cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonresponse and Mode Effects in Self- and Interviewer-Administered Surveys

We examine the quality of two probability-based polls, one interviewer administered (telephone) and one self-administered (Internet and mail mixed mode survey). The polls use the same sampling frame (registered voters) and the same questions. First, we examine the representativeness of both surveys using information known about the population, and although we find important differences between the two in terms of sampling and nonresponse bias, we also find that both surveys represent the underlying population despite low response rates. We also test for mode effects between surveys due to social desirability and how it influences nondifferentiation or satisficing. Using a variety of methods (t-tests, multivariate regression, and genetic propensity matching), we find evidence that the presence of an interviewer alters response patterns on ego-driven questions. The implications of our work are important, due to the increasing popularity of mixed mode surveys. Researchers need to be methodologically sensitive to these differences when analyzing surveys that allow for different response modes.
Every (e)book its (e)reader: book collections at a crossroads

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss the challenge of projecting physical book collection space in light of the emerging e‐book market.Design/methodology/approach – Two recent papers from the Chronicle of Higher Education were contrasted to illustrate the tenuous balance between the role of libraries and their physical collections and the increasing functionality and performance of electronic books.Findings – The paper suggests e‐books will continue to gain traction, but with an ascendency that will be slower and more complex than that of e‐journals.Originality/value – The paper offers a jumping off point for discussion about the scholarly use of books and how these activities currently are (or are not) capable of being replicated by current e‐readers.
Reliability and Validity of the Modified Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory in Diverse Samples

The Modified Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (MEPSI) is a relatively simple survey measure designed to assess the strength of psychosocial attributes that arise from progression through Erikson's eight stages of development. The purpose of this study was to employ secondary analysis to evaluate the internal-consistency reliability and construct validity of the MEPSI across four diverse samples: healthy young adults, hemophilic men, healthy older adults, and older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Special attention was given to the performance of the measure across gender, with exploratory analyses examining possible age cohort and health status effects. Internal-consistency estimates for the aggregate measure were high, whereas subscale reliability levels varied across age groups. Construct validity was supported across samples. Gender, cohort, and health effects offered interesting psychometric and theoretical insights and direction for further research. Findings indicated that the MEPSI might be a useful instrument for operationalizing and testing Eriksonian developmental theory in adults.
Kinetic characterization of a glycoside hydrolase family 44 xyloglucanase/endoglucanase from Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1

Two forms of Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1 endoglucanase B, a member of glycoside hydrolase family 44, one with only a catalytic domain and the other with a catalytic domain and a carbohydrate binding domain (CBM), were produced. Both forms hydrolyzed cellotetraose, cellopentaose, cellohexaose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), birchwood and larchwood xylan, xyloglucan, lichenan, and Avicel but not cellobiose, cellotriose, mannan, or pullulan. Addition of the CBM increased catalytic efficiencies on both CMC and birchwood xylan but not on xyloglucan, and it decreased rates of cellopentaose and cellohexaose hydrolysis. Catalytic efficiencies were much higher on xyloglucan than on other polysaccharides. Hydrolysis rates increased with increasing cellooligosaccharide chain length. Cellotetraose hydrolysis yielded only cellotriose and glucose. Hydrolysis of cellopentaose gave large amounts of cellotetraose and glucose, somewhat more of the former than of the latter, and much smaller amounts of cellobiose and cellotriose. Cellohexaose hydrolysis yielded much more cellotetraose than cellobiose and small amounts of glucose and cellotriose, along with a low and transient amount of cellopentaose.
Noninterceptive Transverse Beam Diagnostics

The transverse emittance properties of a high-current linear accelerator may be measured by using TV cameras sensitive to the visible radiation emitted following beam interactions with residual gas. This paper describes the TV system being used to measure emittances for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) project.
Schottky contact formation on polar and non-polar AlN

The interfaces of m- and c-plane AlN with metals of different work functions and electro-negativities were characterized and the Schottky barrier heights were measured. The Schottky barrier height was determined by measuring the valence band maximum (VBM) with respect to the Fermi level at the surface (interface) before (after) metallization. VBM determination included accurate modeling and curve fitting of density of states at the valence band edge with the XPS data. The experimental behavior of the barrier heights could not be explained by the Schottky-Mott model and was modeled using InterFace-Induced Gap States (IFIGS). A slope parameter (SX) was used to incorporate the density of surface states and is a measure of Fermi level pinning. The experimental barriers followed theoretical predictions with a barrier height at the surface Fermi level (Charge neutrality level (CNL)) of ∼2.1 eV (∼2.7 eV) on m-plane (c-plane) and SX ∼ 0.36 eV/Miedema unit. Slope parameter much lower than 0.86 implied a surface/interface states dominated behavior with significant Fermi level pinning and the measured barrier heights were close to the CNL. Titanium and zirconium provided the lowest barriers (1.6 eV) with gold providing the highest (2.3 eV) among the metals analyzed on m-plane. It was consistently found that barrier heights decreased from metal polar to non-polar surfaces, in general, due to an increasing CNL. The data indicated that charged IFIGS compensate spontaneous polarization charge. These barrier height and slope parameter measurements provided essential information for designing Schottky diodes and other contact-based devices on AlN.
Effect of hemodilution on brain tissue during global ischemia.

