cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MRI biomarkers of small vessel disease and cognition: A cross-sectional study of a cognitively normal Mexican American cohort.

Background The current project sought to evaluate the impact that white matter hyperintensities (WMH) have on executive function in cognitively normal Mexican Americans, an underserved population with onset and more rapid progression of dementia. Methods Data from 515 participants (360 female) enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain Study: Health Disparities project were analyzed. Participants underwent clinical evaluation, cognitive testing, and a brain MRI. Linear regression was used to predict the effect of total WMH volume on cognitive test scores. Age, sex, and education were entered as covariates. Results Regression analysis showed that WMH volume significantly predicted executive function. WMH also predicted global cognition and attention scores, although not significantly after adjusting for age. Conclusion In this sample of cognitively normal Mexican Americans, we found that WMH volume was associated with lower scores in a measure of executive function, after accounting for age, sex, and education.
In vivo evidence for therapeutic applications of beclin 1 to promote recovery and inhibit fibrosis after acute kidney injury.

Autophagy regulator beclin 1 activity determines the severity of kidney damage induced by ischemia reperfusion injury, but its role in kidney recovery and fibrosis are unknown and its therapeutic potentials have not been tested. Here, we explored beclin 1 effects on kidney fibrosis in three models of acute kidney injury (AKI)—ischemia reperfusion injury, cisplatin kidney toxicity, and unilateral ureteric obstruction in mouse strains with three levels of beclin 1 function: normal (wild type), low (heterozygous global deletion of beclin 1, Becn1+/−), and high beclin 1 activity (knockin gain-of-function mutant Becn1, Becn1FA). Fourteen days after AKI induction, heterozygous mice had more, but knockin mice had less kidney fibrosis than wild-type mice did. One day after ischemia reperfusion injury, heterozygous pan-kidney tubular Becn1 null mice had more severe kidney damage than homozygous distal tubular Becn1 null mice did, which was similar to the wild-type mice, implying that proximal tubular beclin 1 protects the kidney against ischemia reperfusion injury. By 14 days, both pan-kidney heterozygous Becn1 null and distal tubular homozygous Becn1 null mice had poorer kidney recovery than wild-type mice did. Injection of beclin 1 peptides increased cell proliferation in kidney tubules in normal mice. Beclin 1 peptides injection either before or after (2–5 days) ischemia reperfusion injury protected the kidney from injury and suppressed kidney fibrosis. Thus, both endogenous beclin 1 protein expression in kidney tubules and exogenous beclin 1 peptides are kidney protective via attenuation of acute kidney damage, promotion of cell proliferation, and inhibition of kidney fibrosis, consequently improving kidney recovery post-AKI. Hence, exogenous beclin 1 peptide may be a potential new therapy for AKI.
Inappropriate Medication Use Among Underserved Elderly African Americans.

Objective: The goal of this study is to identify correlates and the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use among underserved elderly African Americans. Method: This cross-sectional study recruited 400 elderly African Americans living in South Los Angeles, and used structured, face-to-face surveys. These elicited data pertaining to the type, frequency, dosage, and indications of all medications used by participants. Results: Seventy percent of participants engaged in PIM use and used at least one medication that was classified as “Avoid” (27%) and “Use Conditionally” (43%) through Beers Criteria. Significant correlations emerged between PIM use and the number of autonomic and central nervous system, neurological and psychotherapeutic medications, medication duplications, and drug–drug interactions. Discussion: Our findings point to the need for multidisciplinary team programs of health care providers that include primary and specialist physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and social worke...
Current Security Management & Ethical Issues of Information Technology

From the Publisher: This scholarly examination of the ethical issues in information technology management covers basic details such as improving user education and developing security requirements as well as more complicated and far-reaching problems such as protecting infrastructure against information warfare. Social responsibility is analyzed with global examples and applications, including knowledge-based society in Latin America, socioeconomics factors of technology in the United States, and system ethics in the Arab world. Author Biography: Dr. Rasool Azari is an assistant professor of business at the University of Redlands. He lives in Redlands, California.
Measuring sense of belonging among employees working at a corporate campus

Purpose – This study aims to explore the association between employees' sense of belonging and their perception of workplace physical attributes at a corporate campus, and the workplace planning and management strategies to support employee sense of belonging for the long‐term competitiveness and performance of organizations.Design/methodology/approach – The research site for this study is the corporate campus of a large information technology firm, Wipro Technologies, located in India. A workplace questionnaire designed by the International Workplace Studies Program (IWSP) at Cornell University was used. A total of 267 employees working at Wipro participated in this study.Findings – Factor analysis of the survey items identified five underlying factors that are related to workplace physical environment. Statistically significant correlations were identified among employees' sense of belonging and these factors about work environment. A statistically significant model comprising four of the factors was de...
Source localization using TDOA with erroneous receiver positions

