cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multispecies age-structured assessment model for the Gulf of Alaska

Predation is the largest source of mortality for marine fish and may be an important process in regulating population size. Recent population models have attempted to quantify predation separately from other sources of natural mortality. Building upon such work, a multispecies age-structured assessment model (MSASA) for the Gulf of Alaska was developed, which included arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), and walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma). Predation mortality was a flexible function of predator and prey abundances that was fitted to stomach-content data. A proof of concept illustration is presented here, assessing model outputs against a set of single-species models. The MSASA model was able to successfully estimate predation between species and integrate it into total mortality. Significant predation occurred on younger pollock and flounder. Results indicate a significant change in predation over time on pollock as a function of increased arrowtooth floun...
Phosphate Esters Functionalized Dihydroxyl Soybean Oil Tackifier of Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives

Dihydroxyl soybean oil (DSO) has shown potential as a tackifier for pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) applications, and perchloric acid was used previously as a catalyst to open the oxirane rings of epoxidized soybean oils (ESO) when we prepared DSO and PSA. Phosphoric acid is a more eco-friendly catalyst than perchloric acid; therefore, the objective of this work was to prepare DSO using phosphoric acid as a catalyst and thereby create DSO-contained phosphate esters, or PDSO. The chemical scaffolds of PDSO were elucidated with 1H, 1H–1H COSY, 31P NMR, FTIR, MALDI-TOF MS, and GPC. ESO PSAs were prepared from a mixture of ESO/PDSO. The ESO PSA prepared with PDSO had peel strength on a plastic carrier comparable to commercial PSA, and while on an aluminum carrier, the ESO PSA had a stronger peel strength. ESO PSA prepared with phosphoric acid was also stronger than the peel strength of the ESO PSA prepared with DSO using perchloric acid.
Molecular Targeting of Glioblastoma: Drug Discovery and Therapies

Despite advances in treatment for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), patient prognosis remains poor. Although there is growing evidence that molecular targeting could translate into better survival for GBM, current clinical data show limited impact on survival. Recent progress in GBM genomics implicate several activated pathways and numerous mutated genes. This molecular diversity can partially explain therapeutic resistance and several approaches have been postulated to target molecular changes. Furthermore, most drugs are unable to reach effective concentrations within the tumor owing to elevated intratumoral pressure, restrictive vasculature and other limiting factors. Here, we describe the preclinical and clinical developments in treatment strategies of GBM. We review the current clinical trials for GBM and discuss the challenges and future directions of targeted therapies.
Equivalence in a social network

Equivalence has become a foundational concept in social network representations of social structure. Each use of an equivalence concept has two components: (i) the definition of equivalence and (ii) a computational algorithm for detecting equivalences, or the extent to which they exist. In all substantive contexts it is necessary to determine if a particular definition of equivalence is appropriate and the extent to which the computational algorithm faithfully mirrors the equivalence definition. An extensive comparison of structural equivalence, with two structural equivalence detectors, and regular equivalence, with one regular equivalence detector, is provided for a set of social structures. As blockmodels are, among other things, hypotheses about network structure, hypotheses about structure are used to obtain the networks used for these comparisons. For any network, there is, potentially, a multiplicity of equivalences that can be mobilized so as to complement each other in analyzing social structure.
Nutrient Effects on the Calcium Economy: Emphasizing the Potassium Controversy

The calcium economy is a dynamic state influenced by fluxes in dietary calcium intake, intestinal calcium absorption, and renal calcium conservation. The relationship of selected bone-related nutrients to these calcium fluxes exhibits both constructive and destructive interactions that affect the overall state of calcium balance. The basis of the calcium requirement and the impact of vitamin D, protein, phosphorus, sodium, and caffeine on the calcium economy are reviewed. Against this background, emerging data on potassium are presented. Data from balance studies of healthy white women at midlife were reviewed to assess the effect of diet potassium on the calcium economy under steady-state conditions. Potassium was inversely associated with both urinary calcium excretion and intestinal calcium absorption, yielding no significant net change in calcium balance. In the population reported on here, dairy, meat, and cereal grains together contributed 56%, and fruits and vegetables 44%, of total dietary potassium. To the extent that fruit and vegetable potassium is a surrogate for high bicarbonate, this cohort did not have a dietary intake pattern allowing for measurement or interpretation of the potential effect of a high-bicarbonate-containing diet on long-term steady-state calcium balance. Potassium itself is uniformly well absorbed regardless of the dietary source. Mean 24-h urinary potassium averaged 92% of dietary intake. According to nationwide food consumption surveys, milk is the number 1 single food source of potassium in all age groups in the United States.
A practical approach to risk assessment to prevent coronary artery disease and its complications.

