cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Feedback Mechanisms in Robotic Surgery Curriculum in Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency

Study Objective Overcoming the learning curve in robotic surgery requires appreciable effort. A structured curriculum in robotic gynecologic surgery was established for residents at an academic teaching hospital. This study aimed to explore resident experience with robotic surgery and training and to elicit resident preferences for feedback within the curriculum. Design A survey assessing demographics, surgical preparation methods, robotic surgical experience and comfort, and feedback preferences was distributed electronically to current obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residents. Responses were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Setting This study was conducted in the OB/GYN residency at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. Patients or Participants The survey was sent to the 47 current OB/GYN residents in the academic year 2019-2020. A total of 29 responses were elicited. Interventions N/A Measurements and Main Results Eighteen residents (18/29; 62%) reported console experience in at least one robotic surgery. Most (26/29; 90%) stated that prior to operating on the robotic console they felt uncomfortable or very uncomfortable. Prior to console experience, residents primarily used online videos (62%), VR simulation (48%) or observation of live surgery (48%) as preparation. Of note, 7 (24%) residents reported no preparation prior to robotic surgery; these were PGY1 or PGY2 residents who also reported no prior console experience. After console experience, ongoing preparation techniques remained similar, although more residents reported in engaging in pre-operative preparation. All reported that they do receive feedback on surgical skills, but perception of usefulness, timeliness, and structure varied. Feedback was reported as useful and timely, but not well-structured. Most residents (28/29, 97%) indicated that they would prefer real-time feedback immediately after console experience. Conclusion OB/GYN residents report that they are not comfortable with robotic surgery training. Current practices for preparation include self-directed activities, but they do not begin until after surgical console experience. This study demonstrates that early initiation of structured learning with feedback is necessary.
Two-dimensional resonant triad interactions in a two-layer system

We consider resonant triad interactions between surface and internal gravity waves propagating in two horizontal dimensions in a two-layer system with a free surface. As the system supports both surface and internal wave modes, two different types of resonant triad interactions are possible: one with two surface and one internal wave modes and the other with one surface and two internal wave modes. The resonance conditions are studied in detail over a wide range of physical parameters (density and depth ratios). Explicitly identified are the spectral domains of resonance whose boundaries represent one-dimensional resonances (class I–IV). To study the nonlinear interaction between two-dimensional surface and internal waves, a spectral model is derived from an explicit Hamiltonian system for a two-layer system after decomposing the surface and interface motions into the two wave modes through a canonical transformation. For both types of resonances, the amplitude equations are obtained from the reduced Hamiltonian of the spectral model. Numerical solutions of the explicit Hamiltonian system using a pseudo-spectral method are presented for various resonance conditions and are compared with those of the amplitude equations.
Salt sensitivity of corn at various growth stages

This study was conducted to determine the relative salt tolerance of corn (Zea mays L.) at different growth stages from germination to maturity when grown in organic soil. Another objective was to determine how rapidly and to what extent the salinity of the irrigation water can be increased during the growing season without decreasing the yield of corn. Germination tests on 16 cultivars showed that corn is relatively tolerant during germination. All but 2 cultivars germinated satisfactorily at soil water salinities, ECsw up to 10 dS/m (1 dS/m=1 mmho/cm). In separate greenhouse experiments, emergence of nine corn cultivars grown in an organic muck soil was delayed by increasing soil salinity but the final emergence percentage 6 days after planting was unaffected by ECsw up to 9.3 dS/m. Seedling growth was much more sensitive to salinity than seed germination. The threshold ECsw for dry matter yields at 21 days was below 1.0 dS/m for most cultivars. Salinities above this threshold of 1 dS/m decreased seedling growth 4.9% per unit increase in ECsw. The salt tolerance thresholds for ear and grain yields were much higher than for seedling growth, while yield decrements per unit increase in EC, above this threshold were greater. Fresh ear yields of Bonanza, a sweet corn cultivar, decreased 7.7% per unit increase in ECsw above a threshold of 5.8 dS/m. Dry grain yields decreased 10.1% per unit increase above 5.5 dS/m. Increasing the salinity of the irrigation water to 9 dS/m at the tasseling and/or grain filling stages did not significantly decrease yields below those obtained where irrigation water salinities were kept constant.
TCR-BERT: learning the grammar of T-cell receptors for flexible antigen-xbinding analyses

