cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are “new” words really new?

Abstract The present study investigates the question of whether second and fifth grade children already know the meanings of reading vocabulary presented as “new” vocabulary in their basal readers. Students from two midwestern school districts (N=142) were asked to complete a yes/no test and a multiple‐choice test to assess their knowledge of vocabulary presented in their current grade level basal readers as well as their knowledge of vocabulary presented in basal readers 1 and 2 years beyond their grade level. Overall mean scores for both second and fifth grade cohorts were above 75% for grade level words and over 70% for the “new” words which had not yet been presented. Children were found not to perform much better on those words formally taught in basal reading series than on words they had not yet been taught. It is suggested that educators and publishers need to reevaluate the criteria they use to select vocabulary for instruction in basal readers.
Antenna selection for opportunistic interference management in MIMO broadcast channels

Opportunistic interference management (OIM) is an approach that can asymptotically achieve dirty paper coding (DPC) capacity in the downlink of wireless cellular networks with minimum feedback requirement. With K antennas at the base station and M mobile users in the cell, the proposed technique requires only K integer numbers related to channel state information (CSI). This multiplexing gain of K is achieved at the expense of M mobile users such that K = Θ(logM). We introduce an antenna selection scheme at the base station to reduce the minimum number of required mobile users significantly at the expense of reasonable increase in feedback.
Pyrene Photochemistry in Solid n-Alkane Matrices: Comparisons with Liquid-Phase Reactions

The photochemically induced attachment of pyrene to a series of n-alkanes (Cn, where n = 8, 19, 20, 21, 24, and 28), cyclohexane (CyH), and 1-eicosene (C=20) has been investigated as a function of solvent phase, pyrene concentration, radiation wavelength (especially below and above 300 nm), and alkane chain length. Qualitatively, the efficiency and selectivity of attachment are much greater in the solid than in the liquid phases of the alkanes. Efficiency is decreased significantly when the concentration of pyrene in the solid phases is increased above ca. 10-5 M. The solid-state reactions are very selective when n ≥ 21 and the irradiation wavelength is > 300 nm. Under these conditions, only one photoattachment product, a 1-alkylpyrene, can be detected in each case. Mechanistic models consistent with these observations are advanced. They explain the changes in selectivity and efficiency based on the location of the pyrene molecules in the solid phase matrices and on the energy available to the highly exci...
Anisotropic poroelasticity: fabric tensor formulation

A representation of anisotropic poroelasticity is derived in which the drained and undrained elastic compliance constants, as well as the permeability tensor, are expressed as functions of the fabric tensor. The fabric tensor employed is a quantitative stereological measure of the anisotropy of the structure of the pores in the porous medium. It is shown that the undrained elastic constants may be expressed as functions of the fabric tensor, the drained elastic constants, the porosity, the bulk moduli of the fluid and the matrix material.
Interfacial Impedance Study of Li-Ion Composite Cathodes during Aging at Elevated Temperatures

The interfacial impedance behavior of carbon black,LiNi[0.8]Co[0.15]Al[0.05]O[2], and LiFePO[4]composite electrodes duringstorage in 1.2 M LiPF[6], ethylene carbonate/ethyl methyl carbonate 3:7wt percent electrolyte at 45oC was investigated. The effect of thermalpretreatment (120oC under vacuum) prior to aging on the electrochemicalproperties of the electrodes was studied in detail. Electrochemicalimpedance measurements, which were carried out periodically duringstorage, showed that (i) the electrodes' interfacial impedance decreasedsubstantially with the heat-treatment time, (ii) the rate of impedanceincrease upon storage in electrolyte at elevated temperatures waspredetermined by the heat-treatment parameters, and (iii) physicochemicalproperties of carbon (carbon black) were primarily responsible for theobserved interfacial impedance behavior of the electrodes during aging.Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, and Fouriertransform infrared analysis of aged electrodes revealed a thin surfacefilm of electrolyte decomposition products. Adsorbed water and oxygencontaining surface groups on carbon reacted with the electrolyte toproduce inorganic and organic surface deposits. The thin-film formationon carbon black particles during aging, and consequently, a gradual lossof electronic conductivity within the electrode is most likelyresponsible for degradation of electrochemical performance.
Classification and epidemiology of tinnitus

One third of all adults report experiencing tinnitus at some time in their lives. Ten percent to 15% have prolonged tinnitus requiring medical evaluation. Classification of tinnitus requires a thorough history and physical examination, supplemented by appropriate diagnostic tests. Tinnitus can be categorized according to its qualities (as described by the patient and matched on the audiometer) and its clinical type (as suggested by probable etiology). Audiologic testing, tinnitus analysis, and occasional radiologic studies assist with classification and direction of treatment planning. The THI is another method of classification that can facilitate the precise monitoring of a patient's progress. By using these tools and standardizing the language, tinnitus studies around the world can become more comparable and patients can be better monitored for treatment response.
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2)-enhanced G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) activity. Location, structure, and regulation of the PIP2 binding site distinguishes the GRK subfamilies.

