cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In-situ atomic force microscope imaging of calcite etch pit morphology changes in undersaturated and 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid poisoned solutions

Morphology changes in etch pits formed on the (1014) cleavage plane of calcite were induced by varying the ratio of [Ca2+] to [CO32-] in the bulk solution as well as through the addition of the crystal poison 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP). Three distinct morphologies were noted: symmetric rhombic, asymmetric rhombic, and triangular with a rough curved hypotenuse. The latter represents a transient morphology which is only observed during the actual dissolution process, while the former morphologies persist after dissolution is halted.
A 37.6mm 2 1024-channel high-compliance-voltage SoC for epiretinal prostheses

Retinal implants elicit light perception for people blinded by photoreceptor loss. Commercialized 60-channel retinal prostheses allow patients to perform simple tasks, but several hundreds to a thousand electrodes are required for face recognition/reading [1,2], posing great challenges for the design of next-generation retinal stimulators. Aside from the higher power/data demand, the electrode impedance is also increased. Placing 1000 epiretinal electrodes in the 5mm-diameter macula region reduces the electrode size to less than 0.01mm2, leading to a 30kΩ electrode-tissue impedance [2]. To elicit light perception of various brightness levels, the stimulators for epiretinal prostheses require an output compliance voltage of ±10V [3], thus requiring area-consuming high-voltage (HV) transistors. The stimulator in [4] achieves 1600 channels, but it is designed for subretinal rather than epiretinal prostheses. It has ±2V compliance and needs a separate chip for power telemetry. For epiretinal prostheses, an HV-compliant 1024-channel stimulator in [3] is estimated to occupy 64mm2 and requires off-chip diodes for power rectification. For a space-restricted retinal implant, a small-sized fully integrated SoC with minimal number of off-chip components is preferred.
Relation of Child Training to Subsistence Economy

CROSS-CULTURAL research on child training has generally grown out of an interest in how the typical personality of a people is brought into being. The customary child training practices of a group are thought to be one important set of influences responsible for the typical personality, and hence an important clue in tracing its causal background. But the typical personality may also be viewed as an existing set of conditions which may exert an influence on later child training practices. Indeed, any present feature of culture may influence future child training practices, either directly or through an influence on typical personality. Thus child training may just as well, and with equal interest of another sort, be viewed as effect in a series of cultural events, rather than as cause (being in fact, we presume, both at once). Moreover, even while considering child training as a cause of the typical personality of a people, one is led to inquire: Why does a particular society select child training practices which will tend to produce this particular kind of typical personality? Is it because this kind of typical personality is functional for the adult life of the society, and training methods which will produce it are thus also functional? By a variety of routes, then, the student of child training is led to inquire into the relation of child training to the basic patterns of social life-to those aspects of culture, whatever they be, which set the scene for the rest of culture. Among the features likely to hold this sort of dominant or controlling position is the general nature of the subsistence economy, and it is to this aspect of culture that we will here relate child training practices. Our research was built around certain variables of child training. Only after preliminary exploration of their relation to economy did we arrive at a notion of what kind of economic variable might be especially relevant. For ease of communication, however, we will begin with the economic variable at which we eventually arrived.
Teacher Ethnicity and Variation in Context: The Implications for Classroom Quality

Research Findings: The current study examined the differences in global quality between classrooms with African American teachers and European American teachers. The study included 1,687 classrooms (802 with African American teachers and 885 with European American teachers). Initial analyses revealed significant differences in overall global quality as well as on 2 factor scores: Language/Interactions and Activities/Materials. However, when an analysis of covariance was conducted controlling for numerous structural variables (i.e., level of education, years of experience in early childhood, total number of teachers in the classroom, teacher–child ratio, proportion of children on subsidy, proportion of African American children in the class, and ethnicity of the observer), no differences by race were found. Practice or Policy: Findings are discussed with regard to the contextual constraints experienced by African American teachers in preschool classrooms to create high-quality learning environments. Policy...
An examination of changes in LSI-R scores over time: making the case for needs-based case management

