cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-Learning: Facilitating Learning through Technology

Many predict that the biggest growth in the Internet, and the area that will prove to be one of the biggest agents of change, will be on-line learning, or e-learning. Recent surveys show that 50% of all corporate training is being done through technology. We are seeing similar trends in certain parts of Universities and other educational institutions. However, application of e-learning in Information Systems (IS) teaching or research is limited. The purpose of this tutorial is to provide an overview of e-learning to encourage and facilitate IS professionals’ teaching and research efforts. The ultimate question is: Can technology really facilitate learning? If “yes”, how do we use technology effectively to help activate and challenge our learners? To answer these questions, this tutorial: 1. Provides a technology map of e-learning technology that can be used to support learning in a classroom or from a distance; 2. Outlines key research issues in e-learning focusing on those where IS research can add value; 3. Shares best practices for implementing and using technology effectively in IS learning situations; and 4. Discusses how instructor roles and skills need to change to be effective in technology-supported environments, particularly in distance learning situations. This tutorial is useful for the researcher or practitioner interested in using technology to improve learning. The tutorial assumes that participants have minimal technical backgrounds in e-learning technologies.
Continued-function solutions and eikonal approximations

Formal solutions to a class of initial-value fluid problems are converted to explicit solutions given in terms of “continued functions”. Simplifications analogous to eikonal approximations of particle scattering theory are suggested, and an exact but implicit solution is constructed for a special situation of two-dimensional Euler flow.
Self-Organization of Orientation Maps, Lateral Connections, and Dynamic Receptive Fields in the Primary Visual Cortex

We set up a combined modelof sparse coding bottom-up feature detectors and a subsequent attractor with horizontalw eights. It is trained with filtered grey-scale natural images. We find the following results on the connectivity: (i) the bottom-up connections establish a topographic map where orientation and frequency are represented in an ordered fashion, but phase randomly. (ii) the lateral connections display local excitation and surround inhibition in the feature spaces of position, orientation and frequency. The results on the attractor activations after an interrupted relaxation of the attractor cells as a response to a stimulus are: (i) Contrast-response curves measured as responses to sine gratings increase sharply at low contrasts, but decrease at higher contrasts (as reported for cells which are adapted to low contrasts [1]). (ii) Orientation tuning curves of the attractor cells are more peaked than those of the feature cells. They have reasonable contrast invariant tuning widths, however, the regime of gain (along the contrast axis) is small before saturation is reached. (iii) The optimalresp onse is roughly phase invariant, if the attractor is trained to predict its input when images move slightly.
Resource-Based Fitness Sharing

This paper introduces a new algorithm for sharing to induce niching and speciation. Resource-based fitness sharing is a compromise between the very natural method of resource sharing and the practical technique of fitness sharing. Fitness sharing was meant to simulate resource sharing for function optimization problems, in which there are no explicit resources to share. Fitness sharing therefore cannot resolve resource-defined niches as can resource sharing. However, selection operators seem to have great difficulty handling the non-linear interactions among shared fitnesses under "natural resource sharing". To obtain the benefits of both methods, we propose a sharing function that utilizes actual resources but in a form similar to that of fitness sharing, resulting in a set of linear equations for equilibrium, and hence much simpler dynamics under selection. The superiority of this compromise is demonstrated on a resource-coverage problem.
Some aspects of stratospheric dynamics

Observations of the stratosphere are analyzed. The behavior of the wind and temperature in the stratosphere is compared to that of the troposphere. Techniques for observing the circulation and temperatures of the stratosphere and the basic circulation and temperature characteristics are described. The propagation of tropospheric planetary waves to the stratosphere and their interaction with the mean flow are studied. The stability of the zonal-mean state in the stratosphere is investigated by calculating the meridional gradient of zonal-mean quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity.
Integrating Whole‐Genome Expression Results into Metabolic Networks with Pathway Processor

Genes never act alone in a biological system, but participate in a cascade of networks. As a result, analyzing microarray data from a pathway perspective leads to a new level of understanding the system. The authors' group has recently developed Pathway Processor (http://cgr.harvard.edu/cavalieri/pp.html), an automatic statistical method to determine which pathways are most affected by transcriptional changes and to map expression data from multiple whole-genome expression experiments on metabolic pathways. This unit presents applications of the Pathway Processor software.
Aging in Rural Appalachia: Perspectives from Geriatric Social Service Professionals

This paper uses qualitative methodology to explore the experience of growing old in rural Appalachia. Given the growing population of older adults seeking and utilizing services, it is important to understand the challenges and specific needs related to aging. Within the context of rural Appalachia, these challenges and needs may be different than those in urban areas or areas outside of the region itself. From interviews with 14 geriatric service providers in rural southeast Ohio, the authors were able to identity three prevalent themes associated with aging in rural North Central Appalachia: scarcity of resources, valuing neighbors and family, and the prevalence of drug use. These findings suggest that preparation and ongoing training of rural geriatric social workers should include attention to topics such as substance abuse and strengthening social support networks that often exist in these regions.
Spatially Periodic Electromagnetic Force Field For Plasma Confinement and Control

