cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Catalytic Study of Ethylene Dimerization on Ni(II)-Exchanged Clinoptilolite

The catalytic activity and selectivity for ethylene dimerization have been investigated on Ni(II)-exchanged clinoptilolite using a static reactor and gas chromatography. The catalytic results indicate that ethylene is dimerized to n-butenes at high temperature via direct reduction of Ni(II) by ethylene in Ni-clinoptilolite containing different cocations. This is consistent with electron spin resonance (ESR) results observed after adsorption of ethylene on Ni(II)-containing clinoptilolite at various reaction temperatures. Our ESR results suggest that Ni(II) in the clinoptilolite structure is reduced by direct interaction with ethylene, leading to the formation of stable Ni(I)-(C2D4)n complexes. At a later stage, several ESR species assigned to Ni(I) complexes with butene are produced as a result of ethylene dimerization. The catalytic performance of Ni-clinoptilolite in ethylene dimerization is dependent on the reaction temperature, the type of cocation and the amount of nickel ions incorporated into extra...
Phosphatidylglycerol Is a Physiologic Activator of Nuclear Protein Kinase C

A major mechanism by which protein kinase C (PKC) function is regulated is through the selective targeting and activation of individual PKC isotypes at distinct subcellular locations. PKC betaII is selectively activated at the nucleus during G2 phase of cell cycle where it is required for entry into mitosis. Selective nuclear activation of PKC betaII is conferred by molecular determinants within the carboxyl-terminal catalytic domain of the kinase (Walker, S. D., Murray, N. R., Burns, D. J., and Fields, A. P. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92, 9156-9160). We previously described a lipid-like PKC activator in nuclear membranes, termed nuclear membrane activation factor (NMAF), that potently stimulates PKC betaII activity through interactions involving this domain (Murray, N. R., Burns, D. J., and Fields, A. P. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 21385-21390). We have now identified NMAF as phosphatidylglycerol (PG), based on several lines of evidence. First, NMAF cofractionates with PG as a single peak of activity through multiple chromatographic separations and exhibits phospholipase sensitivity identical to that of PG. Second, purified PG, but not other phospholipids, exhibits dose-dependent NMAF activity. Third, defined molecular species of PG exhibit different abilities to stimulate PKC betaII activity. 1,2-Dioleoyl-PG possesses significantly higher activity than other PG species, suggesting that both fatty acid side chain composition and the glycerol head group are important determinants for activity. Fourth, in vitro binding studies demonstrate that PG binds to the carboxyl-terminal region of PKC betaII, the same region we previously implicated in NMAF-mediated activation of PKC betaII. Taken together, our results indicate that specific molecular species of nuclear PG function to physiologically regulate PKC betaII activity at the nucleus.
Chinese Business Networking and the Pacific Rim: The Family Firm's Roles Past and Present

It would be difficult to imagine a firm operating any business without some form of networking. Chinese businesses, however, are distin guished by the multifaceted and critical roles networking plays. Own ers, managers, and the firms themselves are intertwined in a complex of relationships. Why this is so bears on the nature of Chinese society and the evolution of the Chinese economy. Networking among Chi nese business has added poignancy for the Pacific Rim touching the Asian and North American shores, because the region's vast territo rial expanse, multiple political boundaries, and opposing economic systems make its successful performance more necessary, and be cause since the last decade, Chinese enterprises appear to be arriving on the scene with such force and speed. Yet, the current expansion of both Chinese migrants and their economic activities from their traditional homeland to the various
U.S. Air Force Perfluoropolyalkylether Experiences

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) received the first sample of perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPAE) liquid lubricant outside of private industry in the 1960s. The unique behavior of PFPAE fluids includes their excellent thermal stability (up to 345°C with appropriate additives) and excellent viscosity-temperature properties for the linear structures. Military applications are often cutting-edge technology requiring these unique properties, but other undesirable behavior such as tribo-corrosion has required investigations into basic understanding of PFPAE fluids. From the 1960s on, Air Force scientists have investigated many aspects of their behavior as summarized here. This presentation discusses various types of PFPAEs commercially available and highlights studies on elastohydrodynamic lubrication film formation, model compounds, additives, relative humidity relationship to wear, and potential U.S. military program applications.
Peripheral blood microchimerism in human liver and renal transplant recipients: rejection despite donor-specific chimerism.

