cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developmental pattern of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in the chicken

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the conditions for assay of hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) activity in the chicken and to determine the developmental pattern of PAH activity in liver 25,000 x g supernatant. PAH activity was detected in liver supernatant and (postnuclear) 25,000 x g particulate fraction. Optimum assay conditions differed for the two cell fractions, the most notable difference being a broad pH optimum of 7.7 to 9.2 for the supernatant and 4.7 and 5.6 for the particulate fraction. The PAH activity in the supernatant increased to a maximum as L-phenylalanine concentration in the assay medium increased from 0.02 to 0.5 mM and 1.0 mM. Activity increased in the particulate fraction as the Phe concentration increased to 0.5 mM. Substrate inhibition of PAH activity occurred at Phe concentrations of 3 to 5 mM in the supernatant but not in the particulate fraction. Concentrations of the cofactor, 6(R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin, ranging from 0.09 to 0.75 mM, resulted in maximal PAH activity. The developmental pattern of PAH in supernatant was determined using a modified assay in which substrate and cofactor concentrations and pH were optimum. The PAH activity in liver supernatant was present at a low level in 11 d chick embryos and increased several fold between Days 15 and 17 to a maximum at Days 17 to 21. Activity declined at hatching to levels that were present in 11 to 15 d embryos and remained at this level in male chicks through 4 wk of age. Mature males had higher PAH activity than mature laying females.
Justifying reasons, motivating reasons, and agent relativism in ethics

According to agent relativism, each person's moral requirements are relative to her desires or interests. That is, whether a person morally ought to θ depends on what interests or desires she has. Some philosophers charge that the main argument for agent relativism trades on an ambiguity –specifically, an ambiguity in ``reason,'' ``reasonfor action,'' or a kindred term. This charge has been common, and widely thought to damage the case for agent relativism, since its appearance, in 1958, in a now classic paper by William Frankena. In what follows I examine the charge in detail, showing that insofar as it aims to discredit the argument for agent relativism, it fails in its purpose.
Corrosion Mitigation in Mature Reinforced Concrete Using Nanoscale Pozzolan Deposition

Electrokinetic nanoparticle (EN) treatments were employed to mitigate corrosion in reinforced concrete. In this approach an electric field was used to drive pozzolanic nanoparticles through the capillary pores of concrete and directly to the reinforcement. The intent was to use the nanoparticles as pore-blocking agents to prevent the ingress of chlorides. Treatment effectiveness was examined for both freshly batched and relatively mature concrete. Cylindrical reinforced concrete specimens were subjected to EN treatment immediately after batching and then exposed to chlorides for a period of two years. The EN-treated specimens exhibited a reduction in corrosion rates by a factor of 74 as compared to the untreated controls. Another set of specimens was subjected to chlorides for a period of two years prior to EN treatment application. Electrochemical chloride extraction and EN treatments were performed on these mature specimens for one week. These specimens were placed back into saltwater exposure for an ad...
Modeling methylation and IQ scores in fragile X females and mosaic males.

Both fragile X females and mosaic males carry a methylated FMR1 allele in some cells and an unmethylated allele in other cells. Due to FMR1 protein produced in cells with an unmethylated allele, these individuals are expected to display a less severe cognitive phenotype than non-mosaic affected males. A larger range in cognitive abilities is expected for these individuals due to individual variation in X-inactivation or mosaicism ratios. These cognitive effects are well documented for females and have been suggested for mosaic males. Data on fragile X females suggest an approximately linear decrease in mean IQ score as a function of the fraction of cells with the mutation carried on the active X chromosome. Analysis of these data suggests that threshold effects in the relationship between IQ score and X-inactivation ratios are negligible, and that X-inactivation occurs randomly (with no preferential inactivation of either X chromosome) at a stage when the embryo consists of approximately 5 cells. A similar analysis of future data on mosaic males could yield estimates of the probability that a given cell will carry a methylated FMR1 allele and of the number of embryonic cells at the time that mosaicism is established. Distributions of IQ scores among a population of heterozygotes or mosaic males are predicted for several values of these parameters. These distributions include random contributions to IQ scores due to non-fragile-X-related effects, as well as X-inactivation or mosaicism ratios that vary from one individual to another. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A novel glutathione S-transferase isozyme similar to GST 8-8 of rat and mGSTA4-4 (GST 5.7) of mouse is selectively expressed in human tissues

