cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Copula Models for Sociology: Measures of Dependence and Probabilities for Joint Distributions.

Often in sociology, researchers are confronted with nonnormal variables whose joint distribution they wish to explore. Yet, assumptions of common measures of dependence can fail or estimating such dependence is computationally intensive. This article presents the copula method for modeling the joint distribution of two random variables, including descriptions of the method, the most common copula distributions, and the nonparametric measures of association derived from the models. Copula models, which are estimated by standard maximum likelihood techniques, make no assumption about the form of the marginal distributions, allowing consideration of a variety of models and distributions in the margins and various shapes for the joint distribution. The modeling procedure is demonstrated via a simulated example of spousal mortality and empirical examples of (1) the association between unemployment and suicide rates with time series models and (2) the dependence between a count variable (days drinking alcohol) ...
Characteristics of High Agreement Affect Annotation in Text

The purpose of this paper is to present an unusual English dataset for affect exploration in text. It describes a corpus of fairy tales from three sources that have been annotated for affect at the sentence level. Special attention is given to data marked by high annotator agreement. A qualitative analysis of characteristics of high agreement sentences from H. C. Andersen reveals several interesting trends, illustrated by examples.
Introduction to Part Two: What Is a Group, and What Is Social Work with Groups?

In this article the author introduces the reader to Papell’s perspectives on the nature of the human group and on social work’s distinct contribution to professional practice with small groups.
Glial Progenitors as Targets for Transformation in Glioma

Glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor and arises throughout the central nervous system. Recent focus on stem-like glioma cells has implicated neural stem cells (NSCs), a minor precursor population restricted to germinal zones, as a potential source of gliomas. In this review, we focus on the relationship between oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), the largest population of cycling glial progenitors in the postnatal brain, and gliomagenesis. OPCs can give rise to gliomas, with signaling pathways associated with NSCs also playing key roles during OPC lineage development. Gliomas can also undergo a switch from progenitor- to stem-like phenotype after therapy, consistent with an OPC-origin even for stem-like gliomas. Future in-depth studies of OPC biology may shed light on the etiology of OPC-derived gliomas and reveal new therapeutic avenues.
Validation of the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center's solar flare forecasting look‐up table and forecaster‐issued probabilities

This paper provides an assessment of the operational solar flare look-up table currently in use at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) during solar cycle 23 (May 1996 – December 2008). To assess the value of human interaction, a validation of subjective flare probability forecasts was conducted and compared to the results obtained from the climatological look-up table used at SWPC. Probabilistic flare forecasts are evaluated using the Brier Skill Score, then discretized and entered into contingency tables from which a variety of verification measures are calculated. The ultimate goal of this report is to provide an operational baseline, whereby the scores and statistics from this paper can be used as the basis for future evaluation of models presented to the operational community.
Development and implementation of endocrine biomarkers of exposure and effects in American alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis)

Abstract This study reports on the developmental effects of potential xenobiotic substances that may alter endocrine physiology during embryogenesis in the American alligator ( Alligator naississippiensis ). Eggs collected from a wild population were treated with either 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD), o,p ′-DDE, p,p ′-DDE, ethynylestradiol, coumestrol, or indole-3-carbinol at several dose levels. Treated eggs were incubated at temperatures that normally produce all male hatchlings (33°C). Several biochemical and morphological endpoints were evaluated from hatchling alligators at three weeks of age. Sex determination contrary to that expected by incubation temperature was exhibited by those embyos treated with ethynylestradiol, p,p ′-DDE (higher doses), and TCDD (higher doses). Control alligator embryos resulted in predominately male phenotypes. Vitellogenin induction was not apparent in xenobiotic-treated alligator hatchlings, and this may be a reflection of the fact that these animals possessed substantial abdominal yolk reserves.
America's Choice: Literacy or Productivity?

AbstractWith investment in human capital an urgent economic imperative in America’s quest for competitiveness, policymakers and analysts have focused on the bottom half of the labor force. In doing so their vision of literacy has been constricted by workplace needs. The literacy discourse is framed in terms of what workplaces, not adults, need. The curriculum follows efficiency criteria, not straying from the workplace context. I argue that this view of the problem fits Bhola’s motivational developmental/ structural-developmental explanation of how national governments view the problem of adult literacy. I argue further that this workplace-based approach to illiteracy leaves the root causes of the problem—such as inequality of opportunity in the society—substantially intact, and that what is needed is a grander conception in line with Dewey’s vocationalism and consistent with his democratic ideal.
Acth and msh production by a single cloned mouse pituitary tumor cell line.

