cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of ventriculoperitoneal shunts for uncontrollable intracranial hypertension without ventriculomegally secondary to HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis

Abstract Background The risks associated with implanting a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt in immunocompromised patients with ongoing CSF infection have historically discouraged surgeons from implanting CSF shunts in patients with HIV and cryptococcal meningitis. However, this patient population often requires frequent lumbar punctures to manage elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) secondary to cryptococcal infection. To date, only 7 cases of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting for the treatment of intracranial hypertension in patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis have been reported. Few of these reports have included outcomes more than 3 months postsurgery. It remains unclear if VP shunts are an effective long-term treatment of intracranial hypertension in this patient population. Case Descriptions Two patients with HIV/AIDS (CD4 counts of 8 and 81 cells/mm 3 ) presented with altered mental status, visual changes, florid cryptococcal meningitis, and elevated ICP (>500 mm CSF) without evidence of hydrocephalus on computed tomography scan. Both patients experienced rapid reversal of symptoms with external lumbar CSF drainage, and remained lumbar drain-dependent after 2 weeks of amphotericin B and flucytosine therapy. Despite evidence of unresolved cryptococcal meningitis, each patient underwent implantation of a VP shunt without complication and was discharged on lifetime fluconazole therapy. They remained asymptomatic at 12 and 16 months after surgery without evidence of shunt infection or malfunction. Conclusion Patients with intracranial hypertension and HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis who cannot tolerate cessation of external lumbar CSF drainage or frequent lumbar punctures may be considered for VP shunt placement despite severe immunosuppression and persistent CSF cryptococcal infection.
Evaluation of the flushing rates of Apalachicola Bay, Florida via natural geochemical tracers

Abstract We used naturally occurring radium isotopes as tracers of water exchange in Apalachicola Bay, a shallow coastal-plain estuary in northwestern Florida. The bay receives fresh water and radium from the Apalachicola River, and mixes with Gulf of Mexico waters through four inlets. We deployed moored buoys with attached Mn-fibers at several stations throughout the estuary during two summer and two winter periods. After deployment for at least one tidal cycle we measured the ratio of the two short-lived radium isotopes 223 Ra (half-life = 11 d) and 224 Ra (3.6 d) to estimate “radium ages” of the water in the bay. During our four seasonal deployments the river discharge ranged from 338 to 1016 m 3 s − 1 . According to our calculations the water turnover time in the bay during these samplings ranged from 6 to 12 days. Age contours in the bay showed that winds and tides as well as river discharge influence the water movement and the residence time of freshwater in the bay. We also calculated the mean age of river water in the bay which was between 5 to 9 days during the studied periods. We suggest that this approach can be used to quantify transport processes of dissolved substances in the bay. For example, soluble nutrient or pollutant transport rates from a point source could be examined. We conclude that the radium age technique is well suited for flushing rate calculations in river dominated shallow estuaries.
Metabolism of N-nitroso-1,3-thiazolidine in the rat.

Abstract [2-14C]N-nitroso-1,3-thiazolidine (125 mg/kg body weight) administered by gavage to rats was excreted mostly (81% of the dose) in the urine with a smaller amount (7%) in respired air. The major metabolite in the urine (77.2%) was 2-hydroxy-1,3-thiazolidine and minor quantities of the isomers 4- and 5-hydroxy-1,3-thiazolidine were also detected. The presence of hydroxy-1,3-thiazolidine, determined using mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography, indicated that α-hydroxylation and denitrosation are major metabolic pathways of N-nitroso-1,3-thiazolidine. Analysis of the non-acidic urine extract with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using untreated on-column injection and heated split injection gave differing results. Compounds detected using the latter technique may have been artefacts formed by pyrolysis in the heated injection port. Analysis of the metabolites by direct probe mass spectrometry (unheated) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy supported the results seen with on-column GC-MS.
High resolution polymer gel dosimetry for small beam irradiation using a 7T micro-MRI scanner

The use of small field radiation beams has greatly increased with advanced radiation therapy techniques such as IMRT, rotational IMRT, and stereotactic body radiotherapy. In this work small field 3D dose distributions have been measured with high spatial resolution using polymer gels and 7T micro-MR imaging. A MAGIC (Methacrylic and Ascorbic acid in Gelatin Initiated by Copper) polymer gel [1] phantom was used to capture the 3D dose distributions for two small field (5 × 5 mm2 and 10 × 10 mm2) for a 6MV x-ray beam. High resolution 3D T2 maps were obtained with 7T micro-MRI (0.156mm × 0.156mm × 1mm, MSME pulse sequence). For comparison T2 maps, the gel phantom was scanned in a 3T MRI clinical scanner (0.254mm × 0.254mm × 2mm, FSE pulse sequence). Normalized 3D dose maps were calculated in Matlab. Results show that 7T micro-MRI 3D gel dosimetry measurements are much more stable, less noisy, and have higher spatial resolution than those obtained using a 3T clinical scanner for the same amount of scan time. In general, 3D gel dosimetry results also agree with simultaneously-obtained radiochromic film dosimetry. This study indicates that the MAGIC polymer gel with 7T micro-MRI for 3D dose readout could potentially be used for small radiation beams, including measurements for micro-beams (field size ~ 100um).
Hereditarily indecomposable subcontinua of the inverse limit of lexicographic arcs are metric

Abstract We show that every hereditarily indecomposable subcontinuum of the inverse limit of copies of the lexicographic arc is metric. It is observed that the technique of proof generalized to the lexicographic cube or hypercubes.
A VAST staging area for regulatory proteins.

