cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancing the Inpatient Consultation Learning Environment to Optimize Teaching and Learning

Subspecialty consultation is an increasingly used resource in inpatient medicine. Teaching the primary team is an important element of effective consultation and has many potential benefits. However, within academic medical centers many barriers to effective consultation and the consult learning environment exist. High workload, burnout, inexperience, lack of familiarity between teams, quality of the consult requests, and pushback may impede teaching and learning. Herein, the authors review the role of teaching and learning during consultation, challenges to effective consultation facing fellows, and interventions that can enhance primary team-fellow interactions and learning.
Classification and Reporting Systems for Adenomyosis

ABSTRACT Objective To conduct a review of the available histologic and image-based classification systems to determine which of these systems, if any, provide clinical utility for prognosis or the selection of appropriate therapeutic interventions. Data Sources PubMed in addition to the bibliographies of identified publications. Methods of Study Selection One investigator searched PubMed using Medical Subject Headings terms that included “Adenomyosis,” “Classification,” “Ultrasound Classification,” “MRI Classification,” and “Diagnosis,” Tabulation, Integration and Results Search results were tabulated in a Microsoft Excel workbook that facilitated the identification of duplicate entries. Publications were allocated into separate categories that included histopathologic, ultrasound, and MRI classifications. Identified systems associated with clinical outcomes were separately tabulated. Abstracts of 1669 articles were reviewed and 278 were identified for review of full text. Twenty-five were considered potentially relevant from the PubMed review and an additional 17 were found in bibliographies. In the 42 full-text articles that were reviewed in detail, 9 histologic classifications were identified, 4 of which were accompanied by an attempt at clinical correlation, 1 of which described a correlation with the outcome of medical, procedural, or surgical intervention. There were 9 image-based reporting or classification systems, 2 using transvaginal ultrasound and 7 using MRI, 3 of which included correlations with intervention outcomes, although these were surrogate (imaging) and not clinical outcomes. Conclusion There is inconsistency in histopathologic definitions, and there is no uniformly accepted or validated system of image-based reporting or classification that can inform clinical decision making. There exists a need for harmonized classification systems for both ultrasound and MRI that agree with the histopathologic features of the disorder.
Survey of Sensitivity to Fatty Acid-Amino Acid Conjugates in the Solanaceae

Plants perceive insect herbivores via a sophisticated surveillance system that detects a range of alarm signals, including herbivore-associated molecular patterns (HAMPs). Fatty acid-amino acid conjugates (FACs) are HAMPs present in oral secretions (OS) of lepidopteran larvae that induce defense responses in many plant species. In contrast to eggplant (Solanum melongena), tomato (S. lycopersicum) does not respond to FACs present in OS from Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera). Since both plants are found in the same genus, we tested whether loss of sensitivity to FACs in tomato may be a domestication effect. Using highly sensitive MAP kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation assays, we demonstrate that four wild tomato species and the closely related potato (S. tuberosum) do not respond to the FACs N-linolenoyl-L-glutamine and N-linolenoyl-L-glutamic acid, excluding a domestication effect. Among other genera within the Solanaceae, we found that bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) is responsive to FACs, while there is a differential responsiveness to FACs among tobacco (Nicotiana) species, ranging from strong responsiveness in N. benthamiana to no responsiveness in N. knightiana. The Petunia lineage is one of the oldest lineages within the Solanaceae and P. hybrida was responsive to FACs. Collectively, we demonstrate that plant responsiveness to FACs does not follow simple phylogenetic relationships in the family Solanaceae. Instead, sensitivity to FACs is a dynamic ancestral trait present in monocots and eudicots that was repeatedly lost during the evolution of Solanaceae species. Although tomato is insensitive to FACs, we found that other unidentified factors in M. sexta OS induce defenses in tomato.
Identification of novel split-vacancy transition metal color centers in nanodiamond via time-dependent density functional theory

Abstract With a growing interest in optically active sites in diamond and related materials, the need exists to identify novel defects that operate at desired wavelengths. In this study, we employ time-dependent density functional theory to search a large compositional space for novel color centers in diamond. Results are benchmarked against bulk computational approaches as well as experimental literature, and correspondence is observed between molecular and bulk values. Novel defects with potential for infrared emission are identified.
Discovery of decursin from Korean Angelica gigas as a novel anti-androgen signaling compound