This paper develops an explicit solution that estimates the location of a stationary source using time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements of a signal received by a number of receivers that have random error in their positions. The proposed solution accounts for the error from receiver positions, is algebraic, and does not have the convergence problem as in the Taylor-series linearization method. The Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) of the source location estimate in the presence of sensor position error is derived. Simulation results indicate the proposed solution achieves an accuracy close to the CRLB under Gaussian noise.
Republicans and Climate Change: An Audience Analysis of Predictors for Belief and Policy Preferences

Climate change is increasingly polarized within American politics. Yet, political orientation and climate change views are not synonymous, and research identifying the characteristics of counter-normative groups — such as Republicans concerned about climate change — is key to communication strategies to encourage wider acceptance of science-based views about climate change across the political spectrum. The evidence presented here demonstrates that there are distinct and reliable predictors of which Republicans are more likely to believe that climate change is occurring and express support for mitigation policies. While some of these variables (such as religiosity) are relatively inaccessible to climate change communication campaigns, others (such as correctly understanding the scientific consensus that climate change is happening) should likely form the cornerstone of communication efforts. The current study provides strong guidance on where to begin, and where more research is needed to better understand these phenomena.
Editorial comment--an approach to the estimation of the risk of TTP during clopidogrel therapy.

In this issue of Stroke , Zakarija and 12 co-authors1 describe 37 cases of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) that occurred in the United States in the years 1998 to 2002 in association with clopidogrel (Plavix) therapy. This is of interest to those of us who (as characterized by Donnan and Davis2) are “strokologists,” since it raises questions about our understanding of the CAPRIE study.3 In CAPRIE there were 25 cases of platelet counts <100 000 per mm3 in 9553 patients receiving clopidogrel 75 mg/d, and 25 cases in 9546 patients receiving aspirin 325 mg/d (2.6 cases per thousand with each treatment); no cases of TTP were reported. We pose 2 questions: (1) Why did Zakarija et al find cases of TTP while the CAPRIE investigators did not? (2) Can we estimate the true risk of TTP during clopidogrel therapy? With regard to the first question, a possible explanation is that TTP occurs late in clopidogrel treatment, and was not seen in CAPRIE because treatment duration was too short. This explanation fails for 2 reasons: (1) Zakarija et al found that TTP occurred within the first 30 days in 87.5% of cases, and …
Notes on the Grants Economy of Foreign Aid

A donor may use the inducement of grants to alter the manner in which recipients' lives are lived. A general model of a discriminating donor allocating grants among a number of potential recipients is derived and used to find the behavioral implications of the foreign aid objective of minimizing arms expenditures in developing nations. It is shown that a nation will receive greater sums of aid: (a) the more compliant it is to the tastes of the donor, (b) the more restrictive the terms of the grant, and (c) the lower its income level.
Optimization of multi‐stage dynamic treatment regimes utilizing accumulated data

In medical therapies involving multiple stages, a physician's choice of a subject's treatment at each stage depends on the subject's history of previous treatments and outcomes. The sequence of decisions is known as a dynamic treatment regime or treatment policy. We consider dynamic treatment regimes in settings where each subject's final outcome can be defined as the sum of longitudinally observed values, each corresponding to a stage of the regime. Q-learning, which is a backward induction method, is used to first optimize the last stage treatment then sequentially optimize each previous stage treatment until the first stage treatment is optimized. During this process, model-based expectations of outcomes of late stages are used in the optimization of earlier stages. When the outcome models are misspecified, bias can accumulate from stage to stage and become severe, especially when the number of treatment stages is large. We demonstrate that a modification of standard Q-learning can help reduce the accumulated bias. We provide a computational algorithm, estimators, and closed-form variance formulas. Simulation studies show that the modified Q-learning method has a higher probability of identifying the optimal treatment regime even in settings with misspecified models for outcomes. It is applied to identify optimal treatment regimes in a study for advanced prostate cancer and to estimate and compare the final mean rewards of all the possible discrete two-stage treatment sequences.
The Relationship between HIV Disclosure and Adjustment

In many cases, sharing the diagnosis of HIV can help people to adjust to their diagnosis. However, several factors may impede this process. A secondary data analysis of 50 HIV-positive adults found that African Americans delayed sharing their diagnosis with others longer than Euro-Americans. In addition, those who perceived more stigma against HIV took longer to tell someone and took longer to adjust to their diagnosis. Implications for practice and research are posited.
Students' Spelling Errors

(1987). Students' Spelling Errors. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 34-37.
Axial Force Stabilization of Transverse Vibration in Pinned and Clamped Beams

An axial force stabilizes the transverse vibration ofa beam with pinned and/or clamped boundary conditions. The nonlinearly coupled, longitudinal and transverse equations of motion of the beam with axial force control are simplified using a quasistatic assumption for longitudinal motion. It is shown that axial damping can ensure weak asymptotic stability of transverse vibration.
Ribonuclease III cleavage of a bacteriophage T7 processing signal. Divalent cation specificity, and specific anion effects