The T-cell receptor (TCR) allows T-cells to recognize and respond to antigens presented by infected and diseased cells. However, due to TCRs9 staggering diversity and the complex binding dynamics underlying TCR antigen recognition, it is challenging to predict which antigens a given TCR may bind to. Here, we present TCR-BERT, a deep learning model that applies self-supervised transfer learning to this problem. TCR-BERT leverages unlabeled TCR sequences to learn a general, versatile representation of TCR sequences, enabling numerous downstream applications. We demonstrate that TCR-BERT can be used to build state-of-the-art TCR-antigen binding predictors with improved generalizability compared to prior methods. TCR-BERT simultaneously facilitates clustering sequences likely to share antigen specificities. It also facilitates computational approaches to challenging, unsolved problems such as designing novel TCR sequences with engineered binding affinities. Importantly, TCR-BERT enables all these advances by focusing on residues with known biological significance. TCR-BERT can be a useful tool for T-cell scientists, enabling greater understanding and more diverse applications, and provides a conceptual framework for leveraging unlabeled data to improve machine learning on biological sequences.
Transgenic Models for Studies of Oxytocin and Vasopressin

The number of studies of the nervous system using transgenic mice has grown explosively over the past decade, presenting a wide spectrum of approaches. Transgenic mice have been used to model human disease, to understand physiologic roles of genes, and to understand the regulation of genes (1). For example, transgenes composed of a gene’s promoter directing expression of a reporter gene such as beta-galactosidase may be used to follow expression of a gene during development (2), after various mutations are made in the promoter region to look for cell or regulatory specificity (3), and to study various physiological states (4). Regulatory studies may also use reporters (e.g., green fluorescent protein) that allow for real-time measurement of activity, either in vivo or in various tissue preparations, that is precluded by difficulties in assaying the promoter’s natural gene product. Transgenic mice may also be used to perturb a particular system by overexpressing a gene or by reducing the gene’s expression and/or effectiveness through antisense or dominant negative expression (5). Transgenic expression of certain products, such as tumor promoters or fluorescent substances, may allow for the isolation of immortalized and homogeneous cells for further study (6,7). Finally, transgenic mice may be used in the attempt to correct defects in mutant mice, either those found accidentally or those produced through homologous recombination or random mutagenesis (8).
The effect of oral contraceptive treatment on the serum concentration of dehydroisoandrosterone sulfate.

Abstract Dehydroisoandrosterone sulfate (DS), the major C 19 -steroid in the human circulation, was measured in serum obtained from blood samples collected daily (8 to 10 a.m.) throughout the menstrual cycles of eight normal, presumably ovulatory women and daily throughout the treatment cycles in four women taking an oral contraceptive (norethindrone, 1 mg., plus mestranol, 80 mcg.). The serum concentrations of DS in the ovulatory women ranged from 1,025 to 4,200 ng. per milliliter; mean, 2,062 ± 137 ng. per milliliter (mean and standard error; n=213). Serum DS concentrations during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycles of these women were similar. In women taking the oral contraceptive, the plasma DS concentrations ranged from 475 to 1,400 ng. per milliliter (mean, 895 ± 83; n=119). The 24 hour secretory pattern of DS was evaluated in one subject during a nontreatment cycle and again after 20 days of oral contraceptive treatment. In this subject, the mean serum DS level was 34 per cent lower during oral contraceptive treatment than the level before treatment. The decrease in the serum concentration of DS during oral contraceptive treatment likely results from a reduction in adrenal DS secretion since DS secretion by the normal human ovary is negligible and ovarian dehydroisoandrosterone secretion is small. Therefore, it is likely that the reduced serum DS levels in women taking oral contraceptives are the consequence of reduced adrenal secretion of DS resulting from reduced release of adrenocorticotropic hormone.
Consistency of strategic and tactical benchmarking performance measures

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the consistency of benchmarking performance measures and to investigate the impact of organizational size and managerial positions on the deployment of strategic and tactical benchmarking performance measures. Design/methodology/approach – A set of eight hypotheses was used to examine the consistency of the benchmarking performance measures and the impact of organizational size and managerial positions on selection of strategic and tactical benchmarking performance measures. A questionnaire-based survey data were used to test the hypotheses. The target population was manufacturing firms in Midwestern USA; the sample covers organizations in a variety of industries. Out of 91 completed surveys received, 84 surveys were usable resulting in a response rate of 17 percent. Findings – The paper found evidence of misalignment between organizational goals and objectives and proactive development of organizational core capabilities. The result also indicates that ma...
Stress reactivity to an electronic version of the Trier Social Stress Test: a pilot study

Social stressors that rely on the inclusion of confederates (i.e., Trier Social Stress Test; TSST) are often used in clinical laboratory research paradigms to elicit a measurable stress response in participants. Although effective, the TSST is labor intensive and may introduce error variance as a function of confederate race, gender, and/or response characteristics. The present study aimed to develop and validate an electronic version of the TSST (e-TSST). The primary aim was to compare the e-TSST to an e-neutral control condition; the exploratory aim was to compare the magnitude of stress response elicited by the e-TSST to that elicited by the traditional TSST. Forty-three healthy adults were randomized to the e-TSST or e-neutral condition. Subjective (participant-rated distress) and objective (cortisol, heart rate and blood pressure) indices of stress were collected prior to, and multiple times following, the stressor. Using archival data collected from 19 healthy participants exposed to the traditional TSST in a prior study, stress reactivity was compared between the electronic and traditional versions of the TSST. The e-TSST elicited significant increases in all measures of stress reactivity compared to the e-neutral condition, with the exception of heart rate (HR). Results showed that the magnitude of subjective distress, BP, and HR responses elicited by the e-TSST did not differ significantly from that elicited by the traditional TSST. The traditional TSST elicited significantly higher cortisol than the e-TSST. Although these findings provide initial support for the development of electronic versions of the TSST, further refinement of the e-TSST is warranted prior to broad adoption of this technology. A refined, reliable e-TSST could allow for increased utilization of the TSST by enhancing convenience, reducing labor costs, and limiting potential error variance introduced by human confederates.
Protein synthesis in sea urchin eggs. I. Fertilization-induced changes in subcellular fractions.

