cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A dream come true! [Jack Dyer’s Clinic]

Occasionally, I hear the line, “This is a dream come true!” The line can certainly be classed an American- English idiom. I’ll let the reader perform the grammatical analysis on it, but it is meant to convey, as the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary puts it, “something you have wanted very much for a long time that has now happened.” It is what this column is for me.
Judicial Recusal: On the Brink of Constitutional Change

Recusal, or judicial disqualification, occurs when a judge abstains from a particular legal proceeding because of a personal conflict of interest. All levels of the judicial system and some administrative agencies in the United States apply the concept of recusal, but this study focuses on the United States Supreme Court. Title 28 of the United States Code provides standards (not obligatory by legal means) on when Supreme Court Justices should recuse themselves. But Supreme Court Justices are themselves the arbiters of their own recusal and often these substantive standards are not met. The method of study applied is theoretical, using both quantitative and qualitative data from past Supreme Court cases. INDEX WORDS: Supreme Court, Judicial Recusal, Judicial Disqualification, United States Supreme Court Recusal Policy, Supreme Court Conflict of Interest
Computer-aided systems engineering methodology support and its effect on the output of structured analysis

The information systems development literature indicates that there is no conclusive, empirical evidence that CASE improves the quality of system specifications or the resulting information systems. One role of a CASE tool is to serve as a methodology companion—to assist an analyst in the creation of documentation passed to succeeding phases of the life cycle, and to guide the analyst through a particular systems development methodology. A framework for comparing the level of methodology support provided by a CASE tool is proposed and applied to 27 structured analysis methodology rules. The framework contains seven levels of rule enforcement, ranging from real-time enforcement of a rule to the absence of enforcement for a rule. The methodology enforcement framework is then applied to two popular, commercial CASE tools. Each CASE tool was used by eight project teams over a two month period to construct a functional specification for a hotel information system. The goal of the study was to examine the influence on the functional specification of the level of methodology support provided by the CASE tool for each structured analysis methodology rule. Methodology errors in the system specification were noted for each structured analysis methodology rule. An analysis of the frequency of errors indicates that internal consistency rules are easily adhered to regardless of the level of methodology support provided by the CASE tool, while hierarchical consistency rules are adhered to more frequently in the presence of rigorous methodology support.
“Through the looking glass: envisioning new library technologies” mobile libraries, beyond the Web site

Purpose – This paper aims to highlight recent and near-future innovations relating to mobile access that can facilitate new interactions between patrons and libraries. Design/methodology/approach – This paper explores mobile hotspots that allow library patrons to “check out” the Internet to access a world of information, as well as the related technologies on the horizon that are poised to transform Internet access worldwide. Innovative libraries and vendors are catching up to the implications of “mobile” beyond the Web interface and are making their collections and technological offerings available using re-envisioned bookmobiles, servers and library circulation modules. Findings – This paper finds that, by using new and cleverly reconfigured technology, libraries can continue to play a central role in the sharing of information in an increasingly mobile world. Originality/value – This paper demonstrates that the technological infrastructure that supports mobile libraries will continue to develop and exp...
Correlates of life satisfaction among aging veterans

Background The purpose of this study was to document the associations of stressors (combat exposure, retirement concerns, and late-life stressful events), personal resources (social support, sense of mastery, and positive appraisal of military experiences), and functional health (both physical and mental) with life satisfaction in older veterans. Methods Participants were 562 male combat veterans (mean age = 70). Self-report questionnaires were administered via mail survey. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed. Results Each step of the regression analysis demonstrated a significant contribution to variance in life satisfaction (48% in total). Although stressors were significant when entered as a set, their influence dissipated in the presence of personal resources and functional health. For the full model, seven of 11 independent variables were unique and significant predictors, including all personal resource factors and both functional health indices. Sense of mastery was most potent. Conclusions Even in the presence of stressors, personal resources and functional health appear to serve protective roles in explaining levels of life satisfaction among aging veterans.
Why Every Theory of Luck is Wrong

There are three theories of luck in the literature, each of which tends to appeal to philosophers pursuing different concerns. These are the probability, modal, and control views. I will argue that all three theories are irreparably defective; not only are there counterexamples to each of the three theories of luck, but there are three previously undiscussed classes of counterexamples against them. These are the problems of lucky necessities, skillful luck, and diachronic luck. I conclude that a serious reevaluation of the role of luck in philosophy is called for.
Probing the Combined Electromagnetic Local Density of Optical States with Quantum Emitters Supporting Strong Electric and Magnetic Transitions

We experimentally demonstrate that the radiative decay rate of a quantum emitter is determined by the combined electric and magnetic local density of optical states (LDOS). A Drexhage-style experiment was performed for two distinct quantum emitters, divalent nickel ions in magnesium oxide and trivalent erbium ions in yttrium oxide, which both support nearly equal mixtures of isotropic electric dipole and magnetic dipole transitions. The disappearance of lifetime oscillations as a function of emitter-interface separation distance confirms that the electromagnetic LDOS refers to the total mode density, and thus similar to thermal emission, these unique electronic emitters effectively excite all polarizations and orientations of the electromagnetic field.
Office-based Bladder Tumor Fulguration and Surveillance: Indications and Techniques

This article summarizes the current literature on office-based management of low-grade, noninvasive bladder cancer. Discussion includes differences in recurrence and progression rates between neoplasm grades and stages, role of visual grading for diagnosis, cost advantages of treatment outside the operating room, and a step-by-step description of office-based procedures.
Interactive phenomena in supersonic jet mixing problems. I Phenomenology and numerical modeling techniques

The interactive phenomena that occur in supersonic jet mixing flowfields, and numerical modeling techniques developed to analyze such phenomena are discussed. A spatial marching procedure based on solving the parabolized Navier-Stokes jet mixing equations is presented. This procedure combines shock-capturing methodology for the analysis of supersonic mixing regions with pressure-split methodology for the analysis of subsonic mixing regions. The two regions are coupled at viscous sonic lines utilizing a viscous-characteristic coupling procedure. Specialized techniques for the treatment of jet boundary growth, strong discontinuties (Mach disks), and small embedded subsonic zones (behind Mach disks) are presented. Turbulent processes are represented by two-equation turbulence model formulations. In Part II of this article, numerical studies are presented for a variety of supersonic jet interactive phenomena.
Branching fractions and transition probabilities for levels of the 5p57p configuration of xenon

Abstract We present experimentally measured branching fractions for optical emissions from the lowest six levels of the 5 p 5 7 p manifold in xenon. Many of the emission lines from these levels are in the visible or near IR ends of the spectrum and are viable candidates for plasma diagnostic purposes. This work represents the first comprehensive set of measurements for these branching fractions. We compare our results to the very limited experimental and theoretical sources available.
Stability of highly deformed, asymmetric single‐species plasmas

Cylinders of pure electron plasma are routinely confined within cylindrically‐symmetric Penning/Malmberg traps. When azimuthal asymmetries are imposed, the plasma deforms into appropriately asymmetric shapes. Such deformed plasmas have been observed experimentally, and are long‐lived. The equilibrium and stability of these plasmas are analyzed in this paper. A very broad class of deformed plasmas are in equilibrium, but not all such plasmas are stable. Furthermore, the flux surface adiabatic invariant assures that the plasma will attain the appropriate equilibrium shape if the azimuthal boundary perturbations are applied slowly.
Severe motor neuropathy or neuronopathy due to nitrous oxide toxicity after correction of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Introduction: Nitrous oxide (N2O) toxicity can cause a sensory predominant myeloneuropathy identical to subacute combined degeneration caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. We describe a patient with a typical vitamin B12 deficiency syndrome after N2O abuse who recovered and then developed a severe lower motor neuron syndrome following vitamin B12 correction. This suggests N2O toxicity independent of functional vitamin B12 deficiency. Methods: Electrophysiological, serological, and clinical evaluations were undertaken in the evaluation of this patient. Results: A 22-year-old man abused N2O and presented with a dorsal column syndrome with low vitamin B12 and high homocysteine serum levels. He recovered with treatment but presented later with profound motor axonal degeneration and normal vitamin B12, homocysteine, and methlymalonic acid levels. Conclusions: This case illustrates that N2O-associated severe motor neuropathy or neuronopathy can develop separately from typical vitamin B12 deficiency dorsal column myelopathy. This syndrome can present when functional measures of vitamin B12 deficiency have normalized. Muscle Nerve 51: 614–616, 2015
Solvent effects on coupling yields during rapid solid-phase synthesis of CGRP(8-37) employing in situ neutralization*

The success of solid-phase peptide synthesis is often dependent upon solvation of the resin and the growing resin-bound peptide chain. We investigated the relationship between solvent properties and solvation of the resin and peptide-resin in order to obtain satisfactory coupling yields for the rapid solid-phase peptide synthesis, using butyloxycarbonyl-(Boc)-amino acid derivatives, of human-alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide(8-37) (CGRP(8-37)). Solvation of (p-methylbenzhydrylamine)copoly(styrene-1% divinylbenzene (DVB) (resin) and resin covalently bound to the fully protected amino acid sequence of CGRP(8-37) (peptide-resin) was correlated to solvent Hildebrand solubility (delta) and hydrogen-bonding (delta(h)) parameters. Contour solvation plots of delta(h) vs. delta revealed maximum solvation regions of resin and peptide-resin. Maximum resin solvation occurred with N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP), NMP : dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) (8 : 2) and DMSO. Inefficient solvation of the peptide-resin occurred with these solvents and resulted in poor syntheses with average coupling yields of 78.1, 88.9 and 91.8%, respectively. Superior peptide-resin solvation was obtained using dimethylacetamide (DMA) and dimethylformamide (DMF), resulting in significantly higher average coupling yields of 98.0 and 99.5%, respectively. Thus, the region of maximum peptide-resin solvation shifts to solvents with higher delta(h) values. DMF provided the most effective peptide-resin solvation and was the only solvent from which CGRP(8-37) was obtained as a single major product in the crude cleaved material.
PRIMARY CARCINOMA OF FALLOPIAN TUBES WITH POSITIVE SMEARS--5 YEAR CURE.

It occurred to us that if we would combine the ordinary tonsil suction with a retractable tenaculum hook it would allow the assistant to USC one instrument for both suction and retraction. * This was accomplished. The instrument may be used for suction at all times and when retraction is needed the hook is extended for this purpose. See Figs, 1 and 2. The suction retractor is useful as a teaching aid. Training interns and residents to use the instrument makes them an integral part of each step of the operation.
Ammonium recycling limits nitrate use in the oceanic subarctic Pacific

Seasonal and die1 changes in nutrient concentrations and nitrogen assimilation rates were used to assess the effects of NH,+ on NO,- assimilation. Surface-water NO,- concentrations ranged from 6 to 17 ah4 while NH.,+ concentrations ranged from 0 to 0.4 PM. Total N assimilation ranged from 84 to 732 nM d-r but showed no seasonal trend. NH,’ and urea concentrations were < 1% of total dissolved inorganic N, but use of this “regenerated” N still accounted for 44-89*/s of total N assimilation. Rates of NO,- assimilation were negatively correlated with ambient NH,+ concentrations, and concentrations of NH., + between 0.1 and 0.3 PM caused complete inhibition of NOsassimilation, NO,- was more important as a source of N in spring than in summer. We attribute this pattern to a summer increase in turnover rates for NH;‘. Turnover times for the dissolved NH,+ pool were half as long in August as in May. Grazing and recycling in the euphotic zone apparently both play significant roles in preventing depletion of NO,- in the oceanic subarctic Pacific.
Educational Assessment Is an Enduring Theme of Numeracy

The Assessment Theme Collection in this issue brings the count of papers on QL assessment to 22 out of the 136 papers (16.2%) in the journal’s first 15 issues. After the first ten issues (our first five years), the counts were 13 and 85 respectively (15.1%). A table in this editorial updates the list of our papers on the subject.
Wettabilities of Self-Assembled Monolayers Generated from CF3-Terminated Alkanethiols on Gold

Self-assembled monolayers of terminally fluorinated alkanethiols, CF3(CH2)nSH with n = 9−15, and their nonfluorinated analogues, CH3(CH2)nSH with n = 9−15, were prepared by adsorption from solution onto evaporated gold. The monolayers were characterized by contact angle goniometry, ellipsometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The analyses indicate that the CF3-terminated alkanethiols generate terminally fluorinated monolayers that are well-ordered, particularly when the chain lengths consist of 12 or more carbon atoms. Comparison of CF3-terminated films to CH3-terminated films of similar length reveals that terminal fluorination of the surface leads to an overall decrease in the surface tension of the films. This decrease arises from a relatively large decrease in the dispersive component of the surface tension upon the introduction of fluorine. Surprisingly, terminal fluorination also leads to a small but significant increase in the nondispersive component(s) of the surface tension. The origin of ...
Microsatellite DNA variants between the FVB/N and C3HeB/FeJLe and C57BL/6J mouse strains

The inbred mouse strain FVB/N has been widely used for the generation of transgenic animals because of their vigorous reproductive performance and because of the ease with which the male pronucleus is visualized, which facilitates DNA microinjection (Taketo et al. 1991). This strain originally arose from an outbred colony of N:GP Swiss mice at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). From this colony, two strains, HSFS/N and HSFR/N, were derived based on their sensitivity to pertussis vaccine inoculation after a challenge with histamine. In the 1970s, at the eighth inbred generation, a group of HSFS/N mice carrying the F v l b allele (for sensitivity to the B strain of Friend leukemia virus) were inbred and selected for F v l b homozygosity. This strain, designated FVB/ N, has been maintained since then without selection for virus type or vaccine sensitivity. The utility of FVB/N for genetic mapping studies is limited by the lack of information regarding DNA variant alleles between this and other inbred laboratory mouse strains. In this communication we report the identification of microsatellite sequences that are variant between FVB/N and the strains C3HeB/FeJLe and C57BL/6J. FVB/N, C3HeB/FeJLe, and C57BL/6J females were obtained from The Jackson Laboratory. Genomic DNA was prepared from mouse tails and amplified by PCR with microsatellite markers developed at the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research and obtained from Research Genetics (Huntsville, Ala). PCR was carried out in either of two protocols. Protocol 1 was as follows: an aliquot of 100 ng of genomic DNA was amplified in 20 I~1 PCR reaction containing 10 rnM Tris-HC1 (pH: 8.0), 50 rn~ KCI, 1 p.M of each primer, 2.0 mM MgC12, 250 I~M each dNTP, and 2.5 units of Taq polymerase (Boehringer-Mannheim, Ind.). PCR reactions were overlaid with 20 txl of mineral oil (Sigma, Mo.) and amplified in a thermal cycler (Hybaid) as follows: 1 cycle 95~ for 5 min, 60~ for 2 rain, and 72~ for 3 min; 30 cycles of 95~ for 1 min, 60~ for 2 rain, and 72~ for 3 min. A final elongation step at 72~ for 10 rain followed. Protocol 2 was as follows: an aliquot of 20 ng of genomic DNA was amplified in 20 ~1 PCR reaction containing 22 na~ Tris-HC1 (pH: 8.4), 55 nan KC1, 0.66 ~M of each primer, 1.65 mu MgC12, 880 IxM dNTPs, and 0.44 units of Taq polymerase (Gibco-BRL). PCR reactions were amplified in a thermal cycler (MJ Research) as follows: 1 cycle 95~ 30 cycles of 95~ for 45 s; 45-55~ for 45 s, and 72~ for 2 min and 30 s. A final elongation step at 72~ for 5 min followed. PCR products were run in 3% agarose gels. When necessary, PCR products were labeled in the presence of [o~-32P] dCTP (NEN), by including 0.125 Ixl of a stock solution (3000 Ci/mmol) in a 10-txl PCR reaction. Radiolabeled DNA products were run in denaturing poly-
The Growing Contributions of Molecular Biology and Immunology to Protistan Ecology: Molecular Signatures as Ecological Tools1

Modern genetic and immunological techniques have become important tools for assessing protistan species diversity for both the identification and quantification of specific taxa in natural microbial communities. Although these methods are still gaining use among ecologists, the new approaches have already had a significant impact on our understanding of protistan diversity and biogeography. For example, genetic studies of environmental samples have uncovered many protistan phylotypes that do not match the DNA sequences of any cultured organisms, and whose morphological identities are unknown at the present time. Additionally, rapid and sensitive methods for detecting and enumerating taxa of special importance (e.g. bloom-forming algae, parasitic protists) have enabled much more detailed distributional and experimental studies than have been possible using traditional methods. Nevertheless, while the application of molecular approaches has advanced some aspects of aquatic protistan ecology, significant issues still thwart the widespread adoption of these approaches. These issues include the highly technical nature of some of the molecular methods, the reconciliation of morphology-based and sequence-based species identifications, and the species concept itself.
Quantitative trait loci for maysin synthesis in maize (Zea mays L.) lines selected for high silk maysin content

Maysin is a naturally occurring C-glycosyl flavone found in maize (Zea mays L.) silk tissue that confers resistance to corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea, Boddie). Recently, two new maize populations were derived for high silk maysin. The two populations were named the exotic populations of maize (EPM) and the southern inbreds of maize (SIM). Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was employed to determine which loci were responsible for elevated maysin levels in inbred lines derived from the EPM and SIM populations. The candidate genes consistent with QTL position included the p (pericarp color), c2 (colorless2), whp1 (white pollen1) and in1 (intensifier1) loci. The role of these loci in controlling high maysin levels in silks was tested by expression analysis and use of the loci as genetic markers onto the QTL populations. These studies support p, c2 and whp1, but not in1, as loci controlling maysin. Through this study, we determined that the p locus regulates whp1 transcription and that increased maysin in these inbred lines was primarily due to alleles at both structural and regulatory loci promoting increased flux through the flavone pathway by increasing chalcone synthase activity.
Single-electron analysis of the space-charge effect in free-electron lasers

An exact treatment of the space-charge effect in the single-electron analysis of a free-electron laser is presented to calculate its small-signal gain. With the inclusion of the repulsive force between electrons, it is found that the trajectory of an electron can be solved from a generalized equation which includes a space-charge term. The results show the gain is saturated with decreasing growth rate due to high electron density. The radiation frequency is found to increase with the electron density and approach the value at plasma resonance. The condition ωpL/c = π clearly defines the boundary between the noninteracting and the collective regime of an electron beam, where ωp is the plasma frequency, L is the device length, and c is the light velocity in vacuum.
A segmented thermal diffusion chamber for continuous measurements of CN

Abstract A new segmented thermal diffusion chamber for measurement of CN has been constructed and found to operate satisfactorily. In the segmented chamber aerosol laden air is passed through a vertical cylindrical tube consisting of hot and cold segments with water saturated walls. Air in the center of the tube reaches a temperature and water vapor pressure midway between the temperature and vapor pressure of the hot and cold segments. This produces a supersaturation in a manner similar to that which generates supersaturations in a static thermal diffusion chamber operated at the same temperature difference. An analysis of this chamber shows that introducing the sample along the axis and surrounding it with filtered sheath air will prevent the sample from encountering fluctuating supersaturations which exist along the walls and give the dilution necessary for use with optical counters.
Endor of a randomly oriented carbazyl radical

Abstract The ESR and ENDOR spectra of the 1, 3, 6, 8 tetra- t -butyl carbazyl radical have been determined in glassy perdeuterotoluene at 77°K. By performing the ENDOR experiment at the various turning points of the ESR spectrum,the complete hyperfine tensor of the protons at the 2 and 7 positions has been determined without any single crystal measurements.
The corrosion of chromium and nickel-chromium alloys in oxygen-sulfur-carbon gases at 800°C

The simultaneous oxidation and sulfidation of Cr, Ni-10Cr, Ni-20Cr, and Ni-30Cr was studied at 800°C in three gases falling within the Cr2O3 stability field of the Cr-S-O system. The sulfur partial pressure remained constant at 1×10−6 atm, whereas the oxygen partial pressure varied from 5×1021 to 5×10−20 atm, and the carbon activity varied from 0.108 to 0.416. Reaction kinetics were measured, and the reaction products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, metallography, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray energy dispersive analysis. Reaction rates decreased with increasing oxygen partial pressure and decreased with increasing chromium content of the alloys. Sulfides always formed along with Cr2O3, even though the gases fell within the oxide stability field. No carburization was observed even though carbon activities were sufficiently high to form carbides. The reaction mechanisms are discussed, and the absence of carburization is analyzed on the basis of a three-dimensional stability diagram.
X-ray Microtomography Determination of Air−Water Interfacial Area−Water Saturation Relationships in Sandy Porous Media

In this work, total smooth air-water interfacial areas were measured for a series of nine natural and model sandy porous media as a function of water saturation using synchrotron X-ray microtomography. Interfacial areas decreased linearly with water satuation, while the estimated maximum interfacial area compared favorably to the media geometric surface areas. Importantly, relative interfacial area (i.e., normalized by geometric surface area) versus water saturation plots for all media collapsed into a single linear cluster (r2 = 0.93), suggesting that geometric surface area is an important, and perhaps sufficient, descriptor of sandy media that governs total smooth interfacial area-water saturation relationships. Measured relationships were used to develop an empirical model for estimating interfacial area-water saturation relationships for sandy porous media. Model-based interfacial area estimates for independent media were generally slightly higher than interfacial areas measured using aqueous-phase interfacial tracer methods, which may indicate that microtomography captures regions of the air-water interface that are not accessible to aqueous-phase interfacial tracers. The empirical model presented here requires only average particle diameter and porosity as input parameters and can be used to readily estimate air-water interfacial area-water saturation relationships for sandy porous media.
A Critical Review of the Clinical Effects of Therapeutic Irradiation Damage to the Brain: The Roots of Controversy

We critically examined the damaging affects of therapeutic irradiation by comparing results from cross-disciplinary studies of early- and late-delayed radiotherapy effects. Focus is attained by concentrating on clinical treatment issues (volume of brain, dose, timing of effects, age, modality types, and stereotactic treatment techniques), rather than on methodological means or problems, which is necessary to understand the mechanisms and characteristics of radiotherapy-induced behavioral dysfunction including cognition. We make observations and hypotheses about the actual risks from radiotherapy that could be informative in the treatment decision process, and which may lessen the concerns of some patients and their families about the risks they take when receiving radiation. Conditions that predispose to radiation injury are reviewed: (1) higher doses even to part of the brain versus lower doses to the whole brain, (2) combined treatment modalities, (3) malignancy itself, (4) radiation early during postnatal brain development, and (5) late-delayed effects (more than 3 years posttreatment). Current neurocognitive frameworks for understanding cognitive change over time in children and adults are summarized, along with the literature on effects of brain tumors and treatment on depression. No studies have as yet identified candidate brain regions that are more sensitive to radiotherapy. Two studies have provided early, preliminary evidence for a specific vulnerability of visual attention/memory to the early stage of late radiation damage. Furthermore, radiation effects appear severe only in a minority of patients. Risk is related to direct and indirect effects of cancer type, concurrent clinical factors, and premorbid risk factors.
Selecting Aircraft Routes for Long-Haul Operations: A Formulation and Solution Method

Abstract In this paper we consider the routing of long-haul aircraft from a main base to one or more terminal bases. For these long-haul markets, the routing decision becomes critical because route profitability must be evaluated for the extremely large number of feasible routes covered by the operation. In addition, the route selection task is complicated by the “pickup- and-delivery” characteristic of the problem. Therefore, the development of an efficient procedure for selecting good candidate routes will facilitate the iterative flight scheduling process and may lead to more profitable timetables. We define an aircraft routing problem that captures the important profit-generating factors (such as intercity traffic estimates, revenues, operating costs, and aircraft capacities) in the route selection decision. We formulate this problem as a mixed integer program, and develop a Lagrangian-based solution procedure that exploits the special structure of the problem. Computational results for several test problems indicate that the procedure is able to select a small number of profitable candidate routes, and provide good bounds that confirm the near-optimality of the generated solutions.
Overfitting Avoidance as Bias

Strategies for increasing predictive accuracy through selective pruning have been widely adopted by researchers in decision tree induction. It is easy to get the impression from research reports that there are statistical reasons for believing that these overfitting avoidance strategies do increase accuracy and that, as a research community, we are making progress toward developing powerful, general methods for guarding against overfitting in inducing decision trees. In fact, any overfitting avoidance strategy amounts to a form of bias and, as such, may degrade performance instead of improving it. If pruning methods have often proven successful in empirical tests, this is due, not to the methods, but to the choice of test problems. As examples in this article illustrate, overfitting avoidance strategies are not better or worse, but only more or less appropriate to specific application domains. We are not—and cannot be—making progress toward methods both powerful and general.
A General Purpose Optical Disk System With A Radiological Imaging Application

The growth of large databases always leads to problems of data storage. Applications with multigigabyte requirements such as pictorial or document storage are particularly difficult. A variety of technological solutions have been developed that rely on high density optical storage for rapid access to large volumes of data. A major frustration for those of us engaged in research on application-oriented computer systems has been the difficulty in obtaining and integrating these specialized mass storage devices. This paper details (1) the integration of a Hitachi 301 digital optical disk storage device into a VAX minicomputer system, (2) the software system to support the optical disk, (3) the performance of the hardware/software system, and (4) the integration of optical disk operation into an application in radiological imaging. The software system is designed under the VMS operating system in FORTRAN 77 to facilitate simple integration of optical disk functions into application packages.
Policing Views From Around the Globe: An Exploratory Study of the Views of College Students From Bangladesh, Canada, Nigeria, and the United States

Although many forces influence how the police operate and how the public views them, cross-national studies on attitudes of the police are rare; therefore, this exploratory study, which examined the views of trust in police and police civility among a convenience sample of 1,425 students from five universities in four different nations, was conducted. U.S. respondents had the highest views of trust in police and police civility, whereas Bangladeshi and Nigerian college students had the lowest levels; Canadian views were in between the other nations. Social perspectives, history of policing, and sociopolitical structure are salient factors that may contribute to differing views in different countries.
Nuclear factor-κB mediates over-expression of cyclooxygenase-2 during activation of RAW 264.7 macrophages in selenium deficiency

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for all mammalian species and is associated with a variety of physiological functions, notably immune system, in the form of selenoproteins. Inadequate Se nutrition has been linked to various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, cardiomyopathy, and cancer. Important to this discussion is that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is over-expressed in all the aforesaid pathologies; however, a casual relationship between Se status and COX-2 expression remains to be established. The present study is based on the hypothesis that oxidant stress, a consequence of Se deficiency, lowers the activation potential of the redox-sensitive transcription factor, NF-kappaB, and that the activated NF-kappaB is required for the altered expression of COX-2. To test this hypothesis, we have investigated the relationship between Se status and COX-2 expression in response to LPS stimulation in RAW 264.7, a macrophage-like cell line. In Se-deficient cells, the Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity (Se-GPx), a measure of Se status, was markedly reduced and the overall oxidative stress was significantly higher than Se-supplemented cells. Upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, we found 2-3-folds higher COX-2 protein expression as well as higher PGE2 levels in Se-deficient cells than Se-supplemented cells. In comparison, COX-1 protein expression was not affected by either LPS stimulation or Se status. Following LPS stimulation, the nuclear localization of NF-kappaB was significantly increased in Se-deficient macrophages, thereby leading to increased expression of COX-2. This is the first report demonstrating an inverse relationship between Se status and the expression of COX-2.
Participation of singlet oxygen in the photodegradation of wood surfaces

Photodegradation of wood surfaces in the presence of oxygen was studied. ESR studies revealed that free radicals were formed at the wood surface during photoirradiation. These wood free radicals readily interacted with oxygen molecules to form peroxide radicals. Iodometry UV absorption studies showed that hydroperoxide was formed in the photoirradiated wood. The hydroperoxide concentration increased when wood was irradiated in the presence of singlet oxygen generators such as Rose Bengal and Methylene Blue. Hydroperoxide concentration decreased when wood was irradiated in the presence of singlet oxygen quenchers such as 1,4-diazobicyclo (2,2,2) octane, β-carotene and triethylamine. These findings imply the participation of singlet oxygen in the photodegradation of wood surfaces. The mechanisms of formation of singlet oxygen and hydroperoxide during photoirradiation are proposed. The consequence of hydroperoxide decomposition reactions on the discoloration and degradation of wood surface is discussed.
Dipolon-plasmon interaction in high-Tc superconducting materials.

In this article interaction between the dipolon waves and the longitudinal plasma waves has been studied adopting a self-consistent field approach. The combined dispersion relation has been obtained which shows that both the dipolon waves and the plasma waves are modified. We discuss our results in relevance to free-electron plasma peaks observed at \ensuremath{\sim}1.1 eV in inelastic electron scattering and optical spectroscopy measurements in high-temperature superconductors. Our calculations for ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ show that the plasma frequency decreases whereas the slope of the plasmon dispersion curve at long wavelength increases because of interaction with dipolon excitations, consistent with the experimental result due to Romberg et al. Our investigation has made it possible to propose that the experimentally observed peak at \ensuremath{\sim}1.1 eV may be due to plasmons interacting with dipolon excitations in high-temperature superconductors. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Ontogeny of rapid tolerance to the hypnotic effects of ethanol.

