cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-monitoring in moderately retarded adolescents: Reactivity and accuracy as a function of valence *

In an attempt to determine the effects of valence on the accuracy and reactivity of self-monitoring, 40 adolescent moderately retarded students were divided into four groups: (a) self-record a positive aspect of their performance (i.e., finish a bead-string task within the time limit), (b) self-record a negative aspect (i.e., not finish within the time allowed), (c) self-record a neutral aspect (i.e., when they strung the beads), and (d) string beads without self-recording. Acquisition of the self-monitoring skills was not differentially affected by the aspect of the behavior (i.e., positive, negative, or neutral) that cued recording, nor were there any differences in accuracy during postassessments. The results indicated: (a) the group monitoring when they finished significantly surpassed the group monitoring when they did not finish, and (b) the positive and neutral monitoring groups significantly outgained the negative and control groups. Based on these results it is suggested that the reactive effects of self-monitoring are determined, in part, by the aspect of performance that cues the self-recording response.
Influence of Microporosity Morphology on Hot Compression Behavior of 6063 Alloy

The influences of microporosity morphology on the flow stress behavior of 6063 alloy were investigated by isothermal compression test at 300°C-500°C and strain rate of 0.01-10s-1. After 60% compression, the area fraction of microporosity of sample having lage microporosity decreases obviously. The flow stress increases with increasing strain rate and decreasing temperature. The flow stress stress behavior of 6063 alloy during hot compression can be described by a Zener-Hollomon parameter including Arrhenius item. The increasing of area fraction of microporosity decreases the deformation activiation energy Q.
Dynamic expression of a cell-surface determinant ofCandida albicans

Monoclonal antibodies against germ-tube specific antigens ofCandida albicans were produced by a selective immunization protocol. The monoclonal antibody (MAb) DC3:H10 recognized a determinant preferentially expressed by germ tubes of the fungus compared to yeast cells. The MAb DC3:H10 antigen was expressed by nearly all germ tubes of the strains 3153A and B311. It was also expressed by germ tubes of the white phenotype of strain WO-1, and by many exponentially growing yeast cells of the opaque phenotype of this strain. The determinant appeared very rapidly after induction of germ tubes of strain 3153A. The MAb DC3:H10 epitope was sensitive to proteolytic treatment but not to periodate treatment, indicating its protein nature. The reactive material could be extracted from intact germ tubes by treatment with β-mercaptoethanol. On elution from a G-200 Sephadex column it yielded an apparent molecular weight of 519 kDa. This fraction appeared heterogeneous since at least two major bands of lower molecular weight were detected by silver staining following electrophoretic separation under denaturing conditions.
The Effect of Government Debt on Short-Term Real Interest Rates: Comment on Findlay

IN A RECENT article in this journal, David W. Findlay reviews further empirical evidence on the effects of government deficits on interest rates. Quoting Spiro (1987) from three years earlier, Findlay concludes that these effects are as "elusive as ever" (1990, p. 438). I would suggest that the situation is not quite as bleak as that assessment appears to make it. There is a growing realization that fiscal policy can have a variety of effects on different interest rates. A significant amount of empirical evidence indicates that current deficits do affect long-term bond yields, as noted in an exhaustive survey of the literature by Barth and others (1989, p. 55). Spiro (1989, pp. 59-62) concludes that these results are consistent with an interpretation that the government deficit affects bond yields because it is viewed by investors as an indicator of the risk of future inflation.
Diabetes causes differential changes in CNS noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons in the rat: a molecular study

We have previously reported that chronic elevation of insulin in the CNS of rats results in opposing changes of the mRNA expression for the norepinephrine transporter (NET; decreased) and the dopamine transporter (DAT; increased). In the present study we tested the hypothesis that a chronic depletion of insulin would result in opposite changes of NET and DAT mRNA expression, from those observed with chronic elevation of insulin. Rats were treated with streptozotocin to produce hypoinsulinemic diabetes. One week later, steady state levels of mRNA were measured by in situ hybridization for NET in the locus coeruleus (LC) and for DAT in the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra compacta (VTA/SNc). The mRNA for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme for NE and DA synthesis, was measured in these same brain regions. In the diabetic animals, NET mRNA was significantly elevated (159 +/- 22% of average control level) while DAT mRNA was non-significantly decreased (78 +/- 9% of average control level). Additionally, TH mRNA was significantly altered in both the LC (131 +/- 11% of average control level) and VTA/SNc (79 +/- 5% of average control level). We conclude that endogenous insulin is one physiological regulator of the synthesis and re-uptake of NE and DA in the CNS.
Evidence of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes found on catfish horizontal and bipolar retinal neurons