The production of ACTH and MSH was studied in the cloned, functional, murine pituitary tumor cell line, AtT–20. Extracts of normal whole LAFj mouse pituitaries, tumors induced by injecting AtT–20 cells into recipient LAFX mice, cultured AtT–20 cells, and the medium in which the cells were cultured were subjected to molecular sieve chromatography on Sephadex G—SO fine resin. The original extracts and the Sephadex fractions were assayed for bioactive ACTH and MSH. Each of the extracts contained both ACTH and MSH. The ACTH existed as two distinct moieties, one of which eluted earlier than the ACTH standard. The MSH eluted in later fractions and thus was a separate molecular entity from the ACTH's. The extracts and fractions were subjected to radioimmunoassays for ACTH, a—MSH, and P—MSH. Both ACTH moieties were immunologically indistinguishable from highly purified human ACTH standard. The MSH in normal mouse pituitary and AtT–20 tumor was immunologically indistinguishable from α—MSH standard, but less than o...
Shedding enhances the sexual attractiveness of oestradiol treated garter snakes and their untreated penmates

The courtship behaviour of male garter snakes (Thamnophis radix) was tested with females who received or did not receive oestradiol benzoate (EB) injections prior to shedding, and with non-shedding females who received EB. Each female injected for 5 or more days prior to shedding was courted only after the shed. In addition, most penmates of the EB treated shedders were courted frequently after the treated female shed. Females who received no EB prior to shed showed little or no increase in sexual attractiveness. EB treated females who did not shed were inconsistently courted. It is most likely that shedding potentiates the release of a sexual pheromone from the dorsal skin of EB treated females, and this pheromone can then be spread to the backs of penmates.
Exponential Stability of Traveling Pulse Solutions of a Singularly Perturbed System of Integral Differential Equations Arising From Excitatory Neuronal Networks

We establish the exponential stability of fast traveling pulse solutions to nonlinear singularly perturbed systems of integral di.erential equations arising from neuronal networks. It has been proved that exponential stability of these orbits is equivalent to linear stability. Let $$ {\user1{\mathcal{L}}} $$ be the linear differential operator obtained by linearizing the nonlinear system about its fast pulse, and let $$ \sigma {\left( {\user1{\mathcal{L}}} \right)} $$ be the spectrum of $$ {\user1{\mathcal{L}}} $$ . The linearized stability criterion says that if $$ \max {\left\{ {\operatorname{Re} \lambda :\lambda \in \sigma {\left( {\user1{\mathcal{L}}} \right)},\lambda \ne 0} \right\}} \leqslant - D $$ , for some positive constant D, and λ = 0 is a simple eigenvalue of $$ {\user1{\mathcal{L}}}{\left( \varepsilon \right)} $$ , then the stability follows immediately (see [13] and [37]). Therefore, to establish the exponential stability of the fast pulse, it suffices to investigate the spectrum of the operator $$ {\user1{\mathcal{L}}} $$ . It is relatively easy to find the continuous spectrum, but it is very difficult to find the isolated spectrum. The real part of the continuous spectrum has a uniformly negative upper bound, hence it causes no threat to the stability. It remains to see if the isolated spectrum is safe. Eigenvalue functions (see [14] and [35,36]) have been a powerful tool to study the isolated spectrum of the associated linear differential operators because the zeros of the eigenvalue functions coincide with the eigenvalues of the operators. There have been some known methods to define eigenvalue functions for nonlinear systems of reaction diffusion equations and for nonlinear dispersive wave equations. But for integral differential equations, we have to use different ideas to construct eigenvalue functions. We will use the method of variation of parameters to construct the eigenvalue functions in the complex plane ℂ. By analyzing the eigenvalue functions, we find that there are no nonzero eigenvalues of $$ {\user1{\mathcal{L}}}{\kern 1pt} {\text{in}}{\left\{ {\lambda \in \mathbb{C}:\operatorname{Re} \lambda \geqslant - D} \right\}} $$ for the fast traveling pulse. Moreover λ = 0 is simple. This implies that the exponential stability of the fast orbits is true.
The Long Term Educational Effects of Half‐Day vs Full‐Day Kindergarten

This study examined the effects of full‐day and half‐day kindergarten on children's second grade academic outcomes. The subjects for the study were 974 second grade children from a large Midwestern school district. Of these second‐graders, 730 of them had been in full‐day kindergarten and 244 were in half‐day kindergarten. The following measures were compared: (a) children's second grade reading and math scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills; (b) whether or not they had been retained in grade during the first three years of school; (c) whether or not they had been referred for special education services during the first three years of school; and (d) kindergarten attendance records. The results indicated that children who were in a full‐day kindergarten program scored significantly higher on both math and reading on a standardized achievement test. In addition, there were fewer children from the full‐day cohort who had been retained in grade. There were no differences in the number of special educatio...
Opioid Receptor Blockade Promotes Weight Loss and Improves the Display of Sexual Behaviors in Obese Zucker Female Rats

