cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consumption of green tea protects rats from exercise-induced oxidative stress in kidney and liver

Abstract The effects of green tea on biomarkers of exercise-induced oxidative status were measured in young male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats (n = 12) drank green tea or water ad lib for 6.5 weeks. Half of each group was sacrificed at rest, and the other half ran 25 m/min at 0% grade for approximately 30 min immediately before sacrifice. Green tea had no effect on resting heart rate, blood pressure, body weight, cholesterol, or triglycerides. Tea consumption had a mild influence on total plasma antioxidants, heart glutathione, and plasma ascorbic acid. Exercise had a major impact on malonaldehyde (MDA) equivalents in kidney (+290%, p = 0.0001), and to a lesser extent, liver (+81%, p = 0.18) in rats that drank water. In contrast, kidney MDA equivalents were unchanged by exercise in rats that drank green tea. Green tea may have selective protective effects within the body, especially on the kidney.
Algorithms for solution of a class of stochastic games

This paper treats the computational solution of terminating stochastic games using concepts from deterministic matrix games and Markovian decision processes. The algorithms due to Shapley and Pollatschek/ Avi-Itzhak are discussed and a suboptimal approach suitable for large problems is presented. Numerical results are given from an example comparing the three approaches.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and cation use efficiency in stands of regenerating tropical dry forest

Plants on infertile soils exhibit physiological and morphological traits that support conservative internal nutrient cycling. However, potential trade-offs among use efficiencies for N, P, and cations are not well explored in species-rich habitats where multiple elements may limit plant production. We examined uptake efficiency and use efficiency of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, and Na in plots of regenerating tropical dry forests spanning a gradient of soil fertility. Our aim was to determine whether plant responses to multiple elements are correlated, or whether there are trade-offs among exploitation strategies across stands varying in community composition, soil quality, and successional stage. For all elements, both uptake efficiency and use efficiency decreased as availability of the corresponding element increased. Plant responses to N, Na, and Al were uncoupled from uptake and use efficiencies for P and essential base cations, which were tightly correlated. N and P use efficiencies were associated with shifts in plant species composition along the soil fertility gradient, and there was also a trend towards increasing N use efficiency with stand age. N uptake efficiency was positively correlated with the abundance of tree species that associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Taken together, our results suggest that successional processes and local species composition interact to regulate plant responses to availability of multiple resources. Successional tropical dry forests appear to employ different strategies to maximize response to N vs. P and K.
Risk premia in forward exchange rates: systematic or unsystematic?

International traders frequently use forward exchange transactions to hedge their cash flows in foreign currencies. A key issue is whether the forward rates are efficiently priced. There is evidence of time-varying risk premia in forward exchange rates. Are these risk premia systematic or unsystematic? This article uses a market model to explain risk, implying that the risk premium in the forward rate varies pari passu with the beta of the return to speculative forward positions. Assuming the unobserved risk premium is proportional to the forward premium allows testing the predicted relations; the data reject the joint hypotheses of the model and systematic risk. In terms of a simple factor model explaining the covariation of the forward premium, the risk premium, and the expected percentage rate of change of the spot exchange rate, the assumption that the forward premium and the risk premium are proportional can be relaxed without changing the empirical results.
Bereavement—Loss of a Pet And Loss of a Human

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of the loss of a pet on the owner in comparison with the loss of a significant human, in a national probability sample of 1,232 noninstitutionalized U.S. residents 65 years and older. The difference was examined according to gender, race, and amount of available social support. Data were gathered through a telephone survey. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to measure emotional distress. Social support was measured by asking three single-item questions that assessed (1) number of confidants, (2) current participation in community and voluntary associations, and (3) marital status. Regression analysis (hierarchial entry procedure) was utilized. The findings indicate that the death of a pet was not associated with depressive symptoms to the extent of deaths of a significant person especially that of a spouse. Further research will benefit from a prospective design in which the direction of causality can be established.
Origin of echinoderms in the Paleozoic evolutionary fauna; the role of substrates

Comparison of echinoderm faunas from two partly coeval Early Ordovician units, the Fillmore Formation of western Utah and the Ninemile Shale of central and southern Nevada, indicates that the distribution of echinoderms during the initial radiation of the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna was substrate-controlled. Attached echinoderms, such as crinoids and edrioasteroids, are much more common on hard substrates in the shallow-water Fillmore, whereas vagile forms, such as rhombiferans and mitrate stylophorans, are found on soft substrates in both the shallow-water Fillmore and deeper-water Ninemile. We found few intermediates or holdovers among these new Early Ordovician echinoderms, implying that the Cambrian and Paleozoic Evolutionary Faunas were most likely discrete and real and that the Ordovician Radiation was already well under way by the middle of the Early Ordovician.
A model 2DLEAF of leaf gas exchange: development, validation, and ecological application

