cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DNA Binding Mechanism of O6-Alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferase: Stoichiometry and Effects of DNA Base Composition and Secondary Structure on Complex Stability†

O6-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) is an important cellular defense against the mutagenic effects of DNA alkylating agents. In humans this defense can contribute to the ability of some tumors to resist the effects of chemotherapeutic agents that act through DNA alkylation. We report here studies that characterize the interaction of AGT with DNA. We show that although AGT sediments as a monomer in the absence of DNA, it binds cooperatively to single stranded deoxyribonucleotides. The stoichiometries of complexes formed with 16-, 30-, and 80-base oligodeoxyribonucleotides are 3.8 +/- 0.3, 5.3 +/- 0.2, and 8.9 +/- 0.2, respectively; the binding density decreasing from approximately 4 nt/monomer to approximately 9 nt/monomer as DNA length increases over this range. Binding competition assays show that DNA affinities depend only weakly on base composition or secondary structure, although in general G + C-rich sequences are bound with greater affinity than are A + T-rich ones and single-stranded DNA is bound with greater affinity than duplex forms. These results suggest mechanisms by which AGT may search for alkylated sites and interact with them to effect DNA repair.
Neuro-computational processing of moving sonar echoes classifies and localizes foliage

Echoes from in situ tree trunks, similar to those observed by flying bats, are processed. A moving sonar converts echoes into spike sequences and applies neural-computational methods to classify objects and estimate passing range. Two classes of tree trunks act as retro-reflectors that generate strong echoes (SEs), identified by a locally dense spike pattern. Linear drive-by sonar trajectories cause SEs to follow hyperbolic curves specified by passing range. A glint is a collection of consecutive range readings matching expected values on a specific hyperbolic curve. Passing-range detectors compare successive SE data with expected values in a table and tally coincidences. Counters increment when coincidences occur and decrement when they do not. A glint terminates after tallying a sufficient number of coincidences and coincidence failure occurs in the maximum-count detector. Reflector roughness, deviations in sonar trajectory, and echo jitter necessitate a coincidence window to define matches. Short windows identify small glints over piecewise linear sonar trajectories, while long windows accommodate deviations in sonar speed and trajectory, and associate multiple glints observed with shorter windows. The minimum coincidence window size yielding glints classify smooth and rough retro-reflectors.
Risk and Return: A Revisit Using Expected Returns

This paper uses direct estimates of expected returns to examine the link between standard measures of financial risk and investor return requirements. The results show that systematic risk commands a significant positive risk premium, much larger than found using historical returns as proxies for expectations. Furthermore, there are nonlinearities in the relationship between risk and return. Finally, we show that expected returns and risk premiums in the equity markets change over time and that these changes are related to changes in interest rates on U.S. government obligations.
Surface-Constrained Foaming of Polymer Thin Films with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Microcellular polymer foams afford a wide variety of attributes relative to their dense analogues, and efforts remain underway to establish viable routes to generate foams with substantially reduced pore cell size and increased pore cell density. Barrier constraints are applied in the present work to achieve diffusion-controlled isothermal foaming of thin polymer films in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films measuring ca. 95−100 μm in thickness are physically constrained between two impenetrable plates so that scCO2 exit diffusion is restricted to the film edges. Results obtained here demonstrate that the pore size can be systematically reduced to less than 100 nm in such systems by applying high saturation scCO2 pressures, relatively low foaming temperatures (near the glass transition temperature of the scCO2-plasticized polymer), and a rapid pressure quench. Classical nucleation theory (CNT) modified to account for the compressible nature of scCO2 ...
The interference of plasmic degradation products of human crosslinked fibrin with clot formation

The role of plasmic degradation products of human crosslinked fibrin on polymerization of fibrin monomer and clot formation was studied. Both reactions were inhibited by Fragment DD, which formed a complex with fibrin monomer in a molar ratio 1 : 1. The rate of polymerization was slightly increased by Fragment E but it was not affected by (DD)E complex and Fragment A. Approximately the same amount of fibrin was formed in the presence and absence of Fragments A, E and the complex. It was concluded that of the degradation products of crosslinked fibrin, only Fragment DD is a potent anticoagulant at physiologic pH. The (DD)E complex is inert and Fragments A and E have only marginal effects.
Whistler‐mode radiation from the Spacelab 2 electron beam

During the Spacelab 2 mission the Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP) performed a fly-around of the Shuttle at distances of up to 300 meters while an electron beam was being ejected from the Shuttle. A magnetic conjunction of the Shuttle and the PDP while the electron gun was operating in a steady (DC) mode is discussed. During this conjunction, the PDP detected a clear funnel-shaped emission that is believed to be caused by whistler-mode emission from the beam. Ray-path calculations show that the shape of the funnel can be accounted for by whistler-mode waves propagating near the resonance cone. Because the beam and waves are propagating in the same direction, the radiation must be produced by a Landau interaction with the beam. Other types of waves generated by the beam are also described.
RADIO-FREQUENCY SYNCHROTRON RADIATION FROM TRAPPED ELECTRONS ABOVE THE AURORAL ZONES.