A mouse glutathione S-transferase (GST) isozyme designated as GST 5.7 or mGSTA4-4 belongs to a distinct subclass of the alpha-class isozymes of GST. It is characterized by kinetic properties intermediate between the alpha- and pi-classes of GSTs. We have recently cloned and expressed this isozyme (rec-mGSTA4-4) in E. coli and have reported its complete primary sequence (Zimniak, P., et al. (1992) FEBS Lett., 313, 173-176). Using antibodies raised against the homogenous rec-mGSTA4-4 expressed in E. coli, we now demonstrate that an ortholog of this isozyme was selectively expressed in various human tissues. The human ortholog of mGST A4-4 purified from liver had a pI value of 5.8 and constituted approx. 1.7% of total GST protein of human liver. Similar to other alpha-class GSTs, the N-terminus of this isozyme (GST 5.8) was also blocked. CNBr digestion of the enzyme yielded two major fragments with M(r) values of 12 kDa and 6 kDa. The sequences of these two fragments showed identities in 16 out of 20 residues and 17 out of 20 residues with the corresponding sequences of its mouse ortholog (mGSTA4-4), and showed significant homologies with the rat and chicken orthologs, GST 8-8 and GST CL3. Human liver GST 5.8 showed more than an order of magnitude higher activity towards t-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal as compared to 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. This isozyme also expressed glutathione-peroxidase activity towards fatty acid, as well as phospholipid hydroperoxides suggesting its role in protection mechanisms against the toxicants generated during lipid peroxidation. Western blot analysis of human tissues revealed that this GST isozyme was selectively expressed in human liver, pancreas, heart, brain and bladder tissues, but absent in lung, skeletal muscle, spleen and colon.
Electron microscopy of organic–inorganic interfaces: Advantages of low voltage

Abstract Low voltage electron microscopy has been applied to many types of materials in the last several decades with great success. The extremely strong interaction of the low voltage electrons with the sample gives high scattering contrast, however it can also result in significant damage of the specimen. Irreparable damage to several types of organic materials results from their large cross section for ionization, or radiolysis, at low voltage. Knock-on damage, which is significant at high voltages for many ceramics, semiconductors, minerals and ordered carbonaceous material such as graphene, is often reduced at low voltages. For organics which damage by radiolysis, measured beam stability increases at higher voltages, but the mass–thickness contrast is also reduced. An increased defocus can be used to generate phase contrast at higher voltages, although it comes at the expense of resolution, as the first zero in the contrast transfer function moves toward larger length scales with increasing defocus. Several examples of low and high voltage (5 kV up to 300 kV) experimental TEM images of organic–inorganic interfaces are used to demonstrate these phenomena.
Teamwork is the heart of technology

IAT Services, the central Information Technology group at the University of Missouri-Columbia, operates computing sites in general access, classroom, and residence hall settings. The computing sites are supported by various methods including on-site Consultants, roaming Support Specialists, and a call-in Support Center designed specifically for supporting the sites. In the past year, various services have helped to provide better customer service and employee satisfaction. Student employee training, incentives, and evaluation programs have been very successful in improving customer support, while new methods of distributing software has been a success in administering the sites.Site Operations and Site Productions function as a team to meet the needs of our internal and external customers.Site Operations coordinates daily computing site operations as well as hiring, retention, and evaluation for approximately 150 student employees (of which 32 are senior level positions). Site Coordinators supervise student employees who are hired with an emphasis on their ability to communicate with people in a customer service role. Senior level positions require not only excellence in customer service, but leadership skills and technical ability as well. Raise incentives and flexible schedules promote employee retention. Evaluations assure that employees meet performance requirements and mandatory guidelines. A Training Coordinator maintains a well-rounded training program, serves as Activity Director, acts as a go-between for faculty members reserving technology classrooms, maintains the Web pages, and supervises the Support Center. A Technology Coordinator supervises the technical crew who are responsible for advanced troubleshooting issues on all sites machines, printing issues in the sites, and departmental printing issues across campus.All Coordinators maintain the Computing Sites Information System (CSIS) database that provides "one stop shopping" for our student employees. They can communicate, research hardware and software used in the sites, check availability of classroom sites, manage their timesheets, and much more from one online location. Site Productions creates a distributed software environment for more than 1000 machines and a hundred pieces of software, merging technologies such as Novell ZenWorks, Norton Ghost, Microsoft Active Directory, and Windows 2000 into a manageable computer support infrastructure for over 42 campus computing sites. The production crew for Netware, PC and Macintosh work together to maintain hardware and software stability and attempt to sustain the pace of technology.
Structure of actin-containing filaments from two types of non-muscle cells.