The G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) phosphorylate agonist occupied G protein-coupled receptors and play an important role in mediating receptor desensitization. The localization of these enzymes to their membrane incorporated substrates is required for their efficient function and appears to be a highly regulated process. In this study we demonstrate that phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) enhances GRK5-mediated β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) phosphorylation by directly interacting with this enzyme and facilitating its membrane association. GRK5-mediated phosphorylation of a soluble peptide substrate is unaffected by PIP2, suggesting that the PIP2-enhanced receptor kinase activity arises as a consequence of this membrane localization. The lipid binding site of GRK5 exhibits a high degree of specificity and appears to reside in the amino terminus of this enzyme. Mutation of six basic residues at positions 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, and 29 of GRK5 ablates the ability of this kinase to bind PIP2. This region of the GRK5, which has a similar distribution of basic amino acids to the PIP2 binding site of gelsolin, is highly conserved between members of the GRK4 subfamily (GRK4, GRK5, and GRK6). Indeed, all the members of the GRK4 subfamily exhibit PIP2-dependent receptor kinase activity. We have shown previously that the membrane association of βARK (β-adrenergic receptor kinase) (GRK2) is mediated, in vitro, by the simultaneous binding of PIP2 and the βγ subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins to the carboxyl-terminal pleckstrin homology domain of this enzyme (Pitcher, J. A., Touhara, K., Payne, E. S., and Lefkowitz, R. J. (1995) J. Biol. Chem.270, 11707-11710). Thus, five members of the GRK family bind PIP2, βARK (GRK2), βARK2 (GRK3), GRK4, GRK5, and GRK6. However, the structure, location, and regulation of the PIP2 binding site distinguishes the βARK (GRK2 and GRK3) and GRK4 (GRK4, GRK5, and GRK6) subfamilies.
Electrochemical detection of thiols with a coenzyme pyrroloquinoline quinone modified electrode.

A modified electrode sensor for the detection of thiols is described. The sensor was constructed by incorporation of the coenzyme pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) into a polypyrrole (PPy) film on a glassy carbon electrode substrate by the electropolymerization of pyrrole in the presence of PQQ. The electrochemical properties of entrapped PQQ in the PPy film were influenced by the applied potential during electropolymerization and by film thickness, both of which were optimized to yield a stable and reproducible response for entrapped PQQ. The PQQ/PPy sensor was utilized for the amperometric detection of cysteine, homocysteine, penicillamine, N-acetylcysteine, and glutathione. The response for each thiol in pH 8.42 borate buffer was found to be linear with detection limits (S/N = 3) ranging from 13.2 μM for glutathione to 63.7 nM for cysteine with sensitivities of 0.023 nA/μM and 4.71 nA/μM, respectively. The response and detection limits were found to be sensitive to the nature of the thiol and the solution...
ATR subsystem performance measures using manual segmentation of SAR target chips

Target recognition research for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has been made easier with the introduction of target chip sets. The target chips typically are of good quality and consist of three regions: target, shadow and background clutter. Target chip sets allow recognition researchers to bypass the quality filtering and detection phases of the automatic recognition process. So, the researcher can focus on segmentation and matching techniques. A manual segmentation process using supervised quality control is introduced in this paper. Using 'goodness of fit' measures the quality of manual segmentation on SAR target chips is presented. Using the expected metrics associated with the manual segmentation process, the performance of automated segmentation techniques can be evaluated. The approach of using manual segmentation to evaluate the performance of automated segmentation techniques is presented by demonstrating the results on a simple automated segmentation technique that incorporates speckle removal and segmentation.
Abstract 5581: Antigen-specific CTLA-4-regulated T-cell responses elicited in patients with prostate cancer treated by DNA immunization