3923 Prostate cancer (PCa) is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer mortality. Androgen and androgen receptor (AR) signaling are crucial for the development of PCa, which often develops into androgen ligand-independent diseases that are lethal to the patients. Recent studies show that even hormone-refractory PCa cells require ligand-independent AR signaling for survival. Because current chemotherapy is ineffective for PCa and has serious toxic side effects, we hypothesize that novel and safe naturally-occurring agents that target androgen and AR signaling can be identified from Oriental medicinal herbs for the chemoprevention and treatment of PCa. We report strong and long lasting anti-androgen/AR activities of the ethanol extract of an Oriental formula containing Korean Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) root and 9 other herbs (abbreviated KMKKT for Ka-mi-kae-kyu-tang) in the androgen-dependent LNCaP human PCa cell model. The functional biomarkers evaluated included the suppression of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) protein (IC50 ∼ 7 microgram/ml, 48 h exposure) and mRNA, a potent inhibitory effect against androgen-stimulated cell proliferation through G1 arrest and an inhibition of the ability of androgen to suppress neuroendocrine differentiation. These effects were observed at exposure concentrations of KMKKT that did not cause apoptosis. Through activity-guided fractionation we identified decursin from AGN as an active compound with IC50 ∼0.4 microgram/ml (1.3 microM). Mechanistically, decursin decreased AR protein abundance in the presence and absence of androgen and inhibited androgen-stimulated AR nuclear translocation. Furthermore, decursin lacked the agonist activity of the “pure” anti-androgen bicalutamide in the absence of androgen and was more potent than bicalutamide to induce LNCaP cell apoptosis. The safety and efficacy of the decursin-rich AGN extract were evaluated in a short term growth assay (5 weeks) in athymic nude mice subcutaneously inoculated with human androgen-independent PC-3 PCa cells. At a daily dose of 100 mg per kg body weight given by i.p. injection starting 4 days after cancer cell inoculation, the tumor growth was inhibited by 52%, n=15 mice per group, p=0.008. The AGN treatment did not adversely affect body weight of the mice and instead prevented body weight loss (anorexia/cachexia). Together, this work provides strong rationale and impetus for further evaluation of the PCa chemopreventive and treatment efficacy of decursin and decursin-containing herbal extracts against androgen-dependent as well as androgen-independent PCa. This work also demonstrates the feasibility of using activity-guided fractionation in cell culture assays to identify novel anti-androgen/AR agents from complex herbal mixtures as exemplified by KMKKT. JL (jlu@hi.umn.edu) and SHK (sungkim7@khu.ac.kr) are senior corresponding authors.
Biomarkers of orthodontic tooth movement with fixed appliances and vibration appliance therapy: a pilot study.

Introduction The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supplemental vibratory force on biomarkers of bone remodelling during orthodontic tooth movement, the rate of mandibular anterior alignment (RMAA), and compliance with a vibration device. Design, settings, and participants Forty patients between the ages 15-35 undergoing fixed appliance treatment that presented to a university orthodontic clinic were randomly allocated to supplemental use of an intraoral vibrational device (n = 20, AcceleDent®) or fixed appliance only (n = 20). Salivary multiplex assay was completed to analyse the concentration of selected biomarkers of bone remodelling before treatment (T0) and at three following time points (T1, T2, T3), 4-6 weeks apart. Irregularity of the mandibular anterior teeth and compliance was assessed at the same trial time points. Data were analysed blindly on an intention-to-treat basis with descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and linear mixed effects regression modelling. Results No difference in the changes in salivary biomarkers of bone remodelling and RMAA between groups at any time point over the trial duration was observed. No correlation was found between changes in irregularity and biomarker level from baseline to another time point. Lastly, there was no association between RMAA and compliance with the AcceleDent® device. Conclusions Supplemental vibratory force during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances does not affect biomarkers of bone remodelling or the RMAA. Limitations The main limitation of the study was the small sample size and the large variability in the salivary biomarkers. Harms No harms were observed during the duration of the trial. Protocol The protocol was not published prior to trial commencement. Registration The study was registered in Clinical Trials.gov (NCT02119455) first posted on April 2014.
Demographic differences in the association of traumatic brain injury with dementia: Race matters.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common,1 with a significant number of TBIs occurring among active duty service members and veterans.2 The sequelae of TBI are long-lasting, and many studies have found TBI to be a risk factor for the development of dementia.3 Several studies have investigated differences in the association of TBI with dementia risk by age at injury and injury severity, reporting that TBI occurring at an older age and more severe injuries are more strongly associated with dementia risk.4 Far less is known about possible race and sex differences in dementia risk following TBI; this knowledge gap has particular importance to military populations as our service members become more diverse.5 Therefore, we urgently need to identify any sex- and race-based disparities in post-TBI dementia risk, which may inform health care for older veterans.
Artemisia annua hot-water extracts show potent activity in vitro against Covid-19 variants including delta