Electrons from the outer Van Allen Belt emit synchrotron radiation most strongly in the radio-frequency range from 5 to 20 MHz when substantial electron fluxes enter the relatively strong geomagnetic fields above the auroral zones, i.e. B ≈ 0.15 G and L ≈ 4.5. Estimates made on the basis of average electron fluxes indicate that the brightness observed by a high altitude Earth satellite would be comparable only with the dimmest portion of the galactic radio background. However the electron flux in this region is highly variable and at times the observed brightness will appear a great deal brighter than average. Discrimination between synchrotron radiation and the cosmic background on the basis of polarization is shown to be an applicable technique.
Phylogenetic analyses identify 10 classes of the protein disulfide isomerase family in plants, including single-domain protein disulfide isomerase-related proteins.

Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) are molecular chaperones that contain thioredoxin (TRX) domains and aid in the formation of proper disulfide bonds during protein folding. To identify plant PDI-like (PDIL) proteins, a genome-wide search of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) was carried out to produce a comprehensive list of 104 genes encoding proteins with TRX domains. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted for these sequences using Bayesian and maximum-likelihood methods. The resulting phylogenetic tree showed that evolutionary relationships of TRX domains alone were correlated with conserved enzymatic activities. From this tree, we identified a set of 22 PDIL proteins that constitute a well-supported clade containing orthologs of known PDIs. Using the Arabidopsis PDIL sequences in iterative BLAST searches of public and proprietary sequence databases, we further identified orthologous sets of 19 PDIL sequences in rice (Oryza sativa) and 22 PDIL sequences in maize (Zea mays), and resolved the PDIL phylogeny into 10 groups. Five groups (I–V) had two TRX domains and showed structural similarities to the PDIL proteins in other higher eukaryotes. The remaining five groups had a single TRX domain. Two of these (quiescin-sulfhydryl oxidase-like and adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate reductase-like) had putative nonisomerase enzymatic activities encoded by an additional domain. Two others (VI and VIII) resembled small single-domain PDIs from Giardia lamblia, a basal eukaryote, and from yeast. Mining of maize expressed sequence tag and RNA-profiling databases indicated that members of all of the single-domain PDIL groups were expressed throughout the plant. The group VI maize PDIL ZmPDIL5-1 accumulated during endoplasmic reticulum stress but was not found within the intracellular membrane fractions and may represent a new member of the molecular chaperone complement in the cell.
Ethnic Sensitive Social Work Practice: Back to the Future

SUMMARY In this paper we examine the history and future directions of ethnic sensitive social work practice. We highlight the context within which the approach was developed and current sociodemographic trends. The various rights movements of the sixties and seventies pointed to the need to refocus on social class and ethnicity. The new demographic landscape, largely a function policies, reinforces the importance of concepts such as the ethnic reality and other aspects of our work.
Sexual narcissism and the perpetration of sexual aggression.

Despite indirect evidence linking narcissism to sexual aggression, studies directly examining this relationship have yielded inconsistent results. Likely contributing to such inconsistencies, prior research has used global measures of narcissism not sensitive to whether the components of narcissism are activated in sexual versus non-sexual domains. The current research avoided such problems by using a measure of sexual narcissism to predict sexual aggression. In a sample of 299 men and women, Study 1 validated the Sexual Narcissism Scale, a new sexuality research instrument with four subscales—Sexual Exploitation, Sexual Entitlement, Low Sexual Empathy, and Sexual Skill. Then, in a sample of 378 men, Study 2 demonstrated that sexual narcissism was associated with reports of the frequency of sexual aggression, three specific types of sexual aggression (unwanted sexual contact, sexual coercion, and attempted/completed rape), and the likelihood of future sexual aggression. Notably, global narcissism was unrelated to all indices of sexual aggression when sexual narcissism was controlled. That sexual narcissism outperformed global assessments of narcissism to account for variance in sexual aggression suggests that future research may benefit by examining whether sexual narcissism and other sexual-situation-specific measurements of personality can similarly provide a more valid test of the association between personality and other sexual behaviors and outcomes (e.g., contraceptive use, infidelity, sexual satisfaction).
Voyager search for Posteclipse brightening on Io

