cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determining the shade tolerance of American chestnut using morphological and physiological leaf parameters.

American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) was once a principal component of the eastern deciduous forest until it became functionally extinct as a result of the invasive fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr. Restoration efforts are underway by means of a blight-resistant American-Chinese chestnut hybrid, and detailed silvicultural information, such as the shade tolerance of American chestnut and optimum site selection for restoration, is critical for planting success. In the present study, the physiological and morphological leaf characteristics of pure American chestnut seedlings, saplings, and mature trees were investigated in one of the few remaining stands of oak-chestnut vegetation (West Salem, WI) to determine shade tolerance. Seedlings, saplings, and mature trees had high maximum rates of photosynthesis, similar to shade intolerant species, and low light compensation points (LCPs), quantum efficiency, leaf mass per area (LMA), and percent nitrogen content, reminiscent of shade tolerant species. Dark respiration rates of seedlings and saplings were low, but increased in mature trees. LMA was found to significantly increase with height in the canopy, indicating a high level of light-induced plasticity. The results of this study suggest that American chestnut should be classified as intermediate in shade tolerance.
Eosinophilia in patients with congenital cardiovascularmalformations

Summary Review of the records of 190 patients with congenital malformations of the heart disclosed that a high percentage of the patients with pulmonic stenosis, aortic stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta had eosinophilia. It is hypothesized that stress may play a part indirectly by increasing adrenaline production and that adrenaline may be a responsible factor in induction of eosinophilia. The hypothesis is highly speculative, but it is hoped that future studies will throw some light on this interesting and puzzling observation.
The Office of the CEO: Understanding the Executive Experience

Executive Overview What is the job of the senior executive? As organizations increase in size and complexity, today's executives find they spend more time in “symbol” management: formulating values, ideas, and ideals through continuous dialogue with others. In this article, based on a study of Cleveland CEOs, the authors explore how executives use language to describe their roles and in the process create meaning for themselves and others. These executives conceived of their roles in terms of three principal agendas: (1) creating a context for change: (2) building commitment and ownership: and (3) balancing stability and innovation. The authors also present a theoretical rationale for conceiving of the executive role in this way by focusing on three “cornerstones” of the executive task: continuity, transition, and novelty. The central argument—that executive work is mostly talk—suggests that today's executives pay as much attention to their words as their actions.
Marital processes and parental socialization in families of color : A decade review of research

and children’s adjustment to marital and family conflict also are reviewed. The third section gives attention to research on (a) paternal involvement among fathers of color; (b) the relation of parenting behavior to race and ethnicity, grandmother involvement, neighborhood and peer characteristics, and immigration; and (c) racial and ethnic socialization. The article concludes with an overview of recent advances in the study of families of color and important challenges and issues that represent research opportunities for the new decade.
Heterotopic cell nests in the developing rat cerebellum.

Serial sagittal sections of the postnatally developing cerebellum of Wistar rats were studied to determine the incidence, origin, and relation to other cerebellar structures of nests of heterotopic cells. These nests were found to consist of small, darkly staining cells of either irregular or elongate shape with large, dark nuclei and bore close resemblance to cells of the external granular layer. They were present in every animal from the day of birth to at least day 15 of life and were confined to the uvula, nodulus, and pyramis of the vermis. In addition, the cell nests were found to be perivascular and continuous with the external granular layer via a narrow tongue of cells surrounding capillaries which penetrated to the medullary layer of the cerebellum from the subarachnoid space. The significance of the nests in relation to other studies, and their involution after day 15 of life is briefly considered.
Sickle cell disease: Recent advances

Diagnosis The term sickle cell disease encompasses several distinct genetic disorders, the most common of which is sickle cell anemia (homozygous sickle ceil disease or SS disease), which occurs in 1 of 450 black neonates. Somewhat less common are sickle cell-hemoglobin C (SC) disease and sickle cell-p thalassemia (S-p thalassemia, which includes both the p’ and p” variants). Sickle trait (which affects 8% of all African-Americans) is not considered a disease. The diagnosis of these conditions is based on history of disease complications, physical findings (jaundice, pallor, cardiac murmurs, splenomegaly), routine hematologic tests (hemoglobin, mean cell volume, peripheral blood smear), sickle solubility test, and hemoglobin electrophoresis or isoelectric focusing. A major advance during the past decade has been the widespread implementation in most states of neonatal screening programs, which have allowed sickle hemoglobinopathies to be diagnosed at birth and confirmed shortly thereafter. This fosters early education of parents and primary physicians. It also encourages implementation of preventive care practices, such as twice daily oral prophylactic penicillin and instructing parents to palpate the spleen. Neonatal screening programs now exist in
Evaluation of Percent-within-limits Construction Specification Parameters

