cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Central auditory processing deficiency with anatomic deficit in left superior temporal lobe

Objectives/Hypothesis: Describe the clinical presentation and treatment of a patient with central auditory processing deficiency associated with an anatomic deficit in the left superior temporal lobe. Study Design: Case report. Methods: We report a case and the treatment of an 8-year-old boy with abnormal speech development and auditory processing disorder who was found to have a large cystic lesion of his left superior temporal lobe. Results: An otherwise healthy 8-year old male presented to our department with a history of abnormal speech development. He began acquiring speech at a normal rate until 18 months of age, when he stopped speaking and reverted to unintelligible babbling. At approximately 3 years of age, he began to re-acquire speech at a normal rate, beginning where he had stopped 18 months earlier. Upon work-up, it was discovered that he had a 2.7 × 2.9 × 4.5 cm cystic lesion in the left Sylvian fissure with no associated soft tissue component. Findings were most consistent with arachnoid cyst. Central auditory processing testing was abnormal, particularly regarding the patient's ability to manage competing auditory information. Conclusions: Central auditory processing disorders are a diverse group of disorders. Regardless of etiology, management focuses on modifying those factors that most affect the individual in an attempt to enhance the access to auditory information. Laryngoscope, 2010
Motives for smoking in movies affect future smoking risk in middle school students: an experimental investigation.

Background Exposure to smoking in movies has been linked to adolescent smoking uptake. However, beyond linking amount of exposure to smoking in movies with adolescent smoking, whether the way that smoking is portrayed in movies matters for influencing adolescent smoking has not been investigated. This study experimentally examined how motivation for smoking depicted in movies affects self-reported future smoking risk (a composite measure with items that assess smoking refusal self-efficacy and smoking intentions) among early adolescents.
A technique for measuring eye-foot coordination without visual guidance

A device for studying adaptation to rearranged eye-foot coordination is described. The technique allows measurement of changes in the localization of a target with the foot without visual guidance of the responding limb.
Removal of dairy soil from heated stainless steel surfaces: use of ozonated water as a prerinse.

Abstract Square (2.54×2.54cm 2 ) 304 stainless steel metal plates were cleaned, passivated, and soiled by autoclaving (121°C at 15psi for 15min) with reconstituted nonfat dry milk (20% solids). Fifteen-minute treatments using either warm water (40°C) or ozonated cold water (10°C) were conducted to compare prerinse cleaning potential of soiled metal plates. The chemical oxygen demand determination was performed on extracted organic material from treated metal plates. Results indicated that the ozone treatment removed 84% of soil from metal plates versus 51% soil removal by the warm water treatment, but the effectiveness of the two treatments did not differ ( P >0.05). Cleaning effects were visualized using scanning electron microscopy at 200× and 2000× magnification. The amount of soil film present on stainless steel metal surfaces was visibly lower on ozonated treatments versus on warm water treatments.
Impact of an Educational Seminar on Dietetic Students’ Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Genetically Engineered Foods

Abstract As foods from genetically enhanced seeds or from animals treated with recombinant hormones enter the market, it is important that registered dietitians (RDs) have knowledge and attitudes about this technology based on scientific research. Baseline studies indicate RDs in New York and Iowa have limited knowledge of foods derived from genetic engineering (GE) or of regulations in place to ensure food safety. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a 50minute seminar on increasing knowledge and changing attitudes of dietetic students toward the application of GE to foods. Dietetic students (n=101) at five universities participated in Spring 1998. A questionnaire, used to assess attitudes, knowledge and demographic information, was administered 10-12 days before and after the seminar. Students rated levels of agreement to 34 attitude statements using a five point Likert scale. Students indicated whether 22 knowledge statements were "correct", "incorrect" or if they were "unsure". A categorical response format was used to collect demographic information. Means and frequencies were calculated for each question and for questions clustered by topic. Paired t -tests and Wilcoxon tests were performed to determine differences in knowledge and attitudes before and after the seminar. Ninety-one percent of participants were female, 75% were 18-23 years of age, and 92% intended to become RDs after graduation. Awareness and knowledge about application of GE to foods increased significantly (p
Modeling the transformation stress of constrained shape memory alloy single crystals

Shape memory alloys (SMA) are a unique class of engineering materials that can be further exploited with accurate polycrystal constitutive models. Previous investigators have modeled stress-induced martensite formation in unconstrained single crystals. Understanding stress-induced martensite formation in constrained single crystals is the next step towards the development of a constitutive model for textured polycrystalline SMA. Such models have been previously developed for imposition of axisymmetric strain on a polycrystal with random crystal orientation; the present paper expands the constrained single crystal SMA model to encompass arbitrary imposed strains. To evaluate the model, axisymmetric tension and compression strains and pure shear strain are imposed on three SMA: NiTi, Cu-Al-Ni ({beta}{sub 1}{yields}{gamma}{prime}{sub 1}) and Ni-Al. Model results are then used to understand the anisotropy and asymmetry of transformation stress in the three SMA considered. Finally, the impact of the present results on polycrystal behavior is addressed.
The absolute N2 K-photoabsorption cross section up to hω = 450 eV