Abstract Bundles of actin-containing filaments from the acrosomal process of horseshoe crab sperm and from sea urchin egg contain a second protein having a molecular weight of about 55,000. Electron micrographs of these filamentous bundles show features reminiscent of paracrystalline arrays of actin except that bundles from the sea urchin egg have distinctive transverse bands every 110 A. From optical diffraction patterns of the micrographs, we deduced very similar models for both structures. The models consist of hexagonal arrays of actin filaments cross-linked by the second protein. The pattern of transverse bands in bundles derived from the sea urchin eggs is accounted for by postulating that the second protein is bonded to actin only at positions where cross-linking can occur, rather than being bonded to every actin. The helical symmetry of the actin requires that the bonding contacts involved in the cross-linking be slightly different at different positions along the length of the bundle. The technique of image reconstruction was used to obtain a three-dimensional map of the bundles from the acrosomal process.
Distal stenosing tenosynovitis

Abstract Three patients are described with distal stenosing tenosynovitis involving the flexor digitorum profundus and the A3 pulley. One patient had isolated distal stenosing tenosynovitis and two patients had combined distal and proximal stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor digitorum superficialis and the Al pulley. All three patients with four digits involved had improvement of their symptoms after release of the A3 pulley. When involved, the Al pulley was released at the same time. Patients with proximal stenosing tenosynovitis may have an associated distal stenosing tenosynovitis that if overlooked may cause persistence of symptoms after surgical treatment.
On Branding in the Western World With Figurative Content Factors: A Case of Established Versus Non-Established Brands

The current study investigates whether lines of verse as a content factor are figurative enough to change consumer attitudes. It was found that slogans by non-established brands using a figurative line of verse by Emily Dickinson reduced the liking of their advertisements for air travel services in comparison to those by four major established airlines in the Western world that did not do so. This study is among the few research papers that devote their attention to what is more effective means of claiming possession of some particular attribute rather than how to structure an advertising message.
Hypereninemic Hypoaldosteronism in Association With Neoplasia Induced Hypercalcemia in the Fischer Rat

Neoplasia induced hypercalcemia in the Fischer rat model is associated with the development of systolic hypertension at one week after transplantation of a Leydig cell tumor. To investigate the renin-aldosterone system in the hypertensive hypercalcemic Fischer rat the plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone (PA), PRA, and systolic blood pressure (BP) responses to immobilization stress, the PA and corticosterone responses to infusion of graded doses of ACTH and the PA and BP responses to graded doses of angiotensin II (AII) were evaluated at 12 days in tumor transplanted rats and in controls. Serum calcium (17 ± 0.9 mg/dl) and basal PRA (21.7 ± 3.9 ng/ml · h−1) in the tumor transplanted rats were higher (p < 0.001) than the serum calcium (10.3 ± 0.3 mg/dl) and basal PRA (3.4 ± 0.8 ng/ml · h−1) in the controls. Basal systolic blood pressure was higher (p < 0.01) in the tumor transplanted rats (117 ± 3.7 mm Hg) than the controls (106 ± 2.8 mm Hg). Serum calcium and basal PRA were positively correlated (γ = 0.74, p < 0.025). Basal plasma aldosterone levels were less (p < 0.01) in the tumor transplanted rats (3.9 ± 1.0 ng/dl) than in the controls (8.1 ± 1.2 ng/dl). Although PRA responses to immobilization stress were greater (p < 0.01) in the tumor rats, PA responses were less (p < 0.01) in the tumor transplant group. PA and corticosterone responses to ACTH were less (p < 0.05) in the tumor transplant rats, and PA responses to AII were markedly (p < 0.001) suppressed in the tumor group. PA responses to infusion of 48 ng/kg/min AII were negatively correlated (γ = −0.74, p < 0.025) with ambient serum calcium levels. BP responses to both immobilization stress and AII were greater (p < 0.01) in the tumor transplanted rats than the controls. BP responses to stress and to AII were positively correlated with calcium concentrations. Elevated calcium levels may contribute to the development of hypertension by increasing vasoactive responses to pressor factors such as angiotensin. A hypereninemic hypoaldosterone state develops in association with neoplasia-induced hypercalcemia in the Fischer rat.
Baryon octet magnetic moments in chiral perturbation theory: More on the importance of the decuplet

We address the impact of treating the decuplet of spin-(3/2) baryons as an explicit degree of freedom in the chiral expansion of the magnetic moments of the octet of spin-(1/2) baryons. We carry out a complete calculation of the octet moments to O(1/{lambda}{sub {chi}}{sup 3}), including decuplet contributions to the chiral loops. In contrast with results of previous analyses, we find that inclusion of the decuplet preserves the convergence behavior of the chiral expansion implied by power counting arguments. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Survival of the Supported: Social Capital Networks and the Finish Line

This chapter presents a summary of women's social capital networks as highlighted in the previous chapters and discusses salient emergent issues for consideration, as well as the concomitant implications for women as adult learners and for adult education.
Expanding Evidence-Based Practice to Service Planning in Child Welfare

The report by the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. (APSAC) Task Force on Evidence-Based Service Planning (EBSP) Guidelines in Child Welfare (2015) represents a major step forward for the child maltreatment field. Although many organizations have promulgated guidelines concerning different aspects of child welfare practice (Child Welfare League of America, 2014; National Association of Social Workers, 2013), this report expands the reach of the core principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) by applying them to child welfare service planning. If implemented, the principles described in the report will have a major impact on how child welfare does its work.
Kinin system responses in sepsis after trauma in man.

