cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Similarities and Differences in Human Values between Nurses in Four Countries

 Data on human values were collected from 1410 nurses from Hungary, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Multivariate analysis of covariance, using the mean rating of all 57 individual values, sex, marital status, and age as the covariates, showed significant differences between countries on the 10 value types. However, the variance accounted for by country on each of these values was small. A plot of the adjusted mean scores of each country on each value type, as well as Spearman rho correlations between countries on the 10 value types show that nurses tend to have similar value type profiles across countries. Because years of experience in nursing do not seem to affect these correlations, we presume that nursing attracts people with personal values that are more similar to each other than different across countries, much like the homogenization process that takes place in organizations.
Name‐Authority Control Using dBASE III Plus

We have developed several applications at the University of Texas at San Antonio using the database management software package dBASE III Plus. These applications range from periodical budgeting to controlling gifts and exchange items. Our latest application uses downloaded name authority records in standard translation with SaveScreen on the M300 Workstation as a means for maintaining our name authority control. This dBASE program:
Optimal entanglement formulas for entanglement-assisted quantum coding

We provide several formulas that determine the optimal number of entangled bits (ebits) that a general entanglement-assisted quantum code requires. Our first theorem gives a formula that applies to an arbitrary entanglement-assisted block code. Corollaries of this theorem give formulas that apply to a code imported from two classical binary block codes, to a code imported from a classical quaternary block code, and to a continuous-variable entanglement-assisted quantum block code. Finally, we conjecture two formulas that apply to entanglement-assisted quantum convolutional codes.
Survey on Anxiety in Reading Chinese-English Syntactic Differences: A Case of English Reading Anxiety in Taiwanese University Students

This survey study investigated the potential role of Chinese-English syntactic differences in English reading anxiety among 189 Taiwanese university students. With the use of the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS; Saito, Horwitz, & Garza, 1999) and the Survey of Anxiety in Reading Chinese-English syntactic differences (SARCE; a self-designed measure), the study showed that Chinese-English syntactic differences in the passive and relative constructions were a significant factor attributing to the participants’ English reading anxiety.
Glimpses of fundamental harmony

The Quantum Theory of Fields. Volume 1: Foundations. BySteven Weinberg. Cambridge University Press: 1995. Pp. 609. £35, $49.95.
Sensitivity and resistance of human tumor cells to interferon and rIn . rCn.

Interferon exerts, in addition to its well recognized antiviral activity, an antiproliferative effect1,2 and has been found to reduce plasminogen activator secretion3, to re-establish contact inhibition4 and to inhibit the growth in semi-solid agar5 of neoplastic cells. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is both an interferon inducer and an activator of two interf eron-induced enzymes, a protein kinase and a 2′,5′ oligoadenylate synthetase6. However, the molecular bases for the antiproliferative and antineoplastic effects of interferon, and their relationship to dsRNA, are unknown. We have now characterized the antiproliferative effects of interferon and dsRNA on the human HT1080 fibrosarcoma7 and RT4 epidermal carcinoma8 cell lines. Luria-Delbruck fluctuation analysis9 of interferon resistance indicates that the resistance trait is a non-randomly acquired phenotype which was probably induced by interferon at the time of selection. The interferon-resistant (IFNr) cells retained sensitivity to the antiviral effects of interferon, as well as to the antiproliferative effects of dsRNA.
Physiological regulation of hypothalamic IL-1β gene expression by leptin and glucocorticoids: implications for energy homeostasis

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is synthesized in a variety of tissues, including the hypothalamus, where it is implicated in the control of food intake. The current studies were undertaken to investigate w...
REGENERATION OF THE APICAL ECTODERMAL RIDGE OF THE CHICK LIMB BUD.

Abstract Ectoderm from 3-day chick embryo limb buds was cultured in fluid medium with the following substitutes for the original limb bud mesoderm: agar, nonlimb mesoderm (somites), or fragments of limb bud mesoderm. In all three of these situations, the apical ectodermal ridges degenerated within 7–10 hours. Continued cultivation (total of 20 hours) with agar resulted in degeneration of all the ectoderm. With nonlimb mesoderm the ectoderm survived, seemed healthy, but had no ridge. With limb bud fragments the ectoderm was healthy and a new ridge appeared after the extended interval in culture. Agar-filled ectoderms were kept in culture for various intervals, the agar was removed and replaced by limb mesodermal fragments, and the composite was grafted to a chorioallantoic membrane. Even after an initial culture interval of 7–10 hours, during which time most ridges degenerate completely, such grafts formed outgrowths, developed digits, and showed evidence of having regenerated a new ridge. Equivalent grafts which were made with composite buds which had been started with limb bud mesoderm fragments during the culture interval also formed digits. Regeneration of a new ridge occurred after surgical excision of the original ridge. The excision was performed by a technique which allowed for rapid fusion of the cut ectodermal edges, and regeneration of the new ridge occurred in the presence of limb bud mesoderm. Evidence has been obtained which indicates that ectodermal ridges of chorioallantoic grafts of intact limb buds may undergo early degeneration and regeneration. When the tail ectoderm from 3-day embryos was filled with limb bud mesoderm fragments, an ectodermal ridge formed. Grafts of this sort gave rise to jointed limb elements and digits.
Preservation of immune response after laparoscopy.