Abstract The absolute N 2 photoabsorption cross section is measured between the onset at 400.8 eV and 450 eV photon energy using synchrotron radiation. These absolute cross section data are in good agreement with recent calculations using the multiple-scattering method and the Stieltjes—Tchebycheff procedure in the static exchange approximation.
Integration of serpentine channels for microchip electrophoresis with a palladium decoupler and electrochemical detection

While it has been shown that microchip electrophoresis with electrochemical detection can be used to separate and detect electroactive species, there is a need to increase the separation performance of these devices so that complex mixtures can be routinely analyzed. Previous work in microchip electrophoresis has demonstrated that increasing the separation channel length leads to an increase in resolution between closely eluting analytes. This paper details the use of lengthened serpentine microchannels for microchip electrophoresis and electrochemical detection where a palladium decoupler is used to ground the separation voltage so that the working electrodes remain in the fluidic network. In this work, palladium electrodepositions were used to increase the decoupler surface area and more efficiently dissipate hydrogen produced at the decoupler. Dopamine and norepinephrine, which only differ in structure by a hydroxyl group, were used as model analytes. It was found that increasing the separation channel length led to improvements in both resolution and the number of theoretical plates for these analytes. The use of a bi-layer valving device, where PDMS-based valves are utilized for the injection process, along with serpentine microchannels and amperometric detection resulted in a multi-analyte separation and an average of 28,700 theoretical plates. It was also shown that the increased channel length is beneficial when separating and detecting analytes from a high ionic strength matrix. This was demonstrated by monitoring the stimulated release of neuro-transmitters from a confluent layer of PC 12 cells.
Measurements of the optical properties of the smoke emissions from plastics, hydrocarbons, and other urban fuels for nuclear winter studies

Abstract We have measured the optical and microphysical properties of smoke from burning plastic materials and other components of the urban fuel mix, including hydrocarbons, rubber, and wood, to provide information on the source term for possible aerosol clouds injected into the atmosphere following large scale urban fires. Our measurements included measurements of emission factors; in situ optical measurements of aerosol absorption, scattering, and attenuation; and collection of particles using both filters and cascade impactors for size and mass concentration determinations. These measurements were made under a variety of conditions to investigate the range of variation of these optical parameters and to relate observed differences in smoke properties to differences in fuel composition and fire conditions. The plastic data show average B e values near 10 m 2 g −1 at 488 nm and 8 m 2 g −1 at 633 nm. Values of B e measured during smoldering combustion are significantly less than in flaming combustion. Flaming combustion B e values for the rubber appear to be somewhat higher, particularly for the tire rubber; petroleum product fuel values are comparable to the plastic fuel values; and oak smoke emissions values are slightly lower than the plastic values. Measured 633 nm B a values were approximately 6 m 2 g −1 for the petroleum products, 7 m 2 g −1 for the rubber, 6 m 2 g −1 for the wood, and 6 m 2 g −1 for the plastic.
Red cell Th activation: biochemical studies.

Summary. The peanut agglutinin from Arachis hypogea is a lectin that reacts with red blood cells expressing the Th antigen. The Th antigen has been said to be qualitatively similar to the T antigen, a well-defined antigen due to desialylation of glycophorin A and B that also reacts with the peanut agglutinin. We examined Th activated red blood cells from two patients with Fanconi's anaemia using 125I radio-labelled peanut agglutinin as a probe in Western blotting of red blood cell membrane proteins. We also probed the surface of intact Th activated red blood cells for structures related to the T antigen using [3H]sialic acid and a purified sialyltransferase. Neither of these techniques found antigens on the Th activated red blood cells that were similar to the antigen found on T activated red blood cells. These results show that the Th antigen in Fanconi's anaemia is qualitatively different to the antigen found in T activation.
Reaction of H atoms with chelators in highly basic solution: H2 production in high level liquid waste simulants

Abstract The rate constants for hydrogen abstraction by H from ethylene-diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA), N -(2-hydroxyethyl)-ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), iminodiacetic acid (IDA), glycolic acid and citric acid were measured at pH 13. The predominant product of these reactions is H 2 . The rate constants obtained are more than an order of magnitude larger than the literature rates that had been measured at pH 1. These measurements are of significance for understanding the radiolytic production of H 2 in nuclear waste storage tanks.
Theorizing Gender for Community College Research and Practice

