cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetic properties of plasmalogenase from bovine brain.

— Plasmalogenase was assayed by measuring the disappearance of the plasmalogen by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The enzyme was present in a glycerol-bicarbonate extract of an acetone-dried powder from bovine brain. With ethanolamine plasmalogens as the substrate, the Km was 180 μM. Diacyl glycerophosphorylcholines, diacyl glycerophosphorylethanolamines and choline plasmalogens were competitive inhibitors. With choline plasmalogens as the substrate, the Km was 208 μM and competitive inhibition was observed with diacyl glycerophosphorylcholines and ethanolamine plasmalogens. The same enzyme may be responsible for the hydrolysis of the alk-1-enyl moiety from both plasmalogens. Plasmalogenase activity was 5.1 μmol/h/g of dog brain, 3.9 μmol/h/g of rat brain and 3.4 μmol/h/g of gerbil brain. A lysophospholipase was also found in the glycerol-bicarbonate extract from the acetone-dried powder. The lysophospholipase was more active in hydrolysing acyl groups from 2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylethanolamines than the plasmalogenase was active in hydrolyzing alk-1-enyl groups from 1-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylethanolamines.
Genome origins of Triticum cylindricum, Triticum triunciale, and Triticum ventricosum (Poaceae) inferred from variation in restriction patterns of repeated nucleotide sequences: a methodological study

Three methods of phylogenetic inferences on polyploid plants employing variation in restriction sites in repeated nucleotide sequences were compared. Allotetraploid Triticum species of well-established origin were used as a model. Methods based on determination of the proportion of restriction fragments shared between a polyploid and its diploid relatives generated biased results because of uneven numbers of restriction fragments among diploid species and presence of common bands in phylogenetically related diploid species. A method employing restriction fragments unique to a diploid species (marker bands) was not affected by either factor and generated results consistent with cytogenetic inferences. It is shown that the latter method can be used to investigate the origin of a polyploid species even when one of its progenitors is extinct or when the polyploid and its diploid progenitors have diverged. In this paper variation in the restriction sites in repeated nucleotide sequences is employed to investigate the origin of three tetraploid species in the genus Triticum L. -T. cylindricum (Host) Ces., Pass. & Gib., T. triunciale (L.) Raspail, and T. ventricosum (Tausch) Ces., Pass. & Gib. The origin of these allotetraploid species has been investigated by cytogenetic techniques, and the origin of each species is reasonably well understood. These species are used here as a model to scrutinize the methodology of inferring origin of allopolyploid taxa from variation in the sizes of restriction fragments of repeated nucleotide sequences.
The oxime rearrangement cyclization. Alkenyl, styryl and vinyl chloride terminators in the synthesis of Δ1-pyrrolines

Abstract Functionalized γ,δ-unsaturated oximes, constructed by regiospecific alkylation of appropriate oximes, may be rearranged and cyclized to Δ 1 -pyrrolines in good yield.
Photoactivation of metal–halogen bonds in a Ni(II) NHC complex

Photolysis of [NiII(μ-Cl)Cl(IPr)]2 (IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) activates the Ni–Cl bonds to furnish [NiI(μ-Cl)(IPr)]2. Consistent with this photochemistry, a TD-DFT calculation for square planar Ni(II) centre reveals that light excitation leads to the population of orbitals with σ*(Ni–Cl) character.
Monocyte bone degradation: in vitro analysis of monocyte activity in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

We examined the ability of the mononuclear phagocyte in vitro to degrade 45Ca-labeled bone particles to determine whether this assay allowed us to monitor disease activity in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The monocytes from patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis receiving no antierosive therapy (n=10) degraded significantly more bone than did cells obtained from normal controls (n=10, P d -penicillamine (n=6, P
Observation of input-polarization-induced phase noise in interferometric fiber-optic sensors

It is shown that polarization fluctuations in the input fiber to an interferometric sensor can result in the generation of excess phase noise in the output. Experimental observations of this phenomenon are compared with theoretical models, and the impact of this noise source in interferometric sensors is briefly discussed.
A Case Series Investigating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Treatment for Previously Treated, Unremitted Patients With Anorexia Nervosa

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) using a case series methodology among participants with a history of prior treatment for AN. Three participants enrolled; all completed the study. All participants had a history of 1–20 years of intensive eating disorder treatment prior to enrollment. Participants were seen for 17–19 twice-weekly sessions of manualized ACT. Symptoms were assessed at baseline, post-treatment and 1-year follow-up. All participants experienced clinically significant improvement on at least some measures; no participants worsened or lost weight even at 1-year follow-up. Simulation modelling analysis (SMA) revealed for some participants an increase in weight gain and a decrease in eating disorder symptoms during the treatment phase as compared to a baseline assessment phase. These data, although preliminary, suggest that ACT could be a promising treatment for subthreshold or clinical cases of AN, even with chronic participants or those with medical complications. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Early Colonization Patterns of Diatoms and Protozoa in Fourteen Fresh‐water Lakes1