Various state agencies, including the Florida Department of Transportation are rapidly moving towards a more practical percent-within-limit (PWL) specification. The current specification is based on unknown standard deviation because the range of variability is high and difficult to estimate. The parameters of PWL specifications, the acceptable quality level (AQL) and the rejectable quality level (RQL), which are selected based on engineering judgment, could lead to buyer and seller risk level greater than the values recommended by American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines to determine AQL, RQL and appropriate sampling frequency using operation characteristic (OC) curves based on known standard deviation to achieve the recommended risk levels. This was demonstrated by selecting two parameters (a) asphalt content and (b) the percent passing 2.36 mm sieve, of ten Superpave mixtures. The study showed that an excessive sampling ...
Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Brook, Lake, and Splake Trout: An Isozymic and Immunological Study

There are five G6P-specific G6PD isozymes in both brook and lake trout. The most anodal isozyme in each species has the same electrophoretic mobility; however, the five lake trout isozymes are more widely spaced on polyacrylamide gels than are those from brook trout. In hybrids, i.e., splake trout, nine forms of G6PD can be resolved. These results can be explained by a model in which we assume that each isozyme is a tetramer and that two different subunit types are produced. In splake trout, three electrophoretically distinct subunits yield 15 tetramers. That only nine are detected is a consequence of coincident electrophoretic mobility of some of the possible subunit combinations. Our results indicate that the G6PD isozymes in these trout are the products of two codominant autosomal gene loci. The hypothesis that G6PD and H6PD arose from a common ancestral type G6PD is supported by microcomplement fixation data which show an immunochemical relatedness between these enzymes. The relationship of G6PD and H6PD in trout is discussed from an evolutionary standpoint.
Cyclization of Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate to Taxa-4 (5), 11 (12) -diene Is the Committed Step of Taxol Biosynthesis in Pacific Yew

The biosynthesis of taxol (paclitaxel) and related taxoids in Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) is thought to involve the cyclization of geranylgeranyl diphosphate to a taxadiene followed by extensive oxygenation of this diterpene olefin intermediate. A cell-free preparation from sapling yew stems catalyzed the conversion of [1-3H]geranylgeranyl diphosphate to a cyclic diterpene olefin that, when incubated with stem sections, was converted in good radiochemical yield to several highly functionalized taxanes, including 10-deacetyl baccatin III and taxol itself. Addition of the labeled olefin to a yew bark extract, followed by radiochemically guided fractionation, provided sufficient product to establish the structure as taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopic methods. Therefore, the first dedicated step in taxol biosynthesis is the conversion of the universal diterpenoid precursor geranylgeranyl diphosphate to taxa-4(5),11 (12)-diene, rather than to the 4(20),11(12)-diene isomer previously suggested on the basis of the abundance of taxoids with double bonds in these positions. The very common occurrence of taxane derivatives bearing the 4(20)-ene-5-oxy functional grouping, and the lack of oxygenated derivatives bearing a 4(5)-double bond, suggest that hydroxylation at C-5 of taxadiene with allylic rearrangement of the double bond is an early step in the conversion of this olefin intermediate to taxol.
Coherent DIAL measurement of range-resolved water vapor concentration.

A pulsed coherent CO2 lidar was employed to measure water vapor profiles by the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique. Measurements were obtained to ranges of 10 km along horizontal paths and 6 km when the lidar beam angle was elevated. Comparisons with nearby rawinsonde soundings showed fairly good agreement, although a tendency for the lidar to overestimate relative to the sonde was observed. Uncertainties in the individual measurements were attributable primarily to speckle, quantum noise, and atmospheric nonstationarities. The DIAL data set was also used to obtain radial wind velocity measurements at ranges beyond the maximum range of the concentration measurement.
Rectal water transport in the cockroach, Leucophaea maderae: Effects of lumen cations, carbon dioxide, and ouabain

Abstract Lumen potassium ions, but not sodium or calcium ions, stimulated tritiated water absorption from the rectal lumen in vivo in the cockroach, Leucophaea maderae . Lumen sodium ions tended to increase water influx into the lumen. Both effects were relatively small compared with total water movement. Carbon dioxide anaesthesia reduced both water efflux and influx but did not abolish ion stimulating effects. Ouabain internally applied to the rectum also reduced water efflux and abolished the potassium effect. The primary mechanisms of water movement through the rectal wall are apparently little affected by lumen ions, carbon dioxide anaesthesia, or ouabain poisoning, at least in the early stages after perfusion.
Experimental study of three-dimensional vortex structures in translating and rotating plates