Escherichia coli ribonuclease III, purified to homogeneity from an overexpressing bacterial strain, exhibits a high catalytic efficiency and thermostable processing activity in vitro. The RNase III-catalyzed cleavage of a 47 nucleotide substrate (R1.1 RNA), based on the bacteriophage T7 R1.1 processing signal, follows substrate saturation kinetics, with a Km of 0.26 microM, and kcat of 7.7 min.-1 (37 degrees C, in buffer containing 250 mM potassium glutamate and 10 mM MgCl2). Mn2+ and Co2+ can support the enzymatic cleavage of the R1.1 RNA canonical site, and both metal ions exhibit concentration dependences similar to that of Mg2+. Mn2+ and Co2+ in addition promote enzymatic cleavage of a secondary site in R1.1 RNA, which is proposed to result from the altered hydrolytic activity of the metalloenzyme (RNase III 'star' activity), exhibiting a broadened cleavage specificity. Neither Ca2+ nor Zn2+ support RNase III processing, and Zn2+ moreover inhibits the Mg(2+)-dependent enzymatic reaction without blocking substrate binding. RNase III does not require monovalent salt for processing activity; however, the in vitro reactivity pattern is influenced by the monovalent salt concentration, as well as type of anion. First, R1.1 RNA secondary site cleavage increases as the salt concentration is lowered, perhaps reflecting enhanced enzyme binding to substrate. Second, the substitution of glutamate anion for chloride anion extends the salt concentration range within which efficient processing occurs. Third, fluoride anion inhibits RNase III-catalyzed cleavage, by a mechanism which does not involve inhibition of substrate binding.
Binding energies of wannier excitons in semiconductor quantum wells: Numerical integration of the in-plane radial equation

Abstract We solve the ground state and binding energy of a Wannier exciton in a semiconductor quantum well using a new numerical method. By choosing fixed envelope functions for the electron and hole coordinates perpendicular to the quantum well interface, the two-body exciton problem is reduced into a radial eigenequation involving the electron-hole relative motion in an effective inplane Coulomb potential. This radial equation is then integrated numerically. The exciton binding energy is determined from the eigenvalue of this equation. The numerical results are compared with those from using the existing variational theories.
Serotonin Receptor 2A (HTR2A) Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Blood Pressure, Central Adiposity, and the Metabolic Syndrome.

Background: Although the etiology of the metabolic syndrome remains unclear, recent evidence suggests that dysregulation of brain serotonergic activity may partly underlie the covariation of risk factors comprising the syndrome. In addition, prior studies have shown polymorphisms in the serotonin 2A receptor (HTR2A) gene to be associated with two syndrome components, hypertension and central adiposity. We conducted a study to confirm associations of HTR2A polymorphisms with elevated blood pressure and central adiposity and tested for association between these polymorphisms and the metabolic syndrome. Methods: The study sample included 934 unrelated individuals of European ancestry. We tested for association of two HTR2A polymorphisms, one in the promoter: (−1438[G/A]) and one in the first intron (2416 [C/T]), individually and as a diplotype, with elevated blood pressure, central adiposity, elevated fasting glucose, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and presence of the metabolic syn...
The market structure of the banking sector and financially dependent manufacturing sectors

Abstract I explore the effect of the structure of the banking market on the performance of manufacturing sectors. The theoretical papers offer ambiguous explanations regarding the effects of banking market structure on the size of manufacturing sectors, and empirical studies that use cross country data do not reach a consensus on these effects. By using the Panzar–Rosse method to estimate a “ H -statistic” competition index and conventional concentration indices, I provide evidence that industries that rely more on external financing perform better in countries where the banking competition is lower, and the banking concentration is greater.
A highly sensitive Raman method for selective cyanide detection based on evaporated cuprous iodide substrate

A strong interaction between cyanide anion and copper(I) cation in combination with non-resonant Raman fingerprinting allows the selective sensing of aqueous free cynanide with high sensitivity to parts per billion (ppb)-level.
Biological effects of anti-ErbB2 single chain antibodies selected for internalizing function.

Two internalizing monovalent single chain antibody fragments (scFv), C6.5 and F5, that recognize distinct ErbB2 extracellular domain (ECD) epitopes, and their bivalent forms dbC6.5 and F5(scFv')(2), were compared to the growth-inhibiting anti-ErbB2 antibody Herceptin/trastuzumab, in either its bivalent (Her) or monovalent (4D5Fab') form, for their abilities to induce biological responses in the ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cells, SkBr-3. Assays compared internalization by receptor-mediated endocytosis, effects on cell cycling and culture growth, and interference with intracellular MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways. We found no correlation between ErbB2 epitope affinity or valency on degree of antibody-induced endocytosis, since all the scFv were able to internalize better than Her. Unlike Her, neither the monovalent or bivalent forms of the internalizing scFv had any sustained effect on cell growth. Basal levels of MAPK and PI3K signaling in SkBr-3 cells were not inhibited by up to 8 h scFv treatment, while decreased MAPK and PI3K signals were noted within 8 h of Her treatment. In summary, antibody-induced ErbB2-mediated endocytosis is not a surrogate marker for resultant biological response, as it shows no correlation with cell cycle, culture proliferation, or intracellular kinase signal induction by internalizing antibodies. Thus, the enhanced endocytotic property of scFv like C6.6 and F5 in conjunction with their absence of any growth or signaling impact on ErbB2-overexpressing cells favors their choice as ErbB2 targeting moieties for intracellular delivery of novel cancer therapeutics.
The life fitness program: A behavioral approach to making exercise a habit☆