A two-dimensional model (2DLEAF) of leaf photosynthesis and transpiration has been developed that explicitly accounts for gas diffusion through the boundary layer and the intercellular space as well as for stomatal regulation. The model has been validated for tomato. It was used to study the effect of stomatal density on photosynthesis and transpiration rate. It has been demonstrated by varying stomatal density in the model that the stomatal density measured on tomato leaves provides the maximal photosynthesis rate for both 300 and 600 μl 1−1 [CO2]. The transpiration rate varied in direct proportion to stomatal density at all values of stomatal aperture, but transpiration efficiency (photosynthesis rate/transpiration rate) was higher at 600 μl 1−1 [CO2] with a normal stomatal density than at 300 μl 1−1 [CO2] with a stomatal density reduced 25%. Such calculations with 2DLEAF can be useful for analysis of contradicting data presented in publications on possible changes in stomatal density in a future high [CO2] atmosphere.
Comparative analysis of the atmospheres of early Earth and early Mars

Assuming that the primitive atmospheres of Mars and earth were similar and that present differences in atmospheres of earth and Mars are a result of their different distances from the sun and their different masses, the atmospheres of the early earth and early Mars were analyzed. A one-dimensional radiative-convective model derived from that of Kasting et al. (1984) and Kasting and Ackerman (1986) was then used to determine if a 1.3-bar CO2 partial pressure on Mars (which is equivalent to about 9 bars on earth) is consistent with the climatic conditions thought to have existed on earth four billion years ago. Results indicate that a dense CO2 atmosphere on early Mars at perihelion is consistent with conditions expected to have existed four billion years ago on earth. Earth would then have had a stable atmosphere with temperatures warm enough to support liquid water on the surface.
The use of newspaper data in the study of collective action

Studying collective action with newspaper accounts of protest events, rare only 20 years ago, has become commonplace in the past decade. A critical literature has accompanied the growth of protest event analysis. The literature has focused on selection bias—particularly which subset of events are covered—and description bias—notably, the veracity of the coverage. The “hard news” of the event, if it is reported, tends to be relatively accurate. However, a newspaper's decision to cover an event at all is influenced by the type of event, the news agency, and the issue involved. In this review, we discuss approaches to detecting bias, as well as ways to factor knowledge about bias into interpretations of protest event data.
Synergistic Induction of Aromatase Activity in the Rat Brain by Estradiol and 5α-Dihydrotestosterone

Estrogens are produced locally from androgen precursors by cells within the hypothalamus and preoptic area (POA). The activity of the aromatase enzyme complex responsible for this intracellular conver
Personalized smoking environment cue reactivity in smokers with schizophrenia and controls: a pilot study.

Exposure to smoking cues increases craving to smoke and negatively changes mood in smokers with schizophrenia (SWS). This pilot study compared reactivity to real-world smoking environments versus neutral environments in SWS (n = 10) and non-psychiatric control smokers (CON; n = 10). Results indicate that both SWS and CON experienced increases in smoking urges when viewing images of their smoking environments and that SWS tended to report greater increases in withdrawal-related negative mood than CON when viewing images of their smoking environments. These findings signify that personalized smoking environments trigger smoking urges in SWS and suggest that extinguishing this reactivity may aid cessation efforts in this population.
THREE LITTLE WORDS WE OFTEN SEE1

Author's summary.—Le, la, and lo: assorted curiosities of pronominal usage; some plausible explanations reviewed, and an asperity soothed; an academy errant, and the poetic possibilities of the accusative; a doubtful dative and the strange case of the charitable lady; the philosophical problem raised by a boy's letter; and other oblique adventures.
The Arc Elasticity of Demand: A Note and Comment

The author argues that the traditional arc elasticity method is flawed and examines a point elasticity technique as an alternative.
The impact of taxes on the privatization of municipal services

Abstract Municipal governments incur a cost of privatization through taxes paid to other governments by private contractors producing municipal services. Empirical analysis finds lower tax costs do not increase privatization of school transportation.
Control of Outer Radial Glial Stem Cell Mitosis in the Human Brain

Evolutionary expansion of the human neocortex is partially attributed to a relative abundance of neural stem cells in the fetal brain called outer radial glia (oRG). oRG cells display a characteristic division mode, mitotic somal translocation (MST), in which the soma rapidly translocates toward the cortical plate immediately prior to cytokinesis. MST may be essential for progenitor zone expansion, but the mechanism of MST is unknown, hindering exploration of its function in development and disease. Here, we show that MST requires activation of the Rho effector ROCK and nonmuscle myosin II, but not intact microtubules, centrosomal translocation into the leading process, or calcium influx. MST is independent of mitosis and distinct from interkinetic nuclear migration and saltatory migration. Our findings suggest that disrupted MST may underlie neurodevelopmental diseases affecting the Rho-ROCK-myosin pathway and provide a foundation for future exploration of the role of MST in neocortical development, evolution, and disease.
Liquidity constraints as a cause of moonlighting

