cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictability, controllability, and inoculation against learned helplessness

Abstract Nondepressed human subjects were divided into seven groups. On a series of discrimination problems, a helplessness group received insoluble problems, a solvable group received contingent feedback, and a no treatment control group received no feedback. For two other groups insoluble problems were preceded by success feedback on a different task presented according to a fixed ratio (FR) or variable ratio (VR) schedule of reinforcement. Two control groups received either FR or VR schedules of success but were not examined on the discrimination problems. All groups were tested for escape/avoidance performance on a human shuttle box. Both FR and VR schedules produced an inoculation against learned helplessness; escape performance by the helplessness group was significantly worse than that of FR and VR inoculation groups. These latter groups performed similar to the solvable and three control groups. Significantly worse than that of FR and VR inoculation groups. These latter groups performed similar to the solvable and three control groups. Significantly fewer subjects in the VR inoculation group exhibited avoidance responses than their counterparts in the FR inoculation group. despite similar escape performance. The findings indicate that learned helplessness can be prevented in humans and suggest different sources of interference produced by unpredictable and uncontrollable events.
Are we chronically sleep deprived

The sleep of 16 young adult male subjects was studied for 4 consecutive nights in the laboratory using all night electroencephalography. For the first 3 nights, the subjects retired for sleep at 11:00 p.m. and were aroused in the morning at 7:00 a.m. On the 4th night, the subjects retired at 11:00 p.m. and were allowed to sleep in the morning until they awakened spontaneously. The ad-lib sleep night resulted in 126 min more sleep than was found on the 3rd night of controlled sleep. These results suggest the hypothesis that living in contemporary society produces a state of chronic sleep deprivation in humans.
Neuroprotection by pigment epithelial-derived factor against glutamate toxicity in developing primary hippocampal neurons

Pigment epithelial-derived factor (PEDF) has been shown to be a survival factor for cerebellar granule neurons. Here we investigated the ability of PEDF to enhance the survival of hippocampal neurons in culture, and to protect these neurons against acute glutamate toxicity. Hippocampal neurons prepared from 1- to 3-day postnatal rat brain were cultured for either 7 or 14 days in vitro (DIV). At 14 DIV, neurons were only slightly protected (13% +/- 4%) against 50 microM glutamate toxicity when treated with 1 microg/ml of PEDF for 3 successive days before glutamate exposure as measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. In comparison, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) at 10 ng/ml for the same treatment period protected 58% +/- 8% of the neurons against glutamate. Using quantitative image analysis of digitized micrographs, we found that the average size of neurons in young, developing hippocampal cultures (7 DIV), was greatly decreased by treatment with 50 microM glutamate. Treatment for up to 5 successive days with 1 microg/ml of PEDF before glutamate addition dramatically increased the average hippocampal neuron soma size, compared to cells treated with glutamate alone. Thus, PEDF may promote the growth of hippocampal neurons, and, if added to developing hippocampal neurons, can also protect these cells from subsequent injury, such as the excitotoxicity of glutamate.
Line shifts due to blending

The reported investigation is concerned with the case in which the measured position of a strong line of the spectrum is blended with a weaker one, taking into account the traditional solution proposed by Hartmann (1901) concerning the mean of the solar lines. An arbitrary element regarding the use of the centroid is related to the decision at which separation the components pass from being 'blended' to being 'resolved'. At this separation, the adopted wavelength suddenly jumps from the centroid of the blend to the position of the stronger line alone. It is pointed out that this discontinuous behavior is physically implausible. Attention is given to a solution involving a gradual diminution of the effect of the weaker line with increasing separation. Thus the weight of each component should depend on its position as well as its intensity. When partially blended lines cannot be decomposed into their components, and an effective line-position for the hole blend is needed, the line peak is the criterion least affected by blending. A method is presented for calculating such peak positions.
Reflection asymmetry of the fission transition nucleus 235U

Abstract An analysis of the energy variation of the fission cross section and fragment angular distributions for the 234U (n,f) reaction reveals that the nuclear is reflection assymetric at the inner barrier.
Pathology Issues Related to Neoadjuvant Treatment and the Evaluation of Pathological Response

Tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy for breast carcinoma has been validated as an excellent intermediate endpoint for disease-free survival and overall survival. Pathological complete response (pCR) is the typical endpoint to assess tumor response, and most studies define pCR as absence of invasive carcinoma in the breast. The assessment of pCR poses a challenge to the pathologist. Patients with a complete clinical response may not have a grossly identifiable lesion in the breast, and the delineation of the tumor bed in consultation with radiologist/surgeon is essential in these cases for appropriate sampling; determination of size of microscopic foci of residual carcinoma also requires careful mapping of the tumor bed; modified Bloom and Richardson system may be difficult to apply on the residual carcinoma due to paucity of cells and therapy effect in neoplastic cells. Some authors have included absence of metastases to axillary lymph nodes in the definition of pCR. The biological significance of microscopic foci of residual invasive carcinoma in the breast, lymphovascular invasion, and isolated tumor cells in lymph nodes is unclear. AJCC TNM system can be used to assess tumor response after neoadjuvant therapy and has been shown to be superior than other response classification systems in predicting survival. The relative simplicity, ease of use, and familiarity by the practicing pathologist with this system make this system both user-friendly and reproducible. A modification of the AJCC TNM system is proposed to assess pCR.
Dependence of atom ejection on electronic energy loss

