cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Mainstreaming” content analysis in social science: Methodological advantages, obstacles, and solutions☆

Abstract The history of content analysis is reviewed and reasons for its continuing underutilization are identified. The technique's isolation from mainstream social science results in low-quality studies and methodological underdevelopment. Still, advantages of the method indicate it has great potential for social science. Specific suggestions are made for applying established research techniques to content analysis. Sampling, research design, reliability and validity assessment, concept operationalization, and related principles and techniques are illustrated with a content analysis study of religious belief popularization. The relative merits of coding manifest content versus latent, thematic analysis are assessed. Manifest characteristics can be coded more reliably but thematic indicators provide greater measurement efficiency in the example. Implications for computerized coding are discussed. Inference from communication texts and the value of empirically studying communication patterns for social scientific objectives are presented as complementing research on individuals and social structures.
The effect of change of number of OTU’s in a numerical taxonomic study

The effect of change of number of OTU’s (operational taxonomic units) in a numerical taxonomic study was investigated using 28 taxospecies of the genusSalix in California and 22 sites of sect.Sitchenses of the genus. A coefficient of Euclidean distance was used to estimate relationships among the OTU’s based on 99 morphological characters. Two methods of clustering were employed: 1) Tryon’s key communality cluster analysis, and 2) the unweighted pair group method. The latter results in a phenogram. It was found that the number of OTU’s employed does make a difference. But the difference is not random and is centered around those OTU’s most closely related to the OTU’s being added.
TU-EE-A4-04: Comparison of the CT Scatter Fractions Provided in NCRP Report No. 147 to Scanner-Specific Scatter Fractions and the Consequences for Calculated Barrier Thickness

Purpose: NCRP Report No. 147 provides fixed values of the scatter fraction per centimeter (κ) for the peripheral axis of the head and body CT phantoms. This study was performed to determine scatter fractions for different makes and models of CTscanner and to examine the consequence of any differences in κ on a typical shielding calculation. Method and Materials: κ values for five GECT models, four Siemens CT models and one Toshiba CT model were determined. They were calculated using an equation for the scattered air kerma at 1 m from NCRP 147 (Kermascatter=κ*ScanLength*CTDI100/pitch) and using scattered air kerma data provided by the manufacturers and measured CTDI100 (periphery) values. Typical barrier calculations, following NCRP 147 methodology, were performed for each CTscanner using the fixed κ values and, separately, using the calculated scanner‐specific values. Results: The κ values from NCRP 147 are 3×10−4/cm and 9×10−5/cm for the periphery of the body and head phantoms, respectively. Calculated κ values varied from 3.2×10−4 to 5.2×10−4/cm for the body and 5.6×10−5 to 1.1×10−4/cm for the head. The results of a typical barrier calculation indicate that for the scanners studied, the fixed κ values produced lead barrier thicknesses that ranged from 0 to 0.2 mm less than those determined from scanner‐specific κ values. Similar calculations for the floor gave a maximum underestimate of 1.2 cm. Conclusion: The actual κ values of a specific CTscanner can vary significantly from the fixed values provided in NCRP 147. Using the fixed values for some scanners may slightly underestimate the required barrier thickness. Any small underestimate in barrier thickness would likely be more than compensated by a conservative estimate of the scanner's workload.
A laboratory study of metal-resistant sliding-gate tiles

The feasibility of carrying out a laboratory study of the metal resistance of the refractory materials of sliding-gate tiles has been shown.
Hospital responses to pay-for-performance incentives

Not-for-profit hospitals are complex organizations and, therefore, may face unique challenges in responding to financial incentives for quality. In this research, we explore the types of behavioural changes made by not-for-profit Michigan hospitals in response to a pay-for-performance system for quality. We also identify factors that motivate or facilitate changes in effort. We apply a conceptual framework based on agency theory to motivate our research questions. Using data derived from structured interviews and surveys administered to 86 hospitals participating in a pay-for-performance system, we compare hospitals reporting and not reporting behavioural changes. Separate analyses are performed for hospitals reporting structure-related changes and hospitals reporting process-related changes. Our findings confirm that hospitals respond to incentive payments; however, our findings also reveal that hospital responses are not universal. Rather, involvement by boards of trustees, willingness to exert leverage...
Expression of Constitutively Activated Giα2 in Vivo Ameliorates Streptozotocin-induced Diabetes

Streptozotocin treatment in vivogenerates a model of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus via destruction of the pancreatic β-cells responsible for insulin secretion. Tissue-specific expression of the Q205L constitutively activated mutant form of the G-protein Giα2 in vivo ameliorates streptozotocin-induced insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in transgenic mice. Conditional expression of Q205L Giα2 in vivoin liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue markedly rectifies glucose tolerance, fasting glucose levels, and glycogen synthase activation in the mice with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, providing a novel therapeutic target for diabetes.
Parasite fate and involvement of infected cells in the induction of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses to Toxoplasma gondii.