This study evaluates the effect of blood volume and hematocrit changes on brain tissue during temporary global ischemia. Normal saline was administered intravenously to 55 gerbils to achieve hypo-, normo-, and hypervolemic hemodilution and uniform 30% hematocrit reduction. Each group had unilateral carotid artery ligation and temporary (20 minute) contralateral carotid occlusion. After ten days or death, brains were harvested, preserved in formalin, sectioned in a manner which provided adequate samples of both cortex and hippocampus, and stained with H&E and iuxol fast blue. They were then examined and staged microscopically for white and gray matter infarction, edema, and neuronal injury and loss. Histologic studies were performed in a randomized and blinded manner and were classified by one of four categories: normal, minimal, moderate, and severe changes. Three of ten (30%) controls survived ten days but had severe neuronal loss, minimal cerebral edema and a minimal to moderate number of white matter strokes. Survival was best in animals treated with hypovolemic hemodilution (43%). Other rates were: normovolemic (33%), controls (30%), and hypervolemic (8.3%). The degree of brain tissue damage was markedly less in the normovolemic group. In this model, normovolemic hemodilution followed by hypovolemic hemodilution offered the best overall cerebral protection during global Ischemia.
Performance of diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis in North American furbearers and implications for surveillance.

Summary Risks of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) transmission from free-ranging wildlife to livestock remain a concern in the United States, in both known endemic areas and where spillover from recently-infected livestock herds occurs. Federal agriculture officials in the United States (US) have recommended surveillance of non-cervid furbearers to determine whether free-ranging wildlife in the vicinity of cattle herd breakdowns are bTB infected, yet the efficacy of common diagnostic tests in these species is largely unknown. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and positive likelihood ratios for bTB infection in carcasses of sixteen species of furbearers tested via: (i) the presence of gross lesions compatible with bTB; (ii) histopathology consistent with bTB; and (iii) the presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) on histopathology. The gold standard comparison test was mycobacterial culture of cranial ± visceral lymph nodes pooled for each animal. Forty-two animals distributed across six species cultured bTB positive from among 1522 furbearers tested over thirteen years. The sensitivity of all three tests was poor (10%, 22% and 24% for gross lesions, AFB and histopathology, respectively), while specificities (all ≥99%) and negative predictive values (all ≥97%) were high. Positive predictive values varied widely (31–75%). Likelihood ratios for culture positivity given a positive test result showed AFB on histopathology to be the most reliable test, and gross lesions the least, though confidence intervals were wide and overlapping. While non-cervid furbearers may prove useful in North American bTB surveillance, wildlife managers should be aware of factors that may abate their utility and complicate interpretation of surveillance.
Networks of Attention in Children With the 22q11 Deletion Syndrome

The 22q11 chromosomal deletion syndrome (22q11 DS) is associated with learning disabilities and a complex neuropsychological profile. Previous findings have suggested that executive attention deficits might underlie other neurocognitive anomalies. We administered the child Attention Network Test (ANT) to 52 children ages 5.0 to 11.5, 32 22q11 DS children (19 girls) and 20 controls (13 girls) and assessed the efficiency of segregated executive, orienting, and alerting networks. We hypothesized that 22q11 DS children have impaired executive network efficiency as compared to control siblings. The internal validity of the child ANT was confirmed for this population. Analysis of variance results showed significant main effects for flanker and cue types and no interaction effect in either 22q11 DS children or control siblings. Compared to control siblings, 22q11 DS children had significantly larger (less efficient) executive network scores, significantly increased errors on only incongruent trials, and a signif...
Application of the poly-N-acetyl glucosamine-derived rapid deployment hemostat trauma dressing in severe/lethal Swine hemorrhage trauma models.

Background: The Rapid Deployment Hemostat (RDH) Bandage was developed for the rapid control of bleeding caused by trauma. Methods: An extremity wound involving skin, muscle, bone, and femoral arterial injury and a 1-cm vertical incision in the abdominal aorta in swine were studied to compare the RDH Bandage, a fibrin sealant dressing and gauze to restore hemostasis. The total blood loss was determined and the survival of animals was measured. Resells: In the extremity injury model, the RDH Bandage reduced blood loss by 63% compared with the gauze control. In the aorta arterial incision model, the RDH Bandage required a significantly lower compression time to control bleeding compared with gauze and Tacho-Comb. The RDH Bandage was able to stop bleeding from this injury in 100% of the tests. Conclusion: The RDH Bandage was superior to a commercially available fibrin bandage in controlling hemorrhage, decreasing blood loss, and increasing survival.
Source Identification of Oil Spills Based on the Isotopic Composition of Individual Components in Weathered Oil Samples