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance For millennia in Southeast Asia, Artemisia annua L. was used to treat “fever”. This medicinal plant is effective against numerous infectious microbial and viral diseases and is used by many global communities as a source of artemisinin derivatives that are first-line drugs to treat malaria. Aim of the Study The SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) global pandemic has killed millions and evolved numerous variants, with delta being the most transmissible to date and causing break-through infections of vaccinated individuals. We further queried the efficacy of A. annua cultivars against new variants. Materials and Methods Using Vero E6 cells, we measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of dried-leaf hot-water A. annua extracts of four cultivars, A3, BUR, MED, and SAM, to determine their efficacy against five fully infectious variants of the virus: alpha (B.1.1.7), beta (B.1.351), gamma (P.1), delta (B.1.617.2), and kappa (B.1.617.1). Results In addition to being effective against the original wild type WA1, A. annua cultivars A3, BUR, MED and SAM were also potent against all five variants. IC50 and IC90 values based on measured artemisinin content ranged from 0.3-8.4 μM and 1.4-25.0 μM, respectively. The IC50 and IC90 values based on dried leaf weight (DW) used to make the tea infusions ranged from 11.0-67.7 μg DW and 59.5-160.6 μg DW, respectively. Cell toxicity was insignificant at a leaf dry weight of ≤50 μg in the extract of any cultivar. Conclusions Results suggest that oral consumption of A. annua hot-water extracts (tea infusions), could provide a cost-effective therapy to help stave off the rapid global spread of these variants, buying time for broader implementation of vaccines.
R3Si+--Free at Last

Silicon chemistry resembles that of carbon, the element directly above it in the periodic table, but there are also important differences. Efforts to make a tri-coordinate silicon cation, the analog to the important carbocation reaction intermediates, have faced substantial problems, leading some researchers to believe that they cannot be isolated. In his Perspective, Gaspar highlights the report by Kim et al., whose crystal structure of a tri-coordinate silicon cation appears to lay the controversy to rest.
Sing Not War: The Lives of Union and Confederate Veterans in Gilded Age America

After the Civil War, white Confederate and Union army veterans reentered--or struggled to reenter--the lives and communities they had left behind. In Sing Not War , James Marten explores how the nineteenth century's "Greatest Generation" attempted to blend back into society and how their experiences were treated by non-veterans. Many soldiers, Marten reveals, had a much harder time reintegrating into their communities and returning to their civilian lives than has been previously understood. Although Civil War veterans were generally well taken care of during the Gilded Age, Marten argues that veterans lost control of their legacies, becoming best remembered as others wanted to remember them--for their service in the war and their postwar political activities. Marten finds that while southern veterans were venerated for their service to the Confederacy, Union veterans often encountered resentment and even outright hostility as they aged and made greater demands on the public purse. Drawing on letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, newspapers, and other sources, Sing Not War illustrates that during the Gilded Age "veteran" conjured up several conflicting images and invoked contradicting reactions. Deeply researched and vividly narrated, Marten's book counters the romanticized vision of the lives of Civil War veterans, bringing forth new information about how white veterans were treated and how they lived out their lives. |Marten explores how, after the Civil War, the white Confederate and Union army veterans reentered--or struggled to reenter--the lives and communities they had left behind. Marten's book counters the romanticized vision of the lives of Civil War veterans, bringing forth new information about how veterans were treated and how they lived out their lives.
A Research Paradigm for Multi-Human Decision Making

A novel experimental paradigm, motivated by Naval tactical Command Control and Communication (C3) problems, is proposed that can be used to examine the general problem of how a team of humans "solve" problems of distributed resource management under uncertainty in a multi-task environment. Via the paradigm we can examine different organizational and informative structures, and different assignment of responsibility among the team members. The paradigm is highly amenable to analytic modeling, making it an excellent candidate for a research tool with which to develop normative-descriptive theories of team decision making.
Sunspot seismology theory

Physical mechanisms proposed to explain the absorption of significant p-mode wave power by sunspots are reviewed, and their viability in view of the current knowledge of the scattering process is discussed. It is concluded that there is no satisfactory theoretical model for the absorption of p-modes by sunspots available at present. It is argued that the resonance absorption model is able to obtain the large absorption coefficients observed for nonaxisymmetric perturbations. For axisymmetric perturbations, departures from perfect cylindrical symmetry or the inclusion of a slight twist in the sunspot flux tube may be able to resolve the problem with the absorption of m = 0 wave modes. Other dissipative models, which do not incorporate the background gradient effects inherent in the resonance absorption mechanism, require inconveniently large dissipation coefficients within the sunspot.
Education of the public for successful lactation. Psycho-social considerations.

Success or failure in human lactation mainly depends on two psycho‐physiological reflexes, the prolactin reflex and the let‐down reflex. In actual communities, frequent suckling and confidence are major factors, and the latter is related in large measure to knowledge and social support. Success in social mammals, including traditional human societies, is made more likely by the presence of what Raphael has termed a doula or culturally defined assistant, usually female. Consideration is given to the anti‐doula function of most modern midwifery units, and to the need to consider the need for the doula role in programmes designed to promote lactation in the community.
A Two-Sided, Empirical Model of the Submission and Subscription Markets for Economics Journals

We develop and estimate a two-sided model for the market for economics journals. In this model an economics journal faces demand from authors for its scarce space and demand from library and individual subscribers for access to its content, and thereby chooses its manuscript submission fee, subscription fees, and pages of content to compete against each other. We examine how the price allocation between the author and subscriber sides is affected by the relative size of cross-group network externalities, i.e., authors’ valuation of the number of subscribers and vice versa, and by platform governance (for-profit vs. non-profit), among other things.
A pipeline architecture for traffic sign classification on an FPGA