The Level of Service Inventory—Revised (LSI-R) is an actuarially derived risk assessment instrument with a demonstrated reputation and record of supportive research. It has shown predictive validity on several offender populations. Although a significant literature has emerged on the validity and use of the LSI-R, no research has specifically examined change scores or the dynamics of reassessment and its importance with respect to case management. Flores, Lowenkamp, Holsinger, and Latessa and Lowenkamp and Bechtel, among others, specifically identify the importance and need to examine LSI-R reassessment scores. The present study uses a sample of parolees (N = 179) from various community corrections programs that were administered the LSI-R at two different times. Results indicate that both mean composite and subcomponent LSI-R scores statistically significantly decreased between Time 1 and Time 2. The practical, theoretical, and policy implications of these results are discussed.
Imaging blood flow in brain tumors using arterial spin labeling.

Measurements of tumor blood flow (TBF) are important for understanding tumor physiology and can be valuable in selecting and evaluating therapies. Brain tumors typically present reduced blood flows compared to normal brain tissue. This study shows that the arterial spin labeling (ASL) technique can be used to measure TBF non-invasively in a rat glioma model. Results show that TBF in the core (36.3 6 18.9 ml/100g/min, n54) and peripheral regions (85.3 6 26.9 ml/100g/min, n54) of the tumor are significantly reduced and show considerable heterogeneity compared to cerebral blood flow (CBF) of normal brain tissue (147.7 6 31.1 ml/100g/min, n54), while T1 in the tumor (2.6 6 0.1sec) is significantly elevated compared to normal tissue T1 (2.0 6 0.0 sec). These results strongly support the feasibility of using the ASL technique to evaluate different cancer treatment strategies, to monitor the effects of agents designed to modulate TBF and oxygenation (e.g., carbogen gas), and to assess and guide the use of anti-angiogenic agents. Magn Reson Med 44:169 ‐173, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Measurements of tumor blood flow (TBF) are important for understanding tumor physiology and can be valuable in selecting and evaluating therapies. For example, the selective sensitization of tumors to hyperthermia is generally ascribed to the poor tumor blood flow relative to surrounding normal tissue (1). Radiation therapy preferentially kills those cells that contain substantial amounts of dissolved oxygen (i.e., high blood flow), while anoxic or hypoxic tumor cells are relatively radiation-resistant. Furthermore, stimulation of angiogenesis can rapidly increase blood vessel density in tumors by as much as 10-fold (2). Therefore, quantitative measurements of TBF are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of new anti-angiogenic therapies and to tailor such therapies to individual tumors (3‐ 6). To determine TBF, deuterium NMR methods in conjunction with injection of deuterated water as a freely diffusible tracer have been employed (7‐10). Although these methods can provide absolute TBF in whole tumor, the sensitivity of deuterium is not high enough to allow imaging of TBF with high spatial resolution, an essential step towards understanding the spatial distribution of blood flow in the tumor. In addition, the injection of ex
Myelin, myelin-related disorders, and psychosis

The neuropathological basis of schizophrenia and related psychoses remains elusive despite intensive scientific investigation. Symptoms of psychosis have been reported in a number of conditions where normal myelin development is interrupted. The nature, location, and timing of white matter pathology seem to be key factors in the development of psychosis, especially during the critical adolescent period of association area myelination. Numerous lines of evidence implicate myelin and oligodendrocyte function as critical processes that could affect neuronal connectivity, which has been implicated as a central abnormality in schizophrenia. Phenocopies of schizophrenia with a known pathological basis involving demyelination or dysmyelination may offer insights into the biology of schizophrenia itself. This article reviews the pathological changes in white matter of patients with schizophrenia, as well as demyelinating diseases associated with psychosis. In an attempt to understand the potential role of dysmyelination in schizophrenia, we outline the evidence from a number of both clinically-based and post-mortem studies that provide evidence that OMR genes are genetically associated with increased risk for schizophrenia. To further understand the implication of white matter dysfunction and dysmyelination in schizophrenia, we examine diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which has shown volumetric and microstructural white matter differences in patients with schizophrenia. While classical clinical-neuropathological correlations have established that disruption in myelination can produce a high fidelity phenocopy of psychosis similar to schizophrenia, the role of dysmyelination in schizophrenia remains controversial.
Obesity Notches up fatty liver.