Abstract Difficulty in maitaining exercise regimens over long time periods is a common problem. This study examined the efficacy of a combination of stimulus control and self- reinforcement procedures in the acquisition and maintenance of a walking exercise program using a multiple baseline design. The intervention strategy was introduced sequentially to each of three middle-aged, overweight males. Levels of exercise increased in a regular and gradual fashion following introduction of the behavioral treatment techniques. Improvement was maintained over a two-year period.
TEACHERS' JUDGMENTS OF STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT AND STUDENTS' ACTUAL ACHIEVEMENT '

In a recent overview ol only 10 stucbes from the literature on teachers' judgments of their pupils' achievement, Hoge and Coladarci (1989) identified seven studies, which they described as giving direct evidence of teachers' judgments of their pupils' achievement, and 10 studies which they described as giving indirect evidence. In the direct characterization, the teachers' estimates were either at the Item or test level, while in the indirect characterization the teachers' estimates were rdtlngs or rankings. In the direct characterization, the range of correlations was from .48 to .92, but no median was reported. In the indirect characterization the range was from .28 to .86 for which the median was .61. The objective of this paper was to report a review of the research literature on the veridicality of teachers' judgments of their pupils' academic achievement and their pupils' actual academic achievement as indicated by standardized test scores. Teachers' judgments were expressed generally in ratings or rankings, occasionally as predictions andlor grades. Standardized achievement test scores were operationally defined as the criterion of actual academic achievement.
Study of Shrinkage and Warpage in Microcellular Co-Injection Molding

Abstract This study investigated the effects of processing conditions on the shrinkage and warpage behavior of a box-shaped, polypropylene part created using a special microcellular co-injection molding process. Results were compared to the shrinkage and warpage of conventional and microcellular injection molded parts. A preliminary study was performed to determine processing condition limits and the steady state conditions for each combination of molding parameters. A 26-1 fractional factorial design of experiments (DOE) was performed utilizing the previously determined processing conditions. The molded parts were measured using an optical coordinate measuring machine (OCMM), which had previously been examined with a repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) study. These measurements were analyzed to determine the processing parameters that had the greatest effect on the shrinkage and warpage (S&W). The results of this analysis indicated that the supercritical fluid content and core-to-skin volume ratio ha...
Light does not degrade the constitutively expressed BMAL1 protein in the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus

Biological rhythms in mammals are driven by a central circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). At the molecular level the biological clock is based on the rhythmic expression of clock genes. Two basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)/PAS-containing transcription factors, CLOCK and BMAL1 (MOP3), provide the basic drive to the system by activating transcription of negative regulators through E box enhancer elements. A critical feature of circadian timing is the ability of the clockwork to be entrained to the environmental light/dark cycle. The light-resetting mechanism of the mammalian circadian clock is poorly understood. Light-induced phase shifts are correlated with the induction of the clock genes mPer1 and mPer2 and a subsequent increase in mPER1 protein levels. It has previously been suggested that rapid degradation of BMAL1 protein in the rat SCN is part of the resetting mechanism of the central pacemaker. Our study shows that BMAL1 and CLOCK proteins are continuously expressed at high levels in the mouse SCN, supporting the hypothesis that rhythmic negative feedback plays the major role in rhythm generation in the mammalian pacemaker. Using both immunocytochemistry and immunoblot analysis, our studies demonstrate that BMAL1 protein in the mouse SCN is not affected by a phase-resetting light pulse. These results indicate that rapid degradation of BMAL1 protein is not a consistent feature of resetting mechanisms in rodents.
Rat interstrain antibody response and crossidiotypic specificity

Interstrain analysis of the humoral response of rats to streptococcal group A carbohydrate (SACHO) 1, employing seven inbred strains representing six histocompatibility haplotypes at the Ag-B locus, suggests that the immune response genes to SACHO are not linked to the major rat histocompatibility locus. The low-precipitin response of all seven inbred rat strains was similar to the precipitin response of F7 Sprague-Dawley rats selectively bred for a low-precipitin response to SACHO. Although strain differences were not apparent in the magnitude of the precipitin response to SACHO, the qualitative expression of anti-SACHO antibodies with restricted heterogeneity was more frequently observed in the August strain of rats than in the six other inbred strains examined. Cross-idiotypic specificity was demonstrated for anti-SACHO antisera obtained from nine inbred rat strains. The observations on idiotypy favor the importance of germ-line genes coding for rat antibody variable region determinants in response to SACHO.
Value-based shoulder surgery: practicing outcomes-driven, cost-conscious care

