cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the nature of exchangeable sodium in bone.

While earlier studies in the literature have established that some skeletal sodium resides in intracrystalline lattice positions and is non-exchangeable, some questions remained as to the location of that sodium which is readily exchanged. A kinetic study was made of a model system (hydroxyapatite crystals)in vitro. Only under special conditions could lattice-bound surface sites be demonstrated. Under physiological conditions, the exchange was nearly instantaneous; 99% of the final equilibrium was attained in two minutes or less. Such a rapid exchange is consistent only with an aqueous reaction. The surface sodium is, therefore, present in the hydration layers of the individual crystals. The amount of sodium associated with the crystal surface itself is, for practical purposes, insignificant.
Ability of surfactant micelles to alter the physical location and reactivity of iron in oil-in-water emulsion.

The purpose of this research was to determine how surfactant micelles influence iron partitioning and iron-promoted lipid oxidation in oil-in-water emulsions. Lipids containing ferric ions were used to produce oil-in-water emulsions, and continuous-phase iron concentrations in emulsions were measured as a function of varying continuous-phase polyoxyethylene 10-lauryl ether (Brij) concentrations. Continuous-phase iron concentrations increased with increasing surfactant micelle concentrations (0.1−2.0%) and storage time (1−7 days). At pH 3.0, the concentration of continuous-phase iron was higher than at pH 7.0. Similar trends in iron solubilization by Brij micelles were observed when either hexadecane or corn oil was used as the lipid phase. Lipid oxidation rates, as determined by the formation of lipid hydroperoxides and headspace hexanal, in corn oil-in-water emulsions containing iron decreased with increasing surfactant concentrations (0.5−2.0%). These results indicate that surfactant micelles could alte...
Preparation and properties of silane-endcapped polyimide adhesives

Silane-endcapped polyimide high temperature adhesive formulations were prepared by reacting anhydride-terminated poly(amic acid), obtained from benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride and a diamine (3,3'-, 3,4'- or 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane and 3,3', 3,4'- or 4,4'-diaminobenzophenone) with varying amounts of gama-aminopropyltriethoxysilane in dimethylacetamide. Resin properties were evaluated by torsional braid analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Lap shear strengths of some of the adhesive bonds were determined at room temperature and at 177 C before and after ageing at 200 C for 2500 h and after boiling in water for 72 h.
Stresses due to oxygen potential gradients in non-stoichiometric oxides

We present a new continuum model for the evolution of stresses developed due to the non-stoichiometry of ceramic oxides. The model self-consistently accounts for the diffusion of all components, interfacial oxidation/reaction kinetics and the effect of stress on transport through the oxide layer. This model is employed to predict stress evolution in gadolinia doped ceria electrolyte-based fuel cells. Numerical solution of the model shows that the relative rates of interfacial reaction and oxygen diffusion in the oxide critically determine both the variation of stress across the thickness of the oxide film and its evolution. Calculated results, in agreement with experimental observations, show that doped ceria electrolyte-based fuel cells are safe to operate at temperatures less than 700 °C. The dopant content in the electrolyte and the specific configuration of the fuel cell are also found to significantly influence stress evolution in the electrolyte layer.
Two-Dimensional NMR Analysis of Acetonide Derivatives in the Stereochemical Assignment of Polyol Chains: The Absolute Configurations of Dermostatins A and B.

We report a new, integrated strategy for assigning the configuration of 1,3-skipped polyol chains and illustrate the approach with the configurational assignments of both dermostatins A and B. The method is designed around the 13C acetonide analysis, which allows one to reliably determine the relative stereochemistry of an isolated 1,3-diol and is extended using DQF-COSY, HMQC, and ROESY experiments that allow each acetonide of a polyacetonide derivative to be unambiguously assigned as either syn or anti. Using this strategy, the relative configuration of the dermostatin A C13−C32 polyol chain was determined using just two polyacetonide derivatives. The absolute configuration of dermostatin A is 15S,16S,17R,19R,21R,23S,25S,27R,29R,31R,34S,35S, and the configuration of dermostatin B is 15S,16S,17R,19R,21R,23S,25S,27R,29R,31R,34S,35S,36S. The 2D 13C acetonide analysis is a very powerful new tool for the stereochemical assignment of alternating polyol chains.
Prevalence of Family History of Kidney Disease and Perception of Risk for Kidney Disease: A Population-Based Study