The vesicle trafficking system has long been known to influence signal transduction through its role in biogenesis and degradation of membrane receptors (1). There are also well known examples of vesicle-associated regulatory proteins, such as Ire1 and SREBP, that control responses closely tied to vesicle properties or function (2, 3). But a new paradigm is emerging, as illustrated by a study in this issue of PNAS (4), in which vesicle-associated signal transduction (VAST) may not be related to trafficking of a transmembrane receptor. Rather, vesicles serve as staging areas for regulatory proteins, facilitating interactions that ultimately lead to activation or effector interaction (Fig. 1).
Holocene accumulation and ice sheet dynamics in central West Antarctica

[1] We derive depth-age relationships across the ice divide between the Ross and Amundsen Seas by tracking radar-detected layers from the Byrd ice core and a dated 105-m core near the divide. The depth-age relationships and an ice-flow model are used to establish histories of accumulation and ice sheet dynamics over the past 8000 years. Results show that accumulation was approximately 30% higher than today from 5000 to 3000 years ago. Antarctic climate variability today is dominated by periodic fluctuations in strength of the circumpolar vortex, which raises the possibility that the vortex was systematically weaker during the period of high accumulation. Accumulation today decreases almost linearly across the divide. It is unlikely that this pattern has changed through the Holocene. The radar-detected stratigraphy shows no evidence of the arched layers that are expected beneath a stable divide that is frozen to its bed, implying that the divide has also been migrating and/or the basal ice has been sliding through the Holocene. We cannot rule out the possibility of sliding because the basal ice is near its pressure melting point. Other evidence indicates that divide migration is likely. The Ross Sea sector is now near steady state, but it had a strong negative imbalance 200 years ago when Kamb Ice Stream was active. In contrast, recent speedups of Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers have likely caused the mass balance of the Amundsen Sea sector to become negative. The divide is likely migrating toward the Ross Sea today.
Rudimentary relations and stack languages

The rudimentary relations, defined by Smullyan (1961), are known to contain the contextfree languages. It is shown here that the one-way stack languages and their complements are also rudimentary.
Effects of methylmercury on perineurial Na+ and Ca2+-dependent potentials at neuromuscular junctions of the mouse

Abstract The ability of acute application of the neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg) to disrupt the function of presynaptic Ca2+ and Na+ channels at intact neuromuscular junctions was examined using mouse triangularis sterni motor nerves. In Ba2+-containing solutions, potential changes arising from Na+ and Ca2+ channel function could be recorded from the perineurial sheath surrounding motor neurons when K+ channels were blocked by tetraethylammonium chloride and 3,4-diaminopyridine. MeHg (100 μM) reduced both Na+- and Ba2+-dependent components to block within 3–5 min at apparently equivalent rates. Time to block was approximately 7 min after exposure to 50 μM MeHg. In 2 of 5 preparations exposed to 50 μM MeHg, the Ca2+ channel-mediated component was blocked prior to the Na+ channel-mediated component. In the remaining three preparations, Na+- and Ba2+-dependent potentials were blocked at similar times. Following block by MeHg, neither perfusing the preparation in MeHg-free solutions nor increasing the intensity and/or duration of stimulus to the intercostal nerves resulted in recovery of Na+ or Ca2+ potentials. In the presence of K+ channel blockers, repetitive firing of nerves in response to a single stimulus was observed in 20–30% of the triangularis preparations; in the two preparations treated with MeHg in which repetitive firing was observed, it decreased prior to block of the stimulus-induced Na+/Ba2+ potentials. These results corroborate the results obtained in isolated synaptosomes and pheochromocytoma cells, and suggest that MeHg decreases motor nerve excitability by disrupting Na+ channel function and may block neurotransmitter release by disrupting Na+ and Ca2+ channel function.
Quantal Duration of Auditory Memories