Pathologic fatty liver paradoxically accompanies obesity and type 2 diabetes despite the crippling of insulin signaling, which is normally required for fat synthesis. The developmental signaling protein Notch is a hidden regulator of lipogenesis that amplifies signal transmissions to fat production in these metabolic diseases (pages 1054–1060).
Mast Cell Activation on Patterned Lipid Bilayers of Subcellular Dimensions

T Cells, B cells, and other specialized cells in the immune system are activated by clustering of antigenic receptors on their plasma membrane surfaces; rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) mast cells which express cell surface immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptors and operate in the allergic response serve as a prototypic model. To investigate signaling pathways of the cellular response, a versatile system is being developed for presenting antigens on micron scale patterns of lipid bilayers that are prepared with a polymer-based wet lift-off method. A supported lipid bilayer is formed on a silicon substrate after photolithographic patterning of a polymer and before the polymer is mechanically peeled away in solution. This forms well-defined bilayer patterns that can contain haptenated and fluorescent lipids and can be used to simulate a biological substrate for cellular receptor engagement and response. For this model system, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[6-[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino]hexanoyl] (...
Somatic embryogenesis in suspension and suspension-derived callus cultures ofDactylis glomerata

Suspension cultures were initiated from somatic embryos and embryogenic callus ofDactylis glomerata L. in SH-30 liquid medium [Schenk andHildebrandt (1972) containing 30 μM 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid (dicamba)] with or without 1.5 gl−1 casein hydrolysate. Established suspension cultures maintained in SH-30 without casein hydrolysate proliferated when cell masses underwent cell division and enlargement. These cultures contained numerous root primordia and increased in volume when the cell masses continued to grow and fragment. Embryos developed only when cell masses were plated on solidified SH-30 medium. Cultures maintained in SH-30 liquid medium with casein hydrolysate also proliferated by the growth and fragmentation of cell masses. However, these cell masses contained numerous developing embryos and possessed few or no root primordia. Embryos were either attached to cell masses by a suspensor-like structure or were free and became fully developed in the liquid medium. Newly formed embryos became callused and produced embryogenic cell masses. Embryos germinated either in liquid or on solid SH medium without dicamba. The resulting plantlets possessed green shoots and well developed roots. Plants from suspension and suspension-derived callus cultures have been established in soil and grown to maturity.
Distributed cross-layer optimization in wireless networks: A second-order approach

Due to the rapidly growing scale and heterogeneity of wireless networks, the design of distributed cross-layer optimization algorithms has received significant interest from the networking research community. So far, the standard distributed cross-layer approach in the literature is based on the first-order Lagrangian dual decomposition and the subgradient method, which suffers from a slow convergence rate. In this paper, we make the first known attempt to develop a distributed Newton's method, which is second-order and enjoys a quadratic convergence rate. However, due to the inherent interference in wireless networks, the Hessian matrix of the cross-layer problem has a non-separable structure. As a result, developing a distributed second-order algorithm is far more difficult than its counterpart for wireline networks. Our main contributions in this paper are two-fold: i) For a special network setting where all links mutually interfere, we derive closed-form expressions for the Hessian inverse, which further yield a distributed Newton's method; ii) For general wireless networks where the interference relationships are arbitrary, we propose a double matrix-splitting scheme, which also leads to a distributed Newton's method. Collectively, these results create a new theoretical framework for distributed cross-layer optimization in wireless networks. More importantly, our work contributes to a potential second-order paradigm shift in wireless networks optimization theory.
Requirement for intracellular calcium modulation in zebrafish dorsal–ventral patterning

The phosphoinositide (PI) cycle is an important signal transduction pathway that, upon activation, generates intracellular second messengers and leads to calcium release. To determine whether PI cycle-mediated intracellular calcium release is required for body plan formation, we systematically dissect PI cycle function in the zebrafish (Danio rerio). We inhibit PI cycle function at three different steps and deplete internal calcium stores, demonstrating an impact on endogenous calcium release and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Inhibition of endogenous calcium modulation induces hyperdorsalized phenotypes in a dose-dependent manner. Ectopic dorsal-signaling centers are generated in PI cycle-inhibited embryos as demonstrated by altered β-catenin subcellular localization and ectopic expression of β-catenin target genes. These results provide evidence that modulation of calcium release is critical for early embryonic patterning and acts by influencing the stabilization of β-catenin protein.
Oncomelania hupensis nosophora: Electrophoretic separation of foot proteins of laboratory-reared and field-collected specimens

