cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FTIR studies of catalyst preparation effects on spatial propagation of oscillations during CO oxidation on Pt/SiO2

Abstract In situ selected-area FTIR spectroscopy and localized catalyst temperature measurement techniques have been utilized to show that the oscillatory behavior of a Pt SiO 2 catalyst during CO oxidation is related to the spatial distribution of crystallites. Various catalyst preparation techniques have been used to prepare catalysts with different crystallite sizes and different separations among the crystallites, these catalysts being characterized by chemisorption and optical microscopy. It is shown that the occurrence of oscillations is affected by the crystallite size distribution and by the separation among crystallites. The results are explained in terms of a model which relates the separation and size distribution of crystallites to the spatial propagation of oscillatory states.
Behavioristic approach to multiple personality: A case study

Multiple personality in a 51-year-old resident of a mental hospital was observed and classified into three behavioral repertoires. After baseline rates had been established, one of the repertoires was reinforced and then extinguished. Rate of occurrence of the personalities was found to vary with reinforcement contingency. Naturally occurring contingencies were discussed in relationship to the etiology and maintenance of multiple personality behavior in a hospital ward.
Craniospinal irradiation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia with central nervous system disease at diagnosis: a report from the Children's Cancer Group.

Abstract Purpose : This study attempted to determine if central nervous system (CNS) disease at diagnosis is a poor prognostic factor in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and whether 6 Gy of spinal irradiation is an adequate dose for these patients. Methods and Materials : Previously the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) treated patients with ALL and CNS disease at diagnosis with cranio (24 Gy)-spinal (12 Gy) irradiation, as well as systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy. In a series of CCG trials completed in 1989 the spinal dose was empirically reduced to 6 Gy for patients receiving systemic chemotherapy with an intensive consolidation phase to limit hematopoietic toxicity. The spinal dose was left at 12 Gy for patients treated with a less intensive consolidation phase. Results : With a median follow-up for surviving patients of 74 months, the 5-year event-free survival for 53 patients with CNS disease at diagnosis was 69 ± 13% (±2 standard deviations), similar to the value obtained for 3364 patients without CNS disease, 67 ± 2%. Corresponding values for 5-year survival were 77 ± 12% and 80 ± 1%, and for freedom from isolated first CNS relapse, 90 ± 9% and 94 ± 1%. Event-free survival, survival, and freedom from isolated first CNS relapse in the 6-Gy group were as good as in the 12-Gy group. Conclusion : CNS disease at diagnosis is not a poor prognostic factor for children with ALL who are treated with intensive systemic chemotherapy, craniospinal irradiation, and intrathecal chemotherapy. Six Gy is an adequate dose of spinal irradiation for these patients.
Abstract 2268: Suicidal tendencies: The promotion of cell death by a prolactin antagonist through autophagy in ovarian cancer

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL As a multifunctional pituitary hormone and cytokine, prolactin (PRL) is not only essential for normal reproduction and maintenance of pregnancy, but is involved in over 300 biological activities. There is increasing evidence that PRL plays a role in a variety of cancers including ovarian cancer. Elevated levels of PRL have been reported in patients with ovarian cancer. Furthermore, increased expression of PRL receptors (PRLr) have been shown in ovarian cancers, signifying the importance of PRL-mediated signaling in ovarian carcinogenesis. Abnormal activities of PRLr-mediated signaling pathways such as MAPK and JAK2/STAT5 lead to tumorigenicity and recurrence. Therefore, inhibition of PRL signaling is implicated as a target in cancer therapy; however, no viable strategies have been identified for blocking PRL during tumor progression. Herein, we report a novel strategy to counteract the activity of PRLr-mediated cellular survival in malignant ovarian cancer cells with autophagic cell death. Prolanta (G129R), an analog of human PRL with a single amino-acid substitution at position 129 Glycine with bulky Arginine, induces adaptive autophagy through antagonism of the PRLr expressed on human ovarian cancer cells (HeyA8 and SKOV3). The mouse ovarian cancer cell IG10, which does not express PRLr, had no induction of autophagy upon Prolanta treatment. We also identified that Prolanta competitively binds to PRLr and partially inhibits the oncogenic signaling pathways mediated by PRLr, including JNK/STAT3, PI-3K/Rac/PAK pathways that can lead to cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. In addition, we observed cell death after Prolanta treatment in 3-D-spheroid models. We explored molecular mechanisms behind this autophagic cell death induced by Prolanta. Through biomarker identification using the reverse phase protein array (RPPA), we revealed a signaling complex regulated by Pea-15, an autophagy activator through JNK-pathway, which was activated by Prolanta. Microarray analysis reported an array of autophagic genes activated by Prolanta. Furthermore, in an orthotopic mouse model, Prolanta treatment with or without a taxane caused significant inhibition of SKOV3 and HeyA8 growth. In summary, Prolanta functions as a molecular antagonist to tumor-associated PRL by inducing adaptive autophagic cell death in human ovarian cancer. These preclinical findings reveal the novelty of Prolanta as an adjuvant therapy for ovarian cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2268. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2268
The Spark of Life: Electricity and Regeneration