We evaluated the immunologic responses following laparoscopic and open surgery by comparing delayed type hypersensitivity induration size before and after each method of accessing the abdominal cavity. One hundred and thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were sensitized with keyhole limpet hemocyanine (KLH). Animals were challenged with KLH and phytohemaglutanin (PHA) 10 days after sensitization. On day 14 after initial sensitization animals were randomly divided into three groups. Group one served as controls and had no procedure performed, group two underwent peritoneal insufflation with carbon dioxide gas to a pressure of 6–8 mm Hg for one half hour, and rats in group three had a midline laparotomy which was closed after one half hour. Each rat was challenged with KLH immediately and at three days post-operatively. The area of induration in response to each of the challenges was measured with calipers 24 and 48 hours after the challenge. Results of this skin testing showed that the group of animals that underwent laparotomy, despite having normal responses preoperatively, had significantly diminished responses to both KLH and PHA when challenged postoperatively. The insufflated group showed no differences from control animals at any time point examined. We conclude that DTH response in this model is better preserved after laparoscopy than laparotomy.
Novel Nonionic Oligosaccharide Surfactant Polymers Derived from Poly(vinylamine) with Pendant Dextran and Hexanoyl Groups

A series of novel surfactant polymers: poly(N-vinyldextran aldonamide-co-N-vinylhexanamide) (PNVDA-co-PNVH), in which hydrophilic dextran oligosaccharides and hydrophobic hexanoyl groups were incorporated simultaneously on to poly(vinylamine) (PVAm), were synthesized, and characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Structurally well-defined poly(vinylamine) was prepared by hydrolysis of poly(N-vinylformamide), which was obtained by free radical polymerization of N-vinylformamide. Dextran molecules (Mw = 1600) were attached to poly(vinylamine) by reacting amine groups with dextran lactone, while hexanoyl groups were attached by reacting amine groups with N-(hexanoyloxy)succinimide. By adjustment of the feed ratio, surfactant polymers with different hydrophilic/hydrophobic balances were prepared. Surface activity of the surfactants at an air/water interface was demonstrated by significant reductions in water surface tension. Surface activity at a solid surface/water interface was demonstrated by atomic ...
Word Obscurity and Acoustic Similarity in the Use of the Keyword Mnemonic

Abstract The keyword mnemonic was examined in two experiments. In the first (n = 37), the keyword method was found to enhance significantly both short- and long-term recall of obscure English words. However, the keyword method did not significantly facilitate the recall of moderately obscure words. In the second experiment (n = 62), the issue of acoustic similarity was not a significant factor influencing the effectiveness of the keyword technique with obscure vocabulary items.
Academic Incivility among Health Sciences Faculty.

Academic health centers are under pressure to graduate more health professionals and, therefore, must retain talented faculty members who can educate students in respective disciplines. Faculty-to-...
Film formation from latex: Hindered initial interdiffusion of constrained polystyrene chains characterized by small-angle neutron scattering

Bulk polystyrene film samples were made from a 50% deuterated latex with a molecular weight of 5.85 × 106 g/mol and 38 nm particle diameter. Because of the high molecular weight and small particle ...
First-Principles Studies of Metal (111)/ZnO{0001} Interfaces

The atomic and electronic structures for various metal (111)/ZnO{111} interfaces were studied by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The Schottky barrier heights (SBHs) were evaluated for Al, Ag, and Au/ZnO interfaces. SBHs at metal/ZnO polar interfaces were found to be very sensitive to the specific interface chemical bonding. Interface metal-zinc bonding tends to give Ohmic contacts, while the contribution of metal-oxygen bonds depends on the specific metal: simple metals gives Ohmic contacts whereas noble metals gives Schottky-like behavior. We discussed the implications of these results for controlling the formation of metal/ZnO contacts.
Type-I Prenyl Protease Function Is Required in the Male Germline of Drosophila melanogaster

