-producers' cost of forward contracting-are rather small, especially for corn. Forward contracting costs vary significantly across the state. Implications for producer risk management strategies are explored.
Incipient Speciation in Strauzia longipennis (Diptera: Tephritidae): Two Sympatric Mitochondrial DNA Lineages in Eastern Iowa

Strauzia longipennis (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a notoriously variable species. Seven varieties were once recognized. Three varieties were elevated to species status. The status of the other four varieties, including the synonyms for S. longipennis, has been contested. Such taxonomic instability, particularly when associated with variable patterns of host use, suggests that S. longipennis may represent a dynamic complex of host-associated populations in the process of divergence. To detect evidence of genetic differentiation indicating genetically distinct sympatric populations of S. longipennis, we sequenced a fragment of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I of mitochondrial DNA of S. longipennis from two sites (three habitats) in eastern Iowa. At each site, we found two genetically and morphologically distinct sympatric populations. One corresponds to morphological descriptions of S. longipennis variety typica (Loew). The other corresponds to descriptions of S. longipennis variety vittigera (Loew). High levels of genetic differentiation between these divergent sympatric populations suggest the populations might represent host races or incipient species.
The ethics of reproductive control.

Evaluation des politiques de controle de la reproduction revendiquant l'utilisation de moyens de contraception a long terme tel que le programme Norplant. Interrogeant la presomption d'intervention sur le comportement reproductif d'autrui, l'A. distingue trois domaines d'influence concernant : 1) la finalite (ce qu'on est influence a faire), 2) les moyens (comment s'exerce l'influence), 3) le contexte particulier de la relation (qui influence qui). Adoptant une approche consequentialiste des fins et mesurant la permissibilite des moyens, l'A. examine les caracteristiques particulieres que sont la population-cible, l'etat-agent et le choix de vie qui fait l'objet meme de la relation d'influence
A New Method for Introducing Relaxed Initial Conditions in Transient Problems

In the calculation of transients in linear electrical and mechanical systems by the classical methods of differential equations, the constants of integration which arise in the solution are ordinarily evaluated from the initial values of the dependent variable and its derivatives.1,2 The process of finding the initial derivatives is sometimes difficult for even rather simple systems, and the difficulties are particularly pronounced when the system of equations has undergone a change of variable to remove variable coefficients, as for example in Park's equations for the synchronous machine.3 The purpose of this paper is to present a new method by which the initial derivatives can be found for an initially relaxed system (all currents in inductances and all charges on condensers initially zero) by a manipulation of the final differential equation itself. The solution for a nonrelaxed system can be found from the relaxed solution by superposition or by means of a systematic change in the original differential equations themselves, as is commonly done in operational calculus.1,4,5
A Gauss-Newton method for convex composite optimization

An extension of the Gauss—Newton method for nonlinear equations to convex composite optimization is described and analyzed. Local quadratic convergence is established for the minimization ofh ο F under two conditions, namelyh has a set of weak sharp minima,C, and there is a regular point of the inclusionF(x) ∈ C. This result extends a similar convergence result due to Womersley (this journal, 1985) which employs the assumption of a strongly unique solution of the composite functionh ο F. A backtracking line-search is proposed as a globalization strategy. For this algorithm, a global convergence result is established, with a quadratic rate under the regularity assumption.
AUV Propellers: Optimal Design and Improving Existing Propellers for Greater Efficiency

Propeller design is a significant process that is overlooked in many design situations. Using propeller vortex lifting line code and two-dimensional analysis with Brockett diagrams, a propeller design can be optimized for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle with a given design speed by varying blade number, propeller diameter, hub position, and chordlength distribution over a given range of RPS appropriate to the AUV's thrusters [1]. Initial design decisions from PVL code chose a three-bladed 0.625m diameter propeller at 2RPS, with a hub located at r/R(0.2) and an efficiency of 0.7091. Final propeller design modified the chord distribution to improve distributed lift coefficients and to ensure that shallow-water operations would not experience cavitation effects. The final design geometry used the same values of the propeller blade number, diameter, RPS and hub location as the initial design, but at an efficiency of 0.7642. While off-the-shelf propellers, such as those designed for model airplanes, can have high calculated efficiencies relative to actuator disk theory, the lift coefficient at each radial position and the resulting stalling effects must be considered. Comparison of an existing design with an optimized design improves existing propellers and contributes to the process of choosing future off-the-shelf propellers.
Testing the First Law of Cognitive Geography on Point-Display Spatializations

Spatializations are computer visualizations in which nonspatial information is depicted spatially. Spatializations of large databases commonly use distance as a metaphor to depict semantic (nonspatial) similarities among data items. By analogy to the “first law of geography”, which states that closer things tend to be more similar, we propose a “first law of cognitive geography,” which states that people believe closer things are more similar. In this paper, we present two experiments that investigate the validity of the first law of cognitive geography as applied to the interpretation of “point-display spatializations.” Point displays depict documents (or other information-bearing entities) as 2- or 3-dimensional collections of points. Our results largely support the first law of cognitive geography and enrich it by identifying different types of distance that may be metaphorically related to similarity. We also identify characteristics of point displays other than distance relationships that influence similarity judgments.