This paper extends previous theoretical models to emphasize the influence of electronic energy losses upon the ejection of atoms by bombarding ions. This sensitivity of the sputtering yield to inelastic energy losses was first observed in computer simulations of sputtering. The theoretical analysis supports the simulation-derived conclusion that the total yield is much more sensitive to electronic energy losses by the atoms than to electronic energy losses of the bombarding ions, even when the ion is much lighter than the target atoms.
Pathologic changes of skin and hair in ankyloblepharon‐ectodermal defects‐cleft lip/palate (AEC) syndrome

Ankyloblepharon-Ectodermal defects-Cleft lip/palate (AEC) syndrome is a rare disorder of hair, skin, nails, and dentition caused by mutations in the p63 gene. Pathologic changes of skin and hair in AEC syndrome have previously been described in isolated case reports. Biopsies of normal and lesional skin from 19 patients with AEC syndrome were examined by light microscopy. Hair samples from 18 patients were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. Histopathologic changes identified within the skin biopsies from clinically unaffected skin include mild atrophy, focal orthokeratosis, and mild superficial perivascular lymphocytic dermatitis. Scattered melanophages in the superficial and deep dermis likely reflect post-inflammatory change. One patient with a unilateral eruption of monomorphic papulopustules on the chest and shoulder demonstrated an acneiform intraepidermal pustule. Examination of the hair shafts revealed atrophy and loss of melanin pigment in some of the patients. Structural abnormalities included pili torti, pili trianguli et canaliculi, and irregular indentation and shallow grooves. Skin and hair findings in AEC syndrome were found to be generally similar to those described in other ectodermal dysplasia syndromes and corroborates the few prior descriptions in AEC syndrome specifically.
Review of David A. Shore (ed.), The Trust Crisis in Healthcare: Causes, Consequences, and Cures 1

My grandfather was a country doctor. His practice produced no paperwork other than his own personal files, and he had no government oversight and no lawsuits. There were baskets of cakes left by th...
Locked nucleic acid based beacons for surface interaction studies and biosensor development

DNA sensors and microarrays permit fast, simple and real-time detection of nucleic acids through the design and use of increasingly sensitive, selective and robust molecular probes. Specifically, molecular beacons (MBs) have been employed for this purpose; however, their potential in the development of solid-surface-based biosensors has not been fully realized. This is mainly a consequence of the beacon’s poor stability due to the hairpin structure once immobilized onto a solid surface, commonly resulting in a low signal enhancement. Here, we report the design of a new MB that overcomes some of the limitations of MBs for surface immobilization. Essentially, this new design adds locked nucleic acid bases (LNAs) to the beacon structure, resulting in a LNA molecular beacon (LMB) with robust stability after surface immobilization. To test the efficacy of LMBs against that of regular molecular beacons (RMBs), the properties of selectivity, sensitivity, thermal stability, hybridization kinetics and robustness for the detection of target sequences were compared and evaluated. A 25-fold enhancement was achieved for the LMB on surface with detection limits reaching the low nanomolar range. In addition, the LMB-based biosensor was shown to possess better stability, reproducibility, selectivity and robustness when compared to the RMB. Therefore, as an alternative to conventional DNA and as a prospective tool for use in both DNA microarrays and biosensors, these results demonstrate the potential of the locked nucleic acid bases for nucleic acid design for surface immobilization.
X-ray-amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) synthesis in a simple biomineralization medium

An inorganic solution similar to the inorganic electrolyte compartment of the DMEM (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium) cell culture medium is developed. This biomineralization medium contains 44.05 mM HCO3−, 126.86 mM Na+, 93.37 mM Cl−, 5.33 mM K+, 2.26 mM Ca2+, 0.905 mM H2PO4−, and 0.81 mM Mg2+. Its Ca/P molar ratio is set to be identical to that of human blood plasma, i.e., 2.50. The medium is free of any Tris or Hepes but maintains a pH of 7.45 both at 37 and 65 °C. The first novelty of this solution is that it has the unique ability to homogeneously coat X-ray-amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) on glass slides vertically immersed in it and kept at 37 °C for less than 48 h. The second innovative aspect of this solution is that it has the unprecedented ability to produce monodisperse ACP nanospheres with diameters less than 180 nm when simply heated at 65 °C for 1 h while being stirred. The third novelty of this solution is that it only forms ACP and it does not form apatite in stark contrast to many other synthetic calcification or biomineralization media known. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, BET surface area, contact angle goniometry, field emission-scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses.
Spider abundance and diversity in apple orchards under three insect pest management programmes in Washington State, U.S.A.