Abstract We have used electrophysiological, pharmacological and immunological techniques to determine which classes of metabotropic glutamate receptors exist on cone horizontal cells in the catfish retina. Patch-clamp recordings in acutely dissociated cone horizontal cells provide evidence that group I and III metabotropic glutamate receptors exist, and are linked to modulation of a voltage-gated calcium current. Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists did not affect the calcium current. Immunocytochemical techniques were used to study the localization of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes found in the catfish retina. Antibodies raised against group I (metabotropic glutamate receptor 1α, metabotropic glutamate receptor 5), group II (metabotropic glutamate receptor 2/3) and group III (metabotropic glutamate receptor 6) metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes were used to label acutely dissociated horizontal, bipolar and Muller cells. Results from immunostaining provide evidence that cone horizontal cells express group I (metabotropic glutamate receptor 1α, metabotropic glutamate receptor 5) and group III (metabotropic glutamate receptor 6), but not group II (metabotropic glutamate receptor 2/3) receptor subtypes, consistent with our electrophysiological results. Cone horizontal cells exposed to anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1α, 5 or 6 antibodies all demonstrated diffuse overall staining, with patches of dark immunostaining found on both dendritic processes and cell somata. In catfish bipolar cells, all four of the anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor antibodies stained the processes and cell bodies of bipolar cells homogeneously. There was no evidence for a group of bipolar cells that did not stain with the anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor antibodies, although the densest immunostaining occurred when bipolar cells were incubated with the anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 6 antibody. Muller cells did not show immunostaining against any anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor antibody. Our non-immune controls confirmed that immunostaining was specific for the antigen, and immunoblots were performed to demonstrate the specificity of the antibodies in catfish retina. These results support the hypothesis that group I and III metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes are found on catfish horizontal cells, and group I, II and III metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes are expressed on catfish bipolar cells. The metabotropic glutamate receptors on catfish cone horizontal cells act to modulate the voltage-gated sustained calcium current found on these cells.
Scheme dependence and the limit of QCD perturbation series

A proof is presented that the much-discussed fastest-apparent-convergence (FAC) and principle-of-minimal-sensitivity (PMS) procedures for selecting the renormalization scheme will inevitably result in a zero limit for the perturbation series, if a limit exists. An alternative procedure, based on fixing the scheme-dependent ..beta..-function coefficients to be zero and optimizing the renormalization point, is suggested. This is shown to result in a finite limit closely related to the Borel sum, which is conjectured to be the maximum obtainable for any sequence of schemes leading to a limit of the series.
Generation of a variable-width subnanosecond optical pulse

A novel technique for generating a single optical pulse using an electrooptic switch is demonstrated. The optical pulsewidth is unrelated to the width of the voltage pulse applied to the electro-optic switch. Pulsewidths continuously variable from 0.5 ns to 50 ns were obtained.
A New, Specular Reflection-Based, Precorneal Tear Film Stability Measurement Technique in a Rabbit Model: Viscoelastic Increases Tear Film Stability

PURPOSE. To develop a safe, noninvasive, noncontact, continuous in vivo method to measure the dehydration rate of the precorneal tear film and to compare the effectiveness of a viscoelastic agent in maintaining the precorneal tear film to that of a balanced salt solution. METHODS. Software was designed to analyze the corneal reflection produced by the operating microscope’s coaxial illumination. The software characterized the shape of the reflection, which became distorted as the precorneal tear film evaporated; characterization was accomplished by fitting an ellipse to the reflection and measuring its projected surface area. Balanced salt solution Plus (BSSþ) and a 2% hydroxypropylmethylcellulose viscoelastic were used as the test agents. The tear film evaporation rate was characterized and compared over a period of 20 minutes in 20 eyes from 10 New Zealand white rabbits. RESULTS. The ellipse axes ratio and surface area were found to decrease initially after each application of either viscoelastic or BSSþ and then to increase linearly as the tear film began to evaporate (P < 0.001) for eyes treated with BSSþ only. Eyes treated with BSSþ required 7.5 6 2.7 applications to maintain sufficient corneal hydration during the 20-minute test period, whereas eyes treated with viscoelastic required 1.4 6 0.5 applications. The rates of evaporation differed significantly (P < 0.043) between viscoelastic and BSSþ. CONCLUSIONS. The shape and surface area of the corneal reflection are strongly correlated with the state of the tear film. Rabbits’ corneas treated with viscoelastic remained hydrated significantly longer than corneas treated with BSSþ.
Pericatheterization risk factors in left main coronary artery stenosis

Patients with left main (LM) coronary artery disease (CAD) have an unexplained high incidence of complications during diagnostic cardiac catheterization. This study identifies pericatheterization risk factors for major complications in patients with LM CAD (stenosis at least 50%). Complications were defined as ventricular fibrillation not related temporally to coronary injection, persistent angina, acute myocardial infarction, profound hypotension and death during or within 24 hours of catheterization. One hundred seven consecutive cases of LM CAD (11 with complications and 96 without) were reviewed with respect to variables potentially related to complications. Patients who had angina in the 24 hours before catheterization were at increased risk. Four of 13 patients with angina (31%) and 7 of 94 (7%) without angina had complications (p less than 0.05). Distance from the catheter tip to the lesion also was related to complications (9 of 38 [24%] with tip 6.0 mm or less from lesion and 2 of 65 [3%] with tip more than 6.0 mm from lesion, p less than 0.05). No relaxation was found between complications and New York Heart Association functional class, technique (femoral vs brachial), performance of ventriculography, number of coronary injections, amount of contrast injected, severity of LM stenosis, number of major arteries with 75% or more diameter stenosis, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and left ventricular ejection fraction.
Design and examination of an antioxidant-containing polyphosphazene scaffold for tissue engineering