Many proteins require the addition of a hydrophobic prenyl anchor (prenylation) for proper trafficking and localization in the cell. Prenyl proteases play critical roles in modifying proteins for membrane anchorage. The type I prenyl protease has a defined function in yeast (Ste24p/Afc1p) where it modifies a mating pheromone, and in humans (Zmpste24) where it has been implicated in a disease of premature aging. Despite these apparently very different biological processes, the type I prenyl protease gene is highly conserved, encoded by a single gene in a wide range of animal and plant groups. A notable exception is Drosophila melanogaster, where the gene encoding the type I prenyl protease has undergone an unprecedented series of duplications in the genome, resulting in five distinct paralogs, three of which are organized in a tandem array, and demonstrate high conservation, particularly in the vicinity of the active site of the enzyme. We have undertaken targeted deletion to remove the three tandem paralogs from the genome. The result is a male fertility defect, manifesting late in spermatogenesis. Our results also show that the ancestral type I prenyl protease gene in Drosophila is under strong purifying selection, while the more recent replicates are evolving rapidly. Our rescue data support a role for the rapidly evolving tandem paralogs in the male germline. We propose that potential targets for the male-specific type I prenyl proteases include proteins involved in the very dramatic cytoskeletal remodeling events required for spermatid maturation.
Generalized scale transforms

We are presenting a new class of transforms which facilitates the processing of signals that are nonlinearly stretched or compressed in time. We refer to nonlinear stretching and compression as warping. While the magnitude of the Fourier transform is invariant under time shift operations, and the magnitude of the scale transform is invariant under (linear) scaling operations, the new class of transforms is magnitude invariant under warping operations. The new class contains the Fourier transform and the scale transform as special cases. Important theorems, like the convolution theorem for Fourier transforms, are generalized into theorems that apply to arbitrary members of the transform class. Cohen's class of time-frequency distributions is generalized to joint representations in time and arbitrary warping variables. Special attention is paid to a modification of the new class of transforms that maps an arbitrary time-frequency contour into an impulse in the transforms that maps an arbitrary time-frequency contour into an impulse in the transform domain. A chirp transform is derived as an example.
A new redox flow battery using Fe/V redox couples in chloride supporting electrolyte

A new redox flow battery using Fe2+/Fe3+ and V2+/V3+ redox couples in chloride-supporting electrolyte was proposed and investigated for potential stationary energy storage applications. The Fe/V redox flow cell using mixed reactant solutions operated within a voltage window of 0.5–1.35 V with a nearly 100% utilization ratio and demonstrated stable cycling with energy efficiency around 80% at room temperature. Stable performance was also achieved in the temperature range between 0 °C and 50 °C. The improved stability and electrochemical activity over a broader temperature range over the current technologies (such as Fe/Cr redox chemistry) potentially eliminate the necessity of external heat management and use of catalysts, making the Fe/V redox flow battery a promising option as a stationary energy storage device to enable renewable integration and stabilization of the electrical grid.
Detection of stress in tomatoes induced by late blight disease in California, USA, using hyperspectral remote sensing

Abstract Large-scale farming of agricultural crops requires on-time detection of diseases for pest management. Hyperspectral remote sensing data taken from low-altitude flights usually have high spectral and spatial resolutions, which can be very useful in detecting stress in green vegetation. In this study, we used late blight in tomatoes to illustrate the capability of applying hyperspectral remote sensing to monitor crop disease in the field scale and to develop the methodologies for the purpose. A series of field experiments was conducted to collect the canopy spectral reflectance of tomato plants in a diseased tomato field in Salinas Valley of California. The disease severity varied from stage 1 (the light symptom), to stage 4 (the sever damage). The economic damage of the crop caused by the disease is around the disease stage 3. An airborne visible infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) image with 224 bands within the wavelength range of 0.4–2.5 μm was acquired during the growing season when the field data were collected. The spectral reflectance of the field samples indicated that the near infrared (NIR) region, especially 0.7–1.3 μm, was much more valuable than the visible range to detect crop disease. The difference of spectral reflectance in visible range between health plants and the infected ones at stage 3 was only 1.19%, while the difference in the NIR region was high, 10%. We developed an approach including the minimum noise fraction (MNF) transformation, multi-dimensional visualization, pure pixels endmember selection and spectral angle mapping (SAM) to process the hyperspectral image for identification of diseased tomato plants. The results of MNF transformation indicated that the first 28 eigenimages contain useful information for classification of the pixels and the rest were mainly noise-dominated due to their low eigenvalues that had few signals. Therefore, the 28 signal eigenimages were used to generate a multi-dimensional visualization space for endmember spectra selection and SAM. Classification with the SAM technique of plants’ spectra showed that the late blight diseased tomatoes at stage 3 or above could be separated from the healthy plants while the less infected plants (at stage 1 or 2) were difficult to separate from the healthy plants. The results of the image analysis were consistent with the field spectra. The mapped disease distribution at stage 3 or above from the image showed an accurate conformation of late blight occurrence in the field. This result not only confirmed the capability of hyperspectral remote sensing in detecting crop disease for precision disease management in the real world, but also demonstrated that the spectra-based classification approach is an applicable method to crop disease identification.
Universal quantum gates for order N=1 OAM states