. Polyurethane substrates were anchored near the surface of 14 lakes in the northern tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan. I wo substrates were removed from each take and taken to the laboratory after 1, 3, 6, 15, and 21 days of exposure. At the laboratory, one substrate was used for determining the number of species of diatoms and the other for protozoa. A cluster analysis of the matrix of Jaccard's coefficients for all diatom samples from all lakes showed that virtually all samples from any given lake consistently clustered together. This indicates that, with respect to species occurrence, distinct and compositionally stable diatom assemblages formed on the substrates in fewer than 21 days. Analysis of all protozoan samples from all lakes did not show such clustering, however, and the correspondence of clusters for protozoan and diatom communities for the 14 lakes was not particularly good. This suggests that the link between the two groups at the species level is not particularly strong during the early phases of artificial substrate colonization.
Sound-producing mechanisms in carapid fishes, with notes on phylogenetic implications

The anatomy of otophysic structures associated with the swimbladders of Carapus bermudensis, Onuxodon parvibrachium, and O. margaritiferae is strikingly similar to that of certain ophidiids and indicates common origins and close affinities between carapids and ophidiids. The suggested function of these structures is the production of sound. The apparent inquiline habits, lack of sexual dimorphism in sound-producing mechanisms, and specialized larval structures of carapids support the nominal separation of these families.
Discriminative dictionary learning via shared latent structure for object recognition and activity recognition

We propose a novel low-dimensional discriminative dictionary learning approach for multi-class classification tasks, Latent Structure based Discriminative Dictionary Learning (LS-DDL). Our approach first projects features and class labels onto a shared latent structure space, and then generates a discriminative and low-dimensional input to a discriminative dictionary learning framework. LS-DDL learns a more discriminative and lower-dimensional dictionary than existing dictionary learning methods. Therefore we obtain high recognition accuracy with a small number of low-dimensional dictionary atoms. The low dimensionality also improves the efficiency in storage and testing. In addition, the latent structure projection eliminates the classifier weighting parameter in existing discriminative dictionary learning approaches. We validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach through a series of experiments on image-based face recognition and video-based activity recognition. Our results show that the proposed approach obtains much higher recognition accuracy with a small number of dictionary atoms, and costs much less computational time than state-of-the-art methods.
Extensor pollicis and indicis communis tendon: A rare anatomic variation revisited

A supernumerary extensor tendon extending into both the thumb and index finger has been previously reported in cadaver dissections and was an incidental finding during this surgical procedure.
The World Within Wikipedia: An Ecology of Mind

Human beings inherit an informational culture transmitted through spoken and written language. A growing body of empirical work supports the mutual influence between language and categorization, suggesting that our cognitive-linguistic environment both reflects and shapes our understanding. By implication, artifacts that manifest this cognitive-linguistic environment, such asWikipedia, should represent language structure and conceptual categorization in a way consistent with human behavior. We use this intuition to guide the construction of a computational cognitive model, situated in Wikipedia, that generates semantic association judgments. Our unsupervised model combines information at the language structure and conceptual categorization levels to achieve state of the art correlation with human ratings on semantic association tasks including WordSimilarity-353, semantic feature production norms, word association, and false memory.
Thiol-functionalized shell crosslinked knedel-like (SCK) nanoparticles: a versatile entry for their conjugation with biomacromolecules

Abstract Shell crosslinked knedel-like (SCK) nanoparticles were prepared having thiol-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains extending throughout their shell layers and were then conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model biomacromolecule. The SCKs originated from amphiphilic block copolymers of acrylic acid and styrene, PAA66-b-PS71, pre-functionalized with ca. five mono-tert-Boc-protected diamino PEG32 per polymer chain, which then had undergone deprotection and amidation with N-succinimidyl-S-acetylthiohexanionate to introduce an acetyl-protected thiol chain terminus on the end of each PEG graft. Assembly of these amphiphilic graft block copolymers into micelles, by transitioning from N,N-dimethylformamide to water, was followed by amidation-based crosslinking throughout the shell layer, with the introduction of 2,2′-(ethylenedioxy)-bis(ethylamine) and 1-(3′-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide methiodide, to afford SCKs bearing the acetyl-protected thiol groups. Deprotection in aqueous buffer solution by reaction with hydroxylamine hydrochloride gave the SCKs presenting a nominal number of ca. 750 thiols per nanoparticle. The solution was assayed by Ellman's method resulting in a concentration of 55±6 μM [HS], theoretical of concentration 58 μM [HS], after which the coupling with BSA was performed immediately. Tetramethylrhodamine-labeled, maleimido-functionalized BSA was allowed to react with the thiol-functionalized SCKs at stoichiometries of ca. 10, 20, and 30 BSAs/SCK, after which UV–vis spectroscopy and Bradford's assay determined a coupling efficiency of >50–60%. The SCK particle diameters were measured by TEM to be 16 nm and 20 nm and their hydrodynamic diameters were measured by dynamic light scattering to be 20 nm and 30 nm, before and after BSA conjugation, respectively.
Payment system reform in formerly centrally planned economics