The recent focus on emerging cardiovascular risk factors, such as C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL), may give the false impression that the current approach to the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk fails to identify a large section of the high-risk population. On the contrary, the new guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) propose classifying an enormous number of individuals, including people with any form of atherosclerotic disease, diabetes, and a combination of major risk factors, into the category of high risk (>20% likelihood of a major coronary event or stroke in 10 years). Considering the widespread prevalence of the metabolic syndrome—a high-risk condition characterized by mild hypertension, mild dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and visceral obesity—we may be faced with the challenge of implementing aggressive risk reduction therapies in as much as 30% of the adult US population. From the point of view of risk assessment, a practical approach is to follow the NCEP guidelines (ie, place patients with diabetes and those with atherosclerotic complications in the highest risk category), apply the Framingham calculation to determine risk in people with common risk factors, and initiate early intervention in people who have familial hypercholesterolemia (LDL cholesterol >200 mg/dL) or a family history of early cardiovascular disease. The emerging risk factors may be useful for further stratifying risk in individuals with intermediate risk and the presence of risk factors not included in the Framingham calculation. � 2003 by Excerpta Medica, Inc. Am J Cardiol 2003;92(suppl):19i–26i
Stability of monomer-dimer piles

We present an experimental and theoretical study of piles consisting of monodisperse spherical grains mixed with a weight fraction nu(d) of dimer grains made by the rigid bonding of two such spherical grains. The maximum static angle of stability tantheta(c) of the pile increases from 0.45 to 1.1 and the grain packing fraction Phi decreases from 0.58 to 0.52 as nu(d) is increased from 0 to 1. The stability of these piles appears to be controlled by the grains sitting on the surface, which roll out of their local "traps" as the tilt angle is increased. We attribute the increase in tan theta(c)(nu(d)) to the enhanced stability of dimers on the surface, such that at higher tilt angles, there are sufficiently many stable surface traps available to accommodate the reduced density of monomers on the surface. A full characterization of the grain-scale roughness of the surface is required to quantitatively account for the changes in theta(c) with nu(d).
Estimates of Returns to Scale, Elasticity of Substitution, and the Thrifty Food Plan Meal Poverty Rate From A Direct Household Meal Production Function

Abstract Many nutritional policies are designed to make home food production more affordable and yet very little is actually known about the home food production process. A better understanding of home food production can be used to help explain shortcomings in current nutrition policies and consequently help in designing better nutrition policies. This paper provides results from several home meal production function specifications that are rather robust. The median returns to scale and elasticity of substitution between money and time is in the 1.2–1.9 range and .33–.56 range, respectively, indicating increasing returns to scale but difficulty in substituting money for time in home meal production. A home ‘meal poverty rate’ is estimated, which is the percentage of the sample that produces fewer meals at home than consistent with dietary guidelines. The estimated home meal poverty rate is about 85%, which is consistent with recent research taking a less rigorous approach. Though the approach taken here is novel, the overall message is consistent with the recent literature: time is a more important factor in achieving nutritional targets than money.
Clinical Outcomes for Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Alternative Sunitinib Schedules

Purpose: We identified sunitinib alternative schedules that maintained dose intensity while decreasing adverse events in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer. We also determined the impact of alternative schedules on clinical outcomes.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients 18 years old or older with clear cell metastatic renal cell cancer who received first line sunitinib between January 26, 2006 and March 1, 2011 at our major comprehensive cancer center. A subset of patients was switched at the first intolerable adverse event from the traditional schedule of 28 days on and 14 days off to a schedule of 14 days on and 7 days off or other alternative schedules. A control group underwent standard dose reduction. We estimated progression-free and overall survival by the Kaplan-Meier method. Predictors of progression-free and overall survival were analyzed using Cox regression.Results: A total of 187 patients were included in analysis, of whom 87% were on the tradition...
Lateral parabrachial nucleus and angiotensin II-induced hypertension.

The objective of this study was to determine if ablation of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) would prevent angiotensin II-induced hypertension in rats. Thirteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. Bilateral electrolytic lesions in the LPBN were produced in six rats; the remaining seven rats were subjected to sham lesion surgery only. All rats were instrumented with vascular catheters and housed in metabolism cages. Daily measurements during the 16-day protocol included arterial pressure, heart rate, water intake, urine output, and urinary sodium excretion. Periodically throughout the protocol depressor responses to ganglion blockade and to blockade of V1-type vasopressin receptors also were measured. The protocol was divided into three control-period days, 10 days of continuous (24 hr/day) angiotensin II infusion (10 ng/min i.v.), and three recovery-period days. There were no significant differences between the two groups of rats for any variable during the control period. During angiotensin II infusion, sham-lesion rats exhibited a progressive increase in arterial pressure and the depressor response to ganglion blockade and a decrease in urinary sodium excretion. No other variable was significantly changed. In rats with LPBN lesions, arterial pressure was significantly increased only on days 1 and 3 of angiotensin II infusion. No other variable was affected. It was concluded that ablation of the LPBN in rats prevented sustained hypertension during intravenous infusion of angiotensin II by interfering with neurogenic pressor mechanisms normally activated by the peptide.
Swapping Connexin Genes: How Big Is the Gap?