This paper presents an efficient FPGA design that can classify 48 different traffic signs at real-time. The method is based on histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) feature extraction and support vector machine (SVM) for classification. A full-pipeline, resource efficient architecture is presented with detail design of each block. The FPGA implementation has a system clock of 241.7 MHz with an absolute response time of 6.5 s. Taking streaming pixel input, the system throughput is about 106 times faster than the same algorithm executed on a general purpose processor.
Urinary estrogens in spontaneous and induced ovulation in women.

Abstract Curves for total urinary estrogens (T.E.) in 4 normal menstrual cycles and assays for the proportion of the total accountable to estriol (E 3 P) have confirmed previous observations concerning the patterns for each consistently associated with spontaneous ovulation. In similar studies during 5 cycles of gonadotropin therapy for infertility, these same patterns were found in 3 cases (one of which was the cycle of conception) but not in the other 2. Although all 5 of the treatment cycles showed evidence of progesterone secretion, these 2 failed to show the nadir in the T.E. curve or the increase in E 3 P characteristic of an ovulatory cycle. These observations have been confirmed by analyses of similar studies by others. They indicate that progesterone is not responsible for the postovulatory relative increase in E 3 , as had been previously proposed. They suggest, however, that such studies, in gonadotropin-treated patients who secrete progesterone after therapy but fail to conceive, may be of assistance in differentiating ovulation from luteinization of unruptured follicles.
Real-time measurement of cardiac stroke volume using Compton backscattered X-rays

A technique which uses Compton backscattered X-rays to provide real-time measurements of stroke volume and cardiac output in the isolated working rat heart preparation is presented. A basic system was assembled and tested on mechanical models. Six isolated rat hearts were studied. Preliminary work shows that this X-ray backscatter detection system responds in a highly linear fashion and can detect rapid (>4 Hz) and small amplitude ( >
A characterization framework for visual languages

The general goal of this research is to facilitate the development of visual language environments for the class of visual languages that are based on graph models. The approach the authors take relies on a conceptual framework to define general model components and behaviors; any particular language is defined by selecting and enhancing components and behaviors within the framework. The objective is to provide a system, based on the conceptual framework, in which the language designer defines a data model in conjunction with a distinct, but related, representation of the model. The language specific modules of the resulting visual language system are generated from the specification. These language modules can be viewed as system independent abstract data types which are placed into a fixed system environment. This work enables the visual language developer to easily experiment with different aspects of a visual language. It also provides a basis for the development of, and experimentation with, mechanisms used to support the use of complex visual languages and their environments. The authors address the issue of usability and language complexity by providing support for the development of mechanisms such as visual abstraction hierarchies, multiple views, multiple windows, language component filtering, etc. >
Abstract 3900: Formaldehyde induces DNA damage and BRCA1 nuclear export

Formaldehyde is a colorless, potent, flammable gas, commonly used to manufacture building materials and other household and personal care products. Most living organisms are exposed to some levels of formaldehyde in one way or another. Studies have shown formaldehyde to have mutagenic and genotoxic effects on proliferating cells. In order to understand the effects of formaldehyde on cancer progression, we examined the effects of formaldehyde on estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells, MCF-7. Our data suggest that low concentrations of formaldehyde decrease the proliferation of MCF-7 cells. Further analysis at the molecular level suggests that formaldehyde increases the expressions of p53 and BRCA1, two tumor suppressor genes known to play important roles in DNA repair. Consistent with previous reports that high concentrations of formaldehyde results in irreversible DNA damage, our results suggest that exposure to low concentrations of formaldehyde is sufficient to induce DNA damage. Protein and gene expression analyses suggest that p53 and BRCA1 expression levels are dependent on the concentration of formaldehyde and length of exposure. Additionally, our data show that BRCA1 undergoes nuclear export in response to formaldehyde which is consistent with its role in DNA damage surveillance and repair. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3900. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3900
Ketamine/xylazine attenuates LPS-induced iNOS expression in various rat tissues.

