cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soil Microbiome Dynamics During Pyritic Mine Tailing Phytostabilization: Understanding Microbial Bioindicators of Soil Acidification

Challenges to the reclamation of pyritic mine tailings arise from in-situ acid generation that severely constrains the growth of natural revegetation. While acid mine drainage (AMD) microbial communities are well studied under highly acidic conditions, fewer studies document the dynamics of microbial communities that generate acid from pyritic material under less acidic conditions that can allow establishment and support of plant growth. This research characterizes the taxonomic composition dynamics of microbial communities present during a six-year compost-assisted phytostabilization field study in extremely acidic pyritic mine tailings. A complementary microcosm experiment was performed to identify successional community populations that enable the acidification process across a pH gradient. Taxonomic profiles of the microbial populations in both the field study and microcosms reveal shifts in microbial communities that play pivotal roles in facilitating acidification during the transition between moderately and highly acidic conditions. The potential co-occurance of organoheterotrophic and lithoautotrophic energy metabolisms during acid generation suggests the importance of both groups in facilitating acidification. Taken together, this research suggests that key microbial populations associated with pH transitions could be used as bioindicators for either sustained future plant growth or for acid generation conditions that inhibit further plant growth.
Therapeutic implications of occupation, sleep hygiene, and neural networks in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Date Presented 04/06/19 The results of this study potentially provide evidence-based support for the development and testing of therapeutic swimming programs for ASD. Insufficient sleep corresponds with exacerbated ASD symptoms and abnormal connectivity of neural networks. Participants who reported swimming as a preferred sport reported significantly higher sleep hygiene scores than nonswimmers. In ASD, higher sleep hygiene scores were associated with increased neural functional connectivity. Primary Author and Speaker: Christiana Butera Additional Authors and Speakers: Emily Kilroy Contributing Authors: Cristin Zeisler, Sharada Krishnan, Gina Gosparini, Laura Harrison, Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
Bearish Analysts and the Issuance of Difficult-to-Beat Earnings Forecasts

We examine a sample of analysts who, despite having a bearish stock recommendation for a covered firm, issue an unusually optimistic earnings forecast at the end of the year. For the period 2004 through 2018, among analysts with an unfavorable stock recommendation, we find that about 5% issue a final earnings forecast prior to the earnings announcement that exceeds even the most optimistic earnings forecast issued by any other analyst covering the stock, presumably in an effort to increase the likelihood that the firm misses earnings expectations. More than 11% of all firm-year observations are subject to at least one such forecast at the hands of a bearish analyst. We find that analysts with pessimistic stock recommendations are more likely to issue these “difficult-to-beat” earnings forecasts when they have greater pressure to justify their negative view of the stock and when the earnings forecast has greater potential to revise investor beliefs. Nevertheless, stock returns associated with these optimistic forecast revisions are muted. We also find that although Thomson Reuters often excludes these forecasts from the consensus earnings estimate, the majority remain in the consensus and increase the likelihood that the firm misses the consensus forecast by about 21%. However, the market reaction to a negative earnings surprise is less severe when a bearish analyst has issued a difficult-to-beat forecast for the firm. Our study sheds light on one perverse strategy analysts use to increase the likelihood of an earnings miss.
Greater Oilfield Water Infrastructure Connectivity: The Case for a ‘Hydrovascular’ Network In the Permian Basin

Fellow Gabriel Collins gave the presentation at the Produced Water Society Conference in Midland, Texas, on August 7, 2019.
A framework and model for absorptive capacity in a dynamic multi-firm environment

Abstract Researchers have made significant strides toward understanding how absorptive capacity influences firm performance. However, most of these developments have been theoretical in nature, and have been conducted in single-firm contexts. Our study answers prior calls for more empirical and mathematical treatments in multi-firm contexts that nurture a vibrant and balanced research stream. Our study adopts a mathematical modeling approach to investigate the influence of absorptive capacity on the performance of a firm in a dynamic multi-firm context. We develop a theoretical framework that drives the modeling exercise to gain insights on two research questions: (1) Relative to the dominant player in the industry, what level of ACap should a firm be endowed with to increase its long-term value in a dynamic environment? (2) Is there a threshold value of ACap endowment that makes it more likely for a firm to challenge the dominant player in the industry? We provide an analytical result, and further, we conduct a numerical study with two firms and seven periods. Our results suggest that there are ACap hurdle rates that a firm must meet to survive and grow. In addition, our model suggests that smaller firms in an industry may do well to strive for unique combinations of ACap, prior knowledge, and initial firm value, to compete successfully against the dominant player in the industry. Our work serves to open new avenues for future research that addresses the influence of ACap endowments on firm performance in dynamic multi-firm environments.
Tapered and non-tapered prosthetic grafts in upper extremity dialysis access: A systematic review and meta-analysis:

Objective:It is unclear whether tapered arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) are superior to non-tapered AVGs when it comes to preventing upper extremity ischemic steal syndrome. We aimed to evaluate the ou...
Reciprocal competitive effects of congeneric invaders, Trapa natans L. and Trapa bispinosa Roxb. var. iinumai Nakano, in established freshwater plant cultures

Abstract Plant diversity is a known indicator of healthy ecosystems, therefore understanding interspecific relationships that structure plant communities is critical for invasive species management. A cryptic introduction of invasive macrophyte water chestnut (Trapa bispinosa var. iinumai) into the northeastern United States prompted investigation into potential competitive interactions between it and two common submersed species in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Vallisneria americana and Hydrilla verticillata. Because the congeneric invader Trapa natans co-occurs in the same watershed with a documented history of negative environmental impacts, it was included for comparison. Reciprocal pairwise competitive effects between water chestnut and resident species were determined by additive reciprocal design, plants were grow in monoculture and biculture under controlled greenhouse conditions for one year. Competitive reciprocal effects between species were evident. Vallisneria americana produced 1.7 X more ramets in monoculture than in combination with Trapa spp. and tuber production was reduced by 37 % in biculture, independent of Trapa competitor. Trapa bispinosa var. iinumai fruit production was reduced by 80 % when grown in biculture with V. americana, and no fruits were produced when grown with H. verticillata. Biculture T. natans fruit production was impacted with less production observed for H. verticillata (54 %) than V. americana (25 %). Trapa bispinosa var. iinumai produced nearly 150 % more biomass in monoculture than T. natans, suggesting increased impacts in species-poor or disturbed areas. Findings suggest established monocultures of V. americana and H. verticillata may be vulnerable to invasion by either species of Trapa, but long-term competitive effects of invasion may not preclude co-existence.
Are Two Knaves Better than One? Every Man a Knave: Hume, Buchanan, and Musgrave's View on Economics and Government

It is commonplace to view market agents as self-interested knaves, while government agents are either as knaves or public-spirited angels. What are the consequences of these different motivational assumptions in modeling governmental and market behavior? We compare David Hume, James M. Buchanan, and Richard Musgrave. We claim that Hume, the only one thinking consistently in terms of the worst-case, offers a second best solution for both the government and the economy, which may turn out to be the best possible solution given human nature. Because of the reciprocal check, two knaves are better than one. More is preferred to less even with vices…
Association of Combined Slow Gait and Low Activity Fragmentation With Later Onset of Cognitive Impairment.

Importance Among older people, slow walking is an early indicator of risk for Alzheimer disease (AD). However, studies that have assessed this association have not considered that slow walking may have different causes, some of which are not necessarily associated with higher AD risk. Objective To evaluate whether low activity fragmentation among older adults with slow gait speed indicates neurological causes of slow walking that put these individuals at higher risk of AD. Design, setting, and participants This prospective cohort study performed survival analyses using data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Participants included 520 initially cognitively normal persons aged 60 years or older. New diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD were adjudicated during a mean (SD) follow-up of 7.3 (2.7) years. Initial assessment of gait speed and activity fragmentation occurred from January 3, 2007, to May 11, 2015, with follow-up completed on December 31, 2020. Data were analyzed from February 1 to May 15, 2021. Exposures Gait speed for 6 m and activity fragmentation assessed by accelerometry. Main outcomes and measures Associations of gait speed, activity fragmentation, and their interaction with incident MCI/AD were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for covariates. Results Among the 520 participants (265 women [51.0%]; 125 Black participants [24.0%]; 367 White participants [70.6%]; mean [SD] age, 73 [8] years), MCI/AD developed in 64 participants. Each 0.05-m/s slower gait was associated with a 7% increase in risk of developing MCI/AD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07 [95% CI, 1.00-1.15]; P = .04). Activity fragmentation alone was not associated with MCI/AD risk (HR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.56-1.23]; P = .35), but there was a significant interaction between gait speed and activity fragmentation (HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.87-0.98]; P = .01). At low activity fragmentation (-1 SD), each 0.05-m/s slower gait speed was associated with a 19% increase in hazard of developing MCI/AD (HR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.07-1.32]), whereas at higher activity fragmentation (+1 SD), gait speed was not associated with MCI/AD (HR, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.93-1.10]). Among participants with slow gait, higher activity fragmentation was associated with higher odds of having lower extremity osteoarthritis (odds ratio, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.01-1.69]) and less decline in pegboard dominant hand performance (β = 0.026 [SE, 0.009]; P > .05). Conclusions and relevance These findings suggest that frequent rests among older adults with slow gait speed are associated with lower risk of future MCI/AD and that this behavioral strategy is associated with a lower likelihood of subclinical neurological impairment.
Trigeminal ganglion cell processes are spatially ordered prior to the differentiation of the vibrissa pad

