cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of techniques for enrichment and isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from artificially contaminated sprouts.

Because sprouted seed products are kept wet during and after production, have high levels of nutrients, and a neutral pH, they are subject to the outgrowth of pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7. For these same reasons, these products also contain high levels of heterotrophic organisms and in particular coliform bacteria. Recent outbreaks have focused attention on the need to improve methodology for isolating this pathogen from sprouts. When 40 E. coli O157:H7 strains were grown in pure culture in enterohemorrhagic E. coli enrichment broth (EEB) as prescribed in the U.S. FDA-Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA-BAM) and in EEB modified by varying the cefixime concentration, outgrowth for all strains in EEB was inhibited at 0.05 mg/l but for only 2 of 40 strains when the cefixime level was adjusted to 0.0125 mg/l. These two enrichment formulae were compared to modified E. coli broth (mEC), modified Tryptic Soy Broth with 20 mg/l novobiocin (mTSB + N), modified Buffered Peptone Water (mBPW), and mBPW with added 10 mg/l acriflavin, 10 mg/l cefsulodin, and 8 mg/l vancomycin (mBPW + ACV) for isolation of E. coli O157:H7 from sprouts. These comparisons were performed using low-level (0.12 to 0.42 cfu/g) artificially contaminated alfalfa and mixed salad sprouts. After enrichment, two isolation methods were compared for recovery; direct plating to Tellurite-Cefixime Sorbitol MacConkey agar (TCSMAC) and immunomagnetic separation (IMS) (Dynabeads anti-E. coli O157, Dynal, Oslo, Norway) followed by plating to TCSMAC. In addition, an immunoprecipitin detection kit, VIP (BioControl, Bellevue, WA), was evaluated for detection after enrichment. We found that five of the six enrichments were equivalent for detection or recovery while one enrichment (mTSB + N without agitation) was less productive. Incubation for 24 h was more effective in recovering E. coli O157:H7 from sprouts than 6 h for all enrichment broths. Plating after IMS was more productive than direct plating at these low levels of contamination, yielding recovery in 70 of 90 trials compared to 37 of 90 trials without IMS for six enrichments. The sensitivity of VIP for detection of E. coli O157:H7 varied depending on the enrichment broth. Because of the rapid rate of growth of E. coli O157:H7 in mBPW, the high productivity of mBPW + ACV after 24-h enrichment and its compatibility with both IMS and detection with immunoprecipitin tests, mBPW + ACV at 42 degrees C with agitation was found to be the most promising enrichment protocol for testing sprouts.
Naphthalene biosorption in soil/water systems of low or high sorptive capacity

A model system was developed for evaluating naphthalene biosorption based on the use of a mutant (strain TG-5 Nah–) derived from a naphthalene-degrading Pseudomonas fluorescens isolate. Cells of strain TG-5 had a sorptive capacity for naphthalene (partition coefficient of 380 cm3/g) significantly higher than a soil with a 5.1% organic carbon content (partition coefficient of 41 cm3/g). However, experimental results and a mass balance model demonstrated that, in soil systems of high organic carbon content, the mass of naphthalene associated with biological solids is insignificant. In contrast, in a soil system of nonsorptive Ottawa sand, up to 10% of the initial naphthalene was demonstrated experimentally, and by modelin, to be associated with cells of strain TG-5.
Reversible switching between self-assembled homomeric and hybrid capsules

We present here the reversible, guest-controlled disproportionation of homomeric and hybrid capsules using photochemistry. The supramolecular containers are self-assembled from shallow and deep cavitand modules.
OCT in the Management of Diabetic Macular Edema

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of mild-to-moderate visual loss in diabetes. With the introduction of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies in addition to the previously available medical and laser therapies, OCT has become the cornerstone in the diagnosis, monitoring, therapeutic selection, and gauging response to therapy in eyes with DME. A review of the recent literature shows numerous advancements in the way OCT scanning is used both to monitor DME and to guide the management of DME.
Large deflections of point loaded cantilevers with nonlinear behaviour

Thin beams, being flexible, form a curve with large deflections when subjected to sufficiently large transverse loads. Therefore, geometrical nonlinearity occurs, and the problem must be formulated in terms of the nonlinear theory of bending. In this paper, the beam is constructed from nonlinear elastic material, and subjected to several transverse concentrated loads. Due to the large deflection of the beam, the exact expression of the curvature of the deflected shape is used in the Bernoulli-Euler relationship. Therefore, this leads to a second order nonlinear differential equation for the transverse deflection. The solution of this equation is obtained by using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, and the arc length is evaluated using Simpson's Rule. The results obtained from this procedure are compared with previously published results for thin beams of linear elastic materials in order to verify the theory and the method of analysis.
THE GENERATION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE BY THE UVA IRRADIATION OF HUMAN LENS PROTEINS

