cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
p-Cresol formation by cell-free extracts of Clostridium difficile.

Cell-free extracts of Clostridium difficile were shown to form p-cresol by decarboxylation of p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. This activity required both high and low molecular weight fractions. The active component of the low molecular weight fraction had properties of an amino acid and could be replaced by serine, threonine or the corresponding alpha keto acids. Pyruvate was shown to function catalytically. Since the high molecular weight fraction was O2-sensitive and since dithionite was as effective as pyruvate with some high molecular weight fractions, the alpha keto acids probably serve as low potential reducing agents in this system. Because of instability, the p-cresolforming enzyme could not be purified.
The metal cation effect on the sers of interfacial D2O and H2O

Abstract The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) line shape and potential dependence of interfacial water in electrolytes containing Cl− ions are dependent upon the hydration energy of the metal cation in the electrolyte. Two groups of cations, one with lower hydration energies (Cs+, Rb+, and K+), and one with higher hydration energies (Na+, Li+, Ba2+, Sr2+, Ca2+, and Mg2+), give rise to distinct SERS behavior. It is postulated that the cations influence the orientation of D2O and H2O molecules at the Ag electrode-electrolyte interface.
Nitrogen fixation in the marine environment: relating genetic potential to nitrogenase activity

Abstract Nitrogen fixation can be an important source of nitrogen for biological productivity in the marine environment. Biological nitrogen fixation is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrogenase, which is possessed by diverse microorganisms representing virtually all phylogenetic groups. Interest in nitrogen fixation in the sea has usually been focused on rates of nitrogen fixation, but information on the types of species present with the capability for nitrogen fixation can be important for predicting nitrogen fixation rates in situ. Molecular tools for detection and characterization of the nitrogenase ( nif ) genes and immunoassays for nitrogenase protein can provide new information on the factors regulating the distribution and activity of diverse nitrogen fixing organisms in the marine environment. Amplification and characterization of nifH sequences has made it possible to identify the type(s) of organism responsible for nitrogen fixation, such as in aggregates of the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium . Differences in nitrogen fixation patterns have been linked to genetic differences between Trichodesmium strains. Further development of these approaches will provide new and powerful ways to link the genetic potential for nitrogen fixation to nitrogen fixation rates in the ocean.
Hormonal therapy for patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate: is there a role for discontinuing treatment after prolonged androgen suppression?

Abstract Objectives To determine the hormonal (luteinizing hormone [LH], testosterone) and biochemical (prostate-specific antigen [PSA]) response to withdrawal of LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist therapy for patients with prostate cancer with an undetectable PSA who received this treatment for an extended period. Methods Four selected patients older than 70 years of age with advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate who were treated with a depot injection of LHRH and antiandrogen therapy had their treatment discontinued. During the period of total androgen blockade, each patient obtained and maintained a persistent undetectable PSA level. After cessation of androgen blockade, patients underwent serum measurements of PSA and testosterone at baseline and then every 6 months for 36 months. Serum LH was performed at baseline and then at 6, 18, and 36 months. Results At the time androgen ablative therapy was discontinued, patients had received LHRH agonist/antiandrogen therapy for a mean of 108 months (range 94 to 120). All 4 patients had castrate levels of testosterone (less than 0.5 ng/mL) and undetectable levels of PSA at baseline and with continued monitoring. At 6 and 18 months, all patients except one had LH levels in the normal range. All 4 patients remained clinically asymptomatic throughout the follow-up period with undetectable PSA levels. Conclusions Withdrawing hormonal therapy in asymptomatic patients with advanced prostate cancer after prolonged total androgen blockade was noted to be safe and effective in elderly patients who had achieved an undetectable PSA level. It appears that reduced testosterone levels may be a result of altered and potentially irreversible Leydig cell function rather than continued suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis.
Use of reconstructed sagittal computed tomography images to plan middle cranial fossa surgery.

Objective To facilitate planning in temporal bone surgery for the middle cranial fossa approach by using sagittal reconstructed temporal bone computed tomography images. Study Design Comparison of anatomic measurements on random high-resolution, reformatted computed tomography scans of the temporal bone. Methods High-resolution computed tomography of 10 normal temporal bones in the axial and coronal planes was obtained, and two-dimensional sagittal reconstructions were performed using a commercial software program. Eight anatomical relationships between neural and/or vascular structures were measured. Representative images were inverted to recreate the plane of the middle cranial fossa approach. Results Anatomical relationships among the vestibule, superior semicircular canal, internal auditory canal, internal carotid artery, and middle cranial fossa exhibited a high SD in the 10 subjects. The sample size and the large range for the eight anatomical relationships precluded the detection of a significant difference between right and left temporal bones or sex and age of the patient. Conclusion The present report presents a novel, practical measurement protocol for rapidly evaluating important individual anatomical differences in patients before middle cranial fossa surgery. Inverted sagittal reconstructions facilitate presurgical planning for the middle cranial fossa approach by 1) assessing critical anatomical relationships before surgery and 2) providing customized measurements between vital landmarks and the first in vivo measurements. This decreases the likelihood of surgical mishaps and improves teaching by providing the first in vivo measurements of practical anatomical relationships in the sagittal plane.
Probopyrus pandalicola (Packard) (Isopoda; Epicaridea): swimming responses of cryptoniscus larvae in water conditioned by hosts Palaemonetes pugio (Holthuis) (Decapoda; Palaemonidae)