Polyphosphazenes were synthesized that contained the antioxidant, ferulic acid, and amino acid esters as co-substituents. The synthesis protocol utilized the replacement of chlorine atoms in poly(dichlorophosphazene) by ferulic acid with either glycine, alanine, valine, or phenylalanine ethyl ester. Ferulic acid protects cells from free radical damage, and its steric characteristics have the potential to generate polymeric materials with high mechanical strength for hard tissue engineering scaffolds. Incorporation of the amino acid esters allows for control over the polymer hydrolysis while releasing the antioxidant at different rates. Macromolecular substitution reactions were carried out utilizing the allyl ester of ferulic acid to prevent side reactions during halogen replacement. The allyl protecting group was then removed using mild conditions. The polymers were characterized by 1H and 31P NMR, GPC, and DSC techniques. Static water contact angles were measured to monitor the change in hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity. Before deprotection, the water contact angles were 82–88° and after deprotection the water contact angles were 56–71°. A pH-dependent hydrolysis study revealed that the polymers are hydrolytically sensitive and decomposed ∼5–25% over 8 weeks yielding a final pH between 6.0–6.8. Polymer hydrolysis resulted in the release of ferulic acid. The polymers were photocrosslinked by a [2 + 2] cycloaddition of the ferulic acid moieties induced by exposure to long-wave UV light. The crosslinking was monitored by UV-spectroscopy via the apparent decrease in the 320 nm absorbance, attributed to the cyclization of the ferulic acid moieties. Increased UV exposure time led to an increase in the level of crosslinking. After 60 s, the polymers were crosslinked ∼41–62%. Hydrolysis experiments of the crosslinked materials showed only a 0–5% weight loss after 8 weeks with a pH between 6.6–7.0.
Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Children With Therapy Resistant Nonneuropathic Bladder Sphincter Dysfunction: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACTPurpose: We evaluated the effect of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on voiding dysfunction in a group of children with therapy resistant, nonneuropathic bladder sphincter dysfunction.Materials and Methods: In a prospective study 17 boys and 15 girls with mean age of 11.7 years underwent percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation after the failure of more than 2 years of urological and/or pharmacotherapy. The device for percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation consists of an interface cable, a surface electrode, a percutaneous needle and a portable stimulator. The needle is inserted at the tibial nerve level and a portable stimulator provided pulsations at a frequency of 20 Hz. for 30 minutes once weekly. Every 6 weeks the children were evaluated. Evaluation parameters were urgency, daytime incontinence, voiding frequency, the uroflowmetry curve and bladder capacity. When favorable results were observed after 6 sessions, therapy was continued for another 12 sessions. In 24 children antich...
Inflammation and intestinal metaplasia of the gastric cardia: Helicobacter pylori, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or both

The gastric cardia is a microscopic zone that is normally found in the most proximal portion of the stomach, although cardiac-type mucosa may arise in the distal esophagus as a metaplastic phenomenon secondary to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Inflammation of the native gastric cardia is strongly associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, although there may be a second form of 'carditis' in which metaplastic cardiac-type mucosa becomes inflamed secondary to GERD. Intestinal metaplasia of the cardia may be difficult to recognize because of the difficulty in accurately identifying the esophagogastric junction by endoscopy and the histologic similarities of intestinal metaplasia in the proximal stomach and distal esophagus. However, cytokeratin 7 and 20 immunoreactivity patterns appear to be useful in distinguishing between these forms of intestinal metaplasia. The preponderance of data suggests that intestinal metaplasia of the cardia is associated with H. pylori infection as opposed to GERD, and preliminary data suggest a lower risk of progression to dysplasia and adenocarcinoma when compared to intestinal metaplasia of the distal esophagus.
Adenoviral capsid modulates secretory compartment organization and function in acinar epithelial cells from rabbit lacrimal gland.