The water-insoluble proteins from aged human lens are known to contain protein-bound chromophores that act as UVA senisitizers. The irradiation of a sonication-solubilized, water-insoluble fraction from human lenses (55-75 years) with UVA light (1.5 kJ/cm2, gamma > 338nm) caused an oxygen-dependent photolysis of tryptophan, not seen when either alpha-crystallin or lysozyme were irradiated. The suggested requirement for active oxygen species was consistent with a linear increase in hydrogen peroxide formation, which was also observed. A final concentration of 55 microM H2O2 was attained, with no H2O2 being detected in either dark-incubated controls or in irradiated samples of native proteins. The UVA-dependent H2O2 formation was increased 50% by superoxide dismutase (SOD) and abolished by catalase, arguing for the initial generation of superoxide anion. A linear photolysis of histidine and tryptophan was also seen; however, the addition of SOD or SOD and catalase had no effect on the photolytic destruction of either amino acid. Superoxide dismutase increased the oxidation of protein SH groups implicating H2O2, but SOD and catalase caused a decrease in SH oxidation only at later time periods. The direct addition of H2O2 to a water-insoluble sonicate supernatant fraction caused only a slight oxidation of SH groups, but this was increased four- to eight-fold when the protein was denatured in 4.0 M guanidine hydrochloride. Overall, the data suggest a UVA-dependent oxidation of protein SH groups via H2O2 generated within the large protein aggregates of the water-insoluble fraction. These data also provide a mechanism for oxidation of the sulfur-containing amino acids in vivo--a process that is known to accompany the formation of age-onset cataracts.
TU‐A‐BRC‐04: Quantifying the Predictive Power of Multiparametric PET Imaging in a Prospective Veterinary Dose Escalation Trial through Voxel Regression

Purpose: Statistical tools to derive imaging‐based prescription functions linked to outcome data have great potential for dose painting. The predictive power of PETimages was assessed in a veterinary dose escalation trial via voxel regression.Methods: Ten canine patients with sinonasal tumors underwent pre‐treatment PET/CT scans of [F‐18]FDG, [F‐18]FLT and [Cu‐61]Cu‐ATSM (PETpre). Following radiotherapy, nine patients underwent FDG PET/CT scans at three months (FDGpost). Multivariate voxel‐based regression of PETpre images to the FDGpost image, a surrogate of local recurrence, was performed in each patient for linear, log‐linear, log‐ ratio and generalized‐linear models.Model predictions of patient FDGpost images were assessed by the coefficient of determination R‐squared. Population predictive power was established for non‐zero regression coefficients using one‐sample t‐tests, as well as for different coefficients between RECIST‐classified responders and non‐responders using two‐ sample t‐tests. Results: The log‐ratio model achieved the best patient model fits (mean: R‐squared=0.64, range: [0.22–0.85]). The population predictive power of FDGpre to FDGpost was statistically significant in all but the log‐ linear model (p=0.12 vs. p<0.03). The linear model classified the slope of 0.37 for RECIST non‐responders to be different from the slope of 0.07 for RECIST responders (p=0.01). The generalized‐linear model related FDGpre to FDGpost by a linear power law (coefficient = 0.93, p<0.01). FLTpre and Cu‐ATSMpre had non‐significant coefficients, though Cu‐ATSMpre weakly classified RECIST response in the generalized‐linear model (non‐ responders: coefficient = 0.68; responders: coefficient = −0.22; p=0.12). Conclusions: Results from the majority of regression models indicate that pre‐treatment FDG is an independent predictor of three month post‐ treatment FDG. The log‐ratio model of relative PET uptake produced the best patient fits. The generalized‐linear model characterized pre‐treatment Cu‐ATSM as a potential classifier of RECIST response. Further statistical analysis of the possible synergistic interactions between image parameters and radiationdose may lead to the discovery of a dose painting prescription function.
A control scheme for batching DRAM requests to improve power efficiency

This paper introduces a closed-loop control algorithm to coordinate power management of memory ranks and thereby achieve power savings beyond independent rank power management while bounding the throughput degradation.
Non-equilibrium effects in the hydrogenation-mediated isomerization mechanism of olefins during cavitating ultrasound processing

Abstract The process whereby cis -olefins isomerize to their trans form is generally understood as occurring through C–H activation of surface bound alkyl radical species. Here we present aqueous phase deuteration results of cis -2-buten-1-ol on Raney Nickel. In the context of the accepted olefin isomerization mechanism, our results illustrate that transition-state theory can accurately model the competition between C–H and C–D activation for olefin exchange (isomerization) for the case of conventional catalytic processing. This is the case also for a catalytic process that includes cavitating ultrasound, although the model then requires a much higher vibrational temperature (at least ∼800 K) in order to simulate the selectivity of the deuterium exchange process. Thus, cavitating ultrasound likely incorporates a high level of molecular vibrational excitation, suggesting that the vibrational temperature is not in equilibrium with the thermal (e.g., translational) temperature as the chemistry proceeds along a traditional reaction path.
Photocatalysis of 4-chlorophenol mediated by TiO2 fixed to concrete surfaces