Correlation of crude oils and refined hydrocarbon products spilled in the environment with their respective sources is commonly undertaken using techniques such as gas chro matography (GC) or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or bulk parameters such as the isotopic composition of the aliphatic or aromatic fractions. Under certain circumstances extensive weathering of the samples, through evaporation, water-washing, or biodegradation, may make such correlations extremely difficult and the results somewhat tenuous. Results are presented in this paper from an investigation to study the use of gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) as a complimentary correlation technique to GC and GC/MS, particularly for samples that have undergone extensive weathering. In the study, a variety of oils and refined hydrocarbon products, weathered both artificially and naturally, were analyzed by GC, GC/MS and GC/IRMS. In cases where samples have lost their more volatile n-alkanes as a result of...
Measurement of Lysozyme−Lysozyme Interactions with Quantitative Affinity Chromatography

A chromatographic method is used to measure lysozyme−lysozyme interactions in aqueous salt solutions as a function of solution conditions (pH, ionic strength, and salt type). Compared to static light scattering and membrane osmometry, the chromatographic method requires significantly less protein. To interpret retention-time data, it is necessary to account for multibody interactions between a mobile lysozyme molecule and immobilized lysozyme molecules on the support surface. The interaction between lysozyme molecules may be described by a potential of mean force that contains hard-sphere, electrostatic, and square-well contributions. Square-well depths from chromatographic data are in semiquantitative agreement with those from osmotic second virial coefficients from static light scattering measurements.
Correlation of Model Compounds and Laterally Attached Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polynorbornenes with a 1-Carbon Spacer

1,4-Bis[(3‘-fluoro-4‘-n-alkoxyphenyl)ethynyl]toluenes mimic the thermotropic behavior of poly{5-[[[2‘,5‘-bis[(4‘-n-alkoxybenzoyl)oxy]benzyl]oxy]carbonyl]bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene}s better than 1,4-bis[(3‘-fluoro-4‘-n-alkoxyphenyl)ethynyl]benzenes do. Polymers with approximately 50 repeat units and narrow polydispersity (pdi = 1.08−1.23) were prepared by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of 5-{[[2‘,5‘-bis[2-(3‘-fluoro-4‘-n-alkoxyphenyl)ethynyl]benzyl]oxy]carbonyl}bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-enes in THF using Mo(CHCMe2Ph)(N-2,6-iPr2Ph)(OtBu)2 as the initiator. All of the polymers exhibit an enantiotropic nematic mesophase in addition to the glass transition, and those with n = 3−12 slowly organize into a crystalline or sE phase that occurs over an extremely narrow temperature range. Whereas 1,4-bis[(3‘-fluoro-4‘-n-alkoxyphenyl)ethynyl]benzenes exhibit a k−sE−sC−n−i phase sequence when n = 6−12, all of the 1,4-bis[(3‘-fluoro-4‘-n-alkoxyphenyl)ethynyl]toluenes exhibit a nematic mesophase, and those with n = 9−12...
STAGNANT BUDGETS: Their Effects on Academic Libraries

For many years, academic librarians worked in a fiscal environment of rapidly increasing budgets. Management of growth was the major problem. Today, though, most academic librarians face “steady‐state”—or stagnant—budgets. This situation, more pronounced in recent years, has been with us for more than a decade, a fact most librarians and university administrators have been slow to recognize. These budgets require new fiscal management techniques whose key words are cost containment, substitution, choice, and priorities.
A Meta-Analysis of the Existing Knowledge of Immunoreactivity against Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

Approximately 3% of the world population is infected by HCV, which represents a major global health challenge. Almost 400 different scientific reports present immunological data related to T cell and antibody epitopes derived from HCV literature. Analysis of all HCV-related epitope hosted in the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB), a repository of freely accessible immune epitope data, revealed more than 1500 and 1900 distinct T cell and antibody epitopes, respectively. The inventory of all data revealed specific trends in terms of the host and the HCV genotypes from which sequences were derived. Upon further analysis we found that this large number of epitopes reflects overlapping structures, and homologous sequences derived from different HCV isolates. To access and visualize this information we developed a novel strategy that assembles large sets of epitope data, maps them onto reference genomes and displays the frequency of positive responses. Compilation of the HCV immune reactivity from hundreds of different studies, revealed a complex and thorough picture of HCV immune epitope data to date. The results pinpoint areas of more intense reactivity or research activities at the level of antibody, CD4 and CD8 responses for each of the individual HCV proteins. In general, the areas targeted by the different effector immune functions were distinct and antibody reactivity was positively correlated with hydrophilicity, while T cell reactivity correlated with hydrophobicity. At the sequence level, epitopes frequently recognized by both T cell and B cell correlated with low variability, and our analysis thus highlighted areas of potential interest for practical applications. The human reactivity was further analyzed to pinpoint differential patterns of reactivity associated with acute versus chronic infection, to reveal the apparent impact of glycosylation on T cell, but not antibody responses, and to highlight a paucity of studies involved antibody epitopes associated with virus neutralization.
Modeling Denomination Structures