Neuronal responses in the caudomedial neostriatum (NCM) of adult zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata ) decreased upon repeated, unreinforced presentations of conspecific song, calls, or other complex sounds. This “stimulus-specific habituation” is a form of learning, and its spontaneous loss, a form of “forgetting.” Spontaneous forgetting occurred only at narrowly defined times (2 to 3, 6 to 7, 14 to 15, 17 to 18.5, 46 to 48, or 85 to 89 hours after first exposure to a stimulus), determined by stimulus class, number of presentations, and interval between presentations. The first five forgetting times coincided with periods when gene expression and protein synthesis in NCM were required for maintenance of the longer lasting (85 to 89 hours) habituation. The number of successive episodes of gene expression induced by a stimulus, but occurring long after stimulus presentation, appears to determine the quantal duration of auditory memories.
Using functional near infrared spectroscopy to measure moral decision-making: effects of agency, emotional value, and monetary incentive

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been investigated extensively with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and identified as a neural substrate central to emotion regulation and decision-making, particularly in the context of utilitarian moral dilemmas. However, there are two important limitations to prior work: (1) fMRI imposes strict constraints on the physical environment of the participant and (2) experimental manipulations have yet to consider the role of agency and personal incentive on both brain-based and behavioral correlates. To address the first limitation, we investigated functional near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which showed it was a potential alternative to fMRI for observing the decision-making processes in a less-constrained environment [1]. To address the second, we examined the role of agency in deciding moral and non-moral dilemmas and whether the influences can be further modulated by way of monetary incentives. Our findings show that all three factors exert influences on both...
A Method of Measuring the Field Strength of High-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

An analysis of a case of an electron beam directed parallel to a uniform steady magnetic field with a high-frequency electromagnetic field at right angles to the magnetic field results in a relation among the variables which is particularly simple, if the magnetic field is adjusted so that e s s/ mc ωco wherωco is the frequency of the electromagnetic field (Gaussian units). One use of the relation mentioned is that of measuring the field strength of the high-frequency field.
A tale of two economies: Economic restructuring in post-socialist Poland

Abstract This paper examines Poland's post-socialist economic transformation at the industry level. Cluster analysis is used to group sectors which have experienced similar patterns of transformation. The analysis identifies two distinct patterns. In one group, sector restructuring has been accomplished largely through firm turnover. The economic incentives established with the 1990 “Big Bang” reforms have been sufficient to promote restructuring in this group. In a second group, restructuring has lagged. Industry restructuring has been held back by slow progress in restructuring large state-owned enterprises. Several explanations for this dichotomy, and the implications for reform are discussed.
The Role of Spirituality in Purpose in Life And Academic Engagement

The focus of this paper is on the effects of spirituality as a variable in the path model and the effects of purpose in life as a mediating variable to academic engagement and academic success.
Ethnic differences in dry eye symptoms: Effects of corneal staining and length of contact lens wear

Abstract Purpose To explore the relationships among length of contact lens (CL) wear, degree of corneal staining and severity of dryness symptoms, and to determine whether these relationships differ between Asians and non-Asians. Methods Adapted soft CL wearers ( n =395; 180 Asian, 215 non-Asian) were required to discontinue CL wear for at least 24h and report to the University of California, Berkeley Clinical Research Center (UCB-CRC). Fluorescein corneal staining was graded according to Brien Holden Vision Institute scales. Length of CL wear was reported by subjects and subjective dryness ratings were collected using the UCB-CRC Dry Eye Flow Chart (DEFC). Results More Asian CL wearers exhibited corneal staining compared to non-Asians, and Asian CL wearers had a higher mean grade of corneal staining ( p p p Conclusions Asian soft CL wearers reported more severe dryness symptoms and demonstrated more severe corneal staining overall compared to non-Asians. Among non-Asians, dryness symptoms were less severe on average with increased years of CL wear and more severe in the presence of corneal staining. Dryness severity does not appear to be related to years of CL wear or corneal staining among Asians.
Mobilization of Endothelial and Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells by Adenovector‐Mediated Elevation of Serum Levels of SDF‐1, VEGF, and Angiopoietin‐1

The chemokine stroma-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is produced within the bone marrow and mediates chemokinesis and chemotaxis on a variety of cell types that express the CXCR4 receptor. SDF-1-responsive cell types include monocytes and macrophages, B and T lymphocytes, platelets and megakaryocytes, and CD34+ cells, including both hematopoietic progenitors and stem cells. We have used intravenous injection of a replication-incompetent adenovector expressing the SDF-1 gene to elevate serum levels of SDF-1 in Balb/c and SCID mice. Within 3 to 5 days there was a marked leukocytosis, predominantly involving monocytes, and a three-fold increase in platelets. In addition, AdSDF-1 mobilized CFU-GM, CFU-s, and cells with long-term repopulating potential. We have identified a bone marrow-derived, circulating endothelial stem cell characterized by expression of the VEGFR2 (Flk-1/KDR). This cell exhibits a chemotactic and chemokinetic response to SDF-1 and VEGF. We have elevated serum levels of VEGF165 using intravenous adenovector gene delivery and compared this to an adenovector expressing angiopoietin-1 alone or in combination with VEGF. VEGF elevation was associated with rapid mobilization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and a population of Flk-1-positive endothelial progenitors. In contrast angiopoietin induced a delayed mobilization of endothelial and hematopoietic progenitors. The combination of VEGF and angiopoietin produced a more prolonged elevation of these progenitors in the circulation with increased proliferation of capillaries and expansion of sinusoidal spaces in the marrow.
High-resolution model of the microtubule.