During infection with the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, the presentation of parasite-derived antigens to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells is essential for long-term resistance to this pathogen. Fundamental questions remain regarding the roles of phagocytosis and active invasion in the events that lead to the processing and presentation of parasite antigens. To understand the most proximal events in this process, an attenuated non-replicating strain of T. gondii (the cpsII strain) was combined with a cytometry-based approach to distinguish active invasion from phagocytic uptake. In vivo studies revealed that T. gondii disproportionately infected dendritic cells and macrophages, and that infected dendritic cells and macrophages displayed an activated phenotype characterized by enhanced levels of CD86 compared to cells that had phagocytosed the parasite, thus suggesting a role for these cells in priming naive T cells. Indeed, dendritic cells were required for optimal CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses, and the phagocytosis of heat-killed or invasion-blocked parasites was not sufficient to induce T cell responses. Rather, the selective transfer of cpsII-infected dendritic cells or macrophages (but not those that had phagocytosed the parasite) to naive mice potently induced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses, and conferred protection against challenge with virulent T. gondii. Collectively, these results point toward a critical role for actively infected host cells in initiating T. gondii-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses.
Amyloid beta amyloidosis in Alzheimer's disease

The presence of amyloid deposits in the parenchyma of the amygdala, hippocampus, and neocortex is a major histopathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The principal component of amyloid is amyloid beta, a 39–43 amino acid peptide comprised of a portion of the transmembrane domain and the extracellular domain of the amyloid precursor proteins. Amyloid precursor proteins occur as several amyloid beta-containing isoforms of 695, 751, and 770 amino acids. In cultured cells, amyloid precursor proteins mature through the constitutive secretory pathway, and some cell-surface-bound amyloid precursor proteins are cleaved by an enzyme, designated as alpha-secretase, within the amyloid beta domain, an event that precludes amyloid beta amyloidogenesis. Two additional pathways of amyloid precursor protein processing include an endosomal/lysosomal pathway that generates a complex set of amyloid precursor protein-related membrane-bound fragments, some of which contain the entire amyloid beta sequence; and, by mechanisms not fully understood, secretion of amyloid beta 1–40 into the conditioned medium in vitro and its presence in cerebrospinal fluid in vivo. The intracellular sites of enzymes responsible for proteolytic cleavage at the amino- and carboxyl-termini of amyloid beta, termed gamma- and beta-secretase, respectively, have not been identified. Molecular genetic investigations have identified a variety of mutations in the amyloid precursor protein gene that segregate with early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease and with hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloid, Dutch type. Several of these mutations appear to influence amyloid precursor protein processing and result in the production of higher levels or longer amyloid beta-related peptides that are inherently more fibrillogenic. Although a variety of lines of evidence implicate amyloid precursor protein and amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease, the mechanism(s) by which amyloid beta influences the biology and vulnerability of neural cells is not fully clear. Amyloid beta toxicity is being explored in vitro and in vivo. Finally, recent progress has been made in the generation of transgenic mice expressing amyloid precursor protein or amyloid beta that recapitulate a subset of the pathology observed in Alzheimer's disease.
19F NMR imaging of cerebral blood flow.

Techniques for the quantitative imaging assessment of cerebral blood flow are presented in a cat using 19F NMR imaging of trifluoromethane. The input function of the indicator was acquired noninvasively, while its uptake and clearance were followed in 2-cc volume voxels from images acquired at 67 sintervals. A single compartment model yielded normal cerebral blood flow estimates. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Ivory epiphyses of the hands.

A uniform increase in epiphyseal density was noted on hand radiographs of 1 in 300 clinically well children. Associated findings included retarded maturation of the hand, particularly the phalanges. Very dense epiphyses seem to occur with increased frequency in Cockayne's syndrome, rhinotrichophalangeal syndrome, and various types of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia.
Selection of heptapeptides that bind helix 69 of bacterial 23S ribosomal RNA

Abstract Helix 69 of Escherichia coli 23S rRNA has important roles in specific steps of translation, such as subunit association, translocation, and ribosome recycling. An M13 phage library was used to identify peptide ligands with affinity for helix 69. One selected sequence, NQVANHQ, was shown through a bead assay to interact with helix 69. Electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy revealed an apparent dissociation constant for the amidated peptide and helix 69 in the low micromolar range. This value is comparable to that of aminoglycoside antibiotics binding to the A site of 16S rRNA or helix 69. Helix 69 variants (human) and unrelated RNAs (helix 31 or A site of 16S rRNA) showed two- to fourfold lower affinity for NQVANHQ-NH 2 . These results suggest that the peptide has desirable features for development as a lead compound for novel antimicrobials.
Evaluation of a novel inversion model for surface melt magnitude over the Greenland ice sheet during the 2002 ablation season