Abstract We measured the level or activity of plasma kallikrein, kininase I (carboxypeptidase N), trypsin and kallikrein inhibitors. The concentration of kininogen substrate was established by activating plasma prekallikrein with an added insoluble prekallikrein activator preparation. The blood samples were collected from normal donors and from young men hospitalized with combat trauma complicated by gram-negative sepsis. Twelve of these patients survived and six died during the study. Some of the patients had no measurable kininogen at the beginning of the hospitalization. In those patients who survived, the kininogen levels declined profoundly toward the end. This drop was accompanied by a decrease in the prekallikrein level. The levels of the other three proteins were not significantly different between the two groups of patients. The results suggest the liberation of bradykinin in septic shock.
Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC): A Gateway to Disaster Information Resources

The Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) was created by the Specialized Information Services (SIS) Division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to provide comprehensive disaster health information related to natural, accidental, or deliberate disasters and for all stages of disaster management efforts. The DIMRC Web site contains a dynamic, well-organized collection of resources and tools for use by public health officials, first responders, emergency physicians, and other health care professionals, medical students, and residents. This article provides a general overview of the Web site and describes the unique content included among the resources.
Ozone effects on the immediate-phase response to allergen in the nasal airways of allergic asthmatic subjects☆☆☆★

Epidemiologic and clinical trials have suggested that exposure to ozone increases airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammatory response to inhaled nasal allergen challenge in allergic asthmatic subjects. Previous studies have demonstrated an increased late-phase response to nasal allergen challenge; however, the early-phase response is unknown. We sought to characterize the early-phase response by measuring mast-cell inflammatory mediators and cellular influx at time points immediately following ozone exposure and subsequent allergen challenge. A cohort of mild, asymptomatic dust mite--sensitive asthmatic subjects was identified. Each subject underwent two separate exposures to both 0.4 ppm ozone and clean air in a randomized manner. Nasal lavage was performed before and after each exposure. Nasal allergen was then administered to a defined clinical end point, followed by nasal lavage. Differential cell counts and mast-cell products were identified in each lavage specimen. The mast-cell mediators tryptase and prostaglandin D2 were analyzed, as was a marker of epithelial cell permeability, albumin. Although allergen produced an increase in early-onset mediator release (mast cell-derived), no enhancement was noted after exposure to ozone. Neutrophil and eosinophil inflammatory mediators were not increased after ozone exposure or enhanced after allergen exposure, although ozone did enhance eosinophilic influx after exposure to allergen. Ozone exposure does not promote early-phase--response mediator release or enhance the response to allergen challenge in the nasal airways of extrinsic asthmatic subjects. Ozone, however, may promote an inflammatory cell influx, which helps induce a more significant late-phase response in this population.
Modeling quasi-specular scattering from the surface of Titan

[1] The Cassini spacecraft obtained several scattering observations of the surface of Titan. Four data sets, TA-Inbound, TA-Outbound, T3-Outbound, and T8-Inbound, include scatterometer data for small angles of incidence. Analysis of these data sets provides an example use of a new generalized fractal-based quasi-specular scattering law that gives the surface RMS slope as a function of horizontal scale and covers a wide range of scattering behavior using a small number of parameters. The data have a significant diffuse scattering component which is modeled with the empirical cosine law, A cosn θ. The reflectivity and RMS surface parameters are retrieved from the quasi-specular scattering model. The average RMS slope for the four data sets is about 4.2° at a horizontal scale of 5λ; λ ≈ 2.18 cm. The Fresnel power reflection coefficient ρ is approximately equal to 0.085 (corresponding to a dielectric constant er ≈ 3.3) for TA-Outbound and T3-Outbound and 0.034 (er ≈ 2.1) for TA-Inbound and T8-Inbound. Inadequate modeling of diffuse scattering by the cosine law results in increased uncertainties in the inferred surface parameters, especially ρ, and, consequently, in inferences of the surface composition.
The politics of innovation in French higher education: The university institutes of technology

The creation of the French university institutes of technology (IUTs) in 1966 is characteristic of attempts by a number of industrialized nations to establish institutions of higher education better adapted than the traditional university to new cohorts of post-secondary students. The IUTs provide intensive short-cycle programs to train middle-level personnel in technical and administrative fields. Although the courses are designed as terminal, over one-third of IUT graduates go on to higher education, including a disproportionate number of students from lower social strata. Their staff are drawn from the universities, technical secondary education and the professions. Administratively, the IUTs occupy an uneasy position partly connected with the universities and partly under direct ministerial authority; there is substantial involvement on the part of representatives of employers and trade unions as well. Despite this ambivalence of function and status, the IUTs are now well established as a modestly successful innovation. They represent a major aspect of the attempt by French policy-makers to introduce more effective methods of instruction and evaluation into the universities and to render them more responsive to the needs of the society and the economy.
Achieving a 96.6 percent follow-up rate in a longitudinal study of drug abusers