Swimming responses of Probopyrus pandalicola (Packard) cryptoniscus larvae to water solutions either conditioned or unconditioned by hosts were determined using a simple Y-tube choice apparatus. Results document that larvae swim at random or downstream with respect to water current in unconditioned control solutions. In the presence of either “crude extract” or “host-metabolite” solution, prepared using definitive hosts Palaemonetes pugio (Holthuis), cryptonisci are strongly rheopositive. However, upstream swimming cryptonisci swam toward the source of the host-conditioned water (i.e., made the correct ‘choice’) only when it was rather concentrated; when ‘host-metabolite’ solution was employed, rheopositive parasite larvae swam toward control solution as frequently as toward the experimental solution. We conclude that distance chemoreception may play a role in host finding by P. pandalicola.
Altered growth hormone homeostasis during acute bacterial sepsis in the rhesus monkey.

ABSTRACT An impressive hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) occurs in response to an intravenous (iv) glucose load during the febrile phase of a viral infection (sandfly fever) in man. To study the mechanism of such hypersecretion using an appropriate animal model, conscious male rhesus monkeys were given iv glucose tolerance tests (GTT) (0.5 g/kg) on a control day (GTT-1) and at the height of illness (GTT-2) 24 hr after iv inoculation with 108 virulent Diplococcus pneumoniae (n = 9) or 109 virulent Salmonella typhimurium (n = 5). Sequential plasma samples were obtained from femoral vein catheters for radioimmunoassayable GH, glucose, and free fatty acids (FFA). There was no glucose intolerance or FFA abnormalities during GTT-2 in either group. An exaggerated increase in plasma GH occurred during GTT-2 during pneumococcal sepsis with a peak GH of 20.8 ± 5.9 ng/ml at 30 min as compared by paired t test with the control (GTT-1) of 7.8 ± 2.8 at 30 min (p < 0.05). This hypersecretion of GH during GTT-2 also ...
Representation and Generation of Rectangular Dissections

The stepwise development of a data structure for representing dissections of rectangles into rectangular components is outlined. The data structure is used to define a finite set of "principal options" for a class of space allocation problems, and a procedure is described which generates dissections representing these options.
Critical incident technique: an innovative participatory approach to examine and document racial disparities in breast cancer healthcare services

Disproportionate and persistent inequities in quality of healthcare have been observed among persons of color in the United States. To understandandultimatelyeliminate suchinequities, several public health institutions have issued calls for innovative methods and approaches that examine determinants from the social, organizational and public policy contexts to inform the design of systems change interventions. The authors, including academic and community research partners in a community-based participatoryresearch(CBPR) study,reflected together on the use and value of the critical incident technique (CIT) for exploring racial disparities in healthcare for women with breast cancer. Academic and community partners used initial large group discussion involving a large partnership of 35 academic and community researchers guided by principles of CBPR, followed by the efforts of a smaller interdisciplinary manuscript team of academic and community researchers to reflect, document summarize and translate this participatory research process, lessons learned and value added from using the CIT with principles of CBPR and Undoing Racism. Thefinding of this article is a discussion of the process, strengths and challenges of utilizing CIT with CBPR. The participation of community members atall levels of the researchprocessincluding
Effects of Cattle Grazing on Diversity in Ephemeral Wetlands

Cattle are usually thought of as a threat to biodiversity. In regions threatened by exotic species inva- sion and lacking native wild grazers, however, cattle may produce the type of disturbance that helps maintain diverse communities. Across 72 vernal pools, I examined the effect of different grazing treatments (ungrazed, continuously grazed, wet-season grazed and dry-season grazed) on vernal-pool plant and aquatic faunal diversity in the Central Valley of California. After 3 years of treatment, ungrazed pools had 88% higher cover of exotic annual grasses and 47% lower relative cover of native species than pools grazed at historical levels (continuously grazed). Species richness of native plants declined by 25% and aquatic invertebrate richness was 28% lower in the ungrazed compared with the continuously grazed treatments. Release from grazing reduced pool inundation period by 50 to 80%, making it difficult for some vernal-pool endemic species to complete their life cycle. My results show that one should not assume livestock and ranching operations are necessarily damaging to native communities. In my central California study site, grazing helped maintain native plant and aquatic diversity in vernal pools.
Microbial- and thiosulfate-mediated dissolution of mercury sulfide minerals and transformation to gaseous mercury

