cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
YEAST TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATORY MECHANISMS

Transcriptional regulation directly influences many biological phenomena such as cell growth, response to environmental change, development of multicellular organisms, and disease. Transcriptional regulatory mechanisms are fundamentally similar in eukaryotic organisms (93). Components of the basic RNA polymerase II (Pol II) machinery are highly conserved and, in some cases, functionally interchangeable. Transcription factors with similar structures and DNA-binding specificities are found throughout the eukaryotic kingdom, and acidic activation domains stimulate transcription across a wide range of species. Complex promoters with multiple protein binding sites are typical in all eukaryotic organisms, and efficient transcription generally requires the combinatorial and synergistic action of activator proteins that function at long and variable distances from the mRNA initiation site. Molecular mechanisms of eukaryotic transcriptional regulation have been elucidated from the studies that involve a wide variety of genes, promoters, proteins, organisms, and experimental approaches. This review focuses on transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Studies in yeast have emphasized powerful genetic approaches that are not available in other eukaryotic organisms. As a consequence, yeast is particularly amenable for analyzing transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in vivo under true physiological conditions. Furthermore, classical and molecular yeast genetics has permitted the discovery and functional characterization of transcriptional regulatory proteins that were not identified in biochemical studies. Thus, genetic analysis in yeast has often generated information complementary to that obtained from biochemical studies of transcription in vitro, and it has provided unique insights into mechanisms of eukaryotic transcriptional regulation.
Tracing Genres Through Organizations: A Sociocultural Approach to Information Design. Clay Spinuzzi. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003. 246 pp

In 1974, the traffic-accident data archive maintained by the Department of Transportation for the state of Iowa was transferred from a primarily paper-based system to a mainframe computer. Data reg...
Education, control at work, and job satisfaction

Abstract The well educated are more likely than the poorly educated to engage in work that provides control over one's own work, control over people, and control over money, yet the total effect of education on job satisfaction is null. Using a representative sample of 557 Illinois workers interviewed by telephone in 1982, we find that education increases expected satisfaction indirectly by providing control at work, but decreases it (net of control at work), probably by raising workers' expectations. Control over one's own work, including job autonomy and nonroutine work, is positively associated with job satisfaction for all workers, but the effect is much stronger for the well educated. Control over money is positively associated with job satisfaction for the well educated, but negatively associated for the poorly educated. Control over others does not increase any group's expected satisfaction.
Asymmetric competitive suppression between strains of dengue virus

Within-host competition between strains of a vector-borne pathogen can affect strain frequencies in both the host and vector, thereby affecting viral population dynamics. However little is known about inter-strain competition in one of the most genetically diverse and epidemiologically important mosquito-borne RNA virus: dengue virus (DENV). To assess the strength and symmetry of intra-host competition among different strains of DENV, the effect of mixed infection of two DENV serotypes, DENV2 and DENV4, on the replication of each in cultured mosquito cells was tested. The number of infectious particles produced by each DENV strain in mixed infections was compared to that in single infections to determine whether replication of each strain was decreased in the presence of the other strain (i.e., competition). The two DENV strains were added to cells either simultaneously (coinfection) or with a 1 or 6-hour time lag between first and second serotype (superinfection). DENV2 and DENV4 showed significantly reduced replication in mixed infection relative to single infection treatments. In superinfection treatments, replication was suppressed to a greater extent when the interval between addition of each strain was longer, and when a strain was added second. Additionally, competitive effects were asymmetric: although both strains replicated to similar peak population sizes in single infections, DENV2 was more suppressed than DENV4 in mixed infections. Superinfection treatments yielded significantly lower combined virus titers than coinfection or single infection treatments. Competition between DENV strains in cultured mosquito cells can cause a significant decrease in peak viral population sizes, which could translate to decreased transmission by the vector. Effects of competition were asymmetric between DENV2 and DENV4, probably reflecting significant variation in the competitive ability of DENV strains in nature. Competition was strongest in superinfection treatments, suggesting that colonization of new DENV strains could be impeded in areas where numerous mosquitoes are infected with endemic DENV strains.
Changes in the central canal area of immature rats following spinal cord injury

Abstract A small, unilateral, penetrating wound was placed in the dorsolateral portion of the lumbosacral spinal cord in immature rats. Although this wound did not extend into the canal area, some cells forming the walls of this canal underwent proliferative activity as demonstrated by [ 3 H]thymidine autoradiography. The uniform, regular cellular arragement of these walls was lost and portions of the walls thickened and became multilayered in appearance.
3,3′-diindolylmethane enhances taxotere-induced growth inhibition of breast cancer cells through downregulation of FoxM1