Adenoviral capsid modulates secretory compartment organization and function in acinar epithelial cells from rabbit lacrimal gland
Carbon isotope fractionation of methyl bromide during agricultural soil fumigations

The isotopic composition ofmethyl bromide (CH3Br) has been suggestedto be a potentially useful tracer forconstraining the global CH3Br budget. Inorder to determine the carbon isotopiccomposition of CH3Br emitted from the mostsignificant anthropogenic application(pre-plant fumigation) we directly measured theδ13C of CH3Br released duringcommercial fumigation. We also measured theisotopic fractionation associated withdegradation in agricultural soil under typicalfield fumigation conditions. The isotopiccomposition of CH3Br collected in soilseveral hours after injection of the fumigantwas −44.5‰ and this value increased to −20.7‰over the following three days. The mean kineticisotope effect (KIE) associated withdegradation of CH3Br in agricultural soil(12‰) was smaller than the reported value formethylotrophic bacterial strain IMB-1, isolatedfrom previously fumigated agricultural soil,but was similar to methylotrophic bacterialstrain CC495, isolated from a pristine forestlitter zone. Using this fractionationassociated with the degradation of CH3Brin agricultural soil and the meanδ13C of the industriallymanufactured CH3Br (−54.4‰), we calculatethat the agricultural soil fumigation sourcehas a carbon isotope signature that ranges from−52.8‰ to −42.0‰. Roughly 65% ofindustrially manufactured CH3Br is usedfor field fumigations. The remaining 35% isused for structural and post-harvestfumigations with a minor amount used duringindustrial chemical manufacturing. Assumingthat the structural and post-harvest fumigationsources of CH3Br are emitted withoutsubstantial fractionation, we calculate thatthe δ13C of anthropogenicallyemitted CH3Br ranges from −53.2‰ to −47.5‰.
A Test of the Immunoreactive Theory for the Origin of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in the Offspring of Women with Immune Disorder

Abstract Gualtieri and Hicks (1985) proposed that male vulnerability for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) was partially due to intrauterine immune attack of the fetus. One group of mothers with heightened immunoreactivity might be women with immune disorder. This was tested within an epidemiological sample of 17,283 mother/child pairs. Maternal immune disorders considered were ulcerative colitis or asthma. NDs in the child included: cerebral palsy, mental retardation, seizures, articulation disorder, reading, or arithmetic disability, verbal or performance aptitude deficits, attention deficit disorder. Unlike prior studies, we controlled for demographic perinatal variables that might confound interpretation of the data. Results indicated that immune dysfunction in the mother, be it autoimmune (ulcerative colitis) or defensive (asthma) was not associated with an increased incidence of any NDs in the offspring, but mothers with ulcerative colitis did have a disproportionate number of offspring who were non-right handed. Few variables discriminated between the children of ulcerative colitis mothers who became right handed when compared to those who did not. We suggest that a) only certain maternal autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (but not ulcerative colitis or asthma) elevate the risk of intrauterine immune attack and b) the elevated rate of non-right handed offspring among ulcerative colitis mothers was not an instance of immune attack but instead represents some kind of genetic association.
LIGHT/DARK‐PHASED CELL DIVISION IN EUGLENA GRACILIS (Z) (EUGLENOPHYCEAE) IN PO4‐LIMITED CONTINUOUS CULTURE1

SUMMARY Eugene gracilis Klebs (Z) was grown in a cyclostat (continuous culture on a light/dark cycle) at growth limiting levels of phosphate. Cell division was restricted to the dark period regardless of the proportion of the cells dividing during each 24 h period. Growth rate, as reflected by the amplitude of the cell density oscillation, was correlated with dilution rate. The width of the division gate was analyzed using a phasing index and found to be narrowest at dilution rates where the mean generation time of the cell population was an even multiple of 24 h. The effect was attributed to enhanced phasing of the cell division process by the biological clock of Euglena. Residual phosphate levels in the cyclostat were less than 0.3 μM PO4 at all submaximal growth rates. Cellular phosphorus concentration increased with dilution rate as described by a hyperbola saturating at Dmax= 0.74 day−1 with 8 × 10−8μM P/cell as the minimum intracellular phosphorus concentration for growth. The results are discussed, in terms of the inherent similarities and differences between a cyclostat and a steady state chemostat, and the advantages of the cyclostat for studies in phytoplankton ecology.
Biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and evaluation of treatment efficacy for traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a serious health concern, and TBI is one of the leading causes of death and disability, especially among young adults. Although preventive education, increased usage of safety devices, and TBI management have dramatically increased the potential for surviving a brain injury, there is still a need to develop reliable methods to diagnose TBI, the secondary pathologies associated with TBI, and predicting the outcomes of TBI. Biomarkers (changes of amount or activity in a biomolecule that reflect injury or disease) have shown promise in the diagnosis of several conditions, including cancer, heart failure, infection, and genetic disorders. A variety of proteins, small molecules, and lipid products have been proposed as potential biomarkers of brain damage from TBI. Although some of these changes have been reported to correlate with mortality and outcome, further research is required to identify prognostic biomarkers. This need is punctuated in mild injuries that cannot be readily detected using current techniques, as well as in defining patient risk for developing TBI-associated secondary injuries.
A Schematic Model of Quarks and Leptons

Abstract We consider a scheme in which all quarks and leptons are composites of only two types of fundamental spin 1 2 objects with electric charges 1 3 and 0. The concepts of color and flavor acquire meaning only at the level of the composite systems. Gauge bosons such as W± or gluons connect only composite states, and are not fundamental. The scheme accounts for several regularities of the observed pattern of quarks and leptons. However, we cannot offer any convincing dynamics, leaving many important questions unanswered.
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Coactivator-1α Is a Central Negative Regulator of Vascular Senescence