This work evaluates the performance of an empirical inversion model for surface liquid water fraction LWF or melt magnitude, using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS. Estimates of melt magnitude were evaluated through quantitative comparison to surface melt occurrence and duration derived from the cross-polarization gradient ratio XPGR and diurnal amplitude variation DAV passive microwave melt indices over the 2002 melt season. Longer melt durations derived from XPGR tend to correspond to higher LWF amounts at lower elevations, where temperatures are warmer than at higher elevations. DAV indicates melt occurrence at higher elevations, with lower durations in melt corresponding to small amounts of LWF. The LWF inversion model demonstrates that it is sensitive to both high melt duration events within the ablation zone, yet capable of capturing greater spatial variability in melt conditions broadly over the entire sheet.
Rare and endangered plants and animals of southern Appalachian wetlands

At least one-third of the threatened and endangered species of the United States live in wetlands. Southern Appalachian bogs and fens, in particular, support a wealth of rare and unique life forms, many of which are found in no other habitat type. In North Carolina alone, nonalluvial mountain wetlands provide habitat for nearly 90 species of plants and animals that are considered rare, threatened, or endangered by the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program, the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These species include the bog turtle, mountain sweet pitcher plant, green pitcher plant, swamp pink, bunched arrowhead, and Gray’s lily, all of which are either on the federal list of endangered and threatened species or under consideration for that list. Mountain wetland habitats for these species are being destroyed and degraded at an accelerating rate for highway construction and expansion and residential and recreational development, as well as for industrial and agricultural uses.
Bauxite processing in Jamaica and Guyana: An estimate of income and foreign exchange impacts

Abstract Employing static input-output analysis, this study estimates the effects of increased domestic alumina refining of bauxite on the national income and the foreign exchange earnings of Jamaica and Guyana. While increased alumina refining is found to be consistent with significant increases in gross domestic income and foreign exchange earnings, most of the income increases are accounted for by the nonwage or operating surplus component of value added. Consumption multiplier effects are found to be important generators of income. In addition, the majority of increases in income could be generated outside of the mining sector.
IT support services for telecommuting workforce

Organizations are in the process of moving to a network-based operating structure. Telecommuting is just a corollary of this push. While new information technologies allow for a highly mobile work force that can work from remote locations across the world, this begs the question how does supporting this new telecommuting workforce differ from supporting employees in a regular office. The purpose of this study is to describe how telecommuting and a telecommuter differ from in situ working and the desk-bound worker and how this difference dictates different approaches to providing various services such as IT support services for telecommuters. Our goal is to provide a framework to assist IT managers in addressing issues of how to support telecommuting employees to maximize their potential benefits.
1964 CIE Supplementary Observer Applied to the Colorimetry of Rutile and Anatase Forms of Titanium Dioxide

The study by White and Jacobsen of the applicability of the 1964 CIE supplementary observer to large-field colorimetry of the rutile and anatase crystal forms of titanium dioxide has been repeated. The six painted panels used by them were remeasured on a Hardy-type spectrophotometer with closely agreeing results. The arrangement of the panels in order of whiteness by north-sky light was made by 24 observers, yielding 45 arrangements, and these too were in good inverse agreement with the 26 yellowness arrangements made by 13 observers by White and Jacobsen. The spectrophotometric data were reduced to values of U*, V*, W* of the 1964 CIE uniform color space, and the sizes of the chromaticity differences between each panel and the magnesium oxide whiteness standard were computed. By substituting, for CIE illuminant C, the newly recommended CIE illuminants D6500 and D25000, representative of overcast sky and clear sky, respectively, and by taking account of normal variations of amount of lens pigment from one observer to another, we found that the 1964 CIE supplementary observer yields correct predictions of the frequency of the various whiteness arrangements of the six panels.
A Singular Bioeconomic Model with Diffusion and Time Delay

This paper studies a prey-predator singular bioeconomic system with time delay and diffusion, which is described by differential-algebraic equations. For this system without diffusion, there exist three bifurcation phenomena: Transcritical bifurcation, singularity induced bifurcation, and Hopf bifurcation. Compared with other biological systems described by differential equations, singularity induced bifurcation only occurs in singular system and usually links with the expansion of population. When the diffusion is present, it is shown that the positive equilibrium point loses its stability at some critical values of diffusion rate and periodic oscillations occur due to the increase of time delay. Furthermore, numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of results and the related biological implications are discussed.
Quantitative pixel-wise measurement of myocardial blood flow: a comparison of methods to correct for surface coil-related field inhomogeneity