A recent paper shows that a proton pump, the vacuolar-type adenosine triphosphatase (V-ATPase), is necessary for Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration. The V-ATPase is synthesized in distal cells of the regeneration bud as an early response to amputation, and its role in regeneration is specifically to pump H+ out of cells. Although the downstream effects of proton movement are not known, they may be mediated through changes in membrane potential. This work could reopen a consideration of the role of electric fields in regeneration, an issue that has caused much controversy in the past.
Flux flushing for the GP-B gyroscopes

We conduct several experiments aimed at reducing the amount of magnetic flux trapped in superconducting gyroscopes. Most of experiments are conducted in an ambient field of 0.2±0.1 μG. We notice that the amount of flux trapped in the superconducting gyroscopes are sensitive to the thermal cycling procedures. We report our observations and discuss its implication for the Gravity Probe B Experiment.
Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC) III capacity study

The capacity study of the Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center III benefited from the availability of an operationally configured production system, and data from operational use of the initial delivered systems. The model development team measured events on the production system, and developed a family of scenarios based on operational use of the system. Verification and validation of the model were accomplished through comparison of modeled statistics with observations during development, production, and acceptance testing. The verification and validation of the baseline model led to high confidence in the results of the enhanced communications and enhanced processor studies. Results of the study support the substitution of the enhanced processor for the CP-2025 processor when expanded communications processing capabilities are added to the baseline system. >
Commentary: A revised view of local anesthetic action: what channel state is really stabilized?

A relatively large group of compounds, which includes local anesthetics, antiarrhythmics, and anticonvulsants induce voltage- and/or frequency-dependent block of sodium and other ion channels. Current block increases as the stimulus voltage and frequency of depolarization is increased. These voltage
Choice between concurrent schedules

Six pigeons pecked for food in a three-key experiment. A subject at any time could choose the left or right key and receive reinforcement according to one two-key concurrent variable-interval variable-interval schedule of reinforcement, or it could peck the center key. A peck on the center key arranged the complementary two-key concurrent variable-interval variable-interval schedule on the left and right keys. The two different two-key concurrent schedules arranged reinforcements concurrently and were signalled by two different colors of key lights. Choice behavior in the presence of a given color conformed to the usual relationship in two-key concurrent schedules: the relative frequency of responding on a key approximately equalled the relative frequency of reinforcement on that key. Preference for a two-key concurrent schedule, which was equivalent to preference for a color, was measured by the percentage of all responses on the left and right keys in the presence of that color: this percentage approximately equalled the percentage of all reinforcements that were delivered in the presence of that color. Thus, choice between concurrent schedules conforms approximately to the same relationship as does choice between alternatives in a single concurrent schedule.
Estimation of the diffuse radiation fraction for hourly, daily and monthly-average global radiation

Abstract Hourly pyrheliometer and pyranometer data from four U.S. locations are used to establish a relationship between the hourly diffuse fraction and the hourly clearness index kT. This relationship is compared to the relationship established by Orgill and Hollands and to a set of data from Highett, Australia, and agreement is within a few percent in both cases. The transient simulation program TRNSYS is used to calculate the annual performance of solar energy systems using several correlations. For the systems investigated, the effect of simulating the random distribution of the hourly diffuse fraction is negligible. A seasonally dependent daily diffuse correlation is developed from the data, and this daily relationship is used to derive a correlation for the monthly-average diffuse fraction.
Gender and genre: Loci of invention and contradiction in the earliest speeches by U.S. women

Gender identifies the social roles deemed appropriate for both sexes. Rhetorical genres are also social constructions, but given prohibitions against women speaking, historically, virtually all rhetorical action was gendered masculine. Accordingly, the earliest women speakers faced a double bind that not only spurred them to heights of inventional creativity but also generated contradictions that limited their ability to produce rhetorical masterpieces. At the same time, their challenges emboldened other women, and their arguments became resources for subsequent women speakers. These claims are developed and illustrated through analysis of texts of two of the earliest known speeches by U.S. women, Priscilla Mason's 1793 salutatory oration and Deborah Sampson Gannett's 1802 lecture tour.
ATP Hydrolysis by Restriction Endonuclease from E. coli K

We wish to report a puzzling ATPase activity associated with the DNA restriction endonuclease from E. coli strain K1–3. This enzyme makes a limited number of double chain breaks in DNA molecules lacking the host-controlled modification imparted by strain K. Unmodified DNA molecules from bacteriophage λ, which serve as a convenient substrate, are broken into fragments with a weight average molecular weight of approximately 7 × 106, about one-fifth the size of the intact λ chromosome. The reaction requires Mg2+, ATP and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM).
Caffeine contractures, twitch characteristics and the threshold for Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release in skeletal muscle from horses with chronic intermittent rhabdomyolysis

Muscle from horses with intermittent exercise associated rhabdomyolysis was examined to determine if calcium regulation was abnormal. In vitro studies on semimembranosus muscle fibre bundles showed the time to 50 per cent relaxation of caffeine-induced contractures was shorter and the electrically elicited twitch longer in horses with exercise associated rhabdomyolysis. Substitution of strontium for calcium eliminated the difference in caffeine contracture between the normal and rhabdomyolysis horses. The threshold of calcium-induced calcium release was lower than normal in terminal cisternae-containing fractions of muscle from horses with rhabdomyolysis. Thoroughbreds with rhabdomyolysis had a shorter time to peak twitch tension than standardbreds, and normal thoroughbreds had a shorter caffeine contracture than normal standardbreds. There was no difference in fibre typing between breeds or groups. Either no histological changes or low grade to moderate degenerative myopathy was seen in muscle from horses with rhabdomyolysis. These results suggest horses with intermittent exercise associated rhabdomyolysis have abnormal calcium regulation.
Stomatal and photosynthetic responses to shade in sorghum, soybean and eastern gamagrass

We studied photosynthetic and stomatal responses of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench cv. Pioneer 8500), soybean (Glycine max L. cv. Flyer) and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.) during experimental sun and shade periods simulating summer cloud cover. Leaf gas exchange measurements of field plants showed that short-term (5 min) shading of leaves to 300-400 μmol m -2 s -1 photosynthetic photon flux density reduced photosynthesis, leaf temperature, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water use efficiency and increased intercellular CO 2 partial pressure. In all species, photosynthetic recovery was delayed when leaves were reilluminated, apparently by stomatal closure. The strongest stomatal response was in soybean. Photosynthetic recovery was studied further with soybeans grown indoors (maximum photosynthetic photon flux density 1 200 μmol m -2 s -1 ). Plants grown indoors had responses to shade similar to those of field plants, except for brief nonstomatal limitation immediately after reillumination. These responses indicated the importance of the light environment during leaf development on assimilation responses to variable light, and suggested different limitations on carbon assimilation in different parts of the soybean canopy. Photosynthetic oxygen evolution recovered immediately upon reillumination, indicating that the light reactions did not limit soybean photosynthetic recovery. While shade periods caused stomatal closure and reduced carbon gain and water loss in all species, the consequences for carbon gain/water loss were greatest in soybean. The occurrence of stomatal closure in all three species may arise from their shared phenologies and herbaceous growth forms.
Delta Interactive Solution to Collaborate Over Video for Education and Resources for Maternal Child Health

Professional Issues Paper Presentation Purpose for the Program The Mississippi Delta region is one of the most distressed areas of the nation. Health care providers fight to improve health disparities of its maternal, neonatal, and pediatric residents. This project will improve evidence-based educational opportunities in maternal child health for these rural health care providers using new and innovative technologies.
Are macromolecules required for growth of single isolated mammalian cells

A FEW strains of mammalian cells have been grown from large inocula in a protein-free medium1; but the multiplication of single isolated cells requires that the medium be supplemented with protein, usually supplied as whole or dialysed serum2. Recently, it has been shown that for HeLa cells the serum can be replaced by two purified proteins, fetuin and albumin3. However, the role of these proteins is obscure. The following experiments demonstrate that for one cell strain, at least, the role of serum is not to supply protein as such, but probably to act as a source of essential growth factors of low molecular weight.
Statistical thermodynamics of aqueous solutions. I. Water structure, solutions with non-polar solutes, and hydrophobic interactions

Abstract A statistical thermodynamic theory of the structure and thermodynamic properties of liquid water is needed for a description of the thermodynamics properties of aqueous salt solutions. For this purpose, such a theory, developed earlier by Nemethy and Scheraga, has been modified by removing an empirical cluster restriction, by using a different form of the partition function for unbonded water, by treating the librational and translational frequencies differently, and by removing the restriction that the energy levels are equally spaced. These modifications improved the computed thermodynamic properties of liquid H2O and D2O, and provide a basis to treat aqueous solutions of non-polar molecules and, subsequently, salts. The presence of a non-polar solute leads to shifts of the energy levels of the variously bonded species in the first layer of the surrounding water molecules, and a resulting increase in the fraction of hydrogen bonds between water molecules; i.e. non-polar solutes in aqueous solutions can be characterized as ‘structure making’. Theoretical, Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics calculations, and also simplified models, in the literature, support the assumption in the model used here of a partial cage-like (hydrogen-bonded) structure around a hydrocarbon molecule (hydrophobic hydration). The computed thermodynamic parameters for the transfer of hydrocarbons from a non-polar medium to an aqueous environment, based on a statistical thermodynamic treatment, are reproduced very well by the theory. With no additional parameters, the theory accounts qualitatively for the transfer of argon, propane and butane, respectively, from H2O to D2O, better than the original theory. The strengths of pairwise hydrophobic interactions, computed by Nemethy and Scheraga, and subsequently verified experimentally, are not altered by the modification of the earlier theory for liquid water.
Poster abstract: SmartRoad: a crowd-sourced traffic regulator detection and identification system