Summary 1 Many apple growers in Washington State, U.S.A. use mating disruption (MD) for control of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus). Fewer applications of synthetic, broad-spectrum insecticides are made in MD orchards than in orchards under conventional (C) management. Spider abundance and diversity in MD, C and certified organic (O) orchards were compared. Spiders inhabiting the trees (arboreal), the understory vegetation, and the ground surface were studied. 2 Total arboreal spider density and total understory spider density were significantly higher in O orchards than in MD and C orchards. Many species occurred in both the trees and the understory. 3 Arboreal, visually orientated, hunting spiders and arboreal ambushers/runners were significantly more abundant in O orchards compared to C and MD orchards. Visual hunters were significantly more abundant in MD compared to C orchards. Numbers of spiders in two other guilds (web-makers and nocturnal hunters) showed no statistical differences with respect to orchard management type. 4 The highest density of ground surface-dwelling spiders occurred in one of the O orchards. Two C orchards had higher densities than any MD orchard. Ground surface species were distinct from those in the understory and the trees. 5 With one exception, an orchard's arboreal fauna was most similar to that of another orchard under the same type of pest management. Three exceptions were noted among comparisons of the understory faunas. The ground surface-dwelling fauna of one O orchard was distinctive, whereas that in the second O orchard was similar to the C and MD orchards. 6 Reduced use of synthetic, broad-spectrum insecticides in MD orchards did not result in arboreal spider densities comparable to those found in O orchards. A contributing factor may be that all species were univoltine. Spider populations may thus be severely reduced by even a small number of synthetic, broad-spectrum insecticide applications and the time required for recovery may be lengthy.
Enhancement of the performance of activated carbons as municipal odor removal media by addition of a sewage-sludge-derived phase.

Two commercial low-cost activated carbons and wood-based char were mixed with dewatered sludge and pyrolized at 950 °C. The sludge content on a dry basis was 23%. The obtained composite adsorbents ...
Dynamic optimization with a nonconvex technology: determination of critical stocks

Abstract Optimal management of resources could involve policies that lead to conservation or complete depletion of a resource. In the framework of a continuous time dynamic programming problem, a method for determining critical stocks, which partition these different optimal policies, is outlined. Such a critical stock has been described elsewhere in the literature as the minimum safe standard of conservation.
Body Weight Changes in Lactating Purebred and Crossbred Dairy Cattle

Body weights of 396 first and 205 second lactation cows in the first, second, third, and fourth generations of the dairy cattle crossbreeding project at the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station were studied. Body weights were taken regularly on each animal during the first 9 mo of each lactation with the first weight being taken 3 to 4 days after parturition and subsequent weights at intervals of 30 days thereafter. Among least-squares means there was a decrease in body weight during the first 1 or 2 mo of lactation and a steady increase thereafter in all breed groups for both first and second lactations. There were differences between cows as well as between months for all breed groups in each generation for both lactations. Sums of squares for months were partitioned into linear, quadratic, and cubic components. A third degree polynomial was fitted for each breed group within each generation and separately for each lactation showing the changes in body weights.
Ultrafast Dynamics of Triplet Excitons in Alq3-Bridge-Pt(II)porphyrin Electroluminescent Materials

Excited-state dynamics are crucial for maximizing the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Because electron−hole recombination yields singlet and triplet excited states in a 3:1 ratio, it is important to harvest the energy of triplets in light-emitting processes. Self-assembled multichromophore electroluminescent materials consisting of a trisquinolinolate aluminum(III) (Alq3) donor, fluorene-based conjugated oligomers as a bridge, and Pt(II)tetraphenylporphyrin as an acceptor and phosphorescent emitter are described. In these materials, the energy of singlet as well as triplet states is harvested and emitted as red phosphorescence from the porphyrin acceptor. Attention was devoted to the triplet exciton dynamics, which was investigated by ultrafast transient spectroscopy, and the observations are compared with phosphorescence in thin films and with electroluminescence from OLEDs. It was found that exothermicity of the forward Alq3-to-fluorene bridge triplet transfer appears to be a less ...
Duplications of a mutated simian virus 40 enhancer restore its activity.