Results of Voyager observations intended to settle the question of the transient brightening of the Io disk after its emergence from the Jovian shadow are presented. Two observation sequences were obtained on each Voyager flight through the violet filters of the Narrow Angle Cameras at frame intervals of 96 sec. No posteclipse was detected in the disk-integrated brightnesses in any of the sequences to within a few percent accuracy for a time span of up to 30 min following eclipse reappearance. Analysis of several representative individual areas on the disks of Io and Europa confirms the full-disk observations and is in contrast to telescopic observations showing a brightening of 10% just after eclipse which disappears on a time scale of 20 to 15 min. A small amount of brightening lasting about 3 min is found in the south polar region, along with some posteclipse darkening in neighboring regions. Observations imply that yellow sulfur (S8), the reflectance of which changes significantly over the eclipse temperature range, can not be a major constituent of the Io surface, and that the atmospheric column density of SO2 must be significantly less than 0.2 cm-atm at local noon.
Monitoring Breast Cancer Tumor Response At Different Timepoints During Pre-Surgical Chemotherapy with Diffuse Optical Spectroscopic Imaging

Diffuse Optical Spectroscopic Imaging (DOSI) provides non-invasive functional biomarkers that correlate with final pathological response to pre-surgical (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy in breast cancer patients that are measured at various timepoints throughout the therapy.
Surgical Treatment of Complete Acromioclavicular Dislocations

Forty-four patients, ranging in age from 17 to 57 years (average, 32), were evaluated an average of 4 years (range, 2 to 9) after surgical reconstruction for Allman- Tossy Grade III acromioclavicular dislocations. Twenty- seven patients underwent repair for acute injuries ( 3 weeks). Coracocla vicular fixation with heavy nonabsorbable sutures was used to correct superior displacement in all cases. In addition, transfer of the coracoacromial ligament to the distal clavicle was performed in 15 of the 27 early re pairs and 17 of the 17 late reconstructions. Overall, 26 of 27 (96%) early repairs and 13 of 17 (77%) late re constructions achieved satisfactory results. There was a trend for better results and return to sports or heavy labor with early repairs; however, this was not statisti cally significant (P = 0.065). When the results of early repairs were compared with those of late reconstruc tions performed more than 3 ...
C-Terminal membrane spanning region of human heme oxygenase-1 mediates a time-dependent complex formation with cytochrome P450 reductase.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) catalyzes the oxidative degradation of heme to biliverdin, carbon monoxide, and free iron in a reaction requiring the interaction of HO-1 with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR). HO-1 is bound to the endoplasmic reticulum by 23 C-terminal amino acids; however, a soluble HO-1 (sHO-1) lacking this membrane spanning region has been extensively studied. The goal of this project was to characterize the effect of the C-terminal hydrophobic domain on formation of the HO-1/CPR complex. Full-length HO-1 was shown to exhibit higher reaction rates than sHO-1, particularly at subsaturating CPR; indicating that the C-terminal region influences HO-1 binding to CPR. The increased activity of HO-1 was attributable to a time dependent formation of a low Km HO-1/CPR complex that was not seen with sHO1. Gel filtration analysis confirmed the formation of multiple high molecular weight complexes in the presence and absence of the synthetic lipid dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC). However, the largest complex appeared following a two hour incubation of HO-1 and CPR in DLPC, suggesting that C-terminal region was required for the high affinity HO-1/CPR complex formation and membrane incorporation. These data demonstrate that the C-terminal region of HO-1 influenced complex formation and ultimately its affinity for CPR.
2-D MHD numerical simulations of EML plasma armatures with ablation

A 2-D resistive MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) code is used to simulate an EML plasma armature. The energy equation includes ohmic heating, radiation heat transport, and the ideal gas equation of state, allowing for variable ionization using the Saha equations. Rail ablation is calculated, taking into account the flow of heat into the interior of the rails. Simulations show the development of internal convective flows and secondary arcs. An explicit flux corrected transport algorithm is used to advance all quantities in time. >
Rapid, separable compression enables fast analyses of sequence alignments

Continued growth of generated sequencing data demands novel scalable approaches to its storage and transmission. It is also crucial that analyses can be run on data in its compressed form without having to fully reconstruct it. We propose a novel approach to compression of sequence alignment data, a well established data format that is used for a variety of tasks ranging from genome assembly to variant calling. Such alignment files may exceed the size of the original sequence by an order of magnitude, however, Referee, our tool implementing the approach, is able to compress alignment files to 1/10 of the original SAM file size and is twice as efficient as SAM's binary BAM variant. Referee is fast, highly parallelizable, and outperforms state of the art tools by an average of 8.1% while enabling a variety of sequence-related tasks that require only a partial decompression. Computations like depth of sequencing that involve seeking through all alignments take from 8 to 44 seconds for Referee as opposed to tens of minutes with samtools. Referee uses a lightweight streaming clustering algorithm to improve quality values compression and encodes sequence information very efficiently, with compression rates as low as 0.06 bits per base. Its modular structure allows one to omit extraneous alignment information from the download reducing sequencing data from many gigabytes to under a hundred megabytes.
The Origins of the Quality-of-Care Debate

The current concern about quality of care in the United States is deeply paradoxical in many ways. From a technical and scientific standpoint, the capabilities of the nation's health care system ar...
Why do captive tufted capuchins (Cebus apella) urine wash