Background Pixel-wise quantitative analysis of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) perfusion images allows myocardial blood flow (MBF) to be measured at the level of approximately 30 μL of myocardium. However B1-field inhomogeneity, induced by phased array surface receiver coils, potentially confounds MBF measurements. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of: 1. no surface coil intensity correction (No-SCIC); 2. SCIC performed using saturation recovery steady-state free precession images (SSFP-SCIC); and 3. SCIC performed using proton density-weighted images (PD-SCIC); on pixel-wise measurements of MBF in patients with confirmed significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and healthy volunteers. Methods 26 subjects, comprising 18 patients (11 male; age 58 ± 12 years) with significant CAD (> 70% stenosis on invasive coronary angiography) in 1 (56%) or 2 (44%) major epicardial arteries (78% LAD, 50% RCA, 17% Cx) and 8 healthy volunteers (7 male; age 24 ± 10 years), were included. Perfusion imaging was performed using a motion-corrected saturation recovery steady-state free precession, dual sequence method at 1.5T (Espree, Siemens Medical Solutions) during Regadenoson vasodilator stress and at rest, using 0.05 mmol/kg Gadolinium-DTPA. A proton density-weighted image was acquired at the beginning of the perfusion sequence. B1-field inhomogeneity was approximated using a third-order surface fit to myocardial and body signal intensities on the PD image or the first SSFP image. The estimated intensity bias field was
A comparison of domain integral evaluation techniques for boundary element methods

In many cases, boundary integral equations contain a domain integral. This can be evaluated by discretization of the domain into domain elements. Historically, this was seen as going against the spirit of boundary element methods, and several methods were developed to avoid this discretization, notably dual and multiple reciprocity methods and particular solution methods. These involved the representation of the interior function with a set of basis functions, generally of the radial type. In this study, meshless methods (dual reciprocity and particular solution) are compared to the direct domain integration methods. The domain integrals are evaluated using traditional methods and also with multipole acceleration. It is found that the direct integration always results in better accuracy, as well as smaller computation times. In addition, the multipole method further improves on the computation times, in particular where multiple evaluations of the integral are required, as when iterative solvers are used. The additional error produced by the multipole acceleration is negligible. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Markov model to analyze cost-effectiveness of screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).

Abstract Objective To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of universal neonatal screening for T cell lymphocytopenia in enhancing quality of life and life expectancy for children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Methods Decision trees were created and analyzed to estimate the cost, life years, and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) across a population when universal screening for lack of T cells is used to detect SCID, as implemented in five states, compared to detection based on recognizing symptoms and signs of disease. Terminal values of each tree limb were derived through Markov models simulating the natural history of three cohorts: unaffected subjects; those diagnosed with SCID as neonates (early diagnosis); and those diagnosed after becoming symptomatic and arousing clinical suspicion (late diagnosis). Models considered the costs of screening and of care including hematopoietic cell transplantation for affected individuals. Key decision variables were derived from the literature and from a survey of families with children affected by SCID, which was used to describe the clinical history and healthcare utilization for affected subjects. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore the influence of these decision variables. Results Over a 70-year time horizon, the average cost per infant was $8.89 without screening and $14.33 with universal screening. The model predicted that universal screening in the U.S. would cost approximately $22.4 million/year with a gain of 880 life years and 802 QALYs. Sensitivity analyses showed that screening test specificity and disease incidence were critical driving forces affecting the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Assuming a SCID incidence of 1/75,000 births and test specificity and sensitivity each at 0.99, screening remained cost-effective up to a maximum cost of $15 per infant screened. Conclusion At our current estimated screening cost of $4.22/infant, universal screening for SCID would be a cost effective means to improve quality and duration of life for children with SCID.
LONG-MEMORY CONTINUOUS-TIME CORRELATION MODELS

This paper introduces a rather general class of stationary continuous-time processes with long memory by randomizing the time-scale of short-memory processes. In particular, by randomizing the time-scale of continuous-time autoregressive and moving-average processes, many power-law decay and slow decay correlation functions are obtained.
Long-Term Pulmonary Regurgitation Following Balloon Valvuloplasty for Pulmonary Stenosis: Risk Factors and Relationship to Exercise Capacity and Ventricular Volume and Function