In this paper we present SmartRoad, a crowd-sourced sensing system that detects and identifies traffic regulators, traffic lights and stop signs in particular. As an alternative to expensive road surveys, SmartRoad works on participatory sensing data collected from GPS sensors from in-vehicle smartphones. The resulting traffic regulator information can be used for many assisted-driving or navigation systems. We implement SmartRoad on a vehicular smartphone testbed, and deploy on 35 external volunteer users' vehicles for two months. Experiment results show that SmartRoad can robustly, effectively and efficiently carry out its detection and identification tasks without consuming excessive communication energy/bandwidth or requiring too much ground truth information.
Growth factors and corneal epithelial wound healing

In this article, we briefly review recent findings in the effects of growth factors including the EGF family, KGF, HGF, IGF, insulin, and TGF-β on corneal epithelial wound healing. We discuss the essential role of EGFR in inter-receptor cross-talk in response to wounding in corneal epithelium and bring forward a concept of “alarmins” to the field of wound healing research.
RNA-protein interactions in the ribonucleoprotein T-complexes in a mitochondrial extract from Leishmania tarentolae

Abstract We have investigated protein-RNA interactions and the incorporation of [α-32P]UTP into the guide RNA and mRNA components of the ‘T-complexes’ in a mitochondrial extract from Leishmania tarentolae. The terminal uridylyl transferase-containing complex T-IV is probably involved in the maturation of the 3′-oligo(U) tail of the gRNAs, but the biological function and biochemical nature of the remaining T-complexes is not known. We have found that the relative extent of labeling of the RNA components is dependent on the UTP concentration: at low levels, the main endogenous RNA components labeled are the gRNAs in T-IV; at higher levels, the mRNAs in all of the T-complexes are preferentially labeled. We also show a tentative correlation in the migration pattern of UTP-labeled T-complexes and complexes which bind exogenous labeled RNA. The relative extent of binding to specific complexes is dependent upon the type of RNA. Most of the interactions between the labeled RNAs and proteins can be disrupted by heparin or a large excess of rRNA, but two labeled complexes were resistant to competition. Most of the binding of labeled exogenous gRNA is disrupted by competition with a large excess of rRNA, but predigestion of the extract with micrococcal nuclease and saturation with rRNA uncovered a high affinity complex, which involves at least two proteins interacting with the bound gRNAs. A knowledge of the RNA and protein components may aid in understanding the biological roles of these RNP complexes.
A review of imaging low-latitude ionospheric irregularity processes

Abstract A review of the imaging of low-latitude irregularity processes conducted over the past 30 years is presented. The signature in optical data of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) process is the development of a region of depleted emission that typically shows east–west dimensions of 50 to several hundred kilometers. In the meridional direction the depletions can at times extend over two-thousand kilometers poleward from the genesis region at the magnetic equator. A fairly consistent view of this phenomenon has arisen based on observations around the world. However, several properties show considerable seasonal, longitudinal, and solar cycle dependence. Although significant work and progress has been made on understanding these irregularities, several aspects relating to the day-to-day variability of their occurrence, the latitudinal dependence of their drift velocity, and conjugate nature of their effects still remain to be explored. The answers to these questions should be attainable in the near future as more coordinated observations are carried out.
An improved method for detection of Salmonella in foodstuffs using anti-Salmonella antibody

Abstract A rapid and reliable procedure was developed for detection of Salmonella spp. in foodstuffs. After pre-enrichment in nutrient broth for 6 h and an 18-h selective enrichment in Rappaport-Vassiliadis medium, cells were collected on a membrane filter. The presence of Salmonella cells was detected with enzyme-labeled polyclonal antibody to Salmonella common structural antigen (CSA-1). The detection method did not appear to be influenced by the presence of Escherichia coli , a commonly found interfering organisms in contaminated foodstuffs.
Lifestyle and the risk of dementia in Japanese-american men.

Objectives To determine whether adhering to a healthy lifestyle in midlife may reduce the risk of dementia.
The Impact of TNF-α Induction on Therapeutic Efficacy following High Dose Spatially Fractionated (GRID) Radiation

A variety of cytokines especially TNF-α and TGF-β are known to be released in response to high dose radiation of tumors. However, these are not normally measurable in systemic circulation unless high levels of these cytokines are produced by tumor cells. This study was undertaken to see if circulating levels of these cytokines could be measured in the serum of patients treated with high dose spatially fractionated (GRID) radiation and to correlate the finding of these cytokines with clinical response to treatment. Thirty-four patients (31 patients had single treatment site and 3 patients had 2 treatment sites) treated with spatially fractionated (GRID) radiation were entered in this study. Serum samples were collected before treatment and at 24, 48 and 72 hours after GRID radiation. Sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to estimate the levels of TNF-α and activated TGF-β1 proteins. Seven of 37 patients studied had no TNF-α protein before treatment but showed induction of TNF-α a...
Fatty acid requirements and temperature dependence of monooxygenase activity in rat liver microsomes.