Abstract A high-resolution model of the microtubule has been obtained by docking the crystal structure of tubulin into a 20 A map of the microtubule. The excellent fit indicates the similarity of the tubulin conformation in both polymers and defines the orientation of the tubulin structure within the microtubule. Long C-terminal helices form the crest on the outside of the protofilament, while long loops define the microtubule lumen. The exchangeable nucleotide in β -tubulin is exposed at the plus end of the microtubule, while the proposed catalytic residue in α -tubulin is exposed at the minus end. Extensive longitudinal interfaces between monomers have polar and hydrophobic components. At the lateral contacts, a nucleotide-sensitive helix interacts with a loop that contributes to the binding site of taxol in β -tubulin.
Dialogue in Evaluation A Relational Perspective

Dialogue in evaluation is presented as a fundamental value commitment to engagement, particularly engagement with the relational, moral and political dimensions of our contexts and our craft. Because it is at root a relational and communicative activity, effective dialogue in evaluation is inclusive of all legitimate stakeholder interests and involves interactions that are respectful, reciprocal and equitable. Effective dialogue, in turn, can enhance the democratizing potential of evaluation.
Involvement in Transition Planning Meetings Among High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Although students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are least likely to attend and participate in transition planning meetings, little is known about factors related to their involvement. Using a national data set, we conducted regressions to identify predictors of the involvement of 320 youth with ASD. Attendance positively related to higher expressive language skills, greater time spent in general education, and more frequent discussions about postschool plans at home. Attendance negatively related to greater parent involvement at school. Active participation was shown by students who had higher self-advocacy skills, spent more time in general education, and more often discussed postschool plans at home. Active participants were also more likely to be younger and Caucasian. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Seasonal mean circulation in the Yellow Sea } a model-generated climatology

The three-dimensional climatological circulation is computed for the Yellow and Bohai Seas in a series of six bimonthly realizations. The model (QUODDY, Lynch et al., Continental Shelf Res. 16(7) (1996) 875) is nonlinear, tide-resolving, and baroclinic with level 2.5 turbulence closure. Data inputs include seasonal hydrography, seasonal mean wind and river input, and oceanic tides. Results for winter and summer exhibit two distinct circulation modes. In winter, strongnortherly wind drives southward flow at the surface and alongboth Korean and Chinese coasts. This is compensated by deep return flow } the Yellow Sea Warm Current } in the central trough of the Yellow Sea, penetrating to the Bohai. The Changjiang discharge exits to the southwest in winter, trapped alongthe Chinese coast. In summer, a water mass produced by winter cooling } the Yellow Sea Cold Water } is isolated in the deep central trough, setting up cyclonic circulation over the eastern Yellow Sea. Summer winds from the south drive northeastward flow alongthe Chinese coast. The net result is a qualitative reversal of the winter pattern. The Changjiang discharge is driven offshore toward the Korean Strait by the summer wind. The winter and summer circulations are partitioned dynamically amongtidal rectification, baroclinic pressure g radients, wind response, and river input from the Changjiang. Wind dominates the winter pattern. In summer, baroclinic pressure gradients dominate the eastern Yellow Sea; with wind, tidal rectification, and input from the Changjiang dominant to the west of the cyclonic gyre. The seasonal cycle indicates that January and March exhibit the same basic winter pattern. May is quiescent, followed by July which defines the summer mode. September shows the same general summer pattern, with features shifted westward. November is a transition period followed by winter conditions. # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Analysis and benchmarking of a Whegs™ robot in USARSim

Simulation of robots in a virtual domain has multiple benefits, including serving as a training tool for end users and serving as a tool for robot testing and development. USARSim (Unified System for Automation and Robot Simulation) is a simulation tool that is being used to accomplish these goals. It is based on the Unreal Tournament 2004 gaming engine, which approximates the physics of how a robot interacts with its environment. A family of robots that can benefit from simulation in USARSim are Whegstrade* robots. Developed in the Biorobotics Laboratory at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Whegstrade robots are highly mobile ground vehicles that use abstracted biological principles to achieve a robust level of locomotion, including passive gait adaptation and enhanced climbing abilities. This paper describes a Whegstrade robot model that was constructed and benchmarked in USARSim. The model was given the same kinds of physical characteristics found in real Whegstrade vehicles. With these traits in place, a validation study was performed for the simulation by comparing the rotational body motions of the virtual and real robot. Specifically, we examine the robotpsilas pitch and roll ranges and frequencies (found to be about 10 degrees to 12 degrees and 5.5 Hz respectively). By altering the simulation parameters in a physically relevant way, the virtual robotpsilas performance was moved to be more in line with these values.
Directed mutagenesis reveals that two histidines in tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 are each essential for the suppression of cell migration, invasion, and tumorigenicity

