cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of omega-3 fatty acids on Tamoxifen-induced suppression of rat mammary carcinogenesis

We report here a detailed time course study of the individual and combined chemopreventive effects of Tamoxifen (Tam) and a high fish oil (FO) diet on multiple histologic parameters of mammary carcinogenesis. Groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected ip with 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea at 50 days of age and assigned to either a control diet (20% corn oil [CO]) or a FO-rich diet (10% FO + 10% CO) in the presence and absence of Tam in the diet (0.6 ppm). Rats were sacrificed at weeks 4 (before palpable tumors), 8 and 12 (when ∼90% of control rats had palpable tumors). Our results demonstrate a major effect of Tam in inhibiting the development of early preneoplastic lesions. FO, while having a marginal protective effect of it own, enhanced the antitumor action of Tam on all histologic parameters of carcinogenesis, although the effects of the combination were not statistically different from those of Tam alone. The combination of FO and Tam was the only intervention that induced regression of established preneoplastic lesions. We also found that in contrast to plasma, only target tissue n-3 fatty acids (FAs) levels correlated with select tissue biomarkers of carcinogenesis whose expression was altered in a manner predictive of a protective effect. Our results demonstrating the potentially superior chemopreventive efficacy of Tam and n-3FA have important translational implications. Our data also emphasize the importance of local factors in affecting target tissue levels and biologic effects of n-3FA.
Supporting self-employment and small-scale entrepreneurship: potential programs to improve livelihoods for vulnerable workers

This paper provides a review of the profiles of the subsistence entrepreneurs and their constraints, and the landscape of current entrepreneurship programs and the evidence on impacts, and discusses the potential role of public policies for the livelihoods of subsistence entrepreneurs. Worldwide over a half of workers are self-employed, but a significant fraction of these self-employed jobs are of low productivity subsistence entrepreneurs. The focus of the entrepreneurship programs to support these self-employed in poverty is to improve their livelihoods rather than promoting cutting-edge innovation and business growth. Evidence of successful programs is limited and program designs often seem ill suited to the needs and characteristics of these subsistence entrepreneurs. Given the market failures faced by subsistence entrepreneurs, interventions that complement safety net programs with well-targeted support to promote productive self-employment may hold some promise. Jel codes: O12, O16, J24
On a novel mechanistic model for simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose considering morphology.

We develop a novel and general modeling framework for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose simultaneously. Our mechanistic model, for the first time, takes into consideration explicitly the time evolution of morphologies of intertwining cellulose and hemicelluloses within substrate during enzymatic hydrolysis. This morphology evolution is driven by hydrolytic chain fragmentation and solubilization, which is, in return, profoundly affected by the substrate morphology. We represent the substrate morphology as a randomly distributed smallest accessible compartments (SACs) which are described by geometric functions to track total volume and exposed surface substrate materials, including both cellulose and hemicelluloses. Our morphology-plus-kinetics approach then couple the time-dependent morphology with chain fragmentation and solubilization resulted from enzymatic reactions between various bonds in cellulose and hemicelluloses and a mixture (i.e., endo-, exo-, and oligomer- acting) of cellulases and hemicellulases. In addition, we propose an advanced and generalized site concentration formalism that considers different polysaccharide chain types and different monomer unit types on chains. The resulting ODE system has a substantially reduced size compared to conventional chain concentration formalism. We present numerical simulation results under real enzymatic hydrolysis experimental conditions from literature. The comparisons between the simulation results and the experiment measurements demonstrate effectiveness and wide applicability of the proposed mechanistic model. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1767–1781. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genotypic differences in behavioural entropy: unpredictable genotypes are composed of unpredictable individuals

Intragenotypic variability (IGV) occurs when individuals with the same genotype, reared in the same environment and then tested under the same conditions, express different trait values. Game theoretical and bet-hedging models have suggested two ways that a single genotype might generate variable behaviour when behavioural variation is discrete rather than continuous: behavioural polyphenism (a genotype produces different types of individuals, each of which consistently expresses a different type of behaviour) or stochastic variability (a genotype produces one type of individual that randomly expresses different types of behaviour over time). We first demonstrated significant differences across 14 natural genotypes of male Drosophila melanogaster in the variability (as measured by entropy) of their microhabitat choice in an experiment in which each fly was allowed free access to four different types of habitat. We then tested four hypotheses about ways that within-individual variability might contribute to differences across genotypes in the variability of microhabitat choice. There was no empirical support for three hypotheses (behavioural polymorphism, consistent choice, or time-based choice), nor could our results be attributed to genotypic differences in activity levels. The stochastic variability hypothesis accurately predicted the slope and the intercept of the relationship across genotypes between entropy at the individual level and entropy at the genotype level. However, our initial version of the stochastic model slightly but significantly overestimated the values of individual entropy for each genotype, pointing to specific assumptions of this model that might need to be adjusted in future studies of the IGV of microhabitat choice. This is among a handful of recent studies to document genotypic differences in behavioural IGV, and the first to explore ways that genotypic differences in within-individual variability might contribute to differences among genotypes in the predictability of their behaviour.
Holding Therapy and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Are Not Supported and Acceptable Social Work Interventions: A Systematic Research Synthesis Revisited