Obese Zucker female rats are hyperphagic, overweight, infertile, and hyporesponsive to the inductive effects of ovarian steroid hormones on sexual behaviors. It has been postulated that endogenous opioid activity may contribute to their obesity and reproductive dysfunction. To test this hypothesis, ovariectomized, adult obese Zucker rats were treated with the opioid receptor antagonist, naltrexone, or saline prior to measurement of steroid-induced sexual behaviors, food intake, and body weight. In estradiol benzoate (EB)-treated rats, naltrexone injection increased the display of sexual receptivity (lordosis quotient, LQ: saline, 11+/-10%; 5 mg/kg naltrexone, 54+/-15%, p < 0.05) and also elicited proceptivity (PRO), which was never observed after saline injection. In EB plus progesterone-treated animals, naltrexone administration enhanced both sexual receptivity and proceptivity (LQ: saline, 17+/-10%; 5 mg/kg naltrexone, 96+/-3%; p < 0.05; PRO: saline, 3.0+/-2.4 bouts/min; 5 mg/kg naltrexone, 45.3+/-12 bouts/min; p < 0.01). Naltrexone injection also decreased 24-h food intake (saline, 24.2+/-0.7 g; 5 mg/kg naltrexone, 17.6+/-1.2 g; p < 0.05) and weight change (saline, +7.3+/-0.8 g; 5 mg/kg naltrexone, -4.5+/-1.4 g, p < 0.01). Morphine treatment blocked these effects of naltrexone on sexual behaviors, food intake, and body weight. These data suggest that endogenous opioids contribute to hyperphagia, obesity, and behavioral hyporesponsiveness to ovarian steroid hormones in obese Zucker rats.
Errors-in-Variables Bounds in a Tobit Model of Endogenous Protection

The errors-in-variables (EIV) problem is pervasive in econometrics but has not received the attention it deserves, perhaps because it is difficult to resolve. The first objective of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of recently developed methods to deal with the EIV problem in models with censoring. The second objective of this paper is to empirically examine, in light of the EIV problem, theories of endogenous protection that have become important in trade theory in their ability to explain why nations do not follow the traditional economic maxim of free trade. These theories emphasizing political-economic factors have gained momentum based on a set of empirical studies that have sought to prove their validity. Whether inferences about the theories of endogenous protection are gravely affected by errors in variables is examined using data on U.S. nontariff barriers with respect to nine developed countries. The theoretical developments in Klepper (1988) and Klepper and Leamer (1984) are combined with a result from Levine (1986), which usefully extends the use of EIV diagnostics to a model with censoring.
SELF‐CONTROL AND INTIMATE VIOLENCE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE SCOPE AND SPECIFICATION OF THE GENERAL THEORY OF CRIME*

Ambiguities in Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory of crime have generated doubts about the explanatory scope of the theory and inconsistencies in the specification of models attempting to test it. In particular, the theory has been criticized for its inability to explain intimate violence; however, an empirical test of this criticism cannot be conducted appropriately unless the theoretical model has been adequately specified. This study tests four models of self-control theory for their ability to explain one form of intimate violence: courtship aggression. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the ability of measures of low self-control, opportunity, and perceptions of reward to predict the probability of courtship violence in a sample of 985 students currently involved in a dating relationship. The results indicate that while the main effects of low self-control, opportunity, and perception of immediate gratification are significant predictors of the probability of using violence in a dating relationship, it is less clear whether the functional form of the theoretical model accommodates the interaction between low self-control and either opportunity or perceived rewards.
Effect of metronidazole in patients with preterm birth in preceding pregnancy and bacterial vaginosis: A placebo-controlled, double-blind study

Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether treatment of bacterial vaginosis with metronidazole in patients with preterm delivery in the penultimate pregnancy from preterm labor or premature rupture of membranes reduces the risk of subsequent preterm birth. Study Design: From January 1989 to June 1992 patients with a singleton gestation between 13 and 20 weeks and a history of preterm birth in the preceding pregnancy from either idiopathic preterm labor or premature rupture of membranes were screened for bacterial vaginosis. Those with a positive screen were randomized to receive 250 mg of metronidazole three times a day for 7 days or placebo in a double-blind design. Data were analyzed with Student t and χ 2 tests, and differences considered significant at p Results: Of 94 eligible patients, 80 were enrolled and completed the study, of which 44 received metronidazole. Both groups were comparable in number of entry variables. Compared with the placebo group, patients in the metronidazole group had significantly fewer hospital admissions for preterm labor, 12 (27%) versus 28 (78%); preterm births, eight (18%) versus 16 (39%); births of infants weighing Conclusion: Treatment of bacterial vaginosis with metronidazole was effective in reducing preterm births in patients with a history of prematurity in the preceding pregnancy.
The effects of glutaraldehyde on the bound nucleotide content and morphology of microtubules in vitro

Abstract Guanine nucleotide bound to the exchangeable site on tubulin is known to become nonexchangeable when the tubulin molecule is incorporated into a microtubule. We have found that glutaraldehyde, at concentrations commonly used to fix microtubules for electron microscopy (0.5–2%), causes the rapid loss of bound nucleotide from microtubules. Lower concentrations which still fix microtubules do not cause the release. Examination of negative stained samples with the electron microscope shows an apparent difference in the surface morphology of microtubules fixed with the different concentrations of glutaraldehyde. Thus, glutaraldehyde fixation can produce both structural and biochemical alterations of microtubules, which may be significant in the interpretation of the structural organization of microtubules in cells, especially in terms of the noncovalent association of microtubules with other cytoskeletal components.
Phosphorylation of phosphazenes and its effects on thermal properties and fire retardant behavior