Background Pathology of the shoulder contributes significantly to the increasing burden of musculoskeletal disease. Currently, there exists high variability in the nature and quality of shoulder care, and outcomes and cost reporting are not uniform. Value-based practice aims to simultaneously maximize outcomes and minimize costs for given disease processes. Methods The current state of the shoulder care literature was examined with regards to cost and outcomes data, initiatives in streamlining care delivery, and evidence-based practice improvements. This was synthesized with value-based care theory to propose new avenues to improve shoulder care in the future. Conclusion The treatment of shoulder disorders is ideal for the value-based model but has been slow to adopt its principles thus far. We can begin to advance value-based practices through (1) the universal reporting of outcomes and costs, (2) integrating shoulder care across provider specialties, and (3) critically analyzing data to formulate best practices.
Complete response in myeloma: a Trojan horse?

Comment on Offidani et al, page [2159][1], and comment on Mateos et al, page [2165][2] Complete response has been a primary end point in many cancer therapy trials—including the two reported in this issue for elderly patients with multiple myeloma—but does not per se translate into survival
How orthogonal are the OBO Foundry ontologies

Ontologies in biomedicine facilitate information integration, data exchange, search and query of biomedical data, and other critical knowledge-intensive tasks. The OBO Foundry is a collaborative effort to establish a set of principles for ontology development with the eventual goal of creating a set of interoperable reference ontologies in the domain of biomedicine. One of the key requirements to achieve this goal is to ensure that ontology developers reuse term definitions that others have already created rather than create their own definitions, thereby making the ontologies orthogonal. We used a simple lexical algorithm to analyze the extent to which the set of OBO Foundry candidate ontologies identified from September 2009 to September 2010 conforms to this vision. Specifically, we analyzed (1) the level of explicit term reuse in this set of ontologies, (2) the level of overlap, where two ontologies define similar terms independently, and (3) how the levels of reuse and overlap changed during the course of this year. We found that 30% of the ontologies reuse terms from other Foundry candidates and 96% of the candidate ontologies contain terms that overlap with terms from the other ontologies. We found that while term reuse increased among the ontologies between September 2009 and September 2010, the level of overlap among the ontologies remained relatively constant. Additionally, we analyzed the six ontologies announced as OBO Foundry members on March 5, 2010, and identified that the level of overlap was extremely low, but, notably, so was the level of term reuse. We have created a prototype web application that allows OBO Foundry ontology developers to see which classes from their ontologies overlap with classes from other ontologies in the OBO Foundry ( http://obomap.bioontology.org ). From our analysis, we conclude that while the OBO Foundry has made significant progress toward orthogonality during the period of this study through increased adoption of explicit term reuse, a large amount of overlap remains among these ontologies. Furthermore, the characteristics of the identified overlap, such as the terms it comprises and its distribution among the ontologies, indicate that the achieving orthogonality will be exceptionally difficult, if not impossible.
Les facteurs humains dans le transport des matières radioactives

Les transports de matieres radioactives constituent un enjeu particulierement important pour l'ensemble de l'industrie nucleaire. COGEMA Logistics, filiale du groupe AREVA, est leader mondial des transports du cycle du combustible nucleaire. Pour les transports routiers, realises en France et dans de nombreux pays limitrophes, COGEMA Logistics s'appuie sur les moyens de sa filiale Lemarechal Celestin (LMC). Dans ce cadre, la priorite est donnee au respect strict des contraintes legales et reglementaires ainsi qu'aux regles d'Assurance de la Qualite, afin de garantir un niveau optimum de surete. Ces dispositions ont ete renforcees avec le lancement d'une demarche axee sur les facteurs humains (FH).
Metabolic activation of PCBs to quinones: reactivity toward nitrogen and sulfur nucleophiles and influence of superoxide dismutase.

rate constants ranged from 0.45 to 0.75 min -1 M -1 . Higher rates were obtained under conditions of higher pH. Two reaction products were identified as the 5- and 6-ring addition products in the ratio of 1:4. In contrast, the reaction of 2-(4′-chlorophenyl)-1,4-benzoquinone with the sulfur nucleophiles glutathione or N-acetyl-L-cysteine was instantaneous. The major product of the reaction of glutathione with 2-(4′-chlorophenyl)-1,4-benzoquinone was also the 6-ring addition product. The hydroquinone thioether could be enzymatically reoxidized to the quinone thioether. Also, the influence of atmospheric oxygen and superoxide dismutase on the rates of the following horseradish peroxidase/H2O2-catalyzed oxidations was investigated: 3,4dichloro-2′,5′-dihydroxybiphenyl to 2-(3′,4′-dichlorophenyl)-1,4-benzoquinone and 3,4-dichloro3′,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl to 4-(3′,4′-dichlorophenyl)-1,2-benzoquinone. While the presence or absence of atmospheric oxygen did not alter the rates of the oxidation reactions, the presence of superoxide dismutase signficantly increased the rates of both oxidation reactions, having the greater effect on the oxidation of the 1,4-hydroquinone. These data show that PCB-derived quinones react with both nitrogen and sulfur nucleophiles of the cell and may explain, in part, the toxic effects of individual PCBs and PCB formulations, such as glutathione depletion, oxidative stress, and cell death.
Factoring multivariate polynomials over the integers