Background: A family history of kidney disease is associated with an increased risk for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, it is unclear whether blacks are more likely to have a family history of ESRD than other groups independently of kidney disease risk factors. Moreover, their risk perception for kidney disease is unknown. Methods: The association of race with family history of ESRD and perception of risk for kidney disease was examined in a representative random sample of 402 Georgia residents who completed a telephone interview. Logistic regression analysis was used to derive adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between race and family history of ESRD, controlling for age, sex, education level, being a Georgia native, diabetes, hypertension, and personal history of kidney disease. A multinomial logit model was used to derive adjusted estimates for the association between race and perception of risk for kidney disease. Results: Mean age was 43.2 years, 41.0% of respondents were men, 20.1% were black, 6.6% had diabetes, 21.4% had hypertension, 1.6% had a personal history of kidney disease, and 3.7% reported a family member with ESRD. Although blacks were more likely to report a family history of ESRD (odds ratio, 6.43; 95% confidence interval, 2.02 to 20.43), their perception of risk was not greater. Conclusion: Although blacks are approximately 6 times as likely to report a family history of ESRD independently of a personal history of kidney disease, diabetes, or hypertension, they do not perceive themselves as more vulnerable for kidney disease.
How Wittgenstein Defeated Russell’s Multiple Relation Theory of Judgment

In 1913 Wittgenstein raised an objection to Russell’s multiple relation theory of judgment that eventually led Russell to abandon his theory. As he put it in the Tractatus, the objection was that “the correct explanation of the form of the proposition, ‘A makes the judgement p’, must show that it is impossible for a judgement to be a piece of nonsense. (Russell’s theory does not satisfy this requirement,” (5.5422). This objection has been widely interpreted to concern type restrictions on the constituents of judgment. I argue that this interpretation is mistaken and that Wittgenstein’s objection is in fact a form of the problem of the unity of the proposition.
What Do Students Gain by Engaging in Socioscientific Inquiry

The question of what students gain by engaging in socioscientific inquiry is addressed in two ways. First, relevant literature is surveyed to build the case that socioscientific issues (SSI) can serve as useful contexts for teaching and learning science content. Studies are reviewed which document student gains in discipline specific content knowledge as well as understandings of the nature of science. SSI are also positioned as vehicles for addressing citizenship education within science classrooms. Although the promotion of citizenship goals seems widely advocated, the specifics of how this may be accomplished remain underdeveloped. To address this issue, we introduce socioscientific reasoning as a construct which captures a suite of practices fundamental to the negotiation of SSI. In the second phase of the project, interviews with 24 middle school students from classes engaged in socioscientific inquiry serve as the basis for the development of an emergent rubric for socioscientific reasoning. Variation in practices demonstrated by this sample are explored and implications drawn for advancing socioscientific reasoning as an educationally meaningful and assessable construct.
Oral IL-10 gene delivery in a microsphere-based formulation for local transfection and therapeutic efficacy in inflammatory bowel disease.

The objective of this study was to examine the potential of oral interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene therapy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Nanoparticles-in-microsphere oral system (NiMOS) was formulated with murine IL-10-expressing plasmid DNA in type-B gelatin nanoparticles, which were further encapsulated in poly(epsilon-caprolactone) microsphere matrix. Upon oral administration in an acute colitis model, IL-10 expression in the large intestine was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA. The locally expressed IL-10 was able to suppress the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-12, as well as certain chemokines. The therapeutic benefits of transfected IL-10 were further demonstrated by an increase in body weight, favorable clinical activity score, restoration in colon length and weight, and suppression of inflammatory response as assessed by tissue histological analysis and myeloperoxidase activity. The results of this study provide highly encouraging evidence of oral gene delivery and transfection and potential utility in IBD therapy.
Electron binding energies of nucleobases and nucleotides

Electron propagator theory is applied to the calculation and interpretation of electron binding energies of molecular fragments found in nucleic acids. This theory provides a systematic approach to correlation problems in quantum chemistry while retaining a one-electron picture of electronic structure. Photoelectron spectra for the purine and pyrimidine bases found in nucleic acids have been assigned with the aid of calculations that employ an electron propagator approximation that has been developed for the study of large molecules. This method, the partial third-order approximation (P3), has been shown to generate reliable electron binding energies for closed-shell molecules and anions. Correlation corrections to canonical, Hartree–Fock orbital energies are necessary for assignment of cationic states. Electron detachment energies for H2PO also have been assigned successfully with the P3 method. These results indicate that the P3 method is a suitable procedure for predicting electron binding energies of nucleotide anions. Correlation effects are important in determining the ordering of final states with holes localized on the phosphate or the base regions in the nucleotide. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002
Marketing China after Tiananmen: Marketing mix as applied to the promotion of international tourism

