cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emergence of novel retroviruses.

As with many viruses, retroviruses do not always restrict themselves to a single host species. Phylogenetic analyses of human and other primate retroviruses conducted during the past twenty years has revealed that the pandemic human retroviruses, human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and human T-lymphotropic viruses (HTLV), were each the result of multiple independent introductions of viruses from nonhuman primates (NHPs) to humans. Nevertheless, whether such transmission of retroviruses was limited to rare historical occurrences or is part of an ongoing process has remained unclear. A series of recent findings by our group, focused on occupationally exposed individuals, has demonstrated that far from being a historical oddity, the transmission of retroviruses from NHPs to humans is a regular and ongoing phenomenon. Here, we review the evidence for emerging retrovirus zoonosis, both from captive animals to lab workers and primate handlers, as well as from wild NHPs to people exposed through hunting, butchering, and keeping of wild animal 'pets' in central Africa. The results show that three new retroviruses previously undocumented in humans including the simian foamy viruses, HTLV-3, and HTLV-4 have all been identified in persons exposed to the blood and body fluids of NHPs. The regular transmission of primate retroviruses suggests that zoonosis, per se, may not be the rate limiting step in pandemic retrovirus emergence, and that other factors such as viral adaptation probably play an important role in successful cross-species transmission and pandemic human retrovirus emergence. The results reinforce the need for defining the public health implications of the emergence of the new retroviruses and for ongoing surveillance efforts aimed at documenting and predicting the retrovirus emergence process.
WORKFARE IN THE 1980s: SUCCESSES AND LIMITS

Between 1981 and 1987 twenty-eight states experimented with workfare programs. By requiring mandatory community service from welfare recipients, the states hoped to reduce welfare caseloads as well as increase community service. Based in part on those program experiences, Congress included the first national workfare requirement in the 1988 welfare reform package (the Family Support Act). This study is the first to attempt to evaluate the implementation and impact of workfare on a national basis. A pooled, cross-section, longitudinal model is used to estimate the effect of workfare on AFDC caseloads. Despite the low level of state-level implementation, the evidence suggests that workfare may have contributed to welfare caseload reductions in the 1980s.
Acute responses to nicotine and smoking: Implications for prevention and treatment of smoking in lower SES women

Compared with men, smoking reward and reinforcement in women tend to be less sensitive to nicotine but more sensitive to the nonpharmacological aspects of cigarette smoking (e.g. cues). Drawing mostly on findings from our laboratory, including new analyses of existing data, we explored whether characteristics possibly related to socioeconomic status (SES) may moderate acute responses to nicotine or smoking in women. Effects of nicotine in nonsmokers and in smokers were thought to identify factors that may be involved in the onset of nicotine dependence and in persistence of dependence, respectively. In nonsmokers, impulsive personality, prior marijuana use, and DRD2 and DRD4 genotypes may moderate nicotine responses in men but apparently not in women. However, the DRD4 gene may alter smoking reinforcement in response to negative mood in women but not men, a finding that could help explain smoking persistence in low SES women. Increasing women smoker's quit motivation via monetary reinforcement for abstinence may enhance the efficacy of nicotine patch during a quit attempt, at least in the short run. These findings clearly are tentative and require replication and extension in larger samples. A potentially more promising area of research concerns the recent finding from animal research that nicotine may enhance the reinforcing value of other reinforcers unrelated to smoking. Such an effect could increase our understanding of why quitting smoking is so difficult, why lapses after a quit attempt strongly predict failure of that attempt, and why nicotine replacement therapy aids cessation. Although speculative, low SES smokers may find smoking particularly hard to give up if doing so results in an overall decline in reinforcement, but they may gain more relative benefit from nicotine replacement therapy during quit attempts.
Applications of Internal Reflection Spectroscopy to Surface Studies

Abstract Infrared internal reflection spectroscopy (IRS) has in recent years found wide use in the analysis of surfaces. Often times these have been novel applications as, for example, in the identification of stamp adhesives [l] or the observation of the spectrum of bee wings [2]. We will not attempt a review of this diverse literature but, using mostly examples from the author's laboratory, focus attention on adsorption and transport across surfaces at or below monolayer coverages. We emphasize again [31 that IRS is complementary to and, in general, not a substitute for conventional transmission IR spectroscopy [4, 51 in situations where a high area, transparent sample is available. Only for the cases of adsorption on transparent single crystals or thin films are the two techniques in direct competition. In this case multiple internal reflection provides a higher signal-to-noise ratio than would transmission because it avoids reflection and scattering losses at the film interface. Internal reflection al...
Are rents fully dissipated? Comment