Abstract The payment system is a linchpin of a functioning market economy, but existing payment systems in many formerly centrally planned economies are in a primitive state, reflecting the legacy of the monobank system. The wholesale payment system can play a fundamental role in facilitating the efficient exchange of goods, services, and assets, and is particularly important in fostering the development of a money market — which in turn is a precondition for market-based implementation of monetary policy. In reforming the payment system, some important policy issues, especially the allocation of settlement risk, need to be addressed.
Myofascial pain of the temporomandibular joint: A review of the behavioral-relaxation therapies

This paper reviews the behavioral-relaxation treatments of myofascial pain-dysfunction syndrome. The evidence indicates that this pain (located around the oral cavity) is due to muscle hyperactivity, most commonly of the lateral pterygoids. Research concerning relaxation techniques (i.e. progressive muscle relaxation and electromyographic feedback) has indicated the following: (a) in analogue research, normal healthy controls can learn to relax their muscles of mastication profoundly even during stress, and (b) in case reports, relaxation treatments are helpful clinical interventions, especially for pain patients who are not depressed, and who have not had the pain for more than a few years. Well controlled research is the next, essential step.
Differences between geothermal and experimentally derived fluids: How well do hydrothermal experiments model the composition of geothermal reservoir fluids

Fluid parameters from a diverse set of dilute water/rock experiments (80{degree}-300{degree}C) were compared with reservoir data from several geothermal fields. The comparisons show that experiments of this type can reproduce many properties of geothermal reservoir fluids. Compositional parameters for most species in experimentally derived fluids are temperature dependent but are relatively independent of rock type, initial fluid composition, and water/rock mass ratio. At lower temperatures ({le} 250{degree}C), many experimental parameter-temperature trends agree with geothermal trends. However, at higher temperatures ({ge} 250{degree}C), the geothermal fluids have calculated high-temperature pH values 1 to 2 pH units lower than do the experimentally derived fluids. This produces a consistent offset between values of experimental and natural cation/proton activity ratios. Two possible experimental reasons for offsets are pervasive metastable mineral formation in experiments; and absence, in experiments, of the equivalent of a magmatic or metamorphic gas input. Results from current experiments suggest that, while metastability may be partially responsible for offsets, observed geothermal fluid parameters can be duplicated by addition of CO{sub 2}. Furthermore, maintenance of high {line integral}CO{sub 2}, low pH conditions requires a CO{sub 2} flux. Finally, in geothermal fields, addition of exotic CO{sub 2} or other acid gases during upflow or samplingmore » of wet steam discharges may also contribute to such offsets by producing lower than actual reservoir pH values. Thus the offsets could suggest that some geothermal fluid pH values are more basic than commonly calculated and closer to those pH values produced during dilute water/rock experiments.« less
A New Device for Mechanical Testing of Blood Vessels at Cryogenic Temperatures

As part of an ongoing program to study the thermo-mechanical effects associated with cryopreservation via vitrification (vitreous in Latin means glassy), the current study focuses on the development of a new device for mechanical testing of blood vessels at cryogenic temperatures. This device is demonstrated on a bovine carotid artery model, permeated with the cryoprotectant cocktail VS55 and a reference solution of 7.05M DMSO, below glass transition. Results are also presented for crystallized specimens, in the absence of cryoprotectants. Results indicate that the elastic modulus of a specimen with no cryoprotectant, at about -140°C (8.6°C and 15.5°C below the glass transition temperature of 7.05M DMSO and VS55, respectively), is 1038.8 ± 25.2 MPa, which is 8% and 3% higher than that of a vitrified specimen permeated with 7.05M DMSO and VS55, respectively. The elastic modulus of a crystallized material at -50°C is lower by ~20% lower from that at -140°C.
Inhibition by Dexamethasone of the in Vivo Pituitary Response to Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (CRF)1