This study makes an innovative application of the marketing mix as the promotion of international tourism, moving one step beyond the previous literature on tourism as a mode of international and intercultural communication. It examines, in the marketing mix framework, the communications activities in the marketing of China as an international tourism product, between the Tiananmen incident (4 June 1989) and the 11th Asian Games in October 1990 in Beijing. The intervening period witnessed how the Chinese government and the American tour operators attempted to restore China's ‘marketability’. The Asian Games, a planned international event, failed to offset the disruptive impact that the unplanned Tiananmen incident had on China's international image. The paper argues that the international scope and significance of the case offers a strong opportunity for elucidating innovative, generalizable conceptual applications of the four elements in the marketing mix. The study explores the interplay between the fou...
Performance certification of interconnected systems using decomposition techniques

We propose a unified framework for the certification of stability and input-output performance of interconnected dynamical systems. In our approach, we seek local dissipativity certificates for each subsystem such that when they are combined, the performance of the entire interconnected system is certified. We also demonstrate, by the use of numerical simulations, that the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) is a promising computational approach for solving such problems.
Psychologic Aspects of Surgery on Female Reproductive Organs

A wealth of historical evidence shows the great emotional significance of the female reproductive system. Rapidly changing attitudes toward elective sterilization reflect intellectual progress, but alteration of the emotional aspects may lag far behind. Depression is the major emotional complication of surgical sterilization of the female. Prevention depends on a careful assessment of the woman's conscious and unconscious attitudes toward the surgery, a study of her previous personality and a knowledge of her family situation. Attention to these factors, with a corrective intervention where indicated, must occur from the patient's first contact with the physician and the gynecologic nurse until the final discharge.
Random Sensory Networks: A Delay Analysis

A fundamental function performed by a sensory network is the retrieval of data gathered collectively by sensor nodes. The metrics that measure the efficiency of this data collection process are time and energy. In this paper, we study via simple discrete mathematical models, the statistics of the data collection time in sensory networks. Specifically, we analyze the average minimum delay in collecting randomly located/distributed sensors data for networks of various topologies when the number of nodes becomes large. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of various parameters such as size of packet, transmission range, and channel erasure probability on the optimal time performance. Our analysis applies to directional antenna systems as well as omnidirectional ones. This paper focuses on directional antenna systems and briefly presents results on omnidirectional antenna systems. Finally, a simple comparative analysis shows the respective advantages of the two systems.
Cellular Response of the Rabbit Eye to Primary Intravitreal Injection of Neisseria meningitidis

New Zealand White rabbits were injected intravitreally with approximately 2,500 viable or heat-killed meningococci. The rabbits were killed at intervals from 30 min to 14 days after injection. None of the rabbits produced detectable antibodies. Local antibody production by uveal tract, spleen, or preauricular lymph node cells was not demonstrated. Viable organisms were recovered from the vitreous at periods from 30 min to 48 hr after injection. Failure to recover viable organisms could be correlated with the appearance of large numbers of polymorphonuclear neutrophiles (PMN) throughout the vitreous. Animals injected with viable meningococci demonstrated a progressive inflammatory reaction characterized by an early accumulation of PMN in the vitreous, limbus, and conjunctiva. The cellular infiltrate gradually became mononuclear. By the 14th day postinjection only a few residual inflammatory cells remained at the limbus. This extensive cellular response was lacking in recipients of heat-killed organisms. The defense of the rabbit against intraocular introduction of meningococci therefore seems to be predominantly a cellular mechanism.
Visualization and Modeling of Flow Boiling of R-134A in Minichannels with Transverse Ribs

This research was undertaken to investigate the flow boiling of R-134a in minichannels with transverse ribs. The test channel consisted of two parallel plates; the lower plate was heated, and the upper plate was adiabatic. A number of transverse ribs were deployed along the lower plate. The hydraulic diameter of the channel was 1.93 mm. In these experiments, the main test parameters were mass flux, saturation temperature, heat flux, and average vapor quality. With these parameters, the convective and boiling numbers ranged from 0.04 to 0.90 and 7.49 × 10− 4 to 8.98 × 10− 4 , respectively. Of a total of 60 data points recorded, 78% of the data fell in the convective boiling region, while the remaining 22% were in the nucleate boiling region. A two-equation model was fit to a total of 60 experimental data, resulting in a correlation that predicted 58 data points to within ± 10%.
Chemosystematics and taxonomy of Ambrosia chamissonis