Background: We and others have been interested in plasmid DNA vaccines as a means of eliciting tumor antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses. We have investigated plasmid DNA vaccines encoding prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), a well-characterized prostate tumor antigen, in rodent models and found these to be effective in eliciting antigen-specific CD8+ T cells with evidence of anti-tumor efficacy. Multiple immunizations at high plasmid doses, however, elicited antigen-specific IL-10 secretion. We have recently completed a phase I clinical trial evaluating a DNA vaccine encoding PAP in patients with minimal residual prostate cancer. In that trial, while in vitro PAP-specific T-cell responses were elicited in multiple patients following six biweekly immunizations, others did not have evidence of an immune response, and some responses were not detectable until months later. The current study was conducted to determine whether immunization might have elicited an antigen-specific regulatory T-cell response in some individuals. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 21 patients prior to immunization, and two weeks after six biweekly immunizations, were evaluated for PAP-specific immune responses in a SCID mouse trans-vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) assay. Specifically, DTH responses to PAP in PBMC were evaluated in the presence or absence of antibodies to regulatory molecules (IL-10, TGFs, CTLA-4, PD-1) to “uncover” antigen-specific regulatory mechanisms. Results: 8/21 individuals had a PAP-specific T-cell response following immunization that was not detectable pre-immunization and which was “uncovered” by CTLA-4 blockade. This response was found to persist in at least one individual for several months. IL-10- and TGFs-regulated responses were not detected. Baseline regulatory PAP-specific T cells could be detected that suppressed concurrent tetanus-specific DTH responses. 6/8 individuals with a detectable CTLA-4-regulated response experienced a favorable increase in PSA doubling time. Conclusions: Patients with prostate cancer can have PAP-specific regulatory T cells. Plasmid DNA immunization can elicit effector T cells specific for PAP that in many individuals is regulated by CTLA-4. Further studies are underway to characterize the regulatory T cell population(s), however these findings suggest that the efficacy of DNA vaccines might be further augmented by combination with anti-CTLA-4 blockade. In addition, these studies suggest that these trans-vivo DTH methods, in use for evaluating mechanisms of antigen-specific tolerance, could be more generally applied to the immune monitoring of anti-tumor vaccine clinical trials. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5581.
Is cancer a metabolic disease

Although cancer has historically been viewed as a disorder of proliferation, recent evidence has suggested that it should also be considered a metabolic disease. Growing tumors rewire their metabolic programs to meet and even exceed the bioenergetic and biosynthetic demands of continuous cell growth. The metabolic profile observed in cancer cells often includes increased consumption of glucose and glutamine, increased glycolysis, changes in the use of metabolic enzyme isoforms, and increased secretion of lactate. Oncogenes and tumor suppressors have been discovered to have roles in cancer-associated changes in metabolism as well. The metabolic profile of tumor cells has been suggested to reflect the rapid proliferative rate. Cancer-associated metabolic changes may also reveal the importance of protection against reactive oxygen species or a role for secreted lactate in the tumor microenvironment. This article reviews recent research in the field of cancer metabolism, raising the following questions: Why do cancer cells shift their metabolism in this way? Are the changes in metabolism in cancer cells a consequence of the changes in proliferation or a driver of cancer progression? Can cancer metabolism be targeted to benefit patients?
Artworks at work: the impacts of workplace art

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the impact that employees and board members of an organization believe the art in their workplace has on their experience at work and identify the exhibition’s features salient to their experience of the art. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 affiliates of an Australian organization with an institutional art collection. The interview data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis by two researchers, with a final inter-rater reliability of 0.96. Findings – The results showed that respondents believe there are five main ways they are impacted by the art in their workplace: the art promotes social interactions, elicits emotional responses, facilitates personal connection-making, generally enhances the workplace environment and fosters learning. Participants indicated the salient features of the collection are its changing nature, creativity, diversity, quality and connection to the organization’s mission. Practical...
Tying Marketing Science with Marketing Practice

The problems of achieving a successful interface between marketing science and marketing practice are numerous. Furthermore, they vary from subject to subject and from environment to environment. To avoid getting lost in this hall of mirrors, attention has been paid in this piece of research to four important subjects. First, a philosophical and organisational point of view is proposed about the proper role and funding structure for marketing research and marketing science activities. Next, some marketing science contributions to design issues are examined. In marketing, these are the ‘what kind’ questions about products, product lines, and associated market communications. Third, the ‘how much’ issue is discussed as it relates to total marketing expenditures and their allocations across the marketing mix. Having discussed some approaches to these ‘gut’ issues, the last section reviews in general terms the current state‐of‐the‐art in marketing science and some factors which may shape future developments. This synopsis deals mainly with the organisational problems of using marketing science.
From Repair to Regeneration: Biomaterials to Reprogram the Meniscus Wound Microenvironment

When the field of tissue engineering first arose, scaffolds were conceived of as inert three-dimensional structures whose primary function was to support cellularity and tissue growth. Since then, advances in scaffold and biomaterial design have evolved to not only guide tissue formation, but also to interact dynamically with and manipulate the wound environment. At present, these efforts are being directed towards strategies that directly address limitations in endogenous wound repair, with the goal of reprogramming the local wound environment (and the cells within that locality) from a state that culminates in an inferior tissue repair into a state in which functional regeneration is achieved. This review will address this approach with a focus on recent advances in scaffold design towards the resolution of tears of the knee meniscus as a case example. The inherent limitations to endogenous repair will be discussed, as will specific examples of how biomaterials are being designed to overcome these limitations. Examples will include design of fibrous scaffolds that promote colonization by modulating local extracellular matrix density and delivering recruitment factors. Furthermore, we will discuss scaffolds that are themselves modulated by the wound environment to alter porosity and modulate therapeutic release through precise coordination of scaffold degradation. Finally, we will close with emerging concepts in local control of cell mechanics to improve interstitial cell migration and so advance repair. Overall, these examples will illustrate how emergent features within a biomaterial can be tuned to manipulate and harness the local tissue microenvironment in order to promote robust regeneration.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING OF THE ELECTRODERMAL RESPONSE WITH NOVEL STIMULI