This paper gives an algorithm for finding the irreducible factors of any multivariate polynomial with integer coefficients. The algorithm begins by making substitutions for all but one of the variable. This univariate polynomial is then factored by a known method, which uses an algorithm of Berlekamp for factoring univariate polynomials over finite fields. After this factorization is done, the multivariate factors are recovered from the univariate ones by a kind of Hensel algorithm. A number of ideas are given which greatly speed the computation in some special cases.
Effect of Puromycin on Virus and Endotoxin-Induced Interferonlike Inhibitors in Rabbits.

SummaryPuromycin was found to inhibit interferon formation in rabbits induced by Sindbis virus. It did not inhibit the induction of an interferonlike inhibitor by bacterial endotoxin. It is suggested that the latter inhibitor is present in rabbits mainly in a preformed state and its release apparently does not require new protein synthesis. On the other hand, the production of the virus-induced interferon in rabbits requires such metabolic function.
Global Solutions of a High Dimensional System for Korteweg Materials

The global existence of solutions to a high-dimensional system of Korteweg materials is established when the initial data are small. The complete model was proposed by Dunn and Serrin and the local existence of the solution was obtained in an earlier paper by the authors.
Electron-phonon interactions in bilayer graphene

Using calculations from first principles, we demonstrate that intrinsic carrier-phonon scattering in bilayer graphene is dominated by low-energy acoustic (and acousticlike) phonon modes in a framework that bears more resemblance to bulk graphite than to monolayer graphene. The total scattering rate at low to moderate electron energies can be described by a simple two-phonon model in the deformation potential approximation with effective constants ${D}_{\mathit{ac}}\ensuremath{\approx}15$ eV and ${D}_{\mathit{op}}\ensuremath{\approx}2.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}$ eV/cm for acoustic and optical phonons, respectively. With much enhanced acoustic phonon scattering, the mobility of intrinsic bilayer graphene is estimated to be significantly smaller than that of the monolayer.
HCI potential energy sputtering measured with magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract In this paper, the use of tunnel junctions as sensors for estimating the potential energy sputtering yield of highly charged ions (HCIs) incident on ultra-thin insulating films is experimentally explored. HCIs are known to strongly ablate insulating materials upon collision by destabilizing the solid’s chemical structure in the region of impact and producing a mass loss, referred to as potential energy sputtering. In previous work, increased conductance of tunnel junctions due to highly charged ion irradiation was shown while demonstrating that tunnelling remains the dominant transport mechanism. These studies indicate that the conductance increases linearly with the number of HCIs and so, for any given tunnel barrier recipe and HCI charge state, the conductance per HCI can be found. Since the conductance of a tunnel junction is exponentially sensitive to its thickness, the increase in conductance can be used to evaluate an effective tunnel junction thickness reduction, which, in turn, can be explored as a metric for the potential energy sputtering of the tunnel barrier. These tunnel junction measurements provide new information about the nano-features formed on insulators by HCIs, and this paper considers the possibility of using these data to estimate potential energy sputtering. A method for relating the increased conductance to a mass loss is considered and compared against other potential energy sputtering measurements.
Aldehydes in native and denatured calf skin tropocollagen.

Some of the aldehydes which have recently been found in collagen and elastin, have been postulated to play a major role in the cross-linking and maturation of these two fibrous proteins. The aldehydes in elastin are derived from lysine residues in the protein backbone. By a presumed oxidation of the C-amino group, lysine is converted to a-amino adipic acid semialdehyde (Lent and Franzblau, 1968), an intermediate, which can either form a Schiff base with another lysine yielding dehydrolysinonorleucine or condense with another residue of the semialdehyde to yield the aldol product, c+amino adipic acid semialdehyde aldol (formula below), The presence of these compounds was recently demonstrated in elastin by Lent and Franzblau (Lent and Franzblau, 1968; Franzblau et al. 1965). Dehydrolysinonorleucine and a-amino adipic acid semialdehyde aldol may either serve as intermediates in the biosynthesis of desmosines or other as yet unknown cross-linking compounds, or may themselves serve the ultimate cross-linking role. In collagen, in addition to lysine, several other amino acids serve as aldehyde precursors. Since a-amino aldehydes derived from glycine, alanine,
Social Rejection Biases Estimates of Interpersonal Distance