The rodent trigeminal system is characterized by the punctate organization of its afferents and neurons that replicate the distribution of mystacial vibrissae and sinus hairs on the snout. We have examined the development of topographic equivalence between the sensory periphery on the snout and the brainstem trigeminal nuclei in rats. Lipophilic tracers Dil (1,1'-dioctodecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate) and DiA [4-(4-dihexadecylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide] were used to label trigeminal ganglion cells and their processes differentially from discrete regions of the presumptive vibrissa field in fixed embryos. Our results show that trigeminal ganglion cell processes are spatially ordered as they reach their peripheral and central targets on embryonic day 12 (E12). Peripheral processes of dorsomedially situated ganglion cells course dorsally toward the presumptive vibrissa field, and those of ventrolaterally situated ganglion cells project ventrally. On E13, the central processes of dorsomedially situated ganglion cells enter the brainstem medially whereas those of ventrolaterally situated ganglion cells enter laterally. This spatial order of trigeminal ganglion cell processes precedes the emergence of vibrissa rows in the periphery and the differentiation of brainstem trigeminal nuclei. Thus, the subsequent transfer of the vibrissa-related pattern to the brainstem trigeminal nuclei occurs along a preexisting, spatially aligned bridge formed by the trigeminal ganglion cells.
Regulatory Networks in Pathogenic Bacteria: Lessons from Cell-Cell Communication in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Signal transduction and gene regulation show the steepest dependence on the total number of genes among all functional categories of genes in prokaryotic genomes, and this disproportionate increase in the hierarchical complexity of gene regulation with the increase in genome size may ultimately control the maximum achievable genome size. Vibrio cholerae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are motile organisms with comparatively large genomes and complex regulatory systems reflecting their adaptability to diverse environments. Researchers have begun to decipher the underlying transcriptional networks and the role that these networks play in responding to a multitude of environmental conditions. The authors focus on one such regulatory network, quorum sensing, which allows P. aeruginosa to regulate hundreds of genes, many of which encode virulence factors, in response to population size. The genome-scale studies described in this chapter reveal that P. aeruginosa quorum sensing is a global regulatory system that affects many different cellular functions. The route of P. aeruginosa infection of course depends on the predisposing condition (for example, ventilator-associated pneumonia, burns, surgical wounds, and extended-wear contact lenses predispose to acute infection, whereas cystic fibrosis and implanted medical devices predispose to chronic infection) but also represents an important commitment by P. aeruginosa because acute and chronic routes of infection involve distinctly different virulence factors and bacterial lifestyles. P. aeruginosa quorum sensing is one of the best-understood cell-cell communication systems in bacteria.
Mitigation of Leachates in Blast Furnace Slag Aggregates by Application of Nanoporous Thin Films

The reutilization of slag materials as aggregates is seriously limited by the production of contaminant leachates rich in heavy metals and sulfur when these materials are contacted by water. A unique type of thin-film nanotechnology was used to ameliorate this problem. The surface of the slag was altered by depositing a thin-film comprised of nanoporous oxides. The deposition was performed by coating the aggregates with a suspension containing nanoparticles. Once the water evaporated, a nanoporous thin-film (<0.5 μm) remained firmly attached to the surface of the slag. Different leachate experiments under semi-anoxic conditions were performed using three different nanoparticles oxides films including silica, and titanium. These films were compared against a control. The preliminary results demonstrated that samples coated with one layer of these oxides can decrease the amount of sulfur and calcium in the leachate by 70 and 80%, respectively.
Interpreting clinical evidence of malingering: a Bayesian perspective

Customary ways of reporting on or testifying about malingering have shortcomings. Stating an opinion "with reasonable medical certainty" tells fact-finders little about how much confidence the opinion deserves; stating that an individual's behavior is similar to that of known malingerers does not convey the information that fact-finders really need to know, which is the likelihood that the evaluee in question is a malingerer, given the evaluator's findings. Mossman and Hart (Mossman D, Hart KJ: Presenting evidence of malingering to courts: insights from decision theory. Behav. Sci. Law 14:271-91, 1996) recommend that mental health professionals address this problem by using Bayes' theorem to interpret test data from evaluations. However, these authors do not discuss the use of evidence obtained during interviews and from other clinical contexts, nor do they describe a method for quantifying imprecision in Bayesian probabilities. This article provides examples of how forensic evaluators might use a Bayesian perspective to interpret clinical indicia of malingering observed during evaluations of adjudicatory competence. The article discusses sources of imprecision in Bayesian posterior probabilities, describes a method for characterizing that imprecision using confidence intervals, and then presents several sample calculations that illustrate how interview findings change the likelihood of malingering. The article also discusses the implications of the Bayesian approach for forensic evaluations and for future research on malingered incompetence.
Branching ratios for the photoionization cross section of atomic oxygen