Motivated by the unsteady force generation of flying animals, vortex formation and vorticity transport processes around small aspect-ratio translating and rotating plates with a high angle of attack are investigated. Defocusing Digital Particle Image Velocimetry was employed to explore the structure and dynamics of the vortex generated by the plates. For both translating and rotating cases, we observe the presence of a spanwise flow over the plate and the consequent effect of vorticity transport due to the tilting of the leading-edge vortex. While the spanwise flow is confined inside the leading-edge vortex for the translating case, it is widely present over the plate and the wake region of the rotating case. The distribution of the spanwise flow is a prominent distinction between the vortex structures of these two cases. As the Reynolds number decreases, due to the increase in viscosity, the leading-edge and tip vortices tend to spread inside the area swept by the rotating plate. The different vorticity distributions of the low and high Reynolds number cases are consistent with the difference in measured lift forces, which is confirmed using the vorticity moment theory.
Quantitative monitoring of mouse lung tumors by magnetic resonance imaging

Primary lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world, and the lung is a common site for recurrence of extrathoracic malignancies. Small-animal (rodent) models of cancer can have a very valuable role in the development of improved therapeutic strategies. However, detection of mouse pulmonary tumors and their subsequent response to therapy in situ is challenging. We have recently described MRI as a reliable, reproducible and nondestructive modality for the detection and serial monitoring of pulmonary tumors. By combining respiratory-gated data acquisition methods with manual and automated segmentation algorithms described by our laboratory, pulmonary tumor burden can be quantitatively measured in approximately 1 h (data acquisition plus analysis) per mouse. Quantitative, analytical methods are described for measuring tumor burden in both primary (discrete tumors) and metastatic (diffuse tumors) disease. Thus, small-animal MRI represents a novel and unique research tool for preclinical investigation of therapeutic strategies for treatment of pulmonary malignancies, and it may be valuable in evaluating new compounds targeting lung cancer in vivo.
Estradiol "receptors" in hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland: inhibition of estradiol binding by SH-group blocking agents and clomiphene citrate.

Estrogen-sensitive tissues selectively take up and retain estradiol and other biologically active estrogens by binding them to “receptors” present in cytoplasm and nuclear fractions. Such “receptors,” already isolated from myometrium and endometrium of several species, should be present in pituitary gland and hypothalamus if binding of the hormone is analogous and also necessary for its specific biological activity in these tissues. To test this hypothesis, we incubated various bovine hypothalamic tissues and pituitary glands with 3Hestradiol (10−10 to 10−9m) and isolated the radioactive steroid “receptor” complex by density gradient ultracentrifugation. The amount of “receptor”-bound radioactivity present in fractions 1-10 of the gradient was greatest with cytoplasm of pituitary gland and decreasing amounts were observed in median eminence, paraventricular portions of the anterior and posterior hypothalamus and little if any specific binding occurred with that of the parietal cortex. Binding of neither r...
time-dependent seismic Hazard maps for the new madrid seismic Zone and charleston, south carolina, areas

“Apocalyptic claims do not have a good track record. And arguments that statistics support such claims—particularly arguments that simple, easily understood numbers are proof that the future holds complex, civilization-threatening changes—deserve the most careful inspection.”—Best (2004) Earthquake hazard maps that predict that portions of the central and eastern United States are more hazardous than California result from a number of crucial assumptions. One of these is that the recurrence of large earthquakes is time-independent, such that a future earthquake is equally probable immediately after the past one and much later. An alternative is to use time-dependent models in which the probability is small shortly after the past one and then increases with time. Applying such models to the New Madrid seismic zone and Charleston, South Carolina, areas predicts significantly lower hazards because these are “early” in their cycles. The reduction is greater than if we were to lower the assumed maximum magnitude within the range under discussion. The differences between the time-independent and time-dependent hazard maps bear out the point that estimating seismic hazard here or in other intraplate areas is a very uncertain enterprise. These seismic hazard maps predict the maximum earthquake ground motion expected at a specified probability level during a certain time interval, such that the larger the predicted motions, the higher the predicted seismic hazard. The maps are used, typically without consideration of their large uncertainties, to develop building codes that specify the levels of earthquake-resistant construction required in an area. The additional construction costs, which can be billions of dollars over hundreds of years, are incurred in hope of reducing property damage and loss of life from possible future earthquakes. Because these expenditures come at the expense of other possible uses, it is interesting to assess the range of possible hazard estimates for an …
Focus on the first years: Correlates of substantiation of child maltreatment for families with children 0 to 4

Abstract The overall purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of substantiation of child neglect or child abuse in children 0–48 months of age in five areas: (1) child characteristics, (2) parent characteristics, (3) home characteristics, (4) social characteristics, and (5) maltreatment characteristics. A second purpose was to compare the results of this study to the current body of child maltreatment research. This study uses an ex-post facto design. A random sample of cases from a large metropolitan area in the southwest was obtained. Families whose cases were substantiated for maltreatment were compared to families whose cases were not substantiated. The exposure of children to a dangerous environment and poor parental skill were predictive of the substantiation in the multivariate analysis. Parents with fewer parenting skills, such as the inability to effectively communicate, lack of impulse control and use of harsh discipline, were predictive of child maltreatment in the multivariate analysis. The bivariate analysis revealed additional 22 variables as correlates of the substantiation within the 5 factors.
A supersonic molecular beam atmospheric pressure flame sampling system

Abstract A supersonic molecular beam inlet system designed for the direct sampling of species present in atmospheric flames is described. The flow and sampling characteristics of the system have been investigated and are shown to conform to the expected gas dynamic behavior of supersonic beams. Detection and sensitivity limits for the system have been established and its reproducibility in sampling atmospheric methane—air flames is demonstrated. No significant perturbations of the flame zone appear to be induced by the sampling technique.
The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go from Here?