An investigation of, whether some workers respond to liquidity constraints by moonlighting is carried out. Using a unique large data set, it is found that workers are more likely to moonlight if (1) they have low current incomes relative to their educational attainment, and (2) they plan to purchase a house or a car during the next six months.
q-discriminants and Vertex Operators

Discriminants and their discrete and q-analogs are usually studied in the q-analysis theory. In this paper we propose a unified realization of discriminants using vertex operators coming from infinite dimensional Lie algebras and their quantum deformations as well as Yangian deformations. In this picture all of them appear as matrix coefficients of certain products of vertex operators according to respective cases.
The Fra Giocondo Vitruvius at 500 (1511–2011)

Five hundred years ago, on 22 May 1511, the architect, engineer, scholar, and Franciscan friar Fra Giovanni Giocondo of Verona published his edition of the Ten Books on Architecture of Vitruvius. Printed in Venice (by Giovanni Tacuino da Tridino), Giocondo's was the fourth edition of Vitruvius to emerge in this new medium; the first, edited by Giovanni Sulpizio da Veroli, had been published in Rome, probably between 1486 and 1487, followed by a Florentine edition in 1496 and a Venetian edition in 1497; evidently Vitruvius was beginning to command a growing interest, at least in Italy, by the end of the fifteenth century.1 Giocondo, however, took special pains to make his version of Vitruvius more useful to readers than any of its predecessors: he provided woodcut illustrations—136 of them, a glossary of architectural terms, and a key to the curious symbols that Vitruvius uses for units of measure in his tenth book. Furthermore, Giocondo took a much more aggressive approach to what an editor can or should do with an ancient text. Both for the merits of its ancient author and for those of its early modern editor, the Fra Giocondo Vitruvius would turn out to be one of the most influential books of the sixteenth century. It served as a fundamental basis for the practice of architecture in early modern Europe, and through its circulation among European merchants, colonists, and missionaries, for the rest of the world.2 The book may also have been influential for more subtle reasons. Vitruvius wrote his Ten Books for the emperor Augustus as a demonstration that architecture should be included among the liberal arts. Made broadly accessible by printing, illustration, study, and a more intelligible Latin text in 1511, the ancient architect's philosophical statements about liberal education, aesthetics, and the status of …
Protein Prenylation and Synaptic Plasticity: Implications for Alzheimer’s Disease

Protein prenylation is an important lipid posttranslational modification of proteins. It includes protein farnesylation and geranylgeranylation, in which the 15-carbon farnesyl pyrophosphate or 20-carbon geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate is attached to the C-terminus of target proteins, catalyzed by farnesyl transferase or geranylgeranyl transferases, respectively. Protein prenylation facilitates the anchoring of proteins into the cell membrane and mediates protein–protein interactions. Among numerous proteins that undergo prenylation, small GTPases represent the largest group of prenylated proteins. Small GTPases are involved in regulating a plethora of cellular functions including synaptic plasticity. The prenylation status of small GTPases determines the subcellular locations and functions of the proteins. Dysregulation or dysfunction of small GTPases leads to the development of different types of disorders. Emerging evidence indicates that prenylated proteins, in particular small GTPases, may play important roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. This review focuses on the prenylation of Ras and Rho subfamilies of small GTPases and its relation to synaptic plasticity and Alzheimer’s disease.
Biophysical properties of the voltage-gated proton channel HV1

The voltage gated proton channel has a number of surprising characteristics, but the most prominent may be its ability to conduct protons (H+) through the cell membrane with perfect selectivity. Experimentally this can be determined by reversal potential measurements and ion substitution. For both native 4–9 and expressed proton channels 10, 11, these experiments indicate high selectivity. It is astonishing that this is the only known voltage gated ion channel which conducts solely protons. There are other voltage gated channels which are selective to their “main ion” and in addition can conduct protons. Thus, voltage gated sodium channels have been reported to conduct protons in addition to sodium 12–15, with PH/PNa ~250. Sodium channels conduct only a proportionally small amount of protons depending on the solutions they are recorded in. Under the ionic conditions and ion concentrations in the body (150 mM Na+ and 60 nM H+, a 2,500,000 fold difference), for example, if the permeability for protons were the same as for sodium in a sodium channel, 1 H+ would be conducted with every 2.5 ×106 sodium ions. This ratio would change to 1.5 Na+ to 1 H+ at pH =1. Protons are the smallest ions. This characteristic makes it hard for molecular sieves (ion channels) to exclude them. Table 1 compares the mass and radius of protons with other ions and electrons. It emphasizes the difference between the next smallest cation Li+ and H+ with a radius difference of 39,000 times. Table 1 Ionic radius and mass of electrons protons and other ions One large family of cation channels, the potassium channels, have not been reported to conduct any protons 16. In the absence of experimental data it is not completely clear whether protons can pass the potassium channel pore with at least some conductivity. Exclusive proton selectivity is a hallmark of the voltage gated proton channel. Protons are cations, but in contrast to all other cations, they lack the electron shell. When protons are hydrated they exist mainly as hydronium ions (H3O+), but also as more complex forms such as Zundel (H+ + 2H2O) 17 or Eigen cation (H3O+ + 3H2O) 18. Movement of protons through water must be considerably fast since the lifetime for hydronium is estimated between 0.24–3 ps 18–26.
Clustering of Ti on a C60 surface and its effect on hydrogen storage