Abstract Ketamine and xylazine (K/X) are commonly used in combination as an anesthetic agent in experimental animal models. We previously noted that K/X attenuated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury, gastric stasis, and reduced symptoms of endotoxemia. Because ketamine attenuates expression of several proinflammatory genes, we examined the effects of K/X on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which has been implicated in endotoxin-induced tissue injury. We hypothesized that K/X would attenuate LPS-induced expression of iNOS in various organs in the rat. Rats were given either intraperitoneal saline or ketamine (70 mg/kg) and xylazine (6 mg/kg) 1 h before saline or LPS (20 mg/kg). Rats were sacrificed 5 h later and stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon, liver, lung, kidney, and spleen were collected for determination of iNOS protein immunoreactivity by Western immunoblot. Data reported in densitometric units (DU) as mean ± SEM (n ≥ 5; ANOVA). LPS significantly increased iNOS protein immunoreactivity in all tissues examined versus saline controls (P ≤ 0.05, all groups). K/X significantly attenuated LPS-induced iNOS protein immunoreactivity in all of the aforementioned organs (P ≤ 0.05, all groups). Furthermore, K/X almost completely blunted LPS-induced expression of iNOS in stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and colon. These data indicate that K/X attenuates LPS-induced upregulation of iNOS in a variety of tissues. Furthermore, in rat models studying the in vivo effects of endotoxin, especially those evaluating the gastrointestinal system, careful consideration needs to be given if the anesthetic combination of K/X is used, as it alters LPS-induced expression of iNOS, an important pathophysiologic mediator in endotoxemia.
Excitation Functions and Angular Distributions of Alpha Particles Leading to the Ground and First Excited States of Be 7 in the Reaction B 10 ( p , α ) Be 7 *

Measurements on the excitation function and angular distribution of ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}(p, \ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{Be}}^{7}, {\mathrm{Be}}^{7*}$ have been carried out with apparatus which is an improvement over that used for previous measurements. Excitation functions have been measured at laboratory angles of 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 145\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} with respect to the bombarding beam, from 0.8 to 1.65 Mev. Angular distributions have been measured at 1.0, 1.2, 1.36, 1.5, and 1.63 Mev, and at 1.3, 1.5, and 1.63 Mev for the excited state. The excitation functions show resonances at 1.17 and 1.5 Mev for the ground state, and 1.55 Mev for the excited state transition. The resonances are superposed on a continuous isotropic background. The 1.17-Mev resonance shows nearly an isotropic distribution to the ground state. The 1.5-Mev state shows a distribution which is 1-0.53 ${cos}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}$ with very small interference terms. The angular distributions leading to the excited state show a marked asymmetry with the backward angles being favored. The absolute cross section at laboratory 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, ${E}_{p}=1.5$ Mev for the ground state transition, is 21.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4 mb/sterad. This value is in reasonable agreement with previous work.The angular distributions are not inconsistent with an assignment of $\frac{3}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ for the 9.70-Mev state and $\frac{7}{{2}^{+}}$ for the 10.06-Mev state in ${\mathrm{C}}^{11}$.
Vpu-dependent block to incorporation of GaLV Env into lentiviral vectors

The gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV) Env protein mediates entry into a wide range of human cells and is frequently used to pseudotype retroviral vectors. However, an incompatibility exists between GaLV Env and lentiviral vectors that results in decreased steady-state levels of the mature GaLV Env in cells and prevents its incorporation into lentiviral vector particles. We identified the HIV-1 Vpu protein as the major cause of the depletion in GaLV Env levels that occurs when lentiviral vector components are present. This activity of Vpu targeted the mature (cleaved) form of the GaLV Env that exists within or beyond the trans-Golgi. The activity required two conserved phospho-serines in the cytoplasmic tail of Vpu that are known to recruit β TrCP, a substrate adaptor for an SCF E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, and could be blocked by mutation of lysine 618 in the GaLV Env tail. Moreover, the Vpu-mediated decrease of GaLV Env levels was inhibited by the lysosomal inhibitor, bafilomycin A1. Interestingly, this activity of Vpu was only observed in the presence of other lentiviral vector components. Similar to the mechanism whereby Vpu targets BST-2/tetherin for degradation, these findings implicate β-TrCP-mediated ubiquitination and the endo-lysosomal pathway in the degradation of the GaLV Env by lentiviral vector components. Possibly, the cytoplasmic tail of the GaLV Env contains features that mimic bona fide targets of Vpu, important to HIV-1 replication. Furthermore, the lack of effect of Vpu on GaLV Env in the absence of other HIV-1 proteins, suggests that a more complex interaction may exist between Vpu and its target proteins, with the additional involvement of one or more component(s) of the HIV-1 replication machinery.
Sex-Role Androgyny and Patterns of Causal Attribution for Academic Achievement.

In order to test the role of social psychological factors in the underrepresentation of women in mathmatics and related academic fields, a two-wave panel survey was conducted among freshmen university students (88 females and 44 males). Before and during their first academic year, survey respondents completed questionnaires assessing their psychological androgyny (employing the Bem Sex-Role Inventory) and their causal attributions for success and failure in various areas of academic achievement. Results of cross-lagged panel correlation analyses confirmed the predicted causal relationship between sex-role identification and feelings of control over achievement in mathematics and science among female respondents. No such relationship was evidenced among male respondents or among females for nonmathematical areas of academic achievement.
Effects of tonicity, digestive enzymes and bile salts, and nutrient media on the survival of excysted metacercariae of Echinostoma caproni