Previous work on the denomination structure of currency treats as exogenous the distribution of transactions and the denominations held by people. Here, by way of a matching model, both are endogenous. In the model, trades in pairwise meetings alternate in time with the opportunity to freely choose a portfolio of denominations and there is a trade-off between the benefits of small-denomination money for transacting and the costliness of carrying a large quantity of small-denomination money. For a given denomination structure, a monetary steady state is shown to exist. The model implies that too small denominations are abandoned.
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: A Tutorial Review*

Atomic emission spectroscopy is an important instrumental technique for both quantitative and qualitative analysis of metallic and non-metallic elements in inorganic and organic materials. In this ...
Componential Analysis of Pilot Decision Making

In an effort to construct and validate an information-processing model of pilot decision-making, a microcomputer-based system, known as MIDIS, has been developed. A parallel effort resulted in the compilation of a cognitive test battery designed to assess individual differences in those cognitive attributes determined to be important in effective decision making. The processing model of pilot judgment is validated to the extent that pilots with strengths in particular cognitive attributes perform well on those decision scenarios determined to impose demands on those same abilities. Forty professional, instructor, and student pilots served as subjects in this validation study. The results reported here represent data from twenty of the highly-experienced instrument-rated pilots. The results indicated that the cognitive test of running memory span provided a valid predictor of the optimality of pilot's judgments. A test of risk assessment predicted pilot confidence and latency in the decision choices. Few o...
Acupuncture for pediatric pain and symptom management

Over 2 million people in the United States are estimated to use acupuncture annually, primarily for musculoskeletal complaints and pain management, evidence that the integration of acupuncture into Western health care is increasing. Despite the increase in the quality of trials demonstrating the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in medicine, the pediatric acupuncture literature lacks the quantity and quality of the same body of evidence. Contributing to this paucity of evidence may be the acceptability of acupuncture in pediatric patients. There is an urgent need for high-quality randomized controlled trials on the use of acupuncture in the pediatric population. This review aims to highlight the evidence for use of acupuncture in pain and symptom management.
The development of career choices: The relationship between patterns of commitment and career outcomes in adulthood

Abstract This study was designed to examine the theoretically predicted adult career outcomes of individuals who engage in different developmental patterns of commitment to choice. It was hypothesized, based on D. E. Super's formulations, that those who engage in increasing commitment and who do not revert to earlier behaviors would experience the most desirable outcomes in adulthood. This hypothesis was tested using an analysis of longitudinal data in relation to career outcomes at two points in adulthood. Minimal support for the hypothesis was found in combination with some findings to suggest that developmental patterns of increasing commitment may not lead to the predicted desirable outcomes. Implications for theory revision and future research are discussed.
The synthesis and chemistry of a simplified, functional analogue of neocarzinostatin chromophore: identification of an intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen atom

Abstract The synthesis and chemistry of a monocyclic analogue of neocarzinostatin chromophore are described. This analogue is activated through a Michael additi
Matrices with convolutions of binomial functions and Krawtchouk matrices

Abstract We introduce a class S N of matrices whose elements are terms of convolutions of binomial functions of complex numbers. A multiplication theorem is proved for elements of S N . The multiplication theorem establishes a homomorphism of the group of 2 by 2 nonsingular matrices with complex elements into a group G N contained in S N . As a direct consequence of representation theory, we also present related spectral representations for special members of G N . We show that a subset of G N constitutes the system of Krawtchouk matrices, which extends published results for the symmetric case.
Performance evaluation of disaster monitoring systems

Understanding the performance of disaster monitoring systems is a key to understanding their success; therefore, various qualitative and quantitative measures and metrics can be applied in the characterization and analysis of such systems. Through evaluation studies, problems that impede a disaster monitoring system performance can be identified. The results can be used for system design, control, and capacity planning. Previous studies address technical performance analysis metrics for analyzing monitoring systems leaving out human and organizational dimensions of such systems. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to identify and describe a set of metrics that may be employed to evaluate such systems. This study may be valuable to researchers and practitioners involved in disaster and emergency response studies in planning the transportation of vital first-aid supplies and emergency personnel to disaster-affected areas and in improving chances of survival after a disaster.
Parent-child interactions: Observer effects and social class differences

This study investigated observer reactivity in parent-child interactions and effects of social class status on that reactivity. Twenty-eight mother-child pairs, representing the middle and lower social classes, were observed under both informed and uninformed conditions in a laboratory setting. The observer's presence increased the frequency of maternal behaviors and maximized “good parent” behaviors. Middle-class mothers were less critical, less directive, and played more with their children than lower-class mothers. Middle- and lower-class mothers displayed a comparable degree of reactivity to the observer's presence.
Modeling of concentration polarization layer evolution and breakthrough concentrations in dead-end hyperfiltration