Recent efforts in finding materials suitable for storing hydrogen with large gravimetric density have focused attention on carbon-based nanostructures. Unfortunately, pure carbon nanotubes and fullerenes are unsuitable as hydrogen storage materials because of the weak bonding of the hydrogen molecules to the carbon frame. It has been shown very recently that coating of carbon nanostructures with isolated transition metal atoms such as Sc and Ti can increase the binding energy of hydrogen and lead to high storage capacity (up to 8 wt % hydrogen, which is 1.6 times the U.S. Department of Energy target set for 2005). This prediction has led to a great deal of excitement in the fuel cell community [see The Fuel Cell Review, http://fcr.iop.org/articles/features/2/7/4]. However, this prediction depends on the assumption that the metal atoms coated on the fullerene surface will remain isolated. Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we show that Ti atoms would prefer to cluster on the C60 surface, which can significantly alter the nature of hydrogen bonding, thus affecting not only the amount of stored hydrogen but also their thermodynamics and kinetics.
Long Ceramic Beam Tubes for Accelerator Magnets

The ceramic beam tubes for the fast and abort kickers and the bucker and pinger magnets used at Fermilab must meet a number of exacting requirements. The tubes must be long and sufficiently straight so as not to limit magnet design. They must have wall strength capable of withstanding the atmospheric and mechanical forces encountered during construction and operation. Vacuum tight ceramic to stainless steel transitions must be of reasonable cost; they must also withstand high temperature processing and remain vacuum tight to the 10/sup -9/ Torr range. To remove the possibility of static charge buildup each tube must have a surface coating of indium oxide applied to the inner wall. This thin coating is difficult to achieve and requires the most careful attention to detail. The methods used at Fermilab to achieve these goals are presented in this paper.
Developing a unifying framework of credibility assessment: Construct, heuristics, and interaction in context

This article presents a unifying framework of credibility assessment in which credibility is characterized across a variety of media and resources with respect to diverse information seeking goals and tasks. The initial data were collected through information-activity diaries over a 10-day period from 24 undergraduate students at three different colleges. Based on 245 information seeking activities from the diaries, the authors conducted individual interviews with participants and analyzed the transcripts using a grounded theory analysis. Three distinct levels of credibility judgments emerged: construct, heuristics, and interaction. The construct level pertains to how a person constructs, conceptualizes, or defines credibility. The heuristics level involves general rules of thumb used to make judgments of credibility applicable to a variety of situations. Finally, the interaction level refers to credibility judgments based on content, peripheral source cues, and peripheral information object cues. In addition, context emerged as the social, relational and dynamic frames surrounding the information seeker and providing boundaries of credibility judgments. The implications of the framework in terms of its theoretical contribution to credibility research and practices are discussed.
Traveling wave solutions from microscopic to macroscopic chemotaxis models

In this paper, we study the existence and nonexistence of traveling wave solutions for the one-dimensional microscopic and macroscopic chemotaxis models. The microscopic model is based on the velocity jump process of Othmer et al. (SIAM J Appl Math 57:1044–1081, 1997). The macroscopic model, which can be shown to be the parabolic limit of the microscopic model, is the classical Keller–Segel model, (Keller and Segel in J Theor Biol 30:225–234; 377–380, 1971). In both models, the chemosensitivity function is given by the derivative of a potential function, Φ(v), which must be unbounded below at some point for the existence of traveling wave solutions. Thus, we consider two examples: \({\Phi(v) = \ln v}\) and \({\Phi(v) = \ln[v/(1-v)]}\). The mathematical problem reduces to proving the existence or nonexistence of solutions to a nonlinear boundary value problem with variable coefficient on \({\mathbb R}\). The main purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships between the two models through their traveling waves, from which we can observe how information are lost, retained, or created during the transition from the microscopic model to the macroscopic model. Moreover, the underlying biological implications of our results are discussed.
Characterization of the porosity of human dental enamel and shear bond strength in vitro after variable etch times: initial findings using the BET method.