Objective— Cellular senescence influences organismal aging and increases predisposition to age-related diseases, in particular cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and function, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. Senescence is associated with telomere and mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, implying a potential causal role of PGC-1α in senescence pathogenesis. Approach and Results— We generated a PGC-1α +/– /apolipoprotein E –/– mouse model and showed that PGC-1α deficiency promotes a vascular senescence phenotype that is associated with increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial abnormalities, and reduced telomerase activity. PGC-1α disruption results in reduced expression of the longevity-related deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and the antioxidant catalase, and increased expression of the senescence marker p53 in aortas. Further, angiotensin II, a major hormonal inducer of vascular senescence, induces prolonged lysine acetylation of PGC-1α and releases the PGC-1α–FoxO1 complex from the SIRT1 promoter, thus reducing SIRT1 expression. The phosphorylation-defective mutant PGC-1α S570A is not acetylated, is constitutively active for forkhead box O1-dependent SIRT1 transcription, and prevents angiotensin II–induced senescence. Acetylation of PGC-1α by angiotensin II interrupts the PGC-1α–forkhead box O1–SIRT1 feed-forward signaling circuit leading to SIRT1 and catalase downregulation and vascular senescence. Conclusions— PGC-1α is a primary negative regulator of vascular senescence. Moreover, the central role of posttranslational modification of PGC-1α in regulating angiotensin II–induced vascular senescence may inform development of novel therapeutic strategies for mitigating age-associated diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
Power Made Perfect in Weakness: Aquinas's Transformation of the Virtue of Courage

In Plato's Republic, the moral education necessary to live the just life requires a transformation of the learner, a transformation that is both moral and intellectual. The result of the transformation, ideally, is a new understanding of power—one that subverts conventional ideas about power and one that requires nearly a lifetime of moral education to cultivate. When the eye of the soul has been turned toward the Good, Socrates teaches, we see that political power alone is powerless to satisfy our deepest longings; our ambitions for political power are destined for frustration unless they are redirected by philosophical wisdom. Moreover, wisdom teaches that worldly power is just the appearance of power; real power lies in knowledge of truth.
Hugh Hampton Young-father of modern American urology.

When Hugh Hampton Young (1870–1945) began practicing urology in 1897 at the clever recommendation of his praised mentor, William Halsted (1852–1922), and with indirect support from the well-accompl...
FTIR spectra of HF complexes with phenylalkynes in solid argon and nitrogen

Abstract Hydrogen-bonded complexes between phenylacetylene, phenylpropyne and HF have been prepared by reagent condensation in an argon or nitrogen matrix at 12 K. IR spectra of the products provide evidence for two 1:1 (base:HF) complexes in which the HF sub-molecule is bonded to the aromatic ring in one and to the CC triple bond in the other. Warming the matrix increases the latter complex at the expense of the former and produces 1:2 complexes with an (HF) 2 subunit bonded to the alkyne subgroup, no 1:2 ring complex being observed. These experiments show that the alkyne bonding site produces a more stable complex than the ring bonding site. Methyl substitution substantially increases the basicity of the acetylene group but not the basicity of the ring.
Adolescents' Opposite-sex Ideal in Four Countries.

Abstract Six hundred young adolescents (11 to 16 years old) from 4 countries (Guatemala, Iceland, Mexico, and the United States) ranked the importance of 10 qualities of the opposite-sex ideal person. Those from the United States responded in an individualistic fashion; they ranked being fun, being sexy, and having considerable money as important for the ideal. Those from Guatemala responded in a collectivistic fashion: they ranked liking children as important, but being fun and good looking as unimportant. Adolescents from Mexico and Iceland reported patterns of values not clearly associated with either collectivism or individualism.
On the size of hereditary classes of graphs

A hereditary property of graphs is a class of graphs which is closed under taking induced subgraphs. For a hereditary property P, let Pn denote the set of P graphs on n labelled vertices. Clearly we have 0 ≤ |Pn| ≤ 2n(n − 1)/2, but much more can be said. Our main results show that the growth of |Pn| is far from arbitrary and that certain growth rates are impossible. For example, for no property P does one have |Pn| ∼ log n.
The effects of photochemical oxidation and chain conformation on green emission of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene)

The effects of chain conformation on the photo-oxidation and green emission of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFO) has been investigated at both single-molecule and ensemble levels. Single-molecule studies reveal the conformation of PFO chains to be more globular when cast from THF than from toluene solutions. Intensity transients of the single molecules show that the elongated molecules cast from toluene have more fluctuations due to limited energy transfer along the polymer chains. The more globular chains show monotonic decays with isotropic polarization. Emission spectra of the single molecules show that photochemical oxidation leads to a reduction in the emission of the molecule with no change in the emission spectra. No green emission is ever detected for single molecules, indicating that formation of emissive ketone defects is a rare event. Ensemble studies of chains show that molecules cast from THF develop some green emission upon photodegradation, while those cast from toluene do not. The increase in green emission in the globular molecules suggests that interchain contacts improve energy transfer for emissive ketone defects in the PFO cast from THF.
Placental site trophoblastic tumour of the uterus with a distinctive glomerular lesion and fatal outcome

