cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of environmentally relevant concentrations of vinclozolin on quality, DNA integrity, and antioxidant responses of sterlet Acipenser ruthenus spermatozoa

Abstract The effects of vinclozolin (VIN), an anti-androgenic fungicide, on quality, oxidative stress, DNA integrity, and ATP level of sterlet ( Acipenser ruthenus ) spermatozoa were investigated in vitro . Fish spermatozoa were incubated with different concentrations of vinclozolin (0.5, 2, 10, 15, 20 and 50 μg/l) for 2 h. A dose-dependent reduction in spermatozoa motility and velocity was observed at concentrations of 2–50 μg/l. A dramatic increase in DNA fragmentation was recorded at concentrations 10 μg/l and above. After 2 h exposure at higher test concentrations (10–50 μg/l), oxidative stress was apparent, as reflected by significantly higher levels of protein and lipid oxidation and significantly greater superoxide dismutase activity. Intracellular ATP content of spermatozoa decreased with increasing concentrations of VIN. The results demonstrated that VIN can induce reactive oxygen species stress in fish spermatozoa, which could impair the sperm quality, DNA integrity, ATP content, and the antioxidant defense system.
Multiple dysfunctions in developmental and activational stages of T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and monocytes in ARC and AIDS patients

Peripheral blood leukocytes from ARC and AIDS patients were examined before and after phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation by dual color flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies which identify developmental and activational stages of T lymphocytes, B cells and monocytes. There was a persistent elevation in the total number of circulating Ia+ lymphocytes with progressive selection for B1+ Ia+ lymphocytes and T suppressor cells and a concurrent reduction in the antigen-presenting monocytes. Following PHA stimulation there was a marked decrease in all subsets of Ia+ lymphocytes and monocytes. These results indicate (a) multicellular dysfunctions in the immunosurveillance mechanisms in AIDS, and (b) that many functional subsets of circulating lymphocytes and monocytes were already activated and therefore poorly responsive to additional antigenic or mitogenic stimuli.
Optimal policy in a model of endogenous fluctuations and assets

Assets are coupled to endogenous aggregate output fluctuations in a model of heterogeneous agents. Those agents wish to avoid reacting inadvertently to an unobservable noise process, but to do so must elicit reactions to that noise from each other. An abstract institution is modeled that optimizes this elicitation by strategically transmitting information about aggregates; I designate this feedback. Feedback is used by agents and so influences the characteristics of aggregate fluctuations. The optimal feedback policy minimizes asset rates of return, maximizes the persistence of aggregate output fluctuations, and causes the distribution of wealth to widen continually and without limit.
Epigenetics: Core misconcept

A recent issue of PNAS opened with an unfortunate Core Concepts article titled “Epigenetics” (1). The author, a science writer, began promisingly enough:
Predicting Variation in the Life Course of Adolescent Mothers as They Enter Adulthood

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this article is to identify adolescent risk factors that can be used to predict life course pathways (normative, problem-prone, and psychologically vulnerable) in the transition from adolescence to young adulthood in a sample of adolescent mothers. In addition, a cumulative risk index is assessed for its ability to distinguish between the life-course pathways as a potential assessment tool for service providers. Methods This prospective longitudinal study is based on a diverse sample of adolescent mothers in the Northwest. Data have been collected from pregnancy through adulthood. Five risk factors were used (individually and in a cumulative risk index) to predict young mothers' life course pathways from age 17 through 23 years. Results A multinomial logistic regression indicated that, relative to the normative group, the problem-prone group had significantly greater odds of having a history of school problems, delinquency, and hard substance use. The psychologically vulnerable group had significantly greater odds of mental health problems, hard substance use, and marginally more delinquency. Importantly, the cumulative risk index (the sum of the five risk factors) predicted the patterns of transition into adulthood and demonstrated significant sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing those in the normative pathway from those in either the problem-prone or psychologically vulnerable pathway. Conclusions Results suggest that specific risk factors assessed at pregnancy can differentiate among adolescent mothers who experience varying levels of success in their transition into early adulthood. The cumulative risk index demonstrates applied utility as a risk assessment tool capable of distinguishing among life-course pathways.
Seasonal affective disorder and the pricing of IPOs

Purpose – It has been found that stock market returns vary seasonally with the amount of daylight, and they attribute this effect to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a psychological condition that causes depression and heightened risk aversion during the fall and winter months. The goal of this study is to examine whether this effect also manifests itself in the pricing of initial public offerings (IPOs).Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct an empirical analysis on IPO data collected over the period 1986‐2000. Specifically, we examine potential pricing differences between IPO that go public during the fall and winter months, relative to other issues. The paper begins by exploring differences on a univariate basis (i.e. testing via t‐statistics), subsequently extending the analysis by controlling for firm and offer characteristics in a multiple regression framework.Findings – The paper finds that IPOs experience higher levels of underpricing in both the fall and winter months and th...
The Persistence of Host-Parasitoid Associations in Patchy Environments. II. Evaluation of Field Data