Most attempts to classically condition the electrodermal response (GSR) have used aversive stimuli. A series of 20 novel slides were used as unconditional stimuli in a delayed differential conditioning paradigm involving reinforced and unreinforced conditional stimuli. Thirty female Ss were given 10 habituation trials, 40 conditioning trials of which half were reinforced, and 10 extinction trials. Orienting response, anticipatory response, and post-conditional stimulus response components were analyzed separately for the different series. Differential conditioning was obtained for two of the responses during the conditioning and extinction series. The results indicate that a relatively mild novel stimulus can also effectively condition the GSR.
Buffer effects on the zeta potential of ultrafiltration membranes

Abstract Membrane charge can have a large effect on the performance of many ultrafiltration processes. Previous studies of membrane charge have generally been performed using solutions of simple monovalent salts; however, the effective surface charge can be strongly influenced by the binding or adsorption to the membrane surface of specific buffer ions present in actual process solutions. Experimental data were obtained for the zeta potential of both standard and positively-charged polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes in the presence of a variety of monovalent and multivalent buffer ions. The zeta potential of the positively-charged membrane was very strongly dependent upon the buffer, with the adsorption of di- and tri-valent anions causing a large reduction in the zeta potential. Changes in buffer composition also caused long transients in the membrane zeta potential under some conditions due to the slow kinetics for the displacement of strongly bound ions from the membrane surface.
Adaptive Genetic Algorithm for Optimal Printed Circuit Board Assembly Planning

Abstract We present a novel application of the genetic algorithm approach for solving the problem of planning optimal placement/insertion sequence and machine setup in primed circuit board (PCB) assembly. The algorithm starts with feasible solutions and utilizes genetic operators to iteratively generate potentially better solutions in the optimization process, similar to the biological evolution process. We first describe the basic algorithm and its application to optimal planning for some popular PCB assembly machines. We then describe an adaptive genetic algorithm, which has its rates of genetic operators changed automatically during the iterative optimization process. We use a Wilcoxon signed rank test to show its performance improvement over the fixed-rate genetic algorithm
Ponded deposits on asteroid 433 Eros

In late January 2001 the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft performed low-altitude passes over the surface of 433 Eros. Coordinated observations of the asteroid surface were obtained at submeter resolution by the NEAR laser rangefinder and the multispectral imager. This paper presents three independent, coordinated observations of a 90 m pond adjacent to a granular debris flow, including the highest resolution altimetric measurements of ponded deposits on Eros. The ponded deposits appear to have been emplaced by fluid-like motion of dry asteroidal regolith. A simple model of seismic agitation from impacts is developed to account for pond formation on Eros. The model predicts that ponds should form readily on Eros but not on the Moon, where ponds are not observed. The model also suggests that the absence of observable ponds in the largest craters of Eros, as well as on Phobos and Deimos, may be related to regolith depth.
Surface relaxation and thermal expansion for the (001) face of α-Fe and Cu

Abstract The surface relaxation and the near-surface enhancement of thermal expansion have been calculated for the (001) face of a bcc crystal, α-Fe, and an fcc crystal, Cu. The calculations make use of the anharmonic perturbation formalism of Dobrzynski and Maradudin; the results for certain equal-time vibrational correlation functions which arise in this formalism are also presented. The crystal potential is described in terms of several kinds of short-range empirical interatomic potentials, such as have been used in studies of defects in bulk; in the near-surface region, the effects of surface redistribution of the electron distribution are modelled by the addition of a simple surface Madelung (SSM) force. The effect of the SSM force is to limit severely the usual outward relaxation driven by short-range interatomic potentials. For Fe(001), the five and one-half percent outward static relaxation driven by the short-range potentials acting alone is changed to a one percent inward static relaxation when the SSM force is incorporated; for Cu(001), the comparable change is from a one percent outward relaxation to a one-half percent outward relaxation. On the other hand, the SSM force makes only a small effect on the surface-enhanced thermal expansion coefficients (STEC) for interplanar spacings. The STEC for the outermost spacing is between 2.5. and 3.0 times of that for the bulk at the Debye temperature for both Fe(001) and Cu(001); for the second interplanar spacing, the STEC is smaller than 1.5 times of that of the bulk at the Debye temperature. The ratios of the near-surface mean-square amplitudes (MSA) to those of the bulk at high temperatures are, for Fe(001), about 1.75 for z -components (normal to surface) and 1.55 for x -components (parallel to surface) in the surface layer; for Cu(001), about 1.95 for z -components and 1.30 for x -components. The interplanar correlation functions, while smaller than the MSA on an absolute scale, do show considerable surface-enhancement, particularly for the zz -compoments. For example, the zz -correlation between an atom in the outermost layer and its nearest neighbor in the next layer is nearly twice the comparable bulk correlation above the Debye temperature for both Fe(001) and Cu(001).
Applying uncertainty quantification to multiphase flow computational fluid dynamics