Emerging evidence suggests that the transcription factor Forkhead Box M1 (FoxM1) is associated with aggressive human carcinomas, including breast cancer. Because elevated expression of FoxM1 has been observed in human breast cancers, FoxM1 has attracted much attention in recent years as a potential target for the prevention and/or therapeutic intervention in breast cancer. However, no information is currently available regarding how downregulation of FoxM1 could be achieved for breast cancer prevention and therapy. Here, we report for the first time that 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM), a nontoxic dietary chemopreventive agent could effectively downregulate FoxM1 in various breast cancer cell lines. Using gene transfection, real-time reverse transcription-PCR, Western blotting, invasion and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays, we found that DIM could enhance Taxotere-induced growth inhibition of breast cancer cells, and decreased invasive capacity of breast cancer cells was observed after either treatment alone or the combination. These effects were associated with downregulation of FoxM1. We also found that knock down of FoxM1 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection increased DIM-induced cell growth inhibition, whereas over-expression of FoxM1 by cDNA transfection attenuated DIM-induced cell growth inhibition, suggesting the mechanistic role of FoxM1. Most importantly, the combination treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, and the results were correlated with the downregulation of FoxM1 in tumor remnants. We conclude that inactivation of FoxM1 and its target genes by DIM could enhance the therapeutic efficacy of Taxotere in breast cancer, which could be a useful strategy for the prevention and/or treatment of breast cancer.
Expected and observed behavior of nurses and terminal patients.

This study examines perceptions of how nurse and patient roles should be structured to deal with terminal illness and the degree of congruence between the expectations of professionals and patients. Further, nurse and patient perceptions of their actual role behavior are compared. The sick role has traditionally been conceptualized as a process of health, illness, and a return to health with little attention given to the prospect of non-recovery. In the sick role perspective, the normative value of independence and self-reliance is temporarily abated during illness and its subsequent dependency. As described by Parsons (1951), the sick role incorporates general patient norms of cooperation and submission to medical objectives and to hospital regimen, with the implication that patients will conform to requests of hospital personnel and the requirements of institutional living with little protest. Similarly, physicians and nurses are assumed to endorse patient norms of acceptance and compliance with even painful treatment modalities, with minimal complaint by patients. However, since the advent of civil rights legislation in the U.S.A., the feminist movement, and greater consumer consciousness, unquestioning adherence to directives is less common, and norms which emphasize patient autonomy and independence have also been identified (Lorber, 1975). Further, although the legitimation of dependency is an explicit aspect of the sick role, in turn a burden is placed on the individual to want to try to get well. Assumption of this facet of the sick role is precluded in the instance of the terminal patient. Because of the deviant nature of the sick role for the terminal patient (i.e. absence of expectation for recovery) norms for patient behavior may differ from those for whom recovery is a possibility. Norms prescribing permissive treatment and exemption from sick role obligations would more likely characterize acute illness (Kassebaum and Baumann, 1965), although permissiveness may vary depending on whether the illness is chronic or terminal.
Legal penalty for fraud and CEO turnover

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation between the size of the legal penalty for fraud and CEO turnover.Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of 93 securities lawsuits that were filed in the US between 1997 and 2005, logit regression is used in the analysis of the relation between probability of CEO turnover and size of the litigation monetary penalty and ordinal logit regression is used to examine the relation between timing of CEO turnover and size of the litigation monetary penalty.Findings – A positive association is documented between the size of the monetary penalty and the probability of CEO turnover. A larger monetary penalty is associated with earlier CEO turnover. Equity issue related securities lawsuit is associated with a higher probability of CEO turnover and an earlier CEO turnover.Research limitations/implications – The results imply that the greater the legal penalty levied on the sued firm, the more likely the CEO is considered as being complicit in the ...
Influence of Heat Treatment and Methods of Acidification of Milk on Manufacture and Properties of Cottage Cheese

Abstract Cottage cheese was manufactured (cut at pH 4.8) by five different methods based on the handling and use of starters. Comparisons were of four heat treatments of the cheese-milk. Cheese made either by continuous fermentation or by direct acidification had cutting times approximately 33% of those for conventionally-made cheese. Moreover, the direct acidification method required cooking times only 40% of those used in the conventional method. Cheese made conventionally or by continuous fermentation had higher flavor and texture scores than that made by direct acidification. Cheese made by continuous fermentation resulted in higher yield than when made by direct acidification although recoveries of solids were similar. Increasing heat treatments (73.8 C/17 s; 100 C/7.9 s; 120 C/7.9 s; 135 C/3.9 s) resulted in longer cooking times and higher final moisture; the two lower treatments resulted in cheese with higher scores for flavor, body, and texture than did the two higher heat treatments. Best results were from continuous fermentation of cheese-milk previously heated at 100 C for 7.9 s.
Effects of fat supplementation and immature alfalfa to concentrate ratio on lactation performance of dairy cattle.