Abstract Titanium dioxide (TiO2) powder was mixed with varying concrete sealer formulations and applied to prepared concrete surfaces within PVC batch reactors. A solution of 4-chlorophenol in de-ionized water, with an initial 4-chlorophenol concentration of 4 mg/L, was added to each open reactor. The photocatalytic efficiency of each TiO2-sealer was determined through bulk solution sampling while a reactor was exposed to continuous UV light. Through analysis of mean 4-chlorophenol concentrations, the disappearance of 4-chlorophenol from solution was attributed solely to the presence of TiO2 in the sealed concrete surface of a UV exposed reactor. The rate of disappearance increased when the mass percent of TiO2 in the sealer was increased. The zero-order reaction rate constants ranged from 0.135 to 0.2873 mg L−1 h−1.
Differences between computer-mediated and face-to-face communication in a collaborative fiction project

In this paper we examine collaborative fiction writing in a face-to-face setting and in a computer-mediated environment (online chat). To understand the role of social presence in online collaborative work, participants were placed either in a high collaboration task that involved working toward a common storyline or a low collaboration task that involved working toward individual storylines. For the high collaboration task, although face-to-face was perceived as more convenient than computer-mediated communication, this preference did not translate into any difference in terms of the number of idea units generated. For the low collaboration task, where teammates pursued independent storylines, computer-mediated communication was preferred over face-to-face communication. Despite this preference for computer-mediated communication over face-to-face communication in the low collaboration task, participants in the face-to-face condition generated more idea units than those in the computer-mediated condition. These findings are examined within the framework of interactivity and social presence.
Multispectral Remote Sensing of Saline Seeps

An aircraft experiment was conducted in early summer of 1981 to determine the feasibility of optical and microwave remote sensing techniques for the detection of fully developed and incipient saline seeps in South Dakota and Montana. The NASA C-130 earth resources aircraft was used to acquire L-band and C-band scatterometer data (backscattering coefficient profiles), radiometer data (brightness temperature profiles), and color-infrared photography; additional passive microwave data and thermal images were acquired by the L- band radiometer on the Beechcraft D-18 aircraft operated by South Dakota State University. Intensive soil moisture and salinity data were collected on a uniform 20-m grid spacing and at several depths for the 600 × 600 m South Dakota site. The two Montana sites were over-flown with flight lines several kilometers in length, and ground truth information was obtained by identifying known geological and geohydrological units with varying soil salinities on a regional basis. The C-130 radiometers (both L- and C-bands) were effective in detecting wet soil areas including fully developed seeps; however, incipient seeps were not accurately detected by the radiometers. The D-18 L-band radiometer data did not appear to be sensitive to soil wetness. The C-130 scatterometer data profiles, although showing some sensitivity to soil moisture, were greatly influenced by surface roughness and appear to be ineffective in accurately delineating either fully developed or incipient seeps. Thermal-IR scanner data acquired by the D-18 aircraft did not appear to provide a reliable means for identifying potential seeps.
The structural features of effective antagonists of the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone.

The structure-activity data of 6 years on 395 analogs of the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) have been studied to determine effective substituents for the ten positions for maximal antiovulatory activity and minimal histamine release. The numbers of substituents studied in the ten positions are as follows: (41)1-(12)2-(12)3-(5)4-(47)5-(52)6-(16)7-(18)8-(4)9-(8)10. In position 1, DNal and DQal were effective with the former being more frequently the better substituent. DpClPhe was uniquely effective in position 2. Positions 3 and 4 are very sensitive to change. D3Pal in position 3 and Ser in position 4 of LHRH were in the best antagonists. PicLys and cPzACAla were the most successful residues in position 5 with cPzACAla being the better substituent. Position 6 was the most flexible and many substituents were effective; particularly DPicLys. Leu7 was most often present in the best antagonists. In position 8, Arg was effective for both antiovulatory activity and histamine release; ILys was effective for potency and lesser histamine release. Pro9 of LHRH was retained. DAlaNH210 was in the best antagonists.
Local Television and Newspaper Coverage of Political Advertising

How often do the news media cover the advertising of political candidates? And how do the characteristics of the news outlet, the media market, the race, and the advertisements themselves influence the extent to which this ad amplification takes place? Examining Senate and gubernatorial campaign coverage by several newspapers and local television stations in five midwestern states in 2006, we find that coverage of advertising is quite extensive, most of it is low quality, and its volume depends both on the size of the market and the tone of the spots aired. Surprisingly, however, television stations were not more likely than newspapers to cover advertising, though television does appear to be more sensitive to negative advertising, consistent with our theory.
Mechanisms of enzyme modulation involving deoxycytidylate deaminase and thymidylate synthetase.