The effects of tonicity, digestive enzymes and bile salts, and various nutrients added to Locke’s solution were studied on the chemically excysted metacercariae of Echinostoma caproni. Metacercariae were maintained at 37.5°C in multiwell chambers, ten per 0.5 ml of test solution; each experiment was replicated five times. Most metacercariae maintained in deionized water or Locke’s 2× solution were dead within 2 h. About 85% and 55% of the metacercariae were alive at 8 h in Locke’s 1× and Locke’s 0.5×, respectively. Metacercariae of this species are osmoconformers, as is the case for adult digeneans. All metacercariae were dead in an acid saline or acid pepsin medium by 2 h. About 50% of the metacercariae were alive in an alkaline trypsin-bile salts medium at 4 h. These results suggest that the acidic pepsin environment in the stomach of a definitive host would be detrimental to the survival of excysted metacercariae, but prolonged survival in alkaline trypsin-bile salts would facilitate establishment of this larval stage in the mucosa of the host small intestine. Studies on excysted metacercariae in Locke’s 1× supplemented with various nutrients showed that optimal survival occurred in Locke’s plus 0.1% glucose and in Locke’s 1× plus 1% hen’s egg yolk. Significant survival of excysted metacercariae in Locke’s 1× supplemented with either 0.1% proline, 0.1% threonine, or 0.1% serine did not occur.
Interaction of Process and Material Parameters in Air-Jet Spinning

The first part of this paper deals with the interaction of first and second nozzle pressures in air-jet spinning of microdenier polyester/cotton blended yams. The results show that the first and second nozzle pressures interact with each other to determine yarn strength. This is because both the number of wrapper fibers and the length of wrappings formed at a particular first nozzle pressure depend on the level of the second nozzle pressure and vice versa. There is an optimum number of wrapper fibers and wrapping lengths that yields the maximum yarn strength, and this optimum level can be obtained at several different nozzle pressure combinations because first and second nozzle pressures interact with each other. However, it would be advantageous to use the lowest of these nozzle pressure combinations because of significant savings in energy costs. The second part of this paper investigates the effect of yarn delivery speed, first nozzle pressure, and blend ratio on the hairiness profile of microdenier po...
Collinearity in Least-Squares Analysis

How useful are the standard deviations per se, and how reliable are results derived from several least-squares coefficients and their associated standard deviations? When the output parameters obtained from a least-squares analysis are mutually independent, as is often assumed, they are reliable estimators of imprecision and so are the functions derived from them. But when these parameters have strong mutual dependencies, as is the rule rather than the exception in chemical data analysis, a more sophisticated approach to the statistical imprecision is required than is described in most chemistry textbooks. For the analysis of data from a typical kinetic experiment in physical chemistry, this is illustrated numerically as well as graphically.
Total aorto-ostial chronic occlusion of the right coronary artery successfully recanalized via retrograde approach.

Chronic total occlusions remain a technical challenge for interventional cardiologists. This group of lesions carries a decreased rate of success and continues to be an important reason for surgical revascularization. Recently, retrograde percutaneous coronary intervention of total occlusions via epicardial and septal perforators was introduced as an alternative approach when a previous antegrade attempt has failed. We describe a unique case where retrograde approach was used as the initial recanalization technique in the absence of a right coronary ostium. V C 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Modification of the Illinois Reference Standard amino acid mixture.

Abstract Based upon several recent studies involving reassessment of the essential amino acid requirements of the young chick, levels of dietary arginine, lysine, leucine, valine and glycine were decreased and proline and glutamic acid increased from those present in the Illinois Reference Standard (RS) amino acid mixture. Performance of chicks fed this modified amino acid mixture was as good as or better than that observed with the RS mixture and approached the performance level of chicks fed a practical-type 24% protein corn-soybean meal diet.
Dynamic mixing kernels in Gaussian mixture classifier for hyperspectral classification

In this paper, new Gaussian mixture classifiers are designed to deal with the case of an unknown number of mixing kernels. Not knowing the true number of mixing components is a major learning problem for a mixture classifier using expectation-maximization (EM). To overcome this problem, the training algorithm uses a combination of covariance constraints, dynamic pruning, splitting and merging of mixture kernels of the Gaussian mixture to correctly automate the learning process. This structural learning of Gaussian mixtures is employed to model and classify Hyperspectral imagery (HSI) data. The results from the HSI experiments suggested that this new methodology is a potential alternative to the traditional mixture based modeling and classification using general EM.
Gender bias in the evaluation of chest pain in the emergency department.

Abstract In conclusion, although coronary artery disease is the number one cause of mortality in women, those with new-onset chest pain who present with similar symptoms as men are approached, diagnosed, and treated less aggressively than men.
An Application of Logistic Models to the Analysis of Ordinal Responses

Logistic probability models—models linear in the log odds of the outcome event—have found extensive application in modelling of unordered categorical responses. This paper illustrates some extensions of logistic models to the modelling of probabilities of ordinal responses. The extensions arise naturally from discrete probability models for the conditional distribution of the ordinal response, as well as from linear modelling of the log odds of response. Methods of estimation and examination of fit developed for the binary logistic model extend in a straightforward manner to the ordinal models. The models and methods are illustrated in an analysis of the dependence of chronic obstructive respiratory disease prevalence on smoking and age.
Btf and TRAP150 have distinct roles in regulating subcellular mRNA distribution.