Dexamethasone phosphate in doses ranging from 0 (vehicle control) to 2 μg/rat was injected into both lobes of the anterior pituitary, or into the median eminence or septa region of the brain. Endogenous CRF release was provoked by scald. Dexamethasone bilaterally in the anterior pituitary inhibited ACTH release after scald in doses of 100 ng/lobe or greater. These doses of dexamethasone were ineffective against scald when given intravenously. These results indicated that endogenous CRF-induced ACTH secretion is a corticosteroid-sensitive process, and that the anterior pituitary may be a corticosteroid feedback point. To test this conclusion further, we studied the effect of intrapituitary dexamethasone on the ACTH release induced by exogenous ovine CRF. Intrapituitary dexamethasone was again effective in preventing ACTH release. When similar small doses of dexamethasone were placed in the anterior medial basal hypothalamus, they were effective in stopping the adrenocortical response both to scald and to e...
The CSPG4-specific monoclonal antibody enhances and prolongs the effects of the BRAF inhibitor in melanoma cells

PLX4032 is a BRAF-selective inhibitor shown to be efficacious in the treatment of melanomas presenting with the BRAF(V600E) mutation. However, favorable responses to treatment are short-lived, and complete remission is rarely observed. Therefore, it is important to identify novel therapies designed to enhance treatment responses and to increase the longevity of initial response to BRAF inhibitors. To this end, we characterized the effects of the 225.28 chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4)-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) capable of blocking multiple signaling pathways important to cell growth, migration, and survival. Addition of 225.28 to the treatment regimen enhanced the in vitro response magnitude and the duration efficacy of PLX4032 in treating CSPG4(+), BRAF(V600E) melanoma cells (melanoma(BRAF(V600E)/CSPG4+) cells). Data presented in this report demonstrated that (1) treatments comprised of PLX4032 and mAb 225.28 were more effective at inhibiting melanoma(BRAF(V600E)/CSPG4+) cell growth than either agent alone, (2) mAb 225.28 prevented/delayed the development of resistance in melanoma(BRAF(V600E)/CSPG4+) cells to PLX4032, and (3) the mechanism of action of the combination therapy caused a down-regulation in multiple signaling pathways. This study provides a foundation for future investigations designed to improve BRAF inhibitor effectiveness in vitro and in vivo for treating melanoma(BRAF(V600E)/CSPG4+) cells in combination with a CSPG4-specific mAb.
Coulostatic study of residual oxygen in electrochemical investigations

Abstract Residual oxygen concentrations of about 5·10 −7 M have been measured, in nitrogen- and hydrogen-saturated buffer solutions by the coulostatic method using a hanging mercury-drop electrode. Light pre-electrolysis of the buffer solutions was found to cause very little alteration of the measured values but under some conditions the apparent oxygen concentration became much smaller and other phenomena made their appearance. These phenomena were accentuated when the hydrogen used was strongly deoxygenated. In the region of the first oxygen wave, a mass transfer-controlled oxidation was then predominant, no oxygen reduction currents being observable, but at much more negative potentials a pseudocapacity was observed, a more or less stable rest potential (having a range of values) being attained in a few seconds almost regardless of the coulostatic charge applied. It seems probable that a redox couple is responsible but the occurrence of similar phenomena in two different buffers makes an impurity effect less likely.
High-Pressure Vapor−Liquid Equilbria of Some Carbon Dioxide + Organic Binary Systems

Vapor−liquid equilibria, molar volumes, and volume expansion for several binary mixtures of organic solvents with carbon dioxide have been determined using a visual synthetic technique at temperatu...
Trace metals in sediments near offshore oil exploration and production sites in the Alaskan Arctic

Increased offshore development in the Alaskan Arctic has stimulated interest in assessing potential impacts to the environment before the onset of any adverse effects. Concentrations of trace metals in sediments are used in this paper to provide one sensitive indicator of anthropogenic inputs from offshore activity over the past several decades. Sediments in coastal waters of the western Beaufort Sea are patchy with respect to sediment granulometry, organic carbon content, and concentrations of trace metals. However, results for surface sediments and age-dated cores show that nearly all samples contain natural concentrations of Ag, Ba, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, V and Zn, with metal/Al ratios that have been constant for many decades. Metal concentrations for incoming river-suspended matter compare well with sediment metal values and, along with vertical distributions in sediments, show no discernible diagenetic impacts that distort the sedimentary record for metals, except for Mn, As and possibly Cd. Slightly elevated concentrations of Ba, Hg, Ag, Sb and Zn were observed in a total of eight instances or in only 0.7% of the 1,222 data points for metals in surface sediments.
Full length article: Approximation properties of certain operator-induced norms on Hilbert spaces

We consider a class of operator-induced norms, acting as finite-dimensional surrogates to the L^2 norm, and study their approximation properties over Hilbert subspaces of L^2. The class includes, as a special case, the usual empirical norm encountered, for example, in the context of nonparametric regression in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). Our results have implications to the analysis of M-estimators in models based on finite-dimensional linear approximation of functions, and also to some related packing problems.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 186