Abstract An explicit determination of concentration correlations and auxiliary parameters for solutions may be paramount in assessing the geometry of concentration polarization layer (CPL) during dead-end hyperfiltration and transport of ions through low permeability clays. Different models have been proposed for hindered transient transport of water and ions. Most of these models depend on solute permeability, solute diffusivity, and reflection coefficient of the membrane. Some models can predict various parameters for simple ionic molecules well but few of these can be immediately extended to organo macromolecules without special modifications. A model that estimates effluent concentrations for simple molecules and macromolecules like ionic azo dyes prior to the gelation period on homoionic membranes is proposed. The proposed model depends on evolution of the CPL of whose evolution can also be estimated from Karman–Pohlhausen and film model methods. Sensitivity analyses indicated relative dependence of this model on the diffusion coefficient.
The Role of Conformation on Electron Capture Dissociation of Ubiquitin

Effects of protein conformation on electron capture dissociation (ECD) were investigated using high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) and Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Under the conditions of these experiments, the electron capture efficiency of ubiquitin 6+ formed from three different solution compositions differs significantly, ranging from 51 ± 7% for ions formed from an acidified water/methanol solution to 88 ± 2% for ions formed from a buffered aqueous solution. This result clearly indicates that these protein ions retain a memory of their solution-phase structure and that conformational differences can be probed in an ECD experiment. Multiple conformers for the 7+ and 8+ charge states of ubiquitin were separated using FAIMS. ECD spectra of conformer selected ions of the same charge states differ both in electron capture efficiency and in the fragment ion intensities. Conformers of a given charge state that have smaller collisional cross sections can have either a larger or smaller electron capture efficiency. A greater electron capture efficiency was observed for ubiquitin 6+ that has the same collisional cross section as one ubiquitin 7+ conformer, despite the lower charge state. These results indicate that the shape of the molecule can have a greater effect on electron capture efficiency than either collisional cross section or charge state alone. The cleavage locations of different conformers of a given charge state were the same indicating that the presence of different conformers in the gas phase is not due to difference in where charges are located, but rather reflect conformational differences most likely originating from solution. Small neutral losses observed from the singly- and doubly-reduced ubiquitin 6+ do not show a temperature dependence to their formation, consistent with these ions being formed by nonergodic processes.
A Helical Hairpin Region of Soluble Annexin B12 Refolds and Forms a Continuous Transmembrane Helix at Mildly Acidic pH

Annexins are soluble proteins that are best known for their ability to undergo reversible Ca2+-dependent binding to the surface of phospholipid bilayers. Recent studies, however, have shown that annexins also reversibly bind to membranes in a Ca2+-independent manner at mildly acidic pH. We investigated the structural changes that occur upon pH-dependent membrane binding by performing a nitroxide scan on the helical hairpin encompassing helices A and B in the fourth repeat of annexin B12. Residues 251-273 of annexin B12 were replaced, one at a time, with cysteine and then labeled with a nitroxide spin label. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) mobility and accessibility analyses of soluble annexin B12 derivatives were in excellent agreement with the known crystal structure of annexin B12. However, EPR studies of annexin B12 derivatives bound to membranes at pH 4.0 indicated major structural changes in the scanned region. The helix-loop-helix structure present in the soluble protein was converted into a continuous transmembrane α-helix that was exposed to the hydrophobic core of the bilayer on one side and exposed to an aqueous pore on the other side. Asp-264 was on the hydrophobic membrane-exposed face of the amphipathic transmembrane helix, thereby suggesting that protonation of its carboxylate group stabilized the transmembrane form. Inspection of the amino acid sequence of annexin B12 revealed several other helical hairpin regions that might refold and form continuous amphipathic transmembrane helices in response to protonation of Asp or Glu switch residues on or near the hydrophobic face of the helix.
A rose by any other name