Background. Development of donor-specific microchimerism (DSM) has been proposed as one of the possible mechanisms for induction and maintenance of allograft tolerance. The aim of this study was to determine: (1) the state of DSM in liver transplant (LTx) and renal transplant (RTx) recipients, (2) whether the persistent presence of an allograft is a requirement for maintenance of chimerism, and (3) whether donor-specific blood transfusions (DST) facilitate chimerism development in RTx recipients and whether this correlates with allograft function. Methods. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of DSM in peripheral blood of LTx and RTx recipients was assessed by polymerase chain reaction and competitive polymerase chain reaction using HLA-DR probes for mismatched antigens between the donor and recipient. Results. LTx recipients (11 of 12) who had or were having rejection were positive for DSM in circulation compared with 4 of 11 with normal allograft function (P<0.01). The number of donor cells did not correlate with allograft function. LTx recipients (4 of 4) who lost their first allograft and underwent retransplantation retained DSM for the first donors. RTx recipients who received DST (8 of 8) were positive for DSM compared with 6 of 12 of nontransfused recipients (P<0.045). Conclusions. The results suggest that LTx and RTx recipients undergo rejection despite DSM. The development of DSM may not be a prerequisite for normal allograft function. Once DSM is established, the presence of the allograft is not required for maintenance of chimerism. DST facilitated the development of DSM in RTx recipients. Direct correlation was not observed between the development of DSM and allograft function in either DST or nontransfused RTx recipients.
Lobster molting hormones: isolation and biosynthesis of ecdysterone.

L'ecdysterone, hormone de mue des insectes, a ete extraite de homards femelles (Homarus americanus) venant de muer. Sa concentration moyenne est de 6μg/kg de homard vivant. L'assimilation de cholesterol (4-14C) par les homards femelles avant la mue et la biosynthese d'ecdysterone a partir de ce precurseur est demontree.
Widespread, prolonged late Middle to Late Ordovician upwelling in North America: A proxy record of glaciation?

Late Middle to Late Ordovician subtidal ramp carbonates of New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma contain abundant spiculitic chert (to 70% chert by volume) and phosphate (1–5 wt%), indicating that these rocks formed in an extensive upwelling zone. Upwelling began in the late Middle Ordovician (ca. 454 Ma) and persisted until the end of the Ordovician. Late Ordovician cherty carbonates also occur along the U.S. Cordilleran margin, in board of organic-rich graptolitic shale and chert. The widespread occurrence of Late Ordovician cherty and phosphatic carbonates on southern and western Laurentia, in addition to phosphate-rich, cool-water carbonates over much of the North American Midcontinent, suggests vigorous thermohaline circulation related to prolonged (10–14 Ma) Gondwana glaciation.
Energy and QoS Aware Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

Many new routing protocols have been proposed for wireless sensor networks in recent years. Almost all of the routing protocols considered energy efficiency as the ultimate objective since energy is a very scarce resource for sensor nodes. However, the introduction imaging sensors has posed additional challenges. Transmission of imaging data requires both energy and QoS aware routing in order to ensure efficient usage of the sensors and effective access to the gathered measurements. In this paper, we propose an energy-aware QoS routing protocol for sensor networks which can also run efficiently with best-effort traffic. The protocol finds a least-cost, delay-constrained path for real-time data in terms of link cost that captures nodes' energy reserve, transmission energy, error rate and other communication parameters. Moreover, the throughput for non-real-time data is maximized by adjusting the service rate for both real-time and non-real-time data at the sensor nodes. Such adjustment of service rate is done by using two different mechanisms. Simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach for different metrics with respect to the baseline approach where same link cost function is used without any service differentiation mechanism.
Rate Effects on Mode I Interlaminar Fracture Toughness in Composite Materials

The Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) test geometry was utilized to investigate the rate ef fects on Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness in graphite/PEEK and graphite/epoxy composites. The tests were...
New type of crossover physics in three-component Fermi gases.

A three-component Fermi gas near a broad Feshbach resonance does not have a universal ground state due to the Thomas collapse, while it does near a narrow Feshbach resonance. We explore its universal phase diagram in the plane of the inverse scattering length $1/a{k}_{F}$ and the resonance range ${R}_{*}{k}_{F}$. For a large ${R}_{*}{k}_{F}$, there exists a Lifshitz transition between superfluids with and without an unpaired Fermi surface as a function of $1/a{k}_{F}$. With decreasing ${R}_{*}{k}_{F}$, the Fermi surface coexisting with the superfluid can change smoothly from that of atoms to trimers (``atom-trimer continuity''), corresponding to the quark-hadron continuity in a dense nuclear matter. Eventually, there appears a finite window in $1/a{k}_{F}$ where the superfluid is completely depleted by the trimer Fermi gas, which gives rise to a pair of quantum critical points. The boundaries of these three quantum phases are determined in regions where controlled analyses are possible and are also evaluated based on a mean-field plus trimer model.
MECHANISM OF DECREASED INSULIN ACTION IN TYPE A FAMILIAL INSULIN RESISTANCE