Feminist theory uses gender as a lens to evaluate society's institutions and power hierarchies. Gender evolves as a social construction rather than an essential difference between the sexes, and it supports the so-called “hegemony of dominant men” in society. Socialization by gender enables discrimination in gender roles and occupations, and its main tool of segregation is a major strategy used by employers and other decision makers to engage effectively in discrimination. The extent to which the principle of gender organizes selection of field of study by students and faculty, and other facets of the community college campus, provides for a number of ongoing research questions.
A ‘history’ of the Eurasian Communication Association of North America

The Eurasian Communication Association of North America (ECANA) states that it is an organization whose purpose is to ‘promote the study, criticism, research, teaching, and application of the artis...
Electrical Optimization of PLAs

This work addresses the problem of improving an nMOS PLA's speed and power consumption through modifications to the transistor sizes in the PLA. A simplified model of gate delay (lumped RC model) is used that allows rapid estimation of delays thus allowing interactive computation of optimal transistor sizes. Algorithms are presented for: a) minimization of delay through the PLA b) minimization of power consumption subject to a bound on maximum delay. Both these minima are computed subject to bounds on the transistor sizes. A prototype electrical optimization tool was compared to the PLA generation tools in the Berkeley CAD tools package (eqntott and tpla). The maximum delay through a PLA can often be reduced by a factor of 2, and power consumption along the critical paths can be reduced by 10 - 30% without increasing maximum delay.
Family history of skin cancer is associated with increased risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Background The contribution of family history to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) risk has not been systematically quantified. Objective To examine the association between self-reported family history of skin cancer and SCC risk. Methods and materials Cases (n = 415) with a pathology-verified SCC and 415 age-, gender-, and race-matched controls were identified within a large integrated health care delivery system. Family history and skin cancer risk factors were ascertained by survey. Odds ratios (ORs) for associations of SCC with family history of skin cancer were estimated using conditional logistic regression adjusted for environmental and innate SCC risk factors. Results Any known family history of skin cancer was associated with a four-fold higher risk of SCC, adjusting for known environmental and innate SCC risk factors (OR, 4.0; confidence interval [CI]: 2.5-6.5). An unknown family history of skin cancer showed similar risk for SCC (OR, 3.9; CI: 2.4-6.5). In models including skin cancer type, the strongest association was for family history of basal cell carcinoma (OR, 9.8; CI: 2.6-36.8) and for multiple skin cancer types (OR, 10.5; CI: 3.7-29.6). Conclusion Family history of skin cancer is an important independent risk factor for cutaneous SCCs.
Characteristics of the rat supraspinatus tendon during tendon‐to‐bone healing after acute injury

Rotator cuff repair is known to have a high failure rate. Little is known about the natural healing process of the rotator cuff repair site, hence little can be done to improve the tendon's ability to heal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the collagen formation at the early repair site and to localize TGFbeta-1 and 3 during early healing and compare their levels to cell proliferation and histological changes. Bilateral supraspinatus tendons were transected and repaired in 60 rats. Specimens were harvested and evaluated at 0, 1, 3, 7, 10, 28, and 56 days. Histological sections were evaluated for cell morphology. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization was performed to localize protein and mRNA for collagen types I and III and TGFbeta-1 and 3. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) assay was performed to measure cell proliferation, and cells were counted to determine cell density. Biomechanical properties were evaluated. Repair tissue demonstrated an initial inflammatory response with multinucleated cells present at 1 and 3 days, and lymphocytes and plasma cells presents at 7 and 10 days. Capillary proliferation began at 3 days and peaked at 10 days. Ultimate force increased significantly over the time period studied. Collagen I protein and mRNA significantly increased at 10 days, and reached a plateau by 28 and 56 days. Collagen III showed a similar trend, with an early increase, and remained high until 56 days. TGFbeta-1 was localized to the forming scar tissue and showed a distinct peak at 10 days. TGFbeta-3 was not seen at the healing insertion site. Cell proliferation and density followed the same trend as TGFbeta-1. A wound healing response does occur at the healing rotator cuff insertion site, however, the characteristics of the tendon after healing differ significantly from the uninjured tendon insertion site at the longest time-point studied. A distinctive collagen remodeling process occurred with an initial increase in the formation of collagen types I and III followed by a decrease toward baseline levels seen at time 0. Growth factor TGFbeta-1 was localized to repair tissue and coincided with a peak in cell proliferation and cellularity. Repair sites remained unorganized histologically and biomechanically inferior in comparison to previously described uninjured insertion sites.
Catastrophe and the life span of coral reefs