Lawson Wilkins published the first textbook on pediatric endocrinology in 1950, which had a significant impact on the development of the subspecialty. It has undergone three additional editions, the most recent of which was published in 1994 [1xSee all References][1]. Priniciples and Practice of Pediatric Endocrinology carries on the tradition of Wilkins' textbook. Michael S. Kappy was a co-editor of both books, which have similar styles. Although this new work maintains a similar structure to the previous one, having for example illustrative appendices following many of the chapters, most of the contributing authors and topics of the chapters are new. The focus of the new text is, as reflected in its title, on elucidating principles that provide the framework for learning and integrating new discoveries into current practice.Each chapter provides detailed information on the normal development, physiology and regulation of the various endocrine systems, followed by discussions of various disorders and approaches to diagnosis and treatment. These thoughtful descriptions of the systems, together with clinical insights provided by the authors from their vast experience, will be very useful for the reader, even after new genetic mutations and further scientific breakthroughs are discovered. The various chapters are well written and make good use of tables, charts and illustrations. Overall, this textbook provides a good blend of current scientific knowledge and practical clinical information relevant in a wide variety of pediatric endocrinology patients. I found the brief historical review in some of the chapters, namely thyroid, adrenal and hypoglycemia, of great interest, helping place the current research into a broader perspective. The chapters are well referenced and as up-to-date as can be expected in a printed textbook.One of the strengths of Wilkins' book was the illustrative cases in the appendices at the end of most chapters and these are retained in the new work as well. However, most of them are exactly the same as in Wilkins' text [1xSee all References][1], with the notable exception being the cases at the end of the diabetes mellitus chapter. It would have been beneficial to add more updated cases, which illustrated the use of current diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.Principles and Practice of Pediatric Endocrinology is a readable, scientifically solid and practical text that will be a valuable resource for not only pediatric and adult endocrinologists, but also pediatricians and family practitioners. And because of its strong molecular biology and extensive research content, endocrinologists will realize its greatest value.
A rapid [3H]glycerol radioassay for determination of monocyte-mediated growth inhibition of Mycobacterium avium

Abstract [3H]glycerol was used to radiolabel Mycobacterium avium (MA) bacteria after interaction with human monocytes in a rapid in vitro assay for determination of the growth inhibition of the mycobacteria by monocytes. Monocytes and MA were co-cultured in 96-well microtiter plates for 1–5 days, and [3H]glycerol was added for an additional 3 days of incubation to radiolabel residual bacteria. The results indicate that monocytes inhibited mycobacterial growth within 24 h of co-culture, an activity which increased during incubation until optimal growth inhibition was noted by 3–4 days. A comparison with conventional plate counting methodology demonstrated similar responses between the two assays except that the conventional assay required 2–3 weeks of culture before visible MA colonies could be detected and enumerated. Thus, the development of a rapid radiolabel assay to quantitate the interaction between monocytes and MA will facilitate the investigation of normal host responses to this opportunistic pathogen.
Educational Studies, Critical Teacher Preparation and the Liberal Arts: a view from the USA

Abstract The preparation of teachers has long been viewed as a program area with interests, tendencies, and aims that make it both different from and inferior to the areas of study associated with the liberal arts. Yet the study of education may combine intellectual rigor, concerns for social justice, and a commitment to praxis, that can indeed add much to liberal learning. Teacher preparation within this context confronts the dominant tendencies toward technical rationality, apolitical neutrality, the efficient attainment of pre‐established and uncriticized outcomes, and the reproduction of inequalities toward which these things propel us. This article supports the view that inquiry, political action, and moral discourse are to be intertwined within programs of teacher preparation, and provides examples of how this may be accomplished.
Combinations of three chemotherapeutic agents and two chemotherapeutic agents plus a targeted biologic agent in the treatment of advanced non small-cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the world. In the United States, more than 28% of all cancer deaths are from lung cancer. In the past decade, a number of new drugs were introduced into the treatment of lung cancer including taxanes, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and irinotecan. Combinations of one of these drugs with cisplatin, with carboplatin, or with one another were shown to be superior to best supportive care, to single-agent cisplatin, and in some instances, to a podophyllotoxin and cisplatin. Comparisons of the various two-drug combinations showed that they are equivalent in efficacy although there are differences in convenience, cost, and toxicity. Many of these two-drug combinations are less toxic than older combinations, which allowed for the development of three-drug combinations that could be given in full dose and with acceptable toxicity. Phase II trials of several three-drug combinations including carboplatin/paclitaxel/gemcitabine and cisplatin/vinorelbine/gemcitabine showed response rates and survival rates that were somewhat higher than anticipated with a two-drug combination. These data led to three randomized trials of a doublet combination versus a triplet combination. Each of these trials showed a higher response rate and higher toxicity rates with the triplet combination. The toxicity rates were still acceptable with the triplet combinations. The survival was also superior in the triplet arms of each of the randomized trials. Unfortunately, the sample size in each of these studies was small and the survival differences are not statistically significant. Therefore, additional larger randomized trials are sorely needed. During the past decade, new molecularly targeted agents were introduced into the treatment of lung cancer and completed phase I and II trials. Objective responses were noted with many of these new agents. Several combinations of doublet chemotherapy with a new targeted agent have completed phase II trials with encouraging results. Some of these new triplets are now in phase III randomized trials.
Diet and Cimetidine Induce Comparable Changes in Theophylline Metabolism in Normal Subjects K.E. ANDERSON, R.B. MCCLEERY, E.S. VESELL, F.F. VICKERS, A. KAPPAS Hepatology 13:941-946, 1991