Manipulation of the expression of specific genes in transgenic or knockout (KO) mice has become an important strategy to study the biological and physiological roles of individual cardiac proteins.1–3 Several laboratories using transgenic and knockout methodologies have made substantial progress in generating mouse models with reduced connexin expression in the heart. This has provided the unique opportunity to characterize both qualitatively and quantitatively the role of cardiac gap junction channels in electrical wave propagation and has opened many interesting questions regarding the electrophysiological consequences and proarrhythmic effects of reduced intercellular coupling in the atria, ventricles, and His-Purkinje system of neonatal and/or adult mice lacking a given connexin. The current count of 19 connexins in the mouse genome and 20 connexins in the human genome4 implies a highly intriguing diversity of connexin function. But the exact nature of that diversity is not clear. Connexins can no longer be looked at as passive pores that allow ions to pass from one cell to the next. At the least, these channels are dynamic pores that are regulated by a distinct pattern of cellular states and protein interactions. It is likely that these channels are more than that. Connexins are in many ways similar to scaffolding proteins that can bind cytoskeletal proteins,5 protein kinases,6–9 and cellular scaffolds.10,11 Recent evidence has even suggested that some of the biological properties of connexin channels are distinct from their pore ability to form gap junctions and pass electrical information from one cell to the next.12,13 Based on the complex regulation and interactions of connexins, it would be expected that each connexin may have a distinct role and that they may not be interchangeable. That some connexins have unique functions was demonstrated by the study of Plum et al,14 who generated two …
Network model for clustered radar operating application

The essential idea of a clustered radar system is to replace a single and large radar system with a group of small radars. Various operational concepts of multiple radar systems in a networked environment, which provide various advantages compared to the conventional single radar operation, have been introduced (see Chandrasekar, V. and Jayasumana, A.P., Proc. SPIE, vol.4527, p.142-7, 2001). This paper proposes an operational model, network model and node architecture to realize the idea of the clustered radar system over a currently available data network with the aim of providing high QoS real-time radar data to end-users. The network model and the end node architecture developed use satellite and terrestrial links via the Internet. The validity of the network model and the effect of critical node and network parameters on the performance are examined by simulation.
Water structure and interactions with protein surfaces

The structure of liquid water and its interaction with biological molecules is a very active area of experimental and theoretical research. The chemically complex surfaces of protein molecules alter the structure of the surrounding layer of hydrating water molecules. The dynamics of hydration water can be detected by a series of experimental techniques, which show that hydration waters typically have slower correlation times than water in bulk. Specific water-mediated interactions in protein complexes have been studied in detail, and these interactions have been incorporated into potential energy functions for protein folding and design. The subtle changes in the structure of hydration water have been investigated by theoretical studies.
CALL research archive: How can an online knowledge base further communication among second language professionals

The inspiration for our project arose from a perceived gap between research in foreign/second language learning and classroom practice. In order to address this issue, we created a web site containing summaries of seminal articles in the area of CALL – computer assisted language learning. The summaries are useful for many teachers who do not have time to read full text journal articles and understand the statistical terms, but would like to take advantage of the research findings. Researchers will receive feedback from teachers in the form of comments, which may give insight for further research. Other features of the website are: a database of teachers' comments and demographic information, keyword search, index, glossary, chronological and alphabetical bibliography, links to research archives and sites assisting with statistical terminology and design of experiments.
Electrically conducting composite films based on polymers and Ni-carbon fibers

The volume electrical resistivity of composite films based on polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, and butadiene-styrene latex containing Ni-carbon fibers was studied in relation to the degree of filling, fiber length, and temperature.
Ethylene responsiveness in carnation styles is associated with stigma receptivity

Sensitivity to ethylene increases as flowers mature, and this is associated with autocatalytic ethylene production that initiates petal senescence. The coordination of the senescence process within the flower requires interorgan communication. To determine if differential ethylene responsiveness among floral organs is involved in regulating senescence signaling, ethylene biosynthesis and the expression of ethylene biosynthetic genes were investigated in styles, ovaries, and petals from 6 stages of flowers following ethylene treatment. As flowers matured, all floral organs investigated became more responsive to ethylene. Ovaries were the first flower organ that had detectable increases in ethylene production following ethylene treatment. In stage 4 and 5 flowers, the highest levels of ethylene production were detected in petals, while styles had the highest ethylene production at stage 6. 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase (ACO) genes were induced by ethylene treatment, and transcript abundance of DCACS1, DCACS2 and DCACO1 increased in all floral organs as flowers matured. DCACS3, a pollination-responsive ACS gene, did not show a significant increase in transcript levels following ethylene treatment except in styles. Patterns of gene expression in ethylene-treated styles and petals corresponded with increases in ethylene biosynthesis, with increases in ACS mRNA abundance detected at stage 1 or 2 in petals and at stages 4, 5, or 6 in styles. The largest increases in ethylene production and gene expression occurred in styles at stages 5 and 6 and corresponded to the stages at which the styles were first receptive to pollination. Reasons for differential ethylene sensitivity among the flower organs during development are discussed.
Ice Sheet Sources of Sea Level Rise and Freshwater Discharge During the Last Deglaciation