Universal single-qubit quantum logic gates acting on order N=1 orbital angular momentum states, based on SU(2) Euler rotations and spatial and polarization gate analogues, are investigated. The universal polarization gate analogue was constructed and analyzed.
Effect of host responses on the pathogenicity of strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is implicated in the etiology of periodontitis. Strains of P. gingivalis have been classified as invasive or noninvasive based on their ability to form abscesses in a mouse model. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of P. gingivalis strains to cause abscesses and periodontal bone loss in an experimental rat model and the effect of serum and salivary responses on the pathogenicity of these strains. Subcutaneous injection of animals with P. gingivalis 33277, A7A1-28, W50 or 381 resulted in abscesses in a higher percentage of mice than rats. P. gingivalis 33277 caused lesions at the site of injection, whereas strains A7A1-28 and W50 induced abscesses at distant sites in both mice and rats. Local lesions were seen in rats injected with strain 381, whereas lesions formed distant from the site of injection in mice. When periodontal bone loss was assessed in the experimental rat model, animals challenged with 33277 had the highest amount of horizontal and vertical bone loss. Rats challenged with strain A7A1-28, W50 or 381 had some or no periodontal bone loss compared with controls. Assessment of antibody responses to P. gingivalis in these animals revealed that rats challenged with 33277 had lower levels of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and especially salivary IgA antibody activity than A7A1-28-challenged rats. Serum IgG and in particular salivary IgA anti-P. gingivalis responses were seen in W50- and 381-challenged rats. These results indicate that the ability of P. gingivalis strains to cause abscesses does not relate directly to their periodontal pathogenicity as assessed by periodontal bone loss in the same animal model. The results further suggest the importance of salivary IgA antibody responses in protection against experimental periodontal bone loss after challenge with P. gingivalis.
Membrane fouling characterization by infrared thermography

Abstract An infrared thermography (IRT) technique for characterization of fouling on flat sheet membrane surface has been developed. In this work, an IR camera was used to measure surface temperature and emissivity of foulant on a membrane surface. Different fouling experiments were performed using different feed concentrations of aluminum oxide nanoparticle mixed with deionized water so as to investigate the effect of feed concentration on the degree of fouling and on the emissivity values measured on the membrane surfaces. Our findings revealed that the emissivity of the fouled membrane surface is contingent on the surface roughness as well as the material composition of the foulant. The technique was utilized to distinguish between foulants made of metallic materials from those that are non-metallic. This approach, which is simple to use and nondestructive represents an important addition to the toolset of fouling analysis techniques and would benefit a wide range of applications from observation of foulant structure to qualitative assessment of composition of foulant material.
Long-range effects on calcium binding and conformational change in the N-domain of calmodulin.

Proteins within the EF-hand protein family exhibit different conformational responses to Ca2+ binding. Calmodulin and other members of the EF-hand protein family undergo major changes in conformation upon binding Ca2+. However, some EF-hand proteins, such as calbindin D9k (Clb), bind Ca2+ without a significant change in conformation. Here, we investigate the effects of replacement of a leucine at position 39 of the N-terminal domain of calmodulin (N-Cam) with a phenylalanine derived from Clb. This variant is studied alone and in the context of other mutations that affect the conformational properties of N-Cam. Strikingly, the introduction of Phe39, which is distant from the calcium binding sites, leads to a significant enhancement of Ca2+ binding affinity, even in the context of other mutations which trap the protein in the closed form. The results yield novel insights into the evolution of EF-hand proteins as calcium sensors versus calcium buffers.
Disrupting and Preventing Late-Packet Covert Communication Using Sequence Number Tracking

Modern covert channel communication is the art of hiding secret information in legitimate network traffic in a way that cannot normally be detected by anyone other than the intended receiver. It is growing in its presence and sophistication. This type of communication enables the distribution of malicious or sensitive information and poses a significant network security problem to individuals, organizations, and governments. One popular method of covert communication in RTP streams is the transmission of one or more packets after significantly delaying them. As a result, any normal receiver will discard them as arriving late, whereas covert receivers successfully receive them to extract their payload subverted by the covert transmitter. This provides a covert channel method with significant throughput potential and thus high risk. In this paper we propose a method that can restrict this type of covert communication and prevent the distribution of secret information. Our proposed method takes advantage of buffering the sequence number of the received packets and thus detecting late packets, allowing it to discard them instead of delivering them to the receiver. Therefore, the covert receiver will not be able to intercept and observe these intentionally delayed packets, nor extracting the covert message. The in-depth analysis and our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective and capable of preventing this type of covert communication.
Barbiturate and GABA receptors coupled to benzodiazepine receptors in rat hippocampal formation: a radiohistochemical study.

Abstract This report presents a quantitative radiohistochemical analysis of the regulation of benzodiazepine receptors by pentobarbital in rat hippocampal formation. We compared the barbiturate effects with GABA effects. We found: 1) benzodiazepine receptors in every region of hippocampal formation are coupled to barbiturate receptors; and 2) a similar pattern exists for GABA receptors linked to benzodiazepine receptors.
Energy enzymes from the flight muscle of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus-II. Physical and chemical properties related to purification of the glycolytic enzymes.