Abstract A taxon-specific electrophoretic profile of proteins separated from foot-muscle extract was established for Oncomelania hupensis nosophora (Gastropoda, Hydrobiidae), the intermediate host for Schistosoma japonicum in Japan. The basic profile was unaltered when extracts of males were compared with those of females; it was unaltered when laboratoryreared and field-collected snails were compared. Some 68 experiments were undertaken to encompass minor variability in establishing the RF values of the 33 fractions resolved. Only one difference in a minor component (band 16) was found between field collected and laboratory-bred snails which might be due to a genetic difference. The densitometric profile of O. h. nosophora is unique and differs from those of closely related taxa, O. h. chiui and O. h. formosana from Taiwan.
Practical guide to efficient analysis and diagramming articles.

Objective In a busy practice, time is a commodity in rare supply, and keeping abreast of the relevant medical literature is a daunting task. Even after reading an article carefully, important information may be lost because of undue attention to the methodological minutia. Method Fundamental to reducing a complex article into a well-organized and consistent format is the technique of quantitatively diagramming the principal components in the design and findings of the study. This approach allows a coherent brief summary statement of the article, and a platform for a focused scientific discussion and analysis of the clinical applicability of the findings. Conclusions The technique of diagramming an article is a tool that the senior author has used for years and has found it valuable in capturing the scientific fundamentals of a manuscript. Once prepared, the diagram has proven to be useful in clarifying presentations during journal club, preparing the background and significance sections of grant applications, reviewing articles as a journal editor and as a journal reviewer, and easily retrieving documents to support evidence-based practice efforts.
A comparative study on the transformation of Aspergillus nidulans by microprojectile bombardment of conidia and a more conventional procedure using protoplasts treated with polyethyleneglycol

An Aspergillus nidulans strain, auxotrophic for pyrimidine, was transformed to prototrophy by means of microprojectile bombardment. The transformation frequency was somewhat lower than conventional polyethyleneglycol-mediated transformation of protoplasts. However, the percentage of stable transformants was considerably higher with the biolistic approach. Typically, integrations of several copies of the plasmid introduced into chromosomal DNA were observed. The effect of several parameters, like the concentration of conidia, chamber pressure during bombardment and size of microprojectiles, on transformation frequencies were investigated and compared to previously published data on microprojectile bombardment of fungal conidia. Optimum results (6 transformants/μg plasmid DNA) were obtained when 108 conidia were bombarded with a helium pressure of 5.5–8.3 MPa (800–1200 lb/in2). M5, M10 and M17 tungsten particles were equally efficient.
Illumination of 80-in. Bubble Chamber

It is possible to design a cylindrical condensing system whose geometry allows light to be collected along the length of narrow tubular sources and to pass through a restricted port area. The quantity of light collected is many times that possible to obtain with axially symmetric lenses. This system has been applied to the illumination of the Brookhaven 80-in. bubble chamber. The optical arrangement is described. Other unique features include the use of plano reflectors to extend optically the flashtube and condenser lengths and the provision of a spot plate to eliminate surface reflections from the chamber window
A fluorimetric assay for minute amounts of some thiohydantoins.