Longitudinal studies can be hampered by poor follow-up rates, seriously reducing generalizability of the findings. Understanding the barriers, as well as approaches to overcome and adapt to these impediments, resulted in a 96.6% 18 month follow-up rate of 479 drug abusers enrolled in an NIDA funded demonstration project aimed at reducing HIV transmission among St. Louis' most vulnerable drug-using population. In this paper, we discuss the importance of phone and systems tracking, creative team work and persistence and procedures for tracking out-of-treatment drug-users by analyzing the efforts needed to reach the study subjects. We also compared the characteristics of hard-to-reach respondents with those who were less difficult. The results revealed that employment status was the only characteristic associated with being hard-to-reach. Gender, race, age, education and psychiatric status did not discriminate recruitment difficulty in this sample. The study findings suggest that although unemployment predicted recruitment difficulty, and that the locator information provided by the respondent can be very helpful, a comprehensive tracking strategy as well as persistence and creative team work are the most important determinants of the rate of success of a follow-up investigation.
Recruitment of bone marrow-derived valve interstitial cells is a normal homeostatic process

Advances in understanding of the maintenance of the cardiac valves during normal cardiac function and response to injury have led to several novel findings, including that there is contribution of extra-cardiac cells to the major cellular population of the valve: the valve interstitial cell (VIC). While suggested to occur in human heart studies, we have been able to experimentally demonstrate, using a mouse model, that cells of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell origin engraft into the valves and synthesize collagen type I. Based on these initial findings, we sought to further characterize this cell population in terms of its similarity to VICs and begin to elucidate its contribution to valve homeostasis. To accomplish this, chimeric mice whose bone marrow was repopulated with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expressing total nucleated bone marrow cells were used to establish a profile of EGFP(+) valve cells in terms of their expression of hematopoietic antigens, progenitor markers, fibroblast- and myofibroblast-related molecules, as well as their distribution within the valves. Using this profile, we show that normal (non-irradiated, non-transplanted) mice have BM-derived cell populations that exhibit identical morphology and phenotype to those observed in transplanted mice. Collectively, our findings establish that the engraftment of bone marrow-derived cells occurs as part of normal valve homeostasis. Further, our efforts demonstrate that the use of myeloablative irradiation, which is commonly employed in studies involving bone marrow transplantation, does not elicit changes in the bone marrow-derived VIC phenotype in recipient mice.
Experimental Study of Tube Row Effects on Evaporation Heat Transfer Using a Micro-Scale, Porous-Layer Coating on a Horizontal-Tube, Falling-Film Heat Exchanger

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of tube row and a micro-scale porous-layer coating on solution fluid wetting and heat transfer of a horizontal-tube, falling-film heat exchanger using an inline tube arrangement. A uniform layer of micro-scale copper particles was directly bonded onto plain copper tubes by sintering to create a porous-layer coating on the tubes. Distilled water was used as solution and heating fluids. The visual observation performed in open ambient condition revealed that when the solution was dripped onto horizontal tubes from a solution dispenser, the conventional plain tubes were always partially wetted while the porous-layer coated tubes were completely wetted due to capillary action, even at low solution flow rates. It was shown from the comparison of the evaporation heat transfer results of the plain and porous-layer coated tubes tested in a closed chamber under saturated conditions that the porous-layer coated tubes exhibited a superior evaporation heat transfer rate (around 70% overall improvement at low solution flow rates) due to the complete solution wetting and thin solution liquid film on the evaporator tubes. It was also observed that the heat transfer and surface wetting of the horizontal-tube, falling-film heat exchanger are greatly affected by both the flow mode of the solution fluid between the tubes and tube wall superheats. The effect of the tube row of the falling-film heat exchanger on the solution wetting and heat transfer was significant.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Diuretic radionuclide urography

Diuretic radionuclide urography is a modification of conventional renography which utilizes the administration of intravenous furosemide to distinguish dilated, non-obstructed, hydronephrotic systems from those with significant mechanical obstruction. Diagnostic patterns are derived from computer generated time-activity histograms that depict the accumulation and washout of radiotracer before and after diuretic injection. In dilated but non-obstructed systems, diuresis produces a decline in activity. In obstructed systems, there is a failure of radiotracer washout in response to diuresis and no decline in activity is observed. The procedure is applicable to patients of all ages with suspected upper urinary tract obstruction. Clinical and experimental data support the accuracy and utility of this methodology and define its limitations and pitfalls.
Teaching Values through Youth and Adolescent Sports

(2008). Teaching Values through Youth and Adolescent Sports. Strategies: Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 19-23.
Asymmetries in the Maternal and Paternal Genetic Histories of Colombian Populations