We review and synthesize the geologic record that constrains the sources of sea level rise and freshwater discharge to the global oceans associated with retreat of ice sheets during the last deglaciation. The Last Glacial Maximum (∼26–19 ka) was terminated by a rapid 5–10 m sea level rise at 19.0–19.5 ka, sourced largely from Northern Hemisphere ice sheet retreat in response to high northern latitude insolation forcing. Sea level rise of 8–20 m from ∼19 to 14.5 ka can be attributed to continued retreat of the Laurentide and Eurasian Ice Sheets, with an additional freshwater forcing of uncertain amount delivered by Heinrich event 1. The source of the abrupt acceleration in sea level rise at ∼14.6 ka (meltwater pulse 1A, ∼14–15 m) includes contributions of 6.5–10 m from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, of which 2–7 m represents an excess contribution above that derived from ongoing ice sheet retreat. Widespread retreat of Antarctic ice sheets began at 14.0–15.0 ka, which, together with geophysical modeling of far-field sea level records, suggests an Antarctic contribution to this meltwater pulse as well. The cause of the subsequent Younger Dryas cold event can be attributed to eastward freshwater runoff from the Lake Agassiz basin to the St. Lawrence estuary that agrees with existing Lake Agassiz outlet radiocarbon dates. Much of the early Holocene sea level rise can be explained by Laurentide and Scandinavian Ice Sheet retreat, with collapse of Laurentide ice over Hudson Bay and drainage of Lake Agassiz basin runoff at ∼8.4–8.2 ka to the Labrador Sea causing the 8.2 ka event.
Are the surfaces of CrO2 metallic

Previous photoelectron spectroscopy studies of CrO2 have found either no density of states or a very low density of states at the Fermi level, suggesting that CrO2 is a semiconductor or a semi-metal. This is in contradiction to calculations that predict that CrO2 should be a half-metallic ferromagnet. Recently, techniques have been developed to grow high-quality epitaxial films of CrO2 on TiO2 substrates by chemical vapour deposition. We present photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of epitaxial CrO2(110)/TiO2(110) and CrO2(100)/TiO2(100) grown using a CrO3 precursor. In addition, measurements of epitaxial Cr2O3(0001)/Pt(111) films grown by thermal evaporation of Cr in an oxygen atmosphere are presented as a reference for reduced CrO2 films. The measurements of the CrO2 surfaces show no emission at the Fermi level after sputtering and annealing the surfaces in oxygen, even though our soft core photoemission data and low-energy electron diffraction measurements provide evidence that stoichiometric CrO2 is present. The consequence of this is that neither surface of CrO2 is metallic. This behaviour could result from a metal to semiconductor transition at the (110) and (100) surfaces.
Red Cell Transfusion Decreases Hemoglobin A1c in Patients with Diabetes

To the Editor: Hemoglobin A1c (Hb A1c)1 is a mainstay of diabetes diagnosis and management that allows clinicians to estimate the recent mean blood glucose concentration of a patient. Glycation of hemoglobin is an irreversible, nonenzymatic process that depends on the glucose concentration in red blood cells (RBCs), and Hb A1c represents the integrated glucose concentration in RBCs over their life span. RBC transfusion can complicate the interpretation of Hb A1c values in diabetic patients because it introduces hemoglobin molecules exposed to glucose concentrations that may have been different from the glucose concentrations in the diabetic transfusion recipient. The potential effect of transfusion on Hb A1c has been recognized for some time, but opinions on the direction of the effect are contradictory. Data from the older literature (1–3) suggest that the high concentration of glucose in RBC storage medium promotes glycation and causes Hb A1c values to increase over time, which would predict that Hb A1c might increase in transfused patients. This concept has been stated in a recent review article (4) and on consumer Web sites, such as Lab Tests Online (http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/a1c/test.html); however, a recent case in which a pathology resident was contacted to explain a patient's Hb A1c value decreasing from 7.4% to 5.4% in 3 days after the patient …
Genetic determinants of Sindbis virus strain TR339 affecting midgut infection in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