Abstract Multiphase computational fluid dynamics plays a major role in design and optimization of fossil fuel based reactors. There is a growing interest in accounting for the influence of uncertainties associated with physical systems to increase the reliability of computational simulation based engineering analysis. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has recently undertaken an initiative to characterize uncertainties associated with computer simulation of reacting multiphase flows encountered in energy producing systems such as a coal gasifier. The current work presents the preliminary results in applying non-intrusive parametric uncertainty quantification and propagation techniques with NETL's open-source multiphase computational fluid dynamics software MFIX. For this purpose an open-source uncertainty quantification toolkit, PSUADE developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been interfaced with MFIX software. In this study, the sources of uncertainty associated with numerical approximation and model form have been neglected, and only the model input parametric uncertainty with forward propagation has been investigated by constructing a surrogate model based on data-fitted response surface for a multiphase flow demonstration problem. Monte Carlo simulation was employed for forward propagation of the aleatory type input uncertainties. Several insights gained based on the outcome of these simulations are presented such as how inadequate characterization of uncertainties can affect the reliability of the prediction results. Also a global sensitivity study using Sobol' indices was performed to better understand the contribution of input parameters to the variability observed in response variable.
Model of Education for the 1980s: Union of School, Community, and Family.

Schools must be more tightly linked to community and pupils' homes. This must be done simply, efficiently, and in a nondiscriminatory manner.
Current Strategies for Surgical Management and Adjuvant Treatment of Childhood Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Childhood papillary thyroid carcinoma is associated with more locally aggressive and more frequent distant disease than its adult counterpart. Recurrence rates tend to be higher in children, but cause-specific mortality remains low. Optimal initial treatment of childhood papillary thyroid carcinoma should include total or near-total thyroidectomy and central compartment node clearance. Modified neck dissections should be performed for biopsy-proven lateral neck disease. Every effort should be made to maintain parathyroid and laryngeal nerve function. Radical neck dissections are to be avoided. Radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA), appropriate thyroid hormone suppressive therapy (THST), and judicious use of therapeutic doses of 131I are applied to achieve a disease-free status, which is most often confirmed by negative neck ultrasonography, negative whole-body scan (either withdrawal or recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone-stimulated), and extremely low levels of serum thyroglobulin. Appropriate utilization of 131I, THST, repeat surgery, external beam radiotherapy, and rarely chemotherapy may provide long-term palliation and some cures in patients with recurrent/persistent disease. Follow-up should be lifelong, and the care of children after age 17 should subsequently be transferred to adult-care endocrinologists with expertise in managing thyroid neoplasia. Optimal surgical management can be achieved if adequate operations are routinely carried out by “high-volume” thyroid surgeons with expertise in the care of children. Nowhere is a multidisciplinary approach (endocrinologists, surgeons, nuclear medicine physicians, pediatricians, pathologists, oncologists) more critical than in the long-term management of papillary thyroid carcinoma that presents during childhood.
Direct LC analysis of selected priority pollutants in water at ppb levels

Thirty-two priority pollutants can be analyzed in water with detection limits of 10 ppb by direct liquid chromatography. High sensitivity is obtained by use of an ultra-violet detector at 202 nm and a reverse phase C18 column with a water-acetonitrile gradient that is compatible with two milliliter water samples.
Internal constraints in linear elasticity

Sufficient conditions are obtained for continuous dependence of solutions of boundary value problems of linear elasticity on internal constraints. Arbitrary hyperelastic materials with arbitrary (linear) internal constraints are included. In particular the results of Bramble and Payne, Kobelkov, Mikhlin for homogeneous, isotropic, incompressible materials are obtained as a special case. In the case of boundary value problem of place, a compatibility condition is obtained between the internal constraints and the boundary data which is necessary for the existence of solutions. With a further coercivity assumption on the compliance tensor, it is shown that the compatibility condition is also sufficient for existence. An orthogonal decomposition theorem for second order tensor fields modeled after Weyl's decomposition of solenoidal and gradient fields leads to the variational formulation of the problem and existence theorems.
Highly regulated cell type-restricted expression of human renin in mice containing 140- or 160-kilobase pair P1 phage artificial chromosome transgenes.