This article re-examines material discussed in a recent systematic research synthesis by Craven and Lee. The authors find that two of the interventions for foster children discussed by Craven and Lee were erroneously classified as supported by evidence of efficacy, and one, holding therapy, is shown to be potentially physically harmful to children. Detailed evidence is offered to show that holding therapy and dyadic developmental psychotherapy are not appropriately categorized as supported and acceptable interventions.
Realizable Hopf orders in KCp3

Abstract Let K be a finite extension of the p-adic rationals Q p with ring of integers R. Let C p 3 denote the cyclic group of order p 3 . In this paper we construct a new collection of Hopf orders in the group ring KC p 3 . We determine which of these Hopf orders are realizable as Galois groups.
Lubiprostone: evaluation of the newest medication for the treatment of adult women with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disorder that affects primarily female patients and is thought also to afflict approximately 7%–10% of the population of the Western World. Although bowel habits may change over the course of years, patients with IBS are characterized according to their predominant bowel habit, constipation (IBS-C), diarrhea (IBS-D), or mixed type (IBS-M), and treatments are focused toward the predominant symptom. Current treatments for IBS-C have included fiber, antispasmodics, osmotic and stimulant laxatives, and the now severely limited 5-HT4 agonist tegaserod. No one agent has been universally successful in the treatment of this bothersome syndrome and the search for new agents continues. Lubiprostone (Amitiza®), a novel compound, is a member of a new class of agents called prostones and was approved for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation in 2006 at a dose of 24 μg twice daily and then in 2008 for the treatment of IBS-C in women only at a dose of 8 μg twice daily. Its purported mechanism is as a type 2 chloride channel activator, but recent evidence suggests that it may also work at the cystic fibrosis transport receptor. This article will compare the newly proposed mechanism of action of this compound to the purported mechanism and review the structure, pharmacology, safety, efficacy, and tolerability of this new therapeutic option. Clinical trial data leading to the approval of this agent for the treatment of IBS-C and the gender-based understanding of IBS, as well as this agent’s place among existing and emerging therapies, will be examined.
Off-resonance insensitive LGE MRI for imaging ventricular scar without image artifacts induced by cardiac devices

Background Late gadolinium enhanced (LGE) MRI is the gold standard test for non-invasive detection of myocardial scar. Many VT ablation candidates who would derive benefit from LGE MRI do not undergo cardiac MRI largely due to image artifacts generated by cardiac devices. A recent study reported improved LGE MRI for patients with implantable cardiac devices using a custom-made wideband adiabatic inversion-recovery (IR) pulse [1]. The purpose of this study was to implement off-resonanceinsensitive LGE MRI based on commercially available IR pulse for imaging ventricular scar without image artifacts induced by cardiac devices. Methods We implemented cardiac-device-insensitive LGE MRI by modifying a commercially available adiabatic IR pulse (Siemens_external_RF_file:IR10240H180.IR180_36B1_2) with the following parameters:b = 750radians/s, μ =1 0 (dimensionless), pulse duration = 6.1 ms. We designed the IR pulse to achieve B1 +o f 1050 Hz and 779 Hz at 1.5T and 3T, respectively, in order to achieve adiabaticity within the RF amplifier and SAR limits. Standard and wideband LGE MRI pulse sequences were evaluated in phantoms and seven canines (with ICD placed 10 cm away from the heart) with myocardial lesions created by radio-frequency ablation at 3T, as well as in one patient with ICD at 1.5T. Both LGE MRI pulse sequences used the same standard imaging parameters, except for the IR pulse. Two readers independently evaluated the image quality(1-5;worst-best) and artifact level(1-5;least-most) using a 5-point Likert scale. After administration of TTC, animals were euthanized for heart removal and gross pathology.
The Fe3O4 origin of the “Biphase” reconstruction on α-Fe2O3(0 0 0 1)

Abstract The so-called Biphase termination on α-Fe2O3 has been widely accepted to be a structure with a ∼40 A unit supercell composed of coexisting islands of Fe1−xO and α-Fe2O3. Based on thermodynamic arguments and experimental evidence, including transmission electron diffraction, imaging, magnetic and spectroscopic information, it is found that the previously proposed structure model is inaccurate. The actual Biphase structure is instead a layered structure related to the reduction of α-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4. A model for the Biphase termination is proposed which does not contain islands of Fe1−xO but instead consists of bulk α-Fe2O3 and a Fe3O4-derived overlayer. The proposed model is consistent with all current and previously reported experimental findings.
Piloting a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Infused Skills Group in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP)