Nuclear structure data pertaining to all nuclei with mass number A=186 have been evaluated, and incorporated into the ENSDF database. This evaluation for A=186 includes data available by 4 April 2003. It supersedes the previous publication (C. Baglin, Nuclear Data Sheets 82, 1 (1997) (literature cutoff date 31 August 1997)) and subsequent revisions of Hf and Ta (literature cutoff date 26 November 1998) and W (literature cutoff date 17 February 1999).
Using needs assessment strategies for effective workshops

•Although a workshop needs assessment does take time, the alternative of doing nothing creates a high risk of serious and costly errors. •It is possible to begin a workshop needs assessment from the first contact by using the Initial Checklist. •The workshop needs assessment may use a variety of different strategies, depending upon the purpose of the workshop and the constraints upon the developer. Further, using more than one needs assessment strategy will help determine the accuracy of the information. •The way needs assessment questions are asked will greatly influence the quality and accuracy of information. •Some workshop needs assessment strategies are more complex and demanding than others. However, by asking questions about the amount of time available, the level of confidence and the cost-benefits of various strategies, instructional developers can tailor-make a needs assessment plan to assist in the planning of effective workshops.
Nucleotide sequence analysis of a gene encoding a streptomycin/spectinomycin adenyltransferase

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of 1400 bp from R-plasmid R538-1 containing the streptomycin/ spectinomycin adenyltransferase gene ( aadA ) was determined, and the location of the aadA gene was identified by a combination of insertion and deletion mutants. Its gene product, aminoglycoside 3″-adenyltransferase (AAD(3″)(9), has a M r of 31,600.
Influence of Protein and Fat Contents of Ultrafiltered Milk on Rheological Properties of Gels Formed by Chymosin

Abstract Enzymatically induced gelation of milk and milk concentrated by ultrafiltration was studied with a curd firmness tester which measured transmission of oscillatory deformations through the product. Scott Blair's relationship between pseudo modulus of rigidity (G) and time after clotting (t), G=G∞ e — λ /t described the gelation of ultrafiltered retentates satisfactorily. Maximum gel firmness G∞, and λ , which is the time to reach a firmness of G∞/e, were affected substantially by protein content. The effect of protein content on rates of firming of gels were evaluated at different stages of gel formation. At the onset of gelation, rates increased up to protein content 90g kg —1 but decreased at higher protein concentrations. At a later stage, this decrease disappeared and rates correlated with protein content. Those observations are discussed relative to effects of protein content on proteolytic and aggregation phases of milk clotting. Times from clotting to point of cutting curd were affected significantly by slight increases in protein above that in unconcentrated milk, but clotting times were not affected. Variations in fat content had inconsequential effects on test measures.
Faith, Knowledge and Indoctrination: A Friendly Response to Hand

Michael Hand’s pithy and challenging essay (Hand, 2003) offers a neat, clear and powerful argument against ‘faith schools’. I am in considerable sympathy with Hand’s position. However, I think his argument can be strengthened, and weaknesses in it remedied or avoided. In this brief note, I offer some modest suggestions, which are intended as ‘friendly amendments’ to Hand’s argument.
EXPLORING THE INTERNET AS A UNIQUE SHOPPING CHANNEL TO SELL BOTH REAL AND VIRTUAL ITEMS: A COMPARISON OF FACTORS AFFECTING PURCHASE INTENTION AND CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS

The U.S. online retail sector has been steadily growing in the past years, but it is noteworthy that many Internet users are still reluctant to use online channels for shopping frequently. Given this consumer resistance and the fierce competition among shopping channels, this study aims to provide managerial insights into how online merchants can reinforce and maximize unique and differentiated values in executing shopping services as an Internet-based system. To that end, this study compares two types of products/services that online merchants can market —―real‖ and ―virtual‖ items — with respect to factors affecting purchase intention and consumer characteristics. Using a survey of 350 college students, this study reveals that college students apply different criteria in making the decision to use an online shopping channel, according to the product types. Perceived benefits and risks of online shopping are salient factors affecting intention to purchase real items through the Internet, but they do not have any impact on intention to purchase virtual items. Specifically, perceived usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment, security, social norm, flow, and gender affect intention to purchase real items through the Internet. Social norm and gender are the two predictors of intention to purchase virtual items.
A History of Normative Theory in Americanist Archaeology

Efforts in the 1960s to demonstrate the value of the “new archaeology” involved showing that the competing culture-history paradigm was inferior. One allegedly weak plank in that paradigm had to do with how culture historians viewed culture—as a set of ideas transmitted in the form of ideal norms or mental templates. Lewis Binford referred to this view as “”normative theory.” In archaeology that view was manifest in the equation of artifact types with prehistoric norms—an equation that, according to Binford, the culture historians had made so that they could track the flow of ideas through time and thus write culture history. Culture historians regularly subscribed to cultural transmission as the theoretical backdrop for their artifact-based chronometers such as seriation and the direct historical approach, but with few exceptions they perceived only a weak relationship between norms and artifact types. It was not until 1960, in a paper by James Gifford, that what Binford labeled as normative theory appeared in anything approaching a complete form. Ironically, the first applications of normative theory were products of the new archaeologists, not the culture historians.
School Psychology Research: Combining Ecological Theory and Prevention Science