The measure of the cost of rent-seeking has been difficult and its theory is complicated. For example, I devoted to the first half of my The Economics of Special Privilege and Rent Seeking (1992) to the mysterious fact that the apparent size of the rent-seeking industry is considerably smaller than the resources obtained. This raises the question of whether there are, in fact, concealed expenses or that entrepreneurs are making mistakes. The Dougan-Snyder (1993) article raises and attempts to answer the problem. They assume a case in which $100 is distributed to the first 1000 people who are at a given point at noon of a specified day. One would expect that this prize would be wholly dissipated by people coming long distances, getting in early in the morning, etc. They call this rent-seeking, and it is legitimate, although unusual, use of the word.' There is another set of rent-seeking costs. These are costs of impelling the decision or policy makers to make the award. It is this second meaning of the term that attracts most attention from students. To repeat, it is not illegitimate of Dougan-Snyder to talk about the first meaning, but they should not ignore the second. In their model the decision maker simply decides to make a gift to certain people. There is no pressure brought to bear on him; resources are not used to convince him that he should. Altogether, this is quite unlike what we normally see when Congress is handing out money. I am not alleging that waste in the process of handing out the money is unimportant. However, the pressure brought to bear on policy makers to make the distribution is what has normally been discussed under the title of rent-seeking. Take the U.S. agricultural program which provides benefits to the farmers at a cost to society very much larger than those benefits. The benefits themselves are modest even to the farmers. The farmers bring a good deal of pressure to bear on the political representatives to keep the program going, and this is what we normally think of as rent-seeking costs, and not the allocative inefficiency waste that the program generates. However, Dougan and Snyder perform a service by bringing these allocative wastes to our attention. The cost to the United States of the farm program is of the order of $20-
Bank Liquidity and Stability in an Overlapping Generations Model

In an infinitely repeated version of the Diamond and Dybvig (1983) model, intergenerational transfers enable a bank to achieve interest rate smoothing and to provide depositors with liquidity insurance without Diamond and Dybvig's assumption of no side trades. The bank is subject to runs that may result from either excessive withdrawals or the lack of new deposits. The latter cause, which cannot occur in Diamond and Dybvig's one-generation model, implies that suspension of convertibility may not prevent bank runs. Government intervention may be necessary to maintain bank stability. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Physico-chemical characteristics of olive fruits of Turkish varieties from the province of Hatay.

The olive fruits of four different Turkish varieties (Kargaburun, Erkence, Halhali and Saurani) from the province of Hatay which were harvested on three different occasions have been analyzed in order to determine the effects of both the nature of the cultivar and the time of harvest. Analyses of some physical properties were carried out such as fruit and pit weight, size, moisture and oil contents and instrumental color index along with some chemical properties such as individual phenolic compounds, total phenolics, DPPH radical scavenging activity and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and fatty acid composition. For all the varieties studied, oleuropein was the most abundant phenolic substance ranging from 41.39-159.73 mg/kg, for which the Saurani variety had the highest level. Saurani and Kargaburun varieties were found to possess characteristic phenolic profiles: Saurani for its high amount of oleuropein and Kargaburun for its high level of H-tyrosol. These two varieties had higher Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacities as well. Citric and succinic acids were the main organic acids determined in the olive fruits. The level of total phenolics in the olive fruits declined rapidly with a later harvest date. A general decreasing trend was also observed in the saturated fatty acid (palmitic and stearic acids) concentrations of the olive oils with later harvest dates in the four varieties studied.
Incidence of vocal cord paralysis with and without recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring during thyroidectomy.

Objective To compare the incidence of postoperative vocal cord paresis or paralysis in a cohort of patients who underwent thyroidectomy with and without continuous recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) monitoring by a single senior surgeon. We hypothesize that continuous RLN monitoring reduces the rate of nerve injury during thyroidectomy Design Retrospective medical chart review. Setting Academic tertiary care medical center. Patients A total of 684 patients (1043 nerves at risk) who underwent thyroid surgery under general anesthesia. Main Outcome Measure Incidence of vocal cord paresis or paralysis in patients who underwent thyroid surgery with continuous RLN monitoring vs those undergoing surgery without continuous RLN monitoring. Results The incidence of unexpected unilateral vocal cord paresis based on RLNs at risk was 2.09% (n = 14) in the monitored group and 2.96% (n = 11) in the unmonitored group. This difference was not statistically significant. The incidence of unexpected complete unilateral vocal cord paralysis was 1.6% in each group. Two of the 5 paralyses in the unmonitored group and 7 of the 11 paralyses in the monitored group had complete resolution. Conclusions Monitoring of the RLN does not appear to reduce the incidence of postoperative temporary or permanent complete vocal cord paralysis. There appeared to be a slightly lower rate of postoperative paresis with RLN monitoring, but this difference was not statistically significant.
The Case for Expanding Standards for Teacher Evaluation to Include an Instructional Supervision Perspective

Despite the concerns of scholars in the field of instructional supervision, teacher evaluations continue to emphasize bureaucratic accountability and standardization. This article presents an argument for extending the Joint Committee on Standards' Personnel Evaluation Standards to include standards related to the practice of supervision. The proposed standards call for differentiated procedures, collaborative identification of teachers' professional development goals, multiple sources of data, emphasis on formative evaluation processes, consideration of both teachers' personal development goals and school/program improvement goals, and the formalization of formative evaluation processes to achieve clear and shared understanding of their purpose and goals. These standards would align teacher evaluation with aspects of instructional supervision namely,clarification and shared understanding of the process and purpose of evaluations, interpretation of teaching performance in the context of teachers' classrooms and professional values, and deliberation with teachers about how evaluation evidence depicts and informs their work.
Osteogenesis imperfecta: changes in noncollagenous proteins in bone.

The noncollagenous proteins osteonectin, bone sialoprotein, osteocalcin, the small proteoglycan decorin (PG II), and α2-HS glycoprotein (which is synthesized in the liver but highly concentrated in bone) were measured in extracts of cortical bone from 3 type I, 2 type II, 8 type III and 13 type IV patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and from 7 control subjects. Osteonectin was found to be reduced in the bone of all OI patients. The bone from severely affected type III OI patients contained the lowest levels of osteonectin. In contrast, bone sialoprotein was found to be elevated in the bones of OI patients. The highest levels were found in individuals classified as type IV patients. Osteocalcin and α2-HS glycoprotein concentrations were increased in all OI patients. Decorin levels were not significantly altered in OI bones compared to controls. These changes in the concentrations of the noncollagenous proteins may contribute to the fragility of the OI bone by interfering with complete mineralization and/or normal tissue architecture.
Polydrug use, cannabis, and psychosis-like symptoms.

Objective To examine psychosis-like symptoms in users of legal and illicit drugs. Methods Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) scores were compared in groups of people with different exposure to cannabis, with the use of other drugs serving as a covariate. Supplemental analyses compared users of legal and illicit drugs with cannabis use as a covariate. Results Weekly (n = 111) and monthly (n = 136) cannabis users had higher scores on the SPQ than former (n = 143) and non-users (n = 81). The use of other drugs accounted for the links between cannabis and schizotypy. Lifetime use of psychomotor stimulant drugs plus ecstasy accounted for associations between cannabis and scores on the SPQ and its different subscales. Dividing groups by type of drug use revealed that those who used only cannabis and legal drugs (CLDs) (n = 126) were no different from those who used only legal drugs (LDs) (n = 74) but both groups scored significantly lower on the SPQ than polydrug users (n = 247). When controlling for marijuana use in the last month, the significant difference across drug use groups remained. Conclusions The results suggest that research on marijuana and schizotypy requires careful assessment of the use of other drugs, especially psychomotor stimulants and ecstasy. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The value of traction during roentgenography of the wrist and metacarpophalangeal joints.

Traction on wrist and metacarpophalangeal joints during radiography produces ‘vacuum phenomenon’ due to the release of intra-articular gas. The resultant pneumoarthrogram clearly portrays the articular cartilage. Manual traction radiography of the wrist and the metacarpophalangeal joints has the following potential uses. 1. Detection of joint effusion; increased interosseous space during traction without release of intraarticular gas is indicative of joint disease with effusion. 2. Separation of the carpal bones; the traction separates the carpal bones and allows evaluation. 3. Differentiation of arthralgia from arthritis. 4. Evaluation of midcarpal, radiocarpal compartments, and the metacarpophalangeal joints can be performed before the secondary ossification centers are ossified. 5. Evaluation of the integrity of the joint cartilage.
Modeling Ammonium Adsorption on Broiler Litter and Cake

Ammonia emission from broiler houses is a major concern because of its impacts on the environment. To reduce ammonia emissions, it is necessary to understand the fate of ammonia/um in the broiler waste. In broiler waste, uric acid and urea hydrolyze to ammonia (NH3) and a fraction of NH3 converts to ammonium (NH4 +) depending on pH and temperature. Further, NH4 + undergoes solid–liquid partitioning and the ammonia fraction is partitioned among the solid, liquid, and gas phases in the waste. Ammonium partitioning between solid and liquid phases in broiler cake and litter were measured at pH of 4, 6, and 7. Ammonium adsorption increased with pH in both broiler litter and cake. Adsorption capacity of the litter was much lower than broiler cake. Six NH4 + adsorption/desorption isotherms (linear, Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Redlich–Peterson, and Toth) were evaluated. The isotherm that provided the best fit for partitioning NH4 + in litter or cake for each pH value was selected by comparing up to six sets of parameters modeled using linear and nonlinear (with five error functions) regressions. Despite high R 2 values obtained using linear regression, linearizing the models introduced an offset into the model reducing their accuracy. The sum of normalized error was used to select the most suitable parameter set for each isotherm. While the nonlinear error functions were the more suitable for developing parameter sets in broiler litter, for cake, linear regression generally provided the most optimum parameter sets. Whereas the Freundlich, linear, and Temkin isotherms were the most suitable for broiler litter for pH of 4, 6, and 7, respectively, for the cake, the linear isotherm was the most suitable for the entire range of pH evaluated. Overall, due to its simplicity, the linear isotherm seems suitable for partitioning NH4 + in the adsorbed and dissolved phases for simulating nitrogen fate and dynamics in broiler waste more accurately.
Textual expansion of chemical process flowsheets into algebraic equation sets