This study explored the impact of a 4-week skills group intervention based on the principles of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with a sample of adolescents attending a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program. This article provides a session-by-session overview of activities adapted from DBT-specified training modules of mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance. The results of a pre/posttest comparison revealed reductions in student- and parent-reported indicators of behavioral distress when compared to a control sample of students not receiving the intervention. Implications and continuing challenges of conducting efficacy studies of clinical interventions in schools are discussed.
Searching for the Inverted U-Shaped Relationship Between Time and Performance: Meta-Analyses of the Experience/Performance, Tenure/Performance, and Age/Performance Relationships

Theoretical and empirical research suggests that job experience, organizational tenure, and age have non-linear relationships with performance. Considered simultaneously, there should exist an inverted U-shaped relationship between time and performance. Furthermore, the nature of this inverted U-shaped relationship should be affected by characteristics of the sample and measurement of performance. Using meta-analysis, this paper seeks to confirm the existence of the inverted U-shaped relationship between time and performance, and to demonstrate the moderating effects of performance measurement (objective versus subjective measures of performance) and job complexity. The results have implications for theory, research on dynamic performance, and human resource management practice.
A novel method for precisely timed stimulation of mouse whiskers in a freely moving preparation: Application for delivery of the conditioned stimulus in trace eyeblink conditioning

The somatosensory whisker pathway has been a useful system for increasing our understanding of experience-induced plasticity. However, precisely timed whisker activation in the awake freely moving mouse has been very difficult. This manuscript describes a method for construction of a whisker stimulator that can be attached to a freely moving mouse. The stimulator was used to activate the whiskers in a time-sensitive forebrain-dependent task, trace eyeblink conditioning. After repeatedly pairing whisker stimulation with delivery of a mild periorbital shock following a stimulus-free trace interval, trace-conditioned mice were able to learn the association. This study demonstrates the potential for using the whisker stimulator in time-sensitive behavioral tasks, such as trace eyeblink conditioning, thus enhancing our ability to examine experience-induced neuronal plasticity in the somatosensory whisker pathway in awake behaving rodents.
Zur Reaktion von CF4, CBrF3 und CBr2F2 mit Kieselglas

CF4 reagiert mit Kieselglas oberhalb 1200 K unter Bildung von SiF4 und CO2. CBrF3 und CBr2F2 ergeben SiF4, Br2, CO2 sowie CO und zwischenzeitlich als Pyrolyseprodukte unter anderen C2BrF5 und C2Br2F4. Die Reaktion beginnt bei 900 K (CBrF3) bzw. bei 700 K (CBr2F2). Das CO2/CO-Verhaltnis ist hoher als erwartet. SiF4 wird an der Oberflache des Kieselglases in betrachtlichem Umfang absorbiert. Reaction of CF4, CBrF3, and CBr2F2 with Silica CF4 reacts with silica above 1200 K forming SiF4 and CO2. CBrF3 and CBr2F2 yield SiF4, Br2, CO2, and CO as well as products of pyrolysis, such as C2BrF5, C2Br2F4, and others. The reaction starts at 900 K (CBrF3) or 700 K (CBr2F2), resp. The CO2/CO ratio is higher than expected. SiF4 is absorbed at the surface of silica to a considerable extent.
Microbial Colonization Drives Expansion of IL-1 Receptor 1-Expressing and IL-17-Producing γ/δ T Cells

IL-17 cytokine production by the Th17 T cell subset is regulated by intestinal commmensals. We show that microbial colonization also regulates innate IL-17 production. A population of CD62L(-) gamma/delta T cells, in particular a lineage expressing the IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1), can be quickly activated by microbes to produce IL-17. Antibiotic treatment and monocolonization of mice suggest that specific commensals-but not metronidazole-sensitive anaerobes like Bacteroides species-are required for maintaining IL-1R1(+) gamma/delta T cells. Signaling through the guanine nucleotide exchange factor VAV1, but not through Toll-like receptors or antigen presentation pathways, is essential for inducing IL-1R1(+) gamma/delta T cells. Furthermore, IL-1R1(+) gamma/delta T cells are a potential source of IL-17 that can be activated by IL-23 and IL-1 in both infectious and noninfectious settings in vitro and in vivo. Thus, commensals orchestrate the expansion of phenotypically distinct gammadelta T cells, and innate immunity is a three-way interaction between host, pathogens, and microbiota.
Policy analysts' roles and value orientations: An empirical investigation using Q methodology

Several scholars have suggested that policy analysts and policy researchers can be classified as falling into one of a small number of ideal types. These ideal-type models are based largely on analysts' views of their roles in an organization and their value orientations, including their relationships with clients, their perceptions of their responsibility to the public, and their acceptance of professional norms. To determine to what extent practicing policy analysts and researchers resemble the ideal types, we administered Q-sorts to 38 analysts and researchers in three states. In our analysis of the Q-sorts, we identified five types. Also, we found that the analysts and researchers hold in common many views of analytic roles and values.
Pediatric solid malignant neoplasms: a comparative analysis