A strong earthquake in the western Caribbean in 2009 had a catastrophic impact on uncemented, unconsolidated coral reefs in the central sector of the shelf lagoon of the Belizean barrier reef. In a set of 21 reef sites that had been observed prior to the earthquake, the benthic assemblages of 10 were eradicated, and one was partially damaged, by avalanching of their slopes. Ecological dynamics that had played out over the previous 23 years, including the mass mortalities of two sequentially dominant coral species and a large increase in the cover of an encrusting sponge, were instantaneously rendered moot in the areas of catastrophic reef-slope failure. Because these prior dynamics also determined the benthic composition and resilience of adjacent sections of reef that remained intact, the history of disturbance prior to the earthquake will strongly influence decadal-scale recovery in the failed areas. Geological analysis of the reef framework yielded a minimum return time of 2000-4000 years for this type of high-amplitude event. Anthropogenic degradation of ecosystems must be viewed against the backdrop of long-period, natural catastrophes, such as the impact of strong earthquakes on uncemented, lagoonal reefs.
Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability as a Boundary-value Problem

The Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability is traditionally viewed as an initial-value problem, wherein wave perturbations of a two-layer shear flow grow over time into bil- lows and eventually generate vertical mixing. Yet, the instability can also be viewed as a boundary-value problem. In such a framework, there exists an upstream condition where a lighter fluid flows over a denser fluid, wave perturbations grow downstream to eventu- ally overturn some distance away from the point of origin. As the reverse of the tradi- tional problem, this flow is periodic in time and exhibits instability in space. A natural application is the mixing of a warmer river emptying into a colder lake or reservoir, or the salt-wedge estuary. This study of the KH instability from the perspective of a bound- ary-value problem is divided into two parts. Firstly, the instability theory is conducted with a real frequency and complex horizontal wavenumber, and the main result is that the critical wavelength at the instability threshold is longer in the boundary-value than in the initial-value situation. Secondly, mass, momentum and energy budgets are performed between the upstream, unmixed state on one side, and the downstream, mixed state on the other, to determine under which condition mixing is energetically possible. Cases with a rigid lid and free surface are treated separately. And, although the algebra is somewhat complicated, both end results are identical to the criterion for complete mixing in the initial-value problem.
Quasi‐geostrophic diagnosis of the influence of vorticity advection on the development of upper level jet‐front systems

A partition of the geostrophic vorticity into shear and curvature components is employed to consider the influence of differential vorticity advection on the development of upper level jet-front systems in northwesterly flow in an idealized and an observed case. The analysis reveals that negative geostrophic shear vorticity advection by the thermal wind, inextricably coincident with regions of geostrophic cold air advection in cyclonic shear, forces subsidence that is distributed in narrow, quasi-linear, frontal-scale bands aligned along the warm edge of the upper baroclinic zone. In each case examined, this component of the quasi-geostrophic (QG) subsidence makes the largest contribution to upper frontogenetic tilting. Additionally, since QG omega forced by geostrophic vorticity advection by the thermal wind is of the shearwise variety, the analysis shows that the traditional emphasis on the role of laterally displaced transverse circulations is an incomplete description of the upper frontogenetic tilting that arises in such environments. In fact, the results suggest that Mudrick's (1974) emphasis on negative vorticity advection increasing with height combined with Shapiro's (1981) insight regarding the lateral displacement of frontogenetic transverse circulations offers the most comprehensive way to conceptualize the forcings that promote rapid upper level jet-front development in regions of geostrophic cold air advection in cyclonic shear.
Adenosine receptor agonists

Adenosine, a naturally-occurring nucleoside, modulates a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes. The effects of adenosine are mediated via a family of cell surface G-protein-coupled receptors designated into four subtypes, A1, A2A, A2B and A3. The adenosine receptors have widespread tissue distribution and are often co-expressed in the same cell type. Research on adenosine receptors over the past few decades has resulted in the molecular cloning of the four subtypes from multiple species, significant progress in identifying selective agonists and antagonists and an increased understanding of the particular roles adenosine receptor subtypes play in physiological processes. This knowledge has continued to fuel considerable interest in pursuing adenosine receptors as therapeutic targets. For example, adenosine receptor agonists have been proposed for the treatment of heart arrhythmias, inflammatory diseases and in diagnosing coronary artery disease. In general, adenosine receptor agonists ...
Assessing medical students’ competence in obtaining informed consent

Abstract Background: Medical schools increasingly place emphasis on preparing students to perform routine, ethically important clinical activities with sensitivity and acumen. A method for evaluating students’ skills in obtaining informed consent that was created at our institution is described. Methods: Formal assessment of medical students’ professional attitudes, values, and ethics skills occurs in the context of three required and developmentally attuned comprehensive examinations. A videotaped station tested senior medical students’ ability to obtain informed consent from a standardized patient who expresses concern about undergoing cardiac catheterization. Two checklists were completed by the patient. Videotapes were reviewed by a faculty member, and students’ reactions to the assessment experience were documented. Results: Seventy-one senior students participated, and all performed well. Mean scores of 6.3 out of 7 (range 5 to 7, SD = 0.5) on the informed consent checklist and 8.7 out of 9 (range 6 to 9, SD = 0.5) on the communication skills checklist were obtained. Students endorsed the importance of the skills tested. Conclusions: This method of examining medical students’ abilities to obtain informed consent has several positive features and holds promise as an ethics competence assessment tool.
Is Optimism Always Best? Future Outlooks and Preparedness