Abstract Forty-six multiparous Holstein cows were assigned 5 d postpartum to a completely randomized design employing a 2 × 3 factorial treatment arrangement. Factors were 0 or 5% added prilled fat (DM basis) substituted for shelled corn and alfalfa silage fed in forage-to-concentrate ratios of 45:55, 64:36, and 84:16 (DM basis). Interactions between fat and forage level were not observed for any of the parameters measured. Energy density, calculated using data from a digestibility trial, was similar between 45:55 and 64:36 diets (1.66 Mcal NE 1 /kg) and was lower with 84:16 diets (1.48 Mcal NE 1 /kg) for the 100 d trial. Fat supplementation increased energy density of the diets (1.67 vs. 1.53 Mcal NE 1 /kg). Dry matter digestibility, energy intake, and 4% FCM yields were similar for cows fed 45:55 and 64:36 diets and lower for those fed the 84:16 diets. Fat supplementation did not affect DM digestibility. Dry matter intake declined with increasing forage level and fat supplementation. Milk yield decreased as forage level increased. Fat supplementation did not affect yield of milk or FCM. Milk fat percentage was lower for cows fed 45:55 than 64:36 or 84:16 diets. Fat supplementation increased milk fat percentage. Milk protein yield decreased as forage level increased but was unaffected by fat supplementation. Results suggest higher levels of concentrate support higher milk yields, and prilled fat supplementation improves fat test when fed with immature forages. Prilled fat supplementation did not enhance lactation performance because of depressed DM intake in early lactation.
Higgs-boson production in peripheral heavy-ion collisions: Electromagnetic production.

Higgs-boson production via fusion of two virtual photons in nuclear collisions at energies of several TeV per nucleon is calculated. It is shown that although a trigger on quasielastic nuclear collisions suppresses the Higgs-boson production cross section, this mechanism could still provide a method for producing and detecting intermediate-mass Higgs bosons ({ital M}{sub {ital Z}}{approx lt}{ital M}{sub {ital H}}{approx lt}2{ital M}{sub {ital W}}).
Simulations of Efficiency Improvements Using Measured Microgrid Data

Reaching unelectrified populations in the developing world with distributed solar requires agressive cost optimization of generation and storage. Conventional solar generation architectures using photovoltaic panels, sealed lead acid batteries, and inverters show room for cost improvement. Using data collected from photovoltaic microgrid users and simulations we demonstrate potential cost reductions using alternate technologies and architectures. Reducing losses from power conversion could lower wholesale energy costs by 20\% while improved battery chemistries could lower costs by up to 50\%.
A simplified model for estimating population-scale energy impacts of building envelope air tightening and mechanical ventilation retrofits

Changing the air exchange rate of a home affects the annual thermal conditioning energy. Large-scale changes to air exchange rates of the housing stock can significantly alter the residential sector's energy consumption. However, the complexity of existing residential energy models is a barrier to the accurate quantification of the impact of policy changes on a state or national level. The Incremental Ventilation Energy (IVE) model introduced here combines the output of simple air exchange models with a limited set of housing characteristics to estimate the associated change in energy demand of homes. The IVE model was designed specifically to enable modellers to use existing databases of housing characteristics to determine the impact of ventilation policy change on a population scale. The IVE model estimates of energy change when applied to US homes with limited parameterization are shown to be comparable to the estimates of a well-validated, complex residential energy model.
Fast Li+ ion conductance in chloroborate glasses II-diborates and metaborates

Abstract The understanding of FIC in amorphous materials is limited in part due to a lack of reliable structural models. Alkali oxide additions to B2O3 are known to modify the glass network initially by the formation of BO4-tetrahedral units at the expense of trigonal BO3 units. Our recent studies on the system 36.4 mol%Li2Z(Z=0,Cl2)−63.6 mol% B2O3 demonstrate that major structural changes in the network also accompany the large increases in ion conductivity upon the replacement of oxygen with chlorine. In the present study, the scope of our investigation has been extended to glasses of composition Li2Z.2B2O3 (diborate) and Li2Z.B2O3 (metaborate). This enables us to study glasses at several different total Li contents lying in different regimes of network structure, as a function of Cl additions. Results of extensive measurements of electrical conductivity, glass transition and density as a function of glass composition and temperature are used to emphasize the importance of considering structural changes along with ion transport variations upon modification of glass composition. Suggestions for the cause of observed structure-transport relations are presented.
The health belief model and the contraceptive behavior of college women: implications for health education.