Background: Pediatric solid malignant neoplasms (PSMNs) are a significant cause of death among children. Our aim was to evaluate the pattern and frequency of PSMNs at our hospital in the United States and compare the results to data from other regions of the world. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective review of 127 PSMNs in the Pathology database at Stony Brook University Medical Center (SBUMC) from 2000 to 2008. We compared our cases to a cohort of 101 cases from an academic hospital in India (1975-1982) (Christian Medical College and Hospital) and to reports from other parts of the world. Results: We report a male to female ratio of 1.16 : 1 and a mean age of 4.8 years for cases at SBUMC. Lymphomas and central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms were more common in the 5-12-year-old group while other major diagnostic groups were more common in the 0-4-year-old group. The top five most frequent tumor categories included CNS, sympathetic nervous system (SNS), soft tissue, lymphoid and renal tumors. Lymphomas were more common than soft tissue and SNS tumors in the United States' registries but all three occurred with equal frequency in our study. Tumors of the soft tissue and SNS were more frequent at SBUMC compared to registries around the world. At the academic hospital in India, the male to female ratio was 4 : 1 and the five most frequent tumor categories included lymphoid, SNS, CNS, renal and bone tumors. Lymphoid tumors made up a greater percentage and CNS tumors made up a lesser percentage of tumors at the hospital in India compared with SBUMC. The differences between CNS tumors, lymphomas and retinoblastomas between the two hospitals were statistically significant (P value <0.05 by Fisher's Exact test). Conclusions: Geographic differences in the incidence and histologic types of PSMNs exist. Despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment, PSMNs continue to be tragically lethal.
RESPONSE‐BASED INSTRUCTION: AT‐RISK STUDENTS ENGAGING IN LITERATURE

In a naturalistic study, I explored how diverse response‐based approaches to teaching literature might promote at‐risk students’ engagement with text. Participants in the case study were 3 at‐risk, 16‐year‐old boys in a junior English class. In an 8‐week time period, the boys read two novels, the first by an author specified by me and the second chosen by them. Mini‐lessons designed to teach the boys to read aesthetically, study groups, teacher‐student conferences, and peer conferences were the instructional strategies used. Data were fieldnotes, transcriptions of audiotapes of group sessions, and students’ response notebooks. Results revealed a significant change in reading behavior for the boys, who progressed from avoidance of all reading tasks to almost total engagement with texts by the end of the study.
Arthritis self-management education programs: a meta-analysis of the effect on pain and disability.

Objective Some reports suggest that education programs help arthritis patients better manage their symptoms and improve function. This review of the published literature was undertaken to assess the effect of such programs on pain and disability. Methods Medline and HealthSTAR were searched for the period 1964–1998. The references of each article were then hand-searched for further publications. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if the intervention contained a self-management education component, a concurrent control group was included, and pain and/or disability were assessed as end points. Two authors reviewed each study. The methodologic attributes and efficacy of the interventions were assessed using a standardized abstraction tool, and the magnitude of the results was converted to a common measure, the effect size. Summary effect sizes were calculated separately for pain and disability. Results The search strategy yielded 35 studies, of which 17 met inclusion criteria. The mean age of study participants was 61 years, and 69% were female. On average, 19% of patients did not complete followup (range 0–53%). The summary effect size was 0.12 for pain (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.00, 0.24) and 0.07 for disability (95% CI 0.00, 0.15). Funnel plots indicated no significant evidence of bias toward the publication of studies with findings that showed reductions in pain or disability. Conclusion The summary effect sizes suggest that arthritis self-management education programs result in small reductions in pain and disability.
Folklore and interpretation: Symbiosis

This paper presents a rationale for a more productive, mutually enriching relationship between folklore and interpretation. The use of folklore materials in interpretation research and performance, and the use of interpretation methodology as a folklore field‐work and research technique are suggested as means for understanding and preserving the oral tradition so central to both fields.
The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 1 is expressed after cerebral ischemia and contributes to ischemic brain injury.

The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) is involved in the molecular mechanisms of inflammation and apoptosis, processes that contribute to ischemic brain injury. In this study, the induction of IRF-1 in response to cerebral ischemia and its role in ischemic brain injury were investigated. IRF-1 gene expression was markedly upregulated within 12 h of occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in C57BL/6 mice. The expression reached a peak 4 d after ischemia (6.0 ± 1.8-fold; P < 0.001) and was restricted to the ischemic regions of the brain. The volume of ischemic injury was reduced by 23 ± 3% in IRF-1+/− and by 46 ± 9% in IRF-1−/− mice (P < 0.05). The reduction in infarct volume was paralleled by a substantial attenuation in neurological deficits. Thus, IRF-1 is the first nuclear transacting factor demonstrated to contribute directly to cerebral ischemic damage and may be a novel therapeutic target in ischemic stroke.
Localization of the chemoreceptive properties of the surface membrane of Paramecium tetraurelia.