Methods for the incorporation of phosphate and phosphonate units into the side groups of phosphazenes, at both the high polymeric and cyclic trimer levels, are described and evaluated. Halogenated organophosphates were used as the phosphorylating agents and were allowed to react with hydroxyl- or lithio-functionalized phosphazenes. Well-defined phosphorylated cyclic trimers were synthesized from the hydroxyl-functionalized precursors, and these were examined as flame-retardant additives to polystyrene. The thermal stabilities of the high polymers made by this route were analyzed by TGA.
Total IgE levels do not change 1 year after endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background: Total IgE levels positively correlate with the amount of mucosal thickening on sinus CT scans. Our objective was to investigate whether the levels of total serum IgE dec
Water penetration and binding to ferric myoglobin.

Flash photolysis investigations of horse heart metmyoglobin bound with NO (Mb3+NO) reveal the kinetics of water entry and binding to the heme iron. Photodissociation of NO leaves the sample in the dehydrated Mb3+ (5-coordinate) state. After NO photolysis and escape, a water molecule enters the heme pocket and binds to the heme iron, forming the 6-coordinate aquometMb state (Mb3+H2O). At longer times, NO displaces the H2O ligand to reestablish equilibrium. At 293 K, we determine a value kw ≈ 5.7 × 106 s-1 for the rate of H2O binding and estimate the H2O dissociation constant as 60 mM. The Arrhenius barrier height Hw = 42 ± 3 kJ/mol determined for H2O binding is identical to the barrier for CO escape after photolysis of Mb2+CO, within experimental uncertainty, consistent with a common mechanism for entry and exit of small molecules from the heme pocket. We propose that both processes are gated by displacement of His-64 from the heme pocket. We also observe that the bimolecular NO rebinding rate is enhanced ...
LESSONS FROM THE NAVAJO: THE IMPACT OF A “GOOD” FIELD EXPERIENCE ON A CAREER

While many other professions and disciplines have institutionalized the concept of a professional field experience, American anthropology offers only inconsistent opportunities for students to gain extended hands-on training in anthropological methods and skills in real-life settings. A good ethnographic field experience can be a powerful mechanism for training students to experience research first hand, to understand the dynamics of field work, to reflect on ethical issues, and to discover whether the role of anthropologist fits. This retrospective account of learning from a veteran of Northwestern University's Ethnographic Field School illustrates the lessons provided through the research experience, the interpersonal experience and the personal experience, and how those lessons carried forward through a career. This account suggests that a “good” field experience can build knowledge, skills, and values that are transferable to other settings.
Piecewise hierarchical p-version axisymmetric shell element for geometrically nonlinear behavior of laminated composites

This paper presents a three node laminated composite axisymmetric finite element formulation for geometrically nonlinear (GNL) analysis where the displacement approximation for the laminate is piecewise hierarchical and is derived based on p-version. The displacement approximation for the element is developed first by establishing a hierarchical displacement approximation for each lamina of the laminate and then by imposing interlamina continuity conditions of displacements at the interface between the laminas. The nodal variables for the entire laminate are derived from the nodal variables of the laminas and the interlamina continuity conditions of displacements. The element formulation ensures C0 continuity of displacements across the interelement as well as interlamina boundaries. The individual lamina stiffness matrices and the equivalent nodal force vectors are derived using the principle of virtual work and the hierarchical displacement approximation for the laminas. Interlamina continuity conditions are used to construct the transformation matrices for the individual laminas. These matrices permit transformation of the lamina degrees of freedom to the laminate degrees of freedom. The interlamina behavior incorporated in this formulation is in total agreement with the physics of laminate behavior. In formulating the properties of the element, the complete axisymmetric state of stresses and strains is considered, hence the element is equally effective for very thin as well as extremely thick laminated shells. Incremental equations of equilibrium are derived and solved using standard Newton-Raphson method. The total load is divided in increments and for each increment of load equilibrium iterations are performed until each component of the residuals and the generalized nodal displacement vector are within preset tolerances. Numerical examples are presented to show the p-convergence characteristics, accuracy, and simplicity of modeling and overall advantages of the present formulation.
S-methyl-N,N-diethylthiocarbamate sulfoxide and S-methyl-N,N-diethylthiocarbamate sulfone, two candidates for the active metabolite of disulfiram