Mosquito midgut epithelial cells (MEC) play a major role in determining whether an arbovirus can successfully infect and be transmitted by mosquitoes. The Sindbis virus (SINV) strain TR339 efficiently infects Aedes aegypti MEC but the SINV strain TE/5′2J poorly infects MEC. SINV determinants for MEC infection have been localized to the E2 glycoprotein. The E2 amino acid sequences of TR339 and TE/5′2J differ at two sites, E2-55 and E2-70. We have altered the TE/5′2J virus genome by site-directed mutagenesis to contain two TR339 residues, E2-55 H→Q (histidine to glutamine) and E2-70 K→E (lysine to glutamic acid). We have characterized the growth patterns of derived viruses in cell culture and determined the midgut infection rate (MIR) in A. aegypti mosquitoes. Our results clearly show that the E2-55 H→Q and the E2-70 K→E mutations in the TE/5′2J virus increase MIR both independently and in combination. TE/5′2J virus containing both TR339 E2 residues had MIRs similar to the parental TR339 virus. In addition, SINV propagated in a mammalian cell line had a significantly lower A. aegypti midgut 50 % infectious dose than virus propagated in a mosquito cell line.
The forecast for podcasts Sunny skies but not necessarily with clear visibility

It seems like the report of an important advance in neurology is a weekly occurrence. For many of us, the potential and rapid progress of neurology was one of the major attractions for our choosing this career. But for residents and fellows, already busy with personal lives and the fundamentals of neurology training, it’s challenging to also stay current with exciting advances. This task is particularly daunting when one considers that there are well over 100 neuroscience journals. The challenge of staying up to date does not disappear after residency and fellowship because lives and work remain busy. For the neurologist, any failure to stay current can have negative consequences on patient care. In response to this challenge, there are a few fee-based services that provide reviews, usually in print, of recent neurology literature, but downsides of these services include cost and the difficulty in finding time even to read these publications. With these issues in mind, about a year ago I was struck by the immense potential for podcasting to provide timely, free neurology literature updates. Podcasting1 …
JAK Inhibitors: Treatment Efficacy and Safety Profile in Patients with Psoriasis

Janus kinase (JAK) pathways are key mediators in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. Psoriasis treatment has evolved with the advent of targeted therapies, which inhibit specific components of the psoriasis proinflammatory cascade. JAK inhibitors have been studied in early phase trials for psoriasis patients, and the data are promising for these agents as potential treatment options. Tofacitinib, an oral or topically administered JAK1 and JAK3 inhibitor, and ruxolitinib, a topical JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitor, have been most extensively studied in psoriasis, and both improved clinical symptoms of psoriasis. Additional JAK1 or JAK3 inhibitors are being studied in clinical trials. In phase III trials for rheumatoid arthritis, tofacitinib was efficacious in patients with inadequate responses to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, methotrexate monotherapy, or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The results of phase III trials are pending for these therapies in psoriasis, and these agents may represent important alternatives for patients with inadequate responses to currently available agents. Further investigations with long-term clinical trials are necessary to verify their utility in psoriasis treatment and assess their safety in this patient population.
Desaturation of trans-octadecenoyl-acyl carrier protein by stearoyl-acyl carrier protein Δ9 desaturase

Positional isomers of mono-unsaturated 18:1-ACP have been used as substrates for stearoyl-acyl carrier protein delta9 desaturase to test whether a C-H bond abstraction from either the C-9 or C-10 position could lead to rearranged products diagnostic for the production of an allylic radical intermediate. The reconstituted enzyme complex was able to desaturate trans-delta11-18:1-ACP and trans-delta7-18:1-ACP, but not trans-delta9-18:1-ACP, or any of the corresponding cis-isomers. Enzymatic desaturation of trans-delta11-18:1-ACP gave a single product, cis-delta9,trans-delta11-18:2-ACP, as characterized by gas chromatography-electron ionization mass spectrometry of the molecular ions, the fragmentation products of pyrrolidide and 4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivatives, and by comparison of chromatographic retention times with authentic standards. Reaction of trans-delta7-18:1-ACP gave two enzymic products, trans-delta7,cis-delta9-18:2 (approximately 80%) and trans-delta7,cis-delta11-18:2 (approximately 20%). The major product was likely formed in a reaction identical to that of 18:0-ACP desaturation, while the minor product was likely formed by alternative placement of the C-10 and C-11 positions of the substrate analog in a cis configuration relative to the diiron oxidant. Since none of the products observed are indicative of rearrangements originating with an allylic radical, a discussion of the origins and possible implications of these results is presented.
Reemergence of Staphylococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome in the United States since 2000