SummaryA 32 year old woman had a placental site trophoblastic tumour with a nephrotic syndrome. She had an initial serum β-HCG of 1176miu/ml and human placental lactogen of < 1 μg/ml. The tumour had invaded nearly the whole thickness of the myometrium and the cervix, and formed peri-urethral nodules.She had a hysterectomy with excision of the periurethral mass and postoperative chemotherapy. PAP-positive HCG and placental lactogen were seen in some capillary loops of renal glomerulus. The patient died 4 months later after haemoptyses.
Social studies progress monitoring and intervention for middle school students

This study examined the technical adequacy of vocabulary-matching curriculum-based measurement (CBM) to identify and monitor the progress of 148 middle school students in social studies. In additio...
Neodymium and strontium isotopic characteristics of New Zealand granitoids and related rocks

Initial ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr and ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd ratios of Phanerozoic granitoids and related intrusions of the New Zealand block display a mixing-type array indicative of the involvement in their sources of old continental crustal material, most likely of Proterozoic age.ɛ Sr(T) values range from −4 to +273 (^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr=0.7041–0.7233), while ɛ Nd(T) ranges from +2.7 to −11.0. Preexisting metasedimentary rocks have generally higher ɛ_Sr and lower ɛ_Nd (ranging to present-day values of +646 and −15.0, respectively), and, particularly for the Mesozoic intrusives, are isotopically appropriate mixing end-members. The widespread, early Paleozoic Greenland Group graywackes, which are derived from Proterozoic sources, are modeled as the source of the crustal end-member mixing with mantle-derived mafic magmas to produce the intrusive rocks. Four different types of models are applied to the isotopic and trace-element (Rb, Sr, Ba, REE) data: simple mixing; mixing with a partial melt of the metasedimentary rock, with or without isotopic equilibrium; and assimilation-fractional crystallization. Based on these models, some constraints may be applied on petrogenesis (e.g., the lack of high Rb concentrations points to the presence of biotite, and HREE depletion points to the presence of garnet); however, the models fail to adequately explain all the data. The New Zealand granitoids show similarities in isotopic character not only to rocks from offshore islands on the New Zealand block, but also to similar-aged granitoids in adjacent regions of Antarctica and Australia. This points to similarities in crustal character between continental blocks formerly proximal in Gondwanaland. We note an overall increase in ɛ_Nd and decrease in ɛ_Sr in felsic magmas from the Paleozoic to the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic in New Zealand, indicative of a decrease over time in the level of influence of recycled continental crust in subduction-related magmatism.
p53 autoantibodies, cytokine levels and ovarian carcinogenesis.

Abstract Objective To address the hypothesis that type II ovarian carcinoma, mutation of p53 and plasma levels of particular cytokines are associated with the generation of p53-specific serum autoantibody (AAb) responses in patients. Methods Levels of CA125, 17 cytokines and AAbs to tumor-associated antigens including p53 were measured in plasma of 130 gynecologic tumor patients and 84 healthy controls. TP53 exons 4–9 were sequenced in tumor specimens. Results p53 AAbs are associated with high grade, but not low grade ovarian carcinoma. Seropositivity for p53 AAb occurred only in those ovarian carcinoma patients whose tumors contained mutated TP53 , regardless of the exon targeted. Higher p53 AAb levels were detected in ovarian carcinoma patients who had higher stage disease, but p53 AAb levels were not correlated with CA125 levels. Among high-grade carcinoma patients, there was no relationship between p53 AAb seropositivity and seropositivity to other tumor-associated antigens tested, CA125 level or survival outcome. Both high and low grade ovarian carcinoma patients exhibited elevated levels of IL6, IL8 and IL10 as compared to healthy volunteers, although increased levels of IL5, MCP1, MIP1 and TNFα were associated only with high grade and advanced disease. Higher levels of p53AAb responses were correlated with elevated circulating IL4 and IL12, but reduced IL8 levels. Conclusion Type II, but not type I, ovarian carcinoma patients had elevated serum levels of p53 AAb. P53 AAb is associated with mutation of TP53 , higher plasma IL4 and IL12 but lower plasma IL8 levels and no survival advantage.
Senescence: Even Bacteria Get Old

Cellular senescence, even in the presence of abundant nutrients, has now been demonstrated in several microbes, including most recently the bacterium Escherichia coli, suggesting that it may be a universal adaptive response to the inevitable damage to cell constituents that accumulates with time.
Israel's Integration of Agriculture and Industry