Abstract Specimens of the variable strand ragweeds of the Pacific Coasts of North and South America have commonly been divided among two or more specific or subspecific taxa. The results of this study indicate that they comprise a single heteromorphic and chemically variable species, Ambrosia chamissonis (Less.) Greene. Morphological and chemical variants within the complex show no overall correlation, and variation within and between populations is such as to suggest specific continuity. Less variable populations south of California's Monterey Peninsula appear to be derived from limited introductions from the north, and to owe their relative uniformity to genetic drift and development from limited progenitor stock. Genetic drift linked to self-pollination is evident within populations and within progeny groups developed from naturally produced seed, and is here termed ‘ethological drift’. Two varieties are recognized within the species: var. cuneifolia is found near and north of the mouth of the Columbia River. and is characterized by relatively large fruiting involucres with flattened spines and a tendency for unlobed leaves and pilose pubescence; var. chamissonis , with smaller involucres and basally inflated or terete spines, is found throughout the remainder of the range, and includes two intergrading forms—forma chamissonis with unlobed leaves and forma bipinnatisecta with pinnately decompound leaves.
Expression profile of tyrosine kinases in breast cancer

The tyrosine kinase (TK) family includes many growth factor receptors, cell cycle regulators, and oncoproteins. Moreover, the receptor TKs HER2/neu and epidermal growth factor receptor are overexpressed in a subgroup of breast tumors and correlate with more aggressive behavior. Thus, TKs are being actively pursued as therapeutic targets. The purpose of this study was to determine the expression pattern of TKs in breast cancer. Reverse transcription-PCR was performed with degenerate primers based on conserved motifs of the catalytic domains of TKs, and the identities of the reverse transcription-PCR products were determined by digestion with a panel of restriction enzymes. Using a TK display assay, we studied the TK profiles of 13 breast cancer cell lines and two normal immortalized breast epithelial cell lines. The TK display assay reproducibly demonstrated known differences in HER-2/neu expression between cell lines. Several TKs, including receptor TKs Axl, Cak, fibroblast growth factor receptor 4, HEK8, HER2/neu, c-MET, RET, and nonreceptor TKs ARG, BRK, Janus kinase 1, Rak, and YES were detected in breast cancer cells. Several kinases were differentially expressed among the cell lines. Similar TK profiles were found using RNA from human breast tumors. We conclude that there is significant variability in the TK expression pattern of breast cancers. This variability should be considered when selecting TK inhibitors to treat patients.
A two-port framework for the design of unconditionally stable haptic interfaces

A haptic interface is a kinesthetic link between a human operator and a virtual environment. This paper addresses stability and performance issues associated with haptic interaction. It generalizes and extends the concept of a virtual coupling network, an artificial connection between a haptic display and a virtual world, to include both the impedance and admittance models of haptic interaction. A benchmark example exposes an important duality between these two cases. Linear circuit theory is used to develop necessary and sufficient conditions for the stability of a haptic simulation, assuming the human operator and virtual environment are passive. These equations lead to an explicit design procedure for virtual coupling networks which give maximum performance while guaranteeing stability. By decoupling the haptic display control problem from the design of virtual environments, the use of a virtual coupling network frees the developer of haptic-enabled virtual reality models from issues of mechanical stability.
Almost Everything You Wanted to Know about Recoveries on Defaulted Bonds

This study documents, for the first time, the severity of bond defaults stratified by Standard Industrial Classification sector and by debt seniority. The highest average recoveries came from public utilities (70 percent) and chemical, petroleum, and related products (63 percent). The differences between those sectors and all the rest are statistically significant, even when adjusted for seniority. The original rating of a bond issue as investment grade or below investment grade has virtually no effect on recoveries once seniority is accounted for. In addition, neither the size of the issue nor the time to default from its original date of issuance has any association with the recovery rate. These results should provide important information for investors as well as analysts.
International web survey of chiropractic students about evidence-based practice: a pilot study