The plasma membrane ofParamecium tetraurelia comprises two morphologically distinct components; a membrane that encloses the cell body and a ciliary membrane. In order to investigate the relative contributions of the two membranes to attractant-induced membrane potential changes, cells were deciliated with ethanol and their subsequent responses to attractants examined.
Magneto-optical disk drive technology using multiple fiber-coupled flying optical heads. Part I. System design and performance.

A novel flying-optical-head data storage technology is described. It is based on a micro-optical recording head that contains a silicon micromachined torsional mirror for high-bandwidth track following. Multiple heads and disks are contained in a Winchester-style rotating disk drive. Single-mode optical fibers provide light delivery to and from the heads. Both polarization-maintaining and low-birefringence fiber systems have been implemented for magneto-optical (MO) recording. A fixed optics module containing a laser diode, MO detection optics, and a 1 × N fiber bundle switch has been developed as an integral part of this new recording architecture. A 5.25-in. (13.33-cm), half-height prototype drive design and its performance are presented.
A quantitative risk assessment for the likelihood of introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus strain H5N1 into U.S. hunter retriever dogs.

Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1 has received great attention with regard to its potential spread to North America. This quantitative risk assessment, which is primarily based on wild bird carriage of HPAI from East Asia to Alaska, was conducted to assess the likelihood of a hunter retriever dog becoming infected after harvesting an infected waterfowl during the Alaskan hunting season. Using Monte Carlo Simulation with @Risk software, the expected probability of a hunter retriever dog becoming infected is 2.3 × 10−8. This model can serve as a tool for decision makers in assessing the risk of HPAI strain H5N1 introduction into Alaska's hunter retriever dogs.
Biphasic kinetic plots and specific analogs distinguishing and describing amino acid transport sites in S37 ascites tumor cells

Abstract Curve-fitting procedures indicated that exo-2-amino-bicyclo-(2,2,1)-heptane-2-carboxylic acid (BCH) modified V and K m for one of two systems serving for histidine transport into the S37 ascites tumor cells. When this system was obliterated by leucine in the medium, BCH had no effect on histidine transport. Curve-fitting procedures similarly suggest N -methyl-α-aminoisobutyric acid affected the K m and V values for the other histidine-transporting system and that carboxymethylhistidine (His(Cm)) inhibited both transport systems. His(Cm) further inhibited histidine uptake into leucine-inhibited cells. K m and V values were altered simultaneously in the presence of several inhibitory analogs. Alanine methyl ester markedly inhibited high-concentration histidine uptake, whereas leucine methyl ester markedly inhibited low-concentration histidine uptake. The present results confirm earlier suggestions that our high c system is Christensen's A system and our low c system his L system. We also confirm a very high degree of specificity of N -methyl-α-aminoisobutyric acid for the A or high c system, and of BCH for the L or low c system. We suggest the utility of combining two approaches to the study of transport system properties; use of specific analogs and modification of biphasic plots. We demonstrate that the carboxyl group is not a prerequisite molecular feature for inhibitory interaction with the A or L system.
Electroluminescence and cathodoluminescence from inorganic CdSe nanocrystals embedded in thin films

Electroluminescence (EL) from heterostructure devices made of organic poly (phenylene vinylene), PPV, and inorganic semiconductor CdSe nanocrystals have been investigated, along with cathodoluminescence (CL) from thin films of ZnS doped with CdSe-ZnS core-shell nanocrystals. In the EL devices, the organic PPV structure, built next to the anode using the technique of molecular layer-by-layer sequential adsorption, serves as the hole transport layer. The inorganic layer, adjacent to the electrode and made of spin cast CdSe nanocrystals passivated with either organic groups or with a thin layer of ZnS, is the emitting layer. The ZnS host film in the CL devices, built using chemical vapor deposition, serves as the support medium for the dispersed nanocrystals, but also provides additional passivation to the surface of those nanocrystals. We find that the EL and CL signals almost exclusively originate from the inorganic nanocrystal in both cases, i.e., EL comes from the nanocrystal layer in the heterostructure device while CL is generated from the dispersed particles in the composite film. The external EL quantum efficiency, (eta) EL, is not enhanced by the presence of ZnS overcoating, opposed to the observed increase in the photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield. However, we find that the CL emission and its stability are substantially improved by the presence of ZnS around the emitting nanocrystal cores. These observations reflect a difference in the effects of overcoating ont he various luminescence processes. On the one hand, a ZnS overlayer is associated with an additional energetic barrier that reduces the efficiency of charge injection into the nanocrystals for EL. On the other hand, PL and CL processes only benefit from the surface passivation with ZnS.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Proceedings from the 2012 PAA Symposium: Potato Phosphorus Management and Utilization for Today and Tomorrow

Sustainable management of phosphorus (P) is a critical component of potato production systems because of a comparatively high plant P requirement, soil reactions that create management challenges, and potential environmental degradation from inappropriate P management. Phosphorus affects potato plant growth in many ways including its effects on plant metabolism, cellular structural components, canopy development, tuber set, nutritional quality, and resistance to some diseases.
A synthesis of two factor analyses of intermediate algebra

A battery of 18 tests of intermediate algebra and 20 reference tests was administered to two successive second-year algebra classes. Each battery was separately factor analyzed by Thurstone methods, and the two analyses were synthesized by the Tucker method. The five congruent factors obtained were identified as: Verbal Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Algebraic Manipulative Skill, Number Ability, and Adaptability to a New Task.
Use of a tiered review for evaluation of appropriate use of hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase-inhibitor therapy.