Transcription of protein-coding genes in mammalian cells is coordinated with pre-mRNA processing as well as the assembly and nuclear export of mRNPs. Btf (BCLAF1) and TRAP150 (THRAP3) were previously reported to associate with in vitro spliced mRNPs and also as a part of the spliceosome, suggesting they are involved in pre-mRNA processing. Btf and TRAP150 are serine-arginine-rich (SR) proteins with significant sequence similarity, but the extent of their functional overlap is not yet clear. We show that both Btf and TRAP150 localize at a constitutively active β-tropomyosin (BTM) reporter minigene locus in mammalian cells. Both proteins also localize at a U2OS 2–6-3 reporter gene locus in a RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription-dependent manner. While Btf and TRAP150 showed some overlap with reporter RNA and other pre-mRNA processing factors at transcription loci, they showed the most precise overlap with the exon junction complex (EJC) protein Magoh. Since EJC components have roles in nuclear export, we examined nuclear/cytoplasmic mRNA distribution after Btf or TRAP150 knockdown. Btf depletion caused an increase of β-tropomyosin minigene reporter transcripts in the cytoplasm as well as global increase of endogenous polyadenylated RNA in the cytoplasm, while TRAP150 depletion did not. We provide evidence that Btf has functions distinct from TRAP150 in regulating the subcellular distribution of mRNAs in human cells.
Memory scheduling for modern microprocessors

The need to carefully schedule memory operations has increased as memory performance has become increasingly important to overall system performance. This article describes the adaptive history-based (AHB) scheduler, which uses the history of recently scheduled operations to provide three conceptual benefits: (1) it allows the scheduler to better reason about the delays associated with its scheduling decisions, (2) it provides a mechanism for combining multiple constraints, which is important for increasingly complex DRAM structures, and (3) it allows the scheduler to select operations so that they match the program's mixture of Reads and Writes, thereby avoiding certain bottlenecks within the memory controller.We have previously evaluated this scheduler in the context of the IBM Power5. When compared with the state of the art, this scheduler improves performance by 15.6p, 9.9p, and 7.6p for the Stream, NAS, and commercial benchmarks, respectively. This article expands our understanding of the AHB scheduler in a variety of ways. Looking backwards, we describe the scheduler in the context of prior work that focused exclusively on avoiding bank conflicts, and we show that the AHB scheduler is superior for the IBM Power5, which we argue will be representative of future microprocessor memory controllers. Looking forwards, we evaluate this scheduler in the context of future systems by varying a number of microarchitectural features and hardware parameters. For example, we show that the benefit of this scheduler increases as we move to multithreaded environments.
Effects of Bay K 8644 on spontaneous and evoked transmitter release at the mouse neuromuscular junction.

Abstract The dihydropyridine. Bay K 8644, was applied in vitro to mouse phrenic nerve diaphragm muscle preparations. The drug increased both spontaneous and evoked release of acctylcholine from the motor nerve terminal in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The rise in miniature endplate potential frequency, however, was the result of an increased intraterminal mobilization of free calcium, rather than well-established activation of voltage-dependent calcium channels. This view is supported by the following observations: (1) an increase in frequency was apparent in Ca 2+ -free medium;(2) Bay K 8644 is known to require a moderate depolarization to affect Ca 2+ channels, hut no membrane depolarization was detected;(3) exposure to low Ca 2+ and high Mg 2+ medium did not diminish the effect on miniature endplate potential frequency. In a medium containing low Ca 2+ and high Mg 2+ , Bay K 8644 increased quantal content of the evoked endplate potentials to a greater degree and with a faster time course than the frequency of miniature endplate potentials. This enhancement in evoked release did not appear to be caused solely by an increase in cytoplasmic Ca 2+ hut rather reflected at least in part the Bay K 8644-induced activation of voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels, perhaps L-type, at the presynaptic nerve terminal. Thus, we propose that Bay K 8644 exerts dual effects on the motor nerve endings, characterized by a primary action on the presynaptic Ca 2+ channels and a secondary action associated with the elevation of intracellular Ca 2+ concentration.
Dustbathing by broiler chickens: a comparison of preference for four different substrates