Abstract Branching ratios σ( O 0 3 P → O + 2 D 0 ) σ( O 0 3 P → O + 4 S 0 ) and σ( O 0 3 P → O + 2 P 0 ) σ ( O 0 3 P → 4 S 0 ) are calculated at 584 A and 304 A employing the close-coupling approximation to compute the photoionization cross section values. The coupled channels include the states dominated by the ground configuration 1s22s2p3 of O+and the next excited configuration ls22s2p4. It is found that the partial c section σ( 2 D 0 ) decreases more rapidly than σ( 2 P 0 ) , and at the lower wavelength 304 A, the ratio σ( 2 D 0 ) σ( 4 S 0 ) σ( 2 P 0 ) σ( 4 S 0 ) . Present results at 304 A differ considerably from previous work.
Ineffective Parenting: A Precursor to Psychopathic Traits and Delinquency in Hispanic Females

: Research studies with antisocial children have posited that multiple etiologies, including ineffective parenting, can produce psychopathic traits. The current study evaluated 136 Hispanic females and found that poor parenting predicted psychopathology and poor behavioral controls. Effective clinical interventions with antisocial children should focus on improving quality of parenting.
Functional heterogeneity of monoclonal antibodies obtained using different screening assays.

Abstract Two alternate screening methods have enabled the detection of monoclonal antibodies with different specificities toward the lysosomal enzyme α-mannosidase of Dictyostelium discoideum. Spleen/myeloma hybrid cell cultures were screened for antibody production by separate assays: an indirect enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) based on the antibody binding to enzyme adsorbed on plastic, and a direct assay of the antibodies' ability to precipitate enzyme activity with fixed Staphylococcus aureus cells (Pansorbin). Fourteen stable antibody-producing cell lines resulted from a single fusion; these fell into three distinct classes based on their screening characteristics. A group of eight were positive in both assays, and these immunoprecipitated a 140,000 Mr precursor form of α-mannosidase in addition to the 58,000 and 60,000 Mr mature enzyme subunits from [35S]methionine-labeled total secreted protein preparations. Two of the antibodies were positive only in the immunoprecipitation assay; these failed to precipitate the 140,000 Mr precursor. The third class consisted of four antibodies that were positive only in the ELISA method. These exclusively recognized an altered conformation of the enzyme (precursor and mature forms) that was immobilized either on plastic or on nitrocellulose paper. In addition, only members of this class were able to bind to immobilized fragments of protease-treated enzyme. The implications of these findings for the general design of monoclonal antibody screenings and for the alternative structures of this enzyme are discussed.
Consumer Demand for New Reduced‐fat Foods: An Analysis of Cheese Expenditures

The dairy products industry is adjusting the types of products being marketed by increasing the availability of reduced-fat foods. The desire of consumers to purchase foods with lower fat content is affecting the cheese market with the introduction of recently developed reduced-fat cheese varieties. Econometric models of cheese expenditures for three specific cheese types are estimated, which incorporate censoring of cheese expenditures and the interrelationship between expenditures of full and reduced-fat varieties. Le secteur des produits laitiers s'adapte a la demande a la consommation pour des aliments a teneur reduite en matieres grasses. Cette evolution est en train de toucher le marche du fromage, comme le revele l'arrivee recente de nouvelles varietes de fromage a basse teneur en matieres grasses. Les autres presentent des modeles ecnometriques des depenses affectees e trois types de formuges, comportant une censurisation des depenses en fromage et l'interrelation entre les delpenses accordees aux fromages a teneur en matieres grasses normale et celles devolues aux varietes a i teneur reduite.
The influence of chance and contingency factors on the vocational choice process of nonprofessional workers

Abstract The present study investigated the perceived influence of chance and contingency factors on the career choices of nonprofessional workers. The sample was composed of 447 female workers and 470 male workers. As part of a larger study the workers listed the factors that had influenced their choice of their first job, their present job, and their most satisfying job. They were also asked to consider their entire work history and note events, people, or personal inclinations which influenced their vocational decisions. The workers then rated each of 27 chance or contingency factors concerning the extent of influence (great, some, none) on their career choices. The results are examined and discussed relative to the perceived importance of chance and contingency factors on the career choices of nonprofessional workers. The implications of the results for vocational theory and career counseling are considered.
The Energy Impacts of Solar Heating

The energy required to build and install solar space- and water-heating equipment is compared to the energy it saves under two solar growth paths corresponding to high and low rates of implementation projected by the Domestic Policy Review of Solar Energy. For the rapid growth case, the cumulative energy invested to the year 2000 is calculated to be ½ to 1½ times the amount saved. An impact of rapid solar heating implementation is to shift energy demand from premium heating fuels (natural gas and oil) to coal and nuclear power use in the industries that provide materials for solar equipment.
The importance of outcome measures for assistive technology service delivery systems

Although assistive technology is often hcralded as the means to improved quality of life for people with disabilities, there is little data to support or refute this claim. Now, with the trend in health care toward accountability and performance monitoring, the assistive technology community finds itself without the tools to prove the value of its services. Measures that include both subjective and objective assessments of quality and outcomes need to be developed with the involvement of all stakeholders in the assistive technology community. © 1997 Elsevier Science
High adsorption rate is detrimental to bacteriophage fitness in a biofilm-like environment