Abstract Objectives: (1) To quantitatively characterize human enamel porosity and surface area in vitro before and after etching for variable etching times; and (2) to evaluate shear bond strength after variable etching times. Specifically, our goal was to identify the presence of any correlation between enamel porosity and shear bond strength. Materials and Methods: Pore surface area, pore volume, and pore size of enamel from extracted human teeth were analyzed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) gas adsorption before and after etching for 15, 30, and 60 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid. Orthodontic brackets were bonded with Transbond to the samples with variable etch times and were subsequently applied to a single-plane lap shear testing system. Results: Pore volume and surface area increased after etching for 15 and 30 seconds. At 60 seconds, this increase was less pronounced. On the contrary, pore size appears to decrease after etching. No correlation was found between variable etching times and shear str...
MEASURING THE FACIAL PHENOTYPE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH PRENATAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE: CORRELATIONS WITH BRAIN DYSFUNCTION

The purpose of this report is to demonstrate how to measure the magnitude of expression of the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) facial phenotype using the new 4-Digit Diagnostic Code and the previously developed D-score and to demonstrate how these two measures of the FAS facial phenotype correlate with brain function and structure; correlations that fail to be identified by the older gestalt method of facial measurement. The D-score and the facial component of the 4-Digit Diagnostic Code quantitatively measure the magnitude of expression of the FAS facial phenotype using three facial features (palpebral fissure length, philtrum smoothness, and upper lip thinness). These facial measurement systems were developed by the Washington State FAS Diagnostic and Prevention Network (FAS DPN) of clinics and are used to screen and diagnose the facial component of FAS for all patients evaluated in the network of clinics (1500 to date). The 4-Digit Diagnostic Code is a comprehensive diagnostic system developed by the FAS DPN in 1997 to diagnose the full spectrum of outcomes among patients with prenatal alcohol exposure. The four digits reflect the magnitude of expression of the four key diagnostic features of FAS in the following order: (1) growth deficiency; (2) the FAS facial phenotype; (3) brain dysfunction; (4) gestational alcohol exposure. The 4-Digit Diagnostic Code was developed to overcome the subjective, highly variable gestalt method of diagnosis that has been used as the standard to date, worldwide. Prior to the development of the 4-Digit Diagnostic Code, the first 445 patients evaluated in the FAS DPN were diagnosed using the gestalt method. For research purposes, their gestalt diagnoses were transformed into 4-Digit Diagnostic Codes, presenting a unique opportunity to directly compare the two diagnostic methods. When the facial phenotype was measured using the 4-Digit Diagnostic Code or D-score, the magnitude of expression of the FAS facial phenotype was significantly correlated with structural, neurologic, and functional measures of brain damage, and the phenotype of those receiving a 4-Digit Diagnosis of FAS showed little variability. When the gestalt method of diagnosis was used, the magnitude of expression of the FAS facial phenotype did not correlate with structural, neurologic and functional measures of brain damage, and the facial phenotype of those receiving a gestalt diagnosis of FAS was highly variable. The 4-Digit Diagnostic Code and D-score thus provide more precise and accurate measures of the FAS facial phenotype and reveal important correlations with brain structure and function, suggesting that intermediate expressions of the FAS facial phenotype may serve as important risk factors for brain damage caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.
International Education: How It Is Defined by U.S. Students and Foreign Students

Do U.S. college students and foreign college students who are currently pursuing education in the United States see eye-to-eye when defining international education and the competencies that make up a globalor international-minded citizen? The purpose of this study was to compare U.S. students' perceptions of international education and related competencies with similar perceptions of foreign students. Some comments made by Hans de Wit, director of the Office of Foreign Relations at the University of Amsterdam and vice president of the European Association of Intemrnational Educators (EAIE), were the inspiration for the study. In his 1993 review of Bridges to the Future: Strategies for Internationalizing Higher Education (Klasek, Garavalia, and Kellerman 1992), de Wit sounds a call for a "debate on differences between the definition of international educa-
Evaluation of a pose estimation algorithm using single perspective view

In [1 we have introduced a new pose eslimalion algoriihm based on a ierahedravolume measuremeni meihod. In This paper we preseni an exiended iheorelical and experinienal evalualion of This algorithm. The pose esimaion iechnique exploits ihe redundancy in the georneric informaiion inherent in the daia io minimize errors in Ihe recovery of the pose of a vision system. The resuUs of This study show among other Things ha errors in the pose recovery are sensiiive io he exact coordinales of image poinis. These errors increase drasiically as the camera is moved awayfrom the argeL To correciforihis sensiiviy an enhanced version ofihis algoriihm based on image/shape resoraion is introduced. This enhancement ulilizes a Conjugate Gradieni based lechnique io minimize the effect of errors inhereni in he image daia. This enhanced technique is lesied on images of synihelic daia and of real world scenes. These experimenis show Thai a significant improvemeni of he solulion o The pose can be achieved by this technique. 1
Growth on glucose decreases cAMP-CRP activity while paradoxically increasing intracellular cAMP in the light-organ symbiont Vibrio fischeri.