Although people generally appear optimistic about the future, they shift from optimism under certain circumstances. Drawing from a recent review of the literature, we describe how both optimism and shifts from optimism serve the common goal of preparedness, which includes a readiness to deal with setbacks and a readiness to take advantage of opportunities. Shifts from optimism occur in response to available information and to the possibility that things may not turn out as hoped. People tend to shift from optimism when feedback is anticipated in the near future, when the outcome is important, when negative outcomes are easily imagined, and when the outcomes are uncontrollable. In addition, people with low self-esteem shift from optimism more readily than do people with high self-esteem. Finally, both optimism and shifts from optimism have unique benefits in terms of preparedness.
Epidemiology of Gastric Cancer and Helicobacter pylori

In 1994, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared Helicobacter pylori to be a type I carcinogen, or a definite cause of cancer in humans (Humans 1994). This landmark decision—based almost exclusively on epidemiologic evidence—was immediately controversial. Some argued that H. pylori could not be considered a “cause” of cancer but only a “risk factor” or “cofactor” (although the difference between these two is largely semantic). Others maintained that the absence of experimental evidence in animals was a critical flaw in the IARC’s arguments and left the possibility of residual confounding. Others straddled the fence in anticipation of randomized clinical trials looking at whether H. pylori eradication prevented cancer. Now, almost 15 years after the IARC’s declaration, there is broad consensus that H. pylori causes gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma despite the failure of the only completed randomized treatment trial to demonstrate adenocarcinoma prevention (Wong et al. 2004). Although the biology presented in this book—including animal models—provides plausibility for this acausal association between H. pylori and cancer (Pritchard and Przemeck 2004), it is the depth and breadth of epidemiologic evidence that remains the foundation for the scientific conviction. Herein, we present these epidemiologic findings.
A quantitative assessment of glycolipid and protein associated with paired helical filament preparations from Alzheimer's diseased brain

Protease resistant paired helical filaments (prcPHF) can be isolated from the brains of Alzheimer's diseased patients. A second type of PHF, A68 PHF, may be extracted in soluble form from brain homogenate and induced to form filaments in vitro. Here we use a variety of analytical techniques to assess the protein, carbohydrate and fatty acid composition of prcPHF and A68 PHF. High-field ^1H NMR of both PHF preparations display similar fatty acid and carbohydrate proton resonances, consistent with the presence of a structurally similar glycolipid. Carbohydrate analysis showed that both preparations contained greater than 82% less than 12% C16:1 was significantly lower in A68 PHF than in prcPHF, both preparations contained otherwise similar fatty acid profiles with the most abundant lipid component being oleic acid (C18:1, 29.3 +/- 9.0%) followed by palmitic (C16:0, 28.5 +/- 5.6%) 17.6 +/- 7.5%) preparations revealed a profile reasonably consistent with that previously determined for PHF-tau but significantly higher in glycine and lower in lysine than would be predicted from the cDNA sequence. On a weight per cent basis, protein accounted for about 51% A68 PHF samples but only about 10% Carbohydrate and fatty acid accounted for about 39% A68 PHF samples but 74% preparations showed strong correlations between the total amount of tau protein and fatty acid. These results suggest that a glycolipid component forms an integral part of the PHF structure.
Hoard: a scalable memory allocator for multithreaded applications

Parallel, multithreaded C and C++ programs such as web servers, database managers, news servers, and scientific applications are becoming increasingly prevalent. For these applications, the memory allocator is often a bottleneck that severely limits program performance and scalability on multiprocessor systems. Previous allocators suffer from problems that include poor performance and scalability, and heap organizations that introduce false sharing. Worse, many allocators exhibit a dramatic increase in memory consumption when confronted with a producer-consumer pattern of object allocation and freeing. This increase in memory consumption can range from a factor of P (the number of processors) to unbounded memory consumption.This paper introduces Hoard, a fast, highly scalable allocator that largely avoids false sharing and is memory efficient. Hoard is the first allocator to simultaneously solve the above problems. Hoard combines one global heap and per-processor heaps with a novel discipline that provably bounds memory consumption and has very low synchronization costs in the common case. Our results on eleven programs demonstrate that Hoard yields low average fragmentation and improves overall program performance over the standard Solaris allocator by up to a factor of 60 on 14 processors, and up to a factor of 18 over the next best allocator we tested.
Interval sprint training enhances endothelial function and eNOS content in some arteries that perfuse white gastrocnemius muscle