Abstract Leg abnormalities leading to lameness in broiler chickens are a serious welfare problem. Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that providing broiler chickens with the opportunity to exercise by performing more natural behaviors (such as perching, walking up and down inclines and dustbathing) can improve their ability to walk normally [J.A. Mench, J.P. Garner, C. Falcone, Behavioral activity and its effects on leg problems in broiler chickens, in: H. Oester, C. Wyss (Eds.), Proceedings of the Sixth European Symposium on Poultry Welfare, World’s Poultry Science Association, Zollikofen, Switzerland, 2001, pp. 152–156]. With the long-term goal of stimulating dustbathing to improve leg condition, the aim of this study was to determine the dustbathing substrate preferred by broiler chickens. We conducted a dustbathing choice test experiment using four different bedding types (pine wood shavings, rice hulls, construction grade sand, and a recycled paper animal bedding product). Four different broiler chickens were tested each week for 6 weeks starting when the chicks were 1 week old. They were selected from two groups of broiler chickens housed in large home pens bedded with wood shavings. Selected birds were tested in smaller pens where they were deprived of all loose bedding material except during testing, which was carried out for 1 h each day for three consecutive days per week. During an observation, each corner of the test pen was filled with a different bedding type, and the behavior of the focal chick recorded. Vertical wing shakes (VWS) were used as the primary measure of dustbathing activity. Broilers performed significantly more VWS per hour in sand (F3,36=13.52, P
Dynamic and diffusive instabilities in core collapse supernovae.

Abstract The instabilities that are believed to play an important role in the supernova mechanism are reviewed. We then investigate the dynamics of two of these instabilities, prompt convection and neutron fingers, and its consequences for the supernova outcome. We find that prompt convection occurs immediately after shock propagation and is primarily entropy driven. A number of detailed one-dimensional spherically symmetric simulations of prompt convection are performed using a mixing length algorithm in a code coupling the core hydrodynamics with multigroup flux-limited diffusion of neutrinos of all types. We find that prompt convection does not have a significant effect on the neutrino luminosities or spectra and, furthermore, that the core is not amenable to shock revival at this time. Consequently, we do not find that prompt convection is important for the supernova mechanism. Our analysis of neutron fingers begins with a simple model of doubly diffusive instabilities, applicable to salt and water, and is then extended to describe matter and neutrinos in a postshock core. The equations describing the stability of the latter are nonlinear, requiring a numerical approach. However, on general grounds, we find that, in the usual thermodynamic setting that gets established beneath the neutrinospheres in the postshock core, there is a critical value of Y l , depending on ϱ and s , below which matter is stable to doubly diffusive instabilities. Above this critical value, numerous numerical experiments show that the postshock core is most likely stable or, at worst, unstable to semiconvection rather than neutron fingers. We therefore conclude that the core is unlikely at any time to be unstable to neutron fingers and, consequently, that the latter play no role in the supernova mechanism.
Relative Survival and Growth of Triploid and Diploid Rainbow Trout in Two Idaho Reservoirs

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine whether triploid rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss grew faster or lived longer than diploid rainbow trout stocked in two southeastern Idaho reservoirs. In October 1996, triploid and diploid rainbow trout were differentially marked and stocked in equal proportions. Relative survival and growth rates were estimated by means of gill-net and electrofishing samples collected through October 2000. In both reservoirs, the relative survival rate (total catch) was significantly higher for triploid fish. The final catch ratios (triploid: diploid) were 1.4:1 and 1.9:1 in the Treasureton and Daniels reservoirs, respectively. We also observed ontogenetic differences in growth. At age 1, mean lengths and weights were similar for the triploid and diploid fish in each reservoir. During the second year, diploids weighed significantly more than triploids. The trend reversed as the diploid fish matured: age-3 and older triploids matched or exceeded diploid fish in length...
Oxygen Tracer Diffusion in Sol-Gel Derived Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin Films

We have studied oxygen diffusion in thin films of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si multilayer substrates using 18O as a tracer. The PZT films were synthesized using the sol-gel technique and crystallized in air at 650° C for 30 minutes. Diffusion experiments were conducted in one atmosphere of 18O2 at tmipertures between 400-600°C, the extent of exchange was monitored using secondary ion mass spectromentry. Exchange profiles were modeled using solutions of the diffusion equation with boundary conditions for a layer with finite thickness. Significant exchange (>60%) of 16O by 18O was measured after treatment under conditions similar to those used for crystallization. At low levels of exchange, oxygen diffusion does not follow a simple Fickian profile and differences exist between nominally identical films. These results suggest that oxygen exchange is sensitive to the film's microstructure.
Retrieving Assembly Part Design Using Case-Based Reasoning and Genetic Algorithms

Artificial intelligence (AI) approaches have been successfully applied to many fields. Among the numerous AI approaches, Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) is an approach that mainly focuses on the reuse of knowledge and experience. However, little work is done on applications of CBR to improve assembly part design. Similarity measures and the weight of different features are crucial in determining the accuracy of retrieving cases from the case base. To develop the weight of part features and retrieve a similar part design, the research proposes using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to learn the optimum feature weight and employing nearest-neighbor technique to measure the similarity of assembly part design. Early experimental results indicate that the similar part design is effectively retrieved by these similarity measures.Copyright © 2005 by ASME