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are secreted proteins that regulate the activity of metalloproteinases, enzymes important in development, tissue remodeling, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis. To assess the importance of three highly conserved amino acids, His7, Aspl6, and His95, in determining the biological properties of mouse TIMP-1 , they were mutated into Arg, Tyr, and Arg, respectively. Recombinant vectors constructed to express the wild-type and mutant TIMP-1 proteins under the control of the metallothionein promoter were transfected into mouse melanoma BI6FIO cells, which produce very little TIMP-1 . Individual clones were isolated and characterized by Southern, Northern, and Western blotting to verify the presence of the TIMP-1 minigene and its expression. Analyses of conditioned media for collagenase-inhibiting activity indicated that both histidine mutants, but not the aspartic acid mutant, were functionally impaired. An investigation of the cell migration, matrix invasion, and tumor formation capabilities of several individual clones representing each of the mutants revealed that the HislArg and His95Arg mutations, but not the Aspl6Tyr mutation, largely abolished the ability of the protein to inhibit all of these activities. These data establish that for BI6FIO cells, endogenously generated TIMP-1 is an effective inhibitor not only of matrix invasion and tumorigenicity but also, unexpectedly, of cell motility on plastic. The novel finding that both His7 and His95 are separately essential for significant TIMP-1
Human hypoglossal motor unit activities in exercise

The genioglossus (GG) muscle is considered the principal protruder muscle of the tongue that dilates and stiffens the pharyngeal airway. We recorded whole muscle and single motor unit (MU) activities in healthy adults performing progressive intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer. Tungsten microelectrodes were inserted percutaneously into the GG of 11 subjects (20-40 years) to record electromyographic (EMG) activities and pulmonary ventilation (VI) at rest and at workload increments up to 300 W. Increases in respiratory drive were associated with increases in VI, mean inspiratory flow (Vt/Ti) and tonic and phasic components of the GG EMG activity. In contrast, individual MUs typically showed expiration-related decreases in firing as exercise intensity increased. We suggest the decrease in MU activity may occur secondary to afferent feedback from lungs/chest wall and that compensation for more negative inspiratory airway pressures generated during heavy exercise occurs primarily via recruitment of previously silent MUs.
National Mythologies and Ethnic Cleansing: The Expulsion of Czechoslovak Germans in 1945

Beginning in January of 1946, trains filled with Sudeten Germans—forty wagons, thirty passengers per wagon—left Czechoslovakia daily for the American Zone of occupied Germany. By the end of 1946, the Czechoslovak government completed the “organized transfer” of almost 2 million Germans, and it did so in a manner that in many respects fulfilled the mandate of the Potsdam agreement that the resettlement be “orderly and humane.” But a focus on these regularized trainloads of human cargo obscures the extent of the humanitarian disaster facing Germans during the summer months of 1945, immediately after the Nazi capitulation. By the end of 1945, Czech soldiers, security forces, and local militias had already expelled over 700,000 Sudeten Germans to occupied Germany and Austria. As many as 30,000 Germans died on forced marches, in disease-filled concentration camps, in summary executions, and massacres.
Writing a credible form letter: implications for hospitality and tourism service recovery strategy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how to identify red flags in letters responding to customer complaints and demonstrate elements of effective response letters.Design/methodology/approach – Using actual form letter responses, the paper shows how to identify weaknesses in form letters and remedies for improving their credibility. Measurement criteria follow the concept of fairness which has roots in Kant's moral idealism theory.Findings – The paper identifies key elements that should be included in credible form letters. A combination of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice is required for an effective response.Practical implications – Tourism and hospitality managers issuing effective template responses (form letters) have the opportunity to improve consumer trust, loyalty, and future complaint intentions.Originality/value – The training exercises provide examples for managers and consultants to teach employees how to develop effective responses to customer complaints.
Evaluation of the valence band discontinuity of Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si heterostructures by application of admittance spectroscopy to MOS capacitors

In this study, admittance spectroscopy is applied for the first time to MOS capacitors fabricated on Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si double-heterostructures, in order to evaluate the valence band discontinuity /spl Delta/E/sub v/ at the Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ interface. The principle of the measurement is presented and verified by the experimental results. A new feature of admittance spectroscopy applied to MOS capacitors is the ability to select the interface whose barrier is measured, by controlling the gate voltage. This fact is confirmed by the measurement of MOS capacitors, which include a SiGe well with different Ge contents at the front and the back interfaces. It is found from this measurement that, while /spl Delta/E/sub v/ at the back interface of the double-heterostructure is measured under slight depletion conditions for MOS capacitors, /spl Delta/E/sub v/ averaged between the front and the back interfaces is measured under accumulation conditions. The Ge/sub x/ content dependence of the measured /spl Delta/E/sub v/ is found to be in fairly good agreement with the theoretical values.
Mapping subsets of scholarly information