Type A insulin resistance (associated with acanthosis nigricans and ovarian dysfunction in adolescent females) has been ascribed to decreased insulin receptors or to a postreceptor defect. Four affected females from one family (including a set of twins) with acanthosis nigricans and varying degrees of male habitus, acral hypertrophy, and muscle cramps had normal oral glucose tolerance, but increased fasting (64-170 μU/ml; control 13±1 μU/ml) and peak post-glucose (244-1010 μU/ml; control 90±1 μU/ml) plasma insulins (IRI). To test for a post-receptor defect, the twins underwent euglycemic glucose clamps with plasma IRI varied from 65 to 1600 μU/ml. The insulin dose response curves were shifted to the right with 1/2 max IRI responses (Km) of 135 and 210 μU/ml vs. 72±8 μU/ml in controls. Glucose infusion rates required to maintain euglycemia at 1600 μU/ml (Vmax) were decreased (5.7 and 8.3 vs. 12.0±0.3 mg/kg·min in controls). Decreased insulin action was not due to anti-insulin receptor antibodies or obesity (as assessed by 3H2O). In the one twin in which it was measured, insulin binding to monocytes (7.0% per 107 monocytes) and erythrocytes (3.0 % per 1.6 × 109 RBC's) was less than that observed in controls (10.4±0.8 and 4.8±.5, respectively). Conclusion: Because of a decreased maximal response (Vmax) and sensitivity (Km) to infused insulin, type A insulin resistance may be due to both receptor and post-receptor defects. When a patient with type A insulin resistance is identified, a familial incidence should be sought.
Detection and Mechanisms of Russian Wheat Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) Resistance in Barley

A collection of 524 barley lines from areas of the world where the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphts noxia (Mordvilko), and barley, Hordeum vulgare L., have coexisted was evaluated for sympatric resistance to this pest. Mass screening tests were conducted in a growth chamber and greenhouse with seedlingsplanted in flats. Additional teststo determine the mechanisms of resistance were performed with nine of these lines. The lines and their sources are PI 366444, PI 366447, PI 366449, PI 366450, PI 366453 (Afghanistan); CI 1412, PI 430140, PI 430142 (Iran); and PI 447219 (Spain). Various levels of antibiosis and tolerance were exhibited in most of the lines tested in comparison with ‘Wintermalt’ (CI 15767), the susceptible control. For example, in the antibiosis test, an average of 27.3 nymphs per adult were produced on PI 366449 compared with 50.0 on ‘Wintermalt’. In the tolerance test, plant growth and leaf area of some of the resistant entries were not affected by the Russian wheat aphid, whereas growth and leaf area of infested ‘Wintermalt’ plants was only 61% of noninfested ‘Wintermalt’ plants. Plant survivors of these tests have been saved for developing Russian wheat aphid plant-resistant germplasm for the North American barley industry.
The local structure of mixed alkali germanate glasses by EXAFS

Abstract Interatomic distance, coordination number and degree of disorder around mobile (K, Rb) as well as network forming (Ge) cations have been determined using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis for a 0.2[yK · (1 − y)Rb]2O · 0.8GeO2 mixed alkali glass series. The glasses were prepared by casting the melts (at 1200–1400°C) in a metal mold at ambient temperature. Quenching stresses were relieved by annealing the glass at ∼450°C and then furnace cooling to room temperature. The X-ray absorption spectra were measured near liquid helium temperature to eliminate thermal disorder. The larger structural disorder around K and Rb indicates that the modified random network structure model is not applicable to germanate glasses. The replacement of K by Rb has little effect on the various interatomic distances, which indicates that the local static structure is not important for the mixed alkali effect. The monotonic change in molar volume or excess volume does not correlate with the variation of the interatomic distances, indicating that there exists an intermediate range spatial heterogeneity of the ‘unoccupied’ or ‘excess’ volume in the glass structure.
Seismic Retrofit of Bridge Steel Truss Piers Using a Controlled Rocking Approach

This paper investigates a seismic retrofit technique that allows bridge steel truss piers to uplift and rock on their foundation. Displacement-based passive energy dissipation devices (buckling-restrained braces, or BRBs) are implemented at the uplifting location to control the rocking response while providing additional energy dissipation. The hysteretic behavior of the controlled rocking system is developed for a static cyclic load applied to the top of a bridge pier, representing the dominant mode of vibration. Some existing methods of analysis are considered in predicting the response of the controlled rocking system in terms of maximum displacements. A capacity-based design procedure is established for sizing the BRBs and a design example provided to illustrate the key steps. Methods to predict design response values (displacements, velocity, forces) are discussed, and a parametric study, based on nonlinear time history analysis, is performed to verify the effectiveness of these methods. The paramete...
The impact of technology, mathematical modeling, and meaning on the content, learning, and teaching of secondary-school algebra

Abstract During each day that the secondary subgroup met, discussions were organized around a reaction to the keynote address of that day. Each of these reactions was specially prepared for the secondary group and was intended to address the concerns of secondary-level algebra.
Electron kinetics in radio-frequency magnetic fields of inductive plasma sources

The influence of the radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic field on electron dynamics in analysed both analytically and numerically, with an emphasis on the magnetic field, B. The magnetic field can be important for inductive plasma sources or other plasmas in which the rapid spatial decay of the electric field arising from a skin effect produces a large B via Faraday's law. Principal consequences of including B are a change in the velocity component heated, a reduction in the electron density in the RF-field region, both instantaneous and time-averaged, and a reduction in the magnitude of the heating by the inductive fields, both at the level of individual particles and averaged over an isotropic distribution. We calculate analytical expressions for the instantaneous and averaged density reduction and the single-particle heating rates, and find good agreement with results from a multi-particle orbit code. We also give numerical results for the heating rate averaged over a Maxwellian distribution. The results are contrasted with those obtained previously when B was neglected.
Calculation of short-range interactions between proteins.