Schlievert et al. recently reported that the increased number of cases of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) observed by their surveillance group over the last 4 years in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area is consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention findings of an 18% increase in the incidence of TSS from 2002 to 2003 (3). He wisely cautioned medical practitioners and women using tampons (especially teenagers and young women) to be aware that the TSS incidence is rising. Further, Schlievert et al. suggested that while the reason for this increased incidence is unclear, the possible role of changed tampon usage patterns might offer an explanation (3). I would like to support that contention with two additional observations. First, in 1999 the Food and Drug Administration proposed an amendment to tampon labeling regulation 21CFR 801.430(e)(1) which provided an absorbency term for tampons that absorb 15 to 18 g of fluid, namely, ultra. Soon thereafter tampons with this increase in absorbency became widely available on the marketplace, thereby making five categories of extant tampons, namely, light (6 g), regular (6 to 9 g), super (9 to 12 g), super-plus (12 to 15 g), and ultra (15 to 18 g). Clearly, this permitted increase in absorbency is of concern because the statistical association of highly absorbent tampons with development of TSS has been unequivocally established (1, 2, 4). Thusly, this absorbency increase might also be a reason for the observed increased incidence of TSS. In the past, increases in absorbency were achieved by using more absorbent synthetic fibers. Although tampon composition has not recently changed, the increases in tampon absorbency can be accounted for by increased weight of the current component fibers. Second, the Food and Drug Administration’s position on “8-h/overnight” usage of menstrual tampons may have also inadvertently contributed to the observed increased incidence of TSS by allowing manufacturers to use the word “overnight” on their packaging (even though they explain that by that word they mea n8ho rless). Simply put, women may not be able to precisely control their sleeping cycles and therefore may sleep considerably longer than 8 h with a more absorbent tampon in place, thus increasing their risk for TSS development. Implicit with the pattern of tampon usage is its absorbency, which in turn is related to length of use. In conclusion, it seems prudent, in light of accumulating data, to suggest that if tampons are to be used at bedtime the timeframe of their use must be controlled or they should not be used. Additionally, tampon absorbency should be reduced to the pre-2000 absorbency levels with capacity limits of no more than 15 g of fluid as an extra measure of safety.
Assessment of Regional Myocardial Blood Flow

Contrast echocardiography is a technology that has evolved greatly over the past 4 decades. From its initial description in the late 1960s, contrast echocardiography has been used to identify cardiac structures, detect intracardiac shunts, visualize blood flow on M-mode echocardiography, detect valvular regurgitation, and quantify cardiac output using indicator–dilution curve theory. During the past decade, tremendous advances have been made to both ultrasound (US) technology and microbubble-based contrast agents, which have expanded applications of contrast echocardiography to the systemic circulation, including enhanced detection of left ventricular endocardial borders and left-sided Doppler signals. Most recently, contrast echocardiography now allows assessment of myocardial perfusion with US and microbubble-based contrast agents. Myocardial contrast echocardiography has been incorporated into the detection of coronary artery disease, assessment of acute myocardial CONTENTS
Learning to handle conflict: insights from chimps and bonobos.

T ension and conflict are essentially inevitable parts of human life. Each person sees work and personal life from a somewhat different perspective, and each brings a somewhat different set of interests and priorities to daily life. In some cases, such differences prove to be complementary. Two radiologists may focus on different aspects of a case, each noticing things that the other missed, and a conversation between them may produce better care than would either operating separately. In other cases, however, such differences can result in tension and even outright conflict. A radiologist who missed an imaging finding may feel resentful toward a colleague who detects it. There are many different ways to handle such potential tensions and conflicts. One is to decrease the frequency of interaction between colleagues, based on the assumption that the less frequently people encounter one another, the less likely tensions will be to manifest themselves. However, this strategy undermines opportunities for collaboration and synergism, situations where people perform better together than they could individually. Another approach is to encourage colleagues not to take unsettling incidents personally, but it can be quite difficult for people to keep the professional and personal dimensions of their lives entirely separate. Radiologists at all professional levels need to learn how to handle conflict more effectively. One seemingly unlikely place to turn for insights into conflict management is primatology. Primatologists study prosimians, which include species such as lemurs, as well as simians, such as chimpanzees and gorillas. Some of the more notable features by which such creatures closely resemble human beings include relatively large brains, the enhancement of stereoscopic vision at the expense of the sense of smell, color vision, apposable thumbs, relatively pronounced sexual dimorphism, and relatively slow rates
Analysis of iodine in food samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

This work shows a method for the determination of iodine in a variety of food samples and reference materials using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following alkaline extraction. Optimisation of the addition of organic carbon showed that a minimum of 3% 2-propanol was necessary for a constant ratio of iodine to internal standard. The limit of quantification (LOQ), calculated as 30σ for the method, was 36 ng g(-1) in solid food samples. For method validation, seven standard reference materials (SRM) and 21 fortified food samples were used. The precision (%RSD) of the measurements was in the 2-7% range. Accuracies for the SRMs were 85-105%, while the fortified food samples showed 81-119% recoveries, including a number of samples fortified at 50% of the LOQ.
The Path to Resilience