Abstract The intracellular content of two closely linked enzymes, deoxycytidylate deaminase and thymidylate synthetase, is controlled by widely divergent mechanisms. The deaminase is regulated primarily by homotropic cooperative interactions with deoxycytidine 5′-monophosphate and by the heterotropic interplay of its allosteric regulators, deoxycytidine 5′-triphosphate and deoxythymidine 5′-triphosphate. Interconvertible changes in active and inactive states associated with alterations in molecular weight were exploited to achieve a highly purified preparation of deoxycytidylate deaminase. The thermodynamic stability of the deaminase and its susceptibility to inactivation by proteolytic enzymes and the sulfhydryl-disulfide interchange enzyme are also influenced by the allosteric regulators, interactions which may determine the in vivo turnover of the enzyme. The total synthetase activity appears to be determined by restrictions placed on transcription and translational mechanisms, some of which may involve folate or folate derivatives. The latter belief is suggested by studies in which methotrexate and, to a lesser extent, folate promoted an elevated synthesis of thymidylate synthetase in regenerating liver and minimal deviation hepatomas.
Cardiogenesis and the regulation of cardiac-specific gene expression.

Development and maturation of the embryonic vertebrate heart is an exquisitely conducted ensemble of cell movements, interactions, and morphologic transformations. The genetic orchestration of these events is precise and can be reduced to dissonance by the loss of a single component in this process. Proper heart morphogenesis is important to normal embryonic development because the heart is the first organ formed. All subsequent events depend on the ability of the heart to supply oxygen and nutrients to fulfill the metabolic requirements of the organism. Abnormalities in the formation of the heart often lead to abnormal function and embryonic lethality or may manifest later in life, causing severe health issues. Cardiac defects are among the most common birth defects, estimated at an incidence of 6 in 1000 live births, with an even higher frequency in spontaneously aborted pregnancies [1]. Much of our understanding of the mechanisms and pathways regulating cardiogenesis evolved from studies in model systems, notably the mouse, chick, fly, frog, and zebrafish. This article outlines the molecular events and mechanisms regulating heart formation, focusing on recently identified members of the cardiogenic repertoire [2–5].
Algebraic mesh quality metrics for unstructured initial meshes

Explicit formulas for size, shape, skew, and combined mesh quality metrics are given for triangular, tetrahedral, quadrilateral, and hexahedral finite elements. The formulas are examples of abstractly defined metrics whose essential properties serve to guide the formulation of effective metrics. Effectiveness is demonstrated via comparisons with other metrics, contour plots, and analysis of particular meshes.
FROM PESSIMISM TO HOPE: A NATURAL PROGRESSION

Mutual critique by scientists and religious believers mostly entails the pruning of untenable religious beliefs by scientists and warnings against scientific minimalism on the part of believers. John F. Haught has been prominent in formulating religious apologetics in response to the challenges posed by evolutionary theory. Haught's work also resonates with a parallel criticism of the conventional scientific metaphysics undergirding neo-Darwinian theory. Contemporary systems ecology seems to indicate that nothing short of a complete reversal of the Enlightenment assumptions about nature is capable of repositioning science to deal adequately with the origin and dynamics of living systems. A process-based alternative metaphysics substantially mitigates several ostensible conflicts between science and religion.
RNA Polymerase II/TFIIF Structure and Conserved Organization of the Initiation Complex

Abstract The structure of an RNA polymerase II/general transcription factor TFIIF complex was determined by cryo-electron microscopy and single particle analysis. Density due to TFIIF was not concentrated in one area but rather was widely distributed across the surface of the polymerase. The largest subunit of TFIIF interacted with the dissociable Rpb4/Rpb7 polymerase subunit complex and with the mobile "clamp." The distribution of the second largest subunit of TFIIF was very similar to that previously reported for the σ subunit in the bacterial RNA polymerase holoenzyme, consisting of a series of globular domains extending along the polymerase active site cleft. This result indicates that the second TFIIF subunit is a true structural homolog of the bacterial σ factor and reveals an important similarity of the transcription initiation mechanism between bacteria and eukaryotes. The structure of the RNAPII/TFIIF complex suggests a model for the organization of a minimal transcription initiation complex.
Instrumental modification of the GSR.

Four experiments investigated the effects of instructions, response-contingent shock, and the latency of the critical response on the GSR. Using a discrimination procedure, in which responding in the presence of one stimulus avoided shock while responding in the presence of another led to shock, it was found that relative to non-instructed, yoked-noncontingent conditions, instructed subjects responded at higher levels to the respond stimuli and at lower levels to inhibit stimuli. The effects of instructions appeared stronger than the effects of the shock contingencies. Only when the “contingent” GSR was of the “anticipatory” latency were differential effects obtained, however. No effects were observed in the absence of cognitive mediation.
A reconfigurable accelerator for neuromorphic object recognition