The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) refers to the theoretical prediction that equally able students will have lower academic self-concepts in higher-achieving or selective schools or programs than in lower-achieving or less selective schools or programs, largely due to social comparison based on local norms. While negative consequences of being in a more competitive educational setting are highlighted by the BFLPE, the exact nature of the BFLPE has not been closely scrutinized. This article provides a critique of the BFLPE in terms of its conceptualization, methodology, and practical implications. Our main argument is that the BFLPE, while having added to our understanding of the origins of self-concepts, disproportionately emphasizes one aspect of social comparison to the exclusion of many other intervening factors. In light of our critique, we suggest a broader conception of social comparison effects on academic self-concept that emphasizes a more active role of individuals in regulating their social cognition and motivation, as well as a more distinct effect of social-contextual influences. We also suggest alternative research designs that would incorporate contextual, developmental, and individual differences as potential moderators or mediators of the BFLPE.
Enterobacteriaceae and Related Organisms Isolated from Shell Eggs Collected During Commercial Processing

In the United States, commercial shell eggs are washed and graded before retail. Since passage of the Egg Products Inspection Act in 1971, processing guidelines have been set to ensure that external and internal characteristics are maintained. However, less is known about how commercial processing affects the safety of shell eggs. To identify enteric bacteria entering plants and persisting throughout processing, eggs were collected from 3 US commercial shell egg-processing plants on 3 separate visits. On each plant visit, 12 eggs were collected from each of 12 sites along the processing line: accumulator, prewash rinse, first washer, second washer, sanitizer rinse, dryer, oiler, check detection/scales, 2 egg grader/packer head lanes, rewash belt entrance, and rewash belt exit. Each egg was sampled by a rinse technique, and the rinsate was plated onto violet red bile glucose agar with overlay for the detection and enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae. From each plate, up to 5 colonies were randomly selected and isolated for identification to genus or species by using biochemical tests. Several genera and species were detected at each of the 3 plants. Sites from which the greatest numbers of isolates were identified were those collected from eggs during preprocessing (accumulator, prewash rinse) or from eggs judged as dirty (rewash belt entrance or exit). Sites yielding the smallest number of isolates were those during or at the end of processing. Escherichia coli and Enterobacter spp. were isolated from each of the 9 plant visits. Other genera isolated from at least 1 of the 3 plants included Cedecea, Citrobacter, Erwinia, Hafnia, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Leclercia, Morganella, Proteus, Providencia, Rahnella, Salmonella, and Serratia. Non-Enterobacteriaceae isolated and identified included Aeromonas, Chryseomonas, Listonella, Pseudomonas, Sphingobacterium, Vibrio, and Xanthomonas. All of the genera and species were recovered less frequently from fully processed eggs than from unwashed eggs, indicating that shell eggs are less contaminated with bacteria as a result of commercial washing procedures.
Early Adolescents' Perceptions of Stress

This study examined the types of events that early adolescents described as stressful, including the affective response (e.g., anger, sadness, anxiety) and impact (e.g., disruption of daily routine) associated with each event occurrence. Eighty-four male and female 4th-6th graders provided a corpus of 575 stressful events (X = 7.37). Few students described the events most commonly studied by stress researchers. Death of a pet was the most frequently mentioned stressor (69%), followed by death of a relative (60%), grades (32%), and illness/injury (32%). While self concerns, such as physical appearance, and moving to a new home produced the most wide ranging impacts associated with individual stressors, school emerged as the most stressful of the domains considered, generating the highest number of disruptive impacts and the second highest number of affective responses. These data underscore a need to obtain additional information concerning the stressors of early adolescence, as they are perceived by adole...
A Fate Map for the 32-Cell Stage of Rana pipiens

A fate map of the progeny derived from all blastomeres of the 32-cell stage embryo of the leopard frog Rana pipiens has been generated. Embryos presenting regular cleavages were injected into two pairs of blastomeres with fluorescein- and Texas red-lysine dextran. By stage 21, embryos were sectioned and the tissue distribution of labeled clones was determined. The results of 93 clones were pooled to give a fate map which represents the derivation of each tissue from the different blastomeres of the 32-cell embryo. The results show that all blastomeres give rise to multiple tissues and all tissues are derived from at least two, and usually more, pairs of blastomeres. Although there is a general tendency for ectoderm to derive from the animal hemisphere, endoderm from the vegetal hemisphere, and mesoderm from the equatorial region, the boundaries between germ layers are not sharply defined at the 32-cell stage but rather appear as a series of overlapping zones. The fate map of R. pipiens is quite similar to that of Xenopus laevis but differs in some details that are discussed. As in all vertebrates, the R. pipiens fate map is not fully deterministic but nevertheless has predictive value in that tissues are populated by the progeny of the same blastomeres in different embryos.
Experiment with an automatic theorem-prover having partial ordering inference rules