Urine washing (UW) has been observed in numerous species of prosimians and New World monkeys. The functional significance of UW in Cebidae, specifically, Cebus apella, has not been determined. The objective of our study was to test two major hypotheses related to the function of UW: (1) UW functions as a thermoregulatory mechanism, and (2) UW functions as a means of social communication related to (a) territoriality, (b) sexual encounters, or (c) intragroup aggression/agitation. We collected focal data on a captive group of 28 tufted capuchins (C. apella; July-October 2004 and February-July 2005). We found no significant correlation between UW rates and temperature, at a constant, moderate humidity level. Rates of UW were significantly greater outdoors (no conspecific neighbors) vs. indoors (conspecific neighbors). Qualitative evidence suggests a relationship between UW by the alpha male and sexual solicitations from females. UW rates associated with aggression received were significantly higher than UW rates associated with aggression given and UW rates associated with potential fear/stress. There was also a significant negative correlation between cortisol measures and UW frequencies. Our results suggest that UW does not function in thermoregulation or in territorial communication. Alternatively, our results suggest that UW may be associated with sexual encounters and receiving aggression. Additionally, further investigation is warranted to determine whether UW is used as an appeasement mechanism or as a stress reliever or as both.
Frequent value encoding for low power data buses

Since the I/O pins of a CPU are a significant source of energy consumption, work has been done on developing encoding schemes for reducing switching activity on external buses. Modest reductions in switching can be achieved for data and address buses using a number of general purpose encoding schemes. However, by exploiting the characteristic of memory reference locality, switching activity on the address bus can be reduced by as much as 66p. Till now no characteristic has been identified that can be used to achieve similar reductions in switching activity on the data bus. We have discovered a characteristic of values transmitted over the data bus according to which a small number of distinct values, called frequent values, account for 32p of transmissions over the external data bus. Exploiting this characteristic we have developed an encoding scheme that we call the FV encoding scheme. To implement this scheme we have also developed a technique for dynamically identifying the frequent values which compares quite favorably with an optimal offline algorithm. Our experiments show that FV encoding of 32 frequent values yields an average reduction of 30p (with on-chip data cache) and 49p (without on-chip data cache) in data bus switching activity for SPEC95 and mediabench programs. Moreover the reduction in switching achieved by FV encoding is 2 to 4 times the reduction achieved by the bus-invert coding scheme and 1.5 to 3 times the reduction achieved by the adaptive method. The overall energy savings on data bus we attained considering the coder overhead is 29p.
A phase I study of gemcitabine followed by cisplatin concurrent with whole pelvic radiation therapy in locally advanced cervical cancer: A Gynecologic Oncology Group study

Abstract Purpose To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of gemcitabine followed by cisplatin that can be administered weekly during pelvic radiation therapy in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods A phase I and feasibility study with dose escalation of gemcitabine in cohorts of three to six patients to determine the MTD (the dose level at which no more than one of six patients experienced a acute dose-limiting toxicity) was conducted. Results Thirteen patients were entered on the phase I trial. Acute dose-limiting toxicity occurred with weekly cisplatin at a dose of 40 mg/m 2 and gemcitabine at a dose of 100 mg/m 2 . The study was modified, decreasing the dose of cisplatin to 30 mg/m 2 in an effort to dose escalate gemcitabine. Acute dose-limiting toxicity occurred again with weekly cisplatin at a dose of 30 mg/m 2 and gemcitabine at a dose of 75 mg/m 2 (dose level 3). In addition to acute hematologic and acute and late non-hematologic toxicities, late grade 3 and 4 GI and GU toxicities have occurred in two of six patients at dose level 3. Twelve of thirteen patients remained disease-free following treatment. Conclusion The MTD found in this chemoradiation study was weekly gemcitabine 50 mg/m 2 followed by cisplatin 40 mg/m 2 . The alternative drug sequence has been reported by others to allow higher doses of gemcitabine. However, at this dose level chronic toxicity was observed. Further expansion of the feasibility cohort of this study was suspended pending the efficacy and toxicity results of a large trial which has recently been completed.
Conceptual Modeling of Supersonic Retropropulsion Flow Interactions and Relationships to System Performance

Supersonic retropropulsion is an entry, descent, and landing technology applicable to and potentially enabling high-mass missions required for advanced robotic and human exploration on the surface of Mars. For conceptual design, it is necessary to understand the significance of retropropulsion configuration on an entry vehicle’s static aerodynamic characteristics and the relation of this configuration to other vehicle performance metrics. This investigation developed an approximate model for the supersonic retropropulsion flowfield to assist in evaluating the impact of design choices on the vehicle’s drag characteristics for flight-relevant conditions and scales. This model was used to explore the impact of operating conditions, required propulsion system performance, propulsion system composition, and vehicle configuration on the integrated aerodynamic drag characteristics of full-scale vehicles for Mars entry, descent, and landing. The forebody aerodynamic drag and axial force characteristics of vehicle...
A Ghost-Valve micropumping paradigm for biomedical applications