Abstract Despite abundant evidence of the benefits of lipid lowering in reducing mortality from all causes in high-risk patients with or without coronary artery disease (CAD) and the wide availability of guidelines for targeting such patients more aggressively, there are indications that this population is still being treated suboptimally. Our study sought to ascertain the appropriateness of prescribing practices of the hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A-reductase (HMG-CoA) inhibitor pravastatin that was used at our facility at the time. We conducted a drug utilization review of a randomly chosen sample of patients receiving prescriptions for pravastatin at the outpatient clinics of a tertiary care, academically affiliated Veterans Affairs medical center. The algorithm we used was based on National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel-2 guidelines. Patient charts were reviewed for the presence of CAD and standard cardiac risk factors and for lipid determinations performed since 1986, when laboratory test results began to be compiled electronically. The initial review was performed by a pharmacist; cases the pharmacist identified as involving possible suboptimal prescribing practices were subsequently reviewed and classified by a cardiologist. From the pharmacy database, we derived a random sample of 118 patients who were receiving doses >20 mg (high-dose cases) and 100 patients receiving doses of ≤ 20 mg (standard-dose cases). The pharmacist's review found 57 (48%) high-dose cases and 47 (47%) standard-dose cases that were questionable; the cardiologist's review of these cases determined that 43 (36%) high-dose cases and 38 (38%) standard-dose cases involved suboptimal prescribing practices. The deficiencies noted in patients receiving standard-dose pravastatin were generally minor; however, 23% of the deficiencies noted in patients receiving high-dose therapy were serious ones that may have exposed the patients to unnecessary therapy or caused a delay in their receiving appropriate therapy. In conclusion, slightly more than one third of a randomly selected sample of patients treated with an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor at a tertiary care medical center were receiving suboptimal therapy. Suboptimal prescribing practices have both clinical and economic implications, and a tiered, multidisciplinary review process allows convenient monitoring of prescribing practices. Key words: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, statins, pravastatin, drug utilization review.
On the rate limiting step in downhill transport via the LacY permease of Escherichia coli

Strains of Escherichia coli K12 were constructed for the specific purpose of evaluating the inducibility of the influx mechanism controlled by the lacY gene. These strains are heteromerodiploids characterized by a high and relatively constant level of beta-D-galactosidase which is not affected significantly by induction of the Lac operon. These properties were obtained by introducing episomal lacI+,Oc,Z+,Y-genes into the cells. In these merodiploids the rate of o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) hydrolysis of extracted cells is 50-times that of intact cells. This difference indicates that the rate limiting step in the ONPG hydrolysis by intact cells is influx. Using a set of merodiploids with and without the LacY transport system, we were able to demonstrate a specific induction of ONPG influx. However, the increase in influx due to induction was only 3.5-fold as compared to the 40-fold increase observed when the LacY permease was measured by intracellular accumulation of [14C]TMG.
Stevenson's fingers.

A Random Samples item of 20 August (p. 1205) reports the interesting correlation between fourth-digit length and psychiatric depression recently described by Martin, Manning, and Dowrick ([1][1]). The Random Samples item is illustrated with an 1887 portrait of Robert Louis Stevenson by John Singer Sargent (which was reversed in reproducing). This portrait clearly shows Stevenson's hands with his slender fingers, the fourth digit the longest. The choice of Stevenson as an example of a depressed individual can be questioned. Stevenson may occasionally have been “moody,” as stated, and he became transiently and understandably depressed in 1873 when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis; however, his constant literary productivity and genial spirit throughout his subsequent years make a diagnosis of depressive illness most unlikely. In his famous words, “Glad did [he] live.” Stevenson's fingers, so elegantly portrayed by Sargent, are, however, of potential interest to medical historians for another reason. Stevenson had tuberculosis ([2][2]), but some have questioned this diagnosis and have suggested that his recurrent symptom of spitting up blood from his lungs was due to bronchiectasis ([3][3]). However, bronchiectasis is commonly associated with clubbed fingers, which Sargent's portrait demonstrates Stevenson did not have; tuberculosis is not or only rarely associated with clubbed fingers. 1. [↵][4]1. S. M. Martin, 2. J. T. Manning, 3. C. F. Dowrick , Evol. Hum. Behav. 20, 203 (1999). [OpenUrl][5][CrossRef][6] 2. [↵][7]1. T. M. Daniel , Captain of Death: The Story of Tuberculosis (Univ. of Rochester Press, Rochester, NY, 1997), p. 106, 112. 3. [↵][8]1. S. Taylor , “Dead man's chest,” RLS Club News (March 1996). [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DEvol.%2BHum.%2BBehav.%26rft.volume%253D20%26rft.spage%253D203%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252FS1090-5138%252899%252900006-9%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [6]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S1090-5138(99)00006-9&link_type=DOI [7]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [8]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text"
Dehydrated circular DNA: Circular dichroism of molecules in ethanolic solutions