The mitochondrial genome was among the earliest molecules to be surveyed for variation at the DNA level in humans. Some of the advantages offered by mtDNA in the pre-PCR era were purely practical: it is abundant in most cells, and its circularity and small size allowed it to be purified from nuclear DNA by centrifugation in cesium chloride gradients. Even without cloning or PCR amplification, sufficient DNA could be obtained for surveys of restriction fragment–length polymorphisms. In addition to these features, which provide for its easy manipulation in the laboratory, the molecule possesses further advantages to the population geneticist. The most exploited feature has been its apparent inability to undergo genetic recombination; despite the large number of mitochondrial genomes in most cells (and even within single mitochondria) there is still no convincing evidence that portions of the genome are exchanged in a recombinational process between molecules (Jorde and Bamshad 2000; Kivisild and Villems 2000; Kumar et al. 2000; Parsons and Irwin 2000). This failure to recombine means that all modern mtDNA sequences descend from a single ancestral molecule at some point in the past (a feature known as “coalescence”) and that a modern mtDNA sequence will differ from an ancestral molecule only by the accumulation of mutations—a process that appears to be fairly regular when viewed over appreciable evolutionary periods. Thus, it has been a relatively straightforward task to assess the extent of genetic variation in living humans and to estimate the time required to generate it. In practice, this is done by counting the number of mutations that have occurred between a reconstructed ancestral DNA sequence and a sample of modern sequences and then multiplying this by the mutation rate of mtDNA. Allan Wilson and his associates were among the first to exploit this feature of mtDNA and to recognize that our origins as a species should not antedate the coalescence time of mtDNA (barring a very complicated history of natural selection and migration) (Cann et al. 1987; Vigilant et al. 1991).
The social context of the special education debate in South Africa

ABSTRACT As a newly independent country, South Africa is faced with an enormous task of providing educational services to its previously neglected African population, including the estimated 12 per cent of the population that has disabilities. Beginning with an overview of the development of special education in South Africa, this paper includes a brief description of the general educational structure, an historical background of South Africa's special education services and discussions of legislation, administration, policy issues, prevalence data and service delivery. Critical educational issues being debated in the country are reviewed; these centre on the amalgamation of an education system that was previously fragmented on racial lines, eradication of a racial ideology that marginalized and denied access to a free and compulsory education to some members of the population and creating access to education for all with the limited resources and funds available. Reform in special education will require:...
The preparation and analysis of zeolite ZSM-5 membranes on porous alumina supports

Abstract Zeolite ZSM-5 particles formed in the synthesis solution assume a negative charge due to electrical double layer effects. Therefore, we investigated the use of electrophoretic techniques in addition to the hydrothermal synthesis method to attract the zeolite particles to the substrate surface before they precipitate out of the solution. This electrophoretic driving force produces a thin, continuous zeolite ZSM-5 membrane on the porous substrate. This research was conducted in order to produce zeolite membranes on a tubular support that could effect continuous gas phase separations. The thickness of membranes can be controlled by varying the precursor concentration, applied potential, and synthesis time. The selectivity of n -butane over iso -butane is observed on every membrane. The membranes were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX).
Treating depression after initial treatment failure: directly comparing switch and augmenting strategies in STAR*D.

ObjectiveAugmenting and switching antidepressant medications are the 2 most common next-step strategies for depressed patients failing initial medication treatment. These approaches have not been directly compared; thus, our objectives are to compare outcomes for medication augmentation versus switc
Photoemission Densities of Intrinsic Surface States for Si, Ge, and GaAs

Photoemission-energy-distribution measurements of intrinsic surface states for Si, Ge, and GaAs have been made using synchrotron radiation in the 7-25-eV range. Occupied intrinsic surface states with Gaussian-shaped optical densities of states about 0.8 to 1.0 eV wide, centered at 0.75, 0.7, and 1.05 eV below the Fermi level, are observed for Si, Ge, and GaAs, respectively. These bands are centered at about 0.45, 0.75, and 0.5 eV below the valence-band edge ${E}_{v}$, respectively, rather than at or above ${E}_{v}$ as has been generally concluded.
Vision: the need for speed.

Neurons in the retina turn on and off rapidly in response to light. With the discovery of mutations in human genes that mediate this quick turn-off, we have the first picture of its importance in visual perception.
Electrospinning silica/polyvinylpyrrolidone composite nanofibers

Small diameter nanofibers of silica and silica/polymer are produced by electrospinning silica/polyvinylpyrrolidone (SiO2/PVP) mixtures composed of silica nanoparticles dispersed in polyvinylpyrrolidone solutions. By controlling various parameters, 380 ± 100 nm diameter composite nanofibers were obtained with a high silica concentration (57.14%). When the polymer concentration was low, “beads-on-a-string” morphology resulted. Nanofiber morphology was affected by applied voltage and relative humidity. Tip-to-collector distance did not affect the nanofiber diameter or morphology, but it did affect the area and thickness of the mat. Heat treatment of the composite nanofibers at 200°C crosslinked the polymer yielding solvent-resistant composite nanofibers, while heating at 465°C calcined and selectively removed the polymer from the composite. Crosslinking did not change the nanofiber diameter, while calcined nanofibers decreased in diameter (300 ± 90 nm) and increased in surface area to volume ratio. Nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40966.
Glucose and glucagon stimulate the secretion of somatostatin from the perfused canine pancreas.