Abstract Ribosomal pellet and supernatant fractions separated by high speed centrifugation from unfertilized and fertilized sea urchin eggs have been recombined with each other and with total homogenate and tested for their capacity to incorporate valine-14C into protein. The ribosomal pellet from the fertilized egg was always active when tested with either unfertilized or fertilized egg supernatant or with unfertilized egg total homogenate. On the other hand, the unfertilized egg ribosomal fraction was always inactive. The unfertilized egg supernatant was less efficient than the supernatant derived from fertilized eggs when tested with fertilized egg ribosomal pellets. This relative lower efficiency could be attributed in part to the lower activity of amino acyl-RNA synthetase and to the unavailability of sRNA in the unfertilized egg.
Fine-grained sleep monitoring: Hearing your breathing with smartphones

Sleep monitoring has drawn increasingly attention as the quality and quantity of the sleep are important to maintain a person's health and well-being. For example, inadequate and irregular sleep are usually associated with serious health problems such as fatigue, depression and cardiovascular disease. Traditional sleep monitoring systems, such as PSG, involve wearable sensors with professional installations, and thus are limited to clinical usage. Recent work in using smartphone sensors for sleep monitoring can detect several events related to sleep, such as body movement, cough and snore. Such coarse-grained sleep monitoring however is unable to detect the breathing rate which is an important vital sign and health indicator. This work presents a fine-grained sleep monitoring system which is capable of detecting the breathing rate by leveraging smartphones. Our system exploits the readily available smartphone earphone placed close to the user to reliably capture the human breathing sound. Given the captured acoustic sound, our system performs noise reduction to remove environmental noise and then identifies the breathing rate based on the signal envelope detection. Our system can further detect detailed sleep events including snore, cough, turn over and get up based on the acoustic features extracted from the acoustic sound. Our experimental evaluation of six subjects over six months time period demonstrates that the breathing rate monitoring and sleep events detection are highly accurate and robust under various environments. By combining breathing rate and sleep events, our system can provide continuous and noninvasive fine-grained sleep monitoring for healthcare related applications, such as sleep apnea monitoring as evidenced by our experimental study.
Time-Frequency Analysis of GALLEX and GNO Solar Neutrino Data: Evidence Suggestive of Asymmetric and Variable Nuclear Burning

Time-frequency analysis of data from the GALLEX and GNO solar neutrino experiments shows that some features in power-spectrum analyses of those datasets are due to aliasing. We normalize data for each of the four experiments in the GALLEX series, concatenate the resulting normalized data, and then form time-frequency displays. We also form time-frequency displays of the two principal modulations found in the data, at 11.87 yr-1 and at 13.63 yr-1, and of the datasets formed by subtracting these modulations from the actual (normalized) data. The results suggest that the true modulation is that at 11.87 yr-1, consistent with the results of our earlier analysis of Homestake solar neutrino data. Comparison with helioseismology data indicates that modulation is occurring either in the radiative zone just below the tachocline, presumably by the RSFP (resonant spin-flavor precession) process, or in the core, presumably due to inhomogeneities and fluctuations in the nuclear-burning process.
Effect of erythrocyte aggregation on velocity profiles in venules

A recent whole organ study in cat skeletal muscle showed that the increase in venous resistance seen at reduced arterial pressures is nearly abolished when the muscle is perfused with a nonaggregat...
Circuit analysis using personal computers

The University of California Berkeley SPICE program (version 2G.5) was compiled using the MicroSoft Fortran compiler on an IBM PC. Full functionality of the original program was achieved. In addition, local enhancements, such as gradient optimization and Monte Carlo analyses, were included, and code was added to generate both soft- and hard-copy graphics displays. All analyses are performed in double precision, so the results are as accurate as those obtained on most mainframe implementations. No special hardware is required to run the program. The techniques used to perform the code conversion and the results of analyses performed on example circuits are presented. Performance comparisons and program limitations are presented. >
Theories of Reaction Rates