Objectives This study sought to examine the prevalence and predictors of pulmonary regurgitation (PR) following balloon dilation (BD) for pulmonary stenosis (PS) and to investigate its impact on ventricular volume and function, and exercise tolerance. Background Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty relieves PS but can cause late PR. The sequelae of isolated PR are not well understood. Methods Patients were at least 7 years of age and 5 years removed from BD, and had no other form of congenital heart disease or significant residual PS. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and exercise testing were performed prospectively to quantify PR fraction, ventricular volumes and function, and exercise capacity. Results Forty-one patients underwent testing a median of 13.1 years after BD. The median PR fraction was 10%; 14 patients (34%) had PR fraction >15%; 7 (17%) had PR >30%. PR fraction was associated with age at dilation (ln-transformed, R = −0.47, p = 0.002) and balloon:annulus ratio (R = 0.57, p z- score was 1.8 ± 1.9; RV dilation ( z- score ≥2) was present in 14/35 patients (40%). PR fraction correlated closely with indexed RV end-diastolic volume (R = 0.79, p o 2 ) (% predicted) was below average (92 ± 17%, p = 0.006). Patients with PR fraction >15% had significantly lower peak V o 2 than those with less PR (85 ± 17% vs. 96 ± 16%, p = 0.03). Conclusions Mild PR and RV dilation are common in the long term following BD. A PR fraction >15% is associated with lower peak V o 2 , suggesting that isolated PR and consequent RV dilation are related to impaired exercise cardiopulmonary function.
Pineal and retinal protein kinase C isoenzymes: Cooperative activation by calcium and zinc metallothionein

Protein kinase C and its family of multiple subspecies play pivotal roles in cell-surface mediated signal transduction. For example, in the process of synthesizing melatonin, the activation of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor sites in the pineal gland causes translocation of protein kinase C, which in turn enhances the beta-adrenergic-activated accumulation of both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP. In the retina, protein kinase C phosphorylates rhodopsin and hence is involved in visual transduction. The activation of protein kinase C depends on the presence of phospholipid and Ca++. In this communication, we report that the bovine pineal gland and retina possess unique protein kinase C isoenzymes that are distinct from those seen in the rat brain. Furthermore, in retinoblastoma cells in culture, protein kinase C is stimulated by a cooperative interaction between calcium and zinc. Moreover, the subcellular regions of retina that exhibit the highest activity of protein kinase C also possess the highest concentration of zinc. In view of the fact that the bovine pineal gland and retina continually synthesize metallothionein and other low molecular weight zinc binding proteins, we propose that zinc and metallothionein participate in signal transduction in the retina and pineal gland. The action of metallothionein, a zinc binding protein, in activating protein kinase C is opposite to that of calcium binding protein, which is a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C.
Jimson seed poisoning — A new hallucinogen on the horizon

Of 27 patients with Jimson seed poisoning recently treated in the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 15 were admitted to the hospital, while 12 were treated and released. The patients ranged in age from 13 to 21. The dose was between 2 gm and 25 gm. Time from ingestion to arrival in the emergency department averaged 12.1 hours for those admitted and 10 hours for those who were not. All patients had altered mental status. Twenty-five of the 27 received Ipecac and all but one received at least 2 mg of physostigmine, which produced dramatic improvement in central nervous system symptoms. The authors have developed a management protocol based on physiologic criteria.
Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Tobacco Treatment Curriculum for Psychiatry Residency Training Programs

Smokers with mental illness and addictive disorders account for nearly one in two cigarettes sold in the United States and are at high risk for smoking-related deaths and disability. Psychiatry residency programs provide a unique arena for disseminating tobacco treatment guidelines, influencing professional norms and increasing access to tobacco cessation services among smokers with mental illness. The current study evaluated the Rx for Change in Psychiatry curriculum, developed for psychiatry residency programs and focused on identifying and treating tobacco dependence among individuals with mental illness. The 4-hour curriculum emphasized evidence-based, patient-oriented cessation treatments relevant for all tobacco users, including those not yet ready to quit. The curriculum was informed by comprehensive literature review consultation with an expert advisory group, faculty interviews, and a focus group with psychiatry residents. This study reports on evaluation of the curriculum in 2005–2006, using a quasi-experimental design, with 55 residents in three psychiatry residency training programs in Northern California. The curriculum was associated with improvements in psychiatry residents’ knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and counseling behaviors for treating tobacco use among their patients with initial changes from pre- to posttraining sustained at 3-months’ follow-up. Residents’ self-reported changes in treating patients’ tobacco use were substantiated through systematic chart review. The evidence-based Rx for Change in Psychiatry curriculum is offered as a model tobacco treatment curriculum that can be implemented in psychiatry residency training programs and disseminated widely, thereby effectively reaching a vulnerable and costly population of smokers.
The formation of glutathione and the development of some enzymes for carbohydrate metabolism during the development of chicken embryo.