Automatic theorem-provers need to be made much more efficient. With this in mind, Slagle has shown how the axioms for partial ordering can be replaced by built-in inference rules when using a particular theorem-proving algorithm based upon hyper-resolution and paramodulation. The new rules embody the transitivity of partial orderings and the close relationship between the ⊂ and ⊆ predicates. A program has been developed using a modified version of these rules. This new theorem-prover has been found to be very powerful for solving problems involving partial orderings. This paper presents a detailed description of the program and a comprehensive account of the experiments that have been performed with it.
Mutational Analysis Reveals Distinct Features of the Nox4-p22phox Complex *

The integral membrane protein p22phox forms a heterodimeric enzyme complex with NADPH oxidases (Noxs) and is required for their catalytic activity. Nox4, a Nox linked to cardiovascular disease, angiogenesis, and insulin signaling, is unique in its ability to produce hydrogen peroxide constitutively. To date, p22phox constitutes the only identified regulatory component for Nox4 function. To delineate structural elements in p22phox essential for formation and localization of the Nox4-p22phox complex and its enzymatic function, truncation and point mutagenesis was used. Human lung carcinoma cells served as a heterologous expression system, since this cell type is p22phox-deficient and promotes cell surface expression of the Nox4-p22phox heterodimer. Expression of p22phox truncation mutants indicates that the dual tryptophan motif contained in the N-terminal amino acids 6-11 is essential, whereas the C terminus (amino acids 130-195) is dispensable for Nox4 activity. Introduction of charged residues in domains predicted to be extracellular by topology modeling was mostly tolerated, whereas the exchange of amino acids in predicted membrane-spanning domains caused loss of function or showed distinct differences in p22phox interaction with various Noxs. For example, the substitution of tyrosine 121 with histidine in p22phox, which abolished Nox2 and Nox3 function in vivo, preserved Nox4 activity when expressed in lung cancer cells. Many of the examined p22phox mutations inhibiting Nox1 to -3 maturation did not alter Nox4-p22phox association, further accenting the differences between Noxs. These studies highlight the distinct interaction of the key regulatory p22phox subunit with Nox4, a feature which could provide the basis for selective inhibitor development.
Response to “Reflections of an area board chairman”

Reflections of an Area Board Chairman is most timely for this reviewer. Having served as a Chief Executive Officer to a regional board responsible for the provision of mental health, alcohol, drug, and domestic violence services for over 20 years, I can relate to all of the issues described in the article. In the late 60's and 70's, and during the federal community mental health center days, emphasis was placed on establishing community mental health center boards that would develop and design programs that "fit" the unique needs of each community. This was accomplished by the federal government providing direct grants to local community boards. In those days, there was also more emphasis on the community mental health center being involved in social and political activity in the community. Then, along came the Reagan administration and the block grant era, which gave the states much more control of the total system and its priorities for services. We then come to the current era and system which, in this reader's opinion, is payor driven, very much concerned with cost, a public's perception that many of our publicly funded mental health programs have not proven themselves, and a consumer/family demand for more control. In Arizona, area or regional boards have historically been non-profit, self-perpetuating/selecting boards composed primarily of volunteer
Natural history of small mammals of subtropical montane areas in central Taiwan

Based on samples collected in 1989–90, I report on several aspects of the natural history of species of small mammals from seasonal montane areas in subtropical central Taiwan, including their reproduction, demography, sex ratio and body size. The climatic seasonality in the areas is striking. The wet season lasts from May through September and the dry season from October through April. The phenology of plant life is related to this seasonality: vegetative growth occurs primarily in the wet season, but fruit and seed production is concentrated in the dry season. Variation in the reproduction and demography are analysed between the wet and the dry season for six species, Apodemus semotus, Niviventer culturatus. Eothenomys melanogaster, Microtus Kikuchii, Anourosorex syuamipes and Soriculus fumidus. Two murid rodents. A semotus and N. culturatus. are capable of breeding year-round, whereas the microtine rodents, E. melanogaster and M. Kikuchii, have discrete breeding seasons. The shrews, A. squamipes and S. fumidus are both seasonal breeders. but they differ in the timing of their breeding cycles. While S. fumidus breeds primarily in the late dry season, A. syuamipes reproduces in the wet season. Finally, seasonal variation in reproduction is discussed in relation to phylogenetic and physio-ecological characteristics of these six species.
Impact of liver fibrosis on prognosis following liver resection for hepatitis B-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