A fluorimetric assay sensitive to μg. quantities of certain thiohydantoins has been devised using dichloroquinone chloroimide as a fluorescence reagent. The nature of the buffer used is critical. Satisfactory results have been obtained for recoveries from urine, spinal fluid and plasma. 16 thiohydantoins and some related compounds have been examined by the suggested technique.
A Mechanism for Death Receptor Discrimination by Death Adaptors

The death domain and death effector domain are two common motifs that mediate protein-protein interactions between components of cell death signaling complexes. The mechanism by which these domains engage their binding partners has been explored by extensive mutagenesis of two death adaptors, FADD and TRADD, suggesting that a death adaptor can discriminate its intended binding partners from other proteins harboring similar motifs. Death adaptors are found to utilize one of two topologically conserved surfaces for protein-protein interaction, whether that partner is another adaptor or its cognate receptor. These surfaces are topologically related to the interaction between death domains observed in the x-ray crystal structure of the Drosophila adaptor Tube bound to Pelle kinase. Comparing the topology of protein-protein interactions for FADD complexes to TRADD complexes reveals that FADD uses a Tube-like surface in each of its death motifs to engage either CD95 or TRADD. TRADD reverses these roles, employing a Pelle-like surface to interact with either receptor TNFR1 or adaptor FADD. Since death adaptors display a Tube-like or Pelle-like preference for engaging their binding partners, Tube/Pelle-like pairing provides a mechanism for death adaptor discrimination of death receptors.
Increased cerebrospinal fluid β-endorphin immunoreactivity in infants with apnea and in siblings of victims of sudden infant death syndrome

To gain further insight into the possible role of endogenous opioid peptides in the respiratory difficulties associated with the apnea of infancy and other disorders possibly related to apnea, the levels of β-endorphin immunoreactivity were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of five groups of infants: (1) infants with proved apnea, (2) infants with histories of an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE), (3) siblings of victims of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), (4) infants with suspected but unproved apnea, and (5) infants undergoing investigation for other acute illnesses. Twenty-two infants considered at risk for an ALTE (groups 1 to 3) had significantly higher CSF β-endorphin equivalents (88±7 pg/mL) than did the 22 control patients in groups 4 and 5 (31±3 pg/mL). Plasma β-endorphin immunoreactivity, which was also measured in some of the infants, did not correlated with levels in CSF and, in fact, was significantly lower in the groups at risk for an ALTE (50±9 pg/mL; n=14) than in the control subjects (80±6 pg/mL; n=11). These studies indicate that elevated β-endorphin immunoreactivity in CSF may be a marker in infants who have apnea and who may be considered at risk for an ALTE.
Fetal lamb lung phosphatidylcholine: Response to asphyxia and recovery

Acute fetal asphyxia resulting from maternal blood loss and hypotension causes a reduction in the incorporation of precursors into disaturated phosphatidylcholine, the principal lipid in the pulmonary surfactant. Treatment of the maternal hypotension is associated with return of fetal lung DSPC synthesis to control levels by 72 hours.
Acquired Heterotropia Following Surgery for Retinal Detachment

The subject of acquired heterotropia after surgery for retinal detachment has received little attention in the American literature during the last 20 years. The most thorough study was presented by Romaine in 1960. He attributed the three major causes of such muscle imbalance to: (1) fixation of the muscle to the globe or conjunctiva, or both, as the result of a massive reaction to the surgical trauma; (2) a pulling forward of the tubing, thereby displacing the normal functional directional pull of the muscle, and (3) traumatic injury to a muscle in the area of the nerve supply, resulting in a total pa­ ralysis of this muscle. It was not uncommon at that time to sug­ gest that many motor difficulties could be avoided if a muscle which had been removed to facilitate exposure be replaced on the sciera 3 mm behind its original insertion. The justification for this recession was prob­ ably based on the increased curvature of the globe caused by the scierai buckle in a spe­ cific area. If this location was under the mus­ cle, then its effective action would be in­ creased and a recession would be necessary to counterbalance that effective force. It is apparent, however, that the area and extent of increased scierai curvature varies with the nature of the surgical procedure used. Therefore, a general rule requiring an arbi-
Identifying the location and population served by domestic wells in California