A scientific concept referred to as a "force field" is defined as a short-range, static electromagnetic field that can reflect a charged particle of either sign of charge that approaches at any angle of incidence. A force field is envisioned as consisting of a spatially periodic sequence of magnetic cusps that are electrostatically plugged using applied electrostatic voltage variations similar to those found in nested Penning traps. The effective range of the force field would be small compared to the dimensions of a nearby source of charged particles, such as a plasma confined by the force field. A theoretical understanding is developed of the single-particle reflection properties of a force field, considering the incident charged particles to have a non-drifting, isotropic velocity distribution. Classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations and analytical modeling are employed. The initiation of an experimental effort to study force fields is described.
Endotoxin and tumour necrosis factor do not cause mortality from caecal ligation and puncture

Macrophage tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production is thought to represent an important pathogenic mechanism by which Gram-negative sepsis is mediated. We compared the effects of caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) on endotoxin-sensitive (C3HHeSnJ) and endotoxin-resistant (C3HHeJ) mice. Mortality after CLP for C3HHeSnJ mice compared with C3HHeJ mice was not significantly different (32% and 55%, respectively). When survivors were injected with lipopolysaccharide intraperitoneally on the 7th day after CLP, the mortality rate was 82% for C3HHeSnJ mice versus 0% for C3HHeJ mice (P < 0.0001). Serum endotoxin levels at 24 h after CLP were only slightly elevated. Serum TNF levels and peritoneal macrophage TNF production were undetectable in C3HHeJ mice and were only slightly elevated in C3HHeSnJ mice by 24 h after CLP. Peritoneal macrophage mRNA levels for TNF-α, IL-1β, and I-Aα displayed a similar pattern in the two strains of mice, with a 2- to 3-fold increase in TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA levels by 24 h and a sharp decrease in I-Aα mRNA by 24 h. The cause of mortality in mice that undergo CLP cannot be attributed to overwhelming endotoxemia and/or TNF production.
Actions of quinacrine on rna and casein syntheses in mouse mammary gland explants

Quinacrine at concentrations of 0.025 mM and greater significantly reduced or abolished the prolactin stimulation of RNA synthesis in mouse mammary gland explants. At concentrations of 0.01 mM or greater, the stimulatory action of prolactin on [3H]-leucine incorporation into a casein-rich protein fraction was also reduced or abolished. The possible relationship of these actions of quinacrine to its inhibition of phospholipase A2 and/or prostaglandin biosynthesis is discussed.
Operational production of multichannel sea surface temperatures from NOAA polar satellite AVHRR data

Abstract Data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) flown on the NOAA series of polar-orbiting environmental satellites have been used to produce operational sea surface temperature (SST) products since January 1979. With the implementation of linear Multichannel SST (MCSST) equations and multichannel cloud screening tests in November 1981, accuracy and resolution improved significantly. Recently (March 1990), accuracy has been improved again with the implementation of nonlinear SST equations. When compared with drifting buoy SST observations, daytime and nighttime satellite SST observations produced from these new equations have global biases less than 0.3°C and standard deviations less than 0.7°C. From a daily global set of approximately 120,000 SST observations at 8 km resolution, series of operational products are produced routinely, some of which are of interest to the climate community.
Morphological and Genetic Activation of Microglia After Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury in the Rat

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors experience long-term post-traumatic morbidities. In diffuse brain-injured rats, a chronic sensory sensitivity to whisker stimulation models the agitation of TBI survivors and provides anatomical landmarks across the whisker-barrel circuit to evaluate post-traumatic neuropathology. As a consequence of TBI, acute and chronic microglial activation can contribute to degenerative and reparative events underlying post-traumatic morbidity. Here we hypothesize that a temporal sequence of microglial activation states contributes to the circuit pathology responsible for post-traumatic morbidity, and test the hypothesis by examining microglial morphological activation and neuroinflammatory markers for activation states through gene expression and receptor-binding affinity. Adult male, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a single moderate midline fluid percussion injury (FPI) or sham injury. Microglial activation was determined by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR and receptor autoradiography in the primary somatosensory barrel field (S1BF) and ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPM) of the thalamus at 7 and 28 days following FPI. Morphological changes indicative of microglial activation, including swollen cell body with thicker, shrunken processes, were evident in S1BF and VPM at 7 and 28 days post-injury. Principally at 7 days post-injury in VPM, general inflammatory gene expression (major histocompatibility complex I, major histocompatibility complex II, translocator protein 18 kDa [TSPO]) is increased above sham level and TSPO gene expression confirmed by receptor autoradiography. Further, CD45, a marker of classical activation, and TGF-βI, an acquired deactivation marker, were elevated significantly above sham at 7 days post-injury. Daily administration of the anti-inflammatory ibuprofen (20mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the expression of these genes. Evidence for alternative activation (arginase 1) was not observed. Thus, these data demonstrate concomitant classical activation and acquired deactivation phenotypes of microglia in diffuse TBI in the absence of overt contusion or cavitation. Anti-inflammatory treatment may further alleviate the neuropathological burden of post-traumatic inflammation.
A digital SQUID controller