This study aims to evaluate the impact of liver fibrosis severity on prognosis following liver resection among HBV–HCC patients. Data were extracted from a prospective database of 189 HBV–HCC patients treated at Mount Sinai between 1995 and 2008. Fibrosis staging of each surgical resection specimen using the modified Ishak method was performed by a single liver pathologist. A wide range of Ishak fibrosis stage was observed among this patient population, with 29% having established cirrhosis (Ishak stage 6). Ishak stage 6 was independently associated with poor overall and recurrence-free survival. In patients with Ishak stage 1–5, Ishak stage did not affect survival; rather, tumour size was associated with poor overall survival, and tumour size, histologic activity index and serum AFP>20 ng ml−1 were associated with poor recurrence-free survival. In patients with Ishak stage 6, poorly differentiated histology and tumour size were associated with poor overall survival, and tumour size was associated with poor recurrence-free survival. HBV–HCC develops with varying degrees of underlying liver fibrosis; however, progressive liver fibrosis does not affect the outcomes following resection until cirrhosis is reached. Established cirrhosis, as defined histologically by Ishak stage 6, is an independent predictor of poor overall and recurrence-free survival among these patients.
Russian interests in nineteenth-century Thessaloniki

Russian archives constitute an untapped reservoir of materials concerning nineteenth-century Thessaloniki. Russian interests in the port and region ranged over a variety of topics, including safeguarding Black Sea commerce and protecting Orthodox Christians, dealing with the vagaries of Ottoman politics, and maintaining reliable pilgrimage routes to Mount Athos and the Holy Land. During the middle decades of the century the Russian state forwarded its policy through its vice-consul, Angelo Mustoxidi, whose remarkable career sheds light on Russian policy, and typifies the experience of Greeks in Russian service who worked to implement tsarist prerogatives while representing the claims of their co-ethnics.
Spectroscopy of symmetry broken optical doublets in Pr+3:LaF3

Abstract A Stark modulated optical pumping spectroscopic technique is applied to study Pr+3 ion pair absorption satellites of a 3H4(Γ1)-1D2(Γ1) (γ=592.5 nm) transition in Pr+3:LaF3. In addition to σ polarized absorption satellites, bulk crystal symmetry forbidden π polarized absorption satellites are observed. We attribute these π polarized absorptions to crystal symmetry breaking lattice distortions in the vicinity of a Pr+3 ion pair. For any Pr+3 ion pair there are two types of transitions from the ground state resulting in a doublet. A σ polarized transition occurs between the mutually coupled Pr+3 ion pair ground state level and the excited symmetric ion pair state. And a π polarized transition connecting the coupled ion pair ground and the excited anti-symmetric state also occurs. NQR spectroscopy is carried out in order to assign the sattelite doublets to specific Pr+3 ion pairs. The differences between π and σ transitions provide a measure of the Pr+3 ion pair coupling strength, and confirm that the strongest ion-ion coupling strength is much larger than that expected from the dipole-dipole interaction alone.
Deuterium in carbonaceous chondrites

Hydrogen isotopic compositions in seven carbonaceous chondrites lie in the range -70 to +771 per thousand relative to standard mean ocean water. These values decrease, to a range from -145 to +219 per thousand, after low-temperature oxidation in an oxygen plasma. Deuterium enrichment is therefore concentrated in the organic matter, the hydrous silicates probably lying close to the terrestrial range for such material. Calculated values for delta D of the organic fraction are +450 per thousand for Orgueil and Ivuna and up to +1600 per thousand for Renazzo. These enrichments, at least for Orgueil and Ivuna, suggest equilibration with protosolar hydrogen at very low temperatures. Assuming a value of 2.5 x 10 to the -5th for the protosolar D/H ratio, nominal equilibration temperatures of 230 K for silicates and 180 K for organic matter may be derived.
Respiratory quotient of stria vascularis of guinea pig in vitro.

The respiratory quotient of the stria vascularis was measured in vitro by means of Cartesian diver microgasometry. A value of about 1.2 was found when the incubation medium was phosphate-buffered serum substitute with glucose as the sole substrate. This value suggests that endogenous lipids and amino acids do not contribute significantly to strial respiratory metabolism and that carbohydrate is the primary fuel in vitro. A high activity of the hexose monophosphate pathway may be responsible for raising the respiratory quotient above unity.
Nanoparticles for enhanced sensitivity in electrochemical immunoassays

In this manuscript, we report on electrochemical biosensors based on various nanoparticles (NPs) as labels for sensitive detection of protein biomarkers. We used silica nanoparticle as a carrier to loading a large amount of electroactive species such as poly(guanine) for sensitive immunoassay of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a). We took the advantages of the unique hollow structure and reconstruction properties of apoferritin to prepare Cd3(PO4)2 nanoparticles as labels for sensitive assay of TNF-a. A novel immunochromatographic/electro-chemical biosensor based on quantum dots as labels has also been developed for rapid and sensitive detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in human serum. These biosensors are quite sensitive with the detection limit at pM level and these approaches based on nanoparticle labels offer a new avenue for sensitive detection of protein biomarkers.
Detection of total and hemolysin-producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shellfish using multiplex PCR amplification of tl, tdh and trh

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is an important human pathogen which can cause gastroenteritis when consumed in raw or partially-cooked seafood. A multiplex PCR amplification-based detection of total and virulent strains of V. parahaemolyticus was developed by targeting thermolabile hemolysin encoded by tl, thermostable direct hemolysin encoded by tdh, and thermostable direct hemolysin-related trh genes. Following optimization using oligonucleotide primers targeting tl, tdh and trh genes, the multiplex PCR was applied to V. parahaemolyticus from 27 clinical, 43 seafood, 15 environmental, 7 strains obtained from various laboratories and 19 from oyster plants. All 111 V. parahaemolyticus isolates showed PCR amplification of the tl gene; however, only 60 isolates showed amplification of tdh, and 43 isolates showed amplification of the trh gene. Also, 18 strains showed amplification of the tdh gene, but these strains did not show amplification of the trh gene. However, one strain exhibited amplification for the trh but not the tdh gene, suggesting both genes need to be targeted in a PCR amplification reaction to detect all hemolysin-producing strains of this pathogen. The multiplex PCR approach was successfully used to detect various strains of V parahaemolyticus in seeded oyster tissue homogenate. Sensitivity of detection for all three target gene segments was at least between 10(1)-10(2) cfu per 10 g of alkaline peptone water enriched seeded oyster tissue homogenate. This high level of sensitivity of detection of this pathogen within 8 h of pre-enrichment is well within the action level (10(4) cfu per 1 g of shell stock) suggested by the National Seafood Sanitation Program guideline. Compared to conventional microbiological culture methods, this multiplex PCR approach is rapid and reliable for accomplishing a comprehensive detection of V. parahaemolyticus in shellfish.
Plenty of eyes at the bottom.

Nanotechnology will make it easier for governments and companies to invade the privacy of citizens and customers, warns Chris Toumey.
School District Central Office Power and Student Performance

The literature on effective schools suggests that building level power is associated with increased student performance. To the extent that central district offices try to assert their power over school buildings, one would hypothesize that students' performance would decline. This study uses the National Educational Longitudinal Study as a database to test this expectation. This database traces students interviewed in 8th grade until their graduation from high school. Results suggest that intrusive central offices are associated with somewhat lower student performance.
Modified AC/DC compensation technique for DC measurements

By emitting an encoded light signal into a fiber optic sensor the application of the AC/DC compensation technique can be extended to stabilize sensors in static measurement. The source coding is a process that light signal is modulated, and the sensor functions as a decoder to the corresponding encoded light signal. Modulation depth of the decoded light signal can be changed by the DC measurand. A phase-encoded light source is used to demonstrate this technique where the white light interferometer is employed as the decoding sensor.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Variable mechanical nanosecond light pulsing system.

The design of a mechanical nanosecond light pulsing system which tests the optical response time of a semiconductor film is discussed. The system consists of a high speed rotating mirror which is used to scan a laser beam across a film target. The system is capable of producing variable duration light pulses as fast as 3.5 nsec. A discussion of how shorter exposure times may be realized is also presented.
Performance Impacts of Nerve Agents and Their Pharmacological Countermeasures

Nerve agents are some of the most toxic compounds known to man and, as suggested by their name, have pronounced effects on central and peripheral nervous system function. In addition, several of the drugs used as pharmacological countermeasures to reverse the potentially life-threatening physiological effects of nerve agents themselves have potent effects on a variety of neurobehavioral functions. This article reviews the toxicological and neurobehavioral effects of exposure to nerve agents and their medical treatment compounds, giving particular emphasis to their impacts on performance and behavior, both immediate and long-term. As such, this review touches on a number of major related topics, primarily pharmacological and toxico-logical. Where possible, more in-depth discussions of these topics have been cited for the interested reader. The toxicology and pharmacology of the nerve agents and the respective medical treatment drugs are addressed separately, representing distinctly different pharmacologica...
When even the 'best-laid' plans go wrong.