We illustrate the use of machine learning techniques to analyze, structure, maintain, and evolve a large online corpus of academic literature. An emerging field of research can be identified as part of an existing corpus, permitting the implementation of a more coherent community structure for its practitioners.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the 12S central subunit of transcarboxylase from Propionibacterium shermanii

The hexameric 12S central subunit of transcarboxylase has been crystallized in both free and substrate-bound forms. The apo crystals belong to the cubic space group P4232, with unit-cell parameters a = b = c = 188.5 A, and diffract to 3.5 A resolution. Crystals of two substrate-bound complexes, 12S with methylmalonyl CoA and 12S with malonyl CoA, are isomorphous and belong to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 115.5, b = 201.4, c = 146.9 A, β = 102.7°. These crystals diffract to 1.9 A resolution with synchrotron radiation. Two useful heavy-atom phasing derivatives of methylmalonyl CoA-bound crystals have been obtained by co-crystallization or crystal soaking.
JavaMOP: efficient parametric runtime monitoring framework

Runtime monitoring is a technique usable in all phases of the software development cycle, from initial testing, to debugging, to actually maintaining proper function in production code. Of particular importance are parametric monitoring systems, which allow the specification of properties that relate objects in a program, rather than only global properties. In the past decade, a number of parametric runtime monitoring systems have been developed. Here we give a demonstration of our system, JavaMOP. It is the only parametric monitoring system that allows multiple differing logical formalisms. It is also the most efficient in terms of runtime overhead, and very competitive with respect to memory usage.
Review: information technology and organizational performance: an integrative model of it business value

Despite the importance to researchers, managers, and policy makers of how information technology (IT) contributes to organizational performance, there is uncertainty and debate about what we know and don't know. A review of the literature reveals that studies examining the association between information technology and organizational performance are divergent in how they conceptualize key constructs and their interrelationships. We develop a model of IT business value based on the resource-based view of the firm that integrates the various strands of research into a single framework. We apply the integrative model to synthesize what is known about IT business value and guide future research by developing propositions and suggesting a research agenda. A principal finding is that IT is valuable, but the extent and dimensions are dependent upon internal and external factors, including complementary organizational resources of the firm and its trading partners, as well as the competitive and macro environment. Our analysis provides a blueprint to guide future research and facilitate knowledge accumulation and creation concerning the organizational performance impacts of information technology.
The dielectric response of chloromethylsilyl and dichloromethylsilyl dipolar rotors on fused silica surfaces

We have measured the dielectric response of monolayer films of surface mounted chloromethyl- and dichloromethylsilyl dipolar rotors on fused silica at frequencies in the 1 kHz range and temperatures from 4 to 300 K. The torsional potentials, calculated from molecular mechanics, show an asymmetrical three-fold barrier to rotation with a barrier height sufficient to hinder motion of the rotor at experimental temperatures. A broad distribution of barrier heights is observed experimentally, consistent with calculated results showing that the intrinsic barrier of the rotor is modified by interactions with the underlying substrate. For a series of samples with differing concentrations of the rotor, the observed signal strength varies in proportion to the rotor coverage measured by Auger spectroscopy; however, the absolute strength of the signal is about three times larger than expected.
On the Meaning of Markets in Higher Education

We provide a review of the ways in which the concept of markets has been – and could be – applied to higher education. We contrast the ways in which the market idea has been applied to higher education by policymakers and academics in general with the economist’s textbook definition and perspective on markets as they apply to profit-making firms. We focus on the attributes of markets in higher education (specifically, how higher education services are priced and bundled for consumers), with specific attention given to a detailed exploration of the various markets that exist within the higher education industry in the United States. We examine how to identify the different markets within higher education and the resulting implications for policymakers.
The relation between earnings-based measures in firm debt contracts and CEO pay sensitivity to earnings

Abstract I investigate how implicit incentives provided by earnings-based debt covenants affect the structure of CEO compensation contracts. This provides a new and unique view of how the CEO׳s incentives are shaped by not only his compensation contract but also debt contracts. I find when debt contracts contain an earnings-based covenant, the CEO׳s pay sensitivity to earnings is muted. Additionally, I find some evidence that pay sensitivity to earnings varies with earnings-based covenant slack. This study provides evidence consistent with shareholders rebalancing the CEO׳s earnings incentives in the presence of earnings-based covenants, thereby tilting incentives away from earnings performance.
A Three-Dimensional Model for Visual Analysis of Group Structure

dictatorship. Anaxagoras maintained that snow is black, but no one believed him. The social psychologists of the future will have a number of classes of school children on whom they will try different methods of producing an unshakable conviction that snow is black. Various results will soon be arrived at: first, that the influence of home is obstructive; second, that not much can be done unless indoctrination begins before the age of ten; third, that verses set to music and repeatedly intoned are very effective; fourth, that the opinion that snow is white must be held to show a morbid taste for eccentricity. But I anticipate. It is for future scientists to make these maxims precise and discover exactly how much it costs per head to make children believe that snow is black and how much less it would cost to make them believe it is dark grey. Although this science of mass psychology will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions are generated. When the technique has been perfected, every government that has been in control of education for a generation will be able to control its subjects securely without the need of armies of policemen.18
The Tonotropic Action of Acetylcholine on the Auricle of the Terrapin, (Pseudemys elegans)