Abstract “The Incidence of Primary Cardiac Arrest During Vigorous Exercise,” David S. Siscovick, et al. To examine the risk of primary cardiac arrest during vigorous exercise, we interviewed the wives of 133 men without known prior heart disease who had had primary cardiac arrest. Cases were classified according to their activity at the time of cardiac arrest and the amount of their habitual vigorous activity. From interviews with wives of a random sample of healthy men, we estimated the amount of time members of the community spent in vigorous activity. Among men with low levels of habitual activity, the relative risk of cardiac arrest during exercise compared with that of other times was 56 (95% confidence limits, 23 to 131). The risk during exercise among men at the highest level of habitual activity was also elevated, but only by a factor of 5 (95% confidence limits, 2 to 14). However, among the habitually vigorous men, the overall risk of cardiac arrest—i.e., during and not during vigorous activity—w...
THE EFFECTS OF ADVANCING CIVILIZATION UPON PLANTS

This paper examined the injuries to vegetation, natural and cultivated, produced by poisonous materials added to the atmosphere of soil by development of industries, and other processes going on hand and hand with the advancement of civilization. The primary pollutants discussed were natural gas and various types of smokes.
Disorder, Promiscuity, and Toxic Partnerships

Many genes are toxic when overexpressed, but general mechanisms for this toxicity have proven elusive. Vavouri et al. (2009) find that intrinsic protein disorder and promiscuous molecular interactions are strong determinants of dosage sensitivity, explaining in part the toxicity of dosage-sensitive oncogenes in mice and humans.
Study of giant edge-localized modes in DIII-D and comparison with ballooning theory.

In DIII-D H-mode plasmas, large amplitude modulation of steep edge electron pressure gradients are observed during the occurrences of giant edge-localized modes (ELM's). For a considerable range of plasma currents (1 to 2 MA), the experimental pressure gradient before a giant ELM is close to the theoretically predicted marginal stability limit for the first regime of the ideal ballooning mode. These results, together with observations showing that ELM's originate in the region of bad curvature, strongly suggest that ELM's are triggered by ballooning mode instabilities.
Comparison of body composition, adipocyte size, and glucose and insulin concentrations in Pima Indian and Caucasian children.

Abstract Pima Indian adults with normal glucose tolerance have higher plasma glucose and insulin concentrations than Caucasian adults. To estimate the age of onset of these differences, and to assess their relationship to abdominal and gluteal adipocyte size, we measured adiposity, adipocyte size, and glucose and insulin concentrations during a glucose tolerance test in lean ( v 94 ± 2 mg/dL, P = .01) and insulin (22 ± 2 v 15 ± 2 μ U/mL, P v 0.37 ± 0.04 μ g lipid/cell, P
Electron tunneling spectroscopy study of traps in high-k gate dielectrics: Determination of physical locations and energy levels of traps

It will be demonstrated that the electron tunneling spectroscopy (ETS), obtained by taking the second derivative of the current-voltage (I–V) characteristic of a tunnel barrier, is an effective technique to probe traps in ultra-thin gate dielectrics where significant tunneling currents flow. By taking the electron tunneling spectra in both polarities, one can determine the locations and energy levels of traps that appear in the ETS spectra. The procedure for the above and the associated derivation will be presented. Examples are shown to demonstrate the use of ETS to track the evolution of traps in high-k gate dielectrics under electrical stress.
Quantitation of Endogenous Analytes in Biofluid without a True Blank Matrix

A method is presented that describes a reliable and practical procedure for quantitation of an analyte present at relatively high background levels in blank (untreated) biological matrixes. Using a “surrogate analyte” approach, an endogenous analyte was quantitated in a variety of biological matrixes containing both very low ( 2000 ng/mL) background levels of the desired analyte. This quantitative “surrogate analyte” approach was applied during the development of an HPLC/MS method for α-ketoisocaproic acid (KIC), which was identified as a potential biomarker for branched chain amino acid transferase inhibitor activity. Using deuterium-labeled KIC (d3) as a surrogate analyte, not an internal standard, to generate the calibration curve, the concentration of KIC in biofluid could be back-calculated based on the regression equation and response factor of KIC to KIC-d3. In particular, this approach made it possible to prepare standards in control biofluid such as plasma, which greatly faci...
Beyond Transparency: Information Overload and a Model for Intelligibility

The role and evaluation of the modern corporation is being challenged by multiple stakeholders, changing markets and public expectations. Unfortunately, corporate governance, regulation and accounting have played a prominent role in business failure for the past decade resulting in a growing lack of public confidence in our markets. We present a new model that contributes to improving the quality of corporate information by providing not more, but better information through increased intelligibility of overall information, benefiting both the firm and its broad array of stakeholders. It has become apparent that boards, management and regulators have been unable to cope with the rise of business failures by adding increasing layers of regulation that have often served only to exacerbate the complexity and further cloud the transparency of needed information. We have identified a growing number of forward-thinking firms that have found alternative means to provide betterinformation and strengthen their companies. We offer a stakeholder-centric model for improving information intelligibility based upon the extensive scope and variety of external input derived from the growing social movement organizations. With the added focus on intelligibility, these groups can help foster greater corporate responsibility, meaningful transparency, increased stakeholder benefits, and improved overall performance of the firm.
A flash-annealing technique to improve diffraction limits and lower mosaicity in crystals of glycerol kinase