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic heavy metal that poses significant environmental and human health risks. Soils and sediments, where Hg can exist as the Hg sulfide mineral metacinnabar (β-HgS), represent major Hg reservoirs in aquatic environments. Metacinnabar has historically been considered a sink for Hg in all but severely acidic environments, and thus disregarded as a potential source of Hg back to aqueous or gaseous pools. Here, we conducted a combination of field and laboratory incubations to identify the potential for metacinnabar as a source of dissolved Hg within near neutral pH environments and the underpinning (a)biotic mechanisms at play. We show that the abundant and widespread sulfur-oxidizing bacteria of the genus Thiobacillus extensively colonized metacinnabar chips incubated within aerobic, near neutral pH creek sediments. Laboratory incubations of axenic Thiobacillus thioparus cultures led to the release of metacinnabar-hosted Hg(II) and subsequent volatilization to Hg(0). This dissolution and volatilization was greatly enhanced in the presence of thiosulfate, which served a dual role by enhancing HgS dissolution through Hg complexation and providing an additional metabolic substrate for Thiobacillus. These findings reveal a new coupled abiotic-biotic pathway for the transformation of metacinnabar-bound Hg(II) to Hg(0), while expanding the sulfide substrates available for neutrophilic chemosynthetic bacteria to Hg-laden sulfides. They also point to mineral-hosted Hg as an underappreciated source of gaseous elemental Hg to the environment.
Temperature dependence of the Hall angle in a correlated three-dimensional metal

The Hall coefficient, RH , of the Mott-Hubbard system vanadium sesquioxide has a strong temperature dependence in the barely delocalized metal. As in the case of the cuprate superconductors, we find that the resistivity and the Hall angle of V22yO3 follow different power laws in temperature, implying different longitudinal and transverse scattering mechanisms. Far from half-filling, only one transport scattering rate is needed to describe the data, at which point the temperature dependence of RH disappears. @S0163-1829~98!51922-4# The peculiar temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient in the superconducting cuprates is a striking manifestation of their unconventional normal-state properties. With the magnetic field applied perpendicular to the CuO 2 planes, the Hall coefficient rapidly increases with decreasing temperature, peaking just above the superconducting transition temperature. In studies of Zn-doped 1 and oxygen-reduced 2 YBa2Cu3O72d, Ong and co-workers have demonstrated that parametrization of the data in terms of the Hall angle, u H 5tan 21 (sxy /sxx), reveals two separate relaxation rates for carrier motion. Whereas the planar resistivity varies linearly with T, cot uH;T 2 , implying different longitudinal and transverse ~‘‘Hall’’ ! scattering mechanisms. These experimental results have then been cited as evidence for Anderson’s theoretical picture 3 of the decoupling of spin and charge in a highly correlated, two-dimensional system. We find in the three-dimensional correlated metal, V22yO3, a remarkably similar experimental situation. Vanadium sesquioxide has served as the prototype for the MottHubbard metal-insulator transition, with coincident electronic, magnetic, and structural phase transitions. 4,5 With the magnetic field applied along any arbitrary direction, the Hall coefficient rapidly increases with decreasing temperature in
Binding of multivalent ligands to mobile receptors in membranes.

We present a model to describe the equilibrium binding properties for the attachment of multivalent ligands to mobile receptors in membranes. The interaction is assumed to be governed by two inherently different association constants. The first of these controls the initial attachment of a ligand to its first receptor, by adsorption from bulk solution, while the second governs subsequent receptor attachments to this initially bound ligand by rearrangement of membrane-bound species. Simple statistical mechanical expressions are used to estimate contributions to these association constants that are attributable to losses of translational and rotational degrees of freedom occurring upon binding. Suitable combinatorial expressions are combined with these association constants to derive the concentrations of bound species and the binding isotherms. Examination of these expressions leads to the conclusion that once initially bound, most multivalent ligands will be completely saturated by receptors and that partially bound species will be essentially nonexistent. This behavior is attributable to the generally high overall affinities of these ligands and to the mobility of the membrane-bound species. Some specific comments are made, in light of this theory, about the binding of cholera toxin to its membrane receptor, the ganglioside GM1.
Generalized Baumslag-Solitar Graphs with Soluble Fundamental Groups

It is shown that the generalized Baumslag-Solitar graphs which have soluble fundamental groups can be constructed from four simple types of graph by a process of decoration. The method of proof is elementary and employs the operations of pinching and contracting edges of graphs.
Value of ultrasound for identification of acute hemorrhagic necrosis of thalamus and basal ganglia in an asphyxiated term infant

An infant with profound intrapartum and postpartum asphyxia demonstrated striking bilateral echodensities in the region of the thalamus and basal ganglia on ultrasound scan. Neuropathological examination confirmed the presence of symmetrical areas of hemorrhagic necrosis involving the thalamus, caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus. The findings demonstrate the value of ultrasonography in the identification of this variety of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic injury.
The “Model Minority” Victim: Immigration, Gender, and Asian American Vulnerabilities to Violence at School

Although previous research has demonstrated that immigration and gender may be related to victimization within U.S. schools, this study explores how immigration and gender are related to the victimization of Asian American youth within U.S. schools. Multilevel analyses that draw from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 suggest some important results. For instance, Asian American immigrant youth generally have an increased likelihood of being victimized at school. The results also suggest that Asian American immigrant girls are relatively more likely to endure school victimization. The implications of Asian American immigrant youths’ increased vulnerabilities to violence at school are discussed.
Pensions and Retirement: Evidence from Union Army Veterans

I investigate the factors that fostered rising retirement rates prior to social security and most private-sector pensions by estimating the income effect of the first major pension program in the United Sates, that covering Union Army veterans. The elasticity of nonparticipation with respect to Union Army pension income was 0.73. The findings suggest that secularly rising income explains a substantial part of increased retirement rates. Comparisons with elasticities of nonparticipation with respect to social security income suggest that the elasticity of labor force nonparticipation may have decreased with time, perhaps because of the increasing attractiveness of leisure.
Image matching in large scale indoor environment

In this paper, we propose a data driven approach to first-person vision. We propose a novel image matching algorithm, named Re-Search, that is designed to cope with self-repetitive structures and confusing patterns in the indoor environment. This algorithm uses state-of-art image search techniques, and it matches a query image with a two-pass strategy. In the first pass, a conventional image search algorithm is used to search for a small number of images that are most similar to the query image. In the second pass, the retrieval results from the first step are used to discover features that are more distinctive in the local context. We demonstrate and evaluate the Re-Search algorithm in the context of indoor localization, with the illustration of potential applications in object pop-out and data-driven zoom-in.
Sources and transport of the Deep Western Boundary Current East of the Kerguelen Plateau

East of the Kerguelen Plateau, a deep western boundary current in the Australian-Antarctic Basin brings cold dense waters north from the margins of Antarctica. Geostrophic velocities referenced to acoustic Doppler cur- rent proler data, both shipboard and lowered, suggest the flow is unidirectional throughout the water column with es- timated northwestward transport below potential temper- ature 1 Co f 28 7x1 0 6 m 3 s 1 and 49 9x1 0 6 m 3 s 1 , respectively. Hydrographic and acoustic Doppler current proler data show that the deep boundary current is sup- plied by northward flow emerging from the confluence of westward flow along the Antarctic continental slope and eastward flow of Weddell Basin waters through the Princess Elizabeth Trough to the south of the Kerguelen Plateau. 1.0 to 0.5 -0.2 1.1 3.1 -4.61.7 -8.42.5 0.5 to 0.0 -2.0 0.3 3.2 -8.41.9 -14.52.3 0.0 to -0.5 -8.1 -3.6 1.4 -15.03.2 -26.04.4 1.0 to -0.5 -10.3 -2.2 7.7 -28.06.7 -48.99.4
Mechanical Stability of Polystyrene and Janus Particle Monolayers at the Air/Water Interface.

The compressional instability of particle-laden air/water interfaces is investigated with plain and surface-anisotropic (Janus) particles. We hypothesize that the amphiphilic nature of Janus particles leads to both anisotropic particle–particle and particle–interface interactions that can yield particle films with unique collapse mechanisms. Analysis of Langmuir isotherms and microstructural characterization of the homogeneous polystyrene particle films during compression reveal an interfacial buckling instability followed by folding, which is in good agreement with predictions from classical elasticity theory. In contrast, Janus particle films exhibit a different behavior during compression, where the collapse mode occurs through the subduction of the Janus particle film. Our results suggest that particle-laden films comprised of surface-anisotropic particles can be engineered to evolve new material properties.
Effect of arterial compliance on carotid sinus baroreceptor reflex control of the circulation.

Capacitive properties of the arterial and venous segments of the peripheral circulation are important in the regulation of cardiac output and arterial blood pressure. We examined whether an acute increase in arterial compliance C(a) would alter carotid sinus baroreflex control of the circulation. Eight mongrel dogs were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, and the carotid sinus regions were isolated and perfused with nonpulsatile pressures. Open-loop baroreflex response curves for systemic arterial pressure (SAP), heart rate (HR), aortic blood flow (ABF), peripheral vascular resistance (PVR), and left ventricular (LV) contractility were obtained when carotid sinus pressure (CSP) was changed in 25-mmHg steps between 50 and 200 mmHg under a control condition and when C(a) was increased by including two hydraulic compliant chambers to the arterial circulation (CS 1.72 ml/mmHg and CL 5.05 ml/mmHg). The compliant chambers significantly increased C(a) and altered the ratio of arterial to venous compliance C(a)/Cv). Changes in C(a)/Cv significantly decreased the maximal open-loop baroreflex gain (Gmax) for SAP (-2.3 +/- 0.5, -1.6 +/- 0.3, and -1.1 +/- 0.2 mmHg/mmHg, control vs. CS vs. CL, P 0.05). These findings indicate that an increase in C(a) changes C(a)/Cv and alters carotid baroreflex control of SAP by modifying the ABF response. We conclude that a change in C(a)/Cv affects the reflex control of the circulation by altering the distribution of blood volume between the arterial and venous circulations.
The unpredictability of prolonged activation of stress response pathways

In response to stress, cellular compartments activate signaling pathways that mediate transcriptional programs to promote survival and reestablish homeostasis. Manipulation of the magnitude and duration of the activation of stress responses has been proposed as a strategy to prevent or repair the damage associated with aging or degenerative diseases. However, as these pathways likely evolved to respond specifically to transient perturbations, the unpredictability of prolonged activation should be considered.
Book Review of Emerson and Thoreau, or Steps Beyond Ourselves // Reseña de Emerson and Thoreau, or Steps Beyond Ourselves

This is a review of Dieter Schulz's essay collection: Emerson and Thoreau, or Steps Beyond Ourselves (Mattes Verlag 2012).
Second and Third Divorces:: The Flood to Come

If we consider existing statistical evidence it seems most likely, unless there are some radical changes in our society, that there will be an increasing flood of individuals who go through a second or third divorce. This flood may have actually started in 1986 and seems likely to go on at least through the first decade of the twenty-first century. In the past a second or thir divorce indicated that the individual had personality difficulties. In the future when this behavior ganes greater acceptance it seems likely that a second or third divorce will not have such import. This behavior, despite the fact that it is becoming quite common, has been little studied either by mental health professionals or by sociologists.
Relative in vitro Activities of Intestinal Glucose Uptake and Monophosphate Esterases.

ConclusionThe dissimilarity of the glucose absorption rate and concentration of monophosphoesterase along the rat small intestine indicates that no direct relationship exists. This would tend to support the finding of Crane and Krane in regard to the phosphorylation of glucose in its absorption and subsequent transport by the intestinal mucosa.
A Proof of the Newton-Cotes Quadrature Formulas with Error Term

(1970). A Proof of the Newton-Cotes Quadrature Formulas with Error Term. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 77, No. 10, pp. 1065-1072.
Research progress on antioxidative bioactivities of proanthocyanidins

The structure,chemical characteristic and antioxidative mechanism of proanthocyanidin were introduced in this paper. At the same time,the studies were reviewed on antioxidative bioactivities of proanthocyanidins,including prevention of cardiovascular disease and protection of liver,anti-tumor effect,anti-allergy effect,anti-inflammatory effect and anti-radiation effect. It is an important reference for the deep research and development of proanthocyanidin in the fields of the functional foods,medicines and cosmetics.
Erythrokinetic studies in severe bone marrow failure of diverse etiology.

1. Erythropoiesis was studied in seven patients with refractory anemia. 2. In all seven patients the total red cell volume was low and the plasma volume elevated. 3. The serum iron was elevated and iron binding protein saturated in six of seven patients. 4. The T½ for clearance plasma Fe59 was decreased in one, normal in two, and increased in four patients. 5. The red cell iron turnover was decreased in six of seven patients. 6. Radioiron accumulated in liver and spleen. 7. Red cell life span was difficult to measure but probably shortened. 8. Androgen therapy in two cases was ineffective, and was associated with a slight effect in one patient.
Fast Online Training of L1 Support Vector Machines

FAST ONLINE TRAINING OF L1 SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES By Gabriella Melki A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016. Directors: Vojislav Kecman, Alberto Cano Department of Computer Science This thesis proposes a novel experimental environment (non-linear stochastic gradient descent, NL-SGD), as well as a novel online learning algorithm (OL SVM), for solving a classic nonlinear Soft Margin L1 Support Vector Machine (SVM) problem using a Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) algorithm. The NL-SGD implementation has a unique method of random sampling and alpha calculations. The developed code produces a competitive accuracy and speed in comparison with the solutions of the Direct L2 SVM obtained by software for Minimal Norm SVM (MN-SVM) and Non-Negative Iterative Single Data Algorithm (NN-ISDA). The latter two algorithms have shown excellent performances on large datasets; which is why we chose to compare NL-SGD and OL SVM to them. All experiments have been done under strict double (nested) cross-validation, and the results are reported in terms of accuracy and CPU times. OL SVM has been implemented within MATLAB and is compared to the classic Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO) algorithm implemented within MATLAB’s solver, fitcsvm. The experiments with OL SVM have been done using k-fold cross-validation and the results reported in % error and % speedup of CPU Time. viii
Achieving fertility control through woman's autonomy and access to maternal healthcare: Are we on track? In-depth analysis of PDHS-2012-13.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Fertility control preferences and maternal healthcare have recently become a major concern for developing nations with evidence suggesting that low fertility control rates and poor maternal healthcare are among major obstructions in ensuring health and social status for women. Our objective was toanalyze the factors that influence women's autonomy, access to maternal healthcare, and fertility control preferences in Pakistan. METHODS Data consisted of 11,761 ever-married women of ages 15-49 years from PDHS, 2012-13. Variables included socio-demographics, women's autonomy, fertility control preferences and access to maternal healthcare. RESULTS Findings from multivariate analysis showed that women's younger age, having less than three number of children and independent or joint decision-making (indicators of high autonomy) remained the most significant predictors for access to better quality maternal healthcare and better fertility control preferences when other variables were controlled. CONCLUSION Women's access to good quality maternal health care and fertility control preferences are directly and indirectly influenced by their demographic characteristics and decision-making patterns in domestic affairs.
Manifest Destiny and the Growth of America: Cheap Energy and Spending Natural Capital

Manifest Destiny is the sine qua non of American history. At one time almost every American child was toilet trained on this idea of inevitable expansion of European settlement to blanket the continent. In 1833, the author Horace Greeley is reputed to have said “Go west young man.” He expressed the widespread feeling at the time that America was a land of limitless possibilities, that if a person worked hard, especially on the fertile lands of the west (referring to the land of the Ohio Valley and the Midwest) he or she could succeed and prosper.
Boris Yeltsin. The Decade that Shook the World

Boris Minaev’s recent biography of Boris Yel’tsin adds to a vast literature over the last two decades dedicated to the first President of Russia. First published in Russian in 2010, the book builds...
Strategies to Improve NCLEX-RN Success: A Review

Abstract Successful completion of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is important to both new graduate nurses and schools of nursing (SONs); therefore, it is crucial for nursing faculty to prepare students to pass this examination. This article reports results of a literature review aiming to identify effective approaches to strengthen NCLEX-RN success for prelicensure nursing students. SONs have worked to improve student critical thinking, test-taking skills, and psychosocial well-being. SON should consider multifaceted approaches to help students find success on the NCLEX-RN.
Two New Species of Polygala (Polygalaceae) from Western Mexico

Abstract: Two new species of Polygala subgenus Polygala (Polygalaceae) are described from western Mexico. Polygala mcvaughii is related to P. subalata, from which it differs by its shorter, broader racemes, longer pedicels, and always annual habit, and to P. conferta, differing from that species by its larger seeds and larger, usually ± non-stipitate fruits. It is known from 1200–2250 m in Michoacan, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, and extreme southern Zacatecas. Polygala tellezii belongs to a group of species in which a reduced or no aril and short seed hairs are the norm, and in which a vegetative vestiture of minute capitate hairs is common. This new species is in some ways morphologically most similar to the South American P. exigua, but it is perhaps most closely related to the sympatric P. glochidiata, from which it differs in its entirely alternate leaves and non-uncinate seed hairs. Polygala tellezii is known only from three localities in lowland savannas in southern Nayarit.
HealthyhornsTXT: A Text-Messaging Program to Promote College Student Health and Wellness.

Objective: Text-messaging interventions positively affect health behaviors, but their use on college campuses has been limited. Text messaging serves as a relatively affordable way to communicate w...
The past is prologue: Language policy and nativism in new immigrant contexts

This article examines reactions to the changing linguistic ecology in the U.S. state of Iowa, which is experiencing a demographic phenomenon often referred to as the New Latino Diaspora (NLD) (Hamann et al., 2002). We first examine the historical processes and social structures that link current language policy initiatives within Iowa to local and national nativism. We then analyze public policies and texts to reveal how language ideologies circulate across diverse texts and contexts, forming discourses that shape the experiences of Latin@s in Iowa
Removal of tritium from TFTR

Operation of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) with a mixture of deuterium and tritium fueling has permitted the opportunity to measure the retention of tritium in the graphite limiter and other internal hardware. The use of discharge cleaning techniques and venting to remove the tritium was investigated. The tritium was introduced into TFTR by neutral beam injection and by gas puffing. The graphite limiter is subject to erosion and codeposition. While short term retention was high, the retention averaged over the 1993-1995 D-T campaign was 52% {+-} 15%. The tritium removal techniques resulted in lowering the in-vessel inventory from 16.4 kCi at the end of 1995 operation to 7.2 kCi at the start of the 1996 experimental program. 14 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.
Heterogeneous I/O Contention in a Single-Bus Multiprocessor

In this article we describe an approach to measuring the performance degradation produced by contention for a single I/O bus by accesses to multiple heterogeneous I/O device types on a multiprocessor system. By heterogeneous we mean device types that have widely different characteristics, such as video, network, and disk devices, as opposed to systems with multiple devices of the same type, such as multiple disks, which we will call homogeneous. We use a correlation analysis to characterize the contention and then quantify the loss in performance by approximating the overhead time of contention using actual trace data.
A High Temporal and Spatial Resolution Electron Density Diagnostic Based on Stark Broadening

Passive spectroscopic measurements of Stark broadening have been reliably used to determine electron density for decades. However, a low-density limit (~1013 cm−3) exists due to Doppler and instrument broadening of the spectral line profile. A synthetic diagnostic for measuring electron density capable of high temporal (ms) and spatial (mm) resolution is currently under development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The diagnostic is based on measuring the Stark broadened, Doppler-free, spectral line profile of a Balmar series transition using an active laser based technique. The diagnostic approach outlined here greatly reduces both of these broadening contributions using Doppler-free saturation spectroscopy (DFSS), allowing access to lower density regimes than previously realized.
Electrochemical Effects of Depositing Iridium Oxide Nanoparticles onto Conductive Woven and Nonwoven Flexible Substrates

This Article reports methods to deposit iridium oxide nanoparticles (IrOx NPs) onto flexible materials for charge storage and the stable charge–discharge mechanism. In this work, IrOx NPs were elec...
A rapid method to determine the bactericidal activity of compounds against non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis at low pH

Abstract There is an urgent need for new anti-tubercular agents which can lead to a shortened treatment time by targeting persistent or non-replicating bacilli. In order to assess compound activity against non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we developed a method to detect the bactericidal activity of novel compounds within 7 days. Our method uses incubation at low pH in order to induce a non-replicating state. We used a strain of M. tuberculosis expressing luciferase; we first confirmed the linear relationship between luminescence and viable bacteria (determined by colony forming units) under our assay conditions. We optimized the assay parameters in 96-well plates in order to achieve a reproducible assay. Our final assay used M. tuberculosis in phosphate-citrate buffer, pH 4.5 exposed to compounds for 7 days; viable bacteria were determined by luminescence. We recorded the minimum bactericidal concentration at pH 4.5 (MBC4.5) representing >2 logs of kill. We confirmed the utility of the assay with control compounds. The ionophores monensin, niclosamide, and carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone and the anit-tubercular drugs pretomanid and rifampicin were active, while several other drugs such as isoniazid, ethambutol, and linezolid were not.
Antimicrobial prophylaxis for urinary tract infections: implications for adherence assessment.

Summary Background Continuous antimicrobial prophylaxis (prophylaxis) is associated with a reduction in recurrent urinary tract infections in children with vesicoureteral reflux. However, adherence to daily medications has been shown to be poor. Objective To determine patient/caregiver factors associated with non-adherence and to determine whether adherence alters the effect of prophylaxis on recurrent UTIs and renal scarring. Study design We conducted a secondary analysis of the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux trial. We stratified adherence scores into quartiles to assess trends within the data. We assessed predictors of non-adherence using ordinal logistic regression. We then examined the efficacy of prophylaxis stratified by adherence quartiles. Results Six hundred patients were included in the analysis. The quartiles of adherence were as follows: 1st quartile—0–70% adherence; 2nd quartile—71–91% adherence; 3rd quartile—92–96% adherence; and 4th quartile—>96% adherence. Neither demographic factors nor disease severity was associated with non-adherence. In the subanalysis of patients who were toilet trained at baseline, increasing bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) symptom score was associated with non-adherence (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–1.2). Patients least adherent were 2.5 times more likely (95%CI 1.1–5.6) to have a recurrent UTI compared with patients most adherent. After controlling for treatment arm, age, sex, degree of reflux, BBD, and number of UTIs, patients least adherent (taking the study medication less than Conclusions Adherence is distinctly related to clinical outcomes in children with VUR. Non-adherence is common and represents a distinct clinical entity that is associated with renal scarring. Adherence should be assessed in prophylaxis management algorithms. Download : Download high-res image (123KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary Figure . Adjusteda predicted probabilities for recurrent UTIs and renal scarring stratified by adherence quartileb. a Models adjusted for: age, sex, reflux status, BBD status, and number of prior UTIs. b Adherence quartiles: 1st quartile—0–70% adherence; 2nd quartile—71–91% adherence; 3rd quartile—92–96% adherence; 4th quartile—>96% adherence. BBD, bladder and bowel dysfunction.
Issue ownership cues and candidate support

Issue ownership theory suggests that candidates should focus on the issues that are owned by—or associated with—their parties and mostly avoid issues that are owned by the opposing party. Doing so ...
What Kinds of Departments Promote Undergraduate Research in Political Science

In this paper, I examine the factors that are associated with the adoption of a formalized undergraduate research program in political science. What kinds of institutions and departments are more o...
Measuring the Quantity and Quality of Explicit Instructional Interactions in an Empirically Validated Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention

Instructional interactions that occur between teachers and students around foundational mathematics topics are critical for supporting mathematical proficiency among students with mathematics learn...
The great decline in adolescent cigarette smoking since 2000: consequences for drug use among US adolescents

Objective Adolescent cigarette smoking declined steadily and substantially from 2000 to 2018. This paper considers the potential consequences of this ‘great decline’ for the prevalence of other drug use among adolescents. Methods Data are annual, cross-sectional, nationally representative Monitoring the Future surveys of more than 1.2 million US students in 12th, 10th and 8th grades from 2000 to 2018. Analyses include trends in the past 12 months’ non-medical amphetamine, tranquillisers and opioid use overall, among ever and never cigarette smokers, and projected if adolescent cigarette smoking levels had remained at 2000 levels. Results Within groups of ever and never cigarette smokers, the prevalence for each of the three substances has either changed little or overall increased in 2018 as compared with 2000. When the two groups were combined into one pool, the overall prevalence for each of the drugs declined by about half. The decline resulted from the growing group of never smokers, whose levels of non-medical drug use over the study period were at least four times lower than the levels of ever smokers. Conclusions The results support the ‘gateway’ prediction that declines in cigarette smoking among adolescents pull downward their non-medical use of amphetamines, tranquillisers and opioids. Continuing to reduce adolescent smoking through policy and programmatic prevention efforts should have further positive spillover effects on adolescent drug use.
Suture Tape Augmentation for Scapholunate Ligament Repair: A Biomechanical Study