The mechanism of action of disulfiram involves inhibition of hepatic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Although disulfiram inhibits ALDH in vitro, it is believed that the drug is too short-lived in vivo to inhibit the enzyme directly. The ultimate inhibitor is thought to be a metabolite of disulfiram. In this study, we examined the effects of S-methyl-N,N-diethylthiocarbamate (MeDTC) sulfoxide and S-methyl-N,N-diethylthiocarbamate sulfone (confirmed and proposed metabolites of disulfiram, respectively) on rat liver mitochondrial low K(m) ALDH. MeDTC sulfoxide and MeDTC sulfone, in 10-min incubations with detergent-solubilized mitochondria, inhibited ALDH activity with an IC50 (mean +/- SD) of 0.93 +/- 0.04 and 0.53 +/- 0.11 microM, respectively, compared with 7.4 +/- 1.0 microM for the parent drug disulfiram. Inhibition by MeDTC sulfone and MeDTC sulfoxide, both at 0.6 microM, was time-dependent, following apparent pseudo-first-order kinetics with a t1/2 of inactivation of 3.5 and 8.8 min, respectively. Dilution of ALDH inhibited by either sulfoxide or sulfone did not restore activity, an indication of irreversible inhibition. Addition of glutathione (50 to 1000 microM) to ALDH before the inhibitors did not alter the inhibition by MeDTC sulfoxide. In contrast, the inhibition by MeDTC sulfone was decreased > 10-fold (IC50 = 6.3 microM) by 50 microM of glutathione and almost completely abolished by 500 microM of glutathione. The cofactor NAD, in a concentration-dependent manner, protected ALDH from inhibition by MeDTC sulfoxide and MeDTC sulfone. In incubations with intact mitochondria, the potency of the two compounds was reversed (IC50 of 9.2 +/- 3.6 and 0.95 +/- 0.30 microM for the MeDTC sulfone and sulfoxide, respectively). Our results suggest that MeDTC sulfone is highly reactive with normal cellular constituents (e.g., glutathione), which may protect ALDH from inhibition, unless this inhibitor is formed very near the target enzyme. In contrast, MeDTC sulfoxide is a better candidate for the ultimate active metabolite of disulfiram, because it is more likely to be sufficiently stable to diffuse from a distant site of formation, such as the endoplasmic reticulum, penetrate the mitochondria, and react with ALDH located in the mitochondrial matrix.
Health care costs décline after successful epilepsy surgery

Background: Surgery is an effective, high-cost procedure used increasingly to treat refractory epilepsy. For surgery to be cost-effective, long-term cost savings from reduced health care use should provide some offset to the initial costs of evaluation and surgery. There is little information about how health care costs are affected by evaluation and surgery. Objective: To determine whether health care costs change when seizures become controlled after surgery. Methods: Health care costs for the 2 years prior to surgical evaluation and for 2 years afterward were calculated from medical records of 68 subjects with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) participating in a multicenter observational study. Costs were compared among patients who did not have surgery, patients who had persisting seizures after surgery, and patients who were seizure free after surgery. Results: Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) accounted for more than half of the costs of care in the pre-evaluation period. Total costs for seizure-free patients had declined 32% by 2 years following surgery due to less use of AEDs and inpatient care. Costs did not change in patients with persisting seizures, whether they had surgery or not. In the 18 to 24 months following evaluation, epilepsy-related costs were $2,068 to $2,094 in patients with persisting seizures vs $582 in seizure-free patients. Conclusions: Costs remain stable over 2 years post-evaluation in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy whose seizures persist, but patients who become seizure free after surgery use substantially less health care than before surgery. Further cost reductions in seizure-free patients can be expected as antiepileptic drugs are successfully eliminated.
The dissociation of diacetyl: a shock tube and theoretical study.

The dissociation of diacetyl dilute in krypton has been studied in a shock tube using laser schlieren densitometry at 1200−1800 K and reaction pressures of 55 ± 2, 120 ± 3, and 225 ± 5 Torr. The experimentally determined rate coefficients show falloff and an ab initio/Master Equation/VRC-TST analysis was used to determine pressure-dependent rate coefficient expressions that are in good agreement with the experimental data. From the theoretical calculations k∞(T) = 5.029 × 1019 (T/298 K)−3.40 exp(−37665/T) s−1 for 300 < T < 2000 K. The laser schlieren profiles were simulated using a model for methyl recombination with appropriate additions for diacetyl. From the simulations rate coefficients were determined for CH3 + CH3 = C2H6 and CH3 + C4H6O2 = CH3CO + CH2CO + CH4 (k(T) = 2.818T4.00 exp(−5737/T) cm3 mol−1 s−1). Excellent agreement is found between the simulations and experimental profiles, and Troe type parameters have been calculated for the dissociation of diacetyl and the recombination of methyl radicals.
Meiosis in the aquatic fungusCatenaria allomycis

Catenaria allomycis Couch (Blastocladiales) is an endobiotic fungal parasite primarily of species of the genusAllomyces. The life cycle ofC. allomycis contains both sexual and asexual phases. Synaptonemal complexes have been found in young developing resistant sporangia (RS) suggesting that meiosis occurs within the thick walled RS prior to syngamy. Ultrastructural evidence suggests that meiosis proceeds through pachytene in the developing RS and is arrested in diplotene of prophase I until the sporangia are induced to germinate at which time the meiotic process is completed. Quantitative nuclear counts in developing RS support the ultrastructural observations. Meiotic nuclei are characterized by polar fenestrae in the nuclear envelope and intranuclear plaque-like microtubule organizing centers (MTOC).
Carboxyfluorescein transfer across the blood-retinal barrier evaluated by quantitative fluorescence microscopy: Comparison with fluorescein