Abstract Glutathione was determined in hen's egg before and after incubation, and in chicken embryos during development. In the egg it was found only in the yolk, and the total amount remained constant up to six days after incubation. Synthesis started after this period and the amount increased rapidly. In the embryo the increase of glutathione was parallel to the increase of total nitrogen. The embryonic liver of the chicken contained cystine reductase, an enzyme which reduced cystine to cysteine with DPNH as the specific coenzyme. TPNH was ineffective. Glutathione reductase, TPNH-specific, was also present. Chicken embryo contained the enzymes for the glycolytic and the phosphorylated oxidation pathways of glucose metabolism from the time reliable determinations were feasible. The rate of utilization of ribose-5-phosphate in the early embryonic liver was three times as fast as that of the adult liver. The rate diminished as the age of the embryonic liver increased.
Transfer RNA: Change of conformation upon aminoacylation determined by Raman spectroscopy☆

Abstract Laser-excited Raman spectra of yeast tRNAs in charged and uncharged states are compared to reveal differences in base stacking. Aminoacylation of unfractionated tRNA reduces considerably the amount of stacking of both adenine and pyrimidine residues. In Phe-tRNA Phe , however, only the adenine residues appear to be significantly less stacked after aminoacylation. The overall degree of order in the backbone of yeast tRNAs is little affected by these changes in base-stacked secondary structure.
Onset of chronic illness in children and adolescents: Psychotherapeutic and consultative intervention.

Patients with disparate chronic illnesses exhibit specific and similar reactions during the onset of disease. This paper suggests the importance of psychological intervention during the initial stages of disease, and makes recommendations for psychotherapeutic and consultative management of the patient. Consideration is given to the effects of such intervention on both patient and psychotherapist.
Assessing the integrated effects of landscape fragmentation on plants and plant communities: the challenge of multiprocess–multiresponse dynamics

Summary When human activities change the landscape, several processes affecting remnant vegetation take place simultaneously: there is less suitable habitat, populations become isolated and the environmental conditions of the fragments frequently shift. Such changes affect vegetation in different ways – populations become smaller, the genetic exchanges between populations decline and species interactions are altered. The combination of processes taking place during fragmentation and their subsequent consequences generate a large variety of responses, positive and negative, among plants and plant communities. To assess the integrated effects of the processes taking place as a result of fragmentation (isolation, edge effects, fragment size and time since fragmentation) on organisms, we conducted a hierarchical meta-analysis of the studies reporting the effects of landscape fragmentation on plant species and plant communities. Our review included 259 peer-reviewed journal articles and 990 data entries. We found the frequency of reports of positive and negative responses to fragmentation were comparable but largely variable. Negative effects of fragmentation due to isolation, edge effects and fragment size were significant; but only edge effects and fragment size had significant positive effects. When looking at specific types of responses to isolation, we found negative effects on density, fecundity, colonization, succession rates and species richness, while positive effects were found on fecundity, herbivory/predation and colonization. Positive responses to edge effects were significant for density, fecundity, survival, growth and richness, and significantly negative for density, survival, colonization and richness. Effects of patch size were mostly significant for both positive and negative responses. We also assessed the effects of landscape fragmentation for different attributes of the studied system and found no differences among biomes, vegetation types, functional groups or life stages. Synthesis. Results of this integrated assessment indicate that broad generalizations about the effects of fragmentation on remnant vegetation may not be possible due the large variety of processes and responses associated with fragmentation. Results also identified key knowledge gaps, and areas of research needed to improve assessment and future management of plant species and plant communities in fragmented landscapes (e.g. lag effects, the role of the matrix and the patch quality and integrated effects along life cycles).
Treatment for Children With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Current Status and Future Directions

Although the treatment-efficacy literature for adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has advanced considerably with the publication of several methodologically rigorous contributions during the past decade, the child-focused PTSD literature has yet to extend beyond case illustrations and open trials. Central to this article is a review of the treatment-outcome literature for children with PTSD. Because few treatment studies have targeted trauma-exposed children relative to their adult counterparts, results of some methodologically rigorous investigations with adults are also cited in this review. From these investigations and from the available treatment-outcome data with children, we derive suggestions for future research.
Perceptions of moral integrity: Contradictions in need of explanation

The incidence of moral distress, compromised moral integrity, and leaving nursing is highest among nurses new to the profession. Understanding perceptions of moral integrity may assist in developing strategies to reduce distress and promote workforce retention. The purpose of this study was to determine how newly graduated baccalaureate prepared nurses perceive moral integrity and how prepared they feel to manage challenges to it. The design was qualitative descriptive using a confidential short answer online survey. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Moral integrity was perceived as acting like, becoming, and being a certain kind of person who was honest, trustworthy, consistently doing and standing up for what is right, despite the consequences but also expected to set aside their values and beliefs and do what others ask, even if this would mean acting contrary to their conscience. The contradiction within this perception needs explanation.
PDE-based image restoration: a hybrid model and color image denoising