Enhancers are cis-acting control elements which can stimulate at a distance the activity of a variety of eukaryotic promoters. First identified as a repeated 72 base pair (bp) sequence upstream of the simian virus 40 (SV40) early gene promoter, enhancers have since been shown to be associated with numerous other viral and cellular genes. Although there are no strong homologies between the sequences of different enhancers, a number of short and degenerate consensus sequences have been identified, including the 'core' element GTGGA/TA/TA/TG and stretches of alternating purines and pyrimidines which may have the potential to form left-handed Z DNA. To study the functional significance of two alternating purine and pyrimidine sequences in the SV40 enhancer, we have introduced various combinations of point mutations into a modified SV40 enhancer which contained only one copy of the 72 bp element (W.H., Y.G., A. Nordheim and A. Rich, unpublished results); one of these combinations impaired both the activity of the enhancer and growth of SV40. We describe here the structure of 18 revertants of this mutant and suggest that in each of the 18 revertants, the defects of the original mutant have been overcome by simple tandem duplications in the enhancer region, all of which include the 'core' element.
A prospective trial that demonstrates that dalteparin requirements increase in pregnancy to maintain therapeutic levels of anticoagulation.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether standard therapeutic doses of dalteparin maintain peak therapeutic levels of anticoagulation during pregnancy. Study design This was a prospective trial in which 13 pregnancies that required therapeutic anticoagulation were treated with dalteparin 100 U/kg every 12 hours; peak and trough (predose) low molecular weight heparin (anti-Xa activity) levels were monitored every 2 weeks. Dosage adjustments were made to maintain peak anti-Xa activity between 0.5 and 1.0 IU/ml. Bone density and bone turnover markers were measured. Results A total of 250 peak and trough low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) levels were obtained. Eighty-five percent of pregnancies (11/13) required an upward dosage adjustment. Trough levels were in the therapeutic range only 9% of the time, despite the maintenance of therapeutic peak levels. Bone resorption markers and density were unchanged in singleton pregnancies. Conclusion Dalteparin dosing, based on weight alone, every 12 hours is inadequate to maintain most pregnant women in the therapeutic range throughout pregnancy as measured by anti-Xa activity. Trough levels are rarely in the therapeutic range, despite maintenance of therapeutic peak levels. These notable changes in low molecular weight heparin peak may explain reported failures in pregnancy.
Kindergarten to 1st Grade: Classroom Characteristics and the Stability and Change of Children's Classroom Experiences

Abstract This study examines the classroom experiences of 192 children followed longitudinally from kindergarten to 1st grade. Time-sampled observations of children were conducted to compare learning formats, teaching activities, and children's engagement in activities between kindergarten and 1st grade. Classroom observations also were conducted to examine differences in classroom quality; specifically, teacher sensitivity and instructional and emotional support for learning. Results from paired t-tests show that instructional activities become more teacher-directed and structured in 1st grade, children in 1st grade are exposed to less academic instruction than children in kindergarten, but children in 1st grade are more actively engaged in activities than children in kindergarten. With respect to classroom quality, kindergarten and 1st-grade classrooms were similar in terms of teacher sensitivity and emotional support for learning. Instructional support for learning, including instructional conversation...
Maturational changes in glomerular perfusion rate and glomerular filtration rate in lambs.

Extract: The developmental pattern of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the regional glomerular density, and glomerular blood flow, as well as that of the cardiac output, blood pressure, and hematocrit has been followed in 2—79-day-old lambs. The glomerular perfusion rate (GPR), i.e., the glomerular blood flow, has been derived by determining the regional renal blood flow with microspheres and dividing it by the number of glomeruli per unit of renal tissue at that cortical depth assuming that practically all of the spheres are trapped in the glomeruli. The GFR per gram of renal tissue increased more rapidly during the first days of life, whereas the total GFR appeared to increase more linearly with age. The glomerular density fell in all cortical layers. The fall was slightly more pronounced in the inner cortex. The glomerular blood flow was recorded in three zones: the outer 10% of the cortex, which contained an aglomerular as well as a high density glomerular zone; the mid 65% of the cortex, which on gross inspection appeared fairly homogeneous; and the inner 25% of the cortex, which corresponded to the juxtamedullary zone. In all zones the GPR increased with age. The increase was most pronounced in the inner cortex in the oldest animals. The largest scatter of data was found in the outer cortex as a result of the heterogeneity of that zone. The cortical profile for the GPR did not change much with age, which indicated that in the lamb no intrarenal redistribution of blood flow of greater importance occurs during the postnatal development. In the inner and midcortex the GPR increased in proportion to the cardiac output. In the outer cortex the data indicate that GPR increased somewhat more rapidly than cardiac output. The development of the total GFR has been related to the development of the GPR in the inner and midcortex since those two zones contain more than 90% of all glomeruli. During the first period of life the GFR increased more rapidly than the GPR. This coincided with the time when the most rapid fall in hematocrit was recorded. Thus the development of the glomerular plasma flow and the GFR appeared to follow closely. Speculation: In the growing animal as well as in the adult the glomerular plasma flow appears to be the main determinator of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Inasmuch as the arterial blood pressure in infants is close to the level at which the renal blood flow is autoregulated in the mature kidney, the GFR might be more susceptible to fluctuations in infants.
Detecting Unanticipated Increases in Emergency Department Chief Complaint Keywords