Advances in neuroscience have enabled researchers to develop computational models of auditory, visual and learning perceptions in the human brain. HMAX, which is a biologically inspired model of the visual cortex, has been shown to outperform standard computer vision approaches for multi-class object recognition. HMAX, while computationally demanding, can be potentially applied in various applications such as autonomous vehicle navigation, unmanned surveillance and robotics. In this paper, we present a reconfigurable hardware accelerator for the time-consuming S2 stage of the HMAX model. The accelerator leverages spatial parallelism, dedicated wide data buses with on-chip memories to provide an energy efficient solution to enable adoption into embedded systems. We present a systolic array-based architecture which includes a run-time reconfigurable convolution engine which can perform multiple variable-sized convolutions in parallel. An automation flow is described for this accelerator which can generate optimal hardware configurations for a given algorithmic specification and also perform run-time configuration and execution seamlessly. Experimental results on Virtex-6 FPGA platforms show 5X to 11X speedups and 14X to 33X higher performance-per-Watt over a CNS-based implementation on a Tesla GPU.
Methods to quantitate human haptoglobin by complexation with hemoglobin

Abstract Native human haptoglobin isolated from normal human plasma by affinity chromatography on chicken hemoglobin -Sepharose was used as standard antigen. A direct sandwich ELISA for haptoglobin was developed, with human hemoglobin as a capturing agent. The peroxidase activity of the complex was measured as a means of detecting functional haptoglobin. The reactivities of monoclonal antibody vs. polyclonal antisera on the haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex were compared. Adopting a monoclonal antibody, clone 21.7, which is directed to the α chain of haptoglobin, a specific method to quantitate the native haptoglobin which can complex with hemoglobin has been developed.
Cosmic Variance in the HI Mass Function

I review the history of blind HI surveys and the evidence for cosmic variance in the HI mass function. Even the most sensitive current surveys are challenged by noise levels that make determining the shape of the mass function difficult, and this can lead to discrepant results. However, some differences in the mass function appear to be real environmental effects, and this suggest that there are locales where dark (or dim) HI-rich galaxies are more likely to be found. The requirements for significantly deeper surveys beyond the local supercluster to sample cosmic variance in a wider variety of environoments are modeled and discussed.
Identification of novel small molecules that inhibit protein–protein interactions between MAGE and KAP-1

The Class I MAGE proteins are normally expressed only in developing germ cells but are often aberrantly expressed in malignancies, particularly melanoma, making them good therapeutic targets. MAGE proteins promote tumor survival by binding to the RBCC region of KAP-1 and suppressing p53. Although, suppression of MAGE expression, by RNA interference, relieves p53 suppression and inhibits tumor growth, its therapeutic uses are limited by lack of methods for systemic delivery of small interfering RNA. To overcome this barrier, we sought to discover chemical compounds that inhibit binding between MAGE and KAP-1 proteins. Based on previously published effects of MAGE suppression, we developed a strategy for screening a small molecule library based on selective death of MAGE positive cells, activation of p53 and lack of caspase activity. We screened the Maybridge HitFinder library of compounds and eight compounds fulfilled these criteria. Seven of these compounds interfered with co-precipitation of MAGE and KAP-1, and three interfered with binding of MAGE and KAP-1 in a mammalian two hybrid assay. We now report identification of three potential compounds that interfere with MAGE/KAP-1 binding and can be developed as novel chemo-therapeutic agents for treatment of advanced melanoma and other cancers.
An investigation of low frequency sound waves as a means of inhibiting barnacle settlement

Abstract Inhibition of barnacle settlement was achieved using low frequency (30 Hz) sound waves on laboratory-reared larvae of Balanus amphitrite Darwin. Less than 1% of very young cyprids (0 days old) settled in the presence of the sound waves. Cyprids caught in plankton tows responded very similarly to young laboratory-reared larvae. Although percent settlement tends to increase with older and therefore less discriminating larvae, low frequency sound reduces the percentage of metamorphosis for cyprids up to 13 days old.
The imperative for synthesizing evidence for pediatric nursing research and practice.

Essential evidence is synthesized to provide the foundation for the generation of new knowledge through research and the development of improved nursing practice through evidence-based nursing. EVIDENCE DERIVED FROM research is imperative for generating new knowledge for future research and for developing evidence-based practice to improve pediatric nursing practice. The essential focus of clinical nursing research is to develop nursing knowledge to guide practice (Polit & Beck, 2012). Evidence-based nursing integrates the best research evidence with clinical expertise, patient values and preferences, and resources to facilitate clinical decision making and improve nursing practice (DiCenso, Guyatt, & Ciliska, 2005; Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Haynes, 2000). Lessons learned from clinical nursing research translated and applied to everyday pediatric nursing practice improve the health and quality of life of children and their families (Christian, 2012a, 2012b). It is this cycle of systematic knowledge development and translational research with the application of evidence to nursing practice that characterizes clinical nursing research. Essential evidence and critical analysis of the literature as demonstrated using systematic integrative reviews synthesize knowledge that is foundational for providing direction for research and practice. A review of literature provides a “systematic, explicit, comprehensive, and reproducible method of identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing an existing body of research” (Fink, 2005, p.41) and includes the significance and context of the topic, as well as identified gaps in the literature (Patten, 2012). Concept analysis is a method for identifying the definitional attributes of a concept to provide clarity and precise definition to enhance understanding (Walker & Avant, 2010). Moreover, synthesizing research literature through meta-analyses of quantitative research (Cooper,
Stress Management for Teachers: A Cognitive-Behavioral Program.