Abstract Macromolecular association is an integral component of numerous cellular and technologically relevant processes. Most molecular theories of such association neglect the explicit solvent structure and rely on continuum concepts such as surface energies for calculating short-range interactions. We present a new such method for calculating the non-electrostatic component of the interaction-free energy, based on formalisms for calculating dispersion interactions between macromolecules. The interactions are separated into a short-ranged component that is treated atomistically, and a longer range component that is treated within the continuum Lifshitz–Hamaker approach. This description avoids the singularities inherent in the continuum dispersion formulation, and its effectiveness in characterizing the shape complementarity between interacting surfaces is shown to be comparable to that of surface area-based methods of similar parametric complexity. An advantage of the new method is that it allows facile calculation of the interaction free energy as a function of intermolecular separation, including steric effects; this makes it suitable for use in simulations of protein solutions.
Evaluation of heat current formulations for equilibrium molecular dynamics calculations of thermal conductivity.

Equilibrium molecular dynamics combined with the Green–Kubo formula can be used to calculate the thermal conductivity of materials such as germanium and carbon. The foundation of this calculation is extracting the heat current from the results and implementing it into the Green–Kubo formula. This work considers all formulations from the literature that calculate the heat current for the Tersoff potential, the interatomic potential most applicable to semiconductor materials. The formulations for the heat current are described, and results for germanium and carbon are presented. The formulations are compared with respect to how well they capture the physics of the Tersoff potential and how well the calculated value of the thermal conductivity reflects the experimentally measured value.
Absence of taste in type II familial dysautonomia: Unresponsiveness to methacholine despite the presence of taste buds

Ageusia, the total absence of taste, was demonstrated in 2 patients despite the presence of lingual and palatal papillae which contained taste buds. The ageusia was unchanged after parenteral administration of methacholine. These findings, along with others, suggest to us the classification of these patients as having type II familial dysautonomia to distinguish them from patients with type I familial dysautonomia (Riley-Day syndrome).
Canthaxanthin as an Antioxidant in a Liposome Model System and in Minced Patties from Rainbow Trout

Canthaxanthin (CX) delayed formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in a concentration-dependent manner in a ferrous chloride (FeCl 2 )-initiated liposome system at 37 °C (p < 0.05). CX delayed TBARS formation in minced flesh from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at 6 d of 4 °C storage in trial 1, and at 0, 2, 4 and 6 d in trial 2 when compared with controls at 4 °C (p < 0.05). Day 0 TBARS values in trial 2 were equivalent to d 6 of trial 1. CX concentration and a* value decreased in minced trout flesh during 6 days of 4 °C storage (p < 0.05). Overall, CX demonstrated antioxidant activity in vitro and in the minced tissue of CX
Differences between mouse and human cytomegalovirus interactions with their respective hosts at immediate early times of the replication cycle

The promise of the mouse model of cytomegalovirus (CMV) research lies in a cost effective way to obtain significant data in in vivo settings. Keeping that promise requires a high degree of equivalency in the human and mouse virus. While genomic structure and many common proteins suggest that this system is appropriate to develop and test concepts in an organismal context, areas of difference have not been evaluated. Here we show that the major immediate early protein 1 (IE1) in MCMV binds the repressor Daxx suggesting that it serves a function performed by pp71 in HCMV. A Daxx binding pp71 equivalent at M82 could not be identified for MCMV. Differences in the mouse and human interferon upregulation of Daxx may have driven the need to have a Daxx-defeating function during reactivation, when pp71 is not present. The major immediate early protein 1 also differs in its chromatin binding properties between the two viruses. MCMV IE1 does not bind to chromatin, but HCMV IE1 does. It remains unclear whether this difference is functionally significant. The HCMV major immediate early protein 2 and its MCMV equivalent IE3 differ in their effect on the cell cycle; HCMV IE2 blocks the cell cycle, but MCMV IE3 does not, allowing MCMV to spread in infected mouse cells by cell division with continued expression of the major transactivating viral proteins. Actively transcribing genomes inducing immediate transcript environments are usually silenced and diminish during cell cycle progression. However, a recognizable desilencing and increase in immediate transcript environments takes place immediately after mitosis in MCMV infected cells. This raises the possibility that desilencing happens during tissue transplantation, wound healing, or other injury where cells are induced to proliferate.
Crystals of a toxic protein from the venom of the scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing: preparation and preliminary x-ray investigation.