We generated transgenic mice with two P1 artificial chromosomes, each containing the human renin (HREN) gene and extending to −35 and −75 kilobase pairs, respectively. HREN protein production was restricted to juxtaglomerular cells of the kidney, and its expression was tightly regulated by angiotensin II and sodium. The magnitude of the up- and down-regulation in HREN mRNA caused by the stimuli tested was identical to the endogenous renin gene, suggesting tight physiological regulation. P1 artificial chromosome mice were mated with transgenic mice overexpressing human angiotensinogen to determine if there was a chronic compensatory down-regulation of the transgene. Despite a 3-fold down-regulation of HREN mRNA, plasma angiotensin II and blood pressure was modestly elevated in the double transgenic mice. Nevertheless, this elevation was significantly less than a different double transgenic model containing a poorly regulated HREN transgene. The increase in blood pressure, despite the decrease in HREN mRNA, suggests that the HREN gene can partially, but not completely, compensate for excess circulating angiotensinogen. These data suggest the possibility that increases in circulating or tissue angiotensinogen may cause an increase in blood pressure in humans, even in the presence of a functionally active servo-mechanism to down-regulate HREN expression.
Laboratory studies of circumstellar and interstellar materials

When the most primitive types of meteorite (chondrites) and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) formed in the solar protoplanetary disk (solar nebula), all of them incorporated at least two types of presolar material: interstellar organic matter and circumstellar grains. The organic matter probably formed in the protosolar molecular cloud. To date, 10 types of circumstellar grain have been found and their isotopic compositions show that they formed around RGB/AGB stars, supernovae and, possibly, novae and WR stars. It has been proposed that interstellar silicates are also present in IDPs, but the evidence for this is less compelling. The range of isotopic compositions exhibited by the circumstellar grains require a minimum of 35–40 stellar sources, suggesting that they are a fairly representative sample of circumstellar dust production in the Galaxy. In general, the relative abundances of circumstellar grains from different sources are similar to what is expected from astronomical estimates provided that the contribution from supernovae is relatively small. The one exception is graphite grains from AGB stars that are highly depleted. Collisional erosion, radiation damage and sputtering are all expected to affect grains in the ISM on relatively short timescales. Yet, for reasons that are unclear, examination of the circumstellar grains has found little evidence for any of these processes. The circumstellar grains also provide information about grain nucleation and growth in stellar winds. For instance, only graphite grains from AGB stars seem to have formed by heterogeneous nucleation. Graphite and SiC grains from AGB stars as large as 10–20 µm have been found in meteorites, probably requiring regions of high gas density rather than the usual assumption of uniformly expanding outflows. However, few graphite and SiC grains have similar C isotopic compositions, suggesting that they tend to form at different stages of AGB evolution.
The ski slope to prosperity: an analysis of the potential impact of reverse auctions in government procurement in five Southeast Asian nations

The Institute for Supply Management recently declared that the cost savings and efficiencies to be gained through e‐Sourcing can provide benefits not only to individual entities that use them for the acquisition of goods and services, but in the aggregate, to the economy as a whole (Davies, 2002). This study examines the potential impact of strategic implementation of e‐Sourcing in public procurement in Southeast Asia. The results of the study demonstrate that the use of competitive bidding events, popularly known as reverse auctions, when used as part of an overall e‐Sourcing program, can have demonstrable economic and budgetary benefits. Using governmental data supplied by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank and employing proven econometric methodologies, the study shows that their would be vast differences in Asian economies as a result of the effective use of competitive bidding events as part of an overall e‐Sourcing strategy. We conclude by presenting an action plan for implementing an e‐Sourcing strategy for acquisition practices.
State Efforts to Identify Maltreated Children with Disabilities: A Follow-Up Study:

Child abuse and neglect state liaison officers representing 50 states and 7 U.S. territories were surveyed regarding data collection procedures, accuracy of reporting, state assistance to local agencies, and training for child welfare workers in the area of maltreated children with disabilities. The current study is a replication of a similar survey conducted by Camblin in 1982. Results indicate that (a) more states provided assistance to local child welfare agencies than was reported in 1982, (b) the number of states that routinely collected disability information in child maltreatment cases had declined, (c) seven states documented specific disabilities in children, (d) two states reported on the number of children disabled as a result of abuse, (e) fewer states reported having accurate information on the incidence of disabled children reported for maltreatment, and (f) seven states required training in disabilities for child welfare workers, with an average of four hours required. Implications of the r...
Occurrence of tcrB, a transferable copper resistance gene, in fecal enterococci of swine.

Abstract High concentration of copper, fed as copper sulfate, is often used to increase growth rates in swine. Bacteria exposed to copper may acquire resistance, and in Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis, a plasmid-borne transferable copper resistance (tcrB) gene that confers copper resistance has been reported. Our objectives were to determine the occurrence of tcrB in fecal enterococci from weaned piglets fed diets with a normal supplemental level (16.5 ppm) or an elevated supplemental level (125 ppm) of copper and to determine the association of tcrB with copper, erythromycin, and vancomycin resistance. A total of 323 enterococcal isolates were examined and 15 (4.6%) isolates (14 E. faecium and 1 E. faecalis) were positive for tcrB. Fifteen tcrB-positive and 15 randomly chosen tcrB-negative isolates from piglets fed the normal supplemental level of copper were tested for erm(B), tet(M), vanA, and vanB genes and susceptibilities to copper, erythromycin, tetracyclines, and vancomycin. All tcr...
S-Adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase of the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis: Potent inhibitory activity of 9-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro-β,d-arabinofuranosyl)adenine