We have measured the ultraviolet CD spectra for covalently closed and linear forms of phage PM2 DNA in solution. We find that increased concentrations of salt or ethanol (up to 50% ethanol by weight) depress the long-wavelength positive CD bands in the spectra of both forms of DNA, although the spectrum of the native covalently closed DNA always has a slightly larger magnitude of these bands than does the spectrum of the linear DNA. In addition, both DNAs are equally capable of undergoing a transition to the A conformation in 70–80% ethanol at low Na+ concentrations. Thus, the constraint imposed by the covalent closure of a DNA molecule does not seem to hinder its conformational response to these changing solution conditions. Lang [(1973) J. Mol. Biol.78, 247–254] has found by electron microscopy that T7 DNA has an inherent ability to condense into compact particles, suggested to be supercoils of multiple order. Both covalently closed and linear forms of PM2 DNA also become condensed when the DNA, in 0.2M ammonium acetate and 1 mM EDTA, is exposed to ethanol and subsequent drying on specimen grids [Lang, D., Taylor, T. N., Dobyan, D. C. & Gray, D. M. (1976) J. Mol. Biol.106, 97–107]. Under similar conditions, in solutions of 0.2M ammonium acetate and 1 mM EDTA to which ethanol is added, we have measured the CD spectra of both covalently closed and linear forms of DNA. Below ethanol concentrations at which the DNA obviously precipitates, the CD spectra of both forms have reduced long-wavelength positive CD bands.
Quantitative ultrasound estimates from populations of scatterers with continuous size distributions

Although quantitative ultrasound imaging based on backscattering coefficients has proven potential for tissue characterization, the scattering models used in most studies assume distributions of identical scatterers. However, actual tissues may exhibit multiple levels of spatial scales. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to analyze the effects of scatterer size distributions when using a fluid-sphere model for estimating values of effective scatterer diameter (ESD) through both simulations and experiments. For simulations, ESD estimates were obtained at several analysis frequencies between 1 and 40 MHz from populations of scatterers with diameters ranging between 25 and 100 μm, 25 and 50 μm, 50 and 100 μm, and 50 and 75 μm. For sufficiently high analysis frequencies, the ESD estimates obtained through simulations were approximately inversely proportional to frequency and mostly independent of the underlying scatterer size distribution. Asymptotic expressions for the expected ESD estimates at low- and high-frequency limits were derived. Experiments were conducted using two gelatin phantoms with contrast agent spheres ranging in diameter from 30 to 140 μm and 70 to 140 μm, and 5-, 7.5-, 10-, and 13-MHz focused transducers. Not only was the asymptotic behavior of ESD versus frequency estimates observed experimentally, but also the experimental ESD estimates using the 10- and 13-MHz transducers were lower than the smallest scatterers present in the second phantom. These results may have a direct impact on how scatterer size estimates corresponding to specimens with different subresolution spatial scales should be interpreted.
Theory of biexcitons in one-dimensional polymers.

We calculate the biexciton phase space for a model polymer consisting of a one-dimensional array of $N$ coupled quantum cells, each containing two levels. The Hamiltonian allows for electron and hole transfer ($t$) and includes on-site (${V}_{0}$) and extended ($\frac{{V}_{1}}{r}$) Coulombic interactions. The double electron-hole pair basis set is numerically diagonalized for as many as $N=31$ cells. A phase boundary for two-photon-allowed biexcitons with ${A}^{+}$ symmetry is calculated in ($\ensuremath{\alpha}$, $\ensuremath{\beta}$) space where $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{{V}_{1}}{{V}_{0}}$ and $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{t}{{V}_{0}}$. The phase space generally supports multiple biexcitons; the most tightly bound biexciton exists over a region limited by $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.11$ and $0.84\ensuremath{\lesssim}\ensuremath{\alpha}l~1$. Higher-energy biexcitons occupy successively smaller corners of phase space centered on $\ensuremath{\beta}=0$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}=1$. The two-photon absorption spectrum in the region $2\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}l2\ensuremath{\Delta}$, where $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ is the one-photon gap, generally shows two types of peaks: high-energy ones associated with biexcitons and lower-energy peaks associated with single excitons of ${A}^{+}$ symmetry.
On the mechanism of heat transfer in dropwise condensation