In this chapter, we discuss some of the challenges to resilience utilizing a conceptual framework (Adaptive Resilience & Community Capital Framework) that includes several elements essential to disaster resilience. We build on the Adaptive Resilience & Community Capital framework by providing a detailed analysis of the emergency managers and other non-profit and community group responses with regards to what they perceived to be obstacles to resilience, particularly issues relating to apathy and complacency, communication issues, and funding, among others. In all, increasing a community’s resilience capability consists of a variety of aspects such as socioeconomic, complacency, shifting demographics and resources in terms of shelters and facilities. To overcome these barriers, attention must be given to the nuances of a community, including communication issues, seasonal residents, mistrust of the government, and its collective capital. Furthermore, communication and coordination among agencies is a critical aspect to disaster resilience.
Mobile Learning: Rethinking the Future of Journalism Practice and Pedagogy

Despite the proliferation of mobile devices, there is limited awareness of how journalism students are prepared for the evolving nature of the workplace in regard to mobile devices and how journali...
Using generational theory to rethink teaching in higher education

ABSTRACTThis paper reviews the literature on emerging adulthood with a focus on the implications of generational theory on teaching and learning in higher education. During the past 15 years, researchers have described personality traits, attitudes, and behaviors of emerging adults. Two very different views have emerged: one that is prosocial, citing qualities like optimism and confidence, while the other is quite negative, using narcissism and anxiety as descriptors. The authors of this paper contend that both views may be correct, and suggest that contextual or environmental factors play a role in eliciting certain characteristics. Several key educational theories are discussed, with an argument posed for how learner-centered education may offer the most developmentally appropriate context for today's emerging adults to thrive in higher education.
The role of recovery mechanisms and oxygen effects upon changes in radiation sensitivity in sperm treated in mature males and fertilized females of Drosophila.

An increase in biological damage in sperm treated in inseminated females was observed after treatment with either neutrons or x rays. Recovery mechanisms cannot account for the high sensitivity with neutron treatment. The absence of recovery mechanisms was indicated by equal percentages of biological damage observed the first and second day after treatment with 2 Mev neutrons in air or with 14 Mev neutrons in nitrogen. With x-ray treatment, higher percentages of translocations and sex-linked lethals were observed in the treatment of sperm in inseminated females than in males. The enhancement in chromosome breakage, measured as translocations, was greater in sperm treated in fertilized females than the increase in sex-linked lethals with x-ray treatment in air. The presence of oxygen (air) appears to be correlated with the enhancement in chromosome breakage in sperm treated in fertilized females. In nitrogen, the relative increases in translocations and sex-linked lethals in sperm treated in females were similar for comparisons of two-day totals. The possibiiity of a postradiation enhancement of radiation damage was observed when mature sperm were treated in inseminated females with x rays in the presence of nitrogen gas. The percentages of translocations and sex-linked lethals were higher in the second daymore » after treatment than the damage for the first day. The data indicate that an explanation for the increase in radiation sensitivity of mature sperm treated in fertilized females involves more than one factor, the relative importance depending upon the type of radiation and conditions at the time of irradiation. The neutron data show that the chromosomes change in some way to become more sensitive to radiation injury after fertilization. The x-ray data indicate that there may be differences in recovery occurring in genetic damage in sperm treated in maies and inseminated females and that there is an increase in chromosome breakage which is associated with the increased sensitivity. There is also a correlation of an increase in chromosome breakage and the presence of oxygen and a possible postradiation enhancement of radiation damage which may be associated with the presence or absence of oxygen. (auth)« less
Abstract LB-A20: Novel Dual Oncogenic Target Inhibitor against Allosteric Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MEK1) and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)

The Ras/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTor pathways play a central role in the regulation of normal cell growth, division and differentiation. Dysregulation of these signaling pathways driven by oncogenic mutations/activation leading to elevated kinase activity has been demonstrated in many human cancers. Strong evidence suggests the existence of a feedback loop with crosstalk between these two signaling cascades leading to redundancy in survival pathways. Consequently, monotherapy targeting a single cascade may be insufficient to induce tumor cell death due to drug resistance mechanisms. Initial biological results are presented from a series of novel small molecule kinase inhibitors specifically designed to simultaneously target both MEK1 and PI3K. Structural analogs of the ATP-competitive PI3K inhibitor ZSTK474 and the ATP-noncompetitive class of MEK inhibitors PD0325901, respectively, were covalently combined to provide single compound dual inhibitors. Inhibitors showed potent MEK1 inhibition (0.015 Citation Format: Brian D. Ross, Hao Hong, Hanxiao Wang, Charles A, Nino, Marcian E. Van Dort. Novel Dual Oncogenic Target Inhibitor against Allosteric Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MEK1) and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr LB-A20.
Effects of pH and Buffer Systems on Resting Spore Germination of the Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Pathogen, Entomophaga calopteni (=Entomophaga grylli, Pathotype 2) (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae)