Abstract We describe the performance of an improved DC SQUID controller base upon a PC data acquisition board with a single digital signal processor (DSP). The main DSP algorithm, which handles the flux-locked-loop, is optimally written in assembly language. To improve the performance of the controller, we have added a custom built frequency converter circuit that matches the modulation frequency of the DSP system to that of a commercial SQUID sensor and preamplifier. The noise level of the DC SQUID controller system is comparable with a commercial analog system, ∼4μΦ 0 / Hz at 100 Hz . The current system could control up to 5 SQUID channels.
Anisotropic interface depinning: Numerical results.

We study numerically a stochastic differential equation describing an interface driven along the hard direction of an anisotropic random medium. The interface is subject to a homogeneous driving force, random pinning forces, and surface tension. In addition, a nonlinear term due to the anisotropy of the medium is included. The critical exponents characterizing the depinning transition are determined numerically for a one-dimensional interface. The results are the same, within errors, as those of the ``directed percolation depinning'' (DPD) model. We therefore expect that the critical exponents of the stochastic differential equation are exactly given by the exponents obtained by a mapping of the DPD model to directed percolation. We find that a moving interface near the depinning transition is not self-affine and shows a behavior similar to the DPD model. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Phosphomimetic Mutations Increase FXYD1 Oligomerization, but Does Not Alter its Quaternary Conformation

Phospholemman (FXYD1, or PLM) is a key regulator of Na+-K+ ATPase in the heart, and is principally phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC). To investigate whether phosphorylation alters FXYD1 structure and oligomerization, we fused cyan or yellow fluorescent protein (CFP/YFP) to the c-terminus of FXYD1 and co-expressed the fusion proteins in AAV-293 cells. Phosphorylation of FXYD1 was mimicked by mutations S68E (PKA site) or S63E/S68E (PKC+PKA sites), and FRET from CFP-FXYD1 to YFP-FXYD1 was quantified by acceptor photobleaching. FRET increased with protein concentration up to a maximum (FRETmax), which was taken to represent the intrinsic FRET of the bound complex. We did not detect significant changes of FRETmax with phosphomimetic mutations, suggesting the quaternary structure of FXYD1 oligomer is not grossly altered by phosphorylation. The concentration dependence of FRET also yielded the relative dissociation constant of the FXYD1 oligomer (Kd), in arbitrary units (AU). Compared to non-phosphorylatable mutant S68A, S68E showed a significant decrease in Kd (14.1 ± 2.0 and 7.3 ± 2.0 AU, respectively). The data are consistent with more avid oligomerization of pseudo-phosphorylated FXYD1. Phosphomimetic mutation of both PKC and PKA sites (S63E/S68E) resulted in a Kd of 6.6 ± 1.1 AU, suggesting there was not a significant additional increase in oligomerization vs. the single site mutation. Taken together, the data suggest that phosphorylation can enhance FXYD1 oligomerization without altering the architecture of the oligomeric complex. Increased FXYD1 oligomerization may have an indirect effect on the regulatory interaction of FXYD1 with Na+-K+ ATPase.
Self-injurious behavior in rats produced by intranigral microinjection of GABA agonists.

Abstract Bilateral injection of the GABA agonist muscimol (10–300 ng) into the caudal substantia nigra (pars reticulata) of rats produced dose-dependent stereotyped gnawing and self-biting. Limiting the opportunity to graw on inanimate objects shifted the dose-response curve for muscimol-induced self-injurious behavior (SIB) to the left and increased the maximum incidence of SIB. Microinjection of muscimol (30 ng) into the rostral and caudal regions of the substantia nigra were equally effective in producing SIB, though the incidence of SIB decreased sharply when muscimol was injected 1 mm rostral or caudal to the substantia nigra. Bilateral intranigral injection of THIP (100–1000 ng) and (±)baclofen (100–1000 ng) induced a low incidence of SIB. However, neither IP administration of picrotoxin (5 mg/kg) or simultaneous microinjection of (+)bicuculline methiodide (BMI; 300 or 1000 ng) along with muscimol (30 ng) blocked muscimol-induced SIB. In fact, (+)BMI increased the occurrence of self-biting and reduced the latency to onset of SIB. The involvement of GABAergic mechanisms in muscimol-induced SIB is discussed.
EFFECT OF HIGH TEMPERATURE CONDITIONING ON SUBCELLULAR DISTRIBUTION AND LEVELS OF LYSOSOMAL ENZYMES