Summary Proteobacteria often co-ordinate responses to carbon sources using CRP and the second messenger cyclic 3′, 5′-AMP (cAMP), which combine to control transcription of genes during growth on non-glucose substrates as part of the catabolite-repression response. Here we show that cAMP-CRP is active and important in Vibrio fischeri during colonization of its host squid Euprymna scolopes. Moreover, consistent with a classical role in catabolite repression, a cAMP-CRP-dependent reporter showed lower activity in cells grown in media amended with glucose rather than glycerol. Surprisingly though, intracellular cAMP levels were higher in glucose-grown cells. Mutant analyses were consistent with predictions that CyaA was responsible for cAMP generation, that the EIIAGlc component of glucose transport could enhance cAMP production and that the phophodiesterases CpdA and CpdP consumed intracellular and extracellular cAMP respectively. However, the observation of lower cAMP levels in glycerol-grown cells seemed best explained by changes in cAMP export, via an unknown mechanism. Our data also indicated that cAMP-CRP activity decreased during growth on glucose independently of crp's native transcriptional regulation or cAMP levels. We speculate that some unknown mechanism, perhaps carbon-source-dependent post-translational modulation of CRP, may help control cAMP-CRP activity in V. fischeri.
Stability of perceived personal control for older black and white men.

The recent emergence of the life-span perspective in sociopsychological research has increased attention to the issue of stability versus change in adult personality and behavior. This study uses data on older men from the National Longitudinal Surveys and LISREL statistical procedures to investigate the structural invariance over time, the level stability, and normative stability of perceived personal control within subsamples of blacks and whites.
Mass and mean size dual-frequency radar relations for frozen hydrometeors

Airborne in situ frozen particle size distribution data from the TRMM field campaigns is used to develop mass and mean size dual-frequency radar relations
Changes in nongonococcal septic arthritis: Drug abuse and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus

Septic arthritis continues to be a major medical problem for metropolitan hospitals. Previous studies have defined risk factors, joint distribution, and the most common organisms implicated in this condition (1-4). Recently, we became aware of a pattern of septic arthritis that differed significantly from that previously reported. Over a 2-year period, a retrospective analysis of septic arthritis revealed the emergence of a new pattern of antibiotic resistance among the bacteria populating a well-defined subgroup of patients. Patients and methods. Wayne County General Hospital, a 270-bed general hospital in suburban Detroit, has continuously served indigent citizens of the inner city of Detroit and the population of the surrounding area since the turn of the century. A review of the hospital’s records for the 2-year period, January 1, 1981 through December 31, 1982, showed 46 patients with a discharge diagnosis of septic arthritis, excluding all cases of Neisseria gonorrhea. These patients’ medical records, including their bacteriology laboratory data, were reviewed for inclusion in the study. Criteria for inclusion were: presentation with an acutely painful, tender, or swollen joint and positive synovial fluid bacterial cultures. Of the 46 medical
Criteria for nonoperative treatment of significant penetrating renal lacerations.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We developed criteria for nonoperative treatment of penetrating renal injuries and predicting which patients will benefit from immediate surgery.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 120 patients with grades 2 to 4 renal lacerations from gunshot and stab wounds, of whom 41 were treated nonoperatively (group 1) and 79 underwent immediate renal exploration (group 2).Results: Group 1 had significantly lower incidences of gunshot wounds, shock, associated injuries, need for transfusion and high grade renal injuries. In patients with grade 2 lacerations no complications resulted from nonoperative treatment. However, 23.5% of patients in group 1 with grades 3 and 4 injuries had delayed renal bleeding versus none in group 2.Conclusions: Nonoperative treatment of penetrating renal lacerations is appropriate in hemodynamically stable patients without associated injuries. Grade 2 injuries can be treated nonoperatively but grades 3 and 4 injuries are associated with a significant risk of...
Grand challenges in design research for human-centered design informatics

The idea of design informatics as a distinguished discipline is a new one, with little precedence. This paper argues for the importance of a human-centered perspective with respect to the emergence of this newly nascent field of design informatics--a perspective which may be termed Human-Centered Design Informatics (HCDI). The paper proposes four grand challenges that are essential to the foundations of HCDI, specifically (i) understanding the living nature of information, (ii) understanding the relationships between interaction design and information, (iii) understanding how to design for sustainable and engaging social interactions mediated by information technologies, and (iv) understanding the multi-cultural and globalization issues implied by the use of the materials of information technologies in design.
STUDIES ON THE BIOLOGY OF STREPTOCOCCUS : I. ANTIGENIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STRAINS OF STREPTOCOCCUS HÆMOLYTICUS.