The paper is concerned with PDE-based image restoration. A new model is introduced by hybridizing a nonconvex variant of the total variation minimization (TVM) and the motion by mean curvature (MMC) in order to deal with the mixture of the impulse and Gaussian noises reliably. We suggest the essentially nondissipative (ENoD) difference schemes for the MMC component to eliminate the impulse noise with a minimum (ideally no) introduction of dissipation. The MMC-TVM hybrid model and the ENoD schemes are applied for both gray-scale and color images. For color image denoising, we consider the chromaticity-brightness decomposition with the chromaticity formulated in the angle domain. An incomplete Crank-Nicolson alternating direction implicit time-stepping procedure is adopted to solve those differential equations efficiently. Numerical experiments have shown that the new hybrid model and the numerical schemes can remove the mixture of the impulse and Gaussian noises, efficiently and reliably, preserving edges quite satisfactorily.
Mitindomide Is a Catalytic Inhibitor of DNA Topoisomerase II That Acts at the Bisdioxopiperazine Binding Site

The antitumor drug mitindomide (NSC 284356) was shown to inhibit the decatenation activity of human and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) topoisomerase II [DNA topoisomerase (ATP-hydrolyzing), EC 5.99.1.1]. Mitindomide did not induce the formation of topoisomerase II-DNA covalent cleavable complexes in CHO cells. These results taken together indicate that mitindomide is a catalytic/noncleavable complex-forming-type inhibitor of topoisomerase II. The growth inhibitory effects of mitindomide and dexrazoxane toward a sensitive parent CHO cell line and the dexrazoxane-resistant DZR cell line, which is highly (500-fold) resistant to the bisdioxopiperazine dexrazoxane, were measured. The DZR cell line was shown to be 30-fold cross-resistant to mitindomide. Mitindomide, like dexrazoxane, was shown to inhibit cleavable complex formation by the topoisomerase II poison etoposide. The attenuated inhibition of etoposide-induced cleavable complexes in DZR compared with CHO cells was, likewise, very similar for dexrazoxane and mitindomide. Together these results suggest that mitindomide acts at the same site on topoisomerase II as does dexrazoxane and other bisdioxopiperazines. Various molecular parameters obtained by molecular modeling were compared for mitindomide and dexrazoxane. Mitindomide, which is conformationally very rigid, has highly coplanar imide rings, as does dexrazoxane in the solid state. Other molecular parameters, such as the imide nitrogen-to-imide nitrogen bond distances, and polar and nonpolar surface areas were also very similar. Thus, it is concluded that mitindomide exerts its antitumor effects through its inhibition of topoisomerase II by binding to the bisdioxopiperazine binding site.
Effects of Implanting Beef Steers with Zeranol on Fatty Acid Composition of Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Fat1

Abstract The effect of implanting with zeranol on modulation of fatty acid composition, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, of subcutaneous (s.c.) and i.m. fat of steers was investigated, and carcasses were evaluated for quality grade and yield grade components. Forty steers were divided into 2 groups (20 steers/group); both groups were fed the same diet. Steers were fed to a constant 10 mm fat thickness (measured by ultrasound). Implanting had no effect (P > 0.05) on quality or yield grade components, but the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, was greater (P
Fiber optic signal collection system for primary flight control applications

The FOPMN is a fiber-optic signal collection system for primary flight control applications. An avionics bay protected electro-optic interface unit transmits light down fiber optic cable to an optical sensor housed in the harsh environment of a hydraulic actuator. The interface unit also receives the sensor's reflected pattern and calculates independent positions from the multiplexed signals. This paper discusses the FOPMN method for fiber-optically sensing and multiplexing two channels of position of a TEF actuator's main ram cylinder. Currently installed in NASA Dryden's SRA F/A-18, the FOPMN has accumulated approximately 15 hours of flight time. A performance comparison is made between the FOPMN positions and the flight control computer's feedback mechanism (the actuator LVDTs). Included is a discussion of some of the lessons learned as a result of testing the FOPMN in the lab and in flight. The FOPMN is well on its way to proving itself as a robust fiber optic system with the ability to multiplex numerous optical sensors for primary flight control. The success of the FOPMN leads to the second phase of the project--optical loop closure. Our goal for this phase is to have four FOPMN sensor channels on the main ram and/or the main control valve of the actuator to serve as the quad redundant feedback mechanism for flight control.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
How do some plants tolerate low levels of soil zinc? Mechanisms of zinc efficiency in crop plants

Researchers are beginning to understand how some plant genotypes can maintain reasonable growth and yields under low soil Zn, a trait termed zinc efficiency (ZE). Several studies have shown no correlation between ZE and root Zn uptake, Zn translocation to shoot, or shoot Zn accumulation. Furthermore, it has not been possible to conclusively link differences in leaf subcellular Zn compartmentation with ZE. However, biochemical Zn utilization, including the ability to maintain the activity of Zn requiring enzymes in response to Zn deficiency may be a key component of ZE. The next logical step in investigations of this trait is research on the genetic and molecular basis for ZE, in order to better understand the relationship between Zn utilization and ZE, and to identify the gene(s) controlling ZE. Progress in this research area could provide the knowledge to facilitate the engineering of Zn-efficient plant varieties, which could help both crop production on marginal soils as well as possibly improve the micronutrient density of food crops to help address significant human nutrition problems related to micronutrient deficiency.
Evaluation of Ultra-Low-Speed Jitter in Rolling Balls