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that interval sprint training (IST) selectively increases endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase and/or supe...
Indexing medium-dimensionality data in Oracle

With the advent of GIS, multi-media, and warehousing technologies, database systems have started focusing on storage and access of multi-dimensional data such as spatial, OLAP, image, audio, and video attributes. As a step in this direction, Oracle% launched the interMedia product to support spatial and image data, and Materialized Views (MV) to support warehousing applications. Although 2-dimensional spatial data is efficiently indexed using OracleBi Spatial, and highdimensional image data using a combination of bitmap indexing and the Visual Information Retrieval (VIR) product, there is still a need for efficient indexing mechanisms for medium-dimensionality data such as OLAP, and CAD/CAM applications. In this paper, we describe the implementation of a new indextype, called the R-tree, to support medium-dimensionality data (i.e., data whose dimensionality is in the range of 310) using the extensible indexing framework [DDSS95] of OracleSi. This indextype combines some of the best features of existing R-tree variants [Gut84, BKSSSO, WJ96, LLE97, RKV95].
Expression of a mouse selenocysteine lyase in Brassica juncea chloroplasts affects selenium tolerance and accumulation

Selenium is an essential nutrient for many organisms, as part of certain selenoproteins. However, selenium is toxic at high levels, which is thought to be due to non-specific replacement of cysteine by selenocysteine leading to disruption of protein function. In an attempt to prevent non-specific incorporation of selenocysteine into proteins and to possibly enhance plant selenium tolerance and accumulation, a mouse selenocysteine lyase was expressed in Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) chloroplasts, the site of selenocysteine synthesis. This selenocysteine lyase specifically breaks down selenocysteine into elemental selenium and alanine. The transgenic cpSL plants showed normal growth under standard conditions. Selenocysteine lyase activity in the cpSL transgenics was up to 6-fold higher than in wild-type plants. The cpSL transgenics contained up to 40% less selenium in protein compared to wild-type plants, indicating that Se flow in the plant was successfully redirected. Surprisingly, the selenium tolerance of the transgenic cpSL plants was reduced, perhaps due to interference of produced elemental selenium with chloroplastic sulphur metabolism. Shoot selenium levels were enhanced up to 50% in the cpSL transgenics, but only during the seedling stage.
Endoscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A modified technique for graft passage

Summary This article describes a simple technique for graft passage during endoscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. A 0.62 Kirschner wire is used to create a composite graft from either an Achilles tendon allograft or bone-patellar tendon-bone graft. This composite graft is then passed (linearly) from the tibial tunnel to the femoral tunnel without disturbing the soft tissue in the lateral thigh.
Use of hidden Markov chain models for evaluating and selecting codes for fading channels and erasure prediction decoding co-operated with interleaver and HMC

The authors developed a decoder cooperating with an interleaver and a hidden Markov chain modeler (DIHMC) for the decoding of linear block codes on frequency flat correlated Rayleigh fading channels. DIHMC acquires the structure of symbol errors at the demodulator output and exploits it in the decoding process. DIHMC has two decoders. The first decoder corrects only errors. The second decoder re-decodes only the error words out of the first decoder. The hidden Markov process is described as a way of approximating the statistical structure of errors. The DIHMC decoding system, which can acquire the characteristics of the error process on the training model, generate reliability values of symbols, and exploit them in the decoding process, is developed. DIHMC was simulated on a frequency flat correlated Rayleigh and Rican fading channel. DIHMC computes the reliabilities of symbols using the available error record and error structure, and symbols having small reliability are erased. >
Analysis of insulated gate transistor turn-off characteristics

A model based upon a MOSFET driving a wide-base p-n-p transistor is presented for analysis of the turn-off behavior of n-channel insulated gate transistors. This model is found to provide a very good quantitative explanation of the shape of the collector current waveform during turn-off. Verification was accomplished using insulated gate transistors (IGT's) fabricated with two voltage ratings and a variety of radiation doses. This analysis allows the separation of the channel (electron) and minority carrier (hole) current flow in the IGT for the first time.
The application of random reference sequences to the reconstruction of clipped differentiable signals

The estimation of analog waveforms s(t) from their clipped contaminated samples is considered. For differentiable signals s(t), appropriate estimates are established and their performance is investigated: Error bounds and convergence rates are derived which improve with the degree of differentiability of the signal s(t). The analytical results are supplemented by a simulation study.
Independent regulation of anterior/posterior and equatorial/polar polarity in the Drosophila eye; evidence for the involvement of Wnt signaling in the equatorial/polar axis