We introduce a method for estimating the parameters of simple host-parasitoid models from field data relating percent parasitism to local host density per patch. By using these parameters, the coefficient of variation (CV2) of the density of searching parasitoids can be calculated. This quantity is important because a general criterion for heterogeneity to regulate discrete-generation host-parasitoid models is that CV2 > 1 (Hassell et al. 1991). The method further allows one to partition CV2 into two components: a host-density-dependent component caused by nonzero covariance between the spatial distributions of the host and parasitoid (HDD), and a component that is independent of host density (HDI). By using this method, we have analyzed 34 sets of published data. Heterogeneity is sufficient to regulate the populations (CV2 > 1) in approximately one-third of the published cases. In approximately 90% of the cases in which CV2 > 1, the density-independent component of CV2 is considerably more important for ...
Seven new species of Graphidaceae (Lichenized Ascomycetes) from the Coastal Plain of southeastern North America

Seven new species of Graphidaceae are described from the Coastal Plain of southeastern North America: Acanthothecis floridana (Florida, USA) , A. leucoxanthoides (North Carolina, USA) , A. paucispora (North Carolina, USA) , Fissurina alligatorensis (Florida and North Carolina, USA) , F. americana (Florida and Georgia, USA) , F. ilicicola (Florida and Georgia, USA) , and Phaeographis oricola (North Carolina, USA). The ecology and distribution of each species is discussed in the broader context of the imminent need for effective conservation and management strategies to maintain the lichen biodiversity in the region. Color illustrations of all species are provided, as are keys to the genera Acanthothecis and Fissurina in North America north of Mexico.
Properties of the K = 12 ground state rotational bands in 169Tm and 171Tm

Nuclear magnetic moments of the Iπ = 52+ and 72+ states of the K = 12 rotational bands in 169Tm and 171Tm have been measured using the perturbed γ angular correlation method. Gamma-ray intensity ratios have been examined in the decay of 171Er, and the mixing amplitude δ(E2/M1) of the 109.8 keV transition in 169Tm has been determined. These and other data are used to determine rotational model parameters as well as transverse and longitudinal effective spin g-factors. Qualitative agreement is found with the theory developed by Bochnacki and Ogaza, however our results are not in quantitative agreement with the theoretical predictions. The possible origin of the discrepancies is discussed.
A comparison of methods for teaching the interpretation of contingency tables

Reading contingency tables is a complex task involving mastery of a number of abstract concepts and an ability to generalize these concepts to tables in a variety of formats. This article describes four methods for teaching students how to interpret contingency tables. The first is a classroom exercise in which students create a “living contingency table.” In the second, students must interpret contingency tables illustrating positive and inverse relationships as well as no relationship between variables. The third requires students to build and interpret tables from EZAccess data sets. In the fourth, students construct a contingency table from hypothetical data in a spreadsheet format. It also describes the use of true-false statements to assess students' comprehension of relationships between variables in contingency tables.
Isolation and determination of mono-ortho and non-ortho substituted PCBs (coplanar PCBs) in human milk by HPLC porous graphitic carbon and GC/ECD

Abstract A rapid and simple liquid-chromatographic method for the isolation of mono-ortho and non-ortho substituted PCBs from human milk by using porous graphitic carbon is described. The separation takes less than 10 min. This method permits the determination of these PCB residues in human milk at parts-per-trillion levels.
Polyamine Metabolism Associated with Growth and Embryogenic Potential of Rice

Summary To determine whether polyamines are involved in somatic embryogenesis in a monocot, levels of polyamines were determined using HPLC during embryogenic callus induction and during cell-culture growth of rice ( Oryza sativa L.). Free putrescine accumulated ten-fold in cells during callus induction and growth using conditions optimized for subsequent plant regeneration. Free and conjugated pools of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in cell suspension cultures exhibited a regular, proportional pattern of increase and decline during each subculture cycle. Polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors, difluoromethylarginine (DFMA) and difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), were used to determine the importance of de novo putrescine biosynthesis for explant dedifferentiation and growth of embryogenic rice callus. Callus was induced in the presence of 2,4-D and either of these inhibitors. However, DFMA (10 mM) suppressed cell suspension culture growth and plant regeneration from callus. These effects were reversible with exogenous agmatine. DFMO inhibited cell suspension culture growth only in the absence of exogenous 2,4-D and had no effect on plant regeneration from callus. A comparison of the morphogenesis of cell suspensions cultured in the presence of DFMA or DFMO revealed that these inhibitors differ in their impact on cell differentiation, proliferation of compact meristematic cell clusters, starch metabolism, and cell cluster friability. We conclude that polyamine metabolism via arginine decarboxylase influences the embryogenic potential of in vitro rice cultures.
Competition and Cooperation among Exchanges: Effects on Corporate Cross‐Listing Decisions and Listing Standards