Abstract In preliminary process design, the engineer must deal with hundreds to thousands of nonlinear algebraic equations that model the steady-state simulation of chemical processes. The manual preparation of all these equations as input to a computer-based program can be a laborious and highly error-prone task. This paper presents the design specifications of a textual expansion language for expressing the text of equations. This language provides a modular capability, called “textual macros,” in which to express concisely the large numbers of equations associated with chemical process simulation. With a standard library of textual macros for process units, all the process simulation equations can be expressed just from the labeling information in the process flowsheet.
Promoting excellence in teaching in pharmaceutical education: The master teacher credentialling program

Can disciplinary societies take the lead in honoring exemplary teaching? One organization is proposing a process to do just that.
Operating Room Metrics Score Card--Creating a Prototype for Individualized Feedback

The balance between reducing costs and inefficiencies with that of patient safety is a challenging problem faced in the operating room suite. An ongoing challenge is the creation of effective strategies that reduce these inefficiencies and provide real-time personalized metrics and electronic feedback to anesthesia practitioners. We created a sample report card structure, utilizing existing informatics systems. This system allows to gather and analyze operating room metrics for each anesthesia provider and offer personalized feedback. To accomplish this task, we identified key metrics that represented time and quality parameters. We collected these data for individual anesthesiologists and compared performance to the overall group average. Data were presented as an electronic score card and made available to individual clinicians on a real-time basis in an effort to provide effective feedback. These metrics included number of cancelled cases, average turnover time, average time to operating room ready and patient in room, number of delayed first case starts, average induction time, average extubation time, average time to recovery room arrival to discharge, performance feedback from other providers, compliance to various protocols, and total anesthetic costs. The concept we propose can easily be generalized to a variety of operating room settings, types of facilities and OR health care professionals. Such a scorecard can be created using content that is important for operating room efficiency, research, and practice improvement for anesthesia providers.
Dopamine dependent reaction time deficits in patients with parkinson's disease are task specific

This study tested the hypothesis that patients with Parkinson's disease are impaired when they must rely on internal information to generate a response. Choice reaction times of control subjects and patients with Parkinson's disease, on and off their medication, were measured in tasks in which the motor demands were constant but which varied in the degree to which the stimuli held intrinsic information about the required response. A dopaminergic deficit was observed only in the tasks which employed stimuli compatible with the response and not in a task employing stimuli arbitrarily associated with the response. The data do not support the hypothesis that patients are differentially impaired in using internalized stimulus-response relationships.
Supporting digital exams: riding class V rapids through exam policy, tech policy, and exam support

At NYU School of Law, all of our exams are administered using technology. By using the words 'exam' and 'technology' in the same sentence, you add challenges. This paper explores our user support strategy developed and refined over the past 6 years to address these challenges for in-class, take-home, and remotely administered exams. We will discuss our coordination and collaboration with key administrative offices at the Law School and focus on support of students using both PCs and Macs, including our communication model for exam readiness and our support structure offered during the exam period.In particular: Coordination with Administrative offices: Office of Academic Affairs, Records and Registration, Office of the Vice Dean, Office of Student Affairs, Admissions, and the like. Backing from high level administrators gives our technology policies related to exams context and heft.Support model for students: Continuous support for students during the semester, a defined communication strategy and student to-do list for exam readiness, and setting expectations for technical support during the exam period.Support model during exams: A central Information Technology Services (ITS) Command Center during exams, an Alternate Test Room (for when good laptops go bad during an exam), a loaner laptop pool for the small number of students where laptop trauma outweighs our support resources.Using technology with exams is neither simple, nor easy, but the benefits are many. The evolution of these processes has made navigating the troubled and turbulent waters of exams via technology a safer journey
Iron Toxicity and Chelation Therapy

Iron is an essential mineral for normal cellular physiology, but an excess can result in cell injury. Iron in low-molecular-weight forms may play a catalytic role in the initiation of free radical reactions. The resulting oxyradicals have the potential to damage cellular lipids, nucleic acids, proteins, and carbohydrates; the result is wide-ranging impairment in cellular function and integrity. The rate of free radical production must overwhelm the cytoprotective defenses of cells before injury occurs. There is substantial evidence that iron overload in experimental animals can result in oxidative damage to lipids in vivo, once the concentration of iron exceeds a threshold level. In the liver, this lipid peroxidation is associated with impairment of membrane-dependent functions of mitochondria and lysosomes. Iron overload impairs hepatic mitochondrial respiration primarily through a decrease in cytochrome C oxidase activity, and hepatocellular calcium homeostasis may be compromised through damage to mitochondrial and microsomal calcium sequestration. DNA has also been reported to be a target of iron-induced damage, and this may have consequences in regard to malignant transformation. Mitochondrial respiratory enzymes and plasma membrane enzymes such as sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na++K+-ATPase) may be key targets of damage by non-transferrin-bound iron in cardiac myocytes. Levels of some antioxidants are decreased during iron overload, a finding suggestive of ongoing oxidative stress. Reduced cellular levels of ATP, lysosomal fragility, impaired cellular calcium homeostasis, and damage to DNA all may contribute to cellular injury in iron overload. Evidence is accumulating that free-radical production is increased in patients with iron overload. Iron-loaded patients have elevated plasma levels of thiobarbituric acid reactants and increased hepatic levels of aldehyde-protein adducts, indicating lipid peroxidation. Hepatic DNA of iron-loaded patients shows evidence of damage, including mutations of the tumor suppressor gene p53. Although phlebotomy therapy is effective in removing excess iron in hereditary hemochromatosis, chelation therapy is required in the treatment of many patients who have combined secondary and transfusional iron overload due to disorders in erythropoiesis. In patients with β-thalassemia who undergo regular transfusions, deferoxamine treatment has been shown to be effective in preventing iron-induced tissue injury and in prolonging life expectancy. The use of the oral chelator deferiprone remains controversial, and work is continuing on the development of new orally effective iron chelators.
Retention of human skin fibroblast fatty acid modifications during maintenance culture

The fatty acid composition of cultured human skin fibroblasts was modified by adding either oleic or linoleic acid to the growth medium. After the cultures became confluent, they were washed and transferred to different maintenance media in order to determine the stability of the various fatty acyl modifications. Some changes in fatty acid composition occurred under all conditions. When the maintenance medium was supplemented with fatty acid, the cellular neutral lipid and phospholipid fatty acyl composition were altered markedly within 16 to 24 hr. If no supplemental fatty acid was available during the maintenance period, however, the modified fatty acyl compositions were sufficiently retained so that appreciable differences between the cells enriched with oleate and linoleate persisted for at least 48 to 72 hr. This considerable degree of stability occurred when either 10% delipidized fetal bovine serum or 10% fetal bovine serum containing its inherent lipids were present in the maintenance medium. Although the triglyceride content of the fatty acid-modified cells was quite labile, neither the cholesterol nor phospholipid content changed appreciably during culture in any of the maintenance media. Since the fatty acid compositional differences persisted during several days of maintenance under certain conditions, these modified cultures appear to be a useful experimental system for assessing the effect of lipid structure on fairly long-term cellular functions.
Inhaled Nitric Oxide Therapy in a Critically Ill Neonate with Ebstein's Anomaly

The successful use of nitric oxide (NO) inhalation in a critically ill neonate with Ebstein's anomaly of the tricuspid valve is reported for the first time. This use of inhaled NO therapy suggests a therapeutic intervention that directly addresses the pathophysiologic process of severe neonatal Ebstein's anomaly.
Transient Analysis of a Linear Induction Machine Using the d,q Pole-By-Pole Model

An evaluation of transient as well as steadystate behavior of linear induction machines (LIM's) is essential for high horsepower applications. The pole- by-pole model, a low order coupled circuit model derived for arbitrary excitation, provides a unique method of analyzing such behavior. In this paper a computer simulation algorithm suitable for either analog or digital computation is derived. To illustrate the flexibility of the approach practical application considerations such as acceleration response, behavior with an inverter supply and the effect of frequency step changes and SCR failure are modeled. Where feasible, computed waveforms are compared to test measurements from an actual prototype machine.
Concepts in fisheries management: Interdisciplinary gestalts and socioeconomic policy models

Abstract The U.S. marine fisheries management system provides a case study for exploring issues related to improving the fisheries policy process. The potential role and value of multiobjective analysis for developing policy information are examined. A numerical biosocioeconomic policy model is used to illustrate the value of interdisciplinary analysis and the problems associated with various fisheries management concepts, including the concept of optimum yield. The paper discusses practical problems inherent in developing comprehensive analysis but also suggests ways in which these approaches could prove valuable in guiding the policy process toward adoption of rational management strategies.
Adenovirus 2 lp+ locus codes for a 19 kd tumor antigen that plays an essential role in cell transformation

Adenovirus 2 large plaque (Ip) mutants produce large clear plaques on human KB cells. These mutants are shown to be defective in inducing transformation of the established rat embryo cell line 3Y1. The Ip mutation was localized within one of the two transforming early gene blocks, E1b (map position 4.5 to 11.2) which codes for two major T antigens of 53 kd and 19 kd by marker transfer. The mutational defects in mutants Ip3 and Ip5 were analyzed by DNA sequence analysis and by analysis of viral E1 proteins. These results reveal that Ip3 and Ip5 mutations map within the 19 kd tumor antigen coding region. Mutant Ip3 has a single base pair change at the N terminus of 19 kd polypeptide, resulting in the substitution of valine for alanine. Mutant Ip5 has two mutational changes, one of which results in the substitution of tyrosine for aspartic acid near the N-terminal region. The second mutation changes the termination codon into a leucine codon, increasing the size of the 19 kd tumor antigen. These results provide direct genetic evidence for an essential role of the 19 kd tumor antigen in cell transformation and indicate that the N-terminal region of the 19 kd tumor antigen is an essential function domain for the induction of cell transformation.
String field theory

Abstract We present an account of string field theory which aims to introduce the reader to the important concepts of the subjects as well as to aid access to the literature. Light cone string theory is briefly reviewed, but the emphasis is on the covariant approach exploiting world sheet BRST invariance to define string field derivations, integration, and products. Although we try to present the ideas in a general way, we draw on Witten's formulation of open string field theory for most of our examples. We include brief self-contained reviews of both the operator and Lagrangian versions of the BRST formalism employed in this article. There is a detailed account of perturbation theory for Witten's theory, including a few explicit sample calculations. Open problems faced by open superstring field theory and by closed string field theory are discussed. We sketch some of the ideas for attacking them but do not give a definitive resolution. Finally, some formulae relevant to the “bosonization of superghosts” are derived in a self-contained appendix.
Verb and noun deficits in stroke-induced and primary progressive aphasia: The Northwestern Naming Battery

BACKGROUND: Word class naming deficits are commonly seen in aphasia resulting from stroke (StrAph) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA), with differential production of nouns (objects) and verbs (actions) found based on StrAph type or PPA variant for some individuals. Studies to date, however, have not compared word class naming (or comprehension) ability in the two aphasic disorders. In addition, there are no available measures for testing word class deficits, which control for important psycholinguistic variables across language domains. This study examined noun and verb production and comprehension in individuals with StrAph and PPA using a new test, the Northwestern Naming Battery (NNB; Thompson & Weintraub, experimental version), developed explicitly for this purpose. In addition, we tested verb type effects, based on verb argument structure characteristics, which also is addressed by the NNB. METHOD: Fifty-two participants with StrAph (33 agrammatic, Broca's (StrAg); 19 anomic (StrAn)) and 28 PPA (10 agrammatic (PPA-G); 14 logopenic (PPA-L); 4 semantic (PPA-S)) were included in the study. Nouns and verbs were tested in the Confrontation Naming and Auditory Comprehension subtests of the NNB, with scores used to compute noun to verb ratios as well as performance by verb type. Performance patterns within and across StrAph and PPA groups were then examined. The external validity of the NNB also was tested by comparing (a) NNB Noun Naming scores to the Boston Naming Test (BNT; Kaplan, Goodglass, & Weintraub, 1983) and Western Aphasia Battery (WAB-R, Kertesz, 2007) Noun Naming subtest scores, (b) NNB Verb Naming scores to the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE; Goodglass, Kaplan & Barresi, 2001) Action Naming score (for StrAph participants only), and (c) NNB Comprehension subtest scores to WAB-R Auditory Comprehension subtest scores. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Both agrammatic (StrAg and PPA-G) groups showed significantly greater difficulty producing verbs compared to nouns, but no comprehension impairment for either word class. Whereas, three of the four PPA-S participants showed poorer noun compared to verb production, as well as comprehension. However, neither the StrAn or PPA-L participants showed significant differences between the two word classes in production or comprehension. In addition, similar to the agrammatic participants, the StrAn participants showed a significant transitivity effect, producing intransitive (one-argument) verbs with greater accuracy than transitive (two- and three-argument) verbs. However, no transitivity effects were found for the PPA-L or PPA-S participants. There were significant correlations between NNB scores and all external validation measures. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the NNB is sensitive to word class deficits in stroke and neurodegenerative aphasia. This is important both clinically for treatment planning and theoretically to inform both psycholinguistic and neural models of language processing.
Three hydrates of the bisphosphonate risedronate, consisting of one molecular and two ionic structures

Three different hydrates of risedronate were obtained by varying the pH of a solution containing the compound. At the pH values used, the N atom of the pyridine group is protonated and the compounds are zwitterionic. Crystals obtained directly from the synthesis resulted in risedronate monohydrate, or [1-hydroxy-1-phosphono-2-(pyridinium-3-yl)ethyl]phosphonate monohydrate, C(7)H(11)NO(7)P(2).H(2)O, (I), in which just one phosphonate group is negatively charged. Recrystallizations at pH values of 2 and 4 yielded risedronate dihydrate, or sodium [1-hydroxy-2-(pyridinium-3-yl)ethane-1,2-diyl]bis(phosphonate) dihydrate, Na(+).C(7)H(10)NO(7)P(2)(-).2H(2)O, (II). Finally, recrystallizations at pH values of 7 and 8 produced risedronate 2.5-hydrate, or sodium [1-hydroxy-2-(pyridinium-3-yl)ethane-1,2-diyl]bis(phosphonate) 2.5-hydrate, Na(+).C(7)H(10)NO(7)P(2)(-).2.5H(2)O, (III). At these four pH values, both phosphonate groups in (II) and (III) are negatively charged and coordinated to an Na(+) ion. Crystals of (II), i.e. those grown at pH values of 2 and 4, have isomorphous polymeric ion aggregate structures with geminal phosphonate and alcohol groups coordinated to the same Na(+) ion. On the other hand, crystals of (III), i.e. those grown at pH values of 7 and 8, have isomorphism polymeric ion aggregate structures with geminal phosphonate and alcohol groups coordinated to different Na(+) ions.
Scanning electron microscopy of intestinal metaplasia of the human stomach

Biopsy samples of gastric mucosa were obtained at endoscopy from patients suspected of having intestinal metaplasia. These samples were prepared for light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Observations of the luminal surface of the gastric mucosa in the scanning electron microscope revealed distinct topographic differences in the intestinalized and nonintestinalized regions. The latter area showed features consistent with those described in chronic gastritis, i.e., the exaggeration of the "cobblestone relief" appearance of the luminal surface of the stomach and the presence of numerous short, stubby, bulbous microvilli which project from the free border of the surface mucous cells toward the lumen of the stomach. The intestinalized region revealed a plush microvillous (striated) border periodically interrupted by apical openings of goblet cells. The scanning electron microscope is a useful research aid for examination of cell membrane expressions of the surface cells of the gastric mucosa not totally appreciated by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
The contact locations in the knee during high flexion

The aim was to determine the contact locations in the knee in a simulation of a deep squatting position, for both neutral and after tibial rotation. A rig was constructed to load the knee under quadriceps action at flexion angles from 135 to 155 degrees flexion, with a mechanism for rotating the tibia internally or externally. Fiducial points on each bone were digitized in each position of the knee. After all of the tests, the entire bone surfaces were digitized, enabling computer reconstructions to be made of the multiple positions. The software then produced color maps of the contact areas. Six cadaveric knees were tested. On the patella, contact occurred over an arcuate band across the superior, lateral and medial edges, including the medial 'odd facet'. On the upper tibia, the medial contact was close to the center of the condyle, while on the lateral side, the contact was posterior. As a result, impingement occurred between the posterior tibial edge and the femoral cortex on the medial side. However, lateral impingement also occurred when the tibia was externally rotated. Due to the stiffness of the knee at these high flexion angles, the maximum tibial rotation between external and internal averaged only 16 degrees. During this rotation, there was twice as much displacement of the lateral contact than the medial contact, indicating greater stability on the medial side. In all rotations, the medial contact moved inwards to engage the intercondylar eminence which appeared to act as the pivot area. The small rotational range implied that correct foot placement was necessary for optimal mechanics during squatting activities.
The C53/C37 Subcomplex of RNA Polymerase III Lies Near the Active Site and Participates in Promoter Opening *

The C53 and C37 subunits of RNA polymerase III (pol III) form a subassembly that is required for efficient termination; pol III lacking this subcomplex displays increased processivity of RNA chain elongation. We show that the C53/C37 subcomplex additionally plays a role in formation of the initiation-ready open promoter complex similar to that of the Brf1 N-terminal zinc ribbon domain. In the absence of C53 and C37, the transcription bubble fails to stably propagate to and beyond the transcriptional start site even when the DNA template is supercoiled. The C53/C37 subcomplex also stimulates the formation of an artificially assembled elongation complex from its component DNA and RNA strands. Protein-RNA and protein-DNA photochemical cross-linking analysis places a segment of C53 close to the RNA 3′ end and transcribed DNA strand at the catalytic center of the pol III elongation complex. We discuss the implications of these findings for the mechanism of transcriptional termination by pol III and propose a structural as well as functional correspondence between the C53/C37 subcomplex and the RNA polymerase II initiation factor TFIIF.
Stochastic process with ultraslow convergence to a Gaussian: The truncated Lévy flight.

We introduce a class of stochastic process, the truncated L\'evy flight (TLF), in which the arbitrarily large steps of a L\'evy flight are eliminated. We find that the convergence of the sum of $n$ independent TLFs to a Gaussian process can require a remarkably large value of $n$---typically $n\ensuremath{\approx}{10}^{4}$ in contrast to $n\ensuremath{\approx}10$ for common distributions. We find a well-defined crossover between a L\'evy and a Gaussian regime, and that the crossover carries information about the relevant parameters of the underlying stochastic process.
Tobacco Use and Smoking Cessation in Acute and Critical Care

Ten years ago, I would never have imagined setting a nursing leadership agenda for tobacco control in acute and critical care practice by being invited to participate in a special issue for Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America. Typically one thinks of tobacco cessation being more of a focus for primary care than for acute and critically ill care. This issue of Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America is particularly significant because it demonstrates the relevance of integrating tobacco cessation in our daily practice as acute and critical care nurses. It is hard to ignore the obvious and dramatic fact that tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. More than 43 million individuals are addicted to tobacco, and more than 400,000 lives per year are lost because of tobacco. Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, reminds us that we cannot ignore obvious facts. This issue is full of facts about tobacco, and none are more blatant than that thousands of lives that are lost every year because of tobacco use. I think of facts about tobacco as what Collins describes as bugly squiggly things under rocks.Q He further emphasizes that great leaders do not put the rocks back down to cover up the squiggly things. Instead, they do something about it. I am often asked bhow can a critical care nurse be so
Prognostic Factors for Survival in Patients With Locally Recurrent Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Factors prognostic for survival in patients with locally recurrent extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are poorly defined, thus making it difficult to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from adjuvant therapy. A total of 1421 patients underwent surgical treatment for primary extremity STS at a single institution between 1982 and 2002. Of these, 179 (13%) patients underwent complete surgical resection of an isolated local recurrence and were the subjects of this study. Clinicopathologic factors from both the primary tumor and the local recurrence were analyzed. The median interval to initial local recurrence was 16 months: 65% developed a local recurrence by 2 years and 90% by 4 years. Only four patients who presented with a low-grade primary tumor progressed to a high-grade local recurrence. Independent prognostic factors for disease-specific survival after local recurrence were a high histological grade (hazard ratio, 5.1; P = .0004), a large local recurrence tumor size (hazard ratio, 1.5; P = .0001), and a short local recurrence–free interval (hazard ratio, 1.6; P = .0001). Patients who developed a local recurrence >5 cm in ≤16 months (n = 44; 0 low grade) had a 4-year disease-specific survival of 18%, compared with 81% for patients who developed a local recurrence ≤5 cm in >16 months (n = 46; 11 low grade). Histological grade, local recurrence size, and local recurrence–free interval are independently predictive of survival in patients with locally recurrent extremity STS. A large local recurrence that develops in a short interval indicates a biologically aggressive tumor with a high tumor-specific mortality. Patients who develop such recurrences are ideal subjects for systemic neoadjuvant therapy trials.
Radiative Susceptibility of Cloudy Atmospheres to Droplet Number Perturbations: 1. Theoretical Analysis and Examples from MODIS

Theoretical and satellite-based assessments of the sensitivity of broadband shortwave radiative fluxes in cloudy atmospheres to small perturbations in the cloud droplet number concentration (N) of liquid water clouds under constant water conditions are performed. Two approaches to study this sensitivity are adopted: absolute increases in N, for which the radiative response is referred to as absolute cloud susceptibility, and relative increases in N or relative cloud susceptibility. Estimating the former is more challenging as it requires an assumed value for either cloud liquid water content or geometrical thickness; both susceptibilities require an assumed relationship between the droplet volume and effective radius. Expanding upon previous susceptibility studies, present radiative calculations include the effect of AN perturbations on droplet asymmetry parameter and single-scattering albedo, in addition to extinction. Absolute cloud susceptibility has a strong nonlinear dependence on the droplet effective radius as expected, while relative cloud susceptibility is primarily dependent on optical thickness. Molecular absorption and reflecting surfaces both reduce the relative contribution of the cloud to the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) flux and therefore also reduce the TOA albedo susceptibility. Transmittance susceptibilities are negative with absolute values similar to albedo susceptibility, while atmospheric absorptance susceptibilities are about an order of magnitude smaller than albedo susceptibilities and can be either positive or negative. Observation-based susceptibility calculations are derived from MODIS pixel-level retrievals of liquid water cloud optical thickness, effective radius, and cloud top temperature; two data granule examples are shown. Susceptibility quantifies the aerosol indirect effect sensitivity in a way that can be easily computed from model fields. As such, susceptibilities derived from MODIS observations provide a higher-order test of model cloud properties used for indirect effect studies. MODIS-derived global distributions of cloud susceptibility and radiative forcing calculations are presented in a companion paper.
A new model for the origin of kinetic hydrogen isotope effects

Measurements of kinetic hydrogen isotope effects in enzymatic CH bond cleavage reactions have generated a body of data that is inconsistent with either a semi-classical formalism for the origin of the isotope effects or a semi-classical formalism together with a modest degree of hydrogen tunneling. A model that treats the movement of hydrogen as a wave, and whose behavior is dictated by the heavy atom environment, is presented and discussed. A list of unanswered questions and challenges is given at the end of this paper. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.