The Drosophila retina is made from hundreds of asymmetric subunit ommatidia arranged in a crystalline-like array with each unit shaped and oriented in a precise way. One explanation for the precise cellular arrangements and orientations of the ommatidia is that they respond to two axes of polarized information present in the plane of the retinal epithelium. Earlier work showed that one of these axes lies in the anterior/posterior(A/P) direction and that the polarizing influence is closely associated with the sweep of the Hedgehog-dependent morphogenetic wave. Here we present evidence for a second and orthogonal axis of polarity, and show that it can be functionally separated from the A/P axis. Further, we show that the polarizing information acting in this equatorial/polar axis (Eq/Pl) is established in at least two steps - the activity of one signaling molecule functions to establish the graded activity of a second signal.
Positioning A Radio Station

We present a density estimation based product positioning approach to best position a radio station in a new market or reposition itself in an existing market. We also combine perceptual research with music research to provide a programming strategy in the form of a recording artist list that is associated with the radio stations suggested image.
Chinese Aid in African Context; A Path to Development or a Path to Conflict?

This study examines the relationship between Chinese aid money (both state supported ODA and private aid from Chinese corporations and individuals) and the development of state institutions and intrastate conflict. Such aid may be a source of competition for control of state institutions and resources, by various ethnic groups. A dark side potentially exists as Chinese aid and the presence of Chinese workers and experts has possibly increased tensions between population groups and between population groups and the state in Africa. Insensitivity to the contextual background of Africa has led to few attempts to study the relationship of Chinese aid to sociopolitical developments. In contrast to previous studies of Chinese aid in Africa - Olu Ajakaiye, Ken Banks, Edward Miguel, and Dambisa Moyo - we examine the political and social view rather than a strict economic analysis. We explore whether or not Chinese aid directly or inadvertently adds to tensions and the likelihood of civil conflict through the use of time-series modeling. Our results indicate that Chinese aid is a net good for Sub-Saharan African countries.
Transient bactericidal defect of peripheral blood phagocytes from children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia receiving craniospinal irradiation.

Abstract Because improved survival of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia by combination chemotherapy and irradiation has been accompanied by an increased incidence of infections during remission, phagocytic function after the first remission was studied in 15 such children at four time points: before, during and two and four weeks after they had received 2400 rads to the craniospinal axis. Peripheral blood phagocytes were evaluated in vitro for their ability to kill Staphylococcus aureus, Diplococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and for certain metabolic activities during phagocytosis. Phagocytosis of bacteria was not altered, but bactericidal activity was impaired during craniospinal irradiation, and the defect was not corrected by addition of normal serum. Oxygen consumption, activity of the hexose monophosphate shunt and myeloperoxidase activity were normal. The rate of iodination of zymosan by phagocytes from patients receiving craniospinal irradiation was decreased. This transient p...
Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure analysis of Fe2(CO)6(μ3-S)2Pd(bipy)

The reaction of Fe2(CO)6(μ-S2),1 withbis(dibenzylideneacetone)-palladium, Pd(dba)2, in the presence of 2,2′-bipyridine yielded the new compound Fe2(CO)6(μ 3-S)2Pd(bipy),2 in good yield (66%). Compound2 was characterized by IR,1H NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Compound2 contains a Pd(bipy) group that has been inserted into the S-S bond of1. Crystal data for2: space group P21/n,a=10.019(2) A,b=25.414(5) A,c=7.714(2) A,β=90.26(2)°,Z=4, 1436 reflections,R=0.023.
Microbiology of the urethra and perineum and its relationship to bacteriuria in community-residing men with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE Reasons why some persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience recurrent urinary tract infections more than others are poorly understood. We performed a prospective study of bacterial flora of the urethra and perineum in men with and without bacteriuria to understand more completely the relationship between bacterial colonization and invasion of the urinary tract. METHODS Urine, urethra, and perineum cultures were obtained from 70 men. Microbial flora of these sites was compared for men with and without bacteriuria. RESULTS Urine colony count was 0 in 16 (22.9%) men. Perinea in 2 men (12.5%) and urethras in 6 men (37.5%) were colonized with various gram-negative bacilli, enterococci, and/or Staphylococcus aureus. Among 54 (77.1%) men with bacteriuria, uropathogens were shown in the perineum in 31 (57.4%) and in the urethra in 46 (85.2%). In 40 (74.1%) of men with bacteriuria, at least one bacterial species present in the urine was also found in the urethra and/or perineum. Differences in the occurrence of uropathogens in men with and without bacteriuria were statistically significant, and organisms were present in higher numbers in men with bacteriuria. CONCLUSION Men with SCI who have bacteriuria are significantly more likely to be colonized in the distal urethra and perineum with uropathogens that are often present in the urine in comparison with men without bacteriuria.
Testicular rupture in blunt scrotal trauma: review of 15 cases with recent application of testicular scanning.