A flash-annealing method has been developed that increases the diffraction limits, and simultaneously decreases the mosaicity of glycerol kinase crystals. This technique utilizes brief thawing and rapid freezing cycles of the crystal in the cold nitrogen stream. The effective resolution limits increased almost by 0.8 A, from 3.6 to 2.8 A, and mosaicity values halved.
Communication approaches to parent-child conflict: young adolescence to young adult

As trusted and accessible health care providers, pediatric nurses are asked frequently for advice on the rearing of children and adolescents, particularly during developmental transitions. The parent-adolescent relationship has been characterized as a continuing renegotiation of relational qualities. Aspects of communication, such as conflicts and approaches to them, expose the re-negotiation process. The purpose of this study was to examine how communication approaches and topics of conflict in a parent child relationship evolved over 10 years. Thirty-three families with young adults as children between the ages of 22 and 26 years old responded to a survey about conflict and conflict resolution. Parents and young adults, as respondents, were asked to describe two incidents of conflict. The first incident was a conflict from the past, when the young adult was 11 to 14, and the second incident was a conflict they recently experienced. Inductive analyses were used to substantiate themes from the data. Regarding past topics of conflict, parents and young adults had no difficulty recalling incidents. The approaches to solving the past conflicts were seldom effective. Both parent and teenager were reactive, negative, confrontational, or avoidant. Occasionally, incidents that reflected thinking, planning ahead, and caring were reported. Descriptions of more recent experiences indicated less conflict and more direct and healthy communication approaches; although manipulative, negative, and intimidating tactics were present.
Improving adherence in social situations for adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM): A pilot study

Abstract Aims Management of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) involves adherence to complex daily behaviors. Some adolescents have difficulty maintaining these regimens within social contexts due to peer pressure and apprehension about being singled out (Wysocki et al., 2003 [1] ). Previous research suggests that negative social attributions have a role in adherence difficulties (Hains et al., 2006 [6] ). This pilot study examined a cognitive-behavioral intervention geared towards challenging and restructuring negative thinking patterns. Methods Ten adolescents with T1DM and HbA1c readings greater then 7.0% were recruited from a large, Midwestern Children's Hospital. The intervention consisted of a 1-h session followed by three weekly phone calls, which focused on cognitive restructuring and problem-solving training. Measures of diabetes-related stress and concerns surrounding self-care in social situations were completed by the adolescents pre- and post-intervention and at one-month follow-up. Results A series of repeated measure ANOVAS did not reveal significant differences between pre-intervention and follow-up scores across measures. Conclusions While there were no significant differences between pre-intervention and follow-up scores, the results highlight some important trends. Specifically, preliminary results suggest that the trends in individual scores indicate that problem-solving may be helpful for improving adherence in social situations.
Task difficulty determines the differential memory-impairing effects of EAA antagonists in gerbils.

Abstract Excitatory amino acid antagonists (EAAAs) have been shown to disrupt learning and memory in a variety of cognitive tasks. EAAAs have been reported to produce differential effects on working memory (WM) and reference memory (RM) or to have no effect at all. Apparent selective effects of EAAAs on WM and/or RM may have been due to differences between the effects of competitive and noncompetitive EAAAs, dose selection, or to different task requirements for the WM and RM components. In the present experiments, we assessed the effects of a noncompetitive EAAA (MK-801), a competitive EAAA (CPP), and the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine in two cognitive tasks, the split-stem T-maze and the eight-arm radial maze. In these two tasks, the WM and the RM components differed in their relative degree of difficulty. Gerbils were trained on either the T-maze, where WM was more difficult than RM, or on the radial arm maze, where RM was more difficult than WM. In the T-maze, MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg, IP, 30 min prior), CPP (30.0 mg/kg, IP, 2 h prior) and scopolamine (0.3 mg/kg, IP, 30 min prior) impaired both WM and RM, but the magnitude of the impairing effect was statistically greater for the WM component, the more difficult of the two components. Lower doses of these three compounds produced either selective effects on WM or no effect at all. In the radial arm maze all three drugs impaired both components, but the magnitude of the impairing effect was statistically greater for the RM component, the more difficult of the two components. These data indicate that a) the class of EAAA does not appear to contribute to previously reported differential effects on WM or RM, b) differential effects of a drug on WM or RM can be the result of dose selection, and c) task difficulty as defined by the degree and rate of acquisition can influence the apparent selectivity of the memory impairment produced by a given drug.
Repeated Testing to Improve Skills in a Pharmacy Practice Laboratory Course