Abstract Urban secondary school teachers participated in a cognitive-behavioral stress management program. Assessment data were also collected from a waiting list control group. Dependent measures included self-reported anxiety and stress, and observations of teacher classroom behavior. Results showed that the training program significantly decreased self-reported stress and anxiety. Follow-up data indicated further decrease six weeks after termination of the training program. Results also indicated decreases in motoric manifestations of anxiety in the classroom as a result of the training.
Information Processing to Create Eye Movements

Because eye muscles never cocontract and do not deal with external loads, one can write an equation that relates motoneuron firing rate to eye position and velocity - a very uncommon situation in the CNS. The semicircular canals transduce head velocity in a linear manner by using a high background discharge rate, imparting linearity to the premotor circuits that generate eye movements. This has allowed deducing some of the signal processing involved, including a neural network that integrates. These ideas are often summarized by block diagrams. Unfortunately, they are of little value in describing the behavior of single neurons - a finding supported by neural network models.
FREEDOM, SYNTAX, FAME and FUNCTIONALITY: the future of surgical revascularization in stable ischemic heart disease.

ABSTRACT: At the age of nearly 50 years, the procedure of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) now has the most solid evidence supporting its role in revascularization for stable ischemic heart disease in its history. In what is a relatively infrequent occurrence in medicine, the results from large-scale observational database analyses are now aligned with and supported by data from recent randomized trials, providing important contemporary evidence in support of CABG. However, even with strong evidence, the changing landscape of revascularization for stable ischemic heart disease threatens to make this evidence irrelevant in deciding which patients should be referred for CABG in the future. How the procedure of CABG could be modified and optimized for incorporation into this new landscape is discussed in this article.
Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for Extended-Release and Long-Acting Opioid Analgesics: Considerations for Palliative Care Practice

Prescription opioid analgesics are an essential treatment option for patients with moderate to severe pain. Over the last decade the increased medical use of these agents has contributed to a public health epidemic of abuse, addiction, and overdose-related deaths. These medications remain mainstays in both primary care and pain management practices. As palliative services are incorporated at earlier stages of the disease process and the number of individuals with chronic illness increases, palliative care specialists may encounter an increasing number of patients with opioid abuse and addiction problems. Extended-release (ER) and long-acting (LA) opioid formulations are administered to patients with moderate to severe chronic pain requiring around-the-clock analgesia. Given the large quantity of active ingredient contained within some dosage strengths, this medication class is associated with serious risks when taken improperly. In response to growing reports of abuse and overdose deaths, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the need for a risk mitigation strategy for the entire class of medication. The class-wide Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for ER/LA opioids will emphasize prescriber training and patient education to ensure that the therapeutic benefits outweigh the risks of addiction, unintentional overdose, and death. As primary care, pain management, and palliative care clinicians often encounter patients who require ER/LA opioids, an understanding of the suggested requirements and potential impact of this regulation is essential.
Rats, lice, and Zinsser.

Like many of my colleagues in academic medicine, I caught my first whiff of science from popular books about men and microbes. By the time we had finished high school, most of us had read and often reread Paul de Kruif's Microbe Hunters; Sinclair Lewis' Arrowsmith; and Rats, Lice and History by Hans Zinsser (Figure). It's hard nowadays to reread the work of de Kruif or Sinclair Lewis without a chuckle or two over their quaint locution, but Zinsser's raffine account of lice and men remains a delight. Written in 1935 as a latter-day variation on Laurence Sterne's The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Zinsser's book gives a picaresque account of how the history of the world has been shaped by epidemics of louseborne typhus. He sounded a tocsin against microbes in the days before antibiotics, and his challenge remains meaningful today: "Infectious disease is one of the few genuine adventures left in the world. The dragons are all dead and the lance grows rusty in the chimney corner. . . . About the only sporting proposition that remains unimpaired by the relentless domestication of a once free-living human species is the war against those ferocious little fellow creatures, which lurk in dark corners and stalk us in the bodies of rats, mice and all kinds of domestic animals; which fly and crawl with the insects, and waylay us in our food and drink and even in our love" (1).
Effects of Folic Acid Before and After Vitamin B12 on Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in Hemodialysis Patients with Known MTHFR Genotypes