Abstract A toxic protein from the venom of the scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus has been crystallized. The crystals are orthorhombic, with unit cell dimensions a = 52.2 A , b = 42.0 A and c = 28.5 A , space group P212121. Density measurements indicate that there are four molecules of toxin in the unit cell.
Social Interactions of Secondary-Aged Students with Severe Handicaps: Implications for Facilitating the Transition from School to Work

The social interactions of a group of 10 students with severe handicaps attending a junior high school campus were described with the use of narrative recording procedures. The students were observed when they arrived at school, during lunch, and when they were engaged in vocational training. In addition, teacher perceptions of behavior were measured, and parents were interviewed regarding their childrens' future vocational opportunities and their social relationships with their peers. The results from this study indicated that (a) these youth of transition age were involved in more task-related than nontask interactions, (b) they were engaged in more interactions with teachers than peers, (c) the purposes of the interactions were similar across contexts, and (d) these youth were dependent on contrived or extra cues and feedback from their environment in their vocational settings. These results are discussed with respect to their implications for facilitating the transition from school to work.
Aqueous Ammonia Soaking of Switchgrass Followed by Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of switchgrass was performed following aqueous ammonia pretreatment. Switchgrass was soaked in aqueous ammonium hydroxide (30%) with different liquid–solid ratios (5 and 10 ml/g) for either 5 or 10 days. The pretreatment was carried out at atmospheric conditions without agitation. A 40–50% delignification (Klason lignin basis) was achieved, whereas cellulose content remained unchanged and hemicellulose content decreased by approximately 50%. The Sacccharomyces cerevisiae (D5A)-mediated SSF of ammonia-treated switchgrass was investigated at two glucan loadings (3 and 6%) and three enzyme loadings (26, 38.5, and 77 FPU/g cellulose), using Spezyme CP. The percentage of maximum theoretical ethanol yield achieved was 72. Liquid–solid ratio and steeping time affected lignin removal slightly, but did not cause a significant change in overall ethanol conversion yields at sufficiently high enzyme loadings. These results suggest that ammonia steeping may be an effective method of pretreatment for lignocellulosic feedstocks.
Low-temperature serpentinization of peridotite fanglomerate on the west margin of the Chiwaukum graben, Washington

Peridotite clasts in fanglomerate on the west margin of the Chiwaukum graben have rims of serpentine (lizardite) that formed after deposition. Interbedded sedimentary rocks are incompletely altered to laumontite and other low P-T phases. Serpentinization must have occurred under P-T conditions no higher than zeolite facies, probably less than 100°C.
Women survivors of childhood abuse: The impact of traumatic stress on education and work.

A disempowering after-effect of childhood abuse that is not well-researched in nursing is the inability of many women abuse survivors to perform successfully in adulthood tasks such as working, managing money, and parenting. This inability often results from lack of family support, cultural impoverishment, limited formal education, and for some, illiteracy. By default, many women survivors engage in criminal, usually dangerous forms of work. A critical/feminist interview study involved 20 urban low income abuse survivors, who were mostly women of color. Participants were recovering cocaine misusers who had suffered multiple forms of childhood maltreatment. This article reports on a secondary analysis of narratives given by survivors, focused on learning and work difficulties. Findings were grouped into five broad domains: (1) school as problematic, (2) lack of adult life skills, (3) problems with academic and health literacy, (4) legitimate and illicit forms of work, and (5) means of help. In vivo quotes support these themes, and policy and practice implications are discussed. Language: en
Variation in prey delivered to common Black-Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) nests in Arizona drainage basins

Abstract Understanding how raptor diets vary across local and regional scales can be important when human actions have the potential to alter prey abundances. We combined data on prey delivered to 16 Common Black-Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) nests in three tributaries of the Verde River, Arizona, in 2008 and 2009 with similar data reported previously (1994) for three other Arizona drainage basins to better understand variation in diet composition within and across drainage basins. Within the three drainage basins studied in 2008 and 2009, nests clustered into two groups: those along Fossil Creek, where fish and amphibians were common, and those in Wet Beaver and Oak Creek drainage basins, where reptiles and nonnative crayfish were more abundant. When data from all six drainage basins were combined, drainage basins again clustered into two groups, with prey deliveries in one cluster dominated by fish and amphibians and in the other cluster by reptiles. These results confirm the opportunistic nature of pr...
Experience with total skin electron beam therapy in combination with extracorporeal photopheresis in the management of patients with erythrodermic (T4) mycosis fungoides

Abstract Objective: We compared the prognosis of patients with erythrodermic mycosis fungoides (MF) administered total skin electron beam radiation (TSEB) plus neoadjuvant, concurrent, and adjuvant extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) with the prognosis of patients administered only TSEB. Outcomes of clinical interest include disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and cause-specific survival (CSS). Methods: This study was a retrospective nonrandomized series. Between 1974 and 1997, a total of 44 patients with erythrodermic MF from the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, and the Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Care Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, were collected and analyzed as a group (Hamilton = 15, Yale=29). These patients received TSEB consisting of 32 to 40 Gy via 4 to 6 MeV. Twenty-one patients at Yale also received ECP treatment 2 days per month for a median of 6 months. Median age was 68 years (range, 29-82 years) at the commencement of TSEB, and 66% were male. Seventy-three percent of patients had received other therapies before TSEB, including 75 courses that failed to control disease (n = 15 systemic therapy, 16 biologicals, and 44 topical therapies). At TSEB, 59% had hematologic involvement (B1), 30% were stage IVA (N3), and 13% were IVB (M1). Median follow-up was 2.2 years (range, 0.3-13.9 years) subsequent to TSEB and 3.7 years from diagnosis (range, 0.8-16.8 years). Results: All patients responded to TSEB within 2 months of completion, with a cutaneous complete response rate of 73%. For the 32 complete responders the 3-year DFS was 63%. It was 49% for those 17 patients who received only TSEB compared with 81% for those 15 patients who received TSEB + ECP. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that ECP was associated with prolonged remission (DFS multivariate P = .024, adjusting for B1 and stage). The 2-year PFS, CSS, and OS for the TSEB group were 36%, 69%, and 63%, respectively, compared with 66%, 100%, and 88% for the TSEB + ECP cohort. Cox regression demonstrated that ECP was associated with CSS (multivariate P = .048, adjusting for B1 and stage). For those who progressed, a total of 49 subsequent courses of therapy were administered (n = 20 chemotherapy, 10 biologicals, and 19 topical therapies). Thirteen patients died from MF-related causes, and 8 died from other causes. Acute and chronic toxicities were consistent with those previously reported. Conclusion: ECP given concurrently with, or immediately after, TSEB (32-40 Gy) significantly improves both PFS and CSS for patients with erythrodermic MF compared with TSEB without the addition of ECP. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43:54-60.)
Caenorhabditis elegans and Ascaris suum: fragmentation of isocitrate lyase in crude extracts

Abstract It is well known that proteolysis often occurs after rupture of metazoan cells. Thus proteins isolated from extracts may not be representative of their native cellular counterparts. In the present research, extensive proteolysis was observed in crude extracts of the freeliving soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum . Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) reduced the loss in activity of isocitrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.1), fumarase (EC 4.2.1.2), and citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7) in extracts of C. elegans but had little or no effect upon loss of malate synthase (EC 4.1.3.2). Catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) was stable. The loss of isocitrate lyase and citrate synthase was less pronounced in extracts of 22-day-old embryos of A. suum . Catalase decayed in these extracts. The addition of PMSF reduced the loss in all three of these activities. Fumarase was stable. The number of active fragments of isocitrate lyase recovered after filtration on Sephadex G-200 increased with the length of storage of crude extracts in the absence of PMSF at 4 C. Even in the presence of PMSF five activity peaks were observed after storage of extracts of C. elegans at 4 C for 72 hr. The molecular weights of active species ranged between 549,000 and 128,000 for isocitrate lyase in extracts of either C. elegans or A. suum . The 549,000- and 214,000-dalton species of isocitrate lyase from A. suum were much more labile at 50 C than the 543,000- and 195,000-dalton species from C. elegans.
Remobilization of Cu from marine particulate organic matter and from sewage

The possible causes of enrichments of dissolved Cu in the bottom waters of Puget Sound were examined in a series of experiments designed to measure the release of Cu from surface marine organic suspended matter and from sewage-derived particles under ambient conditions. Decomposition of organic matter and ion-exchange controlled the release of about one-third of the Cu bound to large particles (> 53 μm). In contrast, no Cu was released from smaller particles (< 53 μm) suspended in natural seawater and only 5% of the Cu on small particles was released into artificial seawater with a low dissolved Cu concentration. Within 15 min of mixing primary effluent with natural seawater, 40% of the dissolved Cu was lost from solution by flocculation. Between 15 min and 4 days, 25% of the total effluent Cu was released back into solution. This release could have originated either from particulate Cu on the original sewage particles or from the flocculated Cu that was formed from dissolved Cu within the first 15 min. The release of Cu into the bottom waters of Puget Sound from settling marine organic matter was calculated to have been between 1 and 8 μg Cu m−2 day−1, which is comparable with the diffusion of Cu from sediments. In contrast, the release of sewage-derived Cu could have been as high as 725 μg Cu m−2 day−1 within 10 km of outfall.
Thermoelectric and Seebeck coefficients of granular metals