Abstract The mechanism of heat transfer in dropwise condensation has been proposed. The analysis indicates that heat is transferred through active areas on the condenser surface which are continually produced by numerous drop coalescences. These areas remain active for a short constant cycle time. During this time numerous submicroscopic drops are growing from randomly distributed sites. Theoretical relations are derived by assuming that heat is transferred by conduction through the growing drops and that the heat transfer cycle ends when numerous coalescences occur. The experimental results of Welch and Westwater were successfully analyzed using the proposed theory. It was estimated that on the active surface there were 1.2 × 106 drop sites per square centimeter, and that the average drop diameter at the end of the heat transfer cycle was 8.7 × 10−4 cm. The theory shows that the heat transfer coefficient is directly dependent on the fraction of active area at any instant, the number of drop sites per unit area of active surface, the average drop diameter at the end of the heat transfer cycle, the contact angle, and the thermal conductivity of the condensing liquid.
Is the Swedish welfare state in retreat? Current trends in Swedish health care

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore, 14 years since the introduction of market reforms, the extent to which changes have altered the nature of Sweden's health care financing, examine how these changes have affected the views of Sweden's physicians, and to judge the impact of these reforms on the delivery and quality of care.Design/methodology/approach – Swedish physicians', Federation of County Council members' and health economists' views, were explored. The data were obtained from in‐depth interviews with 31 respondents in the summer of 2005. The sample was drawn from Stockholm County and the Skane Region.Findings – The respondents generally believed that the Swedish health care system basic structure had remained intact and that several early 1990s reforms, to introduce financial incentives into health care system, had worked well. The diagnostic‐related groups system, though not popular among some health care providers, seemed to have worked for the purposes intended. The majority of Swe...
Toward an Ultralow-Power Onboard Processor for Tongue Drive System

The Tongue Drive System (TDS) is a new unobtrusive, wireless, and wearable assistive device that allows for real-time tracking of the voluntary tongue motion in the oral space for communication, control, and navigation applications. The latest TDS prototype appears as a wireless headphone and has been tested in human subject trials. However, the robustness of the external TDS (eTDS) in real-life outdoor conditions may not meet safety regulations because of the limited mechanical stability of the headset. The intraoral TDS (iTDS), which is in the shape of a dental retainer, firmly clasps to the upper teeth and resists sensor misplacement. However, the iTDS has more restrictions on its dimensions, limiting the battery size and consequently requiring a considerable reduction in its power consumption to operate over an extended period of two days on a single charge. In this brief, we propose an ultralow-power local processor for the TDS that performs all signal processing on the transmitter side, following the sensors. Assuming the TDS user on average issuing one command/s, implementing the computational engine reduces the data volume that needs to be wirelessly transmitted to a PC or smartphone by a factor of 1500×, from 12 kb/s to ∼8 b/s. The proposed design is implemented on an ultralow-power IGLOO nano field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and is tested on AGLN250 prototype board. According to our post-place-and-route results, implementing the engine on the FPGA significantly drops the required data transmission, while an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implementation in a 65-nm CMOS results in a 15× power saving compared to the FPGA solution and occupies a 0.02-mm2 footprint. As a result, the power consumption and size of the iTDS will be significantly reduced through the use of a much smaller rechargeable battery. Moreover, the system can operate longer following every recharge, improving the iTDS usability.
Mechanism of induction and suppression of antiviral immunity directed by virus-derived small RNAs in Drosophila.

Summary The small RNA-directed viral immunity pathway in plants and invertebrates begins with the production by Dicer nuclease of virus-derived siRNAs (viRNAs), which guide specific antiviral silencing by Argonaute protein in an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Molecular identity of the viral RNA precursor of viRNAs remains a matter of debate. Using Flock house virus (FHV) infection of Drosophila as a model, we show that replication of FHV positive-strand RNA genome produces an ∼400 bp dsRNA from its 5′ terminus that serves as the major Dicer-2 substrate. ViRNAs thus generated are loaded in Argonaute-2 and methylated at their 3′ ends. Notably, FHV-encoded RNAi suppressor B2 protein interacts with both viral dsRNA and RNA replicase and inhibits production of the 5′-terminal viRNAs. Our findings, therefore, provide a model in which small RNA-directed viral immunity is induced during the initiation of viral progeny (+)RNA synthesis and suppressed by B2 inside the viral RNA replication complex.
Experimentally based sea urchin gene regulatory network and the causal explanation of developmental phenomenology

Gene regulatory networks for development underlie cell fate specification and differentiation. Network topology, logic and dynamics can be obtained by thorough experimental analysis. Our understanding of the gene regulatory network controlling endomesoderm specification in the sea urchin embryo has attained an advanced level such that it explains developmental phenomenology. Here we review how the network explains the mechanisms utilized in development to control the formation of dynamic expression patterns of transcription factors and signaling molecules. The network represents the genomic program controlling timely activation of specification and differentiation genes in the correct embryonic lineages. It can also be used to study evolution of body plans. We demonstrate how comparing the sea urchin gene regulatory network to that of the sea star and to that of later developmental stages in the sea urchin, reveals mechanisms underlying the origin of evolutionary novelty. The experimentally based gene regulatory network for endomesoderm specification in the sea urchin embryo provides unique insights into the system level properties of cell fate specification and its evolution.