Background: Treatment with folic acid and vitamin B12 appears to be effective in lowering total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations, but whether vitamin B12 alone lowers tHcy in patients with normal vitamin B12 status is unknown. The aims of the present study were to explore the effect of individual supplementation with folic acid or vitamin B12 on tHcy concentrations in hemodialysis (HD) patients and to compare changes in tHcy concentrations with MTHFR genotype. Methods: We recruited 200 HD patients (119 men) from the “Umberto I” Hospital (Frosinone, Italy) and the Dialysis Unit of University Hospital “Tor Vergata”. These patients were randomized blindly into 2 groups of 100 each. Unfortunately, during the study, 36 patients in the first group and 16 in the second group died. The first group was treated initially with vitamin B12 for 2 months and with folic acid for a following 2 months. The second group was treated initially with folic acid and then with vitamin B12. Samples were drawn before administration of either, after the first and second periods, and again 2 months after treatment. Results: The concentrations of tHcy decreased in both groups after the consecutive vitamin therapies, and the decrease was genotype-dependent. The decrease was greater for the T/T genotype ( P <0.05) and was more significant when the treatment was started with folic acid ( P <0.01). Conclusion: The alternating vitamin treatment demonstrated for the first time the importance of folate therapy and the secondary contribution of vitamin B12in lowering tHcy in HD patients.
Exclusion in Girls' Peer Groups: Ethnographic Analysis of Language Practices on the Playground

Many of our models of female behavior are the legacy of a ‘two cultures’ perspective on moral development and have investigated children''s reasoning about moral situations rather than moral action it
A low cost approach to calibrate on-chip thermal sensors

Thermal management of Integration Circuit (IC) becomes more and more important with the scaling of CMOS technology and dramatic increase of power density. Performance of thermal management application is highly related to the accuracy of the temperature monitoring devices. However, due to increasing process variations and parameter drifts, temperature measurements by on-chip thermal sensors may not be accurate unless these sensors are calibrated before shipping the devices to the users. Existing calibration methods impose large time cost and cannot be used for in-field calibration. In this paper, we propose a technique to calibrate on-chip thermal sensors during manufacturing as well as in-field. We model the cyclic dependence between leakage power and temperature and perform calibrations to evaluate the calibration accuracy. Experimental results on 100 dies with different process variation parameters and three corner cases show that our technique have very high accuracy.
Networks: Between Markets and Hierarchies

Summary Interorganizational networks generally have been discussed in the context of nonprofit agencies. Providing an alternative between the open market and the internalization of activity the network potentially may be even more important in business. This is especially true in international operations and in industrial and services marketing. Involving technology transfer, information exchange, accounting and finance as well as marketing, network management calls for a holistic approach. To serve as an engine of growth the network also requires strategic planning both at the overall level and in memberfirms.
Physical activity and coronary heart disease among asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic men (the Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial).

We examined the relation between reported regular strenuous exercise or hard physical labor and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) death and nonfatal myocardial infarction among 1,533 hypercholesterolemic men aged 35-59 years who were in the placebo group of the Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial. The mean follow-up of the cohort was 7.4 years. The men were free of clinical heart disease at entry; men with an abnormal resting electrocardiogram or graded exercise test also were excluded. Regular physical activity was not associated with the incidence of CHD (RR = .94, 95% CI = .68, 1.38) in this study population. Adjustment by the proportional hazards model for age, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, family history of CHD, and occupation did not alter this finding. This observation suggests that reported regular physical activity may not be related to the risk of coronary heart disease among asymptomatic, hypercholesterolemic, middle-aged men.
Outcomes of Introduction to the Psychology Major: Careers and Opportunities Course

University career courses have become a more standard offering at many colleges and universities over the past few decades. Similarly, there has been an increase in the number of psychology departm...
Analysis of the stimulated Raman effects in an anisotropic crystal KDP

The semiclassical model of Shen and Bloembergen is applied to discuss the stimulated Raman effects in an anisotropic medium. In crystal KDP when the linear electrooptic effects are suppressed by proper orientation of the laser polarization with respect to the crystal axes, the coupled-wave analysis for Stokes generation give rise to solutions of ten composite Stokes-vibrational waves in the (anisotropic) Raman active medium. These composite waves may be identified as two ordinary forward-traveling waves, two ordinary backward-traveling waves, three extraordinary forward-traveling waves, and three extraordinary backward-traveling waves. When the phonons are nonpropagating, the solutions reduce to only one ordinary and one extraordinary wave in each direction. The thresholds and Stokes generations in this situation are discussed. Owing to the anisotropy of the crystal, it is found that the dispersion of KDP in general allows the momentum-matching condition for the coupling between Stokes and anti-Stokes waves to be nearly satisfied in five different situations.
Percutaneous endovascular retrieval of an intravascular foreign body in five dogs, a goat, and a horse

Case Description—5 dogs, 1 goat, and 1 horse underwent percutaneous endovascular retrieval of intravascular foreign bodies between 2002 and 2007. Clinical Findings—Foreign bodies were IV catheters in 4 dogs, the horse, and the goat and a piece of a balloon valvuloplasty catheter in 1 dog. Location of the foreign bodies included the main pulmonary artery (1 dog), a branch of a pulmonary artery (4 dogs), the right ventricle (the goat), and a jugular vein (the horse). Treatment and Outcome—The procedure of percutaneous endovascular retrieval of the foreign body was easy to perform in all instances. One dog was euthanized 41 days after retrieval because of worsening of another disease process, and 1 dog had abnormal neurologic signs secondary to a brain mass. All other animals were clinically normal during the follow-up period (follow-up duration, 3 to 57 months). None of the animals developed long-term complications secondary to the foreign body retrieval procedure. Clinical Relevance—Intravascular foreign b...
Processing of X-ray images