Given the power of belonging needs to shape individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behavior, we posited that people’s desire for reconnection even influences judgments of physical distance. We hypothesized that rejection motivates individuals to distance themselves from sources of rejection and draw near those who are accepting. We tested this hypothesis in five studies. Participants recalled someone who had rejected or accepted them previously (Study 1), tossed a ball with inclusive and exclusive confederates (Study 2), and relived a past rejection, acceptance, or failure in the presence of an uninvolved other (Studies 3–5). Participants provided retrospective estimates of distance to rejecting and accepting others (Studies 1–2) and to uninvolved others (Studies 3–5). Participants reported that (1) accepting others were closer than rejecting others and (2) uninvolved others were closer than nonsocial targets after rejection but not acceptance or failure. Findings suggest that individuals distort perception...
Electrical measurements for monitoring and control of rf plasma processing

We have investigated the possibility of using current and voltage measurements for real-time monitoring and control of radio-frequency discharges. Specifically, we have equipped a gaseous electronics conference (GEC) rf reference cell with a computer-controlled measurement system that samples the voltage and current waveforms at the cell power input and Fourier analyzes these waveforms to obtain the amplitude and phase of their fundamental and harmonic components. The system accounts for errors introduced by the stray impedance of the cell, yielding corrected values that more accurately reflect the values of voltage and current at electrode surfaces in contact with the plasma. These corrected values are monitored to reveal changes in fundamental plasma parameters such as sheath voltages, sheath fields, and sheath (dark space) thicknesses. Furthermore, the corrected values serve as better control parameters than the raw values of voltage, current or power, measured externally. The time required for the acquisition and analysis of a pair of current and voltage waveforms is approximately one second, making these measurements suitable for real-time sensing and control applications.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Geometric phases and quantum operations in two-level atomic systems

Geometric phases of optically driven atomic wave functions were measured using photon echo technique in a two-level atomic system. Geometric manipulations of the atomic quantum states will be discussed in the context of quantum computing
Pure rotational absorption of nitrosyl fluoride and nitrosyl chloride in the 80 250 μ region

Abstract The pure rotational infrared absorption spectra of nitrosyl fluoride (ONF) and nitrosyl chloride (ONCl) have been investigated with a small grating spectrometer in the spectral range 80–250 μ (125–40 cm −1 ). For ONF twelve Q -branches were observed which occur at positions expected for a slightly asymmetric prolate top with centrifugal distortion. The observed frequencies of these lines are in excellent agreement with the frequencies calculated from the microwave value of 2.80261 cm −1 for the rotational constant A − ( B + C ) 2 provided that a centrifugal distortion constant D k with a value of 1.14 × 10 −4 cm −1 is used. Eight sharp but rather weak Q -branches have been observed for ONCl. Frequencies are calculated which agree with the observed ones within experimental error by using a value of A − ( B + C ) 2) = 2.73 ± 0.02 cm −1 and a D k value of 1.0 × 10 −4 cm −4 . Combination of the former with the microwave values for B and C gives 9.60 ± 0.07 × 10 −40 g cm −2 for the least moment of inertia. This leads to an inertial defect of 0.13 amu A and an asymmetry parameter b p = −2.21 × 10 −3 .
Detrimental effects of speckle-pixel size matching in laser speckle contrast imaging

Through a series of simulations and experiments, we demonstrate that the frequently cited criterion of matching speckle size to detector element (pixel) size in laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) has the detrimental effect of reducing the contrast and thereby decreasing the variation in the laser speckle contrast image. Unlike quasi-elastic light scattering, where this matching condition has been shown to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio, in LSCI, the minimum speckle size must exceed the Nyquist criterion in order to maximize the contrast of the speckle patterns.
Global patterns of soil nitrogen storage

The amount of nitrogen stored in soil is related to climate through biotic processes associated with productivity of vegetation and decomposition of organic matter. Other factors, particularly rainfall input, dry deposition input, nitrogen fixation and losses of inorganic nitrogen due to leaching contribute to the variability of nitrogen storage. Here we report that soil nitrogen storage ranges from 0.2 kg m−3 in warm deserts to 2 kg m−3 in rain tundra, with a peak of 1.6 kg m−3 in subtropical wet forests. Soil carbon storage shows a similar pattern. The global nitrogen pool in the surface metre of soil comprises an estimated 9.5 × 1013 kg. Each soil profile examined was classified according to the Holdridge life zone1 in which it was found. Soil carbon/nitrogen ratios range from 20 in cool, wet forests or rain forests. We determined C/N ratios of 15–20 in cool life zones and 10–15 in warm life zones. These results indicate that: (1) relatively large amounts of soil nitrogen in wet tropical regions are associated with recalcitrant humic materials in an advanced state of decay, with low C/N ratios; (2) the seasonal climate contrast in temperate regions, combined with variable litter quality due to the mix of coniferous and deciduous species, results in moderate carbon and nitrogen storage in soil and variable C/N ratios; and (3) slow decomposition in wet tundra regions results in high carbon and nitrogen storage, with high C/N ratios.
Wide-field-of-view narrow-band spectral filters based on photonic crystal nanocavities

We describe a novel approach to implementing wide-field-of-view narrow-band spectral filters, using an array of resonant nanocavities consisting of periodic defects in a two-dimensional three-material photonic-crystal nanostructure. We analyze the transmissivity of this type of filter for a range of wavelengths and in-plane incidence angles as a function of the defect's refractive index, the number of layers in the photonic-crystal reflectors, and the period of the defects and find that this structure diminishes the angular sensitivity of the resonance condition relative to that of a standard multilayer filter.
Racial and ethnic differences in obesity and overweight as predictors of the onset of functional impairment.