Positive attitude toward evidence-based practice (EBP) principles in healthcare education may be one of the first steps for motivating a healthcare professional student to later apply EBP principles in clinical decision-making. The objectives for this project were to pilot an international web-based survey of chiropractic students and to describe student attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge about EBP principles. We used SurveyMonkey™ to develop our survey based on an existing questionnaire used to measure basic knowledge, skills and beliefs about EBP among allied healthcare professionals and CAM practitioners. We invited 26 chiropractic educational institutions teaching in English and accredited by official organizations to participate. Academic officials and registrars at participating institutions forwarded an invitation email and two reminders to students between July and September 2010. The invitation contained a link to the 38-item web-based questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were performed for analysis. Fourteen institutions from Australia, Canada, US, Denmark and New Zealand participated. Among an estimated 7,142 student recipients of invitation letters, 674 participated in the survey for an estimated response rate of 9.4%. Most respondents reported having access to medical/healthcare literature through the internet, but only 11% read literature every week and 21% did not read literature at all. Respondents generally agreed that the use of research evidence in chiropractic was important. Although 76% of respondents found it easy to understand research evidence and 81% had some level of confidence assessing the general worth of research articles, 71% felt they needed more training in EBP to be able to apply evidence in chiropractic care. Respondents without previous training in research methods had lower confidence in assessing published papers. While more than 60% marked the correct answer for two knowledge items, the mean number of correct answers to the five knowledge questions was 1.3 (SD 0.9). Although it is feasible to conduct an international web survey of chiropractic students, significant stakeholder participation is important to improve response rates. Students had relatively positive attitudes toward EBP. However, participants felt they needed more training in EBP and based on the knowledge questions they may need further training about basic research concepts.
A survey of recent advances in fuzzy logic in telecommunications networks and new challenges

The use of fuzzy logic in telecommunication systems and networks is recent and limited. Fundamentally, Zadeh's fuzzy set theory provides a robust mathematical framework for dealing with "real-world" imprecision and nonstatistical uncertainty. Given that the present day complex networks are dynamic, that there is great uncertainty associated with the input traffic and other environmental parameters, that they are subject to unexpected overloads, failures and perturbations, and that they defy accurate analytical modeling, fuzzy logic appears to be a promising approach to address many important aspects of networks. This paper reviews the current research efforts in fuzzy logic-based approaches to queuing, buffer management, distributed access control, load management, routing, call acceptance, policing, congestion mitigation, bandwidth allocation, channel assignment, network management, and quantitative performance evaluation in networks. The review underscores the future potential and promise of fuzzy logic in networks. The paper then presents a list of key research efforts in the areas of fuzzy logic-based algorithms and new hardware and software architectures that are necessary both to address new challenges in networking and to help realize the full potential of fuzzy logic in networks.
Integration of diverse statistical evidence of gene-trait association in systems biology studies.

The rapid advancement of high-throughput genomic assay technologies has generated large amounts of diverse genomic data in disparate human populations and diseases. These data provide a unique opportunity for biomedical investigators to systematically study multifaceted aspects of genes' involvement in the biological processes underlying important traits from the systems biology perspective. An important component in such a study is the inference that integrates diverse lines of statistical evidence for genetrait association from the observed trait values and the massive numbers of measured genomic features. A novel integrated statistical analysis procedure is developed in this paper and is illustrated by an application in studying childhood leukemia.
Insights into the neurobiology of the nicotinic cholinergic system and nicotine addiction from mice expressing nicotinic receptors harboring gain-of-function mutations.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated, cation-selective ion channels expressed throughout the brain. Although these channels have been investigated for several decades, it is still challenging 1) to identify the important nAChR subunits in cholinergic transmission and nicotine dependence and 2) to develop nAChR subtype-specific ligands. To overcome these challenges, we and others have studied mice expressing mutant, gain-of-function nAChR subunits. In this review, we discuss this research approach and the results it has yielded to date. Gain-of-function mutations, including those in nAChR subunits, provide an approach that is complementary to loss-of-function studies such as gene knockouts; the former allows one to answer questions of sufficiency and the latter addresses questions of necessity. Mutant mice expressing gain-of-function nAChR subunits are commonly produced using traditional gene targeting in embryonic stem cells, but novel approaches such as bacterial artificial chromosome transgenesis have yielded important insights as well. α7 nAChRs were the first nAChRs to be targeted with a gain-of-function mutation, followed by a pair of α4 nAChR gain-of-function mutant mice. These α4 nAChR gain-of-function mice (α4 L9′S mice, followed by α4 L9′A mice) provided an important system to probe α4 nAChR function in vivo, particularly in the dopamine reward system. α6 nAChR gain-of-function mice provided the first robust system allowing specific manipulation of this receptor subtype. Other targeted mutations in various nAChR subunits have also been produced and have yielded important insights into nicotinic cholinergic biology. As nAChR research advances and more details associated with nAChR expression and function emerge, we expect that existing and new mouse lines expressing gain-of-function nAChR subunits will continue to provide new insights.
College Learning-Disabled, Normal, and Basic Writers: A Comparison of Frequency and Accuracy Of Cohesive Ties

Examining surface features of a student's writing as a manifestation of communication intention can lead to new insights about that student's writing. Cohesion implies that a written text is more than a mere collection of statements no matter how syntactically mature or grammatically correct such sentences appear. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of college age learning-disabled, normal, and basic writers in the use of specific types of textual cohesion on an expository mode of writing. Results for both frequency and accuracy of cohesive ties are reported, with a discussion of implications.
Productivity of nonindustrial private forests in western Washington: alternative futures.