Carboxyfluorescein levels in ocular tissues of normal rats were measured using quantitative fluorescence microscopy and compared with fluorescein levels to determine the extent to which blood-retinal barrier permeability is affected by the difference in lipid solubility of these two dyes. Retinal fluorescence intensity measurements at 2 min after i.v. dye injection were very much lower for carboxyfluorescein than for fluorescein despite similar plasma free dye concentrations. Marked leakage of dye from the optic disc into peripapillary retina was identified. At 1- and 2 hr, retinal levels of the two dyes became more similar, because fluorescein was removed from retina faster than carboxyfluorescein. After sodium-iodate-induced damage of the pigment epithelium, high levels of both dyes were evident in retina, but carboxyfluorescein was localized chiefly within extracellular space whereas fluorescein also densely stained cell somata. The fluorescence intensity levels recorded, which are proportional to the total mass of dye in the tissue, were correspondingly lower for carboxyfluorescein than for fluorescein, indicating that they were markedly affected by the different distribution of the two dyes. To relate tissue fluorescence intensity directly to dye concentration in the extracellular fluid, measurements were obtained from isolated retinas incubated in dye solutions of known concentration. Log-log plots demonstrated a linear relation between fluorescence intensity and medium concentration for both dyes, but retinal fluorescence of carboxyfluorescein, in correspondence with its limited distribution in the tissue space, was consistently less than that of fluorescein. The ratio of carboxyfluorescein to fluorescein fluorescence varied with the retinal layers but was constant for each layer over the concentration range tested. These fluorescence intensity ratios then were used to adjust the in vivo data so that comparison between the two dyes more closely reflected their extracellular dye concentration. With this correction the amount of carboxyfluorescein present in outer retina shortly after dye injection was approx. 1/10 that of fluorescein, indicating that carboxyfluorescein penetrates the pigment epithelium less readily than fluorescein, as expected from the difference in lipid solubility of the two dyes. However, fluorescence of both dyes in retina and presumably in vitreous humor eventually reached similar levels. This is attributed to entry of the dyes at sites of barrier discontinuity, as at the optic disc, and by a difference in their rates of removal from the intraocular compartment.
The Conversion of 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatives of monocarbonyls to ethylenethioacetals and ethylenethioketals for analysis by gas liquid chromatography

A method was developed for the direct conversion of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones (2,4-DNPHS) ofn-al-kanals and methylketones int ethylenethioacetals and ethylenethioketals for analysis by gas liquid chromatography (GLC). the method depended on heating the 2,4-DNPHS and 1,2-ethanedithiol with boron fluoride (BF3) ethyl ether at 125 C for 12 min or withp-toluenesulfonic acid at 200 C for 15 min. The reaction was extracted with pentane, and after evaporation, the product was dissolved ono-cylene and injected into the GLC. High yields of above 90% were obtained from long chain 2,4-DNPHS and somewhat lower yields of about 80% were obtained from short chain 2,4-DNPHS. Eight standard ethylenethioacetals and ethylenethioketals were synthesized; their elemental analysis, bp, mp, and retention times on FFAP and SE-30 GLC columns were determined.
Clinical application of the temporoparietal-galeal flap in closure of a chronic oronasal fistula: review of the anatomy, surgical technique, and report of a case.

The reconstructing surgeon has a variety of options when closing defects of the hard and soft palate. Techniques can be as simple as a palatal island flap or as complex as the radial forearm flap. We present here a method of closing a medium to large defect of the palate using the temporoparietal-galeal (TPG) flap, a regional and very reliable flap for reconstructing defects of the oral cavity and face. The TPG is a thin and pliable flap with an axial blood supply and a good arc of rotation to the oral cavity. The flap can be used as a fascial flap, a fasciocutaneous flap, or an osteofascial flap. It provides an excellent source of vascularized tissue. Anatomy
The fine structure of plaques fibromyéliniques in ulegyria and in status marmoratus.

A 12 year old boy with a history of perinatal injury resulting in encephaloclastic porencephaly is described. Electron microscopic examination of the plaques fibromyeliniques in areas of ulegyria and status marmoratus revealed that they mainly consist of fibrillated processes, apparently of astrocytic origin, surrounded by myelin lamellae. Hypermyelinization of some of these processes was also present. These observations suggest excessive regenerative activity on the part of myelin-forming glial cells.
Deep-sea carbonates: Acoustic reflectors and lysocline fluctuations

Acoustic 3.5-kHz records from the Ontong-Java Plateau indicate that calcareous sediments in shallow-water areas ( 5,000 m) typically show an acoustically transparent layer. The levels at which these transitions occur roughly correlate with the present lysocline and the calcite compensation depth, which correspond to water depths at which the facies of the surface sediments changes markedly. Such facies boundaries can migrate rapidly through large depth intervals in response to changes in the rate of calcite dissolution (dissolution cycles). One might expect that a migration of facies boundaries could precondition concurrently deposited calcareous sediments for making reflectors after burial. However, this simple hypothesis cannot explain all the observations, and several alternatives need to be tested.
Dropped Medical Malpractice Claims: Their Surprising Frequency, Apparent Causes, And Potential Remedies