Purpose Scapholunate (SL) ligament tears in the acute setting can be treated by primary repair through various techniques. The purpose of this study was to compare repair of the SL ligament with suture anchors alone versus repair of the SL ligament augmented with suture tape. Methods Twelve fresh-frozen cadavers (6 matched pairs) underwent a dorsal approach to the wrist and the SL ligament was sharply dissected off of its scaphoid attachment. Six cadavers underwent direct repair of the SL ligament using 2 suture anchors. The other 6 underwent repair of the SL ligament, which was then augmented with suture tape. All specimens then underwent load to failure testing using tensile distraction forces applied by a universal testing system. Maximum load to failure and mode of failure were recorded. Results Maximum load to failure (135 N; SD, 44.94 N) for specimens that were repaired and augmented with the internal brace was higher than that for specimens in the repair-only group (68 N; SD, 14.69 N). Conclusions Biomechanical testing demonstrated a higher maximum load to failure in SL ligament repairs augmented with suture tape compared with a repair-only technique in this cadaveric model. Clinical relevance Acute SL ligament injuries may benefit from suture tape augmentation by increasing the stability of the primary repair. This may prove to be beneficial in higher-demand patients.
Effect of birdsfoot trefoil cultivars on exsheathment of Haemonchus contortus in fistulated sheep

Abstract Proanthocyanidin (PAC, condensed tannin) containing forages have well-documented anti-parasitic effects against gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of small ruminants. Although extensive research has been conducted on the inhibition of exsheathment of the L3 stage of Haemonchus contortus by in vitro exposure to the extracts of PAC containing plants, only one study has previously attempted to replicate this process in vivo and it was found that consumption of fresh sainfoin slowed the exsheathment rate. No similar studies have explored the effect of feeding condensed tannin forages in the form of hay on in vivo exsheathment of GIN. Another PAC containing forage, birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus, BFT), has a large area of adaptation globally and feeding BFT has been shown to reduce fecal egg counts and total worm burdens. However, its effect on the in vivo exsheathment of H. contortus in the rumen is unknown. Recent work from this laboratory showed that BFT populations differ in the ability of aqueous extracts of freeze-dried plants to reduce exsheathment of H. contortus in vitro, and that the reduced exsheathment caused by BFT populations did not directly correlate with PAC content. Therefore, the objective of this study was twofold: 1) to evaluate the ability of birdsfoot trefoil hay to impair ruminal exsheathment of H. contortus in vivo and 2) to measure the difference in exsheathment between three commercially available cultivars of birdsfoot trefoil representing a broad range of in vitro efficacy against H. contortus. Four rumen fistulated ewes were fed three cultivars of birdsfoot trefoil (cv. Bruce, Empire, and Pardee) hay or a control hay (alfalfa/grass hay) in a Latin 4 × 4 design. The effect of consumption of birdsfoot trefoil on the exsheathment of H. contortus larvae in vivo was evaluated. For each exsheathment test, two capsules with 2000 ensheathed third-stage larvae per capsule were placed in the rumen of each ewe for eight hours. Larval containment capsules were made by capping each end of a short piece of Tygon® tubing (ID 9.5 mm, OD 14.3 mm) with an 8 μm NuncTM Cell Culture Insert. Larval exsheathment and motility were examined pre and post rumen exposure. Three exsheathment tests were run per diet cycle. Consumption of BFT hay did not significantly alter larval exsheathment. These results highlight the importance of further in vivo testing on the role of condensed tannins and other plant secondary compounds on larval exsheathment in the rumen.
Prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms in older adults with cancer.

Abstract Introduction Older adults with cancer are at risk of developing depressive symptoms. However, little is known about the prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms in older adults with cancer. Materials and methods This study examined the prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms among older adults with cancer in the United States using the data from the 2012 and 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. This analysis included 1799 older adults aged 65 and over with a self-reported diagnosis of cancer. Multivariate regression analysis was used to examine the predictors of depressive symptoms. The main predictors included age, gender, race, education, marital status, chronic conditions, and functional limitations. Results Results revealed that the prevalence of depressive symptoms in older adults with cancer was 14.9%. Results of Poisson regression revealed that greater age, belonging to a race other than White or African American, not being married, presence of more chronic conditions, and higher levels of functional limitations were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Discussion The prevalence of depressive symptoms is high in older adults with cancer and several factors predict depressive symptoms in this population. Individuals who are at high risk of developing depressive symptoms should be identified and appropriate timely interventions should be initiated to reduce the rates of depressive symptoms in older adults with cancer.