The chief complaint (CC) text field is a rich source of information, but its current use for syndromic surveillance is limited to a fixed set of syndromes defined a priori using keywords. To identify unanticipated sudden increases in word frequency, we developed a simple method that compares the frequency of every word in the CC text field on a given day against the average frequency of the same word during a baseline period. This could prove useful for situational awareness during routine surveillance and emergencies.
Experimental determination of propagation constant using end-etched fiber

We introduce the end-etched fiber technique to separate all guided modes into individual mode rings. A direct measurement of the propagation constant as a function of propagation angle and fiber parameters is demonstrated, for a single-mode fiber. We have favorable experimental results when compared to the theoretical values.
ANCS 2013 general chair's welcome

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Ninth ACM/IEEE Symposium on Architectures for Networking and Communications Systems (ANCS 2013). This year's conference will be held at the Hyatt Place in beautiful downtown San Jose, CA, USA, in the heart of Silicon Valley, on October 21–22, 2013.
Effects of age on the performance of common diagnostic tests for pulmonary embolism.

Abstract PURPOSE: The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in the elderly is often difficult because of comorbid medical conditions, and perhaps also because diagnostic tests have a lower yield. We analyzed the diagnostic performance of common diagnostic tests for pulmonary embolism in different age groups. METHODS: We analyzed data from two large studies that enrolled 1,029 consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism. The clinical probability of pulmonary embolism (high [≥80%], intermediate, or low [≤20%]) was estimated by the treating physician. All patients underwent a sequential diagnostic protocol, including ventilation-perfusion lung scan, measurement of plasma D-dimer level, lower limb venous compression ultrasonography, and pulmonary angiography if the noninvasive work-up was inconclusive. RESULTS: The prevalence of pulmonary embolism increased progressively, from 12% in patients CONCLUSIONS: Age affects the performance of common diagnostic tests for pulmonary embolism and should be kept in mind when evaluating patients suspected of having this condition.
Satellite observations of type III solar radio bursts at low frequencies

Type III solar radio bursts have been observed from 10 MHz to 10 kHz by satellite experiments above the terrestrial plasmasphere. Solar radio emission in this frequency range results from excitation of the interplanetary plasma by energetic particles propagating outward along open field lines over distances from 5 R ⊙ to at least 1 AU from the Sun. This review summarizes the morphology, characteristics and analysis of individual as well as storms of bursts. Substantial evidence is available to show that the radio emission is observed at the second harmonic instead of the fundamental of the plasma frequency. This brings the density scale derived by radio observations into better agreement with direct solar wind density measurements at 1 AU and relaxes the requirement for type III propagation along large density-enhanced regions. This density scale with the measured direction of arrival of the radio burst allows the trajectory of the exciter path to be determined from 10 R ⊙ to 1 AU. Thus, for example, the dynamics and gross structure of the interplanetary magnetic field can be investigated by this method. Burst rise times are interpreted in terms of exciter length and dispersion while decay times refer to the radiation damping process. The combination of radio observations at the lower frequencies and in-situ measurements on non-relativistic electrons at 1 AU provide data on the energy range and efficiency of the wave-particle interactions responsible for the radio emission.
Cancer Mortality of the Korean Population in Japan 1968–1977

Cancer mortality of the Korean population in Japan for the period 1968-1977 was examined using a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) based on Japanese mortality for 1975. The most frequent site of cancer for Korean males and females in Japan was the stomach but the rate has declined recently for both sexes. Based on deaths from all malignant neoplasms in the period 1973-77, the SMR for all sites among Korean males in Japan was 161 (95% confidence limits - 147 and 176), whereas the ratio for Korean females in Japan was 94 (95% confidence limits - 81 and 109). Compared with Japanese, Koreans in Japan had a significantly higher SMR for cancer of the liver and trachea-bronchus-lung in both sexes.
The Spectral Irradiance Monitor: Scientific Requirements, Instrument Design, and Operation Modes

The Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM) is a dual Fery prism spectrometer that employs 5 detectors per spectrometer channel to cover the wavelength range from 200 to 2700 nm. This instrument is used to monitor solar spectral variability throughout this wavelength region. Two identical, mirror-image, channels are used for redundancy and in-flight measurement of prism degradation. The primary detector for this instrument is an electrical substitution radiometer (ESR) designed to measure power levels ∼1000 times smaller than other radiometers used to measure TSI. The four complementary focal plane photodiodes are used in a fast-scan mode to acquire the solar spectrum, and the ESR calibrates their radiant sensitivity. Wavelength control is achieved by using a closed loop servo system that employs a linear charge coupled device (CCD) in the focal plane. This achieves 0.67 arcsec control of the prism rotation angle; this is equivalent to a wavelength positioning error of δλ/λ = 150 parts per million (ppm). This paper will describe the scientific measurement requirements used for instrument design and implementation, instrument performance, and the in-flight instrument operation modes.
Factors affecting production of COS and CS2 in Leucaena and Mimosa species