Bacterial biofilm is ubiquitous in nature. However, it is not clear how this crowded habitat would impact the evolution of bacteriophage (phage) life history traits. In this study, we constructed isogenic λ phage strains that only differed in their adsorption rates, because of the presence/absence of extra side tail fibers or improved tail fiber J, and maker states. The high cell density and viscosity of the biofilm environment was approximated by the standard double-layer agar plate. The phage infection cycle in the biofilm environment was decomposed into three stages: settlement on to the biofilm surface, production of phage progeny inside the biofilm, and emigration of phage progeny out of the current focus of infection. We found that in all cases high adsorption rate is beneficial for phage settlement, but detrimental to phage production (in terms of plaque size and productivity) and emigration out of the current plaque. Overall, the advantage of high adsorption accrued during settlement is more than offset by the disadvantages experienced during the production and emigration stages. The advantage of low adsorption rate was further demonstrated by the rapid emergence of low-adsorption mutant from a high-adsorption phage strain with the side tail fibers. DNA sequencing showed that 19 out of the 21 independent mutant clones have mutations in the stf gene, with the majority of them being single-nucleotide insertion/deletion mutations occurring in regions with homonucleotide runs. We conclude that high mutation rate of the stf gene would ensure the existence of side tail fiber polymorphism, thus contributing to rapid adaptation of the phage population between diametrically different habitats of benthic biofilm and planktonic liquid culture. Such adaptability would also help to explain the maintenance of the stf gene in phage λ's genome.
Both chemotaxis and net motility greatly influence the infectivity of Vibrio cholerae

The role of chemotaxis in the virulence of gastrointestinal pathogens is ill defined. Counterintuitively, nonchemotactic mutants of the polarly flagellated pathogen Vibrio cholerae greatly out-compete the wild-type strain during infection of the small intestine. We show that the out-competition phenotype is dependent on the direction of flagellar rotation and independent of Toxin Co-regulated Pilus function. Specifically, the out-competition associated with the loss of chemotaxis required the presence of counterclockwise-biased flagellar rotation and smooth straight runs by the bacteria. In contrast, a nonchemotactic strain with clockwise-biased flagellar rotation was confined to small-scale net movement and was attenuated for infection. The significance of the out-competition phenotype was examined and was shown to correlate with a true increase in infectivity. Counterclockwise-biased mutants are aberrantly distributed throughout the infant mouse small intestine and we find that the expression of virulence factors occurs normally in all segments. Thus, alteration of the chemotactic properties of V. cholerae allows it to exploit additional niches in the host intestine.
Immediate and delayed effects of vincristine administered during early postimplantation stages of murine embryogenesis

Vincristine was given to pregnant mice on day 7 1/2 of pregnancy and the teratogenic effects of this treatment were assessed 2 and 3 days thereafter. Most of the embryos in litters removed on day 9 1/2 of pregnancy (2 days after treatment) were morphologically normal, whereas on day 10 1/2 most embryos were either developmentally retarded by the treatment or malformed. The morphologically "normal" embryos removed on day 9 1/2 of pregnancy were cultured in vitro for 24 h. During this procedure more than 50% of them showed growth retardation or abnormal development. These data indicate that exposure of early postimplantation embryos to vincristine has an immediate teratogenic and embryocidal action, and also a delayed effect which becomes apparent only several days after exposure and following an ostensibly "normal" period of embryonic development.
Heterogeneous dose calculations for Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study eye plaques using actual seed configurations and Task Group Report 43 formalism

Abstract Purpose Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) eye plaques (EPs) contain silastic and Modulay materials that introduce 15–30% dose differences compared with all-water dosimetry. A Task Group Report 43 (TG43) dose rate calculation method is presented that includes silastic and Modulay heterogeneous effects, uses the actual plaque seed configuration, is not restricted to a particular commercial treatment planning system, and does not require purchase of additional software. Methods and Materials Dose rate is calculated using TG43 formalism: D o s ˙ e E P ( r , θ ) = S K Λ G L ( r , θ ) G L ( r 0 , θ 0 ) g E P ( r ) F E P ( r , θ ) , with revised radial dose, g E P ( r ) , and anisotropy, F E P ( r , θ ) , functions specific to 125I or 103Pd seeds in COMS EPs. The EP signifies that the functions are specific to COMS EPs. The g E P ( r ) is obtained from Monte Carlo (MC) data for EPs that contain just a single center seed. The F E P ( r , θ ) is obtained by performing a Nelder–Mead Simplex routine to find a least squares solution that minimizes differences between MC dose rate and D o ˙ s e E P ( r , θ ) . Results The TG43 formalism calculations agree with MC results, for 10–22-mm 125I and 103Pd EPs, to within 2% along and near the plaque central axis and within 4% in the penumbra region for depths of 1 mm or greater. Methods and data are provided for COMS plaque calculations using seed models other than 125I Model 6711 and 103Pd Model 200. Because actual seed configurations are used in dose rate calculations, this formalism may also be used to estimate dosimetry for nonstandard seed loadings. Conclusion This manuscript enables the clinical user to perform accurate heterogeneity-corrected dose rate calculations for COMS EPs using TG43 formalism in a spreadsheet or commercial treatment planning system that has a TG43 line source geometry function calculation capabilities.
Growth-regulated α expression in the peritoneal environment with endometriosis