Objectives: To examine racial and ethnic differences in the effects of body mass index (BMI) on the onset of functional impairment over 10 years of follow-up. Design: Longitudinal analyses of a cohort from a nationally representative survey of community-dwelling American adults. Setting: Six waves (1996�2006) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Participants: Two groups of HRS participants aged 50 and older without functional impairment at baseline (1996): 5,884 with no mobility difficulty and 8,484 with no activity of daily living (ADL) difficulty. Measurements: Mobility difficulty was a composite measure of difficulty walking several blocks, walking one block, climbing several flights of stairs, and climbing one flight of stairs. ADL difficulty was measured as difficulty in dressing, bathing or showering, eating, and getting in and out of bed without help. The association between baseline BMI and risk of developing functional impairment was estimated using generalized estimating equation models. Results: Overweight and obesity were significant predictors of functional impairment. Overweight and obese Hispanics were 41% and 91% more likely, respectively, to develop ADL disability than whites in the same BMI categories. Overweight and severely obese blacks were also more likely than their white counterparts to develop ADL disability. Risk of developing ADL difficulty was higher for Hispanics than for blacks in the obese category. No significant differences in onset of mobility difficulty were found between racial or ethnic groups within any BMI category. Conclusion: Blacks and Hispanics were at higher risk than whites of ADL but not mobility impairment. In addition to weight control, prevention efforts should promote exercise to reduce functional impairment, especially for blacks and Hispanics, who are at higher risk.
Evaluation of interleukin‐2 administered by continuous infusion in patients with metastatic melanoma

BACKGROUND Interleukin-2 (IL-2) has been used widely in the treatment of advanced melanoma, most often using a high dose bolus schedule of administration. We have evaluated the antitumor activity and toxicity of IL-2 when administered by a continuous infusion schedule in patients with metastatic melanoma. METHODS Thirty-three patients with metastatic melanoma were treated with IL-2 using the maximum tolerated dose level of 12 × 106 IU/m2 as a continuous infusion over 24 hours × 4d/week for 4 weeks every 6 weeks. All patients but one had previously received and failed chemotherapy and had evidence of progressive disease. They were required to have normal organ functions and a performance status of 0 to 1. RESULTS We observed 1 complete response and 6 partial responses among 31 evaluable patients for a response rate of 22% (95%, confidence interval: 10% to 41%). The median response duration was 6 months, with a range of 4 to 18 months. The toxicity of IL-2 was severe but manageable on the general inpatient ward. One patient died of hepatic necrosis that was probably related to IL-2. Five patients required dose reduction of IL-2 due to toxicity in the form of hepatic or renal insufficiency, which was rapidly reversible. CONCLUSIONS IL-2, used as a continuous infusion at a dose level of 12 × 106 IU/m2/day, 4 times every week for 4 weeks, has activity against metastatic melanoma similar to that reported with high dose IL-2 given in a bolus schedule. Cancer 1996;77:89-96.
For-profit hospital performance: The impact of time

Abstract This article addresses the issue of whether previous for-profit/ nonprofit hospital studies are biased due to overlooking the “age” for the for- profits. That is, can the relatively inconsistent performance of for-profits in previous studies be attributed to the fact that many of the existing for-profits were, until recently, inefficient nonprofits? The study uses information on 3632 hospitals in 1984 to estimate an average cost function that controls for the age of the for-profits in the sample. The results indicate that, while learning may exist, the degree of learning that takes place is not great enough to suggest that previous studies are biased due to overlooking the age of the for-profits.
Ideas of self and community: Ethical implications for a communitarian conception of moral autonomy

This paper attempts to construct a concept of moral autonomy thai is compatible with a relationally-based or care-based ethical theory. After critiquing the traditional liberal identification of the ethical self with an abstract rational self detached from community and historical narrative, I argue that the ethical self emerges in a dialectical relation with the community itself. Essentially, I argue for a concept of autonomy that will be analyzed as a critical perspective from within a community rather than as a privileged view from outside. Central to this argument is an understanding of the nature and role of moral conversation in the regeneration of community. The nature of that conversation is examined.
Letter to the Editor-An Ill-Conceived Proposal for Apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives

Burt and Harris advocate the use of minimum range for the apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives. In this note we suggest that 1 their statements on fairness are ill-considered, 2 their statements on uniqueness are misleading, and 3 the computation they suggest is unnecessarily long. Our discussion of 2 and 3 involves the presentation of an alternative computational scheme. In an appendix, we present a formal proof that the alternative computational scheme always works.