Abstract Following its recent discovery, somatostatin was found to be a potent inhibitor of insulin and glucagon secretion 1 . Shortly thereafter somatostatin immunoreactivity was found in pancreatic islets 2, 3 and then was localized in the islet D cell 4 . Furthermore the somatostatin content of islets from streptoxotocin-diabetic rats has been found to be elevated 5 and there is also evidence of D cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia in human diabetes mellitus 6 . In hopes of learning more about somatostatin's normal and possibly abnormal function within islets, we have examined the effects of glucose and glucagon upon D cell secretion from the isolated perfused canine pancreas.
Impact of the American Heart Association scientific statement on screening electrocardiograms and stimulant medications.

Objective To evaluate the impact of the American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement regarding electrocardiograms (ECGs) and stimulant medications on the practice of community pediatricians. Design Retrospective evaluation and survey analysis. Setting Academic tertiary care center. Participants Patients with ECGs referred to our institution by pediatricians with an indication of stimulant medication screening in the year after the AHA statement. Intervention We compared the ECG ordering practices of community pediatricians and the outcomes of further evaluation and estimated the associated cost before and after the AHA scientific statement. Main outcome measures Abnormal ECG findings, further workup, and change in clinical practice. Results In the year after publication of the 2008 AHA scientific statement, 372 ECGs were ordered with an indication of stimulant medication screening. Before publication of this statement, a mean (SD) of 6.9 (3.2) ECGs per month were referred for this indication. Despite continuing controversy, this number increased 4-fold to 31.2 (9.5) ECGs per month in the subsequent year. Twenty-four ECGs (6.4%) had abnormal findings. Eighteen patients were referred for further evaluation, and, at last follow-up, none had been found to have definitive disease. Six of 24 patients with abnormal ECG findings (25.0%) had a perceived significant delay in therapy because of the process. In responding pediatricians, 34.6% reported that the scientific statement had clearly affected their practice. Conclusions The clinical practice of community pediatricians in regard to screening ECGs and stimulant medications has been affected by the recent AHA scientific statement. The yield of performing ECGs with an indication of stimulant medication screening is very low.
Dynamic-programming-based inequalities for the capacitated lot-sizing problem

Iterative solutions of forward dynamic programming formulations for the capacitated lot sizing problem are used to generate inequalities for an equivalent integer programming formulation. The inequalities capture convex and concave envelopes of intermediate-stage value functions and can be lifted by examining potential state information at future stages. Several possible implementations that employ these inequalities are tested and it is demonstrated that the proposed approach is more efficient than alternative integer programming–based algorithms. For certain datasets, the proposed algorithm also outperforms a pure dynamic programming algorithm for the problem.
The variance of surface temperature due to diurnal and cyclone‐scale forcing

Formulas are developed expressing the diurnal and “synoptic” variance of surface temperature as functions of the climatological mean atmospheric state and the intrinsic properties of the earth's surface. Included in the development is a simplified parameterization of the vertical sensible heat flux due to small scale convection, and a parameterization of the mean water vapor distribution which enters in the representation of the long-wave radiative flux. The formulas are applied to northern hemisphere conditions in January and July, and are shown to yield reasonable distributions of these variances. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1976.tb00680.x
Successful implementation of a perioperative glycemic control protocol in cardiac surgery: Barrier analysis and intervention using lean six sigma

Although the evidence strongly supports perioperative glycemic control among cardiac surgical patients, there is scant literature to describe the practical application of such a protocol in the complex ICU environment. This paper describes the use of the Lean Six Sigma methodology to implement a perioperative insulin protocol in a cardiac surgical intensive care unit (CSICU) in a large academic hospital. A preintervention chart audit revealed that fewer than 10% of patients were admitted to the CSICU with glucose <200 mg/dL, prompting the initiation of the quality improvement project. Following protocol implementation, more than 90% of patients were admitted with a glucose <200 mg/dL. Key elements to success include barrier analysis and intervention, provider education, and broadening the project scope to address the intraoperative period.
Sex and food control in the “uncommon chimpanzee”: How Bonobo females overcome a phylogenetic legacy of male dominance