Norzindustrial private timberlands in western Wshington have high productive potential and contribute harvest amounts somewhat more than proportional to their area. Ofall private ownerships they are influenced the most by land use shifts and are aflected in i~nportant ways by forest practice regulations. About 1 million acres of nonindustrial private timberland contain opportunities for timber management intensifica- tion that would increase net growth, in many cases oflering attractive financial returns. Significant increases in timber growing investments could double softwood harvest levels in the long term. A combination offorest practice regulations to lengthen rotations by 10 yr and a 15% setaside of other timberland with older timber could reduce short-term sofiood harvest levels by one-third. West. J. Appl. For. 10(1): 29-35.
The story behind kinship care caseload dynamics: An analysis of AFCARS data, 2000–2003

Abstract Findings from an analysis of four years of point-in-time data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) suggest that the number and share of children living in kinship care arrangements declined. This study shows that using point-in-time data alone to assess caseload trends can obscure important caseload dynamics. Assessing kinship care entrants and exits demonstrate that the number of children entering kinship care actually increased, suggesting that use of kinship care by states increased. The perceived decline in kinship care suggested by point-in-time estimates is likely driven by increases in the number of children exiting from kinship care that occurred at a faster rate than entrants. Additionally, this study revealed that three states, California, Florida, and Illinois, are significant contributors to the finding that the share of children in kinship care declined in point-in-time data. After removing these states from the analysis, there was a slight increase in the number of children living in kinship care arrangements. In conclusion, to clearly demonstrate the nuances of caseload dynamics, point-in-time national estimates should be examined in concert with an analysis of entrants, exits, as well as state-by-state analyses.
Fast probabilistic modeling for combinatorial optimization

Probabilistic models have recently been utilized for the optimization of large combinatorial search problems. However, complex probabilistic models that attempt to capture inter-parameter dependencies can have prohibitive computational costs. The algorithm presented in this paper, termed COMIT, provides a method for using probabilistic models in conjunction with fast search techniques. We show how COMIT can be used with two very different fast search algorithms: hillclimbing and Population-based incremental learning (PBIL). The resulting algorithms maintain many of the benefits of probabilistic modeling, with far less computational expense. Extensive empirical results are provided; COMIT has been successfully applied to jobshop scheduling, traveling salesman, and knapsack problems. This paper also presents a review of probabilistic modeling for combinatorial optimization.
The role of NF-κB/IκB proteins in cancer: implications for novel treatment strategies

The nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) family of transcription factors are involved in multiple cellular processes, including cytokine gene expression, cellular adhesion, cell cycle activation, apoptosis and oncogenesis. Constitutive activation of NF-kappaB has been described in a number of solid tumors and this activation appears to affect cancer cell survival. Inhibition of NF-kappaB has been shown to enhance the sensitivity of some cancer cell lines to antineoplastic- or radiation-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, suppression of NF-kappaB results in attenuation of cancer cachexia in a mouse tumor model. Studies are underway to further delineate the role of NF-kappaB in cancer cell survival, growth and resistance to standard chemotherapy and radiation regimens. Moreover, the effects of novel therapeutic agents which specifically target NF-kappaB proteins are currently being assessed in experimental models of cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we discuss the possible involvement of NF-kappaB in the growth of various solid tumors and potential future treatment strategies based on NF-kappaB inhibition.
Laser radar component technology

The development of the laser soon led to recognition of its potential in radar applications. As radar systems were designed and implemented, however, it became clear that major refinement of the laser sources was needed to meet specific radar transmitter requirements in terms of waveforms, spectral purity, stability, beam quality, and power. The sensitivity and bandwidth of receivers were also in some cases insufficient, and new enabling detector technologies had to be created. This article provides a framework for much of the component development by describing the wideband high-power carbon dioxide (CO/sub 2/) imaging radar system at the Firepond Laser Radar Research Facility. The paper also details the critical components developed for the Firepond CO/sub 2/ range-Doppler imaging laser radar transmitter as well as transmitters for short-range CO/sub 2/ radars.
Brief Report: The Effects of Tomatis Sound Therapy on Language in Children with Autism