Initial resting spore germination for two isolates (RF 150 and RF 250) of Entomophaga calopteni (Bessey) Humber [= Entomophaga grylli (Fresenius) Batko, pathotype 2], a fungal pathogen of grasshoppers (Acrididae), was recorded for five different buffer systems: orthophosphate (OPHO), citrate-phosphate (CPHO), tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (THMM), glycine-NaOH (GLYC), and tris-maleate (TMAL). For each buffer system, eight pH levels were tested ranging from 4 to 11. GLYC at pH 7–9 supported the highest germination percentages compared with the other combinations tested. In general, highest germination levels for all buffer systems occurred in the pH range of 6–8, although they were skewed toward the basic side of the pH scale in OPHO, THMM, and GLYC for isolate RF 150. THMM supported germination better than any other buffer system under highly alkaline conditions. Soil pH may be an important factor in disease transmission under natural conditions. The combined effects of temperature, photoperiod, pH, and buffer medium should be considered when reporting and comparing spore germination levels.
Electrodeposition of Long Silver Nanowires in Highly Ordered Polymer-Based Template

Template synthesis of silver nanowires is studied in this paper. Unlike previous studies, highly ordered polymer-based template fabricated by nanoimprinting lithography was used instead of porous polycarbonate (PC) and anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. This new template combines the advantages of the traditional templates and overcomes their drawbacks at the same time. Electrodeposition was carried out under different overpotential and time periods. Long single silver nanowires were found in the templates. The average length of the nanowires was much shorter than the length of the template, which can be explained by difficulty of plating solution diffusion. Wettability of the template and how to increase channel filling rate were also discussed in this paper.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Viscoelastic and Mechanical Behavior of Hydrophobically Modified Hydrogels

The viscoelastic and mechanical behaviors of physically cross-linked copolymer hydrogels synthesized from N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and 2-(N-ethylperfluorooctane sulfonamido)ethyl acrylate (FOSA) with varying FOSA concentration were studied by rheological and static tensile tests. The strong hydrophobic association of the FOSA moieties in an aqueous environment produced core–shell nanodomains that provided the physical cross-links. These PDMA–FOSA hydrogels exhibited excellent mechanical properties, including a modulus of ∼130–190 kPa, elongation at break of 1000–1600%, and ∼500 kPa tensile strength, depending on the FOSA concentration. The physical gels were more viscous than comparable chemical gels and were much more efficient at dissipating stress. The latter characteristic produced relatively high tensile toughness, ∼4–6 MPa, because of the extra energy dissipation mechanism provided by the reversible, hydrophobic cross-links. The PDMA–FOSA hydrogel exhibited peculiar dynamic behavior which was gr...
Extreme events of stratospheric stationary waves and indications for stratosphere–troposphere coupling: simultaneous analysis in boreal winter

Using monthly stratospheric geopotential height at 20 hPa derived from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis datasets, a planetary wave amplitude index (PWAI) is defined by wave numbers (WN) 1–3 over 55–75°N to indicate the strength of the stratospheric stationary waves. The vertical variability of the stratospheric stationary waves and their possible connection with the stratosphere–troposphere coupling have been investigated in the North Hemisphere winter [December–February (DJF)] for the period of 1950–2010. In terms of the stratospheric PWAI, a pair of bipolar extreme (strong and weak) stratospheric wave events is identified based on the top-ten principle. The comparisons of composite analysis for the bipolar events show that the stratospheric PWAI is an effective indicator for the dynamic coupling between the stratosphere and troposphere in the boreal winter. The results show that the opposite response in the stationary wave activity, atmospheric circulations, precipitation, and surface temperature is not only found in the stratosphere but also in the troposphere and surface. In the stratospheric top-ten extremely strong (strong10) events, the wave amplitude, poleward momentum, and heat fluxes in zonal WN1 tend to increase in the whole atmospheric layer from the stratosphere down to the surface. The polar vortex is enhanced in the stratosphere and reduced in the troposphere. Both the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) tend to a positive phase with the sea-level pressure (SLP) decreasing in the high latitudes and increasing in the mid–low latitudes. The precipitation tends to increase in the southern Asia and decrease in the southern Europe. The surface temperature becomes warmer in the middle of the Asian–European continent and cooler in southwest Asia and south Europe. In contrast, there is a clear opposing behavior except for a few small areas during the stratospheric top-ten extremely weak (weak10) events.
Congenital Ocular Motor Apraxia

The clinical and neuroradiological findings, and long-term intellectual prognosis in 10 patients (4 boys and 6 girls) with congenital ocular motor apraxia (COMA) are reviewed by researchers at Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.