Abstract Inferences for female bonding in humans have drawn on models derived from studies of nonhuman primates. In primates, strong affiliative relationships between unrelated females are rare. This is true for the social systems of apes and particularly for those of the closest living relatives of humans, the chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ). However, the other member of the genus Pan , the bonobo ( Pan paniscus ) is strikingly different in this regard as evidenced from the present comparative study that was conducted at the Wilhelma Zoo, Germany. A group of bonobos and of chimpanzees was each provided with limited access to an artificial "fishing" site (a simulated termite mound) filled with desirable food. In chimpanzees, the adult male was dominant over all females and able to monopolize the food. In bonobos, on the other hand, the adult bonobo male was low ranking, and females controlled food access. Sex between bonobo females apparently facilitated affiliative encounters between females in the context of feeding. Until now, studies of exchanges of sex-for-food focused on heterosexual interactions. This study reveals that trading of sex for food occurs regularly between bonobo females. These exchanges appear to reduce tension and facilitate female cofeeding and cooperation. They help create stable long-term relationships among females that result in coalition formation, control of food resources, and ability to elevate their dominance status relative to males well above that of their chimpanzee counterparts. The strong affiliative relationships between unrelated female bonobos provide an alternative model from which predictions for bonding among human females can be generated.
Subshell formula for the Bethe-Born stopping approximation

It is known that the subshell contributions to the coefficient of the O(lnE) asymptotic term of the Bethe-Born stopping-number formula are not given correctly by partitioning the squared matrix element defining this coefficient into a simple sum of its subshell contributions. This interesting result is extended to the second, or O(1), asymptotic term in the stopping number. In this case, the subshell decomposition results in a sum of two expressions. One is simply the subshell decomposition of the squared matrix element defining the O(1) coefficient for the total system. The second term is more complex in form but sums to zero, as it must, when summed over all subshells in the target. It is pointed out that this second term and its summation requirement can be used to impose a useful restriction on the construction of theoretical subshell corrections for the Bethe-Born formula.
Comparison shopping on the internet

Though comparison shopping is used widely by online shoppers, very little research exists about how comparison shoppers differ from those who are not involved in comparison shopping. A survey of 208 US consumers identified comparison shoppers, both on and off the web. A comparison using the t-test analysis revealed that comparison shoppers, in contrast to those who are not involved in comparison shopping, have a more positive attitude towards shopping on the web; consumers find it more economical and convenient and believe it to offer more bargains and better selection than traditional shopping. Comparison shoppers also possess a more positive attitude to comparison shopping on the web, seeing it as convenient and easy.
The Abductivist Reply to Skepticism

Abductivists claim that explanatory considerations (e.g., simplicity, parsimony, explanatory breadth, etc.) favor belief in the external world over skeptical hypotheses involving evil demons and brains in vats. After showing how most versions of abductivism succumb fairly easily to obvious and fatal objections, I explain how rationalist versions of abductivism can avoid these difficulties. I then discuss the most pressing challenges facing abductivist appeals to the a priori and offer suggestions on how to overcome them.
Hormones in breast cancer: update 1978.

Abstract The role of cytoplasmic estrogen receptor (ER) assays in determining therapeutic strategies for advanced breast cancer is certainly well established. The use of ER assays in the primary breast tumor specimen to predict for early recurrence and ultimate survival is a new finding, however, and will probably be employed in future trials of adjuvant therapy. The prevalence and significance of nuclear-bound ER still requires additional clarification. Our previous suggestion that progesterone receptor measurements might be a useful marker for hormone dependence in advanced breast cancer is gaining support and may soon have a place in routine therapeutic decision-making. The emphasis on early adjuvant therapy has hastened the search for a safe endocrine therapy that would have good patient compliance and achieve remission rates comparable to previous agents and procedures. Antiestrogens show promise of meeting these requirements. We are now beginning an era in which primary and secondary systemic therapies for breast cancer can be based on sound biologic principles. The empirical approach is out-dated.
CONCEPTUAL SCHEMAS: MULTI-FACETED TOOLS FOR DESKTOP SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT MANAGEMENT

In this paper, we identify some of the fundamental issues that must be addressed in designing a desktop Experiment Management System (EMS). We develop an abstraction of the set of activities performed by scientists throughout the course of an experimental study, and based on that abstraction we propose an EMS architecture that can support all such activities. The proposed EMS architecture is centered around the extensive use of conceptual schemas, which express the structure of information in experimental studies. Schemas are called to play new roles that are not usually found in traditional database systems. We provide a detailed exposition of these new roles and describe certain characteristics that the data model of the EMS must have in order for schemas expressed in it to successfully play these roles. Finally, we present the specifics of our own effort to develop an EMS, focusing on the main features of the data model of the system, which we have developed based on the needs of experiment management.
Computational algorithms for discrete wavelet transform using fixed-size filter matrices

This paper describes matrix based algorithms for computing wavelet transform representations with application to multiresolution analysis. Structure of the algorithm presented is well suited for programming purpose and also for the implementation on VLSI processors. By using overlap-add or overlap-save techniques, constant matrix size can be used to accommodate arbitrary data lengths. Performance of the algorithm described in this paper is illustrated by decomposing an image into details and smoothed components.