Due to the myriad of problems associated with autism, parents often consider alternative treatments. The investigation was undertaken to determine the effects of the Tomatis Method on language skills in children with autism utilizing a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. The results indicated that although the majority of the children demonstrated general improve- ment in language over the course of the study, it did not appear to be related to the treatment condition. The percent change for Group 1 (Placebo/Treatment) for treatment was 17.41%, and placebo was 24.84%. Group 2 (Treatment/ Placebo) showed -3.98% change for treatment and 14.15% change for placebo. The results reflect a lack of improve- ment in language using the Tomatis Method for children with autism.
Characterization and Implementation Methods of Multilayer Inductors with Ni-Zn Ferrite and Carbonyl SF Powder Iron on Ceramic Substrates for RF Amplifers

Characterization and implementation of multilayer inductors constructed with Ni-Zn ferrite and Carbonyl SF powder iron on ceramic substrates for radio frequency (RF) power amplifier applications are presented for the first time. The multilayer inductor has a base material with high permittivity and low loss ceramic substrate, which has spiral inductor configuration and overlay magnetic substrate that is used to increase the effective permeability of the multilayer structure. High permittivity and low loss ceramic substrate gives the inductor a lower profile and better thermal performance for radio frequency applications. Ni-Zn ferrite and Carbonyl SF powder iron magnetic layers are used as an overlay magnetic substrate to increase effective permeability of the multilayer structure where magnetic flux flows through without degrading the performance of the inductor. The multilayer inductors that are designed are used as resonator inductor in the load line, RF choke, and combiner output inductor for RF power amplifiers carrying a large amount of current. Several different multilayer inductors are simulated, implemented, and measured. Various characteristic curves such as quality factor, inductance, resonance, return loss, and impedance versus frequency for different permeability and thickness of the magnetic substrate using Ni-Zn ferrite and powder iron core are measured, simulated, and presented. Measured and simulated results have been compared and found to be close. The multilayer inductors are then integrated to the RF amplifier, and the amplifier is tested for performance when it is interfaced with matched load at the rated power. It has been shown that the proposed multilayer inductor design can be used for radio frequency amplifier applications when high current flow and lower profile are required.
Determining the Keeping Quality of Ice-Packed and Dry-Packed Poultry

ABSTRACT IN THE past and even at the present time, a large percentage of fresh poultry in this country is shipped from dressing plants to wholesale houses, retail stores, restaurants, etc., in the ice-packed form. There are several disadvantages to ice-packed poultry. First of all, the shipping of ice-packed poultry is expensive, both from the standpoint of cost of ice and added shipping weight. Ice-packed poultry is also messy to handle. The packaging of ready-to-cook poultry in most cases could be done more economically at the dressing plant than at the retail store. There has been a feeling in the trade that dry-packed poultry will not hold up as long in the channels of trade as ice-packed nor will it have as much consumer appeal. It was because of this feeling that this study was undertaken. Naden and Jackson (1953) found that when ice-packed and dry-packed poultry were sold at the . . .
Transcriptional response of Mexican axolotls to Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV) infection

Very little is known about the immunological responses of amphibians to pathogens that are causing global population declines. We used a custom microarray gene chip to characterize gene expression responses of axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) to an emerging viral pathogen, Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV). At 0, 24, 72, and 144 hours post-infection, spleen and lung samples were removed for estimation of host mRNA abundance and viral load. A total of 158 up-regulated and 105 down-regulated genes were identified across all time points using statistical and fold level criteria. The presumptive functions of these genes suggest a robust innate immune and antiviral gene expression response is initiated by A. mexicanum as early as 24 hours after ATV infection. At 24 hours, we observed transcript abundance changes for genes that are associated with phagocytosis and cytokine signaling, complement, and other general immune and defense responses. By 144 hours, we observed gene expression changes indicating host-mediated cell death, inflammation, and cytotoxicity. Although A. mexicanum appears to mount a robust innate immune response, we did not observe gene expression changes indicative of lymphocyte proliferation in the spleen, which is associated with clearance of Frog 3 iridovirus in adult Xenopus. We speculate that ATV may be especially lethal to A. mexicanum and related tiger salamanders because they lack proliferative lymphocyte responses that are needed to clear highly virulent iridoviruses. Genes identified from this study provide important new resources to investigate ATV disease pathology and host-pathogen dynamics in natural populations.
Adherence to Precautionary Guidelines for Compounding Antineoplastic Drugs: A Survey of Nurses and Pharmacy Practitioners