The current article comments on the importance of theoretical implications within school psychological research, and proposes that ecological theory and prevention science could provide the concept...
Continuous flow mucosal cells for measuring the in‐vitro permeability of small tissue samples

Continuous-flow chambers are described for the measurement of permeability of small tissue samples. The design incorporates a large-capacity donor chamber to permit adequate loading of the applied compound and a low-volume (0.3 mL) receiving chamber that ensures rapid removal of penetrant at relatively low (1.5 mL/h or less) pumping rates. Different sized support disks allow tissue biopsies as small as 4 mm in diameter to be utilized. Comparisons of flux and permeability constants (Kp) for water across oral mucosa indicate that there was no significant difference between values obtained for 10- and 4-mm biopsies. Comparisons of flux and Kp values for porcine oral mucosa and a synthetic membrane between continuous flow and conventional, side-by-side chambers indicated that the latter values were significantly lower, suggesting stasis and inefficient removal of perfusate in the side-by-side design. The Kp values for water obtained in the continuous-flow chambers with pig skin were similar to those published elsewhere for human skin.
Single Amino Acid Substitutions in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Spike Glycoprotein Determine Viral Entry and Immunogenicity of a Major Neutralizing Domain

Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) spike (S) glycoprotein confer protection to animals experimentally infected with the pathogenic virus. We and others previously demonstrated that a major mechanism for neutralizing SARS-CoV was through blocking the interaction between the S glycoprotein and the cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In this study, we used in vivo electroporation DNA immunization and a pseudovirus-based assay to functionally evaluate immunogenicity and viral entry. We characterized the neutralization and viral entry determinants within the ACE2-binding domain of the S glycoprotein. The deletion of a positively charged region Sdelta(422-463) abolished the capacity of the S glycoprotein to induce NAbs in mice vaccinated by in vivo DNA electroporation. Moreover, the Sdelta(422-463) pseudovirus was unable to infect HEK293T-ACE2 cells. To determine the specific residues that contribute to related phenotypes, we replaced eight basic amino acids with alanine. We found that a single amino acid substitution (R441A) in the full-length S DNA vaccine failed to induce NAbs and abolished viral entry when pseudoviruses were generated. However, another substitution (R453A) abolished viral entry while retaining the capacity for inducing NAbs. The difference between R441A and R453A suggests that the determinants for immunogenicity and viral entry may not be identical. Our findings provide direct evidence that these basic residues are essential for immunogenicity of the major neutralizing domain and for viral entry. Our data have implications for the rational design of vaccine and antiviral agents as well as for understanding viral tropism.
Comparison of channelized hotelling and human observers in determining optimum OS-EM reconstruction parameters for myocardial SPECT

The performance of the Channelized Hotelling Observer (CHO) was compared to that of human observers for determining optimum OSEM reconstruction parameters for the task of defect detection in myocardial SPECT images. The OSEM reconstruction parameters varied were the number subsets/iteration and the number of iterations. The optimum parameters were those that maximized defect detectability in the SPECT images. Low noise, parallel SPECT projection data, with and without an anterior, inferior or lateral LV wall defect, were simulated using Monte Carlo code. Poisson noise was added to generate noisy realizations. Data were reconstructed using OSEM at 1&4 subsets/iteration and at 1, 3, 5, 7&9 iterations. Images were converted to 2D short-axis with integer pixel values. The CHO used 7 radially-symmetric, 2D channels, with varying levels of internal observer noise. For each parameter setting, 200 defect-present and 200 defect-absent image vectors were used to calculate the AUC. The human observers rated the likelihood that a defect was present in a specified location. For each parameter setting AUC was estimated from 48 defect-present 48 defect-absent images. The CHO results showed that the ranking of the AUC values varied with varying levels of internal noise. The averaged human observer results showed the optimum parameter setting to be 1 subset/iteration and 5-9 iterations. In our study, the CHO performance matched the human observer performance at an internal observer noise level of /spl sim/15 used in the CHO. We conclude that addition of internal observer noise to the CHO is important. Further studies are needed to determine the dependence of the internal observer noise level on the type of images and the performance task for the CHO model to match human observer performance.
Poverty status and cigarette smoking prevalence and cessation in the United States, 1983-1993: the independent risk of being poor.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the independent relations between poverty status and cigarette smoking prevalence and cessation in the United States, 1983-1993. DESIGN: An analysis of eight cross-sectional national surveys. SETTING: The United States, 1983-1993. PARTICIPANTS: 236,311 civilian, non-institutionalised adult residents of the United States, aged 18 years and older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Probability of current cigarette smoking and proportion of former smokers among ever-smokers (quit ratio) in surveyed subjects below the poverty threshold, compared with those at or above the poverty threshold. RESULTS: The odds ratio for current smoking among persons below the poverty threshold ranged from a low of 1.10 in 1985 to a high of 1.45 in 1990, and remained between 1.26 and 1.30 during 1991-1993. The odds ratio for smoking cessation (quit ratio) among persons below the poverty threshold ranged from 0.81 in 1985 to 0.64 in 1991, and remained between 0.73 and 0.66 during 1991-1993. These measures of the relations between poverty status and smoking were derived using multiple logistic regression models, which adjusted for the effects of sex, age, education, race, employment status, marital status, and geographic region. CONCLUSIONS: Persons below the poverty threshold continue to be more likely than those at or above the threshold both to be current smokers and not to have quit. Poverty may be an indicator of underparticipation in the changing social norms regarding smoking behaviour in recent years. Individuals below the poverty threshold may need focused efforts to help achieve the Healthy People 2000 objectives for reducing adult smoking prevalence. Further understanding of the relation between poverty and smoking is essential to develop effective programmes for this vulnerable population subgroup.
International entrepreneurship and geographic location: an empirical examination of new venture internationalization