Tonic oscillations of the auricular musculature in certain species of terrapins is a well established fact.1 This tonicity apparently depends upon the presence of auricular smooth muscle2 since tonus is not found in the auricles of species which do not contain it. Tone is increased by pituitrin, histamine, nicotine, potassium chloride and barium chloride and depressed or abolished by epinephrine and tyramine.4, 5 Tonus is generally believed to be increased by stimulation of the vagus.1, 6 Recently, however, it has been reported that the tonus mechanism is not innervated by parasympathetic motor nerves since it is not influenced by physostigmine or atropine.7Therefore, for a more complete understanding of this mechanism, it seemed necessary to know the action of acetylcholine on tonus.In the experiments here described, the terrapin (Pseudemys elegans) was used. The auricles were carefully cut away from the ventricle and large veins and suspended by threads between the tip of a glass L-tube and a heart leve...
Sixteen Years’ Experience with Therapeutic Donor Insemination

Therapeutic donor insemination was performed in 107 "normal" patients, using an intracervical technique and two inseminations per cycle on alternate days. Seventy-seven patients became pregnant (71.9%), and 103 conceptions occurred. Of these pregnancies, 72.8% occurred in the first 3 months of treatment and 95.2% occurred within 6 months. The spontaneous abortion rate was 18.4% The number of females born was slightly higher (54%) than the number of males (46%). There was one complication in this series (acute pelvic inflammatory disease), most probably due to inadvertent intrauterine (endometrial) insemination.
Processing and Uses of Consumed Energy

The previous two chapters discussed the various means by which consumers obtain sufficient rations. This chapter focuses on the various fates of ingested material and how this apportionment affects consumers. In this section, we will look at the overall scheme of the flow of ingested material; in the following section, we examine the processes that affect the various fates of matter ingested by consumers and some consequences of this partitioning. In many instances the rates of each process vary so widely that it is necessary for comparative purposes to use ratios between two of the processes, which we refer to as efficiencies. After completing the examination of partitioning of food in specific populations, we consider how the partitions are put together in energy budgets for populations and ecosystems.
Insights into hydrologic and hydrochemical processes based on concentration-discharge and end-member mixing analyses in the mid-Merced River Basin, Sierra Nevada, California

Both concentration-discharge relation and endmember mixing analysis were explored to elucidate the connectivity of hydrologic and hydrochemical processes using chemical data collected during 2006-2008 at Happy Isles (468 km2), Pohono Bridge (833 km2), and Briceburg (1,873 km2) in the snowmelt-fed mid Merced River basin, augmented by chemical data collected by the USGS during 1990-2014 at Happy Isles. Concentration-discharge (C-Q) in streamflow was dominated by a well-defined power-law relation, with the magnitude of exponent (0.02-0.6) and R2 values (p<0.001) lower on rising than falling limbs. Concentrations of conservative solutes in streamflow resulted from mixing of two endmembers at Happy Isles and Pohono Bridge and three at Briceburg, with relatively constant solute concentrations in endmembers. The fractional contribution of groundwater was higher on rising than falling limbs at all basin scales. The relationship between the fractional contributions of subsurface flow and groundwater and streamflow (F-Q) followed the same relation as C-Q as a result of endmember mixing. The F-Q relation was used as a simple model to simulate subsurface flow and groundwater discharges to Happy Isles from 1990 to 2014 and was successfully validated by solute concentrations measured by the USGS. It was also demonstrated that the consistency of F-Q and C-Q relations is applicable to other catchments where endmembers and the C-Q relationships are well defined, suggesting hydrologic and hydrochemical processes are strongly coupled and mutually predictable. Combining concentration-discharge and endmember mixing analyses could be used as a diagnostic tool to understand streamflow generation and hydrochemical controls in catchment hydrologic studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A Model for Materials Science in Physics and Chemistry Curricula and Research at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