Precautionary guidelines detailing standards of practice and equipment to eliminate or minimize exposure to antineoplastic drugs during handling activities have been available for nearly three decades. To evaluate practices for compounding antineoplastic drugs, the NIOSH Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers was conducted among members of professional practice organizations representing primarily oncology nurses, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. This national survey is the first in over 20 years to examine self-reported use of engineering, administrative, and work practice controls and PPE by pharmacy practitioners for minimizing exposure to antineoplastic drugs. The survey was completed by 241 nurses and 183 pharmacy practitioners who compounded antineoplastic drugs in the seven days prior to the survey. They reported: not always wearing two pairs of chemotherapy gloves (85%, 47%, respectively) or even a single pair (8%, 10%); not always using closed system drug-transfer devices ...
Social Psychiatry: Concepts and Models

As we have seen, social psychiatry has its roots in early nineteenth-century concerns about the nature of society and the health of its members. Those concerns that included fears that insanity was increasing because of the social turmoil accompanying the American and French revolutions and industrialization, prompted early studies of the number afflicted, inquiries into the causes of mental illness, and demands for humane treatments. However, lacking sufficient conceptual and factual bases, these efforts could not lead to the scientific development of social psychiatry.
Infringement of Defect Tolerant Castings on Traditional Wrought Superalloy Applications

The advancement of jet engine technology has traditionally given wrought superalloys eminence when design calls for both reasonable high temperature strength and dynamic fracture reliability. Despite the attractiveness of cast superalloys for their improved buy-to-fly ratios and higher strengthening y’ volume fractions, the expansion of polycrystalline castings into the more critical of the superalloy applications has been prevented by a lack of sufficient microstructural control in casting technology. Recently however, advances in casting technology are making possible the production of defect tolerant superalloy castings with improved fracture reliability. This new generation of superalloy castings now offers serious competition to wrought superalloys. Never before have wrought superalloys been so seriously threatened by their cast counterparts.
Identification of diploids of Aspergillus flavus by the nuclear condition of conidia.

on the stipe, mentioned in Kauffman's notes, did not appear distinctive even in our collections having a veil. We believe that the layer Kauffman described in his notes is a loosely woven cuticular layer. Kauffman noted the gills as yellowish at first and this feature was included in the description by Hesler and Smith (1963). We were unable to verify his observation, but in view of the general change to yellow, we do not regard this apparent difference as taxonomically significant. In regard to H. pudorinus, the reddish-orange reaction in KOH of the scurf near the apex of the stipe readily distinguishes both color variants from H. amarus.
Equilibrium Adsorption of D- and L‑Alanine Mixtures on Naturally Chiral Cu{3,1,17} R&S Surfaces

Equilibrium adsorption of gas phase mixtures of d- and l-alanine (Ala) onto the naturally chiral Cu{3,1,17}R&S surfaces has been studied by both experiment and DFT-based modeling. Isotopically labeled *l-Ala (HO213CCH(NH2)CH3) and unlabeled d-Ala allow mass spectrometric enantiodifferentiation of the adsorbed species during temperature-programmed decomposition, following equilibrium adsorption. Measurements of the relative equilibrium coverages of d- and *l-Ala on the Cu{3,1,17}R&S surfaces, θD/R/θ*L/R = θ*L/S/θD/S, at gas phase partial pressure ratios of P*L/PD = 1/2, 1, and 2 indicate that the d-Ala and *l-Ala conglomerate phases are more energetically stable than a d*l-Ala racemate phase, but that their adsorption energies are not measurably enantiospecific, ΔΔEDL ≈ 0. Although the DFT simulations provide a self-consistent structure of Ala overlayers on Cu{3,1,17}R&S they overestimate the enantiospecificity of the adsorption energetics.
Alteration of Platelet Adhesion to Glass in Vascular Disorders and Certain Other Diseases

The adhesion of platelets to glass has been quantitated in control subjects and in patients with vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, uremia, disorders of the prostate gland, or congenital deficiency of certain blood coagulation factors. Platelet adhesion was quantitated by means of a simple in vitro test which permits differentiation of adhesion from aggregation. Platelet adhesion was elevated above control values in patients with vascular diseases who were not taking anticoagulants. Decreased platelet adhesion occurred in patients with uremia and in four of five patients with disorders of the prostate gland. Marked variation in platelet adhesion values was found in diabetic patients and in patients with vascular diseases who were taking anticoagulants. Patients deficient in coagulation factors V, VIII, IX, X, or XII had normal platelet adhesion values.
New machines in the office practice of cardiology.

A carefully detailed medical history remains the most important single method of cardiovascular evaluation. Careful physical examination with selective listening for cardiac sounds and possible murmurs is essential. Neither of these simple clinical methods can or should be overshadowed by laboratory methods. Examination under stress of exercise often yields additional information and is feasible in office practice. Special laboratory technics are often required to supplement clinical examination and are usually best done in a hospital facility.