Most medical malpractice claims are neither settled nor adjudicated. Instead, they are abandoned by the plaintiffs who bring them. This study measured the frequency and cost of abandoned claims and gathered opinions from attorneys and other experts on why plaintiffs drop claims. Plaintiffs in the study abandoned 58.6 percent of claims against defendants, while settling only 26.6 percent and adjudicating 14.8 percent. Claims are not dropped because a large percentage of them are frivolous, but for other reasons. The most important is that as plaintiffs acquire more information in the course of a lawsuit, they often conclude that a claim is weaker than they had first thought. The author recommends that insurers and hospitals adopt new procedures to encourage both plaintiff attorneys and defense representatives to exchange information more efficiently, discuss the merits of malpractice cases more candidly, and resolve cases quickly. Such reforms would greatly reduce both the frequency and the duration of cas...
Microsatellite markers for genome analysis in Brassica. I. development in Brassica napus and abundance in Brassicaceae species

One hundred and twenty one microsatellites were identified by screening a λ phage library of Brassica napus. The distribution of these microsatellites within Brassicaceae species was estimated using 81 locus-specific primer pairs. Most of them (83%) amplified fragments either from Brassica oleracea or Brassica campestris, or from both species, whereas less than 30% detected loci in Brassica nigra. The same was true (30–35%) for more-distantly related crucifer species such as Diplotaxis ssp., Brassica tournefortii, Sinapis alba, Raphanus sativus and Eruca sativa. Only 16 microsatellite-specific primer pairs (19.8%) amplified fragments from Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, 61 of the primer pairs detecting 198 polymorphisms were used to estimate the extent of genetic diversity among 32 Brassica napus varieties and breeding lines. On average, four alleles per locus were observed. The spring and winter types of oilseed rape could be clearly distinguished by using the microsatellite markers in a cluster analysis. The results demonstrated the high efficiency of these markers for monitoring genetic diversity.
The Oral HIV/AIDS Research Alliance: updated case definitions of oral disease endpoints

The Oral HIV/AIDS Research Alliance (OHARA) is part of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), the largest HIV clinical trials organization in the world. Its main objective is to investigate oral complications associated with HIV/AIDS as the epidemic is evolving, in particular, the effects of antiretrovirals on oral mucosal lesion development and associated fungal and viral pathogens. The OHARA infrastructure comprises: the Epidemiologic Research Unit (at the University of California San Francisco), the Medical Mycology Unit (at Case Western Reserve University) and the Virology/Specimen Banking Unit (at the University of North Carolina). The team includes dentists, physicians, virologists, mycologists, immunologists, epidemiologists and statisticians. Observational studies and clinical trials are being implemented at ACTG-affiliated sites in the US and resource-poor countries. Many studies have shared end-points, which include oral diseases known to be associated with HIV/AIDS measured by trained and calibrated ACTG study nurses. In preparation for future protocols, we have updated existing diagnostic criteria of the oral manifestations of HIV published in 1992 and 1993. The proposed case definitions are designed to be used in large-scale epidemiologic studies and clinical trials, in both US and resource-poor settings, where diagnoses may be made by non-dental healthcare providers. The objective of this article is to present updated case definitions for HIV-related oral diseases that will be used to measure standardized clinical end-points in OHARA studies, and that can be used by any investigator outside of OHARA/ACTG conducting clinical research that pertains to these end-points.
Interactions between lighting and space conditioning energy use in US commercial buildings

Abstract Reductions in lighting energy have secondary effects on cooling and heating energy consumption. In general, lighting energy reductions increase heating and decrease cooling requirements of a building. The net change in a building's annual energy requirements, however, is difficult to quantify and depends on the building characteristics, operating conditions, and climate. This paper characterizes the effects of lighting/HVAC interactions on the annual heating/cooling requirements of prototypical US commercial buildings through computer simulations using the DOE-2.1E building energy analysis program. Twelve building types of two vintages and five climates are chosen to represent the US commercial building stock. For each combination of building type, vintage, and climate, a prototypical building is simulated with varying lighting power densities, and the resultant changes in heating and cooling loads are recorded. These loads are used together with market information on the saturation of the different HVAC equipment in commercial buildings to determine the changes in energy use and expenditures for heating and cooling. Results are presented by building type for the US as a whole. Therefore, the data presented in this paper can be used to assess the secondary effects of lighting-related federal policies with widespread impacts, such as minimum efficiency standards. Generally, in warm climates the interactions will induce monetary savings and in cold climates the interactions will induce monetary penalties. For the commercial building stock in the US, a reduction in lighting energy that is well distributed geographically will induce neither significant savings nor significant penalties from associated changes in HVAC primary energy and energy expenditures.
Transmission of Rat Virus in Milk of Rats

blood, mammary glands, and milk removed from the stomachs of sucklings all had infectivity titers of approximately 10-3-10-4/0.1 ml when tested in rat embryo tissue cultures. Rat virus continued to be recoverable for a number of days after the appearance of circulating (HAI) antibodies. Proliferation of virus in mammary tissue and excretion of virus brought to the gland by the bloodstream are postulated to have been the chief mechanisms involved in the virolactia.
Effects of species and tree size diversity on recruitment in the Alaskan boreal forest: A geospatial approach