Objective. To evaluate the impact of repeated simulations and testing on the pharmacy practice skills development of third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students. Design. A pharmacy practice skills laboratory was redesigned to reinforce skills development and enhance retention. Timed, repeated learning experiences that increased in complexity throughout the semester were used to test student knowledge, skills, and abilities. Assessment. Over a 5-year period, scores from skills-based activities deemed essential to professional practice and repeated 4 or more times in the course were analyzed. There was a significant improvement in scores on drug utilization reviews and patient counseling simulations despite the increasing difficulty and complexity of the medication problems presented (p <0.001). Students’ scores on prescription verification and sterile product verification also improved significantly over 3 assessments (p <0.001), but then plateaued, with less improvement seen in performance on subsequent assessments. Conclusion. Providing multiple opportunities for students to conduct or simulate pharmacy practice activities and then test their knowledge and skills improves students’ learning and performance.
Nanosecond-time-resolution thermal emission measurement during pulsed excimer-laser interaction with materials

A nanosecond-time-resolution pyrometer has been developed for measuring the transient surface temperature of a solid material heated by pulsed excimer-laser irradiation. Fast germanium diodes are employed to capture the transient thermal emission signals in the wavelength range between 1.2 and 1.6 pm. The surface temperature is derived from the measured spectral thermal emission. The directional spectral emissivity is determined in situ by measuring the transient directional spectral reflectivity and applying Kirchhoffs law. The experimental results are in good agreement with numerical thermal modeling predictions. The pyrometric thermal emission measurement also yields the solid/liquid interface temperature during the pulsed excimer-laser-induced melting. The relation between the measured interface superheating temperature and the interface velocity reveals the melting kinetic relation during the high-power, short-pulse laser-induced phase-change processes.
Hypnotic Susceptibility, Cognitive Dissociation, and Runner's High in a Sample of Marathon Runners

I studied the hypnotic ability of marathon runners as it relates to cognitive dissociation while running and to runner's high. Dissociating runners use a cognitive style in which they cut themselves off from the sensory feedback they would normally receive from their body. Marathon runners demonstrated high hypnotic susceptibility scores. Additionally, use of dissociation as a running strategy during the marathon was positively related to susceptibility, and runners who dissociated in training had higher susceptibility scores than did other runners. Runner's high was not related to hypnotic susceptibility; however, it was positively related to dissociation. The most common description of runner's high was general relaxation, whereas the least used description was total euphoria. Surprisingly some runners defined runner's high in ambivalent or negative terms. These results were related to the processes of self-hypnosis and to the positive mental health benefits of running.
When ice cream was poisonous: adulteration, ptomaines, and bacteriology in the United States, 1850-1910

With the increasing popularity of ice cream in the nineteenth century, the incidence of foodborne illness attributed to this dessert exploded. Struggling to understand the causes of the mysterious and sometimes lethal ailment called "ice cream poisoning," Victorian doctors and scientists advanced theories including toxic vanilla, galvanism in ice cream freezers, and extreme indigestion. In the late 1880s Victor C. Vaughan's argument that ice cream poisoning could be attributed to the ptomaine "tyrotoxicon" received widespread acceptance. To date historians have neglected the role played by the ptomaine theory of food poisoning in shaping the evolution of both scientific thinking and public health in the late nineteenth century. The case of ice cream poisoning illustrates the emergence, impact, and decline of the ptomaine idea.
Intensity standardization in breast MR images improves tissue quantification

Computerized algorithms are increasingly being developed for quantifying breast MRI features for facilitating lesion detection and breast tissue segmentation in various clinical applications. One of the current impediments is the intensity non-standardness of the breast tissue in the acquired MR images across different cases, scanners, and/or patients. This degrades the performance of quantitative image processing. In this work, we investigate the usefulness of post-hoc intensity standardization of breast MR images by using a landmark-based nonlinear intensity mapping algorithm. The standardization algorithm is applied after correction of the images for background bias field non-uniformity. We then quantitatively compare the percentage coefficient of variation (%CV) of image intensity in the fibroglandular (e.g., dense) tissue region before and after standardization to evaluate the standardization procedure. In our experiments, we use 9 representative 3D bilateral breast MRI scans/cases constituting 18 breasts (a total of 504 tomographic breast MRI slices), in which we observe a significant decrease of the %CV in the standardized images, indicating that standardization significantly reduces the intensity variation for the fibroglandular tissue across these cases. Furthermore, we demonstrate for two segmentation methods that the standardization process leads to improved segmentation of the fibroglandular tissue. Our work suggests that intensity standardization following bias field correction may serve as an effective preprocessing step to support improved quantitative breast MR image processing and analysis, particularly for breast density quantification.
Excitons in polymerized diacetylenes