This study examines the effects of diet and cimetidine on theophylline metabolism in 12 men. Subjects, all nonsmokers within 15% of their ideal body weight, were 23 to 26 years of age and had no unusual dietary habits. Energy needs were calculated using the Harris-Benedict equation. Subjects were placed either on a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet (44% of total calories as protein, 35% as carbohydrate, and 21% as fat) or a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet (10% of total calories as protein, 70% as carbohydrate, and 20% as fat) for 15 days on each diet. The order of the dietary periods was reversed in one half of the subjects, and there was a 24-day washout period between the two dietary periods. Cimetidine (800 mg/d at bedtime) was administered on days 10 to 15 of each dietary period. Aminophylline (3 mg of theophylline base/kg body weight) was administered intravenously as a bolus over 20 to 30 minutes on days 8 and 15 of each dietary period. Blood was withdrawn before and at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and ...
The effects of dicofol on induction of hepatic microsomal metabolism in rats

Abstract In a comparative study, the induction effects of dicofol, technical Kelthane, and DDT on hepatic microsomal and cytosolic enzyme activities in rats were compared with those effects produced by phenobarbital (PhB) and β-naphthoflavone (BNF). Male rats (ca. 250 g) were injected (ip) for 4 consecutive days with 1.0 ml of vehicle containing either dicofol (1.5, 15.0, 29.5, or 59.0 m M , Kelthane (dicofol content equal to 29.5 or 59.0 m M ), DDT (59.0 m M ), or BNF (36.7 m M ). Liver weights, microsomal protein, and cytochrome P -450 concentrations and microsomal and cytosolic enzyme specific activities were measured. Dicofol produced dose-related increases in all of the parameters measured except liver weight and cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activity. At a concentration of 59.0 m M , dicofol increased the concentrations of microsomal protein (1.7-fold) and cytochrome P -450 (2.9-fold), and the specific activities of cytochrome c reductase (1.6-fold), ethoxycoumarin O -deethylase (2.3-fold), aminopyrine N -demethylase (3.0-fold), microsomal epoxide hydrolase (2.6-fold), and glutathione S -transferase (2.9-fold). The induction potency of dicofol was equivalent to Kelthane, DDT, and PhB at equimolar (59.0 m M ) concentrations of chemical.
N-phenylacetanoyl-L-homoserine lactones can strongly antagonize or superagonize quorum sensing in Vibrio fischeri.

Bacteria monitor their population densities using low-molecular-weight ligands in a process known as quorum sensing. At sufficient cell densities, bacteria can change their mode of growth and behave as multicellular communities that play critical roles in both beneficial symbioses and the pathogenesis of infectious disease. The development of non-native ligands that can block quorum-sensing signals has emerged as a promising new strategy to attenuate these divergent outcomes. Here, we report that N-phenylacetanoyl-l-homoserine lactones are capable of either inhibiting or, in some cases, strongly inducing quorum sensing in the bacterial symbiont Vibrio fischeri. Moreover, simple structural modifications to these ligands have remarkable effects on activity. These studies have revealed one of the first synthetic superagonists of quorum sensing, N-(3-nitro-phenylacetanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone. Together, these ligands represent a powerful new class of chemical probes with the potential to significantly expand...
Plant community responses to resource availability and heterogeneity during restoration

Availability and heterogeneity of resources have a strong influence on plant community structure in undisturbed systems, as well as those recovering from disturbance. Less is known about the role of resource availability and heterogeneity in restored communities, although restoration provides a valuable opportunity to test our understanding of factors that influence plant community assembly. We altered soil nitrogen (N) availability and soil depth during a prairie restoration to determine if the availability and/or heterogeneity of soil resources influenced plant community composition in restored grassland communities. Plant community responses to three levels of N availability (ambient, enriched by fertilization, and reduced by carbon amendment) and two levels of soil depth (deep and shallow) were evaluated. In addition, we evaluated plant community responses to four whole plot heterogeneity treatments created from the six possible combinations of soil N availability and soil depth. The soil depth treatment had little influence on community structure during the first 3 years of restoration. Total diversity and richness declined over time under annual N enrichment, whereas diversity was maintained and richness increased over time in soil with reduced N availability. Non-native species establishment was lowest in reduced-N soil in the initial year, but their presence was negligible in all of the soil N treatments by the second year of restoration. Panicum virgatum, a native perennial C4 grass, was the dominant species in all soil N treatments by year three, but the magnitude of its dominance was lowest in the reduced-N soil and highest in enriched-N soil. Consequently, the relative cover of P. virgatum was strongly correlated with community dominance and inversely related to diversity. The differential growth response of P. virgatum to soil N availability led to a higher degree of community similarity to native prairie in the reduced-N treatment than in the enriched-N treatment. There were no differences in plant community structure among the four whole plot-level heterogeneity treatments, which all exhibited the same degree of similarity to native prairie. Diversity and community heterogeneity in the whole-plot treatments appeared to be regulated by the dominant species’ effect on light availability, rather than soil N heterogeneity per se. Our results indicate that a strong differential response of a dominant species to resource availability in a restored community can regulate community structure, diversity, and similarity to the native (or target) community, but the importance of resource heterogeneity in restoring diversity may be dampened in systems where a dominant species can successfully establish across a range of resource availability.
Influence of Sediment Presence on Freshwater Mussel Thermal Tolerance