1. 1. The isoelectric points (pI0), molecular weights and ammonium sulfate precipitation ranges for most of the glycolytic enzymes from house sparrow (Passer domesticus) flight muscle were determined. 2. 2. The pI0 for each enzyme is as follows: HK∗ (6.8), PGI (6.7), PFK (5.4), Ald (7.2), TPI (7.5), PGK (7.1), PGM (6.1), Enol (6.2), PyK (6.6), and LDH (8.3). 3. 3. The molecular weight for each enzyme is as follows: PGI (145,000), Ald (160,000), TPI (60,000), PGK (35,000), PGM (60,000), Enol (100,000), PyK (200,000), and LDH (145,000). 4. 4. The ammonium sulfate precipitation range for each enzyme is as follows: PGI (0–80%), PFK (40–50%), Ald (40–65%), TPI (30–90%), PGK (70–90%), PGM (30–80%), Enol (45–80%), PyK (55–85%), and LDH (40–65%).
Lifetime Medical Expenditures Among Hypertensive Men and Women in the United States

Abstract Objective Our objective was to estimate lifetime medical expenditures that can be attributed to hypertension, by gender, in the United States, given important gender differences in both survival and medical expenditures. Methods We estimated lifetime medical expenditures among hypertensive and nonhypertensive men and women aged 20 and older. Expenditures were estimated from the 2001 to 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and life expectancies were estimated from the 1986 to 2002 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files. Assuming that medical technology, the cost of health care services, the incidence of disease, and survival were fixed, the cross-sectional age-specific expenditures and the survival profiles were used to estimate the lifetime expenditures from ages 20 to older than 85. Principal Findings The estimated lifetime expenditure for an average life table individual at age 20 was $188,300 for hypertensive men and $254,910 for hypertensive women; however, a greater share of lifetime expenditures can be attributed to hypertension among men ($88,033) than among women ($40,960). Conclusion Although hypertensive women had greater lifetime expenditures than hypertensive men, hypertension was associated with a greater increase in lifetime expenditures for men than for women. Gender differences in both survival and health care utilization have important implications for gender differences in lifetime medical expenditures.
Variations in the abundance of iron on Mercury’s surface from MESSENGER X-Ray Spectrometer observations

Abstract We present measurements of Mercury’s surface composition from the analysis of MESSENGER X-Ray Spectrometer data acquired during 55 large solar flares, which each provide a statistically significant detection of Fe X-ray fluorescence. The Fe/Si data display a clear dependence on phase angle, for which the results are empirically corrected. Mercury’s surface has a low total abundance of Fe, with a mean Fe/Si ratio of ∼0.06 (equivalent to ∼1.5 wt% Fe). The absolute Fe/Si values are subject to a number of systematic uncertainties, including the phase-angle correction and possible mineral mixing effects. Individual Fe/Si measurements have an intrinsic error of ∼10%. Observed Fe/Si values display small variations (significant at two standard deviations) from the planetary average value across large regions in Mercury’s southern hemisphere. Larger differences are observed between measured Fe/Si values from more spatially resolved footprints on volcanic smooth plains deposits in the northern hemisphere and from those in surrounding terrains. Fe is most likely contained as a minor component in sulfide phases (e.g., troilite, niningerite, daubreelite) and as Fe metal, rather than within mafic silicates. Variations in surface reflectance (i.e., differences in overall reflectance and spectral slope) across Mercury are unlikely to be caused by variations in the abundance of Fe.
Glauconites from New Jersey–Maryland Coastal Plain: Their K-Ar Ages and Application in Stratigraphic Studies

Glauconite samples from various stratigraphic levels in the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain were dated by the K-Ar method. Twenty-eight samples were collected from glauconite-bearing sands in four traverses across the outcrop belt of Upper Cretaceous–lower Tertiary formations from northern New Jersey to eastern Maryland, thus providing a framework on which to test the reliability of glauconite for dating in vertical sequences and within some formations along strike. Sample ages were determined paleontologically and radiogenically. The results show that most radiogenic determinations of glauconite followed a systematic pattern; the resultant ages were generally younger upward through the Stratigraphic section. In addition, consistent ages were obtained from many of the stratigraphic units along strike. A combination of paleontologically derived ages and the numerical radiogenic ages suggests that the stages of the Late Cretaceous are unequal rather than equal as some have proposed. For example, Campanian and Paleocene times are of significantly greater duration than the Maestrichtian. Several samples obtained across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary indicate that the age of the boundary is between 63.2 and 59.1 m.y., probably very near 61.1 m.y. Dates considered to be reliable were obtained from 25 of 28 samples. Two of the three discordant ages are ascribed to incomplete glauconitization of the pre-existing mineral phase and hence to mineral impurity. No adequate explanation for the third significantly younger age has been determined.
Balloon-Assisted Fracture Reduction in High-Energy Burst Fractures