The control (C) side of 23 animals was placed in a 2°C chill room at 1 hr postmortem, while the other side was high temperature cdnditioned (HT) at approximately 22°C for 4 hr postmortem, at 12°C for an additional 8 hr and was then placed in the 2°C chill room. The activity of cathepsin C and β-glucuronidase was measured on the nuclear, micro somal, and unsedimentable fractions at 12, 18 and 24 hr postmortem in order to determine the amount of sedimentable and free enzyme activity at these postmortem times. High temperature conditioning enhances the disruption of the lysosomal membrane as evidenced by a significant increase in percent of free enzyme activity at 12 hr postmortem for both cathepsin C and β-glucuronidase. There was also a significant decrease in total activity for both enzymes of the HT group at 12 hr postmortem due to autolysis of the free enzyme. These differences were not present at 18 and 24 hr postmortem (except for decreased total activity of cathepsin C at 18 hr), indicating that differences caused by high temperature conditioning take place very early postmortem and that the differences in enzyme activities are not detectable at later postmortem times. These results indicate that some of the differences in tenderness produced by HT treatments are possibly associated with the increased level of free lysosomal enzymes during the first 12 hr postmortem.
Impact-force source and impact-force calibrator: Paper discusses a procedure for the design of a transducer, called an impact-force source, which can be used as a dynamic calibrator for force transducers or as a design tool to provide a known half-sine-type impact force

A pendulum-force transducer called an impact-force source has been developed which can serve two purposes. The impact-force source can be used to accurately calibrate other force transducers dynamically and can also be used to supply a known and repeatable impact half-sine-type force for impact studies. The magnitude and duration of the impact force produced by the impact-force source can be varied by changing certain physical parameters of the force source. A simple design procedure was developed to determine the values of the parameters of the force source.
Role of ethylene in phytochrome-induced anthocyanin synthesis

Synthesis of anthocyanin pigments in etiolated cabbage seedlings is influenced by ethylene at concentrations higher than 10 ppb, and etiolated seedlings produce sufficient ethylene to influence their anthocyanin synthesis. When escape of endogenous ethylene from this tissue is enhanced by means of hypobaric treatment, anthocyanin synthesis is accelerated. Stimulation of anthocyanin synthesis by brief red illumination is completely prevented by applied ethylene and indoleacetic acid inhibits anthocyanin synthesis by stimulating ethylene production. Red light reduces endogenous as well as auxin-induced ethylene production and there is a close correlation between light-induced inhibition of ethylene synthesis and stimulation of anthocyanin formation. We suggest that in part photo-induced anthocyanin synthesis is due to a lowered ethylene content in light-treated tissue.
YBa2CU3O7-x THICK FILMS DEPOSITED BY PHOTO-ASSISTED METAL-ORGANIC CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION

High-quality YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) thick films with thickness over 4.0μm were deposited by photo-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (PhA-MOCVD) technique with high growth rates. Microstructures of YBCO thick films have been systematically investigated by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction techniques. The fabricated YBCO thick films are very dense and single-crystal like with no visible grain boundaries or voids. The high quality of the prepared YBCO thick films was confirmed further by the results of X-ray diffraction analyses and Jc measurements. Thus, these thick YBCO films prepared by PhA-MOCVD technique have promising application potential in fields such as coated conductors.
Alkylation as a route to reduction of copper(II) by tetraalkyllead

The mechanism of the facile reduction of copper(II) complexes by tetraalkyllead compounds is explored. Two processes are considered: the first involving the alkylation of copper(II), followed by subsequent homolysis of the alkylcopper(II) species, and the second involving an electron transfer to form a tetraalkyllead cation radical. The pattern of methyl/ethyl reactivities in several electrophilic alkylations are compared with those in the copper(II) reduction. Selectivities in the mass spectral cracking patterns of various tetraalkyllead compounds are used as models for the selective cleavages of cation radicals. Since the selectivities for cleavage of CH3Pb and CH3CH2Pb bonds are different for the two processes, it is concluded that the rate-limiting step in the reduction of copper(II) chloride by tetraethyllead occurs by a transalkyllation process.
PANCREATIC BIOTINIDASE ACTIVITY: THE POTENTIAL FOR INTESTINAL PROCESSING OF DIETARY PROTEIN-BOUND BIOTIN

PANCREATIC BIOTINIDASE ACTIVITY: THE POTENTIAL FOR INTESTINAL PROCESSING OF DIETARY PROTEIN-BOUND BIOTIN
Function and fusion at the mandibular symphysis.

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the functional significance of a fused mandibular symphysis, characteristic of all Anthropoidea. The trait may date to the origins of the suborder. A histological study of 11 prosimian species determined the anatomy of the symphysis. A cinefluorographic film ofGalago crassicaudatus mastication was studied to identify movements at the symphysis. A similar pattern of fibrocartilage and ligaments characterizes all prosimians studied. These tissues are arranged to resist (a) movements seen during mastication inG. crassicaudatus, i.e., antero-posterior shear and spreading of the inferior borders of the symphysis and (b) hypothesized dorso-ventral shear resulting from the transfer of force from the balancing side muscles to the bite point. Partial fusion of the symphysis was found in the folivorous speciesLemur fulvus, L. macaco, Propithecus verreauxi, andHapalemur griseus. Only those tissues associated with resisting occlusally or dorso-ventrally directed forces were calcifying or ossifying. This research suggests that the added occlusal force necessary for leaf-eating has resulted in the evolution of varying degrees of symphyseal fusion in the above species. It is suggested that the protoanthropoids also ate tough foods that required relatively large bite forces.
Non-linear coupling of kink modes in tokamaks