In recent years, many European companies have listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and companies from emerging market countries such as Israel, China, and India have listed not only on the NYSE, but on various other American and European exchanges such as the Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange (LSE). At the same time, growing competition among exchanges has led to consolidation of the industry through mergers and alliances. In this article, the authors explore the main factors in corporate listing decisions as well as the expected effects on listing standards of both the growing competition and the recent wave of alliances and mergers among exchanges. When choosing an exchange, corporate issuers are likely to consider the listing requirements and reputations of the exchanges, as well as the sophistication of investors who trade on those exchanges and the extent of their knowledge of the firm's industry and business. As a general rule, value-maximizing companies can be expected to list on the most reputable exchange they can, but may also choose listings (in some cases, dual or multiple listings) on less reputable (typically local) exchanges with more investors who are familiar with the issuer's industry or products. When setting their listing standards, publicly traded exchanges devote considerable attention to finding the optimal listing and disclosure standards, and may consider adjusting them to changes in circumstances. The setting and enforcement of the appropriate listing standards are the main determinant of an exchange's reputation, which in turn determines the kinds of companies that will choose to list on it. Exchanges with the highest listing standards and reputations are likely to work hard to maintain them, while exchanges with lesser reputations will seek to carve out niches by making opportunistic use of lower (though not too low) listing standards while possibly seeking alliances or mergers. But if less reputable exchanges use their lower listing standards (and fees) as a means of competing for listings with other exchanges, this will not necessarily lead to a “race to the bottom” in listing standards. Moreover, a merger between two exchanges is likely to result in a higher listing standard for the combined exchange than for (at least one of) the pre-merger exchanges.
A cryostat for the measurement of low-temperature Raman spectra of crystals

Abstract The details of the design of two cryostats for the measurement of Raman spectra of crystals with the Cary Model 81 Spectrometer are presented. Spectra of several different crystalline samples at 300 and 80°K are shown and described to illustrate the spectral improvements and changes observable at low temperature. The simplicity of design and ease and convenience of use of the cryostats afford a means of measuring low temperature spectra with an effectiveness comparable to analogous low temperature measurements in the infrared.
Improved DC power flow method based on empirical knowledge of the system

This paper presents a new method to improve the accuracy of the DC power flow results while maintaining its computation efficiency and linear formulation. The proposed method uses empirical knowledge of the system, including observed voltage magnitudes and angles from historical data, to formulate correction terms. The correction terms are applied to bus power injections and line admittance matrix when DC power flow is calculated. Tests on the IEEE 30 bus and 118 bus systems, using either randomly varied bus loading or an IEEE standard load profile, showed that the average error in power flow calculation is reduced from about 5% to less than 1%, an average improvement of 80% in comparison with the traditional DC method. The improved DC method can be very useful when a large number of system power flow calculations under different generation/ loading conditions are needed. It can also be used in representing the system constraints in power market programs where empirical knowledge of the system is usually available and accuracy is of great importance.
Glomerulosclerosis and renal cysts in mice transgenic for the early region of SV40

Glomerulosclerosis and renal cysts in mice transgenic for the early region of SV40. Considerable evidence indicates that genetic determinants play a major role in the pathogenesis of a variety of human and experimentally-induced renal diseases. There are, however, no firm data to indicate which genes or types of genes can induce or promote renal disease. The recently acquired ability to make specific alterations in the genetic background of an animal affords a unique opportunity to assess the effect(s) of a given gene on the structure and function of an organ of interest. Such modifications have been carried out in the creation of transgenic mice. We examined mice transgenic for the transforming gene encoding large T-antigen which is present in the early region of simian virus 40 (SV40). Renal lesions were present in most animals. While there was some heterogeneity in the type and severity of the renal lesions observed, a majority of the older mice displayed glomerulosclerosis and/or proliferative tubular lesions which in some were associated with multiple, large tubular cysts. The appearance of these lesions in mice transgenic for a transforming gene suggests that renal expression of a gene which controls cell proliferation may be associated with the development of glomerulosclerosis and renal cysts. These findings indicate a possible role for other transforming genes, or oncogenes, in the pathogenesis of glomerulosclerosis and cystic renal disease in humans and other animal models.
Scent Communication and Its Association with Dominance Behavior in the Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

Olfactory communication of dominance status in the hispid cotton rat ( Sigmodon hispidus ) was evaluated by examining the relationship between dominance of individuals and their urinary- and fecal-marking patterns. Their response to presence of urine or feces of con-specifics also was examined. Dominant males, but not females, marked more with urine than did subordinates. Dominance was not associated with fecal marking by either sex. Marking response by males and nonreproductive females to feces of a same-sex opponent was associated with dominance status of the fecal donor. Male response to urine from males also was associated with dominance status of the urine donor. These results indicate that dominance status is communicated by urinary and fecal odors. Marking by nonreproductive females decreased whereas marking by reproductive females increased when exposed to urine from males. Response of reproductive females to feces of either sex was dependent on the dominance status of the female.
Multigraph representations of hierarchical loglinear models

We introduce a notion of generator multigraph as an alternative to interaction graphs for the study of hierarchical loglinear models. Generator multigraphs are defined directly from the generator class of the model and are shown to be natural for recognizing decomposable models, obtaining maximum likelihood estimators, and finding conditional independencies in a model. The graph theory involved focuses on maximum spanning trees and edge cutsets (rather than on chordal graphs and minimal vertex separators as with interaction graphs).
Global properties of Gowdy spacetimes with T3 × R topology☆

Abstract We study the global properties of the Gowdy metrics generated by Cauchy data on the 3-torus. We show that the boundaries of the maximal Cauchy developments of Gowdy initial data sets are always “crushing singularities” in the sense of Eardley and Smarr. This means that each solution admits a slicing in which tr K ( t ) (the trace of the second fundamental form induced on the surface Σ t of the slicing) uniformly blows up as t approaches its limiting value. A theorem of Hawking shows that the maximal Cauchy development cannot extend beyond the boundary at which tr K blows up and our result shows that no singularities arise to halt the evolution until this boundary is reached. Thus each maximal Cauchy development is always as large as it can be, consistent with Hawking's theorem. We discuss the relevance of this result to the strong cosmic censorship conjecture and the question of when the crushing singularities are in fact curvature singularities.
Optimal glucose control can be achieved in the young diabetic

Recent studies indicate that glucose control may be improved in adult diabetics with intensive insulin (II) Rx (using either infusion pumps or multiple injections) and home blood glucose monitoring. To examine the efficacy of these Rx strategies in children, we examined whether near normal glucose levels could be achieved in 8 young (age 10-15 yrs) diabetics given II Rx (6 pump, 2 multiple injections) for 2-6 mos. Control was assessed by HbA1 (nl 5-8%) and glucose measurements of blood samples mailed from home (HG). Glycemic excursions (MAGE) were determined from inpatient glucose profiles (IG). Effect of II Rx on glucose levels (mg/dl) is shown below (¶ p < 0.01).
Thermodynamics of information loss in spectroscopic measurements

Absorption and emission spectroscopy measurements have been extensively and effectively utilized in the probing and monitoring of gases. As in any real experimental situation, the measurement of absorption or emission profiles results in a loss of information due to practical limitations, such as a finite precision of the detector. Also, it is now accepted that there is a relationship between information loss and thermodynamics. Hence, the question "How much information, in bits, is lost when making a practical spectroscopic measurement and how much heat is generated in the process?" arises. Shannon's information theoretical concepts are used to quantify the information lost due to the finite precision in wavelength measurement, of a detector used in a spectroscopic measurement. The heat generated in such a detector is also studied. The relationship between the heat generated and information lost as a result of the finite precision of a practical detector is investigated.
A Cocaine Cue Acts as an Incentive Stimulus in Some but not Others: Implications for Addiction

Background In addicts drug cues attract attention, elicit approach, and motivate drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior, and addicts find it difficult to resist such cues. In preclinical studies we have found, however, that food cues acquire incentive motivational properties only in a subset of individuals. For example, a food cue becomes attractive, eliciting approach and engagement with it, and acts as an effective conditional reinforcer in some rats but not others. We asked, therefore, whether rats that have a propensity to attribute incentive salience to a food cue are the same ones that attribute incentive value to a drug (cocaine) cue. Methods We first used a Pavlovian conditioned approach procedure to determine which individual rats attributed incentive salience to a food cue. A second cue was then associated with the IV self-administration of cocaine. Later, the ability of the cocaine cue to maintain self-administration behavior and to reinstate self-administration after extinction was assessed. Results We report that in individuals that had a propensity to attribute incentive salience to a food cue, a cocaine cue spurred motivation to take drugs (its removal greatly diminished self-administration) and reinstated robust drug-seeking after extinction. However, in those individuals that failed to attribute incentive salience to a food cue, the cocaine cue was relatively devoid of incentive motivational properties. Conclusions We conclude that it is possible to determine, before any drug experience, which individuals will most likely have difficulty resisting drug cues, a trait that might confer susceptibility to addiction.
Interlibrary loan borrowing policy comparison

ABSTRACT Librarians charged with the responsibility of developing and revising the ILL policy for their library can draw upon the experiences of others by reading ILL policies of various libraries. After reading other policies and incorporating some of their ideas, librarians can be better prepared for otherwise unforeseen situations. The study reported in this article takes the reading of these policies one step further by evaluating them to discover trends in service. ILL policies of forty-two (42) universities were located on the World Wide Web. Five categories related to the borrowing of materials were analyzed, and from this analysis, conclusions were drawn about current trends in ILL borrowing service. Awareness of these trends can be instrumental in helping librarians shape a successful ILL policy.
Using human simulation in developing implantable medical device leads

Implantable medical device systems such as pacemakers and neuromodulators use leads, like those shown in Figure 1, to transmit signals from a source generator. The leads are routed within the body to a specific location such as the heart, epidural space, brain, or a specific nerve. Manufacturers must produce leads which are thin and flexible, for patient comfort, while being highly reliable as repair requires surgical intervention. Reliable leads contribute to a better quality of life, and reduce the trauma and expense of the surgeries required to replace failures, across the patient population.
Intestinal epithelial cells as mediators of the commensal–host immune crosstalk

Commensal bacteria regulate the homeostasis of host effector immune cell subsets. The mechanisms involved in this commensal–host crosstalk are not well understood. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) not only create a physical barrier between the commensals and immune cells in host tissues, but also facilitate interactions between them. Perturbations of epithelial homeostasis or function lead to the development of intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and intestinal cancer. IECs receive signals from commensals and produce effector immune molecules. IECs also affect the function of immune cells in the lamina propria. Here we discuss some of these properties of IECs that define them as innate immune cells. We focus on how IECs may integrate and transmit signals from individual commensal bacteria to mucosal innate and adaptive immune cells for the establishment of the unique mucosal immunological equilibrium.
A retargetable, ultra-fast instruction set simulator

In this paper we present new techniques which further improve the static compiled instruction set architecture (ISA) simulation by the aggressive utilization of the host machine resources. Such utilization is achieved by defining a low level code generation interface specialized for ISA simulation, rather than the traditional approaches which use C as a code generation interface. We are able to perform the simulation at a speed up to 10/sup 2/ millions of simulated instructions per second (MIPS). This result is only 1.1-2.5 times slower than the native execution on the host machine, the fastest to the best of our knowledge. Furthermore, the code generation interface is organized to implement a RISC like virtual machine, which makes our tool easily retargetable to many host platforms.
An experimental verification of the Lucas ‘islands’ approach to business cycles☆

Abstract The Lucas (1973) ‘islands’ economy helped explain the procyclicality of prices and the deterioration in output-inflation tradeoffs of economies with increasing degrees of monetary ‘noise’. This model is experimentally tested by simulating an islands economy involving ‘producers’ with imperfect information, who attempt to signal-extract the real component of their observed change in prices. The results indicate that prices are procyclical and that the perceived output-inflation tradeoff worsens with increases in attempted menetary stabilization: However, it is found-that -in economies characterized by monetary indiscipline, the perceived output-inflation tradeoff becomes unresponsive to ‘reforms’ that offer lower monetary variance.
Knowledge representation in a guided globular reasoning framework: Part II

Random selection of operands for image understanding systems often requires extensive region modification and (local) object re-selections to achieve success, from comparison of their clues. The deductions and processing required to achieve success are quite time-intensive and degrade the system's performance, significantly. In this paper, a priority scheme is proposed which produces a prioritized set of local objects and their combined (or single) regions, as operands for autonomous taskspecifically interacting systems of an image understanding system.
BK Virus in the Kidney Transplant Patient

BK virus, a member of the polyomavirus family, is a well-recognized cause of irreversible graft failure after kidney transplantation. Awareness of the relationship between BK infection and immunosuppression along with better understanding of its pathogenesis has contributed to increasing rates of its diagnosis. Current therapies are aimed at early diagnosis, limiting inflammation caused by the virus and elimination of the virus through different strategies. The epidemiology, pathogenesis and the different modalities of therapy available are discussed in this review along with the approach to retransplantation in the setting of graft failure from BK infection.
Alternative Start Sites in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae GLR1 Gene Are Responsible for Mitochondrial and Cytosolic Isoforms of Glutathione Reductase

To combat oxidative damage, eukaryotic cells have evolved with numerous anti-oxidant factors that are often distributed between cytosolic and mitochondrial pools. Glutathione reductase, which regenerates the reduced form of glutathione, represents one such anti-oxidant factor, yet nothing is known regarding the partitioning of this enzyme within the cell. Using the bakers' yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model, we provide evidence that a single gene, namely GLR1, encodes both the mitochondrial and cytosolic forms of glutathione reductase. A deletion in GLR1 drastically increases levels of oxidized glutathione in these two subcellular compartments. The GLR1 gene has two inframe start codons that are both used as translation initiation sites. Translation from the first codon generates the mitochondrial form that includes a mitochondrial targeting signal, whereas translation from the second codon produces the cytosolic form that lacks this sequence. Our results indicate that the sequence context of the two AUG codons influences the efficiency of translation initiation at each site, which in turn affects the relative levels of cytosolic and mitochondrial Glr1p. This method of subcellular distribution of glutathione reductase may be conserved in mammalian cells as well.
Response to a survey

What is the role of the teacher in curriculum research? This question was put individually to a number of teachers in California who had participated in a research project designed to evaluate new approaches for improving communication or language/thinking skills of children in the elementary school. This report presents their combined opinions and comments as regards some of the successes and pitfalls of attempted ‘curriculum reform’.
Packaging design for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory high-resistivity CCDs

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been developing fully-depleted high resistivity CCDs. These CCDs exhibit very high red quantum efficiency, no red fringing, and very low lateral charge diffusion, making them good candidates for astronomical applications that require better red response or better point spread function than can typically be achieved with standard thinned CCDs. For the LBNL 2Kx4K CCD we have developed a four-side mosaic package fabricated from aluminum nitride. Our objectives have been to achieve a flatness of less than 10 micrometers peak-to-valley and a consistent final package thickness variation of 10 micrometers or less in a light-weight package. We have achieved the flatness objective, and we are working toward the thickness variation objective.
Nano-scale patterning of phospholipid thin films by interferometric UV lithography

Interferometric lithography is one of the techniques used to produce micro and nano-scale periodic patterns like gratings in polymers and other substrates of interest. In this work, holographic surface relief gratings are optically inscribed on spin coated azo-dye (NBD)-labeled phospholipid (phosphatidylcholine) thin films using a low-intensity (10 mW) 244 nm frequency-doubled Ar+ laser. A systematic study of growth and decay of phospholipid grating is reported.
Keratinocyte growth factor functions in epithelial induction during seminal vesicle development.

Abstract Development of the seminal vesicle (SV) is elicited by androgens and is dependent on epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Androgenic signal transmission from the androgen-receptor-positive mesenchyme to the epithelium has been postulated to involve paracrine factors. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), a member of the fibroblast growth factor family, is produced by stromal/mesenchymal cells and acts specifically on epithelial cells. The KGF transcript was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in newborn mouse SVs and by Northern blot analysis of RNA from cultured neonatal SV mesenchymal cells. Newborn SVs placed in organ culture undergo androgen-dependent growth and differentiation. Addition of a KGF-neutralizing monoclonal antibody to this system caused striking inhibition of both SV growth and branching morphogenesis. This inhibition was due to a decline in epithelial proliferation and differentiation, as the mesenchymal layer was not affected by anti-KGF treatment. When KGF (100 ng/ml) was substituted for testosterone in the culture medium, SV growth was approximately 50% that observed with an optimal dose of testosterone (10(-7) M). All of these findings suggest that KGF is present during a time of active SV morphogenesis and functions as an important mediator of androgen-dependent development.
Solid State Phased Array RADAR

The system advantages and limitations imposed by the solid state phased array radar are reviewed. The implications of these factors on the radar subsystems are discussed and the characteristics of the U.S. Army test bed solid state radar are presented.
One More Time

The politics/administration dichotomy—a heuristic used to define the field's parameters—is a durable cornerstone of American public administration. Its starting point is in Woodrow Wilson's often-cited 1887 essay. Wilson used a definitional technique for analytic and persuasive purposes in which he distinguished administrative province and process from political province and process. Exegesis on that and the rest of Wilson's formal work reveals that he delimited the subject of administration to contrast it with the province and process of the legislative function. Like a fulcrum, he modified the leverage point of politics-and-administration as he viewed the field from different vantages, first as scholar and later as politician. Although ragged around the edges, the debate endures about the relationship of politics and administration. This assessment offers one more perspective.
Distribution and movement of humpback chub in the Colorado River, grand canyon, based on recaptures

Abstract Mark–recapture data from the federally endangered humpback chub Gila cypha in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, were analyzed from 1989 to 2002 to determine large-scale movement patterns and distribution. A total of 14,674 recaptures from 7,127 unique fish were documented; 87% of the recaptures occurred in the same main-stem river reach or tributary as the original captures, suggesting restricted distribution by most fish. A total of 99% of all recaptures were from in and around the Little Colorado River (LCR), a tributary of the Colorado River and primary aggregation and spawning location of humpback chub in Grand Canyon. Time at liberty averaged 394 d, but some fish were recaptured near their main-stem capture location over 10 years later. Proportionally fewer large (>300-mm) humpback chub exhibited restricted distribution than small (<200-mm) fish. However, several fish did move more than 154 km throughout Grand Canyon between capture and recapture, suggesting that limited movement occurs thro...
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae rev6-1 Mutation, Which Inhibits Both the Lesion Bypass and the Recombination Mode of DNA Damage Tolerance, Is an Allele of POL30, Encoding Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

The rev6-1 allele was isolated in a screen for mutants deficient for UV-induced reversion of the frameshift mutation his4-38. Preliminary testing showed that the rev6-1 mutant was substantially deficient for UV-induced reversion of arg4-17 and ilv1-92 and markedly UV sensitive. Unlike other REV genes, which encode DNA polymerases and an associated subunit, REV6 has been found to be identical to POL30, which encodes proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), the subunit of the homotrimeric sliding clamp, in which the rev6-1 mutation produces a G178S substitution. This substitution appears to abolish all DNA damage-tolerance activities normally carried out by the RAD6/RAD18 pathway, including translesion replication by DNA polymerase ζ/Rev1 and DNA polymerase η, and the error-free, recombination-dependent component of this pathway, but has little effect on the growth rate, suggesting that G178S may prevent ubiquitination of lysine 164 in PCNA. We also find that rev6-1 mutation can be fully complemented by a centromere-containing, low copy-number plasmid carrying POL30, despite the presumed occurrence in the mutant of sliding clamp assemblies that contain between one and three G178S PCNA monomers as well as the fully wild-type species.
Role of Motivation in the Relationship Between Depression, Self-care, and Glycemic Control in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes:

Objective—The mechanism by which depression influences health outcomes in persons with diabetes is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to test whether depression is related to selfcare behavior via social motivation; and indirectly related to glycemic control via self-care behavior. Methods—Patients with diabetes were recruited from an outpatient clinic. Information gathered pertained to demographics, depression, diabetes knowledge (information); diabetes fatalism (personal motivation); social support (social motivation); diabetes self-care (behavior). Hemoglobin A1C values were extracted from the patient medical record. Structural equation models tested the predicted pathways. Results—Higher levels of depressive symptoms were significantly related to having less social support, and decreased performance of diabetes self-care behavior. In addition, when depressive symptoms were included in the model, fatalistic attitudes were no longer associated with behavioral performance. Conclusions—Among adults with diabetes, depression impedes the adoption of effective selfmanagement behaviors (including physical activity, appropriate dietary behavior, and appropriate self-monitoring of blood glucose behavior) through a decrease in social motivation.
Terabit optical interconnects for exascale data centers

High-end computing systems are expected to scale from petascale to exascale over the next decade. We describe requirements and architectures for high-bandwidth interconnects and high-radix switches based on photonics that could enable this performance growth.
Non-destructive examination of carbon nanotube AFM probes by HRTEM

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are mechanically stiff and have very large aspect ratios in morphology. These characteristics make carbon nanotubes very attractive as atomic force microscope (AFM) probes by attaching a nanotube on the commercial Si or Si3N4 tips [1-3]. Theoretical studies have suggested that the resolution of an atomic force microscope (AFM) is very much dependent on the characteristics of cantilever tip, in which the tip diameter and the aspect ratio are most crucial in improving the performance of the AFM. Structural and functional characterization has shown that the microstructure of the attached nanotubes on an AFM cantilever tip will greatly influence its function and performance [4]. However, limited by its resolution, the details of the cohesion between the nanotube probe and the cantilever tip are usually not revealed when the structure is examined in an optical microscope or even scanning electron microscope (SEM), as shown in FIG. 1a, though SEM offers an efficient method to observe the morphology of the tip. On the other hand, these AFM tips do not fit the commercial TEM sample holders for direct examination without alteration.
Spoken English Language Development Among Native Signing Children With Cochlear Implants

Bilingualism is common throughout the world, and bilingual children regularly develop into fluently bilingual adults. In contrast, children with cochlear implants (CIs) are frequently encouraged to focus on a spoken language to the exclusion of sign language. Here, we investigate the spoken English language skills of 5 children with CIs who also have deaf signing parents, and so receive exposure to a full natural sign language (American Sign Language, ASL) from birth, in addition to spoken English after implantation. We compare their language skills with hearing ASL/English bilingual children of deaf parents. Our results show comparable English scores for the CI and hearing groups on a variety of standardized language measures, exceeding previously reported scores for children with CIs with the same age of implantation and years of CI use. We conclude that natural sign language input does no harm and may mitigate negative effects of early auditory deprivation for spoken language development.
ON DIAGRAM-CHASING IN DOUBLE COMPLEXES

We construct, for any double complex in an abelian category, certain "short-distance" maps, and an exact sequence involving these, instances of which can be pieced together to give the "long-distance" maps and exact sequences of results such as the Snake Lemma. Further applications are given. We also note what the building blocks of an analogous study of triple complexes would be.
Genistein nanoparticles protect mouse hematopoietic system and prevent proinflammatory factors after gamma irradiation.

Previous studies demonstrated that genistein protects mice from radiation-induced bone marrow failure. To overcome genistein's extremely low water solubility, a nanoparticle suspension of genistein has been formulated for more rapid dissolution. In the current study, we evaluated the radioprotective effects of a nanoparticle formulation of genistein on survival and hematopoietic recovery in mice exposed to total-body gamma irradiation. A single intramuscular injection of a saline-based genistein nanosuspension (150 mg/kg) administered to CD2F1 mice 24 h before 9.25 Gy 60Co radiation exposure resulted in a 30-day survival rate of 95% compared to 25% in vehicle-treated animals. In mice irradiated at 7 Gy, the genistein nanosuspension increased mouse bone marrow cellularity from approximately 2.9% (vehicle treated) to 28.3% on day 7 postirradiation. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated decreased radiation-induced hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC, Lineage–/cKit+) death from 77.0% (vehicle) to 43.9...
Refinement and re-assessment of the consumer decision-making style instrument

Abstract This study examined the psychometric properties of a popular instrument used to measure consumer decision-making styles. The findings of this study were compared to previous studies. An examination of psychometric properties of the instrument revealed that the instrument is not a reliable or valid measure of decision-making styles in both Korea and the United States. New constructs were identified that were in contrast with previous studies. Recommendations for future research are offered.
Communication-focused business process redesign: assessing a communication flow optimization model through an action research study at a defense contractor

It can be argued that process redesign has a long history, going as far back as Taylor's (1911) scientific management and reaching its peak in the 1990s with business process re-engineering. Throughout most of its history, operational-level approaches to process redesign maintained a focus on "workflows," or the chronological flows of activities in processes. It is argued in this paper that while this makes some sense in materials transformation processes whose final product usually is a tangible manufactured item (e.g., a car engine), this orientation is fundamentally inconsistent with the communication-intensive nature of the vast majority of processes found in organizations today. This paper attempts to show that a focus on communication flow representations and methods is likely to lead to better process redesign outcomes than is a focus on representations and methods in connection with "workflows." It does so by developing a set of research questions based on the communication flow optimization model and answering those questions in the context provided by three process redesign projects conducted at a defense contractor in the US.
Alteration of the Adenine Nucleotide Response and Increased Rubisco Activation Activity of Arabidopsis Rubisco Activase by Site-Directed Mutagenesis

Arabidopsis Rubisco was activated in vitro at rates 2- to 3-fold greater by recombinant Arabidopsis 43-kD Rubisco activase with the amino acid replacements Q111E and Q111D in a phosphate-binding loop, G-G-K-G-Q-G-K-S. However, these two mutant enzymes had only slightly greater rates of ATP hydrolysis. Activities of the Q111D enzyme were much less sensitive and those of Q111E were somewhat less sensitive to inhibition by ADP. Both mutant enzymes exhibited higher Rubisco activation activities over the physiological range of ADP to ATP ratios. Enzymes with non-polar, polar, and basic residues substituted at position Gln-111 exhibited rates of Rubisco activation less than the wild-type enzyme. Estimates of the relative affinity of the wild type and the Q111D, Q111E, and Q111S enzymes for adenosine nucleotides by a variety of methods revealed that the nucleotide affinities were the most diminished in the Q111D enzyme. The temperature stability of the Q111D and Q111E enzymes did not differ markedly from that of the 43-kD recombinant wild-type enzyme, which is somewhat thermolabile. The Q111D and Q111E enzymes, expressed in planta, may provide a means to better define the role of the ADP to ATP ratio in the regulation of Rubisco activation and photosynthesis rate.