Materials science skills and knowledge, as an addition to the traditional curricula for physics and chemistry students, can be highly valuable for transition to graduate study or other career paths in materials science. The chemistry and physics departments at Weber State University (WSU) are harnessing an interdisciplinary approach to materials science undergraduate research. These lecture and laboratory courses, and capstone experiences are, by design, complementary and can be taken independently of one another and avoid unnecessary overlap or repetition. Specifically, we have a senior level materials theory course and a separate materials characterization laboratory course in the physics department, and a new lecture/laboratory course in the chemistry department. The chemistry laboratory experience emphasizes synthesis, while the physics lab course is focused on characterization techniques. Interdisciplinary research projects are available for students in both departments at the introductory or senior level. Using perovskite materials for solar cells, WSU is providing a framework of different perspectives in materials: making materials, the micro- and macrostructure of materials, and the interplay between materials to create working electronic devices. Metal-halide perovskites, a cutting-edge technology in the solar industry, allow WSU to showcase that undergraduate research can be relevant and important. The perovskite materials are made in the chemistry department and characterized in the physics department. The students involved directly organize the collaborative exchange of samples and data, working together to design experiments building ownership over the project and its outcomes. We will discuss the suite of options available to WSU students, how we have designed these curricula and research, as well as some results from students who have gone through the programs.
Participatory Building Communities and the Production of Design Knowledge

Using as my case studies postwar Levittown remodeling and present-day IKEA hacking, I explain how members of participatory building communities find creative expression through modifying standardized commercial products. By sharing their personalized design practices, commenting on each other's ideas, and engaging in a group of like-minded customizers, community members build social capital through the merger of personal and collective intelligence. The ways in which these communities create and perform design knowledge have serious implications for questions of production and expertise within architectural practice.
The management of patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis with serologic disease only after orchiectomy

AbstractManagement of patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis who have persistently elevated serum tumor marker levels (α-fetoprotein and/or human chorionic gonadotropin) following orchiectomy and no clinical evidence of disease is controversial. We reviewed our experience with 15 such patients at our cancer center between March 1977 and November 1991. Group 1 (11 patients) underwent initial retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and group 2 (4 patients) received primary chemotherapy. All group 1 patients required subsequent chemotherapy for retroperitoneal disease or persistent marker elevation, whereas only 1 of the 4 who received primary chemotherapy required later surgery. We conclude that tumor marker elevation in this setting is usually indicative of systemic tumor, which is best treated primarily by initial chemotherapy.
Intraparenchymal pericatheter cyst in ventriculoperitoneal shunt failure.

A 60-year-old man status post right parieto-occipital ventriculoperitoneal shunt with programmable valve for indication of delayed hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage returns to clinic 7 weeks after placement for insidious onset of headaches, confusion and gait imbalance. CT scan of the head without contrast revealed an intraparenchymal pericatheter cystic collection with severe oedema (figure 1). The patient denied systemic signs of illness, and laboratory markers for infection were low. A tap of the shunt reservoir revealed no spontaneous flow and difficulty …
Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Asthma

Measurements of airway responsiveness have improved our understanding of asthma considerably. But of course we still have a lot to learn. In this presentation, am going to start by saying a little about measurement before going on to talk about the interrelationships between hyperresponsiveness and the other characteristics of asthma. The objective of the presentation is to illustrate how these studies have improved our understanding of the nature of asthma and its treatment.
Stability of the superprotonic conduction of (1-x)CsH2PO4/xSiO2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) composites under dry and humid environments

Abstract We have used temperature- and time-resolved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and thermal analysis methods to investigate the effect of mixing CsH2PO4 with nano-silica on the superprotonic conduction of this solid acid. We collected data on (1-x)CsH2PO4/xSiO2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) composites in dry (air) and humid (PH2O ∼ 0.38 atm) environments at temperatures below and above the superprotonic transition of CsH2PO4 (TSP ∼ 234 °C). We first observed that a three-order-of-magnitude proton conductivity jump occurred in the unmixed sample (x = 0) at TSP, even under dry conditions and despite chemical changes (dehydration). We also found that the proton conductivity of the x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 composites measured at T = 260 °C in air is nearly one order of magnitude greater than that of the unmixed phosphate (x = 0). Even more significantly, we found that humid sample environments have no effect on the stability of the proton conductivity of the x = 0.2 composite measured over a 10 h timespan at temperatures above TSP. This is contrary to the behavior of the x = 0 sample, which is known [31] to be stable under humid conditions, but undergoes a three-order-of-magnitude proton conductivity drop in air.
Communication of Feelings and Relationship: Greeting Card Buying Behavior

As gifts, greeting cards have no apparent economic or functional value. This study examines empirically greeting card usage and focuses on the role of greeting cards in building and sustaining relationships.
Sustainable Development and Use of Ecosystems with Non-forest Trees

Non-forest trees are components of managed ecosystems including orchards and agroforestry systems (see for example Sect. III.5.2.(i) for a discussion of agroforestry systems) and natural ecosystems such as savannas (Box III.5.9) and riparian corridors (Box III.5.10). Each of these ecosystems includes trees but does not have a complete tree canopy or spatial extent necessary to create a true forest ecosystem. Nonetheless, orchards, agroforestry, savannas, and riparian corridors each represent important land uses in terms of their ecosystem services and in supplying food and fiber for human use.