The m = 2, n = 1 kink mode is shown to be capable of destabilizing the m = 1, n = 1 internal kink. A nonlinear Lagrangian theory is developed for the coupling of modes of different pitch and is applied to the interaction of these modes. The coupling to the m = 2 mode provides sufficient additional destabilization to the internal mode to permit it to account even quantitatively (where it had failed when considered by itself) for many of the features of the disruptive instability.
Lymphocyte adhesion to endothelial cells in vitro: Models for the study of normal lymphocyte recirculation and lymphocyte emigration into chronic inflammatory lesions

Lymphocytes preferentially leave the bloodstream to enter secondary lymphoid organs or sites of inflammation by first adhering to, and then migrating through, the walls of specialized postcapillary venules known as high endothelial venules. To study the initial adhesion event between lymphocytes and endothelial cells, two different in vitro assays have been developed. In the first, lymphocytes are incubated on frozen sections of lymphoid organs or other tissues. Under certain conditions, lymphocytes specifically bind to the endothelial cells of high endothelial venules in such sections. The results of monoclonal antibody inhibition studies have suggested that endothelial cells at various lymphoid organs, and at certain inflammatory lesions, may express organ-specific ligands on their surface, which bind to corresponding organ-specific “homing receptors” on the lymphocytes. The second assay measures the adhesion of lymphocytes to confluent monolayers of viable, cultured endothelial cells. Because pretreatment of such cell monolayers with a number of cytokines produced at inflammatory sites stimulates an increase in the adhesiveness of the cells for lymphocytes, it has been suggested that such cytokine-induced increases in endothelial cell adhesiveness may be important in the induction of lymphocyte traffic into such lesions. Unlike the homing receptor type of binding described above, the cytokine-induced increase in lymphocyte-endothelial cell adhesion is presumably non-tissue-specific. Results of monoclonal antibody inhibition studies in this system have suggested that at least two ligand-receptor interactions may be involved. Monoclonal antibodies to the lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 greatly inhibited the adhesion of T cells to untreated endothelial cells, but had little or no inhibitory effect on T-cell adhesion to cytokine-treated endothelial cells. J Invest Dermatol 93:88S–95S, 1989
Patterns of ocular injury from paintball trauma.

Sir, Paintballs pose a significant risk for devastating ocular trauma.1 ASTM International2 regularly publishes eye protection standards for paintball, and guidelines from the National Professional Paintball League3 in the United States require that players exposed to shooting areas wear eye protection that meets these standards. ASTM International has updated their standards four times since 1999, most recently in 2012. To assess the impact of these guidelines, this study investigated the patterns of ocular paintball trauma that presented to US emergency departments (EDs) from 2001 to 2010. The study received Institutional Review Board exemption from Rhode Island Hospital. Data were extracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS-CPSC) and reviewed for demographics, diagnosis, locale, and eye protection status.4 Patients were included if they visited an ED from 2001 to 2010 with an injury that (1) involved paintball equipment and (2) affected the eye. Weighted estimates were calculated using SAS version 9.1.2 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA). All statistical estimates represent weighted frequencies based on data from 100 representative US EDs. Of 11 827 paintball-related eye injuries from 2001 to 2010 (Table 1), most occurred in patients who were male (10 906; 92.2%) and aged 10–19 years (8055; 68.1%). The highest proportion of injuries occurred from 2001 to 2004 (13.7–15.2%). Of 1586 patients with eye protection data, 724 (45.6%) removed protection immediately before injury and 863 (54.4%) were not wearing protection. Table 1 Demographics and characteristics of patients with ocular paintball trauma in the United States from 2001 to 2010 This study found that ocular paintball injuries are decreasing over time but – despite clearly defined eye protection guidelines – remain a persistent challenge, especially in males and young patients. Several injuries were related to removing or not using eye protection. Moreover, similar proportions of injuries occurred at home and in commercial settings. This suggests the need for further enforcement of eye protection protocols, regardless of locale. The interpretation of the type and severity of injuries was limited by minimal ocular code-based data within NEISS-CPSC.4 In addition, the NEISS-CPSC did not include cases that presented outside of EDs. In conclusion, additional strategies are needed to reduce the incidence of preventable paintball injuries, including placing age or licensure limitations on paintball equipment sales and better enforcement of eye protection requirements.
Cadmium nephrotoxicity in human proximal tubule cell cultures.