HAIM HALPERIN is the dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and professor of agricultural economics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the director of the Israel Bank of Agriculture, and has served as the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture. He is a leading member of the large and influential Ihud Federation of Kibbutzim (Israeli collectives) and has played a leading role in shaping the policies and development of Israeli agriculture. In this book,1 the author takes note of the development in Israel of Regional Councils, whose scope of activities goes far beyond the usual range of municipal activities, and suggests that these regional councils might well be the prototype for similar arrangements in other countries. In the words of the author, "We suggest something new: the development of areas comprising a score or more of villages, ranging around an industrial centre, in which, in the course of time, other non-agricultural enterprises will be established. Thereby the gap between the urban and rural standard of living will be narrowed, agriculture will be preserved, and rural society will continue to exist though it will assume different forms" (p. 8). The author names this integration of agriculture and industry "Agrindus." The author takes note of, and deplores the declining role of the village and of agriculture, and the concomitant rise of industrialism and of highly concentrated and congested urban areas. The increasing productivity in agriculture and the tendency towards larger families in the rural areas create a surplus of farmers. These must foresake their homes and their way of life to seek employment in the large urban centres. Moreover, labor immobility necessarily creates income differentials between the rural and urban sectors, partially compensated for by governmental subsidies and other forms of economic intervention. However, the movement from the village to the town and city continues unabated in the developed and the developing countries. Accepting the author's views that this trend is an undesirable one (mainly from a sociological point of view) can the proposed Agrindus stem this tide, and if it can succeed in Israel, is this pro-
EXACT MEAN FIELD THEORY FOR CORRELATED LATTICE FERMIONS IN HIGH DIMENSIONS

We review the recently introduced concept of exact mean-field theories for fermionic lattice models. The method is applied to the Extended Simplified Hubbard Model, which is an Extended Hubbard model (including nearest-neighbor interaction) where only the ↓-electrons can hop. The construction of an exact mean-field Hamiltonian is discussed and a summary is given of the results obtained for the critical temperature, the order parameter and the density of states.
Generation of partial medial axis for disassembly motion planning

An efficient approach is presented for determining disassembly motion plans of a subassembly in the free space within its parent subassembly. A two-step approach is presented to generating motion plans. First, all possible paths within any free space of the parent subassembly are generated using a partial medial axis. This is followed by a graph search for an optimal global path. Secondly, a collision-free motion is planned using the global path and the geometry of the moving subassembly. The authors focus on the first problem, i.e. generation of partial medial axis for disassembly motion planning. A method is given to determine a partial medial axis when the parent subassembly is a 2D polygon. A set of critical points within the given polygon is identified, and these critical points are then connected based on geometry constraints. >
The competitive imperative of learning

Most executives believe that relentless execution--efficient, timely, consistent production and delivery of goods or services--is the surefire path to customer satisfaction and positive financial results. But this is a myth in the knowledge economy, argues Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor. She points to General Motors, which for years has remained wedded to a well-developed competency in centralized controls and efficient execution but has steadily lost ground, posting a record $38.7 billion loss in 2007. Such an execution-as-efficiency model results in employees who are exceedingly reluctant to offer ideas or voice questions and concerns. Placing value only on getting things right the first time, organizations are unable to take the risks necessary to improve and evolve. By contrast, firms that put a premium on what Edmondson calls execution-as-learning focus not so much on how a process should be carried out as on how it should evolve. Since 1980 General Electric, for instance, has continued to reinvent itself in every field from wind energy to medical diagnostics; and it enjoyed a $22.5 billion profit in 2007. Organizations that foster execution-as-learning provide employees with psychological safety. No one is penalized for asking for help or making a mistake. These companies also employ four distinct approaches to day-to-day work: They use the best available knowledge (which is understood to be a moving target) to inform the design of specific process guidelines. They encourage employee collaboration by making information available when and where it's needed. They routinely capture data on processes to discover how work really happens. Finally, they study these data in an effort to find ways to improve execution. Taken together, these practices form the basis of a learning infrastructure that makes continual learning part of business as usual.
Applications of spectral analysis and filter design in laser frequency locking for Na Doppler lidars

A dye ring laser is stabilized to a D2a Doppler-free feature of sodium vapor using a LabVIEW ® -based, phase-sensitive servo. Locking precision and stability, at better than ±1 MHz, are suitable for Na lidar applications. This performance was achieved with improved digital filter- ing and new approaches to the problem. The inverse type II Chebyshev discrete filter employed demonstrates superior filtering and computa- tional efficiency plus improved flexibility. New approaches include the determination of optimum modulation frequency, laser-tuning sensitivity, and bandwidth requirements via spectral analyses of the noise spec- trum, derivative scan, and modulated spectrum. This practice guides a user in selecting the system operation parameters and negotiating the trade-offs involved when expanding the filter's passband. Allan deviation plots provide a quantitative description of the short- and long-term fre- quency excursions. A comparison of Allan deviation plots before and after locking shows a substantial improvement in stability throughout time scales from 0.10 to 10 s. © 2009 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation
ESCRTs are everywhere