Objective To investigate the presence and modulation of growth-regulated α, a member of the chemokine family with neutrophil chemotactic activity, in the peritoneal fluid of women with or without endometriosis. Methods Peritoneal fluid samples were obtained at laparoscopy from 63 women with endometriosis and 19 fertile women without endometriosis. Endometrial tissue was obtained from uteri after hysterectomy for reasons other than endometrial disease or from endometrial biopsies of reproductive-age women. Cellular RNA was extracted and northern blots were hybridized with an oligonucleotide probe complementary to a specific sequence of growth-regulated α messenger RNA. Growth-regulated α in peritoneal fluid and culture supernatant was quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results The median (range) concentration of growth-regulated α in peritoneal fluid samples from 19 normal fertile women was 27 pg/mL (0–108), from 24 women with moderate endometriosis 34 pg/mL (8–150), and from seven with severe endometriosis was 73 pg/mL (10–221) (P = .04, P = .01, respectively). In the moderate and severe endometriosis groups, the levels of growth-regulated α were significantly higher in the peritoneal fluid of women with untreated endometriosis (73 pg/mL [10–221]) than in women with medically treated endometriosis (25 pg/mL [8–47]). In mesothelial and endometrial stromal cells in culture, growth-regulated α messenger RNA and protein were detectable constitutively; however, both interleukin-1α and tumor necrosis factor-α induced higher levels of growth-regulated α messenger RNA and protein in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Conclusions Growth-regulated α levels are elevated in the peritoneal fluid of women with moderate and severe endometriosis. This chemotactic factor, which acts via the interleukin-8 receptor, may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
Expression of interleukin-1 and interleukin-1 receptor antagonists in endometrial cancer

Abstract The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) can inhibit growth of breast cancer cells in culture and promote cellular differentiation in synergism with other growth factors. A secreted IL-1 receptor antagonist (sIL-1ra) has been described and an intracellular version (icIL-1ra) has been cloned; both antagonists block IL-1-dependent responses. We compared mRNA expression of IL-1 and both receptor antagonists in normal and neoplastic endometrium. RNA was extracted from five benign endometrial and five endometrial cancer whole-tissue specimens, reverse transcribed into cDNA, then amplified by polymerase chain reaction using specific primers for IL-1α, IL-1β, sIL-1ra, and icIL-1ra. IL-1α and IL-1β were expressed in variable amounts in all tissues; there was no difference in expression between normal and cancer specimens. In contrast, high levels of icIL-1ra were expressed in four of five cancer specimens compared with none of five normal tissues ( P = 0.02). There was no expression of sIL-1ra in cancer and normal tissues. These preliminary experiments suggest that IL-1 is ubiquitously expressed in endometrial tissues whereas endometrial cancer preferentially expresses icIL-1ra. IcIL-1ra may regulate IL-1-mediated events such as growth and differentiation in endometrial neoplasia.
Phosphorus Uptake Dynamics as Related to Mathematical Modeling of Cladophora at a Site on Lake Huron

Abstract Cladophora is a significant symptom of eutrophication in Lakes Erie and Ontario and is a local problem associated with nutrient perturbations in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior. This paper presents results of measurements of phosphorus uptake rates as a function of internal phosphorus levels by Cladophora growing near Harbor Beach, Michigan. Cladophora collected near the Harbor Beach wastewater treatment plant had high levels of internal phosphorus and low (or even negative) phosphorus uptake rates. Cladophora distant from the wastewater treatment plant had low internal phosphorus levels and rapid phosphorus uptake rates. The experimental results are discussed in terms of quantitative kinetic formulations which may be incorporated into mathematical models useful for predicting the response of Cladophora to alternative management and control strategies. Preliminary model simulations of Cladophora biomass, internal phosphorus, and external phosphorus are qualitatively similar to observed field data.
Magnetic properties and microstructure of evaporated Co oxide tape media

Abstract The magnetic properties and microstructure of Co oxide tape media were studied. The intrinsic in-plane and out-of-plane anisotropy constants of metal evaporated CoO tape media were measured from the in-plane torque and the out-of-plane torque curves. It was found that after considering the tilting effect of the column, the total intrinsic anisotropy constant, calculated from the in-plane torque curve, is much less than that calculated from the out-of-plane anisotropy constant. TEM electron diffraction studies indicate that the Co c -axes are randomly oriented. However, from the in-plane hysteresis loop measurements, the easy axes are pretty well parallel to incident beam plane. The cross sectional TEM micrograph shows that the column is tilted 30° out-of-plane and has a diameter of 10 nm.
The role of airborne mineral dusts in human disease