Human proximal tubule kidney cells grown in a serum-free tissue culture medium were exposed to concentrations of CdCl2 in a range of 0.5 to 10μg/ml. Cells were observed from 1 to 20 d upon initiation of cadmium in the culture fluid. Both confluent and subconfluent populations of cells were treated and evaluated for cytotoxicity. Both populations exhibited a concentration-dependent toxicity to ionic cadmium. For cells treated with 2.0 to 10 μg/ml Cd, the decreases in cell numbers were largely irreversible. However, cells treated with Cd in a range of 0.5 to 1.0 μg/ml exhibited a partial recovery of cell number and control morphology. In this range, recovery was more efficient in the subconfluent cultures. Fine structural alterations in Cd-treated tubule cells included condensation of nuclear chromatin, loss of microvilli structure, disorganization of lateral membrane interdigitation, as well as decreased uptake of aminoglycoside antibiotics as evidenced by decreased numbers of myeloid bodies in these cells. The results of this study imply that use of a human proximal tubule culture system has potential in discerning structural and functional effects of cadmium as well as other nephrotoxic metals and compounds on the human kidney.
The effect of powder/water ratio of irreversible hydrocolloid on the bond strength of irreversible hydrocolloid and agar combinations

This study investigated the effect of powder/water ratios of irreversible hydrocolloid on the tensile bond strength of several irreversible hydrocolloid and agar combinations. Each irreversible hydrocolloid was prepared in three different powder/water ratios as follows: (1) normal recommended ratio, (2) 10% more water than normally recommended, and (3) 10% less water than normally recommended. The irreversible hydrocolloid and the agar were joined together in a special loading assembly, which was subjected to tensile loading. The results suggest that except for one irreversible hydrocolloid and agar combination the powder/water ratio had no significant effect on the bond strength. In addition, the results indicate that for a successful bond it is important to choose not only a reformulated agar but a compatible irreversible hydrocolloid.
Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in a Pediatric Patient Population

ABSTRACT Very little is known about the prevalence and composition of various types of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) in pediatric patients. The aims of this study were the following: (i) to determine the prevalence of ESBLs among Enterobacteriaceae in a tertiary-care pediatric population; (ii) to characterize the genetic composition of the identified ESBL enzymes; and (iii) to determine the relative prevalence of CTX-M enzymes and Escherichia coli ST131 strains among ESBL-producing isolates in the same pediatric patient population. Among the 1,430 Enterobacteriaceae isolates screened for elevated MICs to cefotaxime and/or ceftazidime from pediatric patients during a 1-year period, 94 isolates possessed at least one ESBL gene. CTX-M was the most commonly isolated ESBL type, consisting of 74% of all ESBLs versus 27% TEM and 24% SHV enzymes. Sequence analysis and probe-specific real-time PCR revealed that the majority (80%) of the CTX-M-type ESBLs were CTX-M-15 enzymes, followed by CTX-M-14 (17%) and CTX-M-27(2.8%). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and repetitive PCR analyses revealed that the relative prevalence of ST131 among ESBL-producing E. coli isolates is 10.2%. This study highlights the growing problem of ESBL resistance in pediatric Enterobacteriaceae isolates and demonstrates a transition toward the predominance of CTX-M-type enzymes among ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae organisms causing pediatric infections.
Disciplinary, national, and departmental contributions to the literature of library and information science, 2007-2012

We investigate the contributions of particular disciplines, countries, and academic departments to the literature of library and information science LIS using data for the articles published in 31 journals from 2007 to 2012. In particular, we examine the contributions of authors outside the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada; faculty in departments other than LIS; and practicing librarians. Worldwide, faculty in LIS departments account for 31% of the journal literature; librarians, 23%; computer science faculty, 10%; and management faculty, 10%. The top contributing nations are the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, China, Canada, and Taiwan. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, the current productivity of LIS departments is correlated with past productivity and with other measures of reputation and performance. More generally, the distribution of contributions is highly skewed. In the United States, five departments account for 27% of the articles contributed by LIS faculty; in the United Kingdom, four departments account for nearly two-thirds of the articles. This skewed distribution reinforces the possibility that high-status departments may gain a permanent advantage in the competition for students, faculty, journal space, and research funding. At the same time, concentrations of research-active faculty in particular departments may generate beneficial spillover effects.
Nodulation, nitrogen fixation, leaf area, and sugars content inLablab purpureus as affected by sulfur nutrition

In order to explore interrelations between S nutrition, soluble sugars, leaf area, nodulation and N2 fixation, greenhouse experiments were done with several levels of S added to perlite-sand cultures or to a moderately S-deficient soil. Sulfur had indirect effects on nodulation and N2 fixation, possibly by improving sugars supply and N metabolism.
Using Mass Media to Promote Healthy Eating: A Community-Based Demonstration Project

Abstract Background. Many question whether mass media, in the absence of other programming, can produce significant and sustained behavior change. Methods. The 1% Or Less campaign in Wheeling, West Virginia (population 35,000), used paid advertising and public relations to encourage members of one community to switch from whole or 2% milk (high-fat milk) to 1% or fat-free milk (low-fat milk). The study used a quasi-experimental research design with one intervention city and one comparison city. The effectiveness of the campaign was evaluated by collecting milk sales data from supermarkets and conducting pre- and post-intervention telephone surveys in intervention and comparison cities. Results. In the intervention city, low-fat milk sales increased from 29% of overall milk sales before the campaign to 46% of sales in the month following the campaign. The increase was maintained at the 6-month follow up. According to the telephone surveys, 34.1% of high-fat-milk drinkers reported switching to low-fat milk in the intervention community compared with 3.6% in the comparison community ( z = 13.1, P Conclusions. A media-only approach was sufficient to encourage a significant proportion of the people in one community to alter the dietary habit targeted by the intervention.
Is Australian Educational Research Worthwhile