Abstract In the present study, we carried out a structure–activity analysis in Trichomonas vaginalis of a series of adenosine and uridine analogues. The most potent compounds were found to be 2′ and 3′ modified adenosine analogues some of which are potent inhibitors of S -adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase. The 9-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro-β, d -arabinofuranosyl)adenine compound was more potent than metronidazole, a current FDA approved and commonly prescribed drug for treatment of trichomoniasis. Its IC 50 was 0.09 μM compared to 0.72 μM for metronidazole.
Accumulation of acetylcholinesterase at newly formed nerve-muscle synapses

Abstract The early appearance and functional significance of synaptic acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were examined in embryonic chick spinal cord-muscle cocultures. Synapses were identified by focal extracellular recording and divided into three categories based on their mean time constant of synaptic current decay ( \ gt syn ): fast ( 1.0 msec \ gt syn msec ), intermediate ( 1.8 msec \ gt syn msec ), and slow ( \ gt syn > 2.6 msec ). Patches of AChE histochemical reaction product were evident at identified synapses within 24 hr of coculture. After 4 days, 74% of the fast synapses stained for AChE, whereas none of the slow synapses was stained. Thus, it is likely that AChE serves to limit the duration of ACh action at newly formed nerve-muscle synapses, just as it does at the adult neuromuscular junction. This conclusion is supported by the fact that methanesulfonyl fluoride, an AChE inhibitor, prolonged synaptic currents at fast, but not at slow, synapses. Moreover, the mean channel open time of activated ACh receptors estimated by fluctuation analysis was the same at fast and slow synapses.
A continued fraction from Ramanujan’s lost notebook

In his lost notebook, Ramanujan recorded without a proof the value of an elegant periodic continued fraction. The authors provide an elementary proof of a corrected version of Ramanujan’s claim.
Measuring Inconsistency in Phylogenetic Trees

Abstract Suppose that we seek a treeTgiving the phylogenetic relationships among the species in a setS. A common method selects for such a tree a maximum parsimony tree using the genome of the species inS. Suppose thatKis a proper subset ofS. ThenTinduces a treeUwhich gives the same relationships among the species inKbut omits the species ofSwhich are not inK. Unfortunately, whenTis a maximum parsimony tree for the species inS, thenUneed not be a maximum parsimony tree for the species inK. This phenomenon exhibits an inconsistency in the criterion of maximum parsimony—maximum parsimony trees for different groups of species may be “inconsistent”. It implies that the addition of a new species scan change relationships already “established” for prior species if the trees are obtained by the criterion of maximum parsimony. The phenomenon occurs both in artificial examples and with real data. An alternative method for generating phylogenetic trees seeks to minimize such inconsistencies. For each groupJconsisting of four of the species, we find a treeT(J) describing the relationship only among the four species inJ, for example by the use of maximum parsimony on those four species alone. In favorable cases one may combine all the treesT(J) into a single treeTthat is consistent with all the treesT(J). If such a treeTexists, then it is unique, and there is a computationally efficient algorithm for finding the treeT. In unfavorable bases such a treeTdoes not exist, but there may still be a tree containing only “mild” inconsistencies with the treesT(J). A numerical measure is given for the inconsistencyI(T) of a treeTin terms of the treelengths of the various trees with setJof leaves in comparison with the treeT. We may then seek a “minimally inconsistent treeT” that minimizes the inconsistencyI(T). We describe procedures which find a treeTwith low inconsistencyI(T). Examples are provided using both artificial strings and data from the complete mitochondrial DNA sequences for 16 species. In particular, minimally inconsistent trees are identified for the 16 species. The definition permits a proof that the trees are in fact minimally inconsistent. The criterion can be applied in both a relative and an absolute sense.
Wigner distribution and pulse propagation

We use the Wigner distribution to study pulse propagation in a dispersive media and we show that it leads naturally to a particle view. Using the results obtained we develop a simple approximation method that evolves a pulse in time.
RESONATING VALENCE BONDS: A NEW STATE FOR MIXED VALENCE SYSYEMS?

In this paper, we briefly review the recent efforts to understand the novel resonating valence bond (RVB) state for the S = 1/2 antiferromagnetic (AFM) Heisenberg model. We propose a pair hopping mechanism which generates a new form of AFM superexchange, and argue that the RVB wavefunction is successful because it takes full advantage of this pair hopping. Finally, we will argue that the high Tc copper oxides represent a new fixed point of mixed valence systems, in which the low energy charge transfer process is governed by pair hopping between copper and oxygen orbitals.
Mechanisms of the refractive index change in DO11/PMMA due to photodegradation

Abstract Using a white light interferometric microscope (WLIM) we measure the photodamage induced change in the complex index of refraction of disperse orange 11 (DO11) dye-doped (poly)methyl-methacrylate. We find that the change in the imaginary part of the refractive index is consistent with previous measurements of photodamage-induced absorbance change. Additionally, we find that the irreversible change in the real refractive index can be separated into a component due to damage to the dye molecules and a component due to irreversible damage to the polymer. From the features of the polymers contribution to the irreversible change in the real refractive index we conclude that photo-thermal induced chain scission and cross linking are the underlying mechanisms of polymer damage.
Human erythrocytic acid phosphatase: resolution and characterization of the isozymes from three homozygous phenotypes.