Carbon disulfide (CS2) and carbonyl sulfide (COS) are colorless, foul-smelling, volatile sulfur compounds with biocidal properties. Some plants produce CS2 or COS or both. When used as an intercrop or forecrop, these plants may have agronomic potential in protecting other plants. Most of the factors which affect production of these plant-generated organic sulfides are unknown. We determined the effects of sulfate concentration, plant age, nitrogen fixation, drought stress, root injury (through cutting), and undisturbed growth on COS production in Leucaena retusa or Leucaena leucocephala and the effect of some of these factors on CS2 production in Mimosa pudica. In addition, we determined if organic sulfides were produced in all Leucaena species. When L. retusa and M. pudica seedlings were grown in a plant nutrient medium with different sulfate concentrations (50 to 450 mg SL-1), COS or CS2 from crushed roots generally increased with increasing sulfate concentration. COS production was highest (≤74 ng mg-1 dry root) for young L. retusa seedlings and declined to low amounts (<5 ng mg-1 dry root) for older seedlings. Nitrogen fixation reduced the amounts of COS or CS2 produced in L. leucocephala and M. pudica. Under conditions of undisturbed growth, root cutting, or drought stress, no COS production was detected in 4-to 8-weeks-old L. retusa plants. COS or CS2 or both was obtained from crushed roots or shoots of all 13 known Leucaena species.
Linking Life Dissatisfaction to Health Behaviors of Older African Americans Through Psychological Competency and Vulnerability

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of life dissatisfaction on health behaviors of older African Americans and the linking role of psychological competency (e.g., control and a...
Stability of first- and second-trimester serum markers after storage and shipment.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of first- and second-trimester maternal serum markers used in Down syndrome screening in relation to the time between sample collection and arrival at the laboratory. Methods The FASTER trial, designed to compare first- and second-trimester screening tests for aneuploidy, has recently been completed, having recruited more than 38 000 patients. According to the trial protocol, all blood samples were drawn in serum separator tubes, centrifuged within 30 min and stored at 4 °C until shipment by air express. To examine the effect of delayed shipment, serum marker levels (expressed as multiple of the median—MoM) were evaluated in the first- and second-trimester samples and stratified by the number of days between serum collection and laboratory receipt. Results Under specified collection and shipment conditions, first and second-trimester screening marker mean levels and degrees of variance were stable for up to 9 days, with the exception of unconjugated estriol, which was stable for up to 6 days. Conclusion The levels of first- and second-trimester Down syndrome screening markers can be measured reliably when the sample is centrifuged, refrigerated until shipment and received in the laboratory within a week of being drawn. A conservative approach would be to restrict testing to within 6 days of draw, with the intent to keep shipping delays to a minimum. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advocacy, recovery, and the challenges of consumerism for schizophrenia

Advocacy organizations such as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and patient consumer groups are playing an ever-increasing role in public health policy and patient care in schizophrenia. The recovery philosophy which recognizes the unique contributions of those who have experienced mental illness is now a part of treatment approaches in many states. Several states have extended these consumer initiatives to incorporate advance directives, an approach that has generated much debate. The NAMI destigmatization campaign, grounded in the neurobiology of major mental illness, is an unprecedented, concerted effort to change public opinion and to achieve parity at all levels for persons with severe and persistent mental illness. This article describes and chronicles these initiatives and explores their implications for the management of schizophrenia into the next millenium.
Identification and characterization of mutants capable of rapid seed germination at 10 °C from activation-tagged lines of Arabidopsis thaliana

Five cold temperature germinating (ctg) mutants, completing germination at 10 degrees C faster than wild type, have been recovered from activation-tagged populations of Arabidopsis thaliana. Three (ctg10-D, 41-D, and 144-D) were tagged and segregated 3:1 for BASTA resistance in the F2 when crossed with wild type. None of the tagged ctg mutants was disturbed in sensitivity to abscisic acid or glucose but all were less sensitive to GA4+7 and osmoticum. The other two mutants (ctg156 and ctg225) were recessive, BASTA sensitive, and exhibited a transparent testa (tt) phenotype. They were more sensitive to abscisic acid, paclobutrazol, and GA4+7 than wild type but had similar sensitivity to osmoticum. Dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde staining of seeds from the two tt mutants, compared with stained seeds from the publicly available tt lines 1-10, suggested that ctg156 was a new allele of tt1, while ctg225 was similar to tt7-1. However, reciprocal crosses determined that ctg156 was not allelic to tt1 while ctg225 was a new allele of tt7. When the gene was sequenced from ctg225 it was missing 10 bp in the second exon, resulting in the incorporation of two spurious amino acids (G282E and D283A) followed by a stop. The screen successfully recovered mutants completing germination faster than wild type at 10 degrees C.
Polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Douglas‐fir pathogen Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, causal agent of Swiss Needle Cast disease

Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated from Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii , causal agent of the Douglas-fir foliage disease Swiss Needle Cast. The primer sets were tested on 60 isolates that had, with more conservative markers, previously segregated into three reproductively isolated lineages comprising nine genotypes. The microsatellite data yielded 46 multilocus genotypes that segregated into three groups identical to the three lineages previously recovered. Microsatellite genotypic diversity ranged from 0.85 to 0.99 within lineages and was lowest where both pathogen and host are exotic.
Template-Based Signaling Compression for Push-To-Talk over Cellular (PoC)

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has been chosen as the standard signaling protocol for the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). SIP is a text-based protocol with messages often exceeding 1000 bytes in size, thus causing high call set-up delays on low bit-rate links. Signaling Compression (SigComp) is currently the only option cellular operators have for the compression of signaling messages. We study the performance of SigComp, showing that SigComp cannot achieve the level of compression required by Push-To-Talk over Cellular (PoC) services in the IMS. Furthermore, we propose an alternative compression mechanism, namely Template Based Compression (TBC), and show through measurements how we can achieve higher compression ratios than SigComp, satisfying the requirements for PoC on low bit-rate links.
Using Simulation Technology to Teach Diabetes Care Management Skills to Resident Physicians

Background: Simulation is widely used to teach medical procedures. Our goal was to develop and implement an innovative virtual model to teach resident physicians the cognitive skills of type 1 and type 2 diabetes management. Methods: A diabetes educational activity was developed consisting of (a) a curriculum using 18 explicit virtual cases, (b) a web-based interactive interface, (c) a simulation model to calculate physiologic outcomes of resident actions, and (d) a library of programmed feedback to critique and guide resident actions between virtual encounters. Primary care residents in 10 U.S. residency programs received the educational activity. Satisfaction and changes in knowledge and confidence in managing diabetes were analyzed with mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: Pre- and post-education surveys were completed by 92/142 (65%) of residents. Likert scale (five-point) responses were favorably higher than neutral for general satisfaction (94%), recommending to colleagues (91%), training adequacy (91%), and navigation ease (92%). Finding time to complete cases was difficult for 50% of residents. Mean ratings of knowledge (on a five-point scale) posteducational activity improved by +0.5 ( p < .01) for use of all available drug classes, +0.9 (p < .01) for how to start and adjust insulin, +0.8 (p < .01) for interpreting blood glucose values, +0.8 (p < .01) for individualizing treatment goals, and +0.7 (p < .01) for confidence in managing diabetes patients. Conclusions: A virtual diabetes educational activity to teach cognitive skills to manage diabetes to primary care residents was successfully developed, implemented, and well liked. It significantly improved self-assessed knowledge and confidence in diabetes management. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2013;7(5):1243–1254
Issue contingencies and marketers' recognition of ethical issues, ethical judgments and behavioral intentions

The ethical decision-making process begins when an individual recognizes an ethical dilemma. Subsequently, the individual makes a judgment and forms behavioral intentions, which are thought to be predictive of actual behavior. This process is affected by individual, situational and issue-contingent factors. Our study examines the effect of four issue contingencies on marketers’ ethical decision-making process. More than 300 marketing professionals took part in our study, responding to questions regarding two sales scenarios. We controlled for relevant individual and situational factors and tested hypotheses using hierarchical regression. Perceptions of a greater magnitude of consequences were positively related to issue recognition and judgments that the action was unethical in both scenarios and behavioral intentions in one scenario. Perceptions of a societal consensus were associated with issue recognition and judgments that the action was unethical in one scenario. Magnitude of consequences demonstrated the strongest relationship with the ethical decision-making process.
Animal Mating Systems

The term mating system refers to the way in which individuals are grouped in relation to mating, and/or characteristics of mate acquisition and mating behaviour. Animal mating systems are incredibly diverse and have been most generally classified as monogamous (a single male and single female mate exclusively with one another) or polygamous (males and/or females mate with multiple individuals). There are three classic polygamous mating systems: polygyny (a male mates with more than one female), polyandry (a female mates with more than one male) and polygynandry (both males and females have more than one mate). Some researchers have developed more specific mating system classifications, and this remains an area of active research. Mating systems are influenced by many factors, including the spatial and temporal distribution of sexually receptive males and females, resource availability and distribution, male and female life history, sexual selection and parental care. Key Concepts: Mating system refers to the way in which individuals are grouped in relation to mating and/or details of mating dynamics. Animal mating systems are highly variable within and between taxonomic groups. Mating systems are dynamic and change through time. Common mating systems include monogamy, polygyny, polygamy and polygynandry. More specific descriptors of mating systems have been developed that account for pair bond duration, resource use and defence and behaviour such as parental care. Animal mating systems are affected by the spatial and temporal distribution of receptive mates, resource use and defence, male and female life history, sexual selection and parental care. Keywords: mating systems; sexual selection; life history; monogamy; polygamy; polyandry; polygyny
Two refinements of the Chernoff bound for the sum of nonidentical Bernoulli random variables