A theoretical model for chemical reaction might take one of two forms. It could be designed to interpret molecular beam experiments which would necessitate detailed consideration of the possible outcomes of molecular collisions; it could yield, e.g., the reaction cross section (Figs. 8.3 and 8.5) and the product angular distribution (Figs. 8.7, 8.8, 8.10, 8.11, and 8.13). Such an undertaking would be exceptionally ambitious. It would essentially require theoretical predictions of all details of the reaction process.
State Consumer Protection Acts: An Empirical Investigation of Private Litigation

Since the 1960s, all fifty states and the District of Columbia have enacted state consumer protection acts (CPAs). These acts were a response to increased demands for consumer protection and business regulation, criticism of the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer protection efforts, and a sense that common law causes of action available to consumers were too strict. Originally considered "mini-FTC Acts," CPAs were intended to increase the resources available to pursue consumer protection cases. Their proponents see them as a vital complement to the FTC’s limited consumer protection efforts, necessary to allow plaintiffs to overcome the strict limitations on common law causes of action and to provide adequate incentives for individuals to challenge unfair and deceptive business practices.However, there is increasing concern that these acts do more than simply supplement FTC enforcement, but expand the scope of consumer protection litigation beyond well-established avenues of consumer protection. Critics fear that by combining private rights of action, generous remedies, and vague definitions of illegal conduct, without including any requirement that CPA litigation serve the public interest, CPAs may encourage frivolous claims and attorney-driven class actions that ultimately hurt, rather than protect consumers.The Searle Civil Justice Institute (SCJI) seeks to inform policy debates with systematically collected and rigorously analyzed empirical data. Despite clear relevance to the key policy questions, there is an absence of such analysis on state consumer protection acts. Little systematic information is available on magnitude, trends, or nature of litigation under state CPAs.In this Preliminary Report, the SCJI State Consumer Protection Acts Task Force begins the process of creating a more complete picture of state consumer protection acts. The SCJI has engaged in a massive data collection and analysis effort, collecting information on CPAs in all fifty states, assembling a database of about 17,000 court decisions, and closely examining 500 of these decisions. The SCJI also commissioned a panel of consumer protection experts to serve as a "Shadow Federal Trade Commission." This Shadow FTC examined a sample of consumer protection decisions and considered how they would fare under relevant FTC standards. The analysis presented in this Preliminary Report was conducted according to the SCJI Research Protocol and has been subjected to independent peer review. The results contained in this Preliminary Report fully and accurately reflect the results of SCJI’s data collection and analysis.This Preliminary Report marks the beginning of rigorous analytical examination of state consumer protection acts. It is denoted as preliminary for two reasons. First, SCJI intends to continue its empirical work on CPAs by developing an analysis of the impact of state CPAs on consumer welfare. Second, SCJI is prepared to refine its work based on future studies, critiques, and ongoing debate.
Expression of myc, fos, and Ha-ras in the livers of furan-treated F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice.

Furan administered by gavage for 2 yr has been reported to induce hepatocellular carcinomas in male and female B6C3F1 mice and in male but not female F344 rats. Chronic exposure studies in our laboratory using bioassay conditions showed extensive hepatocellular toxicity and sustained increases in regenerative cell proliferation after 1,3, and 6 wk of treatment in male and female rats and male mice. Altered expression of growth-control genes associated with this hyperproliferative state may enhance the susceptibility of these genes to mutation or may provide a selective growth advantage to preneoplastic cells. Quantitative northern blot analysis of mRNA was used to examine the expression of the oncogenes myc, fos, and Ha-ras in the livers of animals treated with furan. In male rats, a single administration of 30 mg/kg furan produced necrosis and a subsequent wave of cell proliferation 48 h after treatment and induced transient peaks in the expression of myc, fos, and Ha-ras 6–24 h after treatment. In male rat liver from our cell proliferation studies, only a slight increase in myc expression was seen at the end of week 1 of treatment. However, beginning at week 3 and increasing at week 6, up to a 15-fold increase over control values was observed in the expression of myc in the treated animals. The only other notable increase in expression observed in any animals from the cell proliferation study was a threefold increase in myc at week 6 in treated female rats. The absence of an increase in Ha-ras expression in the male mouse liver suggests that the unique patternof Ha-ras mutations previously reported in furan-induced mouse liver tumors is not due to increased mutational susceptibility related to overexpression of this gene. The lack of sustained expression of myc, fos, and Ha-ras in rapidly proliferating liver suggests that continuous expression of these genes is not necessary to maintain increased rates of cell replication. The large increase in myc expression in male but not female rats suggests an adaptive change that may be related to the sex-specific incidence of furan-induced hepatocellular carcinomas in rats. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Physical and chemical properties of (Y1-xCax)(Ba2-xLax)Cu3O7-δ

The metallic conductivity of both the CuO2 sheets and the CuOx chains of YBa2Cu3O7−δ has been established. We have used double doping in (Y1−xCax)(Ba2−xLax)Cu3O7−δ to destroy the integrity of the CuO1−δ chains while keeping constant the total oxidation state of the Cu-O array. A break-up of the chain segments allows us to establish the temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient, α(T), due to the CuO2 sheets and, by difference, that of the CuO1−δ chains in YBa2Cu3O7−δ. We also show that double doping enhances significantly the chemical stability of the superconductive phase. The origin of the chemical stability and of the behavior of α(T) is interpreted.
Effects of gelsolin on macrophage inflammatory responses to orthopaedic implant wear debris.