Abstract A simple exciton theory for the excited electronic states of poly-2,4-hexadiyn-1,6-diol bis( p -toluene sulphonate) is described. Configuration interaction between bond excitons, charge transfer excitons and two-exciton states is included in the theory. The ϰ = 0 levels are described and their parentage traced to levels in two model compounds, vinyl acetylene and cyclododecatrienetriyne. The 2 eV transition of the polymer is predicted to be a collective state of the bond and charge transfer excitons with no two-exciton component. The lowest triplet state is predicted to lie below the first singlet and to also have extensive charge transfer character.
Gender differences in quality-adjusted survival using a Health-Utilities Index.

Abstract Purpose: Women live longer than men but experience high morbidity during later years. We attempt to represent life expectancy with adjustments for quality of life for men and women in the United States. Data Sources: Survival estimates were obtained from Vital Statistics of the United States Life Tables. Quality-of-life data were obtained for 12,220 participants, aged 32–85 years, in the 1982–1984 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study (NHEFS). Method: Using public data tapes, scores for the Health-Utilities Index (HUI) were imputed for NHEFS. These scores were calculated separately for men and women in the United States population and broken down by age. Using mortality data, the quality-adjusted life expectancy was calculated separately for men and women. Results: The current life expectancy among men aged 32 years was 39.45 years. For women aged 32 years it was 44.83 years, suggesting a 5.38 female life-expectancy advantage. The life expectancy, adjusted for quality of life, was 31.8 years for men versus 33.1 years for women. Adjustment for quality of life reduced the 5.38-year female advantage to 1.3 years. Conclusions: Although women enjoy longer life expectancies than do men, this advantage is reduced when quality adjustments are used. The finding reflects high levels of morbidity among older women.
“Introspecting” and consciousness: A response to Howe

My purpose is to grasp more fully Howe’s conception of “introspection,” including Howe’s understanding of consciousness, a topic which has occupied me for some time (e.g., Natsoulas, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1984b, 1988). I consistently use quotation marks around “introspect” and cognate words as a reminder that I am trying to express Howe’s own conception of “introspection.” I hope only a few of my statements will meet with Howe’s disagreement and that Howe will correct them. Thus, I intend to contribute to the development and evaluation of Howe’s account.? Howe conceives of “introspecting” as a mental activity in which people sometimes engage (better: a “psychosomatic” activity; Gibson, 1979, p. 240). Commenting on the Balinese, Howe implies that “introspection” is not essential for human survival under ordinary circumstances; a particular person may never engage in “introspection.” Although “introspection” is done by a person (rather than happens to a person), some components of the stream of thought (James’s stream of consciousness, 1890, 1984/1892; Myers, 1986; Werth, 1986; Wild, 1969) do evoke other components of the stream during “introspection.” The stream runs through, as it were, and is part of the total activity of “introspecting.” Analogously, when one engages in ordinary visual perceiving (Gibson, 1979), a part of this total activity is the visual perceptual experiential flux (Natsoulas, 1989d). Not all parts of a mental (psychosomatic) activity are done by the person. In contrast to a component of the stream evoking the next component, “introspecting” is a difficult task whose practice can increase or decrease in frequency and accuracy. Any episode of “introspecting” begins with adoption of a certain mental set, an “introspective” attitude. Howe describes “introspection” as necessarily involving an “atypical attitude to one’s thoughts.” Analogously, Gibson (1979) wrote of adopting an “attitude of introspection” (p. 195) to one’s ordinary visual activity, that is, to the activity in which one typically engages by means of one’s visual system. As a result of this change in attitude, one begins to engage in another activity of the visual system: “noticing the perspectives of things,” or “viewing the world in perspective” (Gibson, 1979, p. 196; “reflective seeing:” Natsoulas, 1989d, 1990). Adopting an “introspective” attitude with regard to one’s stream of thought produces a change in how one’s mind is functioning from (a)
A method for mechanical property testing of paperboard during compressive creep in a cyclic humidity environment

The apparatus provides reliable stiffness, strength and creep data for compressively loaded paperboard tested at various humidity conditions. These data will provide a basis allowing scientists to develop theories that explain loss of stiffness and working strength in cyclic humidity environments. With this information, container manufacturers can match container material with end use environment and become more cost efficient.
UHV and electrochemical studies of CO and methanol adsorbed at platinum/ruthenium surfaces, and reference to fuel cell catalysis