The ESCRT proteins are an ancient system that buds membranes and severs membrane necks from their inner face. Three "classical" functions of the ESCRTs have dominated research into these proteins since their discovery in 2001: the biogenesis of multivesicular bodies in endolysosomal sorting; the budding of HIV-1 and other viruses from the plasma membrane of infected cells; and the membrane abscission step in cytokinesis. The past few years have seen an explosion of novel functions: the biogenesis of microvesicles and exosomes; plasma membrane wound repair; neuron pruning; extraction of defective nuclear pore complexes; nuclear envelope reformation; plus-stranded RNA virus replication compartment formation; and micro- and macroautophagy. Most, and perhaps all, of the functions involve the conserved membrane-neck-directed activities of the ESCRTs, revealing a remarkably widespread role for this machinery through a broad swath of cell biology.
The process specification system for MMST

A specification application (SPEC) was created as part of the Microelectronics Manufacturing Science and Technology (MMST) program at Texas Instruments Incorporated. The overall goal of the MMST program was the development of the next generation wafer fabrication system by improving key areas in the fabrication of wafers, including cycle time, cost, and quality. This paper presents the key features of SPEC used to meet the MMST goals. SPEC composes process flow specifications from equipment, step, sequence, and wafer specification hierarchies. Specifications can be reused and can be machine independent. These specifications are integrated into a specification management framework that provides both revision and change notice control. SPEC integrates with other MMST applications to process wafers; including material release into the factory, material movement, machine scheduling, and direct control of equipment-all key features of a paperless factory. During the processing of a wafer, SPEC uses the latest version of a specification. SPEC played a key role in the MMST program especially during the 1000 wafer pilot production run which achieved a single wafer cycle time of less than 72 h. >
Geely motors: a Chinese automaker enters international markets

On 22 January 2006, Shufu Li, the Director of International Marketing for Geely Motors, was rushing to the check-in counter at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in order to travel back to Shanghai, China. He had just come from the Detroit International Auto Show where his company had presented its new car models. Geely (pronounced 'Gee-Lee') had been selling cars in China since 1997. In 2004, they had begun exporting cars to North Africa and Latin America. Geely had now set their sights on the USA, the largest automobile market in the world. Geely's management was planning to sell cars in the US market for under US$10,000 by late 2008. The International Auto Show in Detroit was crucial in order to get feedback from and establish relationships with potential business partners, customers and the press. While he was boarding the plane, Mr. Li began to reflect on Geely's transition from a regional manufacturer focused on the domestic Chinese market to an international player. Would the last few years of their marketing effort turn Geely into a global player in the auto market? Would US consumers warm to the cars Geely had shown at the auto show? How could Geely overcome the lack of brand name and the negative country-of-origin quality image that Chinese manufacturers have?
A Novel Notch Protein, N2N, Targeted by Neutrophil Elastase and Implicated in Hereditary Neutropenia

Mutations in ELA2, encoding the human serine protease neutrophil elastase, cause cyclic and severe congenital neutropenia, and recent evidence indicates that the mutations alter the membrane trafficking of neutrophil elastase. These disorders feature impaired bone marrow production of neutrophils along with excess monocytes—terminally differentiated lineages corresponding to the two alternative fates of myeloid progenitor cells. We utilized a modified yeast two-hybrid system and identified a new, widely expressed gene, N2N, whose product is homologous to Notch2, that interacts with neutrophil elastase. N2N is a 36-kDa protein distributed throughout the cell and secreted. Its amino-terminal sequence consists of several EGF repeats identical to those of the extracellular region of Notch2, and its carboxyl terminus contains a unique 24-residue domain required for interaction with neutrophil elastase. Neutrophil elastase cleaves N2N within EGF repeats in vitro and in living cells, but the C-terminal domain retards proteolysis. In vitro, N2N represses transcriptional activities of Notch proteins. Disease-causing mutations of neutrophil elastase disrupt the interaction with N2N, impair proteolysis of N2N and Notch2, and interfere with Notch2 signaling, suggesting defective proteolysis of an inhibitory form of Notch as an explanation for the alternate switching of cell fates characteristic of hereditary neutropenia.
Single-lung transplantation in emphysema.

Abstract A patient with severe bilateral emphysema has survived more than 31/2 months after receiving a single-lung allograft. At least seven presumed episodes of rejection were identified and reversed by massive pulsed intravenous doses of methyl prednisolone. When allograft rejection was controlled, no serious or progressive ventilation-perfusion imbalances occurred and the allograft provided the majority of effective ventilation and pulmonary blood-flow, with consequent improvement in the patient's respiratory status.
The Effects of Driving Frequency and Antenna Length on Power Deposition Within a Microwave Antenna Array Used for Hyperthermia

The theory of the linear, insulated antenna embedded in an electrically dense medium is applied to microwave antennas used for hyperthermia cancer therapy. The pattern of power deposition is computed for a square array of four antennas with a side length of 3 cm under the assumption of no coupling among antennas. The driving frequency is set to seven values between 300 and 915 MHz, and the antenna halflength is set to three values: 3 cm, 6 cm, and the resonant value.