This research examines publication and citation data to assess the contribution of Australian educational research to major international journals. Additionally a set of highly cited articles is reviewed to assess the relevance of educational research to teaching practice and policy making. Australia makes a significant contribution to international educational research, although its share of publications has been increasing over time, whereas its share of citations has remained relatively constant. Substantial turnover in leading research institutions is found over time. It might be possible to explain this turnover by the productivity of a small number of academic staff members. Finally it is found that Australian educational research is extremely relevant to educational practice.
Synthesis of L‐[4,4‐2H2] and D,L‐[3,3,4,4‐2H4] methionine

The syntheses of D,L-[3,3,4,4-2H4]methionine from [2,2,2-2H3] acetic acid in seven steps in an overall yield of 26% and L-[4,4-2H2]methionine from N-t-BOC-L-aspartic acid α-benzyl ester in five steps in an overall yield of 40% are described.
Scene-based nonuniformity correction technique that exploits knowledge of the focal-plane array readout architecture

Spatial fixed-pattern noise is a common and major problem in modern infrared imagers owing to the nonuniform response of the photodiodes in the focal plane array of the imaging system. In addition, the nonuniform response of the readout and digitization electronics, which are involved in multiplexing the signals from the photodiodes, causes further nonuniformity. We describe a novel scene based on a nonuniformity correction algorithm that treats the aggregate nonuniformity in separate stages. First, the nonuniformity from the readout amplifiers is corrected by use of knowledge of the readout architecture of the imaging system. Second, the nonuniformity resulting from the individual detectors is corrected with a nonlinear filter-based method. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm by applying it to simulated imagery and real infrared data. Quantitative results in terms of the mean absolute error and the signal-to-noise ratio are also presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm. One advantage of the proposed algorithm is that it requires only a few frames to obtain high-quality corrections.
Effects of 3 d and 4 d transition metal substitutional impurities on the electronic properties of CrO 2

We present first-principles-based density functional theory calculations of the electronic and magnetic structure of CrO${}_{2}$ with 3$d$ and 4$d$ substitutional impurities. We find that the half-metallicity of CrO${}_{2}$ remains intact for the ground state of all of the calculated substitutions. We also observe two periodic trends as a function of the number of valence electrons: if the substituted atom has six or fewer valence electrons, the number of down spin electrons associated with the impurity ion is zero, resulting in ferromagnetic alignment of the impurity magnetic moment with the magnetization of the CrO${}_{2}$ host. For substituent atoms with eight to ten valence electrons (with the exception of Ni), the number of down-spin electrons contributed by the impurity ion remains fixed at three as the number contributed to the majority increases from one to three resulting in antiferromagnetic alignment between impurity moment and host magnetization. In impurities with seven valence electrons, the zero down-spin and threse down-spin configurations are very close in energy. At 11 valence electrons, the energy is minimized when the substituent ion contributes five down-spin electrons. The moments on the 4$d$ impurities, particularly Nb and Mo, tend to be delocalized compared with those of the 3$d$s.
Fluctuations and Rigidities in Local Labor Markets. Part 2: Reinterpreting Contracts:

Local labor markets are characterized by rigidities in their patterns of adjustment to short-run fluctuations. With or without unions, fluctuations in employment, hours worked, and money wages are unlike the patterns predicted by conventional discrete-exchange labor-market theories. Moreover there are distinct geographical and industrial patterns in the observed rigidities. Neoclassical implicit contract theory has been vindicated. Or has it? Obvious empirical difficulties remain, especially with regard to predicting which adjustment variable has precedence. There are conceptual shortcomings as well, evidenced by ad hoc assumptions of cooperative wealth maximization. By integrating the underlying structure of inequality with the processes of production and exchange, principles of an alternative conceptualization of contract theory are sketched and their implications noted for a set of hypothetical local labor markets. Based upon these arguments a research agenda for analyzing the relational character of local labor markets is briefly outlined.
Disrupting the one-loop renormalization group invariant M/α in supersymmetry

It is well known that in low energy supersymmetry the ratio of the gaugino mass to the gauge coupling squared, M/α, is renormalization group invariant to one loop. We present a systematic analysis of the corrections to this ratio, including standard two-loop corrections from gauge and Yukawa couplings, corrections due to an additional U(1)′ gaugino, threshold corrections, superoblique corrections, corrections due to extra matter, GUT and Planck scale corrections, and “corrections” from messenger sectors with supersymmetry breaking communicated via gauge mediation. We show that many of these effects induce corrections at the level of a few to tens of percent, but some could give much larger corrections, drastically disrupting the renormalization group extrapolation of the ratio to higher scales. Our analysis is essentially model-independent, and therefore can be used to determine the ambiguities in extrapolating the ratio in any given model between the weak scale and higher scales.
Inhibition of Chemokine Expression by Adenovirus Early Region Three (E3) Genes