The combination of percutaneus vertebral augmentation with posterior instrumentation may be an attractive treatment option for certain high energy burst fractures. Biomaterials such as calcium phosphate cement are biocompatible, share similar biomechanical properties to bone, and are gradually replaced by host bone tissue. Early biomechanical and clinical results indicate that the anterior column may be restored without the need of a traditional anterior surgical approach. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm that this less invasive approach improves patient outcome.
Photocatalytic degradation of ethylene over thin films of titania supported on glass rings

Abstract Volatile organic compounds present in air at low concentrations can be oxidized to carbon dioxide and water when exposed to thin films of titania irradiated with near UV light. Borosilicate glass rings were coated with a titania-sol generated by controlled hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide. A reactant stream containing either 48.99 or 1055 ppm of ethylene was fed continuously to a tubular reactor packed with the coated glass rings and surrounded by blacklight blue fluorescent bulbs. The effluent was analyzed by gas chromatography. Titania supported on glass rings exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than unsupported titania pellets. Preliminary kinetic studies of photocatalytic oxidation of ethylene suggest that the reaction rate can best be described using a Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson rate expression.
Osteophagy by the Grizzly Bear, Ursus arctos

Abstract A shed moose (Alces alces) antler eaten by a grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), which recently emerged from its winter den in western Alaska, contained 40.2% crude protein, 18.5% calcium and 8.5% phosphorous by dry weight. Bears emerging from dens could be experiencing skewed Ca:P ratios resulting in an appetite for bone phosphorus. Protein availability at this time of year in the Andreafsky Mountains may also be limiting. Antlers as part of bear diets may be seasonal, but can be a valuable source of minerals, especially Ca, P, and protein early after den emergence or other critical periods. Grizzly bears can obtain a valuable amount of nutrients by consuming the distal palm ends of shed moose antlers. Distal ends of antlers have thinner cortex where bone material is easier to break than at the antler base. In addition, the greater proportion of spongy bone in antler palms should be easier to digest by bears. The significance of shed antlers to bears as a mineral and protein source is still unclear, bu...
Error propagation in the Gel’Fand–Levitan equation

Abstract This paper considers the relationship between errors in momentum measurements and potential energy created through the Gel’Fand–Levitan equation. An assumed error measurement in the reflection coefficient is traced to the associated error in the potential energy. For the case of the error in momentum being proportional to the wave number, it is shown that the potential energy depends on position with the same proportional error; provided that first order approximations hold.
Estimation of Cascadia Local Tsunami Loads on Pacific Northwest Bridge Superstructures

Abstract The time histories of Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) local tsunami horizontal and vertical loads and the overturning moment on four selected Oregon coastal bridges are computed for different load scenarios. These scenarios, containing the tsunami-free surface elevation and flow horizontal velocity components, are developed using various CSZ rupture models. One of the bridges is selected to evaluate the effect of various bridge geometry characteristics on the resultant tsunami loads. Maximum tsunami horizontal and downward vertical loads are found to occur approximately simultaneously when the tsunami flow reaches the landward side of the bridge cross section and overtops the barrier. A comparison between tsunami loads on a deck-girder bridge and a box-girder bridge under identical tsunami flow condition reveals that on box-girder bridges, (1) maximum horizontal loads are slightly larger, (2) downward vertical loads are smaller, and (3) uplift loads are significantly larger. It is shown that bridg...
Experimental Investigation of Effects of Dowel Misalignment on Joint Opening Behavior in Rigid Pavements

Experimental investigations were conducted to determine the fundamental joint opening behavior of concrete pavements and to evaluate the effects of dowel misalignment on this behavior. The parameters included in the experimental investigations were the number of dowel bars (one, two, three, or five) at the joint, the dowel misalignment type (horizontal, vertical, or combined), misalignment magnitude (0, 1/36, 1/18, 1/12, 1/9 rad), and uniformity across the joint. The effects of these parameters were evaluated for the joint opening behavior and structural distresses observed in the specimens. Forty-seven instrumented laboratory-scale specimens of pavement slabs with doweled joints were tested. The experimental results include the load per dowel-joint opening behavior and observations of structural distress. These results indicate that (a) all pavement joints are initially locked, and opening displacements occur after the load per dowel exceeds 5 to 7 kN or the average bond shear stress exceeds 0.22 to 0.30...
Increase in chromatin associated nuclease activity of excised barley leaves during senescence and its suppression by kinetin

Abstract No significant changes in the composition of chromatin were found when the excised barley leaves were floated on water or on kinetin solution in the dark. However, increases in the activities of chromatin associated ribonuclease and deoxyribonuclease in leaves floated on water were noted and kinetin which retarded senescence drastically suppressed the increases in these enzymes.
Quantum chaos in elementary quantum mechanics

We introduce an analytical solution to one of the most familiar problems from the elementary quantum mechanics textbooks. The following discussion provides simple illustrations to a number of general concepts of quantum chaology, along with some recent developments in the field and a historical perspective on the subject.
Learning management systems: technology to measure the medical knowledge competency of the ACGME.