Abstract Study region California, USA. Study focus Identification of groundwater use is an important step in the regional-scale assessment of groundwater quality. In California, 1990 US Census data indicate that domestic wells provide drinking-water to about 1.2 million people. However, the location of these domestic well users of groundwater is poorly identified because the census tracts can be quite large (up to 20,000 km 2 ). The purposes of this paper are to present methods used for (1) estimating the location of domestic wells, (2) estimating the location of households using domestic well water; and (3) identifying where in California groundwater is an important source of domestic drinking supply. New hydrological insights for the region Aggregating the results indicates that three hydrogeologic provinces contain nearly 80% of all domestic wells and also have the highest density of domestic well users: Central Valley (31.6%), Sierra Nevada (31.5%), and Northern Coast Ranges (16.6%). Results were also aggregated into groundwater basins and highland areas, collectively called Groundwater Units (GUs). Twenty-eight of the 938 GUs contain more than 50% of the total population served by domestic wells, 70 GUs contain more than 75%, and 150 GUs contain 90%. The 28 GUs are mostly located in the eastern and southern San Joaquin Valley (11), the Sacramento Valley (7), and the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada province (5). Using the information presented in this research along with other information about domestic-well use, the US Geological Survey has begun sampling high-use GUs for the Shallow Aquifer Assessment component of the Groundwater Ambient Assessment (GAMA) program.
"Those look similar!" issues in automating gesture design advice

Today, state-of-the-art user interfaces often include new interaction technologies, such as speech recognition, computer vision, or gesture recognition. Unfortunately, these technologies are difficult for most interface designers to incorporate into their interfaces, and traditional tools do not help designers with these technologies. One such technology is pen gestures, which are valuable as a powerful pen-based interaction technique, but are difficult to design well. We developed an interface design tool that uses unsolicited advice to help designers of pen-based user interfaces create pen gestures. Specifically, the tool warns designers when their gestures will be perceived to be similar and advises designers how to make their gestures less similar. We believe that the issues we encountered while designing an interface for advice and implementing this advice will reappear in design tools for other novel input technologies, such as hand and body gestures.
Agonistic and sensory behaviour of the salamanderEnsatina eschscholtziiduring asymmetrical contests

Abstract The outcome of interactions between individuals depends on the sex of the interacting individuals as well as asymmetries in residency or body size. This study tested the effects of these asymmetries on the agonistic and sensory behaviour of the western plethodontid salamanderEnsatina eschscholtzii. Behaviour was observed during the non-courtship season for same-sex, same-population pairs. Asymmetries due to resident status had strong effects on agonistic and sensory behaviour. Residents were more aggressive than intruders, and intruders nose-tapped more frequently than residents. Asymmetries in body size had weaker effects. These results suggest that residents are capable of marking, recognizing and defending home areas, and that intruders are capable of assessing their role as interlopers in other salamanders& home areas. The defence of home areas further suggests thatEnsatinamay be territorial. The effects of asymmetries of residency on behaviour also differed between the sexes. Males performed more aggressive behaviour than females, and females performed more sensory behaviour than males. Males may be more aggressive than females because they are more territorial and/or because intra-sexual competition (mate competition) is stronger between males than between females. Sex differences in sensory behaviour suggest that females may rely more heavily than males on olfactory reception to assess territories and/or competitors and potentially to assess mates.
Safety of targeted perioperative mupirocin treatment for preventing infections after cardiac surgery.

Background Indiscriminate antibiotic use may lead to development of antibiotic resistance. Preoperative mupirocin treatment decreases Staphylococcus aureus carriage and may reduce subsequent surgical site infection, but is unlikely to benefit noncarriers. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether avoiding mupirocin in noncarriers places them at increased risk for subsequent postoperative infection. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study examining incidence of postoperative infection in patients undergoing cardiac surgery at the Cleveland Clinic after introduction of a protocol of polymerase chain reaction screening for nasal S aureus carriage, and avoiding mupirocin treatment of noncarriers. Results Between August 1, 2002, and May 31, 2004, 6,334 patients were screened for nasal carriage of S aureus before undergoing cardiac surgery. There was no significant difference in infection rates between carriers and noncarriers when examining the incidence of all infections (5.6% and 5.0%; relative risk [RR] 1.11 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86 to 1.43]), infections caused specifically by S aureus (1.04% and 0.80%; RR 1.30 [95% CI: 0.71 to 2.39]), any surgical site infection (3.1% and 3.2%; RR 0.97 [95% CI: 0.69 to 1.36]), S aureus surgical site infection (0.82% and 0.58%; RR 1.41 [95% CI: 0.71