cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of US population and live birth rates with poison exposures reported to the National Poison Data System (NPDS): children ages 0-5 years from 2000 to 2012.

Background. Monitoring of poison control center data has provided an important public health surveillance tool. Previous work has identified the population with the greatest risk of poisoning as children of < 6 years. It follows that the size of the population at highest risk should be an important driver/factor of poison center volume. Therefore, one would expect population changes to be reflected in corresponding National Poison Data system (NPDS) call volume changes. We examined this relationship. Method. This was a retrospective comparison of young children's poison exposures reported to NPDS with changes in US population as reported by the US Census Bureau and by live birth counts in the United States. We examined the relation of population and live birth counts to NPDS exposures in children of 0–5 years and for the total (children of 0–5 years). Results. There was a statistically significant relation between exposures and population for the three of the seven age groups (1–3 years old) and between e...
Increased nosocomial infection in neutropenic low birth weight (2000 grams or less) infants of hypertensive mothers.

The neutropenia often seen in infants of hypetensive mothers (IHMs) at p =0.007). Infection in IHMs included omphalitis (2 Infants), pneumonia (4), and sepsis with or without meningitis (6); INMs had cellulitis (1) and sepsis (1). The underlying mechanism(s) for this predisposition remains to be elucidated, although limited data suggest that neutropenia may be more severe and prolonged among IHMs.
Can West African monsoon rainfall be predicted on decadal time scales

The economies in much of West Africa are based on agriculture, which is strongly affected by rainfall variability. Thus, predictions of variations in West African monsoon rainfall could be valuable to people in those regions.
Scanning electron microscopy of cusp-tip pits in developing and mature human dentitions.

Abstract A variety of cusp-tip pits were observed with the scanning electron microscope (SEM) on canines and molars of both deciduous and permanent dentitions. Larger pits or craters usually were single and funnel-shaped with a narrow 100 μm base widening to 300–400 μm peripheral opening; smaller pits were in groups. As defects occur precisely in the tips of cusps, developing cusps from fetal dentitions were examined for a consistent structural pattern which could explain cusp-tip pit development.
Conversion Efficiency of Laser-Generated High-Order Harmonics in Extended Gas Cells

We report on absolute energy measurements of high-order harmonics generated in a gas cell that fills the region from the focusing optics to an exit foil near the laser focus.
Probability density estimation from dependent observations using wavelets orthonormal bases

Abstract We consider the estimation of the probability density function ƒ (x) of stationary mixing processes using wavelet orthonormal bases. For ƒ belonging to the Sobolev space H s 2 , s >0 , we derive precise asymptotic expressions for the mean integrated square estimation error.
Evaluating Factor Analysis Decisions for Scale Design in Communication Research

Factor analysis techniques offer the communication researcher a set of important tools for the development and substantiation of attitude and opinion scales. Often, however, crucial factoring decisions are based on convention or misunderstanding, leading to questionable conclusions. The purpose of this article is to offer the nontechnical communication researcher a foundation for making and defending rational factoring decisions that can lead to quality scales. Basic concepts and recommendations are discussed regarding scale design, sample size and selection, number of variables, reduction and rotation methods, and factor retention criteria. A content analysis of 184 communication research studies from 51 communication journals that reported the use of exploratory factor analysis is included in order to determine common factoring methods and evidence of factoring decision rationales. Extending previous research that found inappropriate decisions or nonreporting of factoring decisions within studies in com...
Kin Selection: Its Components

Change in gene frequency under kin selection is the sum of two components, namely, [See equation in the PDF file], a change in gene frequency caused by individual selection, and [See equation in the PDF file], a change caused by group selection. For the evolution of altruistic traits by kin selection, [See equation in the PDF file] is always negative—that is, individual selection operates against altruism—and [See equation in the PDF file] is always positive, so that selection between groups favors altruism. Hamilton9s rule specifies the conditions under which [See equation in the PDF file]—that is, the conditions necessary for intergroup selection to override individual selection.
The role of work, play, and fun in microcomputer software training

A field study of MBA students enrolled in a microcomputer software training class was conducted. Trainees' expectations of the extent to which the training would be like work and play were collected prior to the training and their perceptions of the extent to which the training was like work and play were collected after the training. In addition, trainees' perceptions of the extent to which the training was fun were also measured. Results indicated that play perceptions operated as a suppressor variable. Post-training play perceptions had a marginally significant and negative effect on learning and increased the positive and significant effect of post-training fun perceptions on learning. Results also indicated that despite the fact that much of the training occurred on the computer, trainers influenced trainees' perceptions that the training seemed like work, play, and fun. Finally, learning was negatively affected when trainees with high pre-training play expectations perceived trainers to have a high work orientation in the training. These results suggest that play and fun perceptions have potentially important consequences for learning and that trainers play an important role in influencing these perceptions in microcomputer training.
Localized transmission of electromagnetic energy

Novel electromagnetic directed-energy pulse train (EDEPT) solutions of Maxwell's equations have been obtained. One particular solution, the modified-power-spectrum (MPS) pulse, will be described in detail. EDEPT's such as the MPS pulses, can be tailored to give localized energy transmission along a specified direction in space that is significantly improved over conventional diffraction-limited beams. Moreover, they represent fields that recover their initial amplitudes along the direction of propagation at extremely large distances from their initial location. These EDEPT solutions are not physically pathological and can be reconstructed from causal Green's functions. In fact, these fields appear to be launchable from finite-aperture antennas.
Surface enhanced Raman scattering from silver-pyridine complexes adsorbed on a platinum substrate

Abstract We report the observation of enhanced Raman scattering from pyridine co-deposited with Ag on a Pt substrate. The spectrum was consistent with an electron-deficient Ag site onto which the pyridine was bonded. This held true for the Ag multilayer situation as well as for conditions under which the order of one monolayer of Ag was on the Pt. Since Pt alone is not able to support surface plasmon-polariton resonances this confirms earlier reports that the optical field enhancement mechanism can be removed thus leaving enhancement through the resonant Raman process in an adsorbed complex. Our results also show that the substrate has a secondary influence on the form of the resonant complex.
Thermolysis of a Tertiary Alkoxyamine. Recombination and Disproportionation of α-Phenethyl/Diethyl Nitroxyl Radical Pairs

Alkoxyamine 3 undergoes thermolysis only on heating to over 150 °C, ΔH⧧ = 34.3 ± 1.6 kcal/mol and ΔS⧧ = 0.8 ± 3.7 eu. The initially formed nitroxyl (6) and α-phenethyl radicals (5) mainly disproportionate to styrene plus diethylhydroxylamine (2) but they also recombine to starting material and undergo a new reaction, disproportionation to ethylbenzene plus nitrone (12). The latter reacts with the styrene product to yield oxazolidines 8 and 9. The competition between attack of 5, generated from azo-α-phenylethane (1), on 2 versus styrene allowed us to calculate a rate constant at 120 °C of 5 × 103 M-1 s-1 for H• transfer from diethylhydroxylamine to 5.
Management of Right Heart Failure in the Critically Ill

Right ventricular failure complicates several commonly encountered conditions in the intensive care unit. Right ventricular dilation and paradoxic movement of the interventricular septum on echocardiography establishes the diagnosis. Right heart catheterization is useful in establishing the specific cause and aids clinicians in management. Principles of treatment focus on reversal of the underlying cause, optimization of right ventricular preload and contractility, and reduction of right ventricular afterload. Mechanical support with right ventricular assist device or veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can be used in select patients who fail to improve with optimal medical therapy.
Spin tunneling in magnetic molecules: Quasisingular perturbations and discontinuous SU(2) instantons

Spin coherent state path integrals with discontinuous semiclassical paths are investigated with special reference to a realistic model for the magnetic degrees of freedom in the ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}$ molecular solid. It is shown that such paths are essential to a proper understanding of the phenomenon of quenched spin tunneling in these molecules. In the ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}$ problem, such paths are shown to arise as soon as a fourth-order anisotropy term in the energy is turned on, making this term a singular perturbation from the semiclassical point of view. The instanton approximation is shown to quantitatively explain the magnetic field dependence of the tunnel splitting, as well as agree with general rules for the number of quenching points allowed for a given value of spin. A fairly accurate approximate formula for the spacing between quenching points is derived.
Loss of leukoregulin up-regulation of natural killer but not lymphokine-activated killer lymphocytotoxicity in human papillomavirus 16 DNA-immortalized cervical epithelial cells.

The sensitivity of human cervical epithelial cells immortalized by transfection with human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) DNA, to lysis by natural killer (NK) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) lymphocytes was evaluated at progressive stages of transformation. Both early- (10-20 wk) and late- (greater than 30 wk) passage HPV16-immortalized cells were resistant to NK lymphocyte cytotoxicity but sensitive to LAK lymphocyte cytotoxicity at lymphocyte-to-cervical cell ratios ranging from 1:1 to 50:1 in a 4-hour 51Cr release assay. Treatment of early-passage HPV16 DNA-immortalized cells with 2.5 U/mL of the NK lymphocytotoxicity-sensitizing lymphokine, leukoregulin, for 1 hour induced modest sensitivity to NK cells (P less than .05) but markedly up-regulated LAK sensitivity twofold to threefold. At the later passages, leukoregulin up-regulation of sensitivity to NK was lost but remained to LAK lymphocytotoxicity. Similarly, an HPV16-positive human cervical carcinoma cell line, QGU, was also resistant to NK lymphocytotoxicity and sensitive to LAK lymphocytotoxicity; leukoregulin failed to confer sensitivity to the NK-resistant QGU tumor cells and increased their sensitivity to LAK lymphocytotoxicity 1.5-fold to twofold. Although the HPV-immortalized cervical cells containing integrated HPV16 DNA were not tumorigenic, they mimicked the response of established HPV16-positive cervical carcinoma cells. HPV16-immortalized cervical epithelial cells provide a useful model for the study of cytokine modulation of dysplastic and neoplastic cervical epithelial cell sensitivity to natural lymphocytotoxicity.
Early Developmental Stages of Sarcocystis cruzi in Calf Fed Sporocysts from Coyote Feces

The development of Sarcocystis cruzi was studied in an 11-day-old calf killed seven days postinoculation with 5 x 10(8) sporocysts from feces of coyotes. Uninucleate zoites were found in arteries of mesenteric lymph nodes but not in other organs. Zoites measured 4.9 x 3.0 (3.5-7.0 x 2.1-3.5) micrometers. Of the 36 zoites studied, 31 were in endothelial cells, four were in macrophages in the lumen of arteries, and one was free in the lumen of an artery. Infected endothelial cells were two to three times larger than uninfected cells. Zoites appeared structurally similar to sporozoites. The occurrence of zoites in macrophages suggests that sporozoites of Sarcocystis might use such cells to reach the site of their first merogony.
Changing Regional Inequalities in United Germany

An American geographer and specialist on Germany analyzes temporal patterns of regional socioeconomic inequalities within Germany since unification. The results, based on analysis of changing distributional characteristics of GDP per capita, infant mortality, and unemployment, indicate a lack of progress in reducing regional inequalities within the country. Although the inequalities are not particularly severe by EU standards, promises made at the time of unification and the German constitution's requirement that regional equality be achieved are among pressures confronting German politicians and regional policy makers in achieving equality across the country. The author notes a number of domestic and international conditions that complicate and impede regional equality. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: O18, O52, R11, R12. 2 figures, 6 tables, 70 references.
DNA precursors and the absence of thymidine kinase in yeast mitochondria.

Abstract : The absence of dTK in cell extracts of yeast and other microorganisms has been reported. However, the bromodeoxyuridine resistant mammalian cells which also lack the cytoplasmic enzyme, still contain a mitochondrion-specific dTK. The authors therefore asked whether yeast mitochondria contains a specific dTK and whether precursors other than dXTP can be used for the in vitro labelling of the m-DNA. The results show that yeast mitochondria do not contain any detectable levels of dTK and that among thymine derivatives tested only dTDP or dTTP could be used as effective precursors for the in vitro labelling of M-DNA.
Views and Preferences of Low-Literate Hispanics Regarding Diabetes Education: Results of Formative Research:

Hispanics are twice as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to have diabetes and are also at higher risk for diabetes-related complications and poorer outcomes. The prevalence of diabetes is inversely related to educational status. Low literacy is common, especially among older Hispanics. Little literature exists on formative research to create diabetes education materials for this audience. Two focus groups assessed views and preferences for diabetes education of low-literate, low-income, non-English-speaking urban Caribbean and Central American Hispanics with diabetes, as well as utility of materials developed specifically for this population, as part of the preliminary work for a pilot study of a diabetes intervention. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.
Location and regulation of early enzymes of sterol biosynthesis in yeast.

Abstract Acetoacetyl CoA thiolase and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG) CoA synthase were found almost entirely in the cytosol of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whereas HMG CoA reductase was found almost entirely in mitochondria and further located in the matrix. Formation of all three enzymes was inhibited by cycloheximide, but not by chloramphenicol, indicating that they were synthesized in the cytosol. In anaerobically growing cells the levels of acetoacetyl CoA thiolase and HMG CoA synthase were decreased by ergosterol, whereas HMG CoA reductase levels were affected only slightly, suggesting that in yeast the enzymes responsible for synthesis of HMG CoA were regulated by ergosterol. Aerobically growing cells were essentially impermeable to ergosterol and cholesterol, whereas those growing anaerobically and requiring sterols were readily permeable. Mutants blocked in ergosterol formation were also permeable to sterols under aerobic conditions.
Ion implanter automation for manufacturability: Comparisons and recommendations

Abstract Four areas of automation have emerged as requirements for a high volume production ion implanter. They are: closed loop statistical process control to monitor and control the implanter; data automation to track work-in-process (WIP); control of implant recipe selection; and diagnostics to reduce the mean-time-to-repair (MTTR) of the system. A comparison of sophisticated off-the-shelf systems will show how well vendors are meeting these needs. Hardware designs will be analysed for strengths and weaknesses. A system will be recommended that is a powerful, cost effective, method of achieving the above goals, while remaining ocompatible with existing communication systems.
Weight distributions of linear codes and the Gleason-Pierce theorem

Abstract The Gleason-Pierce theorem characterizes those fields for which formally self-dual divisible codes can exist. The ideas underlying the proof of the theorem yield necessary conditions on whether a solution to the MacWilliams identity can be the weight distribution of a linear code. Consequences of this result are an algebraic proof of the non-existence of an [16, 8, 6] f.s.d, binary even code, restrictions on distribution of cosets of codes, and occasional sharpening of upper bounds on the covering radius.
Dust Dynamics in Compressible Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

We calculate the relative grain-grain motions arising from interstellar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. The MHD turbulence includes both fluid motions and magnetic fluctuations. While the fluid motions accelerate grains through hydrodrag, the electromagnetic fluctuations accelerate grains through resonant interactions. We consider both incompressive (Alfv?n) and compressive (fast and slow) MHD modes and use descriptions of MHD turbulence obtained by Cho and Lazarian in 2002. Calculations of grain relative motion are made for realistic grain charging and interstellar turbulence that are consistent with the velocity dispersions observed in diffuse gas, including cutoff of the turbulence from various damping processes. We show that fast modes dominate grain acceleration and can drive grains to supersonic velocities. Grains are also scattered by gyroresonance interactions, but the scattering is less important than acceleration for grains moving with sub-Alfv?nic velocities. Since the grains are preferentially accelerated with large pitch angles, the supersonic grains will be aligned with long axes perpendicular to the magnetic field. We compare grain velocities arising from MHD turbulence with those arising from photoelectric emission, radiation pressure, and H2 thrust. We show that for typical interstellar conditions, turbulence should prevent these mechanisms from segregating small and large grains. Finally, gyroresonant acceleration is bound to preaccelerate grains that are further accelerated in shocks. Grain-grain collisions in the shock may then contribute to the overabundance of refractory elements in the composition of Galactic cosmic rays.
Improving worst-case cache performance through selective bypassing and register-indexed cache

Worst-case execution time (WCET) analysis is a critical part of designing real-time systems that require strict timing guarantees. Data caches have traditionally been challenging to analyze in the context of WCET due to the unpredictability of memory access patterns. In this paper, we present a novel register-indexed cache structure that is designed to be amenable to static analysis. This is based on the idea that absolute addresses may not be known, but by using relative addresses, analysis may be able to guarantee a number of hits in the cache. In addition, we observe that keeping unpredictable memory accesses in caches can increase or decrease WCET depending on the application. Thus, we explore selectively bypassing caches in order to provide lower WCET. Our experimental results show reductions in WCET of up to 35% over the state-of-the-art static analysis.
Political economy and economic development in Latin America in the second half of the 20th century

Abstract The paper analyzes and compares stages and strategies of economic development in Latin America, focusing on the past fifty years. It contrasts the economic rationales and political economy bases of iport substitution with those of the economic reforms implemented in the last two decades of the 20th century. It concludes that while economically weak and practically faulty, the import substitution strategy had a solid political economy behind it, which made it last. Market reforms, on the contrary, while having a sound economic justification, had weak political economy support. This has led to their limited success and increasing unpopularity in the region in a short period of time. Reforms need a viable political economy leg to rest on. Without it, they are destined to be abandoned.
Breaking the cycle: Producer and consumer perspectives on the non-adoption of passive solar housing in the US

Creating the technologies to solve our energy and pollution problems is only one part of the solution. Getting the technologies adopted may be a larger hurdle. This study examines the adoption of a low- or no-cost technology, passive solar housing design, in the United States. Interviews with professionals involved in passive solar supply identified lack of demand as the most important factor, followed by availability, awareness, and economic incentives. Corresponding survey results from homebuyers in one region suggest that lack of demand represents not disinterest, but rather lack of availability when purchasing a home. Conventional homeowners are not familiar with passive solar design, but are predisposed to favor it, especially if it can be incorporated into traditional housing styles. In addition, to the extent that they can learn information to counter the perceptions that passive solar homes are too complicated or there is too little sun in their region, homebuyers would be more willing to purchase a passive solar home. Policy interventions to promote passive solar homes should focus on supply-side incentives as well as information for homebuyers.
Aerosol-based fabrication of biocompatible organic-inorganic nanocomposites.

Several novel nanoparticle composites were conveniently obtained by appropriately reacting freshly produced aerosol metal nanoparticles with soluble organic components. A serial reactor consisting of a spark particle generator coupled to a collison atomizer was used to fabricate the new materials, which included nanomagnetosols (comprising iron nanoparticles, the drug ketoprofen, and a Eudragit shell), hybrid nanogels (comprising iron nanoparticles and an N-isopropylacrylamide, NIPAM, gel), and nanoinorganics (gold immobilized silica). A fourth hybrid material, consisting of iron–gold nanoparticles and NIPAM) was obtained via an aerosol into liquid configuration, in which aerosol iron–gold particles were collected into a NIPAM/ethanol solution and then formed into nanogels with NIPAM under ultrasonic treatment. The strategy outlined in this work is potentially generalizable as a new platform for creating biocompatible nanocomposites, using only clinically approved starting materials in a single pass and u...
Solar wind flow upstream of the coronal slow shock

Slow shocks have been predicted to exist embedded in large coronal holes at low altitude. Two or more curved slow shocks may link together to form a composite discontinuity surface around the sun which may be called the coronal slow shock (CSS). Here a solar-wind model is studied under the assumption that a standing CSS exists and cororates with the sun at a constant angular velocity. A steady, axisymmetrical one-fluid model is introduced to study the expansion of solar wind in the open-field region upstream of the CSS. The model requires that the conditions downstream of the CSS near the equatorial plane can produce a solar wind agreeable with the observations made near the earth's orbit. The paper presents an illustrative calculation in which the polar caps within 60 deg of the polar angle are assumed to be the source region of the solar wind.
Applying Safety Case Pattern to Generate Assurance Cases for Safety-Critical Systems

In the safety critical industries, the manufacturers should provide a compelling and comprehensible argument to demonstrate that their system is well designed so safety concerns either do not exist or can be negligible. These arguments are usually represented by an assurance case. However, one of challenging issues facing the safety critical industry is how to integrate an assurance case into manufacturers' own development process. In this paper, we present how a safety case pattern which captures common structures of successful arguments can be applied as reusing strategies for building a new safety argument. More importantly, the latest development in Model Driven Engineering (MDE) facilitates the automatic integration of an assurance model into a development process. As a case study, we take the Generic Patient Controlled Analgesic (GPCA) Infusion Pump from the medical device industry into account to demonstrate how an assurance model can be generated in a development process via the safety pattern.
Prediction of Low-Frequency Tones Produced by Flow Through a Duct with a Gap

Abstract A method is presented for predicting the frequencies of tones produced by high Reynolds number, subsonic flow through a duct with a gap. An inviscid, linear model of the fluid motion is developed in which the shear layer delimiting the jet formed between the inlet and exit of the duct gap is modelled as a vortex sheet. The linear analysis is used to calculate the Rayleigh conductivity parameter which is then analyzed to find the frequency dependence of the shear layer behavior. The calculations for the case when an external load is applied across the shear layer have been carried out for Strouhal numbers from 0 to 10, Mach numbers from 0·001 to 0·5, and a gap length-to-diameter ratio of 0·5 to 2·0. The resonant frequencies have been calculated for Mach numbers ranging from 0·001 to 0·8 at a length-to-diameter ratio of 1·0. The results for the forced motion in the low Mach number limit compare well with previous incompressible predictions for flow past wall apertures. The resonant frequency predictions have been validated at the Mach number of 0·52 through comparison with experimental data.
Superconducting qubits: poised for computing?

Since the first demonstration of coherent oscillations a little over a decade ago, rapid progress in the development of superconducting qubits has resulted in more than a thousand fold increase in coherence times, coupled qubit operation, single-shot readout, and the basic demonstration of quantum algorithms. The operation and state-of-the art of these devices are reviewed. Areas of current growth are also discussed.
The Realm of the Sacred, Wherein We May Not Draw an Inference from Something which Itself Has Been Inferred: A Reading of Talmud Bavli Zevachim Folio 50

The exegesis of sacred rites in the Talmud is subject to a restriction on the iteration and composition of inference rules. In order to determine the scope and limits of that restriction, the sages of the Talmud deploy those very same inference rules. We present the remarkable features of this early use of self-reference to navigate logical constraints and uncover the hidden complexity behind the sages’ arguments. Appendix 11 contains a translation of the relevant sugya. 1Hebrew and Aramaic transliteration approximates traditional Sephardic pronunciation, which is closer to academic standard transliteration than the various Ashkenazic pronunciations, yet is legible. Specific references follow the convention of folio (number), side (a or b), number of lines from the top or (if negative) bottom of the page.
Photonic band-gap microcavities in three dimensions

The localization of light to less than a cubic wavelength, ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{3},$ in all three dimensions has important quantum consequences. A defect formed inside a three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystal provides a unique optical environment for light localization. Single-mode defect cavities were built from an infrared 3D photonic crystal. A cavity state with a modal volume of $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}(\ensuremath{\lambda}{/2)}^{3}$ was observed. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the smallest cavity mode in a 3D photonic crystal ever observed at infrared wavelengths.
One Mb bubble memory with support electronics

A 1Mb bubble memory system, including the bubble device, made on garnet material, and five silicon support devices, made with bipolar, CMOS, VMOS, NMOS and HMOS processes, will be discussed.
Novel Ganglioside-mediated Entry of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype D into Neurons

Botulinum Neurotoxins (BoNTs) are organized into seven serotypes, A-G. Although several BoNT serotypes enter neurons through synaptic vesicle cycling utilizing dual receptors (a ganglioside and a synaptic vesicle-associated protein), the entry pathway of BoNT/D is less well understood. Although BoNT/D entry is ganglioside-dependent, alignment and structural studies show that BoNT/D lacks key residues within a conserved ganglioside binding pocket that are present in BoNT serotypes A, B, E, F, and G, which indicate that BoNT/D-ganglioside interactions may be unique. In this study BoNT/D is shown to have a unique association with ganglioside relative to the other BoNT serotypes, utilizing a ganglioside binding loop (GBL, residues Tyr-1235—Ala-1245) within the receptor binding domain of BoNT/D (HCR/D) via b-series gangliosides, including GT1b, GD1b, and GD2. HCR/D bound gangliosides and entered neurons dependent upon the aromatic ring of Phe-1240 within the GBL. This is the first BoNT-ganglioside interaction that is mediated by a phenylalanine. In contrast, Trp-1238, located near the N terminus of the ganglioside binding loop, was mostly solvent-inaccessible and appeared to contribute to maintaining the loop structure. BoNT/D entry and intoxication were enhanced by membrane depolarization via synaptic vesicle cycling, where HCR/D colocalized with synaptophysin, a synaptic vesicle marker, but immunoprecipitation experiments did not detect direct association with synaptic vesicle protein 2. Thus, BoNT/D utilizes unique associations with gangliosides and synaptic vesicles to enter neurons, which may facilitate new neurotoxin therapies.
Inverse System of a Symbolic Power II. The Waring Problem for Forms

Abstract The classical Waring problem for forms is to determine the smallest length s of an additive decomposition of a general degree d homogeneous polynomial or form f in r variables as sum of s d th powers of linear forms. We show that its solution is implied by a result of J. Alexander and A. Hirschowitz, concerning the Hilbert functions of the ideal of functions Vanishing to order two at a generic set of s points in P r − 1 . Using Macaulay′s inverse systems, we show that the Alexander-Hirschowitz result is equivalent to determining the number of linear syzygies of s homogeneous forms in r variables that are d th powers of a given set of general linear forms. We also determine the dimension of the family of degree d forms that have additive decompositions of length s . We then study several notions of length for forms f , having to do with the kind of length- s , zero-dimensional schemes Z in P r − 1 whose defining ideal I ( Z ) annihilates the inverse system of f . When Z is to consist of distinct points, we obtain the above length of additive decomposition of f . When Z is smoothable we obtain the "smoothable length" of f ; when Z is arbitrary, we obtain a "scheme length" of f . All these lengths are at least as large as the dimension of the vector space of all order- i partial derivates of f , for each i . The above-mentioned length functions are distinct. Using results about the existence of nonsmoothable Gorenstein point singularities in codimension 4, we show that when r = 5 there are forms f of scheme length s , which are not in the closure of the family of forms having additive decompositions of length s . Finally, we propose a new set of Waring problems for forms, using these lengths.
In vitro release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland of tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus.

The release of growth hormone from the proximal pars distalis of the tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, was significantly stimulated by cortisol (1 μg/ml) in an in vitro system. Growth hormone released into the medium and remaining in the tissue was measured by densitometry after gel electrophoresis. Neither triiodothyronine (6.7 ng/ml) nor equimolar concentrations of thyroxin altered the release of growth hormone. In combination with cortisol, triiodothyronine did not alter the effect of cortisol alone.
The use of the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme method in describing and comparing gestalt and rational emotive behavior therapy with adolescents

The Core Conflitual Relationship Theme (CCRT) method (Luborsky, 1977) is used to study recurrent relationship patterns in therapy and may be employed as a measure of transference as well. We found only one article in the literature in which it was applied to a mode of psychotherapy, other than psychodynamic (Turner, 1992). In addition, there are only a few articles in the literature that refer to the CCRT method with children and adolescents. In this paper, we applied the CCRT method to two videotaped individual sessions of young adolescent boys, one in gestalt therapy and the other in rational emotive behavior therapy. Results showed that both boys revealed similar core relational theme profiles, but that their respective therapists each dealt differently with these relationship conflicts. In this pilot use of the CCRT with adolescent therapy, we were able to describe relationship patterns and delineate key differences between the two treatment modalities.
Meteoritic hydrocarbons and extraterrestrial life.

A critical discussion is given of the comparison by Nagy Meinschein, and Hennessy of the mass spectra of the hydrocarbons from the distillate of the Orgueil meteorite with the mass spectra of two biogenic materials, butter and sediments. The conclusion of Nagy et al. that biogenic processes occur in the universe beyond the earth, is crfticized on the basis of the following facts: the mass spectra are only superficially similar; contamination is a serious problem at these low concentrations; the meteorite is very porous and hence will absorb considerable amounts of atmospheric constituents; the peak heights are not truly representative of specific compounds; the meteorite contains free suifur, which would dehydrogenate hydrocarbons on heating; etc. (D.L.C.)
THE BOUNDARY CONDITION AT AN IMPEDANCE WALL IN A NON-UNIFORM DUCT WITH POTENTIAL MEAN FLOW

The boundary condition at an impedance wall in a duct with a steady mean flow requiring the specification of the normal component of acoustic particle velocity is examined. It is found that when implemented in the weak formulation of the finite element method it can be considerably simplified. The boundary condition would appear to require data which includes the tangential derivative of the tangential mean flow velocity, the normal derivative of the normal component of mean flow velocity, and the derivatives of the mean flow density and the boundary admittance along the boundary. It is shown that with suitable rearrangement the normal and tangential velocity derivatives can be eliminated, as can the derivatives of the mean flow density and admittance. The boundary condition becomes only slightly more complicated than the corresponding boundary condition when mean flow is absent, and is no more difficult to implement, requiring only local values of tangential mean flow velocity, density, and admittance which are already required as data for the weak formulation of the field equation.
Human T-Cell Lymphotrophic Virus Infection in Organ Donors: A Need to Reassess Policy?

Human T-cell lymphotrophic virus (HTLV)-I/II infection has been considered a contra-indication to organ donation due to the risk of transmission of infection and the subsequent development of either adult T-cell leukemia or HTLV-I-associated myelopathy. However, neither the incidence of HTLV-I/II infection in organ donors nor the risk of transmission of HTLV-I/II by solid organ transplantation has been defined. Further, it is not known if HTLV infection contributes to significant morbidity in solid organ recipients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of HTLV-I/II infection in organ donors in USA and to determine if transplanting these organs resulted in HTLV-related morbidity or mortality. We utilized the UNOS database to: (i) identify organ donors that were positive for HTLV-I or II infection between 1988 and 2000, and (ii) evaluate outcomes in the recipients of these organs. There were 25 HTLV-I/II-positive organ donors reported to UNOS between 1988 and 2000. Based on organ donors with a known HTLV-I/II status, the prevalence of HTLV-I infection in organ donors is 0.027% and the prevalence of HTLV-II is 0.064%. Twenty-two organs were transplanted from these HTLV-positive donors. There have been no reports of HTLV-I/II-related disease in the recipients with a median follow-up of 11.9 months. At our center, over the last 1.5 years there have been four multiorgan donors with false-positive HTLV-I/II screening assays, which resulted in the decision not to use organs from these donors. Based on the minimal chance of HTLV-related disease following transplantation of HTLV-I/II organs in this series, we recommend that careful consideration be given to transplanting organs from HTLV-I/II-positive organ donors.
Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Framingham 10-Year Risk Score: The Cross-Cultural Activity Participation Study

PURPOSE Although physical activity and physical fitness are inversely and causally associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality, available equations for estimating CHD risk do not include scores for activity or fitness. Therefore, this study evaluated the association of physical fitness and moderate-intensity physical activity with the 10-year Framingham CHD risk estimate. METHODS Cross-sectional analyses were performed on data from 137 healthy middle-aged women (53.9 +/- 9.9 yr; 28.3 +/- 6.0 kg/m2). Health histories, body composition, blood pressure, and blood samples were obtained from a clinical examination. Levels of moderate (3-6 METS) intensity physical activity, expressed as MET-minutes/day of energy expenditure, were derived from multiple 24-hour physical activity records. Physical fitness was quantified as duration of a symptom-limited maximal treadmill exercise test. RESULTS After adjustment for race, body mass index (BMI), and hormone replacement status, a graded reduction in the Framingham risk score was observed across low (5.8%), moderate (4.0%), and high (3.6%) fitness levels (P for trend = 0.009). Women in both the moderate and high fitness categories had a lower (P < 0.01) risk score compared with their low fit counterparts. Significant differences in risk were not seen among low (3.9%), moderate (4.9%), and high (4.4%) physical activity groups. The lack of association between the risk score by physical activity may have been due to the homogeneity of activity levels among participants. Our findings reinforce existing data that show enhanced levels of fitness are associated with lower risk for CHD.
Zwitterionic surfactant solutions 1. A light scattering investigation

Abstract Dynamic and static light scattering studies are reported on a series of alkyl dimethyl betaines CmDMB (m = 12, 16, 18) in aqueous solutions as functions of surfactant concentration, salt concentration and temperature. The characteristics of the micelles change dramatically as the alkyl chain length is increased from 12 to 18. In the case or C18DMB, large micelles form at very low surfactant concentrations (about 0.2 wt%) and grow rapidly to become entangled at slightly higher concentrations (about 1 wt%). Upon addition of salt, C18DMB micelles become very large and semiflexible. At 40.3°C the persistence lengths of C18DMB micelles in 0.01 and 0.1 M NaCl aqueous solutions are approximately 1400 ± 200 A and 1600 ± 250 A, respectively. The persistence length of C18DMB micelles in 0.1 M NaCl solution at 51.5°C is 1650 ± 250 A. The dynamic light scattering data are consistent with estimated persistence lengths. Quantitative agreement is obtained with the theory developed by Fujime and co-workers (S. Fujime and M. Maruyama, Macromolecules, 6 (1973) 237; T. Maeda and S. Fujime, Macromolecules, 14 (1981) 809) for semiflexible, rodlike particles. Micelles of C16DMB in water are very small compared to C18DMB. The micelles are polydisperse and the size increases with increasing surfactant concentration. In 1.0 M NaCl aqueous solutions, the C16DMB micelles are larger than in pure water and become semiflexible. After accounting for polydispersity, the persistence length is calculated to be roughly 600 ± 100 A at 25°C. Therefore, micelles of C16DMB are less stiff than those of C18DMB. In contrast to C18CMB and C16DMB systems, C12DMB micelles remain small and spherical over a wide range of surfactant concentration, in agreement with previous studies.
Prediction of Maximum Oxygen Consumption from Walking, Jogging, or Running

Abstract The purpose of this study was to develop a submaximal, 1.5-mile endurance test for college-aged students using walking, jogging, or running exercise. College students (N = 101: 52 men, 47 women), ages 18–26 years, successfully completed the 1.5-mile test twice, and a maximal graded exercise test. Participants were instructed to achieve a “somewhat hard” exercise intensity (rating of perceived exertion = 13) and maintain a steady pace throughout each 1.5-mile test. Multiple linear regression generated the following prediction equation: VO2max = 65.404 + 7.707 × gender (1 = male; 0 = female) − 0.159 × body mass (kg) − 0.843 × elapsed exercise time (min; walking, jogging, or running). This equation shows acceptable validity (R = .86, SEE = 3.37 ml•kg1 •min−1) similar to the accuracy of comparable field tests, and reliability (ICC = .93) is also comparable to similar models. The statistical shrinkage is minimal (Rpress = 0.85, SEEpress = 3.51 ml•kg1 •min−1); hence, it should provide comparable result...
Sexual Intercourse Among Adolescents Maltreated Before Age 12: A Prospective Investigation

Objective: To examine whether child maltreatment (physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and neglect) predicts adolescent sexual intercourse; whether associations between maltreatment and sexual intercourse are explained by children's emotional distress, and whether relations among maltreatment, emotional distress, and sexual intercourse differ according to gender. Methods: The Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect was a multisite, longitudinal investigation. Participants ranged from at-risk to substantiated maltreatment. Maltreatment history was assessed through Child Protective Service records and youth self-report at age 12. Youth reported emotional distress by using the Trauma Symptom Checklist at the age of 12 years and sexual intercourse at ages 14 and 16. Logistic and multiple regressions, adjusting for gender, race, and site, were used to test whether maltreatment predicts sexual intercourse, the explanatory effects of emotional distress, and gender differences. Results: At ages 14 and 16, maltreatment rates were 79% and 81%, respectively, and sexual initiation rates were 21% and 51%. Maltreatment (all types) significantly predicted sexual intercourse. Maltreated youth reported significantly more emotional distress than non-maltreated youth; emotional distress mediated the relationship between maltreatment and intercourse by 14, but not 16. At 14, boys reported higher rates of sexual intercourse than girls and the association between physical abuse and sexual intercourse was not significant for boys. Conclusions: Maltreatment (regardless of type) predicts sexual intercourse by 14 and 16. Emotional distress explains the relationship by 14. By 16, other factors likely contribute to intercourse. Maltreated children are at risk for early initiation of sexual intercourse and sexually active adolescents should be evaluated for possible maltreatment. Language: en
Two-color transmittance measurements in a pulverized coal reactor

A two-color extinction diagnostic technique has been investigated for the measurement of soot and other fine particulate in pulverized-coal flames. The measurements were made using two helium-neon lasers at 633 nm (red) and 543.5 nm (green) in a 0.2 MW, pulverized-coal, down-fired reactor. Parameters inves-tigated included axial position, swirl, and equivalence ratio. Under lean conditions, coal, char, and ash partiele transmittance was found to be insensitive to the wavelength, and transmittance increased with downstream axial distance showing char burnout. When soot was visually apparent in the reactor, the shorter wavelength (543.5 nm) was attenuated more than the longer wavelength (633 nm). Thus, the presence of soot and relative amounts of soot could be determined from the transmittance measurements. Soot was seen to form in the first 800 mm of the reactor, after which it reached a steady value. Soot was found to decrease with increasing swirl from 0.5 to 1.5, but the lowest amount of soot was found to be at zero swirl where previous measurements have shown the flame to be lifted. Near the exit, no soot was measured until the equivalence ratio in the flame reached a value of =1.1, after which increasing the equivalence ratio increased the soot volume fraction dramatically. An appropriate model for the soot and the coal, char, and ash was used to determine the soot volume fraction from the transmittance data and Mie theory. The highest measured value of soot was at =1.5; resulting in a soot volume fraction of 0.88 ×10 −6 . At higher equivalence ratios, the soot transmittance was below the detector noise level. Caleulations showed that at the sootiest conditions, approximately one-fifth of the volatiles were being converted to soot.