Aims We report how the learning management system (LMS) Web Course Tools (WebCT) was used to design, implement and evaluate the web-based course ‘Principles of Ambulatory Paediatrics’, taken by paediatric residents during an ambulatory block rotation. This report also illustrates how WebCT can be used to measure the medical knowledge competency required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Methods Eighty paediatric residents completed a 1-month outpatient rotation between July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2002. During this rotation residents were required to complete 4 modules in asthma, otitis media, gastroenteritis and fever, respectively. Each module was evaluated using a standard questionnaire. Results Completion rates for the required modules ranged from 64−72%. Residents in all 3 years of training showed improvement between the pre- and post-test scores for each module, except for postgraduate Year 2 residents in the asthma module. Most residents somewhat agreed, agreed or strongly agreed that the module components were useful and that the experience of completing the modules would improve their ability to take care of patients. Conclusions The LMS WebCT is an innovative and adaptable approach for designing a web-based course for primary care education in paediatrics. The LMS addresses the educational needs of both a clinical division and a residency programme. The LMS also provides an information technology infrastructure to measure the medical knowledge competency required by the ACGME.
Bayesian and least squares approaches to ultrasonic scatterer size image formation

Scatterer size images can be used to describe renal microstructure and function in vivo. Such information may facilitate early detection of disease processes. When high range resolution is required, however, it is necessary to analyze short data segments. Periodogram-based maximum likelihood (ML) techniques for scatterer size estimation are limited in these situations by noise and range-gate artifacts. Moreover, when the input signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the echo signal is small, performance is further degraded. If accurate prior information about the approximate properties of the object is available, it can be incorporated into the solution to improve the estimates by reducing the number of possible solutions. In this paper, use of prior knowledge in scatterer size image formation is investigated. A maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimator, based on a random-object model, and an iterative constrained least squares (CLS) estimator, based on a deterministic-object model, are designed. Their performances and that of a Wiener filter are compared with the ML technique as a function of gate duration and SNR.
Effects of an organotitanate cross-linking additive on the processing and properties of macro-defect-free cement

Abstract We have investigated the effects of an organotitanate cross-linking additive on the processing and moisture sensitivity of macro-defect-free (MDF) cements. The modified samples were formed by a two-part process: first, the as-received calcium aluminate cement powder was coated with the organotitanate compound, followed by the standard MDF cement fabrication procedure. It was estimated that 6 wt% (by weight of the cement powder) of the additive was adsorbed. Rheological measurements showed that cross-linking reactions between the organotitanate additive and the polymer (polyvinyl alcohol-acetate) used to form MDF cement occurred during the high shear mixing process. This led to a 65% reduction in the processing window for the modified pastes as compared to the standard MDF cement pastes. However, the organotitanate-modified MDF cement samples exhibited improved moisture resistance as compared to the standard samples when exposed to 100% relative humidity at 22°C. The most significant result was that the modified samples retained nearly 100% of their initial strength after 200 days of exposure to these conditions, whereas the strength of the standard MDF samples was decreased by approximately 45%.
Customizing the targeting of IGF-1 receptor

The type 1 IGF receptor (IGF-IR) is activated by two ligands, IGF-1 and IGF-2, and by insulin at supraphysiological concentrations. It plays a significant role in the growth of normal and abnormal cells, and antibodies against the IGF-IR are now in clinical trials. Targeting of the IGF-IR in cancer cells (by antibodies or other means) can be improved by the appropriate selection of responsive tumors. This review focuses on the optimization of IGF-IR targeting in human cancer.
Herb-drug interactions

Summary Concurrent use of herbs may mimic, magnify, or oppose the effect of drugs. Plausible cases of herb-drug interactions include: bleeding when warfarin is combined with ginkgo ( Ginkgo biloba ), garlic ( Allium sativum ), dong qual ( Angelica sinensis ), or danshen ( Salvia miltiorrhiza ); mild serotonin syndrome in patients who mix St John's wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) with serotonin-reuptake inhibitors; decreased bioavailability of digoxin, theophylline, cyclosporin, and phenprocoumon when these drugs are combined with St John's wort; induction of mania in depressed patients who mix antidepressants and Panax ginseng ; exacerbation of extrapyramidal effects with neuroleptic drugs and betel nut ( Areca catechu ); increased risk of hypertension when tricyclic antidepressants are combined with yohimbine ( Pausinystalla yohimbe ); potentiation of oral and topical corticosteroids by liquorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra ); decreased blood concentrations of prednisolone when taken with the Chinese herbal product xaio chai hu tang (sho-saiko-to); and decreased concentrations of phenytoin when combined with the Ayurvedic syrup shankhapushpi. Anthranoid-containing plants (including senna [ Cassia senna ] and cascara [ Rhamnus purshiana ]) and soluble fibres (including guar gum and psyllium) can decrease the absorption of drugs. Many reports of herb-drug interactions are sketchy and lack laboratory analysis of suspect preparations. Health-care practitioners should caution patients against mixing herbs and pharmaceutical drugs.
Sp1 binding sites and an estrogen response element half-site are involved in regulation of the human progesterone receptor A promoter.