Adenoviruses (Ad) have a variety of immunoregulatory genes, many of which are clustered in a 3.5-kb segment of DNA known as early region 3 (E3). Ad E3 codes for proteins that downregulate surface expression of class I major histocompatibility antigens and also inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)- and Fas-induced cytolysis. We were interested in determining whether chemokine production or activity might also be inhibited by Ad E3 and we have studied this function in a human astrocytoma cell line, U373. Astrocytes constitute a part of the blood-brain barrier, and chemokines (IP-10, IL-8, MCP-1-4, and MIPs) expressed by them may contribute to leukocyte infiltration within the brain during inflammation. When U373 cells are activated by the proinflammatory molecule TNF-α, the increase in chemokine MCP-1, IL-8, and IP-10 transcripts is blocked by a recombinant Ad expressing the E3 genes under cytomegalovirus promoter control. Comparable Ads expressing green fluorescent protein in place of E3 have no effect on these chemokines. Ads also have been extensively studied as gene therapy vectors and most have a deletion of the E3 region to permit the insertion of larger fragments of foreign DNA. Our results suggest that construction of Ad vectors to include E3 expression cassettes will improve the efficacy and safety of such viral-based gene therapy protocols.
Organoleptic Properties of Foam Spray-Dried Products Made from Deodorized Milk Fat and Skimmilk

Abstract Powders made by foam spray drying mixtures of deodorized milk fat and skimmilk were reconstituted to beverages having a flavor similar to fresh whole milk. When packed in oxygen-free atmosphere of nitrogen, only a slight decline in flavor score was noted during storage for six months at 4 and 27 C. Highest initial flavor score and best storage stability were obtained when continuously made milk fat was deodorized and recombined with the skimmilk without exposure to air prior to condensing and drying with ozone-free air.
A qualitative model for evaluating the effects of flower attractiveness on male and female fitness in plants

Theories of sex allocation make a number of predictions about the relationship between male and female resource investment in flowering plants and realized fitness. Testing these predictions requires quantitative information on costs and benefits associated with various allocation patterns. These data are difficult to obtain even in experimental settings, and may be impossible to obtain in many natural populations. Experimental studies of pollination and female reproduction in plants have been facilitated by the qualitative distinction between resource and pollen limitation of seed set. Here, we present an analogous model for studying relationships between pollinator visitation, pollen production, and pollen export. For animal-pollinated species where seed production is resource-limited, maternal fitness may be enhanced by conserving resources rather than investing in secondary attractive structures. In contrast, pollen export is likely to increase with increasing allocation to advertisements and rewards, at least until anthers are stripped of pollen. EMPIRICAL STUDIES of reproduction in hermaphroditic plants have traditionally emphasized female function, i.e., the successful mat
Percentage points of the extreme roots of a Wishart matrix

SUMMARY This paper tabulates the distribution of the largest and smallest characteristic roots of a Wishart matrix; the computation is based on an approximation derived from work of Pillai. As an application, we present simultaneous confidence intervals for the variance components of the two-way layout with unequal variances.
The Role of Renal Denervation in the Treatment of Hypertension

Resistant hypertension remains a difficult clinical disease to treat. It is known to place a patient at higher risk for developing significant cardiovascular, renal, and cerebrovascular disease. There is a current surge in research investigating renal denervation as potential treatment for resistant hypertension, as an overactive renal sympathetic system is known to exert an influence on the underlying pathophysiology. Several small studies have been published, with more underway, evaluating multiple different catheter-based systems that utilize radiofrequency ablation or ultrasound wave energy. These studies are showing promising results, with reduction in office blood pressure for the majority of patients. However, it appears that this does not always translate into definitive real-world observational effects. Variability exists in the number of patients that are able to reduce the amount of medication they take for hypertension, with some requiring an increase in medication. As a result, a more intensive screening process has been proposed, evaluating specific key predictors that may translate into a more favorable clinical response to renal denervation. We recommend that individuals with resistant hypertension continue to be optimized medically, adequately screened for secondary causes of hypertension, and that they consider participation in a renal denervation clinical trial to aid in further advancing the field.
The Sticky Card: Device for Studying the Distribution of Adult House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Populations in Closed Poultry Houses

A commercially available sticky card was evaluated for use in adult fly distribution studies in large, closed poultry houses in Florida and Maryland. Results showed that house flies, Musca domestica L., preferred the interior parts of the houses, away from the walls. No vertical stratification was observed in Maryland, but flies in Florida stayed closer to the floor. In-house dispersal studies using fluorescent dust showed that flies would move ≈50 m, or one-third the length of the house, in <24 h. Specimens of Hydrotaea aenescens (Wiedemann) (formerly Ophyra aenescens ) were recovered in both states.