This paper reviews surface chemistry of carbon monoxide and methanol in ultra high vacuum (UHV) and in the electrochemical environment on clean and Ru modified Pt single crystal surfaces, and on Pt and Pt/Ru nanoparticles. The results show that CO behaves very similarly in UHV and in the electrochemical environment. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and radioactive labeling all show similar behavior in terms of numbers of peaks, peak splitting etc. Both UHV and CV measurements show that there is about a 200-meV change in the potential for CO removal in the presence of ruthenium. Earlier 13C EC-NMR data indicated a 30% reduction in the Ef-LDOS of CO bound to Ru islands deposited on platinum, and 15% of CO bound to Pt sites, and TPD and CV also show that the binding of CO is modified. The present data confirm that Pt atoms away from Ru are only weakly affected, and the overall CO binding energy modification is quite moderate. We conclude that the changes in the CO binding energy only play a small role in enhancing methanol electrooxidation rates. Instead, the main effect of the ruthenium is to activate water to form OH. Quantitative estimates of the reduction in CO desorption barrier indicate that the effect of bifunctional mechanism is about four times larger than that of ligand effect. In contrast to the results for CO, methanol behaves quite differently in UHV and in an electrochemical environment. Pt(111) is unreactive at room temperature in UHV, while Pt(110) is quite reactive. Initially, clean Pt(111) is less reactive than clean Pt(110) even in the electrochemical environment. However, Pt(110) is quickly poisoned in the electrochemical environment, so at steady state, Pt(111) is more reactive than Pt(110). Another issue is that the mechanism of methanol decomposition is quite different in UHV and in the electrochemical environment. There are three pathways in UHV, a simple decomposition via a methoxonium (CH3O(ad)) intermediate, an SN1 pathway via a methoxonium cation ([CH3OH2]+), and an SN2 pathway via a methoxonium intermediate. So far, none of these pathways have been observed in an electrochemical environment. Instead, the decomposition goes mainly through a hydroxymethyl (CH2OH(ad)) intermediate. These results show that there are both similarities and differences in the behavior of simple molecules in UHV and in the electrochemical environment.
Negotiating the antipoverty agenda: Foundations, community organizations, and comprehensive community initiatives

This analysis looks at how foundations and community organizations jointly formulated antipoverty agendas within the context of a collaboration forged in Chicago between these two groups in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The study reveals that as foundations exhibited preferences for supporting an tipoverty work that they saw as politically safe and uncontroversial, community organizations enticed foundations to expand the range of funding agendas that suited these preferences. This finding is of timely significance given that during the past 2 decades, policy-making responsibility has shifted from the public to the philanthropic sectors.
Maintaining the Research and Development Personnel in a Small Laboratory

What you do with your engineering personnel after you get it is extremely important. Failure to understand management's responsibility in handling engineering personnel will result in a poor investment in the cost of selecting and subsequent training of such people. A realistic understanding of how not only to attract but hold your engineering personnel will pay dividends; you will hold the men you have so carefully chosen because certain basic needs have been met. It is significant to note that this is not only a problem which faces the large industrial laboratories, but is also true of the small laboratories which at the present time are employing professional engineering people in large numbers.
Effect of 3-year weight history on blood pressure: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of weight history on blood pressure. Extant data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study were used to compare blood pressure in women (n=5,675) and men (n=4,893) with different 3-year weight histories, but similar current BMI. We used mixed models regression adjusted for ethnicity, age, education, field center, smoking, alcohol consumption, antihypertensive medications, interval length, and BMI at follow-up. We also examined associations between 3-year weight history and blood pressure within weight status categories (normal weight (>or=18.5 to or=25.0 to or=30.0 kg/m2)). We found weight history affected both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Compared to men at the same BMI who had maintained their weight, men who had experienced a 10% weight gain over the previous 3 years had systolic and diastolic blood pressures that were 2.6 and 1.9 mm Hg higher, respectively (P<0.001 for both). Associations in women were in the same direction, but smaller at 0.9 and 0.6 mm Hg (P<0.001). With the exception of diastolic blood pressure in normal weight women, we found no significant interactions between weight change and current weight status. In conclusion, some of the variation in blood pressure among individuals at the same BMI may be due to weight change history. Effects of 3-year weight change history appear to be stronger and more consistent in men than in women, and generally similar regardless of current weight status.
Reactivity of ethyl groups on a Sn/Pt(111) surface alloy

In order to probe the thermal stability and reactivity of ethyl intermediates on Pt-Sn alloy catalysts, we have synthesized these species by reaction of H atoms with adsorbed ethylene on a ( $${\sqrt 3} \times {\sqrt 3}$$ ) R30°-Sn/Pt(111) surface alloy. Adsorbed ethyl groups are stable until 376 are they react to evolve ethane, ethylene, and H2. The activation energy for ethyl dehydrogenation is E dehyd* 97 kJ mol, which is twice that reported on Pt(111). In addition, we place a lower limit of E dehyd* 97 kJ mol on the barrier to ethyl hydrogenation on this alloy.