Progesterone receptor gene expression is induced by estrogen in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Although it is generally thought that estrogen responsiveness is mediated through estrogen response elements (EREs), the progesterone receptor gene lacks an identifiable ERE. The progesterone receptor A promoter does, however, contain a half-ERE/Sp1 binding site comprised of an ERE half-site upstream of two Sp1 binding sites. We have used in vivo deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) footprinting to demonstrate that the half-ERE/Sp1 binding site is more protected when MCF-7 cells are treated with estrogen than when cells are not exposed to hormone, suggesting that this region is involved in estrogen-regulated gene expression. The ability of the half-ERE/Sp1 binding site to confer estrogen responsiveness to a simple heterologous promoter was confirmed in transient cotransfection assays. In vitro DNase I footprinting and gel mobility shift assays demonstrated that Sp1 present in MCF-7 nuclear extracts and purified Sp1 p...
He Who Is Well Prepared Has Half Won The Battle: An fMRI Study of Task Preparation

The neural mechanism underlying preparation for tasks that vary in difficulty has not been explored. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study manipulated task difficulty by varying the working memory (WM) load of the n-back task. Each n-back task block was preceded by a preparation period involving a screen that indicated the level of difficulty of the upcoming task. Consistent with previous work, activation in some brain regions depended on WM load in the task. These regions were used as regions of interest for the univariate and multivariate (classification) analyses of preparation periods. The findings were that the patterns of brain activation during task preparation contain information about the upcoming task difficulty. (1) A support vector machine classifier was able to decode the n-back task difficulty from the patterns of brain activation during task preparation. Those individuals whose activation patterns for anticipated 1- versus 2- versus 3-back conditions were classified with higher accuracy showed better behavioral performance on the task, suggesting that task performance depends on task preparation. (2) Left inferior frontal gyrus, intraparietal sulcus, and anterior cingulate cortex parametrically decreased activation as anticipated task difficulty increased. Taken together, these results suggest dynamic involvement of the WM network not only during WM task performance, but also during task preparation.
First trimester depression scores predict development of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant rural Appalachian women

Gestational diabetes (GDM) occurs in up to 9% of pregnancies. Perinatal depression affects up to 20% of women during pregnancy, and can extend into the postpartum period. A number of studies have linked depression and diabetes, however, whether this applies to GDM or which might come first is less understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential relationship between depression identified in the first trimester of pregnancy and the subsequent development of GDM. Women without pre-existing Type I/II diabetes (n = 1021) were evaluated for depression during the first trimester of pregnancy, and medical records were reviewed to identify a positive history of diabetes. Women identified as depressed during the first trimester were more likely to have GDM compared to those not depressed. After controlling for demographic factors and weight-related variables level of depression in the first trimester still predicted later GDM development. Depression identified in early pregnancy may predict increased risk of subsequent GDM development. Due to the numerous maternal, fetal and neonatal complications associated with GDM, early recognition is essential to promote the best possible outcomes for mother and infant. Recognizing depression as a possible risk factor for GDM development could lead to earlier screening and preventative measures.
Joint Diagnosis and Conversion Time Prediction of Progressive Mild Cognitive Impairment (pMCI) Using Low-Rank Subspace Clustering and Matrix Completion

Identifying progressive mild cognitive impairment (pMCI) patients and predicting when they will convert to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are important for early medical intervention. Multi-modality and longitudinal data provide a great amount of information for improving diagnosis and prognosis. But these data are often incomplete and noisy. To improve the utility of these data for prediction purposes, we propose an approach to denoise the data, impute missing values, and cluster the data into low-dimensional subspaces for pMCI prediction. We assume that the data reside in a space formed by a union of several low-dimensional subspaces and that similar MCI conditions reside in similar subspaces. Therefore, we first use incomplete low-rank representation (ILRR) and spectral clustering to cluster the data according to their representative low-rank subspaces. At the same time, we denoise the data and impute missing values. Then we utilize a low-rank matrix completion (LRMC) framework to identify pMCI patients and their time of conversion. Evaluations using the ADNI dataset indicate that our method outperforms conventional LRMC method.
The Use of Feature Films as Teaching Tools in Social Work Education

Abstract Feature films, and selected clips from them, can be extremely useful tools in social work education. The widespread use and comparative low cost of videotape and now digital videodisks (DVD) have made thousands of feature films easily available to educators, students, and the general public. This article describes how clips from feature films can be used in class to engage students, stimulate discussion, and introduce skill-building exercises. Issues related to having students view entire films outside of class are discussed and a sample assignment is outlined. Technical issues and the general limitations of feature film use are also considered.