In this paper, we argue that geographic location may be one reason why some ventures are able to acquire the resources needed to internationalize while others cannot. We use ecological arguments to predict an inverted U-shaped relationship between the concentration of industry clustering within a geographic location and the venture’s internationalization. We also explore whether venture characteristics influence the nature of this relationship. Our hypotheses are regressed on international intensity and scope, and analyzed through a sample of 156 publicly held new ventures. Results confirm that location influences new venture internationalization, and firm characteristics impact the nature of the relationship.
Explaining the disparity in placement instability among African-American and white children in child welfare: A Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition

Abstract African-American children in the child welfare system are at disproportionate risk of adverse experiences including placement instability. This article compares placement instability among African-American and white children in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being and identifies mechanisms underlying racial disparities using a Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition. The type of initial out-of-home placements contributes significantly to the racial gap in placement instability. However a large amount of racial disparity remains unexplained. Additional factors, not captured by these analyses, apparently explain African-American's increased risk of placement instability. Predictors of placement instability differ between racial groups. Among African-Americans, older age, initial placement in a setting other than kinship care, and having a higher externalizing CBCL score at baseline are associated with greater instability. Among white children, however, only initial placement in a foster care setting predicted placement instability.
Normally Aging Older Adults Demonstrate the Bilateral Deficit During Ramp and Hold Contractions

The bilateral deficit results from the maximum voluntary force of a bilaterally performed task being smaller than the sum of the maximum voluntary force of the unilaterally performed tasks. It is underlain by the limitation of the neural drive during maximum bilateral contractions and has been hypothesized to reflect the inability to fully activate high threshold motor units. Because high threshold motor units atrophy in older adults, a smaller bilateral deficit in older adults compared to young adults would further support the hypothesis. Indeed, K. Hakkinen et al. in 1995 and 1996 reported no bilateral deficit in older adults performing rapid maximum contractions. The present study extends this investigation to slowly developed maximum contractions. The results demonstrated a bilateral deficit (p < .05). This result, combined with the age related decrease in the number of high threshold motor units, tends to refute the contention that selective restriction of high threshold motor units causes the bilateral deficit during maximum voluntary isometric ramp and hold contractions.
Sports Involvement as Protection against Depressed Mood

Working within a risk and protection framework, this research brief examines the protective inAuence of team sports involvement on adolescent depressed mood. The objective was to understand whether sports involvement positively contributes to mental health independent of the effects of other known protective factors (parental and peer support); and whether it moderates the depressive effects of family, peer, and school-based risk factors. Analyses focused on 1,036 high school-aged youth interviewed at two time points. Regression analysis results indicated a signiAcant association between team sports involvement and depressed mood among both males and females, which was reduced to insigniAcance after controlling for the other protective factors. One interaction effect was observed: for females, but not males, team sports involvement was shown to protect against depressed mood associated with poor school performance (low grade point average). Thus, the role of sports involvement as a positive instrumental activity for females is discussed.
Improving Care for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adolescents: Innovative Strategies for Bringing Treatments to Community Settings