1. Immunological differences have been shown to exist between strains of Streptococcus hoemolyticus of the human type. 2. Four biological types have been identified by means of the reactions of agglutination and protection. 3. At least two other types have been encountered and the indications are that more exist.
Memorial consequences of testing school-aged children

A large literature shows that retrieval practice is a powerful tool for enhancing learning and memory in undergraduates (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006a). Much less work has examined the memorial consequences of testing school-aged children. Our focus is on multiple-choice tests, which are potentially problematic since they minimise retrieval practice and also expose students to errors (the multiple-choice lures). To examine this issue, second graders took a multiple-choice general knowledge test (e.g., What country did the Pilgrims come from: England, Germany, Ireland, or Spain?) and later answered a series of short answer questions, some of which corresponded to questions on the earlier multiple-choice test. Without feedback, the benefits of prior testing outweighed the costs for easy questions. However, for hard questions, the large increase in multiple-choice lure answers on the final test meant that the cost of prior testing outweighed the benefits when no feedback was provided. This negative testing effect was eliminated when children received immediate feedback (consisting of the correct answer) after each multiple-choice selection. Implications for educational practice are discussed.
Averaging Euler-type difference scheme

A ‘microaveraging’ Euler type difference scheme is developed for stochastic singularly perturbed systems. It is proven that the scheme converges in the mean square sense to the solution of the associated reduced problem. A discrete version of the stochastic averaging assumption is developed in order to study this convergence problem
β-Blocker Use for the Stages of Heart Failure

The 2005 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology heart failure (HF) guidelines contributed to a renewed focus on “at-risk” patients and emphasized HF as a progressive disease. Patient categorization by stages focused attention on customization of therapy to achieve optimal, evidence-based treatments across the HF continuum. Therapy for risk factors that predispose patients to left ventricular dysfunction or other symptoms may help reduce HF development. β-Blockers are valuable for treatment of HF; however, the class is heterogeneous, and proper β-blocker selection for each HF stage is important. β-Blockers have been used routinely to treat patients with stage A HF with hypertension. Recent controversy regarding the detrimental effects that some β-blockers have on metabolic parameters has raised inappropriate concerns about the use of any β-blocker for diabetes. β-Blockade is standard therapy for the patient with stage B HF who has had a myocardial infarction, but few data are available concerning use in asymptomatic patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Additionally, β-blockers are part of the core therapy for stage C HF and selected patients with stage D HF. This review examines the role and use of β-blockers in each HF stage through an evidence-based approach to provide better understanding of their importance in this progressive disease. PubMed searches (1980-2008) identified large clinical trials that evaluated cardiovascular events and outcomes in any HF stage or hypertension. Search terms were heart failure, hypertension, β-blocker, ACEI, ARB, and calcium channel blocker AND blood pressure coronary artery disease, diabetes, efficacy, left ventricular dysfunction, metabolism, mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke.
Packing of convex polygons in a rectangularly bounded, non-homogeneous space

A two-dimensional heuristic packing strategy, capable of achieving a dense packing of convex polygonal shapes, is presented. A method for extending the placement strategy to nonconvex n-gons is also presented. The algorithm was developed as part of a system to automate the various aspects of the hardwood manufacturing industry. The techniques developed, however, are applicable to the packing problem in general. >
A 40-Kilovolt, 125-Ampere Hard Tube Modulator for Accelerator Service

A hard tube modulator designed to generate a 40-kilovolt pulse at 125 amperes for 2 milliseconds at 6% duty factor has been constructed. The rise and fall times will be controlled and the flat top regulated to program requirements. The Machlett NL-LPT 14 was used for the switch tube in this application utilizing magnetic focusing with a coarse grid structure and multiple cathode beams to achieve low grid drive with high plate efficiencies. Low grid drive allows simplification of the drive to one tube driven directly from the rectified rf control signal. The rf control signal at 4.8 Mc is coupled across the high voltage interface through a ferrite core transformer.
Outcomes of arteriovenous fistulae compared with heparin-bonded and conventional grafts for hemodialysis access.

PurposeArteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are the preferred vascular access for hemodialysis patients. However, patients who do not have suitable veins require prosthetic arteriovenous graft (AVG) placem...
Conceptual Issues of Linkage in the Assessment of Organizational Performance

Current perspectives on the assessment of organization performance assume that organizations exhibit a oneness of structure and that the linkages among characteristics of organizations are rational. This paper examines the validity of these assumptions and their implications for assessing organization performance.
Factors Affecting Parental Decision-Making Regarding Interventions for Their Child With Autism

Due to the numerous interventions available for children with autism, parents are faced with challenging decisions regarding treatments from the time of diagnosis and throughout their child’s life. This exploratory qualitative study investigated the reasons behind parents’ decisions about interventions for their child with autism. In-depth interviews were conducted with 23 parents from 18 families making decisions for 19 young children to understand their perspectives on deciding a philosophical approach, choosing a preschool program, and/or deciding on alternative treatments. Children had a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified or autistic disorder and were below the age of 7 years. Parents’ considerations were categorized into the themes of parental, child, and program attributes. Recommendations were made regarding areas to explore with families to provide support as they weigh the numerous options available. Recommendations for policy changes that could improve diagnost...
Theory and method at the intersection of anthropology and cultural neuroscience