This study empirically evaluates and maps the relationships between recruitment and species and tree size diversity, as measured with the Shannon’s index, within mixed poplar/birch and mixed spruce stands across the boreal forest of Alaska. Data were collected from 438 permanent sample plots re-measured at a 5-year interval. Significant explanatory factors of recruitment, including species and tree size diversity were first identified using hierarchical partitioning. The effects of tree diversity on recruitment were then studied using generalized linear models and universal kriging to account for non-spatial factors and for spatial autocorrelation. We found a consistent positive relationship between recruitment and species diversity and a general negative relationship between recruitment and tree size diversity, indicating a tradeoff between species diversity and tree size diversity in affecting recruitment. These relationships however were not uniform across the landscape, presumably because they were subject to strong spatial autocorrelation attributable to natural disturbances and environmental stressors. In general, diversity had least effect on recruitment in stressful environments where stress, rather than competition, most likely governed recruitment.
The newsboy problem with multiple demand classes

We consider the single item newsboy problem, where the item can be sold to different demand classes at different prices. The demands are realized sequentially over time. That is, the newsboy purchases newspapers at the beginning of the day and sells them in the morning and in the afternoon with different prices. We analyze two cases where the prices are either decreasing or increasing; the former case applies, for example, to fashion goods retailing, while the latter to airlines and hotels. In the decreasing price case, we find the optimal order quantity to maximize the expected profit with independent multiple demands. We show numerically that aggregating the multiple demands with a single average price or applying the single demand newsboy model separately to multiple demand classes may lead to large sub-optimality. In the increasing price case, we analyze a two demand class model in which a fraction of the unsatisfied lower fare demand diverts to the high fare class, thus causing dependent sales. We follow a policy of protecting the sales in the higher fare class by limiting the sales in the lower fare class. We derive both the fare allocation limit and the initial capacity, and discuss managerial implications. For both models, we give bounds on the optimal order quantity.
Behavior of a Caisson Subjected to a Horizontal Breaking Wave Force

In coastal waters, caissons are used as breakwaters. Under the action of breaking waves, some caissons are initiated into motion. This study is concerned with the following questions: For a caisson subjected to a breaking wave force, what are (1) the possible modes of response and (2) the conditions under which a caisson would be initiated into these modes? These questions have not been studied before. The actual response of a caisson that takes place in each mode is not addressed in this study. A caisson is modeled as a free-standing rigid body placed on a frictional base subjected to a concentrated horizontal force of short duration applied on the seaward side face of the caisson. The conditions for initiation of each mode of motion are derived using the three equations of motion of a plane rigid body. The results are given in explicit analytical forms and presented graphically. For simplicity, the effects of water surrounding the caisson are not included. Knowing the magnitude and location of the force, coefficient of friction, and aspect ratio of the body, the modes of motion of the body may be identified easily from the graphs. It is shown that under the action of a force, a body may undergo various types of motion and its behavior is quite different, depending on whether the line of action of the force is applied above or below the center of mass of the body.
Evidence of disrupted functional connectivity in the brain after combat-related blast injury

Abstract Non-impact blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) appears to be present in soldiers returning from deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. Although mTBI typically results in cognitive deficits that last less than a month, there is evidence that disrupted coordination of brain activity can persist for at least several months following injury ( Thatcher et al., 1989 , Thatcher et al., 2001 ). In the present study we examined whether neural communication may be affected in soldiers months after blast-related mTBI, and whether coordination of neural function is associated with underlying white matter integrity. The investigation included an application of a new time–frequency based method for measuring electroencephalogram (EEG) phase synchronization ( Aviyente et al., 2010 ) as well as fractional anisotropy measures of axonal tracts derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Nine soldiers who incurred a blast-related mTBI during deployments to Afghanistan or Iraq were compared with eight demographically similar control subjects. Despite an absence of cognitive deficits, the blast-related mTBI group exhibited diminished EEG phase synchrony of lateral frontal sites with contralateral frontal brain regions suggesting diminished interhemispheric coordination of brain activity as a result of blast injury. For blast injured (i.e., blast-related mTBI) soldiers we found that EEG phase synchrony was associated with the structural integrity of white matter tracts of the frontal lobe (left anterior thalamic radiations and the forceps minor including the anterior corpus callosum). Analyses revealed that diminished EEG phase synchrony was not the consequence of combat-stress symptoms (e.g., post-traumatic stress and depression) and commonly prescribed medications. Results provide evidence for poor coordination of frontal neural function after blast injury that may be the consequence of damaged anterior white matter tracts.