After ploughing over a mouse's nest in his field, a farmer laments, “But Mousie, thou art no thy‐lane [not alone], in proving foresight may be vain; The best‐laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley [often go wrong], an’ lea‘e us nought but grief an’ pain, for promis‘d joy!” (Williams, 1952). The farmer's words, penned by eighteenth century poet Robert Burns, aptly summarize one of the primary challenges facing risk managers: despite best intentions and efforts to eliminate negative consequences, technological progress creates new and unforeseen hazards. Such is the nature of risk and, some might say, the cost of progress. > …scientists are as much ‘in the dark’ about how individuals, groups and other stakeholders will respond to the new and emerging risks of nanotechnology and other technologies as the public is ignorant about the science The delicate balance between risks and benefits is evident today in ongoing public debates about biotechnology, gene therapy and now nanotechnology. Scientists and engineers are abuzz with excitement about the substantial promise of nanotechnology to improve food, agricultural, medical and security systems; yet we already see growing public concern about the real and potential ethical implications associated with this new technology, the possibilities of its misuse and other unforeseen risks or consequences. Popular media accounts and bestselling novels do their part in fuelling the public's perceptions of risks and hazards, but, as with any emerging technology, a shortage of public knowledge and a great deal of uncertainty about the science also exists. It is equally likely, however, that scientists are as much ‘in the dark’ about how individuals, groups and other stakeholders will respond to the new and emerging risks of nanotechnology and other technologies, as the public is ignorant about the science. Today, it is essentially a truism in risk communication that …
Design automation for the component parts industry

Design automation in the component parts industry from purchase inquiry to finished product delivery is described. The computerized process simulates human decision makers, eliminates bottlenecks, and frees human decision makers from doing routine work.Fuzzy set analysis appears to be a natural method to be used in the early stages of a design process. Its language describes well the imprecise or blurred specifications at the initial phase of an engineering design (Ref. (1), (3), (4), (5)). The mathematics of fuzzy-set analysis leads naturally to a process which can be identified with heuristic selection (Ref. (2)). They are alternative means for realizing the product selection and design specification program (PSDS) in the computerized process.
Identification of Lysine Residues in the Borrelia burgdorferi DbpA Adhesin Required for Murine Infection

Decorin-binding protein A (DbpA) of Borrelia burgdorferi mediates bacterial adhesion to heparin and dermatan sulfate associated with decorin. Lysines K82, K163, and K170 of DbpA are known to be important for in vitro interaction with decorin, and the DbpA structure, initially solved by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, suggests these lysine residues colocalize in a pocket near the C terminus of the protein. In the current study, we solved the structure of DbpA from B. burgdorferi strain 297 using X-ray crystallography and confirmed the existing NMR structural data. In vitro binding experiments confirmed that recombinant DbpA proteins with mutations in K82, K163, or K170 did not bind decorin, which was due to an inability to interact with dermatan sulfate. Most importantly, we determined that the in vitro binding defect observed upon mutation of K82, K163, or K170 in DbpA also led to a defect during infection. The infectivity of B. burgdorferi expressing individual dbpA lysine point mutants was assessed in mice challenged via needle inoculation. Murine infection studies showed that strains expressing dbpA with mutations in K82, K163, and K170 were significantly attenuated and could not be cultured from any tissue. Proper expression and cellular localization of the mutated DbpA proteins were examined, and NMR spectroscopy determined that the mutant DbpA proteins were structurally similar to wild-type DbpA. Taken together, these data showed that lysines K82, K163, and K170 potentiate the binding of DbpA to dermatan sulfate and that an interaction(s) mediated by these lysines is essential for B. burgdorferi murine infection.
SV40-immortalized and primary cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells share similar patterns of cytokine-receptor expression and cytokine responsiveness

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells produce and respond to a variety of cytokines; however, molecular and biochemical studies are restricted by the limited access to large numbers of pure cells and the variability associated with different donor sources. Despite success in establishing primary human RPE (HRPE) cell cultures, the inability to sustain consistent proliferation rates and morphology over several passages remains a concern. This problem was approached by using an immortalized line of simian virus (SV)40 transformed fetal HRPE cells (SVRPE). Cytokine production, receptor expression and responsiveness in the SVRPE cell line was analyzed to determine the usefulness of this model for studying HRPE-cytokine interactions. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), HRPE and SVRPE cells demonstrated an identical pattern of interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R), IL-2R (α sub-unit), IL-6R, interferon (IFN)-γR and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)R p55 expression. No amplification products fo...
Effects of population migration on rural tourism

The recent non-metropolitan turnaround in the USA has resulted in population migration from large cities to small towns and countryside. The marketing opportunity presented to rural tourism comes with significant challenges for its sustainability. The focus of extant literature on sustainability has been more on the environmental and socio-cultural protection of the intrinsic qualities in the countryside, but less on the economic viability and marketing feasibility of rural tourism. The understanding of rural tourists has particularly been overlooked. This study examined the relationship between population migration at tourist origins and tourist arrivals from these origins to a rural destination. Through a conceptual application of gravity model, the study found that population migration exerted a significant effect on tourist arrivals. The study also revealed that the demographic variable of gender affected the dynamics of the relationship, suggesting that demographic information of migrants at tourist origins can offer richer marketing intelligence for rural destinations. The study's findings highlight the importance for rural communities to understand population migration at source markets, and provide a scientific tool to predict migration-induced tourist demand to rural destinations.