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) is generally acknowledged to increase risk for human morbidity and mortality. However, particulate matter (PM) research has generally examined anthropogenic (industry and combustion by-products) sources with few studies considering contributions from geogenic PM (produced from the Earth by natural processes, e.g., volcanic ash, windborne ash from wildfires, and mineral dusts) or geoanthropogenic PM (produced from natural sources by processes that are modified or enhanced by human activities, e.g., dusts from lakebeds dried by human removal of water, dusts produced from areas that have undergone desertification as a result of human practices). Globally, public health concerns are mounting, related to potential increases in dust emission from climate related changes such as desertification and the associated long range as well as local health effects. Recent epidemiological studies have identified associations between far-traveled dusts from primary sources and increased morbidity and mortality in Europe and Asia. This paper provides an outline of public health research and history as it relates to naturally occurring inorganic mineral dusts. We summarize results of current public health research and describe some of the many challenges related to understanding health effects from exposures to dust aerosols.
Bundling of substitutes or complements

Abstract The Adams-Yellen two good bundling framework is generalized to allow the goods to be substitutes or complements. General theorems on price change effects are given. A monopolist may find it most profitable to offer the goods only as a bundle, even if they are (imperfect) substitutes, or to not bundle the goods, even if they are complements. If one good is competitively sold, a monopoly producer of the other good can never increase profits by offering his good only as part of a bundle. However, such a monopolist might profitably offer his good in both bundled and unbundled form to price discriminate, even if the two goods are substitutes.
Popular Epidemiology in Three Contaminated Communities

Citizens of contaminated communities concerned about their health occasionally choose to conduct a health study to learn more about their community and to stimulate action by government or other institutions. Public health scientists can learn from the citizens' knowledge of local conditions, citizens can learn the strengths and limitations of health surveys, and communities can be empowered to prevent future harm from toxic exposures. This article describes three examples of popular epidemiology studies in the United States, presents completed or preliminary data, and summarizes lessons learned.
Observation of local photoemission using a scanning tunneling microscope

Abstract We report photoelectron emission characteristics from cesiated gold (110) surfaces illuminated by photons using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope as a local probe. An analysis of tip current as a function of applied bias permits determination of the maximum kinetic energy of impinging photoelectrons whose value is in good agreement with an independent analysis based on macroscopic measurements of the surface workfunction. Based on our preliminary results, possible schemes for the fabrication of local probe photoelectron analysers for use with synchrotron or laser illumination are developed. Additional physical considerations suggest that liquid environments should in particular introduce a useful exponential dependence of the elastic photoemission signal intensity on tip-surface separation.
Nanocrystalline TiAl powders synthesized by high-energy ball milling: effects of milling parameters on yield and contamination

Abstract High-energy ball milling was employed to produce nanocrystalline Ti–Al powders. As sticking of the powders can be sufficiently severe to result in a near zero yield, emphasis was placed on varying milling conditions so as to increase the yield, while avoiding contamination of the powders. The effects of milling parameters such as milling tools, initial state of the powders and addition of process control agents (PCA’s) were investigated. Cyclohexane, stearic acid and titanium hydride were used as PCA’s. Milling was conducted either in a Cr–steel vial with C–steel balls, or in a tungsten carbide (WC) vial with WC balls, using either elemental or pre-alloyed powders. Powder samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In the absence of PCA’s mechanical alloying in a WC vial and attrition milling in a Cr–steel vial were shown to lead to satisfactory yields, about 65–80%, without inducing any significant contamination of the powders. The results suggest that sticking of the powders on to the milling tools is correlated with the phase evolution occurring in these powders during milling.
Self-Concept in Consumer Behavior: A Critical Review

The self-concept literature in consumer behavior can be characterized as fragmented, incoherent, and highly diffuse. This paper critically reviews self-concept theory and research in consumer behavior and provides recommendations for future research.
Large Char Particle High-Pressure Oxidation Rates and Mechanisms

The main objective of this study was to investigate the high-pressure oxidation rates of large (6−9 mm diameter) char particles for a wide range of five experimental conditions, with particular focus on the role of the ratio of the carbon−oxide combustion products at the reaction surface and on its analytical consequences on the Stefan flow (BLD) behavior. The char particles were obtained by pyrolytic heating of a Pittsburgh HV bituminous coal in nitrogen. The experimental conditions and ranges were gas temperature (825−1200 K), gas (oxidizer) velocity (0.08−1.28 m/s), particle mass (0.056−0.16 g), oxygen mole fraction (0.04−0.21), and total pressure (1−5 atm). This allowed for a suite of 13 different permutations of operating conditions, with each repeated five times for a total of 65 experiments, generating about 1000 experimental data points. The experiments were conducted in a high-pressure, controlled-profile (HPCP) laboratory reactor with a cantilever balance attachment. The particles were suspended...
Describing Visual Scenes Using Transformed Objects and Parts