Abstract We give two refinements to the Chernoff bound for the sum of nonidentical Bernoulli random variables with parameters p i , where 0 p i 1 and i = 1 , … , n . Traditionally, the Chernoff bound is a function of the arithmetic mean of the p i ’s, n − 1 ∑ i = 1 n p i . The refined bounds contain the term n − 1 ∑ i = 1 n p i 2 , and hence, are able to capture the variations of p i ’s.
Comparative in vitro and in vivo evaluation of two 64Cu-labeled bombesin analogs in a mouse model of human prostate adenocarcinoma

Bombesin (BBN), an analog of human gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), binds to the GRP receptor (GRPR) with high affinity and specificity. Overexpression of GRPR has been discovered in mostly androgen-independent human prostate tissues and, thus, provides a potential target for prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy. We have previously demonstrated the feasibility of the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using 64Cu-1,4,7,10-tetraazadodecane-N,N′,N″,N″′-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-[Lys3]BBN to detect GRPR-positive prostate cancer. In this study, we compared the receptor affinity, metabolic stability, tumor-targeting efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of a truncated BBN analog 64Cu-DOTA-Aca-BBN(7-14) with 64Cu-DOTA-[Lys3]BBN. Binding of each DOTA conjugate to GRPR on PC-3 and 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells was evaluated with competitive binding assay using 125I-[Tyr4]BBN as radioligand. In vivo pharmacokinetics was determined on male nude mice subcutaneously implanted with PC-3 cells. Dynamic microPET imaging was performed to evaluate the systemic distribution of the tracers. Metabolic stability of the tracers in blood, urine, tumor, liver and kidney was studied using high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that 125I-[Tyr4]BBN has a Kd of 14.8±0.4 nM against PC-3 cells, and the receptor concentration on PC-3 cell surface is approximately 2.7±0.1×106 receptors per cell. The 50% inhibitory concentration value for DOTA-Aca-BBN(7-14) is 18.4±0.2 nM, and that for DOTA-[Lys3]BBN is 2.2±0.5 nM. DOTA-[Lys3]BBN shows a better tumor contrast and absolute tumor activity accumulation compared to DOTA-Aca-BBN(7-14). Studies on metabolic stability for both tracers on organ homogenates showed that 64Cu-DOTA-[Lys3]BBN is relatively stable. This study demonstrated that both tracers are suitable for targeted PET imaging to detect the expression of GRPR in prostate cancer, while 64Cu-DOTA-[Lys3]BBN may have a better potential for clinical translation.
The Preliminary Mathematical Lemmas of Newtons Principia

The first book of Newton's Principia opens in Section I with eleven preliminary mathematical lemmas. Although the subtitle of this section The method of first and last ratios of quantities, by the help of which we demonstrate the propositions that follow [11, 29] suggests that Newton thought of these lemmas as foundational, in fact the lemmas are not as foundational as Newton would have us believe or as he perhaps hoped they would be. According to D.T. Whiteside, the editor of Newton's mathematical papers [14, VI: 107-108],
Analysis and Interpretation of Twin Studies Including Measures of the Shared Environment

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRecent reports using a classical behavior genetic research design in which twin data are combined with ameasured characteristic of their shared family environment have made striking claims about estimating envi-ronmental influences on behavior with genetic effects controlled. Such claims are overstated for two relatedreasons. First, when a variable is measured at the family level in a way that makes it necessarily equivalent fortwins reared together, it is not possible to partition it into genetic and environmental components. Second,although structural equation modeling and DeFries–Fulker analysis are sound tools for the analysis of manytypes of twin data, they do not control for genetic or environmental confounds when estimating the effect ofmeasured family-level variables.
Dynamic error estimation for radio occultation bending angles retrieved by the full spectrum inversion technique

[1] Application of any measurement requires reliable error estimates; this is particularly the case when meteorological observations are assimilated into numerical weather prediction models. Radio occultation measurement errors vary considerably between different observations. It is therefore desirable to estimate these errors dynamically on a profile-to-profile basis. In this study it is demonstrated that fluctuations in the full spectrum inversion (FSI) log amplitude can be mapped into profiles of error standard deviations for FSI retrieved bending angles on a profile-to-profile basis without using any external data. The performance of this technique is assessed by applying it to simulated GPS radio occultation signals sampled at 50 Hz with both severe additive noise and significant phase noise. In both cases, good agreement between predicted error profiles and the “true” error profiles is achieved. Comparisons between power spectra of predicted errors and “true” errors also show good agreement. However, a small part of the simulated signals is distorted by aliasing due to the downsampling to 50 Hz, which affects bending angles retrieved for a narrow range of impact parameters. For these bending angles, the predicted errors are too small as compared with the “true” errors. This shows that the proposed technique cannot predict errors related to poor signal acquisition.