Abstract The local effects of implant wear debris on surrounding tissue has been a major focus of many investigators. Although there have been improvements in implants, significant numbers of revision surgeries are performed to address these issues. Gelsolin (GSN) is a protein in the cytoplasm and circulating serum involved in actin breakdown as well as anti-inflammatory processes. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that GSN in the presence of wear debris in vitro decreases the inflammatory response of a human monocyte cell line. We utilized titanium-, polyethylene-, and cobalt-characterized wear particles in a 1:100 and a 1:500 cell-to-particle ratios in the presence of a low (0.2 µM) and normal (2.0 µM) concentrations of GSN and compared the inflammatory response to cells without GSN exposure. The results show that IL-6, IL-1, TNF-α, and PGE₂ all increased with higher concentrations of GSN. Although the anti-inflammatory properties of GSN were not seen in this in vitro experiment, it has previously been shown that GSN does affect the inflammatory response of monocytes to orthopedic implant wear debris. The dose-response curve for GSN may have a bimodal profile, which should be further investigated.
Feeding strategy and the mechanics of blood sucking in insects

As a means of exploring foraging strategies of blood-feeding insects, we studied the mechanics of blood feeding. We develop a mechanistic model for the dynamics of non-Newtonian fluid flow to describe the feeding process for blood feeders. Using available feeding and morphological data, we examine the relationship of feeding time to proboscis design, and consider optimal foraging strategies for blood feeders. Because of the flow rates typical of many blood feeders, the non-Newtonian nature of blood is of little importance for flow dynamics. Observed feeding times and flow rates do not necessarily reflect the energy requirements for feeding. The radius of the food canal is the major morphological determinant of flow dynamics. Feeding time is a monotonically increasing function of blood hematocrit. There is an optimal blood hematocrit of 0.3 which maximizes the rate of total protein intake for blood feeders, regardless of the energy output or proboscis design. This hematocrit level is typical of humans with blood parasite infections. In contrast, the rate of red blood cell intake is maximized at a hematocrit of 0.4. We argue that the existence of such optima may be a general consequence of the mechanics of feeding on nutrients dissolved or suspended in a fluid medium. Results are discussed in relation to foraging strategy, proboscis design, and the coevolution among host, vector, and parasite in blood feeding insects.
Correlates of past-year status among treated and untreated persons with former alcohol dependence: United States, 1992

Past-year status was investigated in a sample of 4,585 adults with prior DSM-IV alcohol dependence. Those who had and had not received treatment for alcohol problems were compared in terms of past-year status and its correlates, to see if the experience of treatment samples would be reflective of the course of alcoholism in the general population. In the past year, 27.8% of the total sample met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence, 22.3% were abstinent, and 49.9% were drinkers who did not satisfy the criteria for either abuse or dependence. Persons who had been treated for alcohol problems were about twice as likely to be abstainers as those who had not been treated (38.8% vs. 16.4%), but only about half as likely to fall into the past-year category of drinking without abuse or dependence (28.0% vs. 57.8%). These differentials were of constant magnitude, regardless of the interval since the onset of dependence. For the sample as a whole, persons who had received treatment were slightly more likely than their untreated counterparts to have had alcohol abuse or dependence in the past year (33.2% vs. 25.8%), and this differential increased with the interval since the onset of dependence. The odds of both past-year abstinence and drinking without abuse or dependence were decreased by male gender, Black race, rapidity of the onset of dependence and ethanol intake per drinking day, and were increased by ever having been married and by later ages at onset of dependence. The odds of drinking without abuse or dependence relative to abstinence were increased by college attendance and reduced by the number of dependence symptoms, and having been a daily drinker was associated with increased odds of past-year abstinence. Treatment history modified the associations between past-year status and race, marital and educational status, number of past alcohol problems, and rapidity of onset of dependence and age at onset. These results suggest that treatment studies may not be generalizable to alcoholics who do not seek treatment.
Bioinformatics—an introduction for computer scientists

The article aims to introduce computer scientists to the new field of bioinformatics. This area has arisen from the needs of biologists to utilize and help interpret the vast amounts of data that are constantly being gathered in genomic research---and its more recent counterparts, proteomics and functional genomics. The ultimate goal of bioinformatics is to develop in silico models that will complement in vitro and in vivo biological experiments. The article provides a bird's eye view of the basic concepts in molecular cell biology, outlines the nature of the existing data, and describes the kind of computer algorithms and techniques that are necessary to understand cell behavior. The underlying motivation for many of the bioinformatics approaches is the evolution of organisms and the complexity of working with incomplete and noisy data. The topics covered include: descriptions of the current software especially developed for biologists, computer and mathematical cell models, and areas of computer science that play an important role in bioinformatics.
Where the Waters Divide: First Nations, Tainted Water and Environmental Justice in Canada