In this work we present a detailed study and derivation of the thermopower and thermoelectric coefficient of nano-granular metals at large tunneling conductance between the grains, gT ≫ 1. An important criterion for the performance of a thermoelectric device is the thermodynamic figure of merit which is derived using the kinetic coefficients of granular metals. All results are valid at intermediate temperatures, Ec ≫ T/gT > δ, where δ is the mean energy level spacing for a single grain and Ec its charging energy. We show that the electron-electron interaction leads to an increase of the thermopower with decreasing grain size and discuss our results in the light of future generation thermoelectric materials for low temperature applications. The behavior of the figure of merit depending on system parameters like grain size, tunneling conductance, and temperature is presented. PACS numbers: 73.63.-b, 72.15.Jf, 73.23.Hk I. INTRODUCTION Thermoelectric materials with high efficiency is a major research area in condensed matter physics and materials science for several decades now. Due to recent advances in nano-fabrication, these materials promise next generation devices for conversion of thermal energy to electrical energy and vice versa. A measure for the performance or efficiency of a thermoelectric material is the dimensionless figure of merit, usually denoted as ZT, where T is the temperature. It depends on the thermopower or Seebeck coefficient, and the electric and thermal conductivities 1,2,3,4,5 . However, the WiedemannFranz law has defeated much progress in increasing the performance of bulk materials, since it directly relates electric and thermal conductivity whereas the figure of merit is proportional to the quotient of both. The Seebeck coefficient of a material measures the magnitude of an induced thermoelectric voltage in response to a temperature difference across that material. If the tempera
Functional status, personal health, and self-esteem of caregivers of children in a body cast: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND There is a lack of literature describing the changes in daily routine that parents caring for a child in a body cast must experience. The investigator's clinical experience suggested that determining these changes in parental daily routine would inform nurses of appropriate interventions for these parents. PURPOSE This Roy Adaptation Model-based pilot study was designed to examine the relation of personal health and self-esteem to functional status of caregivers of children in a body cast. Functional status was defined as performance of household activities, social and community activities, care of the child in the body cast activities, care of other children activities, personal care activities, and occupational activities. METHODS Data was collected from 16 caregivers of children in body casts, birth to up to 3 years of age, and 14 caregivers of children in body casts, 3 to 12 years of age. RESULTS The results of the study suggested that parents of children in body casts undergo many changes in their daily activities. Parents of children ages 3-12 years had more changes than parents of children ages birth to 3 years. The study findings suggest that a larger sample may yield some statistically significant results.
The Beneficial Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Prevalence and Extent of Centrilobular Emphysema: A Retrospective Autopsy Analysis

A collection of 204 inflation-fixed autopsy lungs was divided into three groups: normal, 93; centrilobular emphysema (CLE), 88; and "other," 23; the last includes lungs with other chronic processes. Clinical hospital records were reviewed to ascertain smoking history (no smoking, 31; smoking, 173) and alcohol use (none, 73; slight-to-moderate (Sli-Mod) drinkers, 66; heavy drinkers, 65). Lungs were subjected to morphometric determination of the extent of CLE, mucous gland hyperplasia in large airways, and goblet cell metaplasia in bronchioles. Prevalence of CLE diminished progressively as alcohol use increased. A logistic analysis showed that alcohol use was significantly associated (p
Combined Effect of Bumetanide and Metolazone in Normal Volunteers

Bumetanide 1 to 2 mg or metolazone 2.5 mg were administered by mouth separately and then in combination to eight normal men and women in order to determine whether a sequential blockade of sodium reabsorption with diuretic agents that act at different sites within the nephron leads to a supra-additive diuretic effect. All three treatment regimens resulted in a significant weight loss and increased urine volume and the excretion of sodium, potassium, and chloride. A prolonged diuretic effect lasting up to 48 hours after administration occurred with metolazone alone. Although absolute and fractional chloride and potassium excretion and urine volume were higher after combined therapy (P less than .05 or better) than after either drug alone, absolute sodium excretion after combination therapy was higher than excretion after bumetanide (P less than .05) but not after metolazone. The percent of fractional sodium excretion after both drugs was greater than after either drug alone (P less than .05). However, excretion of chloride, sodium, potassium, and fluid on the combined therapy day was less than the sum of excretion on each single drug therapy day. Thus, the combination of bumetanide and metolazone did not have a supra-additive effect in normal subjects.
Detection of HDM2 and VEGF co-expression in cancer cell lines: novel effect of HDM2 antisense treatment on VEGF expression

The human homologue of murine double minute 2 (HDM2) oncogene is amplified in approximately 7% of all human cancers. Overexpression of HDM2 protein impairs cell cycle control and confers growth advantage to cancer cells. In several cancers the progression of tumor growth and formation of distant metastases are found to be dependent on tumor angiogenesis, a process that is regulated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In this study, we have investigated the co-expression of HDM2 and VEGF in various types of human cancer cell lines and have shown that the co-expression is not cell-type-specific. Furthermore, when different types of cell lines were treated with a HDM2 gene specific antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide (HDMAS5), the expression of VEGF mRNA as well as the levels of VEGF protein was found to be decreased. Interestingly, the higher basal levels of VEGF mRNA and the protein observed in HDM2 transfected LNCaP-MST cells were effectively suppressed by HDMAS5 treatment. On the contrary, the mutant oligodeoxynucleotide containing 4 mismatched bases (M4) did not alter the expression of either HDM2 or VEGF in any of the cell lines tested. In conclusion, our findings are the first time evidence showing that HDM2 and VEGF are co-expressed in various cancer cell lines that have aggressive growth and high metastatic abilities. Furthermore, the decrease in VEGF expression observed at the transcriptional as well as translational levels, subsequent to HDMAS5 treatment of p53 null cells, strongly suggests that HDM2 has a regulatory role on VEGF expression in a p53 independent manner.
ORDER, SEQUENCE, AND RETEST EFFECTS WITH THE S-I-O PROCEDURE.