AbstractReview of records between 1960 and 1981 revealed 15 cases of testicular rupture secondary to blunt scrotal trauma. Because of delay in presentation testicular salvage was accomplished in only 20 per cent of the cases. In 5 cases in which the patient was evaluated with radionuclide testicular imaging using 99mtechnetium pertechnetate the diagnosis of testicular rupture was made preoperatively.
Emotional expression in the deception process

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses emotion and its related components, and reviews how emotion enters the deception process. Emotion is comprised of three interrelated psychological, physiological, and behavioral processes—the subjective experience of emotion, arousal, and overt behavioral expression. Emotional experiences and arousal are internal events, whereas emotional expressions refer to the external behavioral manifestations that are presumed to signal the internal events. Communicative behavior is dynamic, multifunctional, multidimensional, and multimodal. Because deception is goal-directed and deliberate, senders encode strategic behaviors; however, along with purposive actions, senders also exhibit unintentional, often unconscious cues. Deception produces several cognitive and emotional responses, most notably arousal and negative affect. Deception requires more cognitive resources and effort than telling the truth and may therefore produce overt indicators of cognitive arousal. The chapter also discusses the four roles that emotions and emotional expression can play in deceptive exchanges. Emotions can motivate deception. They can be the content of deceptive messages. They can be expressed inadvertently as biological signals of arousal. And they can be expressed independently and intentionally as social code units that bolster the credibility of the deceptive message.
Development, Survival, and Hatching Periodicity of Lygus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae) Eggs under Constant and Variable Temperatures

Abstract The microclimate within western cotton (Gossypium spp.) seems favorable for the western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus Knight) (Hemiptera: Miridae), provided adequate soil moisture is available. Diminishing water supplies and increasing costs in the West will likely change irrigation practices and induce at least periodically unfavorable conditions for L. hesperus. Knowledge of L. hesperus thermal ecology has been limited to constant temperatures for which relevance to variable temperature environments is unknown. Eggs of L. hesperus were reared under low (mean = 15°C), medium (mean = 22°C), or high (mean = 29°C) constant (±<0.5°C) or diurnally fluctuating (±8°C) temperatures. Developmental time and survival were similar between constant and variable regimes at the medium temperature. In contrast, variable low temperatures hastened egg development and increased survival, whereas variable high temperatures delayed development and reduced survival compared with constant regimes. Within the st...
An Approach for Increasing Student Involvement in the Learning Process

(1991). An Approach for Increasing Student Involvement in the Learning Process. Marketing Education Review: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 24-30.
Association of Personality Profiles with Depressive, Anxiety, and Cancer-related Symptoms in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Abstract Background This study identified latent classes of cancer patients based on Big Five personality dimensions and evaluated for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, depression, anxiety, and cancer-related symptoms. Methods Patients (n = 1248) with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventories, NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Latent class profile analysis of NEO-FFI scores was used to identify patient subgroups. Results Three latent classes were identified. The “Distressed” class (14.3%) scored highest on neuroticism and lowest on extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The "Resilient" class (31.9%) scored lowest on neuroticism and highest on extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The “Normative” class (53.8%) was intermediate on all dimensions except openness. Compared to the Resilient class, patients in the Distressed class were younger, less educated, more likely to care for another adult, had more comorbidities, and exercised less. The three classes differed by performance status, marital and employment status, and income, but not by gender, time since diagnosis, or type of prior cancer treatment. The classes differed (Distressed > Normative > Resilient) in depression, anxiety, and cancer symptoms. Conclusions Personality is associated with psychological and physical symptoms in cancer patients.
Mothers' Time, the Parenting Package, and Links to Healthy Child Development

Studies consistently show that mothers' time in particular activities with children is positively associated with child well-being, but results are mixed regarding associations between child outcomes and the sheer amount of time that mothers spend with children. Using time diary and survey data from three waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement (N = 2,622), we assess whether gains from mothers' total time with children vary by the quality of mothers' other investments in children, or the "parenting package." Mother-child shared time was associated with children's broad reading scores and adolescents' externalizing behavior, but mothers' other parenting investments did not moderate these associations. Results were robust to alternative measures of mothers' time and to the incorporation of earlier assessments of child academic and behavior problems. Parenting investments may be indicative of the quality of children's home environments but do not magnify gains from mother-child shared time.
Polarization dependent photoluminescence of charged quantum dot molecules

We present the polarization dependent photoluminescence from coupled InAs quantum dots. We find polarization memory signatures consistent with those reported for single quantum dots. We also observe a continuous change in the polarization memory of the positively charged exciton as it changes charge configuration due to a hole tunnelling as a function of applied bias. This may provide a method for electrical control of the anisotropic exchange interaction which would be useful for spin manipulation. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)