Abstract We have survived Canada's assault on our identity and our rights … Our survival is a testament to our determination and will to survive as a people. We are prepared to participate in Canada's future—but only on the terms that we believe to be our rightful heritage. Wallace Labillois, Council of Elders, Kingsclear, New Brunswick This paper argues for a strengthening of the theoretical relationship between neo-liberalism and environmental justice. Empirical research involving First Nations communities in southwestern Ontario suggests that neo-liberal reforms introduced in the mid-1990s were particularly discriminatory against Canada's indigenous peoples, serving to exacerbate historical disparities in health, environment pollution, and well-being. In particular, under neo-liberal reform in Ontario, recognition of environmental injustices has become much more difficult for First Nations communities. Furthermore, this ‘new’ form of environmental governance has broadly reduced legitimate opportunities...
Probability gate statistics

A probability gate presents a fixed but controllable transmission probability p to pulses arriving at its input. This paper describes some statistical properties of the transformation imposed by a gate on the input distribution of interpulse intervals. The output distribution of interpulse intervals is derived in terms of the input density and p. A simple relation is shown to hold between the moment generating functions, and the first four output moments are presented in terms of the input moments and p. Certain restrictions on the kinds of obtainable output distributions are discussed. In particular, a condition is established that specifies when the output density is a “replica” of the input distribution.
Dicatonic 2,4-diaryl pyrimidines as DNA selective binding agents

Abstract A series of twelve 2,4-diaryl pyrimidines were synthesized. The interaction of these molecules with DNA was evaluated by study of their binding to their DNA duplex polymer poly dA·poly dT and the analogous RNA duplex polymer poly A·poly U which serves as a control for binding to non-specific nucleic acid sites.
New templates for prior thiol capture from xanthene, dibenzo[c,h]xanthen-7-one and 2-methylenedihydrobenzofuran

Abstract The efficiencies of O,N-acyl transfer are reported for mixed disulfides from title compounds and L-Cys. EM values in the range of 1-6 M are observed for intramolecular acyl transfer with L-Cys disulfides from 7-acyloxy-2-thiomethylbenzofurans.
A rate theory analysis of the temperature dependence dislocation velocity

Abstract A previous study showed that when the apparent activation energy is a linear function of the stress the relation between the dislocation velocity, v , and the stress, τ, can be described well for many crystals on the basis of an asymmetrical potential energy barrier, account being taken of the forward and reverse processes. The present investigation was carried out to determine whether the temperature dependence of dislocation velocity could be described on the same basis, assuming that the activation parameters are independent of the temperature. It is shown that with these simple conditions the rate theory is in good agreement with the experimental results obtained on the stress and temperature dependence of the dislocation velocity for Ge, Si and CaF 2 . A relationship was also derived from the absolute rate theory for the description of the stress sensitivity, ∂ln v /∂lnτ. The expression explains fully the experimental results obtained in Al, Cu and Ag in terms of physical quantities over the whole temperature range It is concluded that the asymmetrical, triangular energy barrier shape is a useful approximation for the analysis of the thermally activated movement of dislocations.
Double minutes in the HeLa cell line

Metaphase preparations of three sublines of the HeLa line showed the presence of double minutes (DM) in varying frequencies. In two sublines (S3 and TCH-3753), the size of the DM was variable, whereas in the Fe-1000 subline, they were uniform. Giemsa banding preparations revealed typical HeLa marker chromosomes in all sublines.
T-independent but not T-dependent antigens maintain surface Ig of lymphocytes.

Abstract The effect of T-independent (TIA) and T-dependent (IDA) antigens on the surface Ig of 24-hr cultured rabbit spleen cells was investigated by two techniques: the proportion of cells bearing surface Ig was determined by direct rosette formation with anti-light chain allotype-coated erythrocytes; the total amount of surface Ig was estimated by labeling the cells with anti-allotype 125I-labeled Fab fragments. The addition of TIA resulted in the maintenance of the proportion of Ig-bearing cells almost to the initial level, an effect which could not be obtained with any of the TDA tested. The same type of effect was observed when the total amount of surface Ig was measured, i.e., there was a slight reduction (about 24%) in the amount of surface Ig in cultures to which TIAs were added and an almost sixfold reduction (about 70%) in cultures to which TDA, Con A, or no antigen was added. Some but not all of the TIA were able to induce [3H]TdR incorporation in 3-day spleen-cell cultures. We concluded that the common feature of TIA is the ability to stimulate the turnover of B-cell surface Ig, a feature that can be used for an easy screening of TIA.
Electrochemical detection for high-performance liquid chromatography using a Kel-F wax-graphite electrode