AbstractMedian lethal temperature (LT50) data from water-only exposures with the early life stages of freshwater mussels suggest that some species may be living near their upper thermal tolerances. However, evaluation of thermal sensitivity has never been conducted in sediment. Mussels live most of their lives burrowed in sediment, so understanding the effect of sediment on thermal sensitivity is a necessary step in evaluating the effectiveness of the water-only standard method, on which the regulatory framework for potential thermal criteria currently is based, as a test of thermal sensitivity. We developed a method for testing thermal sensitivity of juvenile mussels in sediment and used the method to assess thermal tolerance of 4 species across a range of temperatures common during summer. Stream beds may provide a thermal refuge in the wild, but we hypothesized that the presence of sediment alone does not alter thermal sensitivity. We also evaluated the effects of 2 temperature acclimation levels (22 a...
16O, 24, 26Mg, 28Si, 32S, 40Ca(α, 12C) and multi-α-cluster transfer reactions

Abstract The (α, 12 C) reaction has been studied on a variety of nuclei, A = 16 to 40, at E α = 90.3 MeV. The data indicate a rapid fall-off of cross sections with increasing target mass, approximately as A t −5 ± 1 . This and other systematics are used to estimate cross sections for multi-α-cluster transfer reactions in heavy nuclei and suggest σ T −34 cm 2 consistent with present experimental limits. The data for 24 Mg(α, 12 C) 16 O has been studied in more detail and indicates a selective population of final states including 16 O g.s., with oscillatory angular distributions in some instances. Finite-range distorted-wave Born approximation calculations for direct 8 Be pickup have been performed utilizing cluster overlap amplitudes obtained with zero-order SU(3) wave functions. The calculations are in qualitative, and often quantitative, agreement with shapes and absolute magnitudes of the measured angular distributions although the cross sections for certain α-cluster states (2 + , E x ≈ 7 MeV; 4 + , E x ≈ 10.3 MeV) are greatly overestimated with this model. Other more complicated mechanisms, such as successive α-transfer, cannot be excluded. The systematics of the calculated 8 Be cluster overlaps and the calculated and measured (α, 12 C) cross sections are investigated, and implications for multi-α-cluster transfer reactions are discussed.
An N-terminal fragment of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells in an IGF-independent manner.

Abstract Objective IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) can induce apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells by direct, IGF-independent mechanisms that are poorly understood. IGFBP-3 undergoes limited proteolysis by plasmin and other proteases to generate small N-terminal fragments (e.g., amino acids 1–97) that have lost their affinity for IGF-I and IGF-II yet still can inhibit mitogenesis. The present study examines whether the N-terminal 1–97-IGFBP-3 fragment can induce apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells in an IGF-independent manner. Design N-terminal 1–97-IGFBP-3 with or without a signal prepeptide was fused to yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and expressed in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. In some cases, the N-terminal IGF-binding site was mutated. Subcellular localization was determined by confocal microscopy. Loss of cell viability was determined by Annexin V-APC staining in the presence and absence of a general caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk. Results All of the fusion proteins, including those synthesized with a signal peptide, were predominantly intracellular, suggesting that they had been internalized following secretion. YFP-1–97-IGFBP-3 is present at comparable concentrations in the nucleus and cytoplasm, indicating that it does not contain a nuclear localization signal. Cells transfected with YFP-1–97-IGFBP-3 lost viability. Cell death was blocked by incubation with a caspase inhibitor suggesting that it resulted from apoptosis. Similar results were obtained with YFP-1–97-IGFBP-3 mutants that do not bind IGFs. Conclusions The N-terminal 1–97-IGFBP-3 fragment induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells in an IGF-independent manner. Generation of the fragment might contribute to the proapoptotic activity of IGFBP-3 in vivo.
Generating Objectives: Can Decision Makers Articulate What They Want?

Objectives have long been considered a basis for sound decision making. This research examines the ability of decision makers to generate self-relevant objectives for consequential decisions. In three empirical studies, participants consistently omitted nearly half of the objectives that they later identified as personally relevant. More surprisingly, omitted objectives were perceived to be almost as important as those generated by participants on their own. These empirical results were replicated in a real-world case study of strategic decision making at a high-tech firm. Overall, our research suggests that decision makers are considerably deficient in utilizing personal knowledge and values to form objectives for the decisions they face.
Correlates of carotid plaque presence and composition as measured by MRI: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Background— The composition of atherosclerotic plaque affects the likelihood of an atherothrombotic event, but prospective studies relating risk factors to carotid wall and plaque characteristics m...