cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting average growth and size distributions of Douglas-fir saplings competing with sprout clumps of tanoak or Pacific madrone

The average growth and size distributions of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) saplings in three plantations were studied for 7 years (1983–1989) after thinning of associated sprout clumps of tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) or Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii); in some cases understory vegetation (shrubs and herbs) was experimentally suppressed. Biologically based nonlinear equations explained 66, 90, and 53% of the variation in the average annual increment of Douglas-fir height, diameter-squared, and cover, respectively. Equations for annual increment of cover of hardwood and understory vegetation explained only 10 to 12% of the variation, because these parameters exhibited a high degree of variability. Model simulations demonstrated that, for the same initial levels of cover, tanoak had faster rates of cover growth than madrone and also caused greater limitations in growth of Douglas-fir. Suppression of understory vegetation increased growth of Douglas-fir only when hardwood cover was absent. Weibull functions adequately described size distributions for Douglas-fir in 92% of the individual-tree data sets. Regression functions of hardwood cover and average Douglas-fir size explained 51, 93, and 24% of the variation in the Weibull A, B, and C parameters, respectively. Model simulations with predicted Weibull parameters demonstrated that hardwood competition caused a positive skewing in size distributions for height and stem diameter of Douglas-fir.
Social vs natural science

I largely agree with Clifford Geertz ( Science 's Compass, Books et al. , 6 Jul., p. 53) and the main point of the work he discusses, Making Social Science Matter ([1][1])—that social research can make good use of a “phronetic” approach, that is, qualitative and judgmental, as distinct from mere imitation of the “hard” sciences. This argument has been a major theme of European philosophy for the better part of the last century, its most powerful modern exponent being H. G. Gadamer ([2][2]). I have, however, one objection: the pervasive use of the phrase “view from nowhere” in characterizing natural science. To advance or correct the social sciences, we need not diminish or distort, even subtly, the approach of the natural sciences, and that is what this catchy phrase often does. But when Thomas Nagel introduced it in his thoughtful book of that title, he was speaking mainly about objectivity and subjectivity in philosophy, and the phrase was intended as purely descriptive ([3][3]). Yet it seems to me that, in science, even as description the phrase is surely misleading. If catchy phrases we must have, then I suggest an alternative: let it be the “view from everywhere,” reflecting more nearly what the natural sciences do. There is a big difference between “no reference frame” and “invariance” under specified transformations of reference frames or standpoints. I am pointing here not only to the well-known invariances of physics under coordinate transformations but, far more generally, to “transformations” or interchanges of investigators, cultures, and experimental equipment, and to the practice of acquiring many “profiles” of the same phenomenon. David Bohm, among others, has expounded this idea, including the role of dialectics or hermeneutics in it ([4][4]). And I have tried to apply it in some detail to the history of solar neutrino research ([5][5]). 1. [↵][6]1. B. Flyvbjerg , Making Social Science Matter (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 2001). 2. [↵][7]1. H. G. Gadamer , Truth and Method (Crossroads, New York, 1984). 3. [↵][8]1. T. Nagel , The View from Nowhere (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 1986). 4. [↵][9]1. D. Bohm , The Special Theory of Relativity, Appendix (W. A. Benjamin, New York, 1965). 5. [↵][10]1. M. Eger , Man World 30, 85 (1997). [OpenUrl][11] [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #ref-4 [5]: #ref-5 [6]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [7]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [8]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text" [9]: #xref-ref-4-1 "View reference 4 in text" [10]: #xref-ref-5-1 "View reference 5 in text" [11]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DMan%2BWorld%26rft.volume%253D30%26rft.spage%253D85%26rft.atitle%253DMAN%2BWORLD%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
Editorial: Is the dollar 'Too Big to Fail'?

On November 12, 2009, ahead of US President Barak Obama’s first trip to Asia, the People’s Bank of China announced that it would consider future discussions over de-linking the Chinese renmimbi (usually graded in 10 unit amounts, called yuan) from the US dollar. Reinforcing the overall level of concern, several days later the chairman of the Chinese Banking Regulatory Commission, Liu Mingkang, stated that a weak dollar threatened a global economic recovery, encouraging asset bubbles in emerging economies and threatening another round of speculative investment, this time more evenly placed across the globe—giving voice to long running Chinese suspicions that the weak dollar is as much the result of US policy as it is the whims of the global markets or the long-term dynamics of shifts in global production structures. Commissioner Liu is likely wrong—though not in his assessment of the impact of the weak dollar. There he is likely right on the money, so to speak. Where he is mistaken is in his assessment that the United States has a weak dollar policy. In fact, current statements on the importance of a strong dollar by US Treasury Secretary Rubin aside, there would seem to be no US policy on the dollar. This ought to frighten the Chinese and everyone else a good deal more than the weak dollar. The last time the United States had a coordinated approach to international valuations of its own currency that was tied to its domestic lending action was in 1985, when Reagan’s Treasury Secretary James Baker 3rd crafted the Plaza Accord in conjunction with economic leaders from Europe and Japan. The Accord was meant to cartelize international currency valuation through a planned series of cuts in the US Federal domestic lending rate, timed to coincide with similar monetary policies in Germany and Japan, that would result in a gradual devaluation of the dollar against world currencies (especially the German Mark and the Japanese Yen). This was presented as being necessary to expand the money supply in the United
Nitric oxide products degrade chondroitin sulfates.

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent endogenous vasodilator that is elevated in response to inflammation. Inflammation also produces high levels of superoxide, which combines with NO to produce peroxynitrite (PN). We have previously reported that NO degrades heparin and heparan sulfate under acidic conditions and that PN degrades hyaluronan (HA) at neutral pH. Heparin and HA are glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) widely distributed in the extracellular matrix of tissues. Disruption of intestinal GAGs, particularly the chondroitin sulfates, were linked to inflammatory bowel diseases. Chondroitin sulfate A (CSA), chondroitin sulfate B (CSB), and chondroitin sulfate C (CSC) are constituents of the basement membranes of many tissues, including the intestine. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the NO donor S- nitroso- N- acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and PN can degrade chondroitin sulfates in vitro. The NO donor SNAP (2 mM, pH 4.0) or PN (5 mM, pH 7.4) was incubated for at least 1 week at 37°C with CSA, CSB, or CSC. Breakdown of CSA, CSB, and CSC was assessed by gel filtration chromatography and compared with untreated controls. Percentage degradation was calculated based on the change in peak height compared to the control. SNAP treatment partially degraded CSB and CSC, whereas PN partially degraded all three chondroitin sulfates. Nitric oxide mediated degradation of GAGs, and particularly chondroitin sulfates, may be an important pathway of inflammatory tissue damage.
High-power 60 GHz monolithic GaAs impatt diodes

Monolithic GaAs impatt diodes were developed as CW power sources at 60 GHz using double-drift flat-profile structures prepared by MBE. Two mesa-type diodes were employed to excite a microstrip resonator produced on the same chip as the diodes. The oscillation frequency was determined by the microstrip dimensions and the diode locations rather than by external circuitry 1.2 W was obtained at 60 GHz with 8.5% efficiency, and a maximum efficiency of 10% was obtained at 58.5 GHz with 1.1 W output power without the use of diamond heat sinks.
Fabrication of block copolymer monolayers by adsorption from supercritical fluids: a versatile concept for modification and functionalization of polymer surfaces.

We describe a generic method for polymer surface modification and functionalization that is applicable for substrates of arbitrary shape. The method involves the deposition of monolayer and submonolayer films of photoactive block copolymers from supercritical fluids. Poly(styrene-b-tert-butyl acrylate), poly(S-b-tBA), block copolymer monolayers form spontaneously on polystyrene substrates by adsorption from scCO2 when hexane is used as a cosolvent. Atomic force microscopy indicates the films are flat and without pores after modification. Ethylene glycol contact angles increase linearly with deposition pressure until a constant value, equal to that of pure PtBA, is attained at pressures of 18 MPa or greater at 40 °C. This trend mimics the change in block copolymer solubility with pressure and indicates that the block copolymer self-assembles and orders at the surface, presenting a PtBA layer at the air interface with the PS block orienting toward the PS substrate. The PtBA layer thickness, determined by an...
Anesthetic effects and elimination of tricaine methanesulphonate (MS-222) in terrestial vertebrates

Abstract 1. Tricaine methanesulphonate is an effective ip anesthetic in a variety of terrestial poikilotherms. It is not a practical ip anesthetic in mammals or birds because of its extremely rapid metabolism in warm-blooded animals. 2. The anesthetic doses were similar in all poikilothermic species (150–250 mg/kg), however, mammals required at least a 6 fold increase in dose to produce a transient loss of the righting reflex. 3. The whole body concentrations of tricaine associated with return of the righting reflex were of the same order of magnitude in both warm- and cold-blooded vertebrates. 4. In 4 of 6 species tested, 90% or more of the eliminated tricaine was accounted for as MABA or its carboxylic conjugates.
Evaluation of lens heating effect in high transmission NTD processes at the 20nm technology node

The NTD (Negative Tone Developer) process has been embraced as a viable alternative to traditionally, more conventional, positive tone develop processes. Advanced technology nodes have necessitated the adopting of NTD processes to achieve such tight design specifications in critical dimensions. Dark field contact layers are prime candidates for NTD processing due to its high imaging contrast. However, reticles used in NTD processes are highly transparent. The transmission rate of those masks can be over 85%. Consequently, lens heating effects result in a non-trivial impact that can limit NTD usability in a high volume mass production environment. At the same time, Source Mask Optimized (SMO) freeform pupils have become popular. This can also result in untoward lens heating effects which are localized in the lens. This can result in a unique drift behavior with each Zernike throughout the exposing of wafers. In this paper, we present our experience and lessons learned from lens heating with NTD processes. The results of this study indicate that lens heating makes impact on drift behavior of each Zernike during exposure while source pupil shape make an impact on the amplitude of Zernike drift. Existing lens models should be finely tuned to establish the correct compensation for drift. Computational modeling for lens heating can be considered as one of these opportunities. Pattern shapes, such as dense and iso pattern, can have different drift behavior during lens heating.
Variables influencing career choices of graduates of informatics programs funded by the National Library of Medicine.

Graduates of the National Library of Medicine-supported Medical Informatics (MI) training programs were studied to determine the variables influencing their choices of an academic or nonacademic career. More than 60% of the available population of trainees (171 of 272) were studied in 1986 and four of the nine variables measured by means of a questionnaire were significant in differentiating the choices the students made. The training programs located in a private institution, with the majority of the faculty from the medical school and with a small number of trainees who already had the M.D. or Ph.D. degree, generated the highest proportion of graduates seeking academic careers. Discriminant analysis was done to determine whether a combination of variables would discriminate between those who chose academic careers and those who did not. It indicated that the status of the institution (public or private); the entry degree of the trainee; and the productivity of the training program faculty were sufficient to correctly classify 75.3% (67 of 89) of the students who chose academics and 71.9% (59 of 82) of those who did not. There is now a baseline of data that can be used in future studies.
Treatment of Pain in SAPHO (Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis, and Osteitis) Syndrome

SAPHO (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis) syndrome includes a variety of musculoskeletal disorders and associated skin conditions. Diagnosis can be difficult but should be considered in the differential in patients with lytic, sclerotic, or hyperostotic bone lesions and pain. Appropriate and prompt treatment, including use of nonsteroidal medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen, colchicine, corticosteroids, and bisphosphonates, and use of disease-modifying agents such as methotrexate, sulfasalazine and infliximab, can produce improvement of symptoms. Multidisciplinary care, including the disciplines of rheumatology and dermatology, should be considered.
Supramolecular Fluorophores for Biological Studies: Phenylene Vinylene-Amino Acid Amphiphiles

We report here on a family of self-assembling fluorescent organic amphiphiles with a biomolecular L-lysine hydrophile and a photonically active phenylene vinylene hydrophobe. Unlike conventional amphiphiles, these segmented dendrimers feature a rigid, branched hydrophobe, and have packing characteristics controlled by the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the hydrophobe and hydrophile. In dilute solution, the amphiphiles form supramolecular aggregates, which are easily taken in by cells through an endocytic pathway, and have no discernible effect on cell proliferation or morphology. An analogous pyrene-based amphiphile was cytotoxic, suggesting that cell survival may be linked either to the self-assembling nature of the amphiphiles, or to the specific properties of the phenylene vinylene segment. The combination of photonic and biological components in these amphiphiles provides great potential for applications in sensing or delivery of molecules to intracellular targets.
Tomographic image of the magma chamber at 12°50' N on the East Pacific Rise

THE East Pacific Rise at 12°50' N (Fig. 1) is a fast-spreading ridge with intense hydrothermal activity1, and ophiolite studies2and thermal modelling3 indicate that this is a likely setting for a magma chamber. A recent seismic-reflection experiment4 imaged the top of the magma chamber at this site, at a depth of 1.4 km below the sea floor, and found that it is continuous for tens of kilometres along the rise axis. Here we examine a large set of accurate P-wave travel times from a detailed seismic refraction experiment at the same site5. The patterns observed in the travel times demonstrate that a zone of low seismic velocities exists beneath the rise axis throughout the region studied. The best-fitting two-dimensional structure, obtained from linear inversion of the travel times, includes an axial low-velocity zone (magma chamber) only ∼6 km wide, in which velocities are depressed by more than 0.5 km s-1
Cystic parathyroid presenting as an apparent thyroid goiter

Parathyroid cysts are rare lesions that can present clinically as low neck masses. The clinical diagnosis of parathyroid cyst can be challenging and requires a high level of suspicion as it often mimics a thyroid nodule. The cyst occasionally can cause compressive symptoms such as dysphagia or dyspnea. When it occurs in the mediastinum, it can cause recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. In this report, we present a patient with a hyperfunctional parathyroid cyst in association with a papillary thyroid carcinoma. In addition, we briefly discuss the current literature on parathyroid cyst. This case is unusual in its clinical presentation in that the parathyroid cyst mimicked a thyroid goiter.
DLC1 induces expression of E-cadherin in prostate cancer cells through Rho pathway and suppresses invasion

E-cadherin is a cell-cell adhesion molecule that acts as a suppressor of cancer cell invasion and its expression is downregulated in many advanced, poorly differentiated, human cancers. In this study, we found that the expression of DLC1 (deleted in liver cancer 1) tumor-suppressor gene in metastatic prostate carcinoma (PCA) cells increased the expression of E-cadherin and resulted in an elevated rate of cell-cell aggregation as measured by aggregation assay. DLC1-mediated increase in E-cadherin expression was not dependent on α-catenin, a DLC1-binding protein associated with E-cadherin, and/or cellular density. The increase of E-cadherin expression occurred at mRNA level and relied on DLC1 RhoGAP function, leading to suppression of high level of RhoA-GTP and RhoC-GTP activity in metastatic PCA cells. Application of Rho/ROCK inhibitors produced the same effect as introduction of DLC1. Knocking down of RhoA produced a moderate increase in E-cadherin whereas knocking down of RhoC resulted in a significant increase of E-cadherin. Downregulation of E-cadherin caused by constitutively active RhoA(V14) and RhoC(V14) could not be reversed by expression of DLC1 in DLC1-negative cell line. DLC1-mediated suppression of metastatic PCA cells invasion was comparable with the one associated with ectopic E-cadherin expression, or caused by suppression of Rho pathway either by Rho/ROCK inhibitors, or by shRNA repression. This study demonstrates that DLC1 expression positively regulates E-cadherin and suppresses highly metastatic PCA cell invasion by modulating Rho pathway, which appears as a feasible therapeutic target in cancers with high activity of RhoGTPases.
Energetics of anhydrite, barite, celestine, and anglesite: a high-temperature and differential scanning calorimetry study

Abstract The thermochemistry of anhydrous sulfates (anglesite, anhydrite, arcanite, barite, celestine) was investigated by high-temperature oxide melt calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. Complete retention and uniform speciation of sulfur in the solvent was documented by (a) chemical analyses of the solvent (3Na2O · 4MoO3) with dissolved sulfates, (b) Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirming the absence of sulfur species in the gases above the solvent, and (c) consistency of experimental determination of the enthalpy of drop solution of SO3 in the solvent. Thus, the principal conclusion of this study is that high-temperature oxide melt calorimetry with 3Na2O · 4MoO3 solvent is a valid technique for measurement of enthalpies of formation of anhydrous sulfates. Enthalpies of formation (in kJ/mol) from the elements (ΔHfo) were determined for synthetic anhydrite (CaSO4) (−1433.8 ± 3.2), celestine (SrSO4) (−1452.1 ± 3.3), anglesite (PbSO4) (−909.9 ± 3.4), and two natural barite (BaSO4) samples (−1464.2 ± 3.7, −1464.9 ± 3.7). The heat capacity of anhydrite, barite, and celestine was measured between 245 and 1100 K, with low- and high-temperature Netzsch (DSC-404) differential scanning calorimeters. The results for each sample were fitted to a Haas-Fisher polynomial of the form Cp(245 K
Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis mediated by cartilage.

Capillary proliferation induced by tumor is shown to be inhibited by neonatal scapular cartilage. Using the rabbit cornea as an assay, the cartilage implant decreased the rate of capillary growth, induced by tumor, by an average of 75%. Vascularization was prevented completely in 28% of tumors. The inhibitory effect of small cartilage implants operates over distances of up to 2.0 mm and displays a gradient from the cartilage source. The experiments suggest that the cartilage inhibitor does not antagonize tumor angiogenesis factor, but appears to inhibit capillary proliferation directly. The inhibitory material does not elicit an inflammatory response in either the rabbit cornea or in the chick chorioallantoic membrane. Thus with further purification, it may prove useful as a means of maintining tumor dormancy by "antiangiogenesis."
Being healthy: voices of adolescent women who are parenting.

PURPOSE. The purpose of this ethnography was to explore how adolescent women who are parenting describe what “being healthy” means to them and how they define their health needs. METHODS. In addition to traditional ethnographic methods of interviewing and participant observation, photovoice was utilized. RESULTS. Women's definitions of “being healthy” were grouped into three categories: (1) “taking care of my body,” (2) “not being stressed out,” and (3) “having what you need.” PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. The findings of this research study suggest that healthcare professionals should consider adolescent mothers knowledgeable actors of their own lives and move beyond current strategies to concentrate on issues, such as socioeconomic contexts, that hinder the health and nutrition of these young women.
Using consumer demands to bridge the gap between software engineering and usability engineering

A number of efforts are being undertaken to integrate usability engineering and software engineering in the software-development process. The majority of these integration efforts focus on software developers, usability engineers, or defining new processes. In this article, we report on an effort to involve the consumer of software by providing a mechanism, namely the common industry format (CIF), to formally request usability information on the software to be purchased. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
STUDIES OF SULFATE UTILIZATION BY ALGAE. 3. PRODUCTS FORMED FROM SULFATE BY EUGLENA.

SYNOPSIS. Sulfate-S35 uptake by intact Euglena cells, as well as incorporation of sulfate-S35 into the insoluble fractions of the cells, was partially inhibited by adding iodoacetamide simultaneously or ten minutes before radioactive sulfate. The identification of S-cysteine acetamide and S-glutathione acetamide showed the presence of glutathione and cysteine in the soluble pool of Euglena but methionine, homocysteine, and S-adenosylmethionine were not found during these experiments. An unidentified radioactive peak was eluted by 2 n HCl during column chromatography of the soluble fraction of Euglena cells. The major compound in this peak was identified as L-cystine on the basis of its infra-red spectrum, paper and column chromatographic characteristics and optical rotation. The use of iodoacetamide permitted the independent demonstration of cysteine and cystine in the soluble pools by eliminating oxidation artifacts.
On improving mass conservation of level set by reducing spatial discretization errors

The impact of the Level Set (LS) method on numerical capturing of interfaces (Osher and Fedkiw, 2003; Sethian, 1999) is well known. Widely-reaching applications include fluid mechanics, combustion, computer vision, and material science. As a way of describing immiscible multi-phase flows, the LS was shown to provide a worthy alternative (Sussman et al., 1994) to the already in existence volume-tracking (VT) (Noh and Woodward, 1976; Hirt and Nichols, 1981; Youngs, 1982) and front-tracking (FT) (Chern et al., 1985; Unverdi and Tryggvason, 1992) methods. A comparative evaluation, made by means of a set of test problems which represent flows with significant deformation, stretching, and tearing, was presented by Rider and Kothe (1995). In this study, the LS method was shown to lead to loss (or gain) of mass when fluid filaments become comparable to grid size, while the VT methods were found prone to producing ‘‘blobby’’ structures. In other words, both methods exhibited low accuracy in under-resolved flows, while particle-based, front-tracking methods were shown to perform better in conserving filamentary structures. In attempts to improve the mass conservation properties of the LS method a number of modifications have been introduced, including a variety of re-initialization (Sussman et al., 1994; Sussman and Fatemi, 1999) and velocity extension (Adalsteinsson and Sethian, 1999) techniques. While these advancements have been found to be helpful in maintaining the level set as a signed distance function (which is especially important for accurate computation of interface curvature in flows with surface tension), they did not meet the objective for such as the above-mentioned, under-resolved (thin-filament) flows. Recognizing that, several ‘‘hybrid’’ methods have been developed, combining the level set with volume-tracking (Sussman and Puckett, 2000; Sussman, 2003) or front-tracking (Enright et al., 2002, 2005). The method developed by Enright et al. (2002) is particularly interesting. Combining a level set function with Lagrangian marker particles, their Particle Level Set (PLS) method was shown to considerably improve mass conservation in under-resolved flows, while maintaining a smooth geometrical description of the interface. Unfortunately, ‘‘hybrid’’ LS + VT and LS + FT methods become significantly more complicated and computationally expensive, especially in parallel 3D implementations.
Self-esteem, race, and job satisfaction

Abstract The present study investigated relationships between self-esteem (SE) and job satisfaction among black and white employees. The sample consisted of 523 (45% black) employees of a large, urban school system. There was a positive relationship between SE and job satisfaction for members of both racial groups. In addition, the correlation between need satisfaction and job satisfaction was stronger for high SE persons than for low SE persons. The relationships between two social reference variables (the perceived satisfaction of other employees and improved standard of living) and job satisfaction were, as predicted, stronger for low SE whites than for high SE whites. Among blacks, however, the social reference variables were strongly related to job satisfaction regardless of level of SE.
Designing Clinical Decision Support Systems in Health Care: A Systemic View

Clinical decision support systems have historically focused on formal clinical reasoning. Most of the systems are rule-based and very few have become fully functional prototypes or commercially viable systems that can be deployed in real situations. The attempts to build large-scale systems without examining the intrinsic systemic nature of the clinical process have resulted in limited operational success and acceptance. The clinical function, another area of medical activity, has emerged rapidly offering potential for clinical decision support systems. This article discusses the systemic differences between clinical reasoning and clinical function and suggests that different design methodologies be used in the two domains. Clinical reasoning requires a holistic approach, such as an intelligent multiagent, incorporating the properties of softness, openness, complexity, flexibility, and generality of clinical decision support systems, while traditional rule-based approaches are sufficient for clinical function applications.
Mechanical behavior of zirconia/alumina composites

Abstract Zirconia/alumina composites were fabricated by hot pressing 10 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (10-YSZ) reinforced with 0–30 mol% alumina particulates or platelets. Flexure strength and fracture toughness of both particulate and platelet composites increased with increasing alumina content. For a given alumina content, strength of particulate composites was greater than that of platelet composites; whereas, difference in fracture toughness between the two composite systems was negligible. No difference in elastic modulus and density was observed for a given alumina content between particulate and platelet composites. Thermal cycling up to 10 cycles between 200 and 1000 °C did not show any strength degradation of the 30 mol% platelet composites, indicative of negligible influence of coefficient-of-thermal-expansion mismatch between YSZ and alumina grains.
Dietary choline deficiency alters global and gene-specific DNA methylation in the developing hippocampus of mouse fetal brains

The availability of choline during critical periods of fetal development alters hippocampal development and affects memory function throughout life. Choline deficiency during fetal development reduces proliferation and migration of neuronal precursor cells in the mouse fetal hippocampus and these changes are associated with modifications in the protein levels of some cell cycle regulators and early differentiation markers. We fed C57 BL/6 mouse dams diets deficient or normal in choline content from days 12 to 17 of pregnancy, and then collected fetal brains on embryonic day 17. Using laser-capture micro-dissection we harvested cells from the ventricular and subventricular zones of Ammon's horn and from the prime germinal zone of the dentate gyrus (hippocampus). In the ventricular and subventricular zones from the choline-deficient group, we observed increased protein levels for kinase-associated phosphatase (Kap) and for p15(INK4b) (two cell cycle inhibitors). In the dentate gyrus, we observed increased levels of calretinin (an early marker of neuronal differentiation). In fetal brain from mothers fed a choline-deficient diet, DNA global methylation was decreased in the ventricular and subventricular zones of Ammon's horn. We also observed decreased gene-specific DNA methylation of the gene (Cdkn3) that encodes for Kap, correlating with increased expression of this protein. This was not the case for p15(INK4b) or calretinin (Cdkn2b and Calb2, respectively). These data suggest that choline deficiency-induced changes in gene methylation could mediate the expression of a cell cycle regulator and thereby alter brain development.
The Lead Activation Technique for High Energy Neutron Measurement

The yield of 14-mev pulsed neutron sources may be measured by a detector which counts gamma decay from Pb208(n, 2n) Pb207m and Pb207 (n, n') Pb2O7m reactions. Threshold for the device is 1.6 mev and the half-life of the Pb207m isomer is 0.8 second; the high sensitivity and the short half-life of a lead counter allow the dectector to be operated in place and at frequent intervals.
Chemical identification and enzymatic synthesis of a newly discovered lipid class—Hydroxyalkylglycerols

Abstract We have isolated and identified a new class of alkyl glycerolipids in lipid extracts prepared from the pink portion of the harderian glands of rabbits. After LiAlH 4 reduction, the esterified lipid yields a hydroxyalkylglycerol. Identification was based on chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectra of various derivatives of this lipid and of standards prepared chemically. The isomers of the hydroxyalkylglycerols isolated consisted of O -hexadecyl moieties with hydroxyl groups at C-10 and C-11 and of O -octadecyl moieties with hydroxyl groups at C-11 and C-12. In the natural state all of the hydroxyl groups are thought to be esterified with aliphatic moieties, and this lipid class accounts for approximately 80% of the total lipids of the pink harderian gland of rabbits. Enzymatic experiments demonstrated that [1- 3 H]octadecane-1,12-diol was readily incorporated into the hydroxyalkylglycerols when dihydroxyacetone-P, CoA, ATP, Mg 2+ , and the microsomal fraction of the pink harderian gland were included in the incubations. Thus, it appears that the ether linkage of hydroxyalkylglycerols is biosynthesized in a manner analogous to that previously described for glycerolipids containing unsubstituted O -alkyl moieties.
Optical Properties of Indium

Experimental measurements consisting of ellipsometry (0.5-3.5 eV) and normal-incidence reflectance (3.0-11.6 eV) are used along with published data to determine the optical constants of indium from 0.5 to 15.5 eV. Although the over-all properties reflect free-electron behavior, departures from Drude theory can be understood in terms of interband transitions.
Yield and utility of radiographic “shunt series” in the evaluation of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt malfunction in adult emergency patients

We examined the yield and utility of shunt series (SS) performed for suspected shunt malfunction and whether an abnormal SS lead to shunt revision when head computed tomography (CT) was normal or unchanged. We reviewed medical records for all adult emergency patients over a 34-month period with suspected shunt malfunction imaged with both SS and head CT to determine whether a shunt revision was performed contemporaneous with imaging. Nine (3.4%) abnormal SS were identified among 263 studies performed. Among the 192 cases in which CT was normal or unchanged, two patients with abnormal SS underwent contemporaneous shunt revision. Yield of SS is very low, and in the presence of a normal or unchanged head CT, SS provides the imaging basis for contemporaneous shunt revision in 1% (2/192) of cases.
The Structures and Reactions of Linear and Cyclic C6 Hydrocarbons Adsorbed on the Pt(111) Crystal Surface Studied by Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy: Pressure, Temperature, and H2 Coadsorption Effects†

We studied the adsorption structures and reactions of C6 hydrocarbon molecules (cyclohexene, cyclohexane, 1-methylcyclohexene, n-hexane, 2- and 3-methylpentanes, and 1-hexene) on Pt(111) using sum ...
Chu Ch'i-hui and Her Family

I have been interested in Chu Ch'i-hui for some time, not just because she was involved in so many social, educational, and philanthropical activities that her name is sprinkled across many pages of modern Chinese history, nor because her husband Hsiung Hsi-ling (1870-1937) was a well-known scholar and a high-ranking official who served as premier for a short period under President Yuan Shih-k'ai. To me, she is a real person, with very human weaknesses as well as impressive strengths. She appears to me as an individual with her own characteristics and her own highly effective ways of doing things. She knew how to be a master of herself and her family, and made her way in the world with considerable success. She was far from being weak, fragile, or subservient, unlike many of the stereotypes we so often read of in history. I have often wondered how frequently stereotypes are created and perpetuated by historians.
Regional cyclic AMP systems during secondary ischemia in gerbils: Influence of anesthetic agents

The effect of three modes of anesthesia was evaluated with regard to regional damage to central cyclic nucleotide systems in the gerbil brain as a consequence of bilateral ischemia (clamping the common carotids) followed by various periods of recirculation. The injection of thiopental as much as 90 min before stroke prevented damage to chemical activation [catecholamines, guanosine triphosphate (GTP), or forskolin] of adenylate cyclase. However, the basal enzyme activity was lower in all brain regions whether thiopental was administered to stroke or sham-operated animals. Injection of ketamine drastically shortened the survival times of gerbils undergoing stroke followed by recirculation. About 90% of the animals could tolerate a maximum of only 15 min stroke with 15 min recirculation. At this time frame the patterns of activation of adenylate cyclase in only the olfactory tubercle and hippocampus were altered. When procaine was used as a local anesthetic agent during surgery, damage to catecholamine-, GTP-, or forskolin-activated adenylate cyclase was evident to varying degrees in the frontal cortex, hippocampus or olfactory tubercle, but not in the nucleus accumbens and olfactory bulb of gerbils subjected to 60-min stroke followed by 15 or 150 min of recirculation. The degree of enzyme damage was neither correlated with the fed vs. fasted state of the animal nor with the whole blood concentration of glucose. A depression in the amplitude of visually evoked potentials correlated to neurological signs and to enzyme damage. During anesthesia, ketamine increased steady-state concentrations of cyclic AMP in the frontal cortex and hippocampus from gerbil brains that had been rapidly inactivated by microwave irradiation. Thiopental increased steady-state cyclic AMP in only the olfactory tubercle. Cyclic GMP concentrations were unchanged by any anesthetic agent. In animals completely recovering from anesthesia and occluded for a brief period followed by 10 min of reflow, steady-state concentrations of only cyclic AMP were augmented.
Activation of transglutaminase during cell cycle in CHO cells.

Transglutaminase (TGase) activity was measured during cell cycle progression in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells synchronized by release of quiescent cultures and in CHO cells synchronized by mitotic shake off. In cells released from quiescent cultures, a greater than 2-fold increase in TGase activity occurred within 3 h of stimulation, followed by a rapid decline and a second and third peak of activity at 6 and 9 h after stimulation. The increase in TGase activity was not inhibited at any time measured by the administration of cycloheximide. Further, there was a significant increase in TGase activity detectable at 1, 5, and 6 h in CHO cells exposed to actinomycin D at time zero. TGase activity in CHO cells was not increased by the addition of either dibutyryl cAMP or 8-bromo-cAMP whereas ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity was increased at all times measured by the administration of cAMP analogs. These data suggest that TGase and ODC are regulated by separate hormonal pathways during cell cycle progression. In addition, ODC is induced in CHO cells by a transcriptional mechanism whereas TGase appears to be activated. In order to determine if the biphasic increase in TGase exhibited in G1 of cell cycle was the result of two populations of cells progressing through G1, we assessed TGase activity in CHO cells synchronized by mitotic shake off, which produces a greater than 95% cell synchrony. Again, there were two major peaks of TGase activity at 3 and 5 h, respectively. However, there was a marked difference in the expression of TGase within the first 2 h after release from mitosis. During this period, there was a marked and significant decrease in TGase activity within 1 h to a value about 35% of the time zero value. Another G1-specific marker, ODC, also exhibited a marked decline in activity within the first hour, followed by a single peak of expression between 4 and 5 h in these cells. Both enzymes have high activity during G2 phase of cell cycle as previously reported for ODC. Both enzymes are rapidly decreased after release from mitosis. The peak expression of both TGase and ODC suggest they catalyze important enzymatic events required for cell cycle progression.
Experimental strategies to promote central nervous system remyelination in multiple sclerosis: insights gained from the Theiler's virus model system.

The Destruction of central nervous system (CNS) myelin, the lipid-rich insulator surrounding axons in the mammalian brain and spinal cord, is the primary pathological finding in multiple sclerosis. Myelin loss can result in a significant clinical deficit, and was originally thought to be permanent, similar to axonal destruction. However, myelin regeneration is now an established phenomenon in both human disease and animal models of CNS demyelination. In this review, the concept of remyelination in demyelinating deseases such as multiple sclerosis is discussed and the usefulness of animal models of CNS demyelination in developing experimental strategies to promote remyelination is examined Special emphasis is given to the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis model, which has been the primary animal model used to investigate therapies designed specifically to stimulate myelin repair. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
RankAggreg, an R package for weighted rank aggregation

Researchers in the field of bioinformatics often face a challenge of combining several ordered lists in a proper and efficient manner. Rank aggregation techniques offer a general and flexible framework that allows one to objectively perform the necessary aggregation. With the rapid growth of high-throughput genomic and proteomic studies, the potential utility of rank aggregation in the context of meta-analysis becomes even more apparent. One of the major strengths of rank-based aggregation is the ability to combine lists coming from different sources and platforms, for example different microarray chips, which may or may not be directly comparable otherwise. The RankAggreg package provides two methods for combining the ordered lists: the Cross-Entropy method and the Genetic Algorithm. Two examples of rank aggregation using the package are given in the manuscript: one in the context of clustering based on gene expression, and the other one in the context of meta-analysis of prostate cancer microarray experiments. The two examples described in the manuscript clearly show the utility of the RankAggreg package in the current bioinformatics context where ordered lists are routinely produced as a result of modern high-throughput technologies.
Selection of portal-systemic shunts with an eye to subsequent liver transplantation.

Patent distal splenorenal shunts (Warren shunt) have been reported to cause decreases in the portal perfusion pressure and the total hepatic blood flow. Such hemodynamic alterations could have adverse effects on the transplanted liver. The experience with hepatic replacement in four patients with patent Warren shunts is reported. Operative findings were phlebosclerotic portal veins of small size and diminished portal blood flows. Hepatofugal collateral channels created by the construction of the Warren shunt were eliminated by division of the shunt and splenectomy in three patients and splenectomy alone in the other. All patients recovered. A Warren shunt is not a contraindication for transplantation.
Decision Making, Responsibility, and Advocacy in Geriatric Medicine: Physician Dilemmas With Elderly in the Community

This descriptive anthropological study explores the nature of physician decision making in the case of old people who reside in the community. Focusing on physician narratives of actual dilemmas, this article contributes toward a phenomenology of clinical medicine and provides examples of how decisions in geriatrics are influenced by professional values, institutional constraints, and cultural forms. In-depth interviews with 40 physicians revealed dilemmas to have three sources: (1) unresolved questions about how much to intervene in patients' lives to reduce risk; (2) structural, moral, and medical limits to patient advocacy; and (3) the problem of assessing vulnerability and quality of life when pondering placement.
Efficacy of bacterial bioremediation: demonstration of complete incorporation of hydrocarbons into membrane phospholipids from Rhodococcus hydrocarbon degrading bacteria by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

We present a method and example to establish complete incorporation of hydrocarbons into membrane phospholipids (and their constituent individual fatty acids and polar headgroup) of putatively bioremediative bacteria. Bacteria are grown on minimal media containing a specified carbon source (in this case, C16 and C18 alkanes), either natural abundance (99% 12C) or enriched (99% 13C). After extraction (but no other prior separation) of the membrane lipids, electrospray ionization yields a negative-ion FT-ICR mass spectrum containing prominent phospholipid parent ions. If 13C-enriched hydrocarbon incorporation is complete, then the mass of the parent ion will increase by n Da, in which n is the number of its constituent carbon atoms; moreover, the 13C isotopic distribution pattern will be reversed. The identities of the constituent fatty acids and polar headgroup are obtained by collisional dissociation (MS/MS), and their extent of 13C incorporation determined individually. The method is demonstrated for Rho...
Soot volume fraction and temperature measurements in laminar nonpremixed flames using thermocouples

Abstract Thermocouple particle densitometry (TPD), a new method for measuring absolute soot volume fraction in flames which was suggested by Eisner and Rosner, has been successfully implemented in several laminar nonpremixed flames. This diagnostic relies on measuring the junction temperature history of a thermocouple rapidly inserted into a soot-containing flame region, then optimizing the fit between this history and one calculated from the principles of thermophoretic mass transfer. The TPD method is very simple to implement experimentally, yields spatially resolved volume fractions directly, can easily measure small volume fractions, and does not depend on the prevailing soot particle size, morphology, or optical characteristics. p]In a series of methane and ethylene counterflow flames whose soot volume fractions varied by more than an order of magnitude, the TPD results agreed to within experimental error with our own laser extinction measurements. In axisymmetric methane and ethylene co-flowing flames, the shape of TPD profiles agreed well with published laser extinction measurements, but the TPD concentrations were significantly larger in the early regions of the ethylene flame and throughout the methane flame; these discrepancies are probably attributable to visible light-transparent particles that are detectable with TPD but not with laser extinction. The TPD method is not applicable to the upper regions of these co-flowing flames since OH concentrations there suffice to rapidly oxidize any soot particles that deposit. Gas temperatures were obtained simultaneously with volume fraction by averaging the junction temperature history shortly after insertion. The error in these temperatures due to soot deposition-imposed changes in the junction diameter and emissivity were assessed and found to be moderate, e.g., less than 60 K near the centerline of the ethylene coflowing flame where the volume fraction was 6 ppm and the gas temperature was 1550 K.
Leisure motivation of older adults in relation to other adult life stages.

This cross-sectional study examined motivation for participation in physical activity at different adult life stages. T test analysis revealed no differences based on gender. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated differences based on life stage. Individuals in the 18–24 age range were highly motivated by competence mastery factors. In addition, participants older than age 65 were more highly motivated by social aspects of leisure. These results suggest that leisure professionals should seek to offer young adults options that help develop skills while older adult options should be focused less on competency and more on building social environments.