We develop hierarchical, probabilistic models for objects, the parts composing them, and the visual scenes surrounding them. Our approach couples topic models originally developed for text analysis with spatial transformations, and thus consistently accounts for geometric constraints. By building integrated scene models, we may discover contextual relationships, and better exploit partially labeled training images. We first consider images of isolated objects, and show that sharing parts among object categories improves detection accuracy when learning from few examples. Turning to multiple object scenes, we propose nonparametric models which use Dirichlet processes to automatically learn the number of parts underlying each object category, and objects composing each scene. The resulting transformed Dirichlet process (TDP) leads to Monte Carlo algorithms which simultaneously segment and recognize objects in street and office scenes.
Catalysis of the electroreduction of O2 by cobalt 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin dissolved in thin layers of benzonitrile on graphite electrodes

Abstract The electroreduction of O 2 was examined at graphite electrodes that were covered with thin layers (∼30 μm) of benzonitrile (BN) and equilibrated with aqueous solutions of HClO 4 saturated with air. The presence of the BN layers enhanced the rate of the electroreduction and affected its stoichiometry compared with results obtained at uncoated electrodes. Dissolving cobalt 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (CoTPP) in the thin layers of BN produced further increases in reaction rates and greater fractions of the O 2 were reduced to H 2 O. The primary factors affecting the rate of the catalyzed reduction were the quantities of acid that partitioned into the BN layers and the concentration of CoTTP in the layers. The catalytic efficiency of CoTTP is greater when it is dissolved in thin layers of acidified BN than when it is adsorbed on the surface of the graphite electrodes. A possible catalytic mechanism is offered that is compatible with the experimental observations.
Happiness as achievement

Daedalus Spring 2004 Ten years ago, shortly after publishing a book called The Morality of Happiness about the structure of ancient ethical theory, I received an email informing me that I had been added to a bibliography of “happiness researchers” on a website called the World Database of Happiness. I explored this site with interest, only to 1⁄2nd that this was not a research program that I felt myself to be part of. The website assumes, without discussion, that happiness is “subjective,” that it is enjoyment or pleasure, and that it should be studied “empirically.” Philosophy is then derided for failing to “operationalize” happiness and to produce “measures” of it. (Philosophy has a meager 88 entries in the bibliography, compared to 2,927 for the social sciences.) Empirical studies are lauded for their measures of happiness, while the website claims that “preliminary questions about conceptualization and measurement are now fairly well solved.” The website, however, gives off a definite air of disappointment. No sound body of knowledge on happiness, it admits, has yet been achieved. In the present state of research, we can claim only that “there are obviously several universal requirements for a happy life (such as food and possibly meaning).” Philosophers (and some psychologists, too) will 1⁄2nd it unsurprising that if you rush to look for empirical measures of an unanalyzed ‘subjective’ phenomenon, the result will be confusion and banality.1 After all, what is it that the social scientists on the World Database of Happiness are actually measuring? Here is the heart of the problem. Is happiness really something subjective? Is it simply a matter of pleasure, a positive feeling? We can at least hope that it is not, and that we can come to conclusions better than the claim that what anyone needs to be happy is food and possibly meaning. Julia Annas
The response of Great Lakes water levels to future climate scenarios with an emphasis on Lake Michigan-Huron

ABSTRACT Future climate change and its impact on Lake Michigan is an important issue for water supply planning in Illinois. To estimate possible future levels of the Great Lakes due to climate change, the output of 565 model runs from 23 Global Climate Models were applied to a lake-level model developed by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). In this study, three future emission scenarios were considered: the B1, A1B, and A2 emission scenarios representing relatively low, moderate, and high emissions, respectively. The results showed that the A2 emission scenario yielded the largest changes in lake levels of the three emission scenarios. Of the three periods examined, lake levels in 2080–2094 exhibited the largest changes. The response of Lake Superior was the smallest of the Great Lakes, while lakes Michigan-Huron, Erie, and Ontario were similar in their response over time and between emission scenarios. For Lake Michigan-Huron, the median changes in lake levels at 2080–2094 were - ...
The Impact of Comprehensive Reading Instruction on the Academic and Social Behavior of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

The reading difficulties of children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) have been well documented. In addition, it has been noted that reading difficulties are frequently correlated with antisocial behavior. Unfortunately, there is little empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of comprehensive reading interventions with this population of children.This study examined the effectiveness of a modified version of the Open Court Reading curriculum (Adams etal.,2000) combined with Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) with 2 groups of children with EBD. Results show moderate gains in reading achievement for individuals in each group in the areas of nonsense word fluency, sound naming, blending, and segmenting. However, improvement in standardized scores was not observed. In addition, an impact on observed problem behavior was not observed. Findings suggest that this combined approach may be promising in improving the reading achievement of students with EBD. Limitations and direction for f...