Background: Alcohol use typically begins during adolescence. Little is known regarding the antecedents and impact of this early alcohol use, although age-related changes in the neural systems modulating alcohol sensitivity could contribute to the propensity of adolescents to consume alcohol. We have previously observed a marked ontogenetic decline in acute tolerance to ethanol (EtOH), with preweanling pups exhibiting the most acute tolerance (Silveri and Spear, 1998). The objective of this study was to assess whether rapid tolerance shows a similar ontogenetic profile. Methods: In Experiment I of the present study, female and male Sprague-Dawley preweanling rats at postnatal day (P) 16 or young adults at P56 were examined. On Day 1, preweanlings were pretreated with saline, 1.5,3.5, or 5.0 g/kg EtOH and adults were pretreated with saline or 3.5 g/kg EtOH. This was followed by challenge with 3.5 g/kg EtOH and assessment of ethanol-induced sleep time on Day 2. In Experiment II, adolescents at P36 were pretreated with saline, 3.5, or 5.0 g/kg EtOH on Day 1 before Day 2 assessment of sleep time after 3.5 g/kg EtOH. Upon awakening, animals were killed and whole brains removed and analyzed for brain alcohol levels (BrALs). Results: Rapid tolerance was observed in P36 and P56 animals, with EtOH-pretreated animals exhibiting significantly shorter sleep times than age-matched animals treated with saline. In contrast, no evidence for rapid tolerance was seen after any pretreatment dose at P16. Interestingly, although EtOH-pretreated adults woke at higher BrALs than saline-treated adults, this pattern was not evident in the adolescents, which suggests that at this age, metabolic tolerance may play a prominent role in the expression of rapid tolerance. Thus, it seems as though the ability to develop rapid tolerance to EtOH hypnosis emerges during adolescence and continues into adulthood. Conclusions: Together with previous findings that adolescent animals also display substantial acute tolerance to alcohol (Silveri and Spear, 1998), the propensity of adolescents for developing these two forms of tolerance may have important implications for the increased voluntary consumption of alcohol at this age relative to other ages.
Development of a Quantitative Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay with an Internal Positive Control

It was recently demonstrated that recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), an isothermal amplification platform for pathogen detection, may be used to quantify DNA sample concentration using a standard curve. In this manuscript, a detailed protocol for developing and implementing a real-time quantitative recombinase polymerase amplification assay (qRPA assay) is provided. Using HIV-1 DNA quantification as an example, the assembly of real-time RPA reactions, the design of an internal positive control (IPC) sequence, and co-amplification of the IPC and target of interest are all described. Instructions and data processing scripts for the construction of a standard curve using data from multiple experiments are provided, which may be used to predict the concentration of unknown samples or assess the performance of the assay. Finally, an alternative method for collecting real-time fluorescence data with a microscope and a stage heater as a step towards developing a point-of-care qRPA assay is described. The protocol and scripts provided may be used for the development of a qRPA assay for any DNA target of interest.
Hyperosmolality and transcapillary fluid and protein movement in skeletal muscle.

Abstract The effect of hyperosmolal glucose infusion on the transcapillary transport of fluid and protein was examined in the isolated gracilis muscle of the dog. Volumes of 18, 36, and 72 μl/min of 30% glucose were infused intraarterially for 30 min into blood flow held constant at 3–4 ml/min × 100 g, thereby increasing plasma osmolality from 21 to 126 mOsm/liter. Transcapillary fluid movement ( J v ) was assessed plethysmographically and protein transport ( J s ) by direct monitoring of the rate of increase of tissue 125 I-albumin radioactivity. Hyperosmolal perfusion reduced vascular resistance. Initially tissue volume declined and then while the infusion continued, reversed direction and rose, occasionally exceeding control volume within the 30-min infusion period. J s also declined transiently, then increased during infusion. The reversal of J s led the reversal of J v , therefore the reversal of J v during hyperosmolal infusion was attributed to development of a sufficient change in the oncotic gradient due to the increased J s . These changes were significantly dose dependent. Stopping the hypeosmolal infusion resulted in a marked increase in J v at all dose levels and, except for the low dose, a maintained rate of increase of J s . Thus early during hyperosmolal exposure protein transport was enhanced by either diffusion or vesicular transport. During recovery, the maintained increase in J s was probably due to increased convection.
HEXOSAMINE PRODUCTION BY PSYCHROTROPHIC FOOD‐SPOILAGE BACTERIA UNDER VARYING GROWTH CONDITIONS