The frictional resistance generated by a ball bearing, when starting from rest, increases to a free rolling value in a finite amount of time instead of experiencing an instantaneous step increase. This is due to the complex ball dynamics involved. A change in the direction of rotation results in a reversal of the bearings dynamic torque characteristics. When a traversing process is continuously repeated, the friction torque of the bearing traces out hysteresis loops. This phenomenon is often described as ball jitter. An apparatus was built to study the ultra-low-speed hysteresis behavior found in jittering ball bearings. This behavior was first modeled by P. R. Dahl (1968). He found torque hysteresis loops to be characterized by the steady rolling friction torque, Ts , and the reversal torque slope, σ. A theoretical expression for Ts has been verified in previous research by Lovell et al. (1991), but no expression for σ has currently been determined at low speeds. Therefore, the experimental testing apparatus was canonically designed to incorporate three balls, rather than a full bearing. This was done in order that the characteristics of σ could be more readily determined, as many additional friction elements which occur in full bearings were eliminated. The effects of normal load, rotational rate, and lubrication regime on σ were all investigated using the testing apparatus. The experimental values obtained for the rest slope were coupled with previously determined values of Ts , so that empirical Dahl hysteresis curves could be generated. Excellent correlation was found to exist between the experimental jitter torque data and Dahl predicted dynamic torque behavior.
Differentiation of Micrococcus luteus and Micrococcus varians on the Basis of Catalase Isoenzymes

SUMMARY: Crude extracts prepared from four Micrococcus varians strains, II M. luteus strains and four laboratory isolates subsequently classified with M. luteus were assayed for catalase activity following electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. The enzyme patterns produced from the M. varians strains exhibited three catalase isoenzymes which were distinguished into two types of patterns depending upon the location of the major band. The extracts from all the M. luteus strains produced the same pattern, composed of two catalase isoenzymes of similar electro-phoretic mobility. For both species the isoenzyme patterns agreed with the differentiation based on biochemical properties. The catalase activity staining method was shown to be a restricted yet reliable assay in the intrageneric but not intraspecies differentiation of yellow-pigmented micrococci.
A Multi-partition Multi-chunk Ensemble Technique to Classify Concept-Drifting Data Streams

We propose a multi-partition, multi-chunk ensemble classifier based data mining technique to classify concept-drifting data streams. Existing ensemble techniques in classifying concept-drifting data streams follow a single-partition, single-chunk approach, in which a single data chunk is used to train one classifier. In our approach, we train a collection of v classifiers from r consecutive data chunks using v -fold partitioning of the data, and build an ensemble of such classifiers. By introducing this multi-partition, multi-chunk ensemble technique, we significantly reduce classification error compared to the single-partition, single-chunk ensemble approaches. We have theoretically justified the usefulness of our algorithm, and empirically proved its effectiveness over other state-of-the-art stream classification techniques on synthetic data and real botnet traffic.
Chi-Squared-Type Tests for Ordered Alternatives in Contingency Tables

Abstract It is well known that the classical Pearson's chi-squared test for contingency tables does not have good power against ordered alternatives. Such alternatives arise naturally when there is an ordering in the rows or columns of the table. This article considers a general class of tests called cumulative chi-squared—type (CCS-type) tests for ordered alternatives. Different members of this class correspond to the choice of different weighting schemes. The properties of the CCS-type statistics are examined, and their relationships to Cramer-von Mises goodness-of-fit tests, Neyman—Barton smooth tests, and asymptotically optimal score tests are discussed. The properties of TE , Taguchi's (1966, 1974) “cumulative-sum” statistic obtained by assigning a weight to each term that is inversely proportional to its (conditional) expectation under the null hypothesis, and a simpler statistic, Tc , which assigns constant weights, are investigated in detail. The main tool for studying the properties of the CCS-ty...
Meditative Dialogue: Cultivating the Transformative Theater of Psychotherapy

This article offers a selective review of literature on the use of improvisation and play to promote “the bursting forth from the unknown in the moment” (Kindler, 2010, p. 224) in what I term the “theater of psychotherapy.” It presents an innovative Meditative Dialogue process through which clients and their therapists are able to cultivate and access this “theater” as they co-create creative spaces in which transformative experiences are accessible. A brief vignette offers an illustration of how the Meditative Dialogue process helps to develop intimacy, presence, and focus through a collaborative positioning of curiosity, openness, and enlivenment in the therapeutic relationship.