To present a novel micropumping “Ghost-Valve” principle that can be useful for many of biomedical applications. This pumping mechanism is inspired by microscale internal flow motions within insect tracheal networks, which is observed to be induced by localized rhythmic wall contractions. A mathematical analysis based on the lubrication theory is given to govern this internal flow motions and to derive expressions of velocity stream function, pressure distributions, and net flow rate in a microchannel having two contracting sites. The derived flow velocity stream function suggests that, there exist contraction-induced stagnation planes “Ghost-Valves” in the neighbourhoods of channel collapsing sites. The dynamics (locations, birth/death) of these ghost valves have shown to be strong function of the assigned wall motion protocol, which can be tuned to control flow transport along the axial direction and produce unidirectional net flow. An inelastic microchannel subjected to a zero pressure drop and undergoes localized rhythmic wall contractions can work as a micropump. The minimum requirement for this paradigm to produce a unidirectional net flow is; A channel with at least two contracting membranes that move with a distinct time-lag with respect each other. The presented ghost-valve pumping model is expected to function efficiently in the low Reynolds number flow regime. Therefore, it yields a potential usefulness in many of biomedical microdevices for drug delivery, point-of-care testing, and cardiac assistance devices.
Blockade of the LH response induced by the agonist D-Trp-6-LHRH in rats by a highly potent LH-RH antagonist SB-75.

During treatment of prostate cancer patients with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist, a transient LH and sex steroid release, which precedes the secretion blockade, may result in a flare-up of the disease, whereas the antagonists induce an immediate suppression. The administration of the modern, superactive LHRH antagonist SB-75 before or together with the agonist D-Trp-6-LHRH should prevent the “flare-up” phenomena. In order to demonstrate that the LHRH antagonist can prevent the initial stimulation of gonadotropins in response to LHRH agonists, groups of 5–7 male rats were injected s.c. with the antagonist SB-75 in doses in 100, 500, and 1,000 μg/rat 1 hour prior to or 1, 2, and 3 days before administration of D-Trp-6-LHRH agonist (50 μg/rat). Supraphysiological doses of the agonist were used in order to obtain prolonged stimulation of LH release, which was necessary to study the duration and the extent of LH release inhibition. Blood samples were taken before and 2, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after D-Trp-6-LHRH stimulation for measurement of LH levels. The administration of SB-75 in doses of 500 and 1,000 μg/rat 3 days prior to administration of the agonist significantly lowered LH response (P < 0.01), as compared to animals injected with D-Trp-6-LHRH alone. The D-Trp-6-LHRH-stimulated LH secretion was markedly more suppressed by all 3 doses of the antagonist in rats pretreated with SB-75 2 days prior to the stimulation with the agonist. An even greater reduction in LH response could be observed in rats injected with SB-75 1 day prior to the agonist, the magnitude of LH response being decreased by 75% with 500 μg/rat SB-75 and by 90% with 1 mg/rat SB-75. The LH response was virtually abolished when the antagonist, SB-75 was given in doses of 500 or 1,000 μg/rat 1 hour prior to the D-Trp-6-LHRH injection. Under these conditions, the agonist-induced LH and testosterone secretion was completely suppressed during the whole period of the experiment. The antagonist to agonist dose ratio of 2 to 1 produced a 90% decrease in the LH response to D-Trp-6-LHRH at 2 hours and 75% at 5 hours after agonist administration. The effects of LHRH decapeptide itself (500 μg/rat) on LH secretion could be totally suppressed by an injection of 50 μg/rat of SB-75 1 hour beforehand. Likewise, the response to leuprolide (100 μg/rat) was suppressed more than 90% by an injection of 500 μg/rat of SB-75. These findings indicate that pretreatment with the LHRH antagonist SB-75 1 hour before the agonists can completely prevent the elevation of LH. Since a 10-fold lower dose of SB-75 than of LHRH suppressed the LH response, this reflects the higher affinity of SB-75 to pituitary LHRH receptors. Exclusive or combined use of a modern LHRH antagonist such as SB-75 with LHRH agonist, at an appropriate schedule, may lessen the risk of tumor flare in patients.
Role of Postradical Prostatectomy Irradiation in Carcinoma of the Prostate.

The indications and results of postradical prostatectomy adjuvant pelvic radiation therapy (6.000 to 6.500 cGy) are reviewed. In patients with positive surgical margins, 80% to 100% local tumor control has been reported; in 42 patients treated at our institution, the 5-year actuarial tumor control rate was 85%. Most authors report higher disease-free survival (DFS) rates in patients receiving adjuvant postoperative irradiation for positive margins (70% to 80% at 5 years and 50% to 70% at 10 years) compared with nonirradiated patients (50% at 5 years and 40% at 10 years). However, more difficult to document and never indisputably reported has been the improvement in overall survival (OS) rates with adjuvant irradiation; the actuarial survival rates, 75% to 80% at 5 years and 45% to 60% at 10 years, are comparable to those of nonirradiated patients. Results have been published on patients with positive pelvic lymph nodes (stage D1) following pelvic irradiation (6.000 to 6.500 cGy). At our institution, the 5-year DFS rates were 60% in 22 patients without extracapsular tumor extension and 20% in 34 patients with periprostatic involvement. In 24 patients with postprostatectomy persistently or subsequently elevated prostatic specific antigen (PSA) levels, preliminary analysis showed initial 79% decrease in PSA level after pelvic irradiation (6.000 to 6.500 cGy), although only 70% of the patients have sustained such decreased levels. Patients with persistent or subsequent elevation of PSA after irradiation have a high incidence of distant metastases (50%). There is a suggestion that patients with elevated PSA levels treated to the pelvic lymph nodes (4,500 to 5,000 cGy), in addition to a boost to the prostatic bed (to a total dose of 6,500 cGy), have better results than patients treated to the prostatic bed only. However, longer follow-up is necessary to definitely ascertain the value of irradiation in these patients. Patients with postprostatectomy isolated, clinically palpable recurrences, when treated with irradiation (to 6.500 cGy), have a high probability of local tumor control (90% in 23 patients) at our institution. There is a suggestion that irradiation of the pelvic lymph nodes, in addition to the prostatic recurrence, yields better results. Unfortunately, approximately 60% of these patients develop distant metastases and have poor rates of survival. In conclusion, adjuvant irradiation plays a major role in patients treated with radical prostatectomy in various clinical situations. Radiation therapy as described is well-tolerated. Additional prospective randomized studies are necessary to better assess the role of irradiation in the treatment of these patients.
51 properties of 125 words: A unit analysis of verbal behavior

Values for 125 words were obtained for 51 scales including measures of orthography, pronunciation, imagery, categorizability, association, number of attributes, age-of-acquisition, word frequency, goodness, emotionality, autobiographical memory, tachistoscopic recognition, reading latency, lexical decision, incidental and intentional recall, recall using a mnemonic pathway, paired-associate learning, and recognition. Six factors emerged: Spelling and Sound, Imagery and Meaning, Word Frequency, Recall, Emotionality , and Goodness . Implications for current methodology and theory are discussed, including the claims: that multivariate research is a necessary addition to the study of verbal behavior; that a unidimensional concept such as depth does not do justice to the complexity of recall; and that associative frequency, emotionality, and pronunciability are among the best predictors of our commonly used tasks.
Where explanation ends: Understanding as the place the spade turns in the social sciences

Abstract Explanations implicitly end with something that makes sense, and begin with something that does not make sense. A statistical relationship, for example, a numerical fact, does not make sense; an explanation of this relationship adds something, such as causal information, which does make sense, and provides an endpoint for the sense-making process. Does social science differ from natural science in this respect? One difference is that in the natural sciences, models are what need “understanding.” In the social sciences, matters are more complex. There are models, such as causal models, which need to be understood, but also depend on background knowledge that goes beyond the model and the correlations that make it up, which produces a regress. The background knowledge is knowledge of in-filling mechanisms, which are normally made up of elements that involve the direct understanding of the acting and believing subjects themselves. These models, and social science explanations generally, are satisfactory only when they end the regress in this kind of understanding or use direct understanding evidence to decide between alternative mechanism explanations.
Further studies on the induction of o-Pyrocatechuic acid carboxylyase in aging cultures of Aspergillus ornatus

Abstract The phenomenon of enzyme induction in aging cultures of Aspergillus ornatus was examined under various conditions of culture and induction. Under standard conditions of culture on buffered-defined medium and 6 h induction with 0.1% tryptophan, the tryptophan-inducible specific activity of the enzyme o-pyrocatechuic acid carboxylyase decreased 50% with age while the uninduced level of that enzyme remained constant. Increasing the induction time to 10 h allowed the specific activity of the enzyme from older mats to reach the level of the younger mats, which were not affected by increased exposure time to tryptophan. This effect was also achieved by increasing the concentration of the inducer to 1.0%. The effectual concentration of tryptophan, that body of inducer that actually entered the cell, did not change with age, but the incorporation of labeled tryptophan into de novo protein synthesis was depressed from 23 to 35% in older mats.
Tracing the Development of Clinical Supervision

Abstract Major developments in clinical supervision over die last twenty-five years are reviewed and contrasted with supervision as it was understood and practiced early in its development. Recent areas of growth are divided into those that attend to the infrastructure of supervision (organizational matters, ethical and legal issues, and evaluation), variables that affect the supervision relationship (individual differences, relationship processes), and the enactment of supervision itself (models of supervision, modalities for conducting supervision). Commentary is included on all major developments.
DISSONANCE AWARENESS. A TEST OF DISSONANCE THEORY VERSUS SELF-PERCEPTION THEORY

Abstract The effects of choice, initial attitude salience, and counterattitudinal behavior salience upon attitudes were examined within a forced-compliance essay-writing paradigm. By examining the interactions between choice and each of the behavior and attitude salience variables, an attempt was made to test the relative utility of cognitive dissonance and self-perception theories. Consistent with both theories, when neither initial attitudes nor behavior were salient, subjects agreed with their essays more under Choice than under No Choice conditions. In partial accord with self-perception theory but contrary to dissonance theory predictions, when initial attitudes were made salient, Choice subjects agreed less with their essays and No Choice subjects agreed more with their essays than when initial attitudes were not made salient. Both theories predict that behavior salience should increase the basic choice effect; in fact, this variable had no effect on final attitudes. A self-estimate theory was proposed to account for the relationships observed among one's perceived choice, perceived extremity of one's essay, and one's final attitude.
In-Situ Inelastic Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy of Bistable Molecular Junction Devices

Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) is a valuable in-situ spectroscopic analysis technique that can be applied in conjunction with electrical transport measurements to characterize and identify the molecular species under study by measuring its vibrational fingerprint. IETS is used to probe the vibrational modes excited in oligoaniline molecular junctions after switching between high and low conductance states by applying a critical threshold voltage. These spectroscopic measurements allow us to distinguish between the two molecular conformations that give rise to the observed conductance change and clarify the mechanism responsible for switching.
Optimal nonlinear feedback control for spacecraft attitude maneuvers

Polynomial feedback controls for large-angle, nonlinear spacecraft attitude maneuvers are developed. A five- body configuration consisting of an asymmetric spacecraft and four reaction wheels is considered. Attention is restricted to the momentum transfer class of internal control torques; this, in conjunction with the choice of Euler parameters as attitude coordinates, permits several important order reduction simplifications. Three numerical examples are included to illustrate applications of the concepts presented. APID large-angle attitude maneuvers have become in- creasingly important to the success of many current and future spacecraft missions. These maneuvers are characterized by nonlinear behavior, however, resulting in a control prob- lem that is likewise nonlinear. One approach to feedback con- trol of nonlinear motion is " gain scheduling" in which the control history is divided into segments, each determined by its own set of linear gains. A more attractive approach is con- trol of the entire nonlinear maneuver by a single set of gains. For the latter approach, a method is presented whereby the optimal nonlinear control problem is solved in polynomial feedback form and a suboptimal control law is determined by truncation. Currently there are two approaches used to deter- mine the polynomial coefficients for the control. One is to ex- pand the coast-to-go functional as a polynomial in the states and then recursively solve the Hamilton- Jacobi-Bellman equa- tion, as discussed by Willenstein,1 Dabbous and Ahmed,2 and Dwyer and Sena.3 In the method used here,4 the control itself is expanded as a polynomial and the coefficients determined recursively from the costate equations.
Validation of state-space models from a single realization of non-Gaussian measurements

A methodology is presented for testing whether a dynamic model in linear state-space form accurately describes the system under consideration. Unlike existing procedures it is not necessary to assume that all of the random terms in the model are normally distributed. The methodology is based on a single realization of observations and is relatively easy to implement since it relies on a normalized Kalman filter state estimate. The testing procedure rests on an asymptotic distribution theory for the filter estimate.
Minimum extinction probability for surnames and favorable mutations

Abstract Branching process theory got its start with the extinction problem for surnames. A similar problem arises for favorable autosomal mutations. The present paper finds the minimum extinction probability consistent with a given mean number of offspring per male or per carrier. This minimum is attained when the variance in the number of offspring is smallest, or equivalently, when the extinction probability at the first generation is smallest.
Structure of Cr film epitaxially grown on MgO(0 0 1)

Cr(0 0 1) films of thickness ∼100 nm were epitaxially grown on MgO(0 0 1) using molecular beam epitaxy at both room temperature and 550 °C. The structure of the films was characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Room temperature growth leads to highly oriented columnar structured grains in the film, while growth at 550 °C yields high-quality single-crystal Cr film, possessing a 45° rotational epitaxial relationship between the film and the substrate. For the single-crystal film, the interface exhibited coherent regions separated by equally spaced misfit dislocations. When imaged from the MgO[1 0 0]//Cr[1 1 0] direction, the dislocation spacing is 5.38 and 4.64 nm for the films grown at room temperature and 550 °C, respectively, which is slightly smaller than the expected value of 6.25 nm calculated from the differences in lattice spacing based on known lattice constants. The results presented here indicate that the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate is accommodated mainly by interface misfit dislocations above some critical thickness. The electronic structure of the interface between the film and the substrate is also explored using electron energy-loss spectroscopy.
Importance of maternal transfer of the photoreactive polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluoranthene from benthic adult bivalves to their pelagic larvae

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine if maternal transfer of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from benthic adult bivalves could result in phototoxicity to their pelagic larvae when exposed to ultraviolet light (UV). In these experiments, adult bivalves were exposed to water or sediments amended with the model photoreactive PAH, fluoranthene. Elevated adult fluoranthene tissue concentrations were correlated with embryo concentrations. Embryonic mortality was enhanced by exposure to ultraviolet light when adult tissue fluoranthene levels were greater than 5,000 μg/g lipid. While the exposure concentrations used in this experimental system were high, ultraviolet light exposure levels were low. Also, some of the PAHs are more potent than the model compound used in this study. These results indicate that maternal transfer of photoactive PAHs from organisms living in contaminated sediments may represent a significant adverse effect to populations of benthic bivalves.
Action of Nedocromil Sodium and Sodium Cromoglycate on Cloned Human Allergen-Specific CD4+ T Lymphocytes

Nedocromil sodium (and sodium cromoglycate) are topical, prophylactic, anti-inflammatory agents used in reversible obstructive airways disease. To investigate their potential mode of action, the effects of these agents on specific allergen- or IL- 2- induced proliferation of a human CD4+ house dust mite-specific T-cell clone isolated from an individual with perennial rhinitis was examined. Although strong proliferation was observed in control cultures, no inhibitory effect was observed with any of the drug concentrations tested. In contrast, dexamethasone was able to inhibit the T-cell proliferation. These observations suggest that the clinically observed suppression of the late-phase asthmatic response may not be due to an effect on CD4+ T lymphocytes.
X-ray powder diffractometry of emissions from the cement industry

Abstract X-ray powder diffractometry has been found capable of identifying and distinguishing limestone and cement particles, the two important emissions of the cement industry. The limestone shows strong reflections principally at 1.87,1.91,2.09,2.28,2.49,3.03 and 3.83 A from its main constituent, calcite, whereas cement shows reflections at 1.76, 2.18, 2.60, 2.64, a doublet at 2.73–2.77 and 3.02 A from its main phases, the di-, and tri-calcium silicates. X-ray diffraction analysis of airborne particles collected on glass fibre filters in the vicinity of cement factories in Karachi, Pakistan and Ravena, New York State, revealed limestone but no cement particles. This observation was consistent with our earlier inference drawn from chemical and statistical methods for Karachi's ambient aerosols. The method can complement the selective leaching technique suggested earlier by us for source identification. On the basis of model calculations, a methodology has been worked out that would make the present technique adaptable to plant conditions.
Acetylcholinesterase-induced respiratory burst in macrophages: evidence for the involvement of the macrophage mannose-fucose receptor.

Abstract It has long been suggested that acetylcholinesterase is capable of functioning in a non-cholinergic manner. However, very little is known about the molecular structures which mediate the interaction between this protein and the cellular membrane. Previously it was demonstrated that acetylcholinesterase interacted in a carbohydrate-specific manner with peritoneal macrophages and induced the ‘respiratory burst’ [1]. This study aimed to establish whether a carbohydrate-binding site exists on the acetylcholinesterase molecule itself, or alternatively, whether the macrophage carbohydrate-binding receptor is involved. No carbohydrate binding properties intrinsic to acetylcholinesterase were detected using affinity chromatography with immobilised monosaccharides, erythrocyte agglutination and gel-diffusion techniques. The interaction between acetylcholinesterase and several monosaccharide columns observed in this study appeared to be due to ionic interactions. Moreover, it was shown that a specific inhibitor of the enzymatic activity of AChE, BW284C51, could inhibit the peritoneal cell response not only to acetylcholinesterase, but also to several other stimuli, thus exhibiting a non-specific effect on macrophages. However, the inhibitory effects of specific ligands of the macrophage mannose-fucose receptor and the inability of non-glycosylated acetylcholinesterase to interact with macrophages suggested that the effect of acetylcholinesterase on peritoneal cells is most probably mediated by the macrophage mannose-fucose receptor. The role of the mannose-fucose receptor in triggering the respiratory burst response was supported by the fact that several ligands of these receptors were capable of inducing the functional response of macrophages.
A Study of Non-Intellectual Attributes of Children In First Grade Bilingual-Bicultural Program

A study of a first grade bilingual-bicultural program was made to determine the effect of the program on three non-intellectual attributes of children: (1) self concept, (2) self descriptions, and (3) stimulus seeking activity. Results indicate that the bilingual-bicultural program significantly enhances the self concepts of girls but not boys. The primary effect of the program on self descriptions appears to be in providing a situation where Ch?canos no longer feel "picked on" and where their feelings of unhappiness as expressed earlier in the program, are alleviated. In terms of changes in stimulus seeking activity, i.e., openness to environmental stimuli, there seems again to be a sex difference with girls showing a signifi cant improvement and boys showing no significant change. The control group showed no significant changes in self-concept or in stimulus seeking activity for either sex.