. Four psychrotrophic, gram negative meat isolates were grown at 6 and 22°C with and without aeration, in AOAC synthetic broth with 0.1% glucose and in a basal medium containing 0.1% glucose and 0.5% glycine (BMGG-1). In AOAC broth, three strains produced more hexosamine at 6°C, while the fourth produced more at 22°C. Three of the four strains also produced more slime at 6°C. All four strains grew faster with aeration at both temperatures, but produced less hexosamine. Under all conditions, the growth rate of each strain was inversely proportional to its hexosamine production. During the growth cycle in BMGG-1, medium pH dropped until the log phase was under way and then rose again through the stationary phase. This rise coincided with the depletion of glucose. Hexosamine production first became detectable at the end of the log phase, rose during the stationary phase, and then leveled off. Adjusting pH to prevent the initial drop increased both growth and hexosamine production. Raising the concentration of glucose to 0.5% accelerated growth but decreased hexosamine production. Approximately 95.1% of the hexosamine produced was cell-associated. It consisted primarily of glucosamine polymers with a lesser amount of galactosamine. Only 3.0% of the nitrogen from the BMGG-1 was utilized by the cells. Of this 3.0%, 58% was used for ammonia, 27.2% for hexosamine, and 14.8% for other substances. Of the 40.7% used for total cell production, 63.8% went into hexosamine.
Relationship of Selected Variables to Success in a Teacher Preparation Program.

Subjects (N = 603) were graduates of a four year teacher preparation program who had completed the American College Test prior to admission to the University, the Mooney Problem Check-list, Kuder Preference Record Vocational and Personal, and Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes as freshmen, and the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) as seniors. Overall Quality Point Average (QPA) and hours of credit and QPAs earned in various subject matter areas were obtained. Results of the study indicated differences in the correlational patterns of the variables for two subgroups (elementary and secondary majors). The most valid predictors of success in teacher preparation as measured by overall QPA and composite scores on the NTE, were social science and major teaching field QPAs. Subjects who had been more successful as compared with those who had been less successful in courses normally taken in lower division college work, i.e., science, social science, and English, tended to complete the teacher preparation pro...
Holocene Soil Development on Till and Outwash Inferred from Lake-Sediment Geochemistry in Michigan and Wisconsin

Two geochemical techniques from soil mineralogy were used with lake sediment to reconstruct soil development in the catchments of two lakes—one on outwash and the other on till—in the Great Lakes region. A sodium pyrophosphate extraction provides information about leaching of exchangeable and organically complexed cations from terrestrial sources, while an acidified ammonium oxalate extraction removes mineral materials without well-developed crystalline structure that are indicative of podzolization. More evidence of pedogenesis is preserved in sediment of the lake on outwash—likely a result of greater retention of material within the soil profile in the catchment on till. This difference between the records suggests that excessively well-drained (leaky) catchments may provide better records of soil development than those with higher water-holding capacity. Evidence of acidification and podzolization appeared first at the lake on till and 4500 years later at the lake on outwash. Both records reveal a late Holocene intensification of weathering that coincided with a regional climatic change to greater moisture availability. The variability in weathering rates observed presents a more complex picture of weathering than the simple exponential functions often assumed in chronosequence studies. Use of lake sediment records provides better temporal resolution of significant events in soil formation than could be achieved using a chronosequence approach.
A SIM-ultaneous role for SUMO and ubiquitin

Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins (Ubls) share a beta-GRASP fold and have key roles in cellular growth and suppression of genome instability. Despite their common fold, SUMO and ubiquitin are classically portrayed as distinct, and they can have antagonistic roles. Recently, a new family of proteins, the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-targeted ubiquitin ligases (STUbLs), which directly connect sumoylation and ubiquitylation, has been discovered. Uniquely, STUbLs use SUMO-interaction motifs (SIMs) to recognize their sumoylated targets. STUbLs are global regulators of protein sumoylation levels, and cells lacking STUbLs display genomic instability and hypersensitivity to genotoxic stress. The human STUbL, RNF4, is implicated in several diseases including cancer, highlighting the importance of characterizing the cellular functions of STUbLs.
Cyclic Dinucleotides and the Innate Immune Response

Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) have been previously recognized as important secondary signaling molecules in bacteria and, more recently, in mammalian cells. In the former case, they represent secondary messengers affecting numerous responses of the prokaryotic cell, whereas in the latter, they act as agonists of the innate immune response. Remarkable new discoveries have linked these two patterns of utilization of CDNs as secondary messengers and have revealed unexpected influences they likely had on shaping human genetic variation. This Review summarizes these recent insights and provides a perspective on future unanswered questions in this exciting field.
Robotic surgery update

Background: Minimally invasive surgical techniques have revolutionized the field of surgery. Telesurgical manipulators (robots) and new information technologies strive to improve upon currently available minimally invasive techniques and create new possibilities. Methods: A retrospective review of all robotic cases at a single academic medical center from August 2000 until November 2002 was conducted. A comprehensive literature evaluation on robotic surgical technology was also performed. Results: Robotic technology is safely and effectively being applied at our institution. Robotic and information technologies have improved upon minimally invasive surgical techniques and created new opportunities not attainable in open surgery. Conclusions: Robotic technology offers many benefits over traditional minimal access techniques and has been proven safe and effective. Further research is needed to better define the optimal application of this technology. Credentialing and educational requirements also need to be delineated.