Abstract The effect of variation in the microsomal membrane fatty acid composition on Arrhenius plot phase transition temperatures for p- nitroanisole O-demethylation and benzo [a] pyrene hydroxylation has been investigated. In liver microsomes from normal-dieted rats, p- nitroanisole O- demethylase activity has a break temperature at 24°C, while that of benzo [a] pyrene hydroxylase occurs at 29°C indicating that these two enzymes may exist in different patches of membrane. The microsomal membrane fatty acid composition was altered by starving rats for 48 h and then refeeding them a fat-free diet for 4 or 5 days. In microsomes having diet-altered fatty acid compositions, benzo [a] pyrene hydroxylase has a break temperature at 33°C, a value higher than that observed in normal-dieted rats. This observation correlates with the increase in saturation observed in the diet-altered fatty acid composition and thus may correspond to a phase transition roughly dependent on the fatty acid melting point. Induced and basal levels of cytochrome P-450 and P-448 in animals having different microsomal fatty acid composition are reported. Phenobarbital-induced levels of p- nitroanisole O- demethylase in normal microsomes were six times higher than those in microsomes having diet-altered composition, whereas 3-methylcholanthrene-induced levels of benzo [a] pyrene hydroxylase were similar regardless of diet. The low level of p- nitroanisole O- demethylase activity in membranes with altered fatty acid compositions suggests that a particular type(s) of fatty acid was not present in sufficient quantity to permit the induction of maximal enzyme activity. Since the induced benzo [a] pyrene hydroxylase activity was the same regardless of diet, there was presumably sufficient quantities of the appropriate fatty acids present in the membrane for induction of this activity. Therefore, particular fatty acids may be necessary for the induction of maximal activity of particular enzymes in the mixed function monooxygenase system.
158. Interactions between cortisol and acculturation predict pregnancy-related distress, but not maternal depression

Mexican-Americans are the most rapidly growing group in the US. Mexican-American women report greater rates of perinatal depression relative to Caucasian women. A potential socio-cultural contributor to increased maternal depression for Mexican-American women is acculturation. Acculturation involves members of one culture adapting to another and is associated with poor mental health outcomes. Yet, whether levels of acculturation contribute to maternal depression and the physiological mechanism by which this may occur is not clear. This study hypothesized that a continuous measure of acculturation would be positively related to maternal depression and HPA axis activity during pregnancy. Salivary cortisol measured each trimester was compared to acculturation, pregnancy-specific distress, and depression in 37 pregnant women of Mexican descent. Saliva collection occurred three times a day (30 min after waking, before lunch and 4PM) over 3 days to obtain an average daily cortisol decline during early, mid and late pregnancy (16–19, 26–29 and 32+ weeks gestation, respectively). Overall measures of maternal depression and pregnancy-specific distress were positively correlated ( r = 0.387, p R [2] = 0.51, β = 0.06, p = 0.06). There were no effects of cortisol ( p = 0.12) or acculturation ( p = 0.57) on maternal depression during pregnancy. This study suggests that physiological and psychosocial measures interact to affect mid pregnancy-related distress in women of Mexican descent.
Collision of a ball with a barbell and related impulse problems

The collision of a ball with the end of a barbell illustrates the combined conservation laws of linear and angular momentum. This paper considers the instructive but unfamiliar case where the ball's incident direction of travel makes an acute angle with the barbell's connecting rod. The analysis uses the coefficient of restitution generalized to extended objects (in contrast to the usual point particles of introductory physics). The treatment becomes a springboard to studying impulsive two-dimensional collisions between other rigid objects.
A way forward for video game violence research.

Replies to comments made by Hoffman (see record 2014-13696-011) and Bushman and Pollard-Sacks (see record 2014-13696-012) on the author's original article, "Violent video games and the Supreme Court: Lessons for the scientific community in the wake of Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association" (see record 2013-04752-001). Ferguson appreciates their thoughtful tone and hopes that this exchange may serve as a model for dialogue in this area to come. In this response Ferguson's identifies some continued areas of disagreement but also aims to sketch out some early ideas for how we might move this area of research forward. Ferguson concludes by saying that he believes we can move past debates on media violence and that scholars on both sides of the issue must be part of this advancement. We can't be satisfied with the way things were, particularly as new data emerge to reveal ways in which our thinking can be improved. This does not mean we should lambast the past, but neither should we reify it. It is time to move forward with a more sophisticated perspective on media effects that focuses less on moral objections to certain content and more on media consumers and their motivations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
How Much Is Enough? New Recommendations for Using Constructed Week Sampling in Newspaper Content Analysis of Health Stories

Researchers frequently use constructed week samples to approximate content for larger populations of textual data in content analysis projects. To date, this sampling method has not been validated in longitudinal contexts necessary for the conduct of large-scale health communication research. This study uses Monte Carlo bootstrap sampling to determine the number of constructed weeks necessary to accurately estimate one- and five-year population values for different types of variables in a quantitative content analysis. Five years (1999–2004) of four different daily newspapers were coded for four variables that varied on type (count vs. rating), amount of missing data, and distribution (normal vs. nonnormal). Results suggest that sampling a minimum of six constructed weeks was most efficient for both time frames. Missing data lowers sampling precision, although a correction can be calculated if the amount of missing data can be estimated. Using an efficient method of sampling newspapers such as constructed...
Angiotensinogen is Necessary for Postnatal Kidney Development • 1821

To determine whether the angiotensinogen (Agt) gene is necessary for normal kidney development and renin distribution during ontogeny, mice(n=275) from 18 days of fetal life to 70 days of postnatal life carrying two copies (wild type, Agt +/+), one copy (heterozygous, Agt +/-) or zero copies(homozygous, Agt -/-) of the Agt gene were studied. Kidneys were examined for morphologic changes, structure of the preglomerular vasculature, and alterations in renin distribution patterns by immunocystochemistry. No differences in renal morphology or vascular architecture were seen during fetal life. However, by 10 days of postnatal life kidneys derived from Agt -/- mice showed dysmorphic and underdeveloped glomeruli, persistence of the nephrogenic cortex, disorganization of renal tubules and concentric obstructive hypertrophy of the more distal intrarenal arteries. These changes became more prominent with age (21, 45, 70 days) in the Agt -/- mice whereas they were not observed in their age-matched wild type counterparts.
Auditory same/different concept learning by monkeys

Two rhesus monkeys learned the auditory abstract concept ofsame/different. They were trained with 38 different environmental and natural sounds, which were arranged in different combinations as training progressed. Upon transfer to 138 different novel stimuli, they performed as well (78.8% correct) on the first exposure to the novel stimuli as they did (77.3%) with their training stimuli. The comparatively large set of training sounds, contact with the sound source, and a special fading procedure are thought to have contributed to the monkeys’ being able to learn this concept. Implications for species’ similarities/differences in cognitive processing are discussed.
Is There a Bias Toward Excess in U.S. Government Budgets or Deficits

Do the political institutions of a majoritarian representative democracy, and in particular those of the United States, systematically produce either levels of public spending or budget deficits that are excessive? Should U.S. political institutions be altered by constitutional amendment to deal with these problems? I will start by examining the issue of public spending, and then turn to the question of budget deficits.
The Task of the Historian in El general en su laberinto

I Elgeneralen su laberinto, Garcia Mirquez offers a critique of the historical process and examination of the m thodology of history as a discipline in sev ral interrelated dimensions. Central to a vision of the novel as "hi oriographic meta iction" are the author's discl sure of his own methodology in compiling the story of Boliv r and t re a i n p b tw en o l v r ions nd writ documents within the fiction itself.
Counting polymers moving through a single ion channel

The change in conductance of a small electrolyte-filled capillary owing to the passage of sub-micrometre-sized particles has long been used for particle counting and sizing. A commercial device for such measurements, the Coulter counter, is able to detect particles of sizes down to several tenths of a micrometre. Nuclepore technology (in which pores are etched particle tracks) has extended the lower limit of size detection to 60-nm particles by using a capillary of diameter 0.45 micron (ref. 4). Here we show that natural channel-forming peptides incorporated into a bilayer lipid membrane can be used to detect the passage of single molecules with gyration radii as small as 5-15 A. From our experiments with alamethicin pores we infer both the average number and the diffusion coefficients of poly(ethylene glycol) molecules in the pore. Our approach provides a means of observing the statistics and mechanics of flexible polymers moving within the confines of precisely defined single-molecule structures.
Algorithm for detecting important changes in lidar point clouds

Protection of installations in hostile environments is a very critical part of military and civilian operations that requires a significant amount of security personnel to be deployed around the clock. Any electronic change detection system for detection of threats must have high probability of detection and low false alarm rates to be useful in the presence of natural motion of trees and vegetation due to wind. We propose a 3D change detection system based on a LIDAR sensor that can reliably and robustly detect threats and intrusions in different environments including surrounding trees, vegetation, and other natural landscape features. Our LIDAR processing algorithm finds human activity and human-caused changes not only in open spaces but also in heavy vegetated areas hidden from direct observation by 2D imaging sensors. The algorithm processes a sequence of point clouds called frames. Every 3D frame is mapped into a 2D horizontal rectangular grid. Each cell of this grid is processed to calculate the distribution of the points mapped into it. The spatial differences are detected by analyzing the differences in distributions of the corresponding cells that belong to different frames. Several heuristic filters are considered to reduce false detections caused by natural changes in the environment.
Depression, Self-Esteem, Suicide Ideation, Death Anxiety, and Gpa in High School Students of Divorced and Nondivorced Parents:

131 subjects from a small north central Kansas high school participated and completed the Beck Depression Scale, Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory short form with the Lie scale included, the Death Anxiety Scale, and the first 11 questions of the Beck Scale of Suicide Ideation. Background information collected from each subject included age, grade, marital status of parents, and sex. Grade point averages (on a 4-point scale) were taken from the students' files. On death anxiety girls had a significantly higher mean than boys while freshmen's and sophomores' scores were significantly higher than those of juniors and seniors but there was no difference between means of students of divorced and nondivorced parents. On self-esteem and GPA children of divorced parents scored significantly lower than children of nondivorced parents, but there was no difference between the sexes on self-esteem. On GPA girls scored significantly higher than boys. On depression the children of divorced parents scored higher than children of nondivorced parents but there was no sex difference.
International medical graduates and the diagnosis and treatment of late-life depression.

PURPOSE International medical graduates (IMGs) constitute a significant number of physicians in the United States. Because of cultural differences in the manifestations and acceptance of mental disorders, depression may be less recognized in countries where IMGs train than in the United States. Differences in medical training may affect IMGs' recognition of depression. The authors hypothesized that the diagnosis and treatment of late-life depression would differ between United States medical graduates (USMGs) and IMGs. METHOD Physicians, both USMGs and IMGs, at two different professional physician association meetings in 2002 were asked to view a multimedia computer program including a vignette of an elderly patient-actor with late-life depression. They completed a computerized survey, including their diagnosis and recommendations for management. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the two groups for physician characteristics and patient treatment recommendations. RESULTS Study subjects were 178 primary care physicians and 321 psychiatrists. Three hundred fifty-three (71%) respondents were USMGs and 146 (29%) were IMGs. IMGs were significantly less likely than USMGs to make the correct diagnosis of depression (p < .004) or recommend treatment with a first-line antidepressant (p < .001). When specialty, other physician characteristics, and patient race and gender were controlled for, IMGs still differed significantly in their diagnoses (p = .006) and treatment (p = .006) of depression. CONCLUSION The authors found significant differences between USMGs and IMGs for the diagnosis and treatment of late-life depression. This could be due to IMGs' lesser familiarity with depressive symptoms or different cultural conceptions of depression. These findings may point to the need for additional depression training initiatives for IMGs.
Pediatric surgery readmissions: a root cause analysis.

Hospital readmission rates are used as a metric of the quality of patient care in adults. Readmission data is lacking for pediatric surgical patients. The objective of this study is to evaluate our institution’s 30-day unexpected pediatric surgical readmission data to identify potentially preventable readmissions. An internal database of all pediatric surgical 30-day readmissions to two tertiary-referral children’s hospitals in a single health system was reviewed. All pediatric general surgery admissions between January 2008 and May 2013 with hospital readmission within 30 days were included in the study. Patient demographics, diagnoses, cause of readmission, procedure performed, and length of stay were recorded. Charts were individually reviewed to evaluate causality of readmission. There were 2217 pediatric general surgery admissions during the study period. Of these, 145 (6.5 %) experienced unexpected readmission within 30 days. One-third of all readmissions occurred in infants between 0 and 364 days of age, 50 % occurred in those under 2 years and wholly 80 % of all readmissions occurred in those under 9 years of age. A majority of readmissions were associated with chronic comorbid conditions. Analysis of pediatric surgical readmission data may assist hospitals in focusing quality of care and cost effectiveness strategies. Development of coordination of care strategies and discharge planning involving both pediatric surgical teams and pediatric hospitalists/specialists may reduce pediatric surgical readmission rates.
Stenting of the iliac arteries with the palmaz stent: Experience from a multicenter trial

Balloon-expandable, intraluminal stenting of the iliac arteries with the Palmaz stent was the subject of a multicenter study for 4 years. A total of 486 patients underwent 587 procedures. Four hundred and five patients had unilateral and 81 had bilateral iliac stent placements. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 48 months (mean 13.3±11 months). Sustained clinical benefit of the treated patients was obtained in 90.9% at 1 year, 84.1% at 2 years, and 68.6% at 43 months. Angiographic patency rate was 92%. Diabetes mellitus and poor runoff had significant negative influence on the clinical outcome. The 10% incidence of procedural complications was not altered by operator experience.
Phonon-assisted two-photon absorption in the presence of a dc-field : the nonlinear Franz-Keldysh effect in indirect gap semiconductors

The two-photon absorption coefficient of an indirect gap semiconductor (phonon-assisted two-photon absorption) in the presence of a strong dc-electric field applied perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the optical field is calculated using the formalism developed elsewhere (Aspnes 1996 Phys. Rev. B. 147 554). We show that depending on the type of transition (i.e., allowed–allowed, allowed–forbidden or forbidden–forbidden), the absorption coefficient followed different dispersion relations. In the limit of a weak electric field, we recovered results previously calculated using perturbation theory. In the strong dc-field regime, we found that below the rescaled energy gap given by Eg/N, where N is the number of photons, the tunnelling effect is present, but to our surprise, above the rescaled gap, the Franz–Keldysh oscillations are present only for the allowed–allowed transition. This absence of the oscillations in the allowed–forbidden and forbidden–forbidden transitions is possible due to the weak coupling of the tails of the electron and hole wavefunctions.
Electroluminescence of Multicomponent Conjugated Polymers. 2. Photophysics and Enhancement of Electroluminescence from Blends of Polyquinolines

Large enhancement in electroluminescence efficiency and brightness of light-emitting diodes fabricated from binary blends of conjugated polyquinolines was observed compared to devices made from the homopolymers. Blends of poly(2,2‘-(2,5-thienylene)-6,6‘-bis(4-phenylquinoline)) (PTPQ) and poly(2,2‘-(biphenylene)-6,6‘-bis(4-phenylquinoline)) (PBPQ), for example, had EL efficiency and luminance of up to a factor of 30 enhancement. Energy transfer was negligible in all four binary blend systems investigated. The electrical properties of the diodes and electric-field-modulated photoluminescence spectroscopy results confirmed that the enhancement of electroluminescence in the blends originated from spatial confinement of excitons which leads to increased exciton stability and electron−hole recombination efficiency. Voltage-tunable and composition-tunable multicolor electroluminescence was observed in the polymer blend devices. The observed composition-dependent new emission bands and enhanced fluorescence lifet...
Trolox attenuates cortical neuronal injury induced by iron, ultraviolet light, glucose deprivation, or AMPA.

The vitamin E analog, trolox, protected cultured cortical neurons against damage induced by exposure to either iron ions or ultraviolet (UV) light, consistent with an ability to inhibit free radical-mediated cytotoxicity. Trolox also reduced neuronal death induced by 24 h exposure to alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA), but not that induced byN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). When combined with the NMDA receptor antagonist dextrorphan, trolox also reduced the neuronal injury induced by glucose deprivation.
Coherent-control of linear signals: Frequency-domain analysis

The dependence of various types of linear signals on the phase profile of broadband optical pulses is examined using fundamental time translation invariance symmetry of multipoint correlation functions. The frequency-domain wave-mixing analysis presented here unifies several arguments made earlier with respect to the conditions whereby coherent control schemes may be used.
Altered Repair of Targeted Psoralen Photoadducts in the Context of an Oligonucleotide-mediated Triple Helix

Oligonucleotides can bind as third strands of DNA in a sequence-specific manner to form triple helices. Psoralen-conjugated, triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) have been used for the site-specific modification of DNA to inhibit transcription and to target mutations to selected genes. Such strategies, however, must take into account the ability of the cell to repair the triplex-directed lesion. We report experiments showing that the pattern of mutations produced by triplex-targeted psoralen adducts in an SV40 shuttle vector in monkey COS cells can be influenced by the associated third strand. Mutations induced by psoralen adducts in the context of a TFO of length 10 were the same as those generated by isolated adducts but were found to be different from those generated in the presence of a TFO of length 30 at the same target site. In complementary experiments, HeLa whole cell extracts were used to directly assess repair of the TFO-directed psoralen adducts in vitro. Excision of the damaged DNA was inhibited in the context of the 30-mer TFO, but not the 10-mer. These results suggest that an extended triple helix of length 30, which exceeds the typical size of the nucleotide excision repair patch in mammalian cells, can alter repair of an associated psoralen adduct. We present a model correlating these results and proposing that the incision steps in nucleotide excision repair in mammalian cells can be blocked by the presence of a third strand of sufficient length and binding affinity, thereby changing the pattern of mutations. These results may have implications for the use of triplex-forming oligonucleotides for genetic manipulation, and they may lead to the use of such oligonucleotides as tools to probe DNA repair pathways.
Physical activity and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels: what is the relationship?

High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are strongly, inversely and independently associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). Increased physical activity is associated with reduced CHD mortality. This protection against CHD may partially be explained by the increase in HDL-C levels observed following aerobic exercise training. Many also agree that an exercise threshold needs to be met before such favourable changes in HDL-C metabolism can occur. Most likely, the exercise-induced changes in HDL-C are the result of the interaction amongst exercise intensity, frequency, duration of each exercise session and length of the exercise training period. Although a relative contribution of each exercise component (intensity, duration and frequency) is also likely, it has not been established. There is also substantial support for a dose-response relationship. Favourable changes in HDL-C appear to occur incrementally and reach statistical significance at approximately 7–10 miles per week or 1200 to 1600kcal.