A review of three aspects of image processing of X-ray imagery is presented. Short reviews of computer assisted tomography and coded aperture imaging are given. The application of image enhancement and restoration to radiography is reviewed in greater depth.
A Molecular Signaling Approach to Linking Intraspecific Variation and Macro-evolutionary Patterns

Macro-evolutionary comparisons are a valued tool in evolutionary biology. Nevertheless, our understanding of how systems involved in molecular signaling change in concert with phenotypic diversification has lagged. We argue that integrating our understanding of the evolution of molecular signaling systems with phylogenetic comparative methods is an important step toward understanding the processes linking variation among individuals with variation among species. Focusing mostly on the endocrine system, we discuss how the complexity and mechanistic nature of molecular signaling systems may influence the application and interpretation of macro-evolutionary comparisons. We also detail five hypotheses concerning the role that physiological mechanisms can play in shaping macro-evolutionary patterns, and discuss ways in which these hypotheses could influence phenotypic diversification. Finally, we review a series of tools able to analyze the complexity of physiological systems and the way they change in concert with the phenotypes for which they coordinate development.
Assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from plum and grape peels by ultrasonics and pulsed electric fields

Abstract The industrial use of fruits for the production of juices results in the accumulation of large amounts of by-products such as peels, with are still a good source of phytochemicals such as phenols and anthocyanins. In this work, the impact of two different processing configuration of pulsed electric fields (PEF-I and PEF-II in continuous, with 25 mm and 7 mm of treatment chamber diameter, respectively) and ultrasonication (US25 and US50 in batch, at 25 and 50 °C, respectively) were evaluated in order to assess these technologies as environmental friendly alternatives to water extraction at 70 °C (WE70) in plum and grape peels. US was able to increase the extraction of anthocyanins and flavonoids in plum peels, being less effective than PEF with total phenols. In grape peels, when US was performed at higher temperature (US50), the yields were significantly higher. PEF was more successful when the diameter of the chamber was larger (PEF-I), and consequently the residence time and number of pulses greater. Particularly, PEF allowed to augment several folds the extraction of anthocyanins and flavonoids from grape peels, but was deleterious for ascorbic acid. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that US50 and PEF-I were clustered and positively correlated with bioactive compounds recovery and antioxidant capacity.
Multi-view image inpainting with sparse representations

This paper proposes a patch based image inpainting algorithm for multi-view images. In our framework we fill the holes which are created by removing objects from an image pair. We assume that a user provides two masks to remove objects from an image pair. Our algorithm consists of two stages. In the first stage we align the images and construct an exemplar dictionary with the patches sampled from the reference as well as the warped image. In the second stage, the reference image is iteratively filled by choosing patches along the boundary of the hole. We use l 1 -minimization framework to estimate the unknown pixels. This proposed method is observed to outperform existing techniques that are built upon exemplar based sparse reconstruction.
Biology of Oligota Oviformis Casey (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Among the many predators of the spinning mites found on citrus and avocado trees in southern California, the staphylinid beetle, Oligota oviformis Casey[2][1], probably ranks third in importance, being outranked not only in effectiveness but also in numbers by predatory mites and Stethorus species. These very tiny staphylinid beetles are occasionally found in large numbers, and in such cases they contribute materially to the reduction of mite infestations. As will be shown later, the rather sporadic distribution of the insect is associated with both cultural practices and soil condition. [1]: #fn-2
RNA Polymerase I and Fob1 contributions to transcriptional silencing at the yeast rDNA locus

RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-transcribed genes embedded within the yeast rDNA locus are repressed through a Sir2-dependent process called 'rDNA silencing'. Sir2 is recruited to the rDNA promoter through interactions with RNA polymerase I (Pol I), and to a pair of DNA replication fork block sites (Ter1 and Ter2) through interaction with Fob1. We utilized a reporter gene (mURA3) integrated adjacent to the leftmost rDNA gene to investigate localized Pol I and Fob1 functions in silencing. Silencing was attenuated by loss of Pol I subunits or insertion of an ectopic Pol I terminator within the adjacent rDNA gene. Silencing left of the rDNA array is naturally attenuated by the presence of only one intact Fob1 binding site (Ter2). Repair of the 2nd Fob1 binding site (Ter1) dramatically strengthens silencing such that it is no longer impacted by local Pol I transcription defects. Global loss of Pol I activity, however, negatively affects Fob1 association with the rDNA. Loss of Ter2 almost completely eliminates localized silencing, but is restored by artificially targeting Fob1 or Sir2 as Gal4 DNA binding domain fusions. We conclude that Fob1 and Pol I make independent contributions to establishment of silencing, though Pol I also reinforces Fob1-dependent silencing.