This article reviews the literature on interventions and services for depression and suicide prevention among adolescents, with the goals of placing this science within the context of currently changing health care environments and highlighting innovative models for improving health and mental health. We examine the challenges and opportunities offered by new initiatives and legislation designed to transform the US health and mental health care systems; summarize knowledge regarding the treatment of depression and suicidality/self-harm in adolescents; and describe innovative models for partnering with health systems and communities. This review demonstrates that treatment models and service delivery strategies are currently available for increasing evidence-based care, particularly for depression, and concludes with recommendations for future research and quality improvement initiatives aimed at inspiring additional efforts to put science to work, bridge science and community practice, and develop strategies for partnering with communities to improve care, mental health, and well-being among adolescents.
Protamine Does Not Increase Risk of Stroke in Patients With Elective Carotid Stenting

Background and Purpose—Reversal of anticoagulation with protamine might predispose to a higher risk of stroke in patients with carotid stenting. We evaluated a national, multihospital patient database to examine the risk of stroke in patients with carotid stenting receiving protamine compared with those who did not. Methods—The Premier Perspective database was used to identify patients who were electively hospitalized for carotid stenting from 2006 through 2011. The incidence of in-hospital mortality and morbidity was compared between patients who did and did not receive protamine after propensity score adjustment via 1:1 matching to reduce selection bias. Results—Of 6664 patients with carotid stenting treated at 193 hospitals, 556 (8%) received protamine on the day of the procedure. After matching by propensity score, patients who received protamine had a similar likelihood of stroke or transient ischemic attack (P=0.77), in-hospital mortality (P=0.12), discharge to long-term care (P=0.15), and access si...
Pattern and Phonetic Based Street Name Misspelling Correction

With increasing information reproduced each year, the quality of the data is subject to damage. Variations and errors in the address fields of databases make address-matching strategies problematic. In this paper, first the sources of the error in street names are investigated. Then, a hybrid approach, which is a combination of pattern and phonetic-matching algorithms, is used to fix the problems in the street names. The algorithm is evaluated in terms of its efficiency and correction rates. The newly introduced technique shows an improvement of at least 7% in correction rates compared to the well-known spelling correction algorithms.
Electrophysiological changes of ventricular tissue under ischemic conditions: a simulation study

Ischemic injury to cardiac tissue incorporates a broad spectrum of pathologies and can result in a highly complicated series of electrophysiological changes. From investigations that dissect the process of ischemic damage into its constituent components, three principal components that pertain to electrophysiological changes have been identified: 1. an increase in extracellular potassium concentration ([K]/sub 0/), 2. acidosis, and 3. hypoxia. To simulate ischemia the authors incorporated the effects of these principal ischemic conditions on the transmembrane currents and passive properties of the Luo-Rudy cell model. The authors studied the effects of simulated ischemia on the single cell and propagating action potential. As the simulated ischemic conditions are made more severe, resting membrane potentials depolarize, conduction velocity undergoes a non-monotonic increase then decrease towards block and (dV/dt)/sub max/ plateaus initially and then declines towards block. Action potential shortening, as occurs in myocardial ischemia, could be reproduced quantitatively by increased conductance of I/sub K(ATP)/. >
High performance interprocessor communication through optical wavelength division multiple access channels

A multiprocessor system with a large number of nodes can be built at low cost by combining the recent advances in high capacity channels available through optical fiber communication. A highly fault tolerant system is created with good performance characteristics at a reduction in system complexity. The system capitalizes on the optical selfrouting characteristic of wavelength division multiple access to improve performance and reduce complexity. This paper examines typical optical multiple access channel implementations and shows that the star-coupled approach is superior due to optical power budget considerations. Star-coupled configurations which exhibit the optical self-routing characteristic are then studied. A hypercube based structure is introduced where optical multiple access channels span the dimensional axes. This severely reduces the required degree since only one 1/0 port is required per dimension, and performance is maintained through the high capacity characteristics of optical communication.
Abscess of the lower leg anterior compartment and osteomyelitis: a complication of failed revascularization: a case report

A case of abscess of the lower leg anterior compartment and secondary osteomyelitis of the tibia following an initially successful but later failed revascularization procedure is described. The management of this unusual case is also discussed.
Dynamic Software Testing of MPI Applications with Umpire

As evidenced by the popularity of MPI (Message Passing Interface), message passing is an effective programming technique for managing coarse-grained concurrency on distributed computers. Unfortunately, debugging message-passing applications can be difficult. Software complexity, data races, and scheduling dependencies can make programming errors challenging to locate with manual, interactive debugging techniques. This article describes Umpire, a new tool for detecting programming errors at runtime in message passing applications. Umpire monitors the MPI operations of an application by interposing itself between the application and the MPI runtime system using the MPI profiling layer. Umpire then checks the application's MPI behavior for specific errors. Our initial collection of programming errors includes deadlock detection, mismatched collective operations, and resource exhaustion. We present an evaluation on a variety of applications that demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach.