cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of antigen-specific memory/effector CD4+ T cell frequencies by flow cytometry: evidence for a novel, antigen-specific homeostatic mechanism in HIV-associated immunodeficiency.

The highly regulated secretion of effector cytokines by CD4+ T cells plays a critical role in immune protection against pathogens such as cytomegalovirus. Here, we directly compare the frequency and functional characteristics of cytomegalovirus-specific CD4+ memory/effector T cells in normal and HIV+ subjects using a novel, highly efficient multiparameter flow cytometric assay that detects the rapid intracellular accumulation of cytokine(s) after short-term (6 h) in vitro antigen stimulation. Responses in this assay correlate precisely with independent measures of sensitization history (e.g., seroreactivity), and allow the simultaneous assessment of multiple cytokines in single effector T cells. Healthy HIV- individuals manifested an average of 0.71, 0.72, 0.38, and 0.06% CD4+ T cells responding to cytomegalovirus with gamma-IFN, TNF-alpha, IL-2, and IL-4 production, respectively, with the simultaneous production of gamma-IFN, TNF-alpha, and IL-2 being the most common effector phenotype. Significantly, overall cytomegalovirus-specific CD4+ effector frequencies were markedly higher among 40% of HIV+ subjects (2.7-8.0%), and demonstrated a predominately polarized gamma-IFN+/TNF-alpha+/IL-2-/IL-4- phenotype. In contrast, CD4+ effector frequencies for heterologous, nonubiquitous viruses such as the mumps virus were low or absent in the HIV+ group. These data suggest the existence of homeostatic mechanisms in HIV disease that selectively preserve memory T cell populations reactive with ubiquitous pathogens such as cytomegalovirus-likely at the expense of T cell memory to more sporadically encountered infectious agents.
Electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotube-epoxy nanocomposites

In this work, electrical conductivity and thermo-mechanical properties have been measured for carbon nanotube reinforced epoxy matrix composites. These nanocomposites consisted of two types of nanofillers, single walled carbon nanotubes (SW-CNT) and electrical grade carbon nanotubes (XD-CNT). The influence of the type of nanotubes and their corresponding loading weight fraction on the microstructure and the resulting electrical and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites have been investigated. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites showed a significantly high, about seven orders of magnitude, improvement at very low loading weight fractions of nanotubes in both types of nanocomposites. The percolation threshold in nanocomposites with SW-CNT fillers was found to be around 0.015 wt % and that with XD-CNT fillers around 0.0225 wt %. Transmission optical microscopy of the nanocomposites revealed some differences in the microstructure of the two types of nanocomposites which can be related to the variation in the percolation thresholds of these nanocomposites. The mechanical properties (storage modulus and loss modulus) and the glass transition temperature have not been compromised with the addition of fillers compared with significant enhancement of electrical properties. The main significance of these results is that XD-CNTs can be used as a cost effective nanofiller for electrical applications of epoxy based nanocomposites at a fraction of SW-CNT cost. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Distribution and Use of Shallow-Water Habitats by Pacific Sand Lances in Southeastern Alaska

Abstract The Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus is an important prey species, but little is known about its distribution and habitat use, especially among early life stages in southeastern Alaska. To address this information need, we examined the distribution and habitat use of Pacific sand lances by sampling a variety of shallow-water habitats (depth < 6 m) with a beach seine seasonally throughout southeastern Alaska from 1998 to 2006. An estimated 81,939 Pacific sand lances were captured at 31 of 49 locations and in 109 of 610 seine hauls. Total catch and percent frequency of occurrence (FO; [number of seine hauls with Pacific sand lances/total number of hauls] × 100) was greatest in summer (73,033 fish, FO = 21%), followed by spring (8,857 fish, 18%) and winter (49 fish, 1%). Pacific sand lances were captured in all habitat types; total catch in spring ranged from 16 fish in understory kelp (e.g., Laminariales) to 8,525 fish in bedrock outcrops, whereas total catch in summer ranged from 5,858 fish...
The Performance of Dialysis Care: Routinization and Adaptation on the Floor

Previous studies of communication in dialysis centers primarily focused on communication between nurses and patients. In this study, ethnographic methods were used to explore the dominant communication performances enacted by dialysis staff members, including registered nurses, patient care technicians, technical aides, a social worker, and a dietitian. Findings suggest a dialectic between extreme routinization of care and continual adaptation. The dominant routine involved repeating the same preparation, treatment, and discharge process 3 shifts per day, thrice weekly for each patient. At the same time, near-constant adjustments to scheduling, coordination of tasks, and problem solving were needed to maintain the performance of repetition. The balancing of this dialectic has significant implications for new staff training and socialization, understanding the role of technology and routine in dialysis and in health care systems more generally, and in further theorizing the role of unbounded communication ...
The effects of postnatal exposure to low-dose bisphenol-A on activity-dependent plasticity in the mouse sensory cortex.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a monomer used in the production of polycarbonate plastics, epoxies and resins and is present in many common household objects ranging from water bottles, can linings, baby bottles, and dental resins. BPA exposure has been linked to numerous negative health effects throughout the body, although the mechanisms of BPA action on the developing brain are still poorly understood. In this study, we sought to investigate whether low dose BPA exposure during a developmental phase when brain connectivity is being organized can cause long-term deleterious effects on brain function and plasticity that outlast the BPA exposure. Lactating dams were orally exposed to 25 g/kg/day of BPA (one half the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 50 g/kg/day rodent dose reference) or vehicle alone from postnatal day (P)5 to P21. Pups exposed to BPA in their mother’s milk exhibited deficits in activity-dependent plasticity in the visual cortex during the visual critical period (P28). To determine the possible mechanisms underlying BPA action, we used immunohistochemistry to examine histological markers known to impact cortical maturity and developmental plasticity and quantified cortical dendritic spine density, morphology and dynamics. While we saw no changes in parvalbumin neuron density, myelin basic protein expression or microglial density in BPA-exposed animals, these mice showed increases in spine density on apical dendrites in cortical layer 5 neurons but no significant alternations in morphological parameters. Taken together our results suggest that exposure to very low levels of BPA during a critical period of brain development can have profound consequences for the normal wiring of sensory circuits and their plasticity later in life.
Maximizing the yield of EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration.

The limitation of EUS as an imaging modality with its lack of specificity has been addressed by the development of EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA).1-5 With this advancement, EUS as a highresolution imaging modality is coupled with the capability of FNA to establish a tissue diagnosis of both primary tumors (i.e., lesions in the pancreas, mediastinum, and pelvis) as well as lymph nodes and liver metastasis.6 The real advantage of EUSguided FNA over endoscopic FNA and EUS-assisted FNA is that precision needle placement can be accomplished under real-time US guidance by using the linear array echoendoscope. This enables the endosonographer to obtain samples from tissues away from the GI lumen, making many organs and lesions accessible to FNA. Maximizing the yield of EUS-guided FNA includes knowing the indications, prioritizing the sequence of FNA with multiple lesions, optimizing the needle technique, having an attendant cytopathologist, using special cytology tests when indicated, and avoiding complications.
Classroom Assessment: Educational and Research Opportunities

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate existing educational and research opportunities in the area of Classroom Assessment. Classroom Assessment is an ongoing process whereby professors and their students work together to collect accurate and timely information about what students are learning in a particular subject. The raison d'eˆtre of Classroom Assessment is to discover what potentially can and should be done to improve student learning, thereby developing the talents of both professors and students. This paper provides an extensive review of the literature and a discussion of the process of Classroom Assessment, tailored to the needs of accounting professors. Thus, this paper provides the tools by which accounting professors can take advantage of both the educational and research opportunities. The theoretical basis and motivation for Classroom Assessment, together with the shared excitement of those who use it, provide strong reason to believe that Classroom Assessment has the potential to i...
Endoscopic sinonasal meningoencephalocele repair: a 13-year experience with stratification by defect and reconstruction type.

ObjectiveSinonasal meningoencephalocele is a rare defect, with varying etiologies and treatment strategies. Here we present the largest published series from a single institution of patients with endoscopic repair. The primary goal is to examine rates of success with consideration to accompanying patient demographic data. The secondary goal is to report the results stratified by defect and reconstruction type.DesignRetrospective consecutive case series.SettingTertiary care academic center.Subjects and MethodsConsecutive patients with CPT codes for skull base meningoencephalocele repair between May 2000 and March 2013 were reviewed. Patients who specifically had sinonasal defects were included.ResultsDuring the study period, 149 cases of sinonasal meningoencephaloceles were managed in 133 patients. Mean follow-up was 21.3 months (range, 0-116). There was a success rate of 88% for initial repair, with mean recurrence time of 8.3 months (range, 0-38), and a success rate of 93.8% for initial recurrence surger...
A review of the evidence that ultraviolet irradiation is a risk factor in cataractogenesis

There are two approaches to the question of whether solar radiation contributes to human cataract. The first, epidemiological studies, investigates correlations between man's environmental UV dose and cataract frequency. The second, animal models, investigates the effects of varying UV strengths and spectra on lens opacificationin vivo orin vitro. While the latter approach typically provides for direct evidence, the data must still be extrapolated to human lenses. Results of physiological studies suggest that UV photons interact with proteins of the epithelial cell membranes, in particular tryptophan residues, transport ATPases and cytoskeletal proteins. One hypothesis is that damage to ion pumps and channels accumulates over the years as repair processes incompletely restore membrane function. Peroxidative damage is likely in view of the formation of UV-induced lipid peroxides in the lens epithelial membranes. Loss of homeostatic control of ions, particularly Ca+, leads to crystallin disorder in small regions of the underlying fiber cells. In our diabetic cataract studies, intracellular Ca++ electrodes detected large shifts in intracellular Ca++ before bulk-lens changes were apparent. Similar occurrences likely characterize UV cataract. Our lab is one of few studying lens physiology and how it is altered following transient exposures to UV-B and UV-A, both of which pass through the cornea. Some changes include: loss of epithelial cell GSH; elevated Ca++; loss of membrane voltage; impaired transport of Na+; increased permeability to ions and water; inhibition of critical enzymes; and a decrease in the rate of membrane synthesis.
Coronary Artery Collateral Visualization During Acute Coronary Occlusion

Abstract Filling of a severely stenosed or totally occluded coronary artery by collateral vessels is often seen during coronary angiography. Of central importance is the rate of development and physiologic significance of collateral vessels during acute coronary occlusion. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) provides a convenient model to study effects of acute coronary occlusion. 1,2 In this study we used balloon occlusion to evaluate the time course of development of coronary collaterals after acute coronary occlusion and the relation of angiographically demonstrable collateral filling to manifestations of ischemia.
Mechanism of cytochrome P450 reductase from the house fly: evidence for an FMN semiquinone as electron donor.

The interaction of recombinant house fly (Musca domestica) P450 reductase with NADPH and the role of the FMN semiquinone in reducing cytochrome c have been investigated. House fly P450 reductase can rapidly oxidize only one molecule of NADPH, whereas the rate of oxidation of a second molecule of NADPH is too slow to account for the observed rates of catalysis. This demonstrates that house fly P450 reductase does not require a priming reaction with NADPH for catalysis. Kinetics of cytochrome c reduction and EPR spectroscopy revealed that the enzyme forms two types of neutral FMN semiquinone. One serves as the catalytic intermediate of cytochrome c reduction, and another one is an ‘air-stable’ semiquinone, which reduces cytochrome c 3000 times more slowly. The results show that the reduction state of the house fly P450 reductase during catalysis cycles in a 0-2-1-0 sequence.
WEIGHT LOSS, SALINE LOADING, AND THE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE SYSTEM

In epidemiologic studies, obesity has been associated with reduced natriuretic peptide (NP) concentrations leading to the hypothesis that obesity is a state of relative “NP deficiency”. However, data from prior studies have been restricted to resting NP concentrations, which may not reflect how
Are early human chorionic gonadotropin levels after methotrexate therapy a predictor of response in ectopic pregnancy

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate beta–human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) levels between days 0 and 4 as a predictor of methotrexate therapy success for ectopic pregnancy. Study Design We conducted a retrospective study that evaluated posttreatment β-hCG levels of 30 patients with ectopic pregnancy who had been treated with single-dose methotrexate therapy. Results β-hCG levels decreased between days 0 and 4 in 40.0% of cases, and 100% of these cases had treatment success. β-hCG levels increased in 60.0% of cases, and 61.8% of these cases had treatment success. In patients with increasing β-hCG levels on day 4, we calculated the β-hCG "difference variable" (β-hCG level at day 4 minus day 0). The median β-hCG difference variable between cases of treatment success and failure were statistically significant ( P = .035). Conclusion β-hCG level changes between days 0 and 4 after methotrexate therapy have clinical significance and predictive value. Decreasing β-hCG levels is highly predictive of treatment success. The β-hCG difference variable is a reliable predictor of success in cases with rising β-hCG levels after methotrexate therapy.
Spontaneous lactation is an adaptive result of pseudopregnancy

LACTATION is almost exclusively associated with pregnancy and giving birth. Although lactation can be induced without a preceding pregnancy in some species, this requires exogenous hormones, artificially intense or extended suckling or both1,2. Spontaneous lactation, lactation by females that have neither been pregnant nor experimentally manipulated, is extremely unusual among eutherians3–8. Among nondomesticated animals, spontaneous lactation has been observed repeatedly only in the dwarf mongoose Helogale parvula9. We report here spontaneous lactation by free-living dwarf mongooses using data on urinary oestrogen conjugate concentrations (n =560, 65 females) and body weight (n =3,096, 25 females) from a population in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. We use demographic data from this population to demonstrate that spontaneous lactation, and thus the endocrine phenomena that induce it, increase the evolutionary fitness of lactating females.
Comparing modes of privatisation: a study of the telecommunications sectors in Argentina and Mexico, 1990–2000

This article examines the variation in the post-privatisation pattern of labour and employment relations in the telecommunications sectors of Argentina and Mexico. The findings suggest that the initial mode of privatisation—negotiated vs. imposed reform—shaped changes in employment, subcontracting and work rules in the period following privatisation. The research also suggests, however, that negotiated reform is more likely to emerge only when certain political incentives are present.
Modeling domain mixing in semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks composed of poly(vinyl chloride) and 5% to 15% of crosslinked thermosets

The nature of phase mixing in semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs) of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/thermoset blends was studied by using both the glass transition temperature third power composition equation and DMTA modeling. From 5% to 15% by weight of an oligomeric MDI isocyanate or a low viscosity epoxy were blended separately with PVC to make two series of SIPNs. The DMTA-derived T g data were modeled by the T g third power composition equation to characterize energy interaction features of PVC/thermoset phase mixing. Fitting experimental T g values gave estimations of the characteristic parameters, K 1 and K2 of the T g power equation. K 1 and K2 were each positive for the PVC/epoxy (K 1 = 1.1, K2 = 7.2) and the PVC/isocyanate (K 1 = 29.9, K 2 = 38) blends, showing that binary hetero-interactions (enthalpic effects) and conformational redistributions (entropic effects) during the binary hetero-interactions both contributed favorably to phase mixing. Negative K 1 - K 2 values for both groups of blends indicate entropic contributions predominate. The thermoset dilution produced a lightly crosslinked thermoset network, which was locked into the amorphous PVC, forming a mixed thermoset/PVC SIPN domain. Conformational redistributions of PVC and thermoset segments continue to occur within the developing SIPN domain before phase separation can occur. The combined series-parallel Takayanagi coupling model, which assumed that a PVC phase and a mixed PVC/thermoset SIPN phase coexisted, was employed to describe the viscoelastic behavior of PVC/thermoset blends. Reasonable fits between the experimental DMTA plots and modeling predictions were found. The predictions were not sensitive to the degree of series-parallel coupling. The modeled DMTA plots, like the experimental results, exhibited only a single E peak in the glass transition temperature range for both the PVC/PAPI and PVC/epoxy systems. Thus, very small PVC/thermoset SIPN domains (< 20 nm diameter) that are dispersed in separate domains of a PVC-rich phase (despersive phase mixing characteristics) provide a reasonable explanation of the blends' phase structures.
Characterization of zone plates for lithography and imaging

We characterize zone plates used for lithography and imaging [6]. Experimental and simulation study of the spatial structure of the zone-plate point-spread functions (PSFs) are conducted.
Lowest excited singlet state pka* values of the isomeric aminopyridines

Abstract Dissociation constants for the various prototropic forms of the three isomeric aminopyridines were determined from shifts in absorption spectra, shifts in fluorescence spectra and variations of fluorescence intensity with pH and Hammett acidity. The pKa* values obtained indicate that charge transfer from the amino nitrogen to the ring nitrogen occurs upon excitation. The excited doubly charged cations of the 2-and 3-isomers are too strongly acidic to equilibrate with their conjugate bases within the lifetime of the excited state. Quenching of aminopyridine fluorescences in basic solutions is attributed to formation of non-fluorescent anions in the excited state. The weak fluorescence of 4-aminopyridine makes fluorimetry unsuitable as a method of analysis for this compound.
The influence of a dissolved inorganic nitrogen gradient on phytoplankton community dynamics in a chain of lakes

In a chain of lakes along which nutrient availability varies in a gradient, we performed factorial nutrient enrichment experiments to determine if nitrogen limitation was the principal factor controlling the differences in phytoplankton biomass, photosynthetic productivity, diversity, and species composition among two of the lakes in the chain. In the least productive lake, East Graham Lake, P and C enrichments (in the absence of N enrichment) had no effect on biomass and diversity, whereas within two weeks the N enrichments (alone or in any combination with P and/or C) increased the biomass and decreased the diversity of East Graham Lake phytoplankton to levels similar or identical to those in more productive Shoe Lake. Short-term 14C photosynthetic rates in East Graham Lake water also responded only to N in the third week. However, photosynthesis was stimulated by P in the first week, and a few species did increase in numbers with P enrichment, suggesting that some degree of P limitation remains in addition to the strong N limitation in East Graham Lake. A number of species responded individually to the enrichments in a manner similar to that of the overall community, and a strong overlapping of discriminant analysis scores for N-enriched East Graham Lake with those of Shoe Lake was consistent with our prediction that the community structure of N-enriched East Graham Lake water would shift toward that of Shoe Lake. However, many species did not respond consistently with these results, and the nutrients tested were clearly not a major factor in the differences in abundance of those species among the two lakes. The results support the argument that overall biomass production and diversity of the phytoplankton community in a lake can be a relatively simple function of a single most-limiting nutrient. However, many of the species responses also confirm that, while nutrient availability is an important factor in the control of the species composition of the community, other factors are likely to prevent reliable predictions of all species effects on the basis of nutrient availability alone.
Response of a single cell to an external electric field

The response of a cell to an external electric field is investigated using dimensional analysis and singular perturbation. The results demonstrate that the response of a cell is a two-stage process consisting of the initial polarization that proceeds with the cellular time constant (
Glacio-eustatic sea-level control on Red Sea salinity

Previous studies of the Red Sea demonstrated that glacial surface-and bottom-water salinities in the basin were significantly higher than at present. The very low abundance of planktonic foraminifera, the so-called 'aplanktonic zone', during the last glacial indicates that surface-water conditions approached or exceeded the tolerance limits of this plankton group1,2. Glacial sediments are also characterized by high concentrations of magnesian calcite3,4, dolomite3, inorganically precipitated aragonite4,5 and benthic foraminifera typical of hypersaline environments3,6. Additional evidence from oxygen isotope records of planktonic2,7 and benthic foraminifera8,9, as well as pteropods2, demonstrate that glacial–interglacial contrasts in the Red Sea have an amplitude much larger than typically observed in open ocean records. Here we use both oxygen isotope data and a 'fractional overmixing' model to estimate the impact of the most recent (18,000 yr BP) Pleistocene glacio-eustatic sea-level lowering on Red Sea salinity. We estimate that during the last glacial maximum, surface salinities in the central Red Sea were more than 10.0‰ higher than at present. Deep-water salinities were also higher during the last glaciation and remained unusually high through deglaciation. The combination of very high bottom salinities and the onset of pluvial conditions during deglaciation in the Red Sea region prevented ventilation of Red Sea bottom waters and resulted in the accumulation of organic-rich sediments.
Some Effects of the Intrinsic Magnetic Moment of the Electron

Effects of the magnetic moment of the electron of the six-vector type are calculated. According to the hypothesis followed here, the electron's behavior in the field of a nucleus is described only approximately as that of a point charge. More accurately, it behaves as a particle having mainly the properties of a point charge which are corrected by the addition of a small "intrinsic" magnetic moment. In the present note the purely empirical point of view of an intrinsic magnetic moment is followed without any attempt at a justification from the point of view of quantum electrodynamics which has been given by Schwinger. Formulas are worked out for the effect on hyperfine structure, on the Land\'e $g$ factor and the contribution to the Lamb-Retherford line shift. The arrangement of the calculations is such as to have the same system for the ordinary hyperfine structure and the other effects. The finite rather than zero size of the nuclear current system is explicitly included in the formulas.
Openness, country size, and government size: Additional evidence from a large cross-country panel

Abstract A body of influential research has suggested that there is a negative association between country size and government size and between country size and openness, and these may account for the positive association between openness and government size. Estimation of several models from 41-year panel data for over 150 countries indicates that while pooled OLS estimates support the foregoing scenario, when cross-country heterogeneity is taken into consideration through the fixed-effects format, there is little evidence of a negative association of country size with either government size or openness. Therefore, it does not seem likely that positive association between openness and government size arises due to the mediating role of country size.
Up-Regulation of Luciferase Gene Expression with Antisense Oligonucleotides: Implications and Applications in Functional Assay Development†

HeLa Tet-Off cells were transfected transiently as well as stably with a recombinant plasmid (pLuc/705) carrying the luciferase gene interrupted by a mutated human beta-globin intron 2 (IVS2-705). The mutation in the intron causes aberrant splicing of luciferase pre-mRNA, preventing translation of luciferase. However, treatment of the cells with a 2'-O-methyl-oligoribonucleotide targeted to the aberrant splice sites induces correct splicing, restoring luciferase activity. The effects are sequence-specific, depend on the concentration of the oligonucleotide, and can be modulated by the pretreatment of the cell line, Luc/705, with tetracycline. Thus, the cell line provides, among others, a novel functional assay system superior to other procedures that are based on protein down-regulation. In particular, the system would be ideal in assessing the cellular delivery efficiency of antisense oligonucleotides.
Microfaunas of Niobara and Benton in Foothills of Northern Colorado: ABSTRACT

This paper is a preliminary report on the first of a series of studies which will attempt to establish recognizable foraminiferal zones in the Cretaceous sequence of eastern Colorado. Because previous reports on the Niobrara and Benton horizons of Nebraska, Kansas, and Wyoming have shown abundant faunas, these horizons in the foothills of the Front Range of northern Colorado were chosen as the most promising for this investigation. Progress thus far reveals a fauna of upwards of thirty species from the Niobrara. Indications are that this fauna is most prolific in the lower 300 to 400 feet of the formation and that this zone should be rather easily recognizable in well cuttings. The upper member of the Benton, which is a sandstone of variable thickness, seems to be entirel barren of fossils. About 125 to 200 feet below this is a zone of limy shale which yields a fair fauna of Foraminifera. This fauna is apparently very similar to, but less abundant than, that of the overlying Niobrara, and can not be readily separated from the latter in northern Colorado. It is planned to extend this study of the Benton and Niobrara south to beyond Trinidad, Colorado, and also eastward along the Arkansas River to the Kansas boundary. Scattered samples from Benton outcrops north and east of Trinidad indicate a more abundant fauna of Benton age will be found; also that the barren zone of the top of that formation in northern Colorado is not present to the south. End_of_Article - Last_Page 940------------
Preventing the sexual exploitation of minors in youth-serving organizations

This article discusses child sexual abuse (CSA) by staff members in youth-serving organizations (YSOs) including schools, residential treatment and correction facilities, scouting, clubs, faith centers, and sports leagues. Over the last ten years there have been highly publicized reports of adults in positions of authority, such as teachers, coaches, and ministers, sexually exploiting youth under their care. Using an ecological perspective, the author suggests preventing institutional sexual exploitation by addressing such macrosystem factors as national and state policies and legislation, and at the organizational level by implementing risk-management strategies and by training staff in how to have close connections with youth while avoiding sexual misconduct. Providing training, monitoring, and supervision for youth-serving staff to help them maintain appropriate professional boundaries will not only help protect the integrity of the agency but most important, may help prevent institutional child sexual exploitation.
Performance evaluation of wide bandgap semiconductor technologies in automotive applications

This paper evaluates the commercially available semiconductor switch technologies for automotive applications. For this purpose, conventional Silicon (Si) Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) is compared with wide bandgap Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET). Various design aspects of commercially available wide bandgap switches are introduced. Afterwards, experimental efficiency measurements for SRM drive systems using different semiconductor technologies are performed. Methods to improve performance of the automotive drive system are introduced.
Sex roles and cognitive styles as predictors of Holland Typologies

Abstract College students who had made choices of major and occupation and who reported being satisfied with their choices were classified as belonging to one of the six Holland categories. These categories were the criterion variable, while sex-role attitude measures and cognitive style measures were used to predict membership in the Holland categories. Significant discriminant functions were found for predicting students' choice of major but not for their choice of occupation. The pattern of significant predictor variables, however, varied for each sex. These findings provide considerable support for the validity of the Holland Typology, but they also suggest that separate personality descriptions within each Holland category should be provided for each sex.
Primary structure of a 7Fe ferredoxin from Streptomyces griseus.

Abstract The complete primary structure of a Streptomyces griseus (ATCC 13273) 7Fe ferredoxin, which can couple electron transfer between spinach ferredoxin reductase and S. griseus cytochrome P -450 soy for NADPH-dependent substrate oxidation, has been determined by Edman degradation of the whole protein and peptides derived by Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase and trypsin digestion. The protein consists of 105 amino acids and has a calculated molecular weight, including seven irons and eight sulfurs, of 12291. The ferredoxin sequence is highly homologous (73%) to that of the 7Fe ferredoxin from Mycobacterium smegmatis . The N-terminal half of the sequence, which is the FeS clusters binding domain, has more than 50% homology with other 7Fe ferredoxins. In particular, the seven cysteines known from the crystal structure of Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I to be involved in binding the two FeS clusters are conserved.
ON ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOR OF VACUUM EXPECTATION VALUES AT LARGE SPACE-LIKE SEPARATION

Abstract The asymptotic behavior of truncated vacuum expectation values at large space-like separation is studied. Truncated vacuum expectation values are vacuum expectation values of products of field operators where the vacuum structure is subtracted out. It is shown under conventional assumptions of relativistic quantum field theory that the truncated vacuum expectation values at equal time tend to zero exponentially as the largest distance R of points tends to infinity with an exponent mR where m is the lowest mass and is assumed positive. It is also shown that the truncated vacuum expectation values tend to zero in an averaged sense faster than any power of R if the points are divided into two groups and separated by large space-like distance R where the points need not lie on a common space-like hypersurface.
The differential effects of exposure to tobacco smoke on the secretion of luteinizing hormone and prolactin in the proestrous rat.

The acute effects of tobacco smoke inhalation on the spontaneous proestrous rise in serum luteinizing hormone and prolactin have been investigated in the female Wistar rat. It was found that the surge of LH normally seen throughout the afternoon of proestrus was delayed by inhalation of tobacco smoke and that the delay was dose-related to die nicotine content of the cigarettes used i n the experiment. In the case of prolactin neither the timing nor the magnitude of the surge was altered when compared with controls. These results suggest that under certain well-defined conditions inhalation of tobacco smoke of known nicotine content is capable of exerting profound influences on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. (Endocrinology 100: 1566, 1977)
Continuity and change in values in midlife: testing the age stability hypothesis.

Background/Study Context: The “age stability” hypothesis suggests that adults have significant continuities in values over time, whereas the “situational influence” hypothesis suggests that change continues, especially in response to new events and experiences. Deeply ingrained, terminal values may be more stable than other, more instrumental, values. Less research examines changing values than examines changing personality traits and attitudes.Methods: Hypotheses were tested with data from A Study of Leisure During Adulthood (ASOLDA), a 9-year panel study of middle-aged adults (average age of 45 at the beginning of data collection). Mixed-model regressions and descriptive statistics were used to examine changes and stability over time in global values, measured by the List of Values (LOV), and instrumental values related to leisure.Results: Significant correlations were found in both terminal and instrumental values over time (autocorrelations ranging from .13 to .23). There was no linear or curvilinear ...
Absolute kilovoltage calibration of a diagnostic x-ray generator

A method for absolute calibration of diagnostic x‐ray generators is presented and discussed. The method employs a Ge(Li) detector and relies on the direct observation of the onset of fluorescence radiation from scattering foils placed in the primary beam.
Reconstitution of protein N-myristoylation in Escherichia coli

A dual-plasmid expression system that coexpresses Saccharomyces cerevisiae myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) and various known mammalian N-myristoylproteins in Escherichia coli is described. Coexpression of these proteins results in efficient N-myristoylation in the bacterium, which has no endogenous NMT activity. N-Myristoylation in E. coli requires that the protein substrate have a Gly2 residue, and is specific for 14-carbon fatty acids as in eukaryotes. The system is useful for (i) analyzing NMT structure/activity relationships, (ii) examining the determinants required for efficient N-myristoylation in vivo, and (iii) directly assessing the biological significance of this modification of specific eukaryotic proteins by purifying the corresponding nonmyristoylated and N-myristoylated recombinant forms from E. coli.
Round Up the Usual Suspects: Crime, Deviance, and the Limits of Constructionism

In the 1960s and early 1970s, the sociological study of deviance underwent a sharp break in orientation; many observers in the field began to shift their focus away from an examination of etiology to the study of social control. Examining the social construction of deviance and crime to the exclusion of crucial and unavoidable material features that cannot be defined away lead to certain conclusions that could not be sustained and were vulnerable to successful challenge from later approaches. The lives and work of Frank Tannenbaum, Jack Henry Abbott, and Alvin Gouldner, as well as the work of other labelists and Marxists, offer testimony to the limits of constructionism in the sociological study of deviance and crime.
Echocardiographic Study of the Abnormal Motion of the Posterior Left Ventricular Wall during Angina Pectoris

Echocardiographic waves from the posterior left ventricular endocardium were recorded in 30 normal subjects and in nine patients during 13 anginal episodes. At rest the normal maximal systolic endocardial velocity (SEVM) was 6.2 ± 1.4 cm/sec, the mean systolic endocardial velocity (SEV) was 4.1 ± 0.7 cm/sec, and the systolic endocardial excursion (SEE) was 1.4 ± 0.3 cm. The maximal diastolic endocardial velocity (DEVM) was 18 ± 3 cm/sec, and the mean early diastolic endocardial velocity (DEV) was 9.4 ± 1.7 cm/sec. Exercise in 20 normals caused a significant increase in SEVM, SEV, DEVM, and DEV, but not SEE. In no instance did any of these values fall below the resting levels. The angina patients differed significantly from the normals having at rest a slower DEVM (15 ± 4 cm/sec) (P < 0.025) and DEV (8.4 ± 0.8 cm/sec) (P < 0.025). During exercise, but before angina, there was a significant increase in SEVM and SEV but not SEE, DEVM, or DEV. In no instance did any of these values fall below the resting leve...
Phosphorescence quenching of a platinum acetylide polymer by transition metal ions

Abstract A platinum acetylide-based polymer (p-Pt 2 BPyPh) that contains 2,2′-bipyridine units in the polymer backbone has been synthesized. A model complex (Pt 2 BPyPh 2 ) has also been prepared that features the same structure as a single polymer repeat unit. The polymer and model complex exhibit moderately efficient and long-lived phosphorescence emission from a triplet excited state. The effect of addition of six different transition metal ions (Fe 3+ , Co 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ and Pd 2+ ) on the absorption and phosphorescence spectra of p-Pt 2 BPyPh and Pt 2 BPyPh was examined. The results show that in every case, the metal ions bind to the bipyridine unit in the polymer (model) backbone, and metal ion binding induces a red-shift in the near-UV absorption band. Phosphorescence spectroscopy shows that for all of the metals (with the exception of Zn 2+ ), metal ion binding is accompanied by phosphorescence quenching. For some of the metal ions (Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ ) quenching of the polymer is considerably more efficient than in the model, an observation consistent with an “amplified quenching effect” that is analogous to that observed for quenching of fluorescent conjugated polymers. A semi-quantitative analysis of the absorption and phosphorescence data provide a model consistent with the notion that triplet exciton hopping along the polymer chain is rapid compared to the triplet lifetime, and that the overall quenching efficiency for the different metal ions is controlled by the intrinsic rate of triplet quenching within the metal ion–bipyridine complex.
A novel CFD – Axial motion coupled model for the axial balance of lateral bushings in external gear machines

Abstract This paper presents a novel modeling approach for studying the lateral lubricating gap between sliding lateral bushes and spur gears in external gear machines. Pressure compensated lateral bushings are important design elements for efficient operation of an external gear pump or motor, being responsible for functions such as sealing the displacement chambers, guaranteeing a proper timing for the connections with outlet and inlet port limiting pressure peaks and cavitation. As regards the sealing function, they must be designed with the two main goals of reducing power losses due to leakages and of maintaining full film lubrication in the gap, to minimize shear stress and prevent wear in the elements. Because of the complexity of the simultaneous processes that characterize the operation of this kind of units, only limited research has been performed on modeling the lubricating gap in the past. The model presented in this paper is the first tool that can predict the lateral lubricating gap features, accounting for the main features of machine operation. A Computational Fluid Dynamics solver that solves for the flow field in the lubricating gap is coupled with a model of the axial motion of the lateral bushes to determine the lubricating gap heights. The model also interacts closely with a lumped parameter model as well as a geometric model of gear teeth control volumes, and therefore provides a tool for a “complete simulation” of the unit. The forces acting on the lateral bushing are seen to lead to an axially balanced condition. An original method of decomposition of forces was developed to perform an analysis of the effect of the hydrodynamic as well as hydrostatic forces acting on the bushing. It was found that the hydrodynamic generation of pressure from the “wedge” mechanism determines the orientation of the lateral bushing at axial balance. Gap heights and the resulting power losses from the lubricating gap are also calculated for a range of operating conditions. Using the proposed methodology, competing designs of lateral bushes can be evaluated and optimized for low chances of wear, as well as low losses. The tool developed has the potential to be used to drive design of gear machines with greater efficiency and reliability.
The staphylococcal enterotoxins and their relatives

Staphylococcal enterotoxins and a group of related proteins made by Streptococci cause food poisoning and shock in man and animals. These proteins share an ability to bind to human and mouse major histocompatibility complex proteins. The complex ligand so formed has specificity for a particular part of T cell receptors, V beta, and by engaging V beta can stimulate many T cells. It is likely that some or all of the pathological effects of these toxins are caused by their ability to activate quickly so many T cells. It is also possible that encounters with such toxins have caused mice, at least, to evolve mechanisms for varying their T cell V beta repertoires, such that they are less susceptible to attack by the toxins.
Object Interpretation Using Boundary Based Perceptually Valid Features

An important perceptual task for both human and machine vision is to be able to interpret images in terms of distinct objects. This paper presents a technique for object interpretation in line drawings. The method is based on the use of features which have special perceptual significance for human vision. By using such features, and by devising an orientation-boundary representation, a simple, efficient algorithm can be used to interpret line drawings which can contain both straight and curved lines, and can depict any type of object.
Matrix analysis to model the invasion of alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) on Kentucky lakes

Aims Alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb.) is an invasive species indigenous to South America. With its rapid invasion of southeastern US waterways, understanding the invasiveness of this plant species is critical for providing possible mechanisms of prevention for resource managers. The aim of this project is to use a matrix model to study the invasion dynamics of alligatorweed under both terrestrial and aquatic environments. The use of this model allows for a deeper understanding of the invasiveness and life history–stage structure of alligatorweed. In particular, matrix analysis can further test the hypothesis that certain life stages of alligatorweed might be more sensitive to control and management. Methods A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the spread of alligatorweed under both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Utilizing the growth data obtained during the summer of 2010, matrix analysis was used to model the growth of alligatorweed for six different treatments. Transition matrices were generated based on plant measurements taken at different life stages defined by the number of leaves or nodes. These matrices are population projection models whose eigenvalues represent the growth rate of alligatorweed. A high growth rate is a key feature of successful invaders. Residuals were calculated and sensitivity analysis was performed to test the accuracy of the model and importance of each life stage over the entire life cycle of alligatorweed. Important findings The results of this study indicate that in the aquatic habitat, plants at their early life cycle stage are most sensitive to potential control measures. Conversely, in the terrestrial habitat, the most sensitive stage of alligatorweed is at its late life cycle stage, characterized with large-sized plants, thus suggesting the best timing for management and eradication of this invasive species.
QR Codes as Finding Aides: Linking Electronic and Print Library Resources.

As part of a focused, methodical, and evaluative approach to emerging technologies, QR codes are one of many new technologies being used by the UC Irvine Libraries. QR codes provide simple connections between print and virtual resources. In summer 2010, a small task force began to investigate how QR codes could be used to provide information and access to electronic library resources. Pilot projects were developed, each focused on creating marketing plans and determining evaluation requirements. Strategies and best practices are identified, and concerns and implications are discussed for other libraries that might consider using QR codes.
An approximate analytical solution for non-Darcy flow toward a well in fractured media

Estuarine suspended sediment is transported in a mixed nonuniform way under unsteady flows. Sediment of different grain sizes has different characteristics and transport behavior and has a different effect on the ecological system. Therefore classification and fractionization of the mixed sediment are required before the flux is estimated. A fuzzy clustering approach is applied to the classification of suspended fine-grained sediment in the Changjiang Estuary. Two populations are objectively found by considering the standard grain-size distribution statistics of each cluster. The critical grain size of {approx}10??m in diameter is the size limit for cohesive sediments. A grid with equal cell areas is used to estimate fractional sediment fluxes through an estuarine cross section since this type of grid introduces less statistical error in the flux calculation. The sediment transport mechanism is analyzed.