192 college student Ss individually took two administrations of a modified version of the Butler and Haigh Self (S)—Ideal Self (I)—Ordinary Person (O) Q-sort in one of eight order/sequence combinations: ISO, IOS, SIO, OIS, SOI, OSI, SO, and OS. The adjustment scores for the S and O concepts demonstrated significant increases upon retesting. Both the general level of the O adjustment score, and the congruence of the S and O concepts, increased as the serial position prominence of the I concept decreased. It was concluded that the usual finding of mean O adjustment scores substantially lower than mean S adjustment scores is attributable to the prominent position of the I concept in the conventional S-I-O order/sequence.
Emergent biliteracy in Chinese and English

Abstract Will teaching children to read and write in two languages in the school environment lead to confusion and possible interference in the literacy learning process? By focusing on the emergent Chinese and English literacy of a 5-year-old boy from Taiwan, this research provides insights into the debate within the field of bilingual education as to whether the introduction of literacy in languages with two different writing systems helps or hinders literacy development in both languages. The researchers involved the participant in a variety of interactive reading and writing activities and games, both in English and Chinese, for 1.5–2 h a week over the course of 15 weeks. Drawing on Cummins’s (1991) Common Underlying Proficiency Hypothesis, data was coded, analyzed and organized into two categories: the Foundational Level Emergent Literacy Awareness and the Surface Level Emergent Literacy Awareness. Results suggest that Foundational Level Awareness, literacy awareness that applies to either language, is characterized by the intentionality of print, the match between written and spoken words, and the conventions of print. The Surface Level Awareness, literacy awareness unique to each writing system, is differentiated into two distinct categories that pertain to the specifics of the writing systems of English and Chinese. Discussions center on the relationship between Chinese literacy and English literacy, the impact on biliteracy over time, and the participant’s future literacy development. Implications for biliteracy research, development, knowledge, and pedagogy are suggested.
Birthweight and adult health outcomes in a biethnic population in the USA

Recent data indicate that low-birthweight adults are at a higher risk than their high-birthweight peers of developing ischemic heart disease or a cluster of conditions known as the IRS, which includes dyslipidaemias, hypertension, unfavorable body fat distribution and NIDDM. Thus far these observations have been limited to Caucasians from the United Kingdom. we extended these observations to a broader segment of the general population by studying the association of birthweight and adult health outcomes in a biethnic population of the United States. We divided a group of 564 young adult Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white men and women participants of the San Antonio Heart Study into tertiles of birthweight and compared metabolic, anthropometric, haemodynamic, and demographic characteristics across these tertile categories. Additionally, we studied birthweight as a predictor of the clustering of diseases associated with the IRS, defined as any two or more of the following conditions: hypertension, NIDDM or impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidaemia. Normotensive, non-diabetic individuals whose birthweight was in the lowest tertile had significantly higher levels of fasting serum insulin and a more truncal fat deposition pattern than individuals whose birthweight was in the highest tertile, independently of sex, ethnicity, and current socioeconomic status. Also, the odds of expressing the IRS increased 1.72 times (95% confidence interval: 1.16-2.55) for each tertile decrease in birthweight. These findings were independent of sex, ethnicity, and current levels of socioeconomic status or obesity. In conclusion, low birthweight could be a major independent risk factor for the development of adult chronic conditions commonly associated with insulin resistance in the general population.
Characterization of multiple variable linear systems from random inputs

The time constant of a continuous stirred-tank reactor and the transfer function of a simulated second-order system with two random inputs were determined. In the first case the experimental result agreed within 11% of the known value; in the second case the results agreed with those predicted from a theoretical analysis. To determine the transfer matrix of a fifth-order system an impractical amount of medium speed computer time was required; the results were not considered satisfactory. However the length of calculation compares favorably with other methods of total identification for processes which have extraneous noise associated with them. Because of this the application of the present technique in adaptive control systems appears to be favorable.
Kit Signaling via PI3K promotes ovarian follicle maturation but is dispensable for primordial follicle activation

In mammals, primordial follicles are generated early in life and remain dormant for prolonged intervals. Their growth resumes via a process known as primordial follicle activation. Recent genetic studies have demonstrated that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is the essential signaling pathway controlling this process throughout life, acting via Akt to regulate nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Foxo3, which functions as a downstream molecular switch. The receptor tyrosine kinase Kit has been implicated by numerous studies as the critical upstream regulator of primordial follicle activation via PI3K/Akt. Here we present a genetic analysis of the contribution of Kit in regulating primordial follicle activation and early follicle growth, employing a knock-in mutation (Kit(Y719F)) that completely abrogates signaling via PI3K. Surprisingly, homozygous Kit(Y719F) female mice undergo primordial follicle activation and are fertile, demonstrating that Kit signaling via PI3K is dispensable for this process. However, other abnormalities were identified in Kit(Y719F) ovaries, including accelerated primordial follicle depletion and accumulation of morphologically abnormal primary/secondary follicles with persistent nuclear Foxo3 localization. These findings reveal specific roles of Kit in the maintenance of the primordial follicle reserve and in the primary to secondary follicle transition, but argue that Kit is dispensable in primordial follicle activation.