Anthropologists have become increasingly interested in embodimentthat is, the ways that socio-cultural factors influence the form, behavior and subjective experience of human bodies. At the same time, social cognitive neuroscience has begun to reveal the mechanisms of embodiment by investigating the neural underpinnings and consequences of social experience. Despite this overlap, the two fields have barely engaged one another. We suggest three interconnected domains of inquiry in which the intersection of neuroscience and anthropology can productively inform our understanding of the relationship between human brains and their socio-cultural contexts. These are: the social construction of emotion, cultural psychiatry, and the embodiment of ritual. We build on both current research findings in cultural neuroscience and ethnographic data on cultural differences in thought and behavior, to generate novel, ecologically informed hypotheses for future study. In addition, we lay out a specific suggestion for operationalizing insights from anthropology in the context of cultural neuroscience research. Specifically, we advocate the development of field studies that use portable measurement technologies to connect individual patterns of biolog- ical response with socio-cultural processes. We illustrate the potential of such an approach with data from a study of psycho- physiology and religious devotion in Northeastern Brazil.
Robust diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma phenotypes validated on gene expression data from different laboratories.

A major challenge in cancer diagnosis from microarray data is the need for robust, accurate, classiflcation models which are independent of the analysis techniques used and can combine data from difierent laboratories. We propose such a classiflcation scheme originally developed for phenotype identiflcation from mass spectrometry data. The method uses a robust multivariate gene selection procedure and combines the results of several machine learning tools trained on raw and pattern data to produce an accurate meta-classifler. We illustrate and validate our method by applying it to gene expression datasets: the oligonucleotide HuGeneFL microarray dataset of Shipp et al. (www. genome.wi.mit.du/MPR/lymphoma) and the Hu95Av2 Afiymetrix dataset (DallaFavera’s laboratory, Columbia University). Our pattern-based meta-classiflcation technique achieves higher predictive accuracies than each of the individual classiflers , is robust against data perturbations and provides subsets of related predictive genes. Our techniques predict that combinations of some genes in the p53 pathway are highly predictive of phenotype. In particular, we flnd that in 80% of DLBCL cases the mRNA level of at least one of the three genes p53, PLK1 and CDK2 is elevated, while in 80% of FL cases, the mRNA level of at most one of them is elevated.
Synthesis, characterization, and polymerization of propenyl ether analogues

A series of aromatic monomers bearing cationically polymerizable propenyl groups were prepared and characterized using the readily available starting materials: isoeugenol and o-allyl phenol. Monomers with both propenyl and vinyl ether functional groups were also synthesized by the reaction of these starting materials with chloroethyl vinyl ether. The reactivity of the resulting monomers in photoinitiated cationic polymerization was studied using differential scanning photocalorimetry and photogel point measurements. Their thermal properties were determined using thermogravimetric analysis. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Appropriate death: College students' preferences vs. actuarial projections

Appropriate death was defined as the kind of death a person might choose for himself/herself, if given a choice. Ss were 382 college students who stated their preferences for (a) age at time of death; (b) cause of death; (c) site of death; and (d) means of disposal of remains. Preferences were compared with national actuarial projections. The preferred average life expectancy for women was lower than the national average life expectancy (p less than .001). Natural causes and accidents were oversubscribed, while cardiovascular ailments and cancer were undersubscribed as causes of death. A non-institutional site for death was preferred by 91.3% of the Ss; 39% of all deaths now occur outside an institution. Traditional burial underground was the choice of just more than half the sample, but a slight trend toward less traditional means of disposal of remains was noted over the five semesters of the study.
A Circuit for Gradient Climbing in C. elegans Chemotaxis

Animals have a remarkable ability to track dynamic sensory information. For example, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can locate a diacetyl odor source across a 100,000-fold concentration range. Here, we relate neuronal properties, circuit implementation, and behavioral strategies underlying this robust navigation. Diacetyl responses in AWA olfactory neurons are concentration and history dependent; AWA integrates over time at low odor concentrations, but as concentrations rise, it desensitizes rapidly through a process requiring cilia transport. After desensitization, AWA retains sensitivity to small odor increases. The downstream AIA interneuron amplifies weak odor inputs and desensitizes further, resulting in a stereotyped response to odor increases over three orders of magnitude. The AWA-AIA circuit drives asymmetric behavioral responses to odor increases that facilitate gradient climbing. The adaptation-based circuit motif embodied by AWA and AIA shares computational properties with bacterial chemotaxis and the vertebrate retina, each providing a solution for maintaining sensitivity across a dynamic range.
Capital Market Development in Eastern and Central European Transition Economies

While the paper touches upon the experience of most transition economies in Eastern and Central Europe, it focuses on the creation and functioning of capital market development in four countries in the region, namely, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. Capital market in these four countries were already created or reestablished in the beginning of 1990s and government securities markets have been actively developed. These countries’ capital market development has been closely related to their choice of privatization methods. While success has been observed, many problems remain in achieving desired levels of market efficiency and transparency.