Abstract The homozygous phenotypes AA, BB, and CC of erythrocytic acid phosphatase have each been resolved into their two major acid phosphatase components. The isozymes have been designated (A)Is, (A)F, (B)S, (B)If, (C)S, and (C)If in accordance with their electrophoretic mobilities. The isozymes appear to fall into four electrophoretic types, but into two groups on the basis of pH optima, inhibitor constant (Ki) for phosphate, and Michaelis constant (Km) for p-nitrophenylphosphate. Isozymes (A)Is, (B)S, and (C)S could not be differentiated from one another on the basis of kinetic studies completed to date; similarly (A)F, (B)If, and (C)If were indistinguishable from one another on the basis of kinetic studies. The experimentally determined molecular weight of each isozyme varied from 15,000 to 20,000, depending on the procedure employed. The isozymes appear to be indistinguishable on the basis of molecular weight. Each isozyme was stabilized by the presence of phosphate.
Effect of a large larval settlement and catastrophic mortality on the ecologic record of the community in the death assemblage

Abstract The death assemblage is an important source of data on the living community prior to sampling and between sampling occasions. Proper use of these data requires a knowledge of how death assemblages form from living communities. A large larval settlement and catastrophic mortality of the clam Mulinia lateralis provided an opportunity to test several hypotheses about death assemblage formation. Individuals of M. lateralis were added to the death assemblage in pulses resulting from episodic mortality, but each pulse rapidly disappeared—half of the shells were gone in 192 days. This loss was size-dependent; smaller shells disappeared at over twice the rate of larger shells. The size-frequency distribution for M. lateralis in the death assemblage was bi-modal because of the simultaneous death of two cohorts of different size frequencies. Individuals present in the death assemblage prior to the new settlement had been locally redistributed by physical processes after death. We hypothesize that larger pulses are preserved preferentially because they remain in the death assemblage longer, and, thus, these shells have a greater chance of being physically reworked beneath the taphonomically-active surface zone by storms. Consequently, death assemblages provide two distinct types of data; data on recent recruitment and mortality provided by pulses in the process of decay, and data on longer-term events provided by the accumulation of the remains of pulses that were buried beneath the surface zone and indefinitely preserved.
Negotiating a fusion of horizons: A process view of cultural validation in developmental psychology

Explanations of child development can be used to inform social action at various levels. In many cases a key factor determining the effectiveness of such explanations is the degree to which they ar...
Alpha blocker therapy for children with dysfunctional voiding and urinary retention.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Alpha blocker therapy has been successfully used to decrease residual urine in children with complex neuropathic and nonneuropathic voiding dysfunction. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of using selective alpha blocker therapy for children with uncomplicated voiding dysfunction and underlying poor bladder emptying.Materials and Methods: A total of 55 patients with a mean age of 7.9 years presented with symptoms of urinary incontinence, urgency and urinary tract infection. All patients had increased post-void residual (PVR) on bladder ultrasound, with a mean residual volume of 65 ml (22% of age expected capacity). All patients were treated with doxazosin, a selective α-1 adrenergic antagonist, at dosages of 0.5 mg to 2.0 mg daily. Of the patients 38 were treated at presentation with a regimen of anticholinergics, timed voiding and antibiotic prophylaxis before initiating alpha blocker therapy. Patients were reevaluated with post-void ultrasound of the bladder 6 weeks after initiating a...
A Simple Technique to Redirect Malpositioned Silastic Central Venous Catheters

A simple and noninvasive method to redirect malpositioned Silastic central venous catheters is described. A syringe is connected to the catheter hub, and burst injections of saline cause the tip of the catheter to flip into the correct intravascular position. The present technique has been applied to more than 30 pediatric patients with excellent results. A detailed description of the technique and case examples are presented. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition16:473-476, 1992)
Language Barriers, Physician-Patient Language Concordance, and Glycemic Control Among Insured Latinos with Diabetes: The Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE)

BACKGROUND A significant proportion of US Latinos with diabetes have limited English proficiency (LEP). Whether language barriers in health care contribute to poor glycemic control is unknown.
Adolescent Pregnancy and Incest: The Nurse’s Role as Counselor

The incidence, victim symptoms, and characteristics of incestuous families are highlighted. A case history of incest that led to an adolescent pregnancy is presented. Nursing implications and specific intervention strategies that successfully establish patient trust, build rapport, and lay foundations for further interactions are described.