Abstract A carbon paste electrode using Kel-F wax as the binder was characterized for electrochemical detection in high-performance liquid chromatography. The resulting electrode was stable in solutions with high organic content and possessed good reproducibility and detection limit. The amperometric response of the Kel-F wax carbon paste electrode by flow injection analysis was about 26% higher than that of Kel-F oil carbon paste electrode in an acetonitrile-water (70:30) solution. This represented a two-fold improvement over the Nujol oil carbon paste electrode. Cyclic voltammetric data indicated the greater response of the Kel-F wax carbon paste electrode in high-acetonitrile-containing solutions was due to a higher surface area caused in part by solvent swelling of the electrode. Three unconjugated estrogens were separated and detected satisfactorily at the pg level using this Kel-F wax carbon paste electrode.
Comparison of Lubricant Performance in an Oscillating Spacecraft Mechanism

Abstract : A life test of lubricants for the R2 shaft bearings of a spacecraft oscillating scanner mechanism was performed under simulated orbital conditions. The lubricant originally used in the application, a chloroarylalkylsiloxane (CAS) oil, and a linear perfluoropolyalkylether (PEPE) oil failed in less than 2500 h or operation. A poly-alpha-olefin (PAO) oil has been running for more than 11,000 h without any indication of lubricant or system degradation. The performances of the oils are discussed in terms of the boundary lubrication conditions of the test. Keywords: Degradation, Lubricants, Oscillating spacecraft mechanism, Perfluoropolyalkylether wear tests.
The organization of work in Polybia occidentalis: costs and benefits of specialization in a social wasp

Nest construction, a complex social activity requiring the coordination of 3 tasks (Fig.2), was compared in large (<350 adults) and small (<50 adults) colonies of Polybia occidentalis. The 3 tasks—water foraging, pulp foraging, and building—are performed by 3 separate groups of workers (Fig.4). Of the 8 acts comprising the 3 tasks, 5 regularly involve the transfer of water or pulp from one worker to another on the nest.
Effects of ultraviolet radiation on toad early life stages.

Background Exposure to harmful levels of ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB), a component of solar radiation, has been suggested as a potential cause of amphibian declines.
Love, Science, and Politics in the Fiction of Shestidesiatnitsy N. P. Suslova and S. V. Kovalevskaia

In the 1860s, Russian radicalism evolved from a handful of circles into an independent subculture and the beginnings of a revolutionary movement.' The most important recent work on the 1860s attributes this dramatic shift to the emergence of "new principles of behavior," among which a new attitude toward love was the essential element.2 The nihilists, or shestidesiatniki, as the members of this early radical generation were known, transformed their erotic relationships and the practice of courtship into signs of ideological affiliation. They rejected the eloquence, gentle manners, meticulous grooming, and aristocratic dress of polite society in favor of their own argot, fashion, and social mores. In fact, as a cohort, this generation of radicals was recognizable less for any articulated political program than for cultural politics which called into question traditional forms of social life and were expressed through the medium of everyday life-in clothes, speech, and social conduct. Most notorious were the nigilistki (nihilist women) who traded their hooped skirts and crinolines for black jumpers, wore blue-tinted glasses, smoked cigarettes, cropped their hair, and received men unaccompanied by chaperones.3 Memoirs, periodicals, police records, and literary sources all suggest that radicals viewed the trans-
Patterns of targeting and encouraging participation of elder consumers in human services marketing.

Competition within the older adult services sector is fueling the widespread adoption of an organizational marketing mentality. Yet little is known of the degree of variation in marketing technology and commitment to elder consumer subgroups in different health and social service settings or the extent to which elders are involved actively in the marketing process. This paper addressed these issues drawing on study data collected from 274 elder service programs in six major U.S. metropolitan areas. Findings confirm that providers frequently co-market their services with other organizations and target multiple constituencies but do not distinguish as well among specialized segments of the elder population varying in terms of gender, physical and mental capacity, age, financial status, or race. Significant predictors (p < .05) of increased levels of elder participation in the agency marketing process include length of time marketing, specialized training in marketing, and nonsectarian auspice (R2=.22). Resu...
Chlorpromazine in chronic schizophrenia: behavioral dose-response relationships.

Fixed daily doses of chlorpromazine (CPZ), in the amounts of 150, 300, and 600 mg were administered orally to chronic schizophrenic inpatients for 24 weeks while psychiatric and ward behavioral responses were monitored at regular intervals. It was found that within the dose range used response could be shown to be dose related, particularly early in the course of treatment (4–12 weeks). CPZ in the amount of 150 nig/day was found to be an effective dose relative to placebo, but was generally less effective than 300 or 600 mg/day. Little difference in clinical response was demonstrable between the 300 and 600 mg doses of CPZ except in the frequency of side effects and possible speed of onset or therapeutic effects, both being greater in the 600 mg group.
COMMD1 forms oligomeric complexes targeted to the endocytic membranes via specific interactions with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate.

Copper metabolism Murr1 domain 1 (COMMD1) is a 21-kDa protein involved in copper export from the liver, NF-κB signaling, HIV infection, and sodium transport. The precise function of COMMD and the mechanism through which COMMD1 performs its multiple roles are not understood. Recombinant COMMD1 is a soluble protein, yet in cells COMMD1 is largely seen as targeted to cellular membranes. Using co-localization with organelle markers and cell fractionation, we determined that COMMD1 is located in the vesicles of the endocytic pathway, whereas little COMMD1 is detected in either the trans-Golgi network or lysosomes. The mechanism of COMMD1 recruitment to cell membranes was investigated using lipidspotted arrays and liposomes. COMMD1 specifically binds phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) in the absence of other proteins and does not bind structural lipids; the phosphorylation of PtdIns at position 4 is essential for COMMD1 binding. Proteolytic sensitivity and molecular modeling experiments identified two distinct domains in the structure of COMMD1. The C-terminal domain appears sufficient for lipid binding, because both the full-length and C-terminal domain proteins bind to PtdIns(4,5)P2. In native conditions, endogenous COMMD1 forms large oligomeric complexes both in the cytosol and at the membrane; interaction with PtdIns(4,5)P2 increases the stability of oligomers. Altogether, our results suggest that COMMD1 is a scaffold protein in a distinct sub-compartment of endocytic pathway and offer first clues to its role as a regulator of structurally unrelated membrane transporters.
Distribution of Ilex and Juniperus roots in three container-media

Abstract Ilex crenata Thunb. cultivar ‘Green Luster’ and Juniperus horizontalis Moench. cultivar ‘Plumosa’ were grown in 3 container-media for 13 months. The container-media were dissected by 2 horizontal cuts to yield 3 depth zones, 3 equal concentric areas were outlined on the lower surface of each depth zone and root distribution determined. A greater number of Ilex roots were in the 2 inside concentric areas of the bottom two-thirds of the peat:perlite medium than in the same divisions of soil:peat:sand and pine bark:sand media. Juniperus roots were more evenly distributed through the depth zones of pine bark: sand than soil:peat:sand or peat:perlite media.
Reducing the influence of an aggressive model: The restraining effects of peer censure

The effectiveness of censure by a peer of the observers as a means of reducing the influence of a highly aggressive model was investigated. On the basis of previous research, it was hypothesized that the peer's censuring remarks would be highly effective in counteracting the influence of the model under conditions where observers' level of attraction toward the peer was relatively high, but would be generally ineffective in this regard under conditions where their degree of liking for this individual was relatively low. Surprisingly, exactly the opposite pattern of results was obtained. That is, censure of the model by a disliked peer was more effective in inhibiting subsequent aggression on the part of observers than censure by a liked peer. These unexpected findings were discussed in terms of the failure of the censuring peer to demonstrate in his own behavior the type of restraint he urged, and the tendency on the part of subjects to assume that this individual closely reciprocated their level of liking.
Targeting Heat Shock Protein 90 Overrides the Resistance of Lung Cancer Cells by Blocking Radiation-Induced Stabilization of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) has been suggested to play a major role in tumor radioresistance. However, the mechanisms through which irradiation regulates HIF-1alpha expression remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms that mediate HIF-1 activation and thus radioresistance. Here, we show that irradiation induces survival and angiogenic activity in a subset of radioresistant lung cancer cell lines by elevating HIF-1alpha protein expression. Radiation induced HIF-1alpha protein expression mainly through two distinct pathways, including an increase in de novo protein synthesis via activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and stabilization of HIF-1alpha protein via augmenting the interaction between heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and HIF-1alpha protein. Whereas the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway was activated by irradiation in all the lung cancer cells examined, the Hsp90-HIF-1alpha interaction was enhanced in the resistant cells only. Inhibition of Hsp90 function by 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin or deguelin, a novel natural inhibitor of Hsp90, suppressed increases in HIF-1alpha/Hsp90 interaction and HIF-1alpha expression in radioresistant cells. Furthermore, combined treatment of radiation with deguelin significantly decreased the survival and angiogenic potential of radioresistant lung cancer cells in vitro. We finally determined in vivo that systemic administration of deguelin resulted in profound inhibition of tumor growth and angiogenesis when combined with radiation. These results provide a strong rationale to target Hsp90 as a means to block radiation-induced HIF-1alpha and thus to circumvent radioresistance in lung cancer cells.
Visual discrimination in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) as a function of age.

Summary Ten young (8 weeks) and 10 old (26 weeks) male gerbils were tested for the acquisition of a visual discrimination task. Ss were given 10 daily six-trial sessions in a T-maze with a food reinforcement being associated with horizontal or vertical stripes. The older Ss failed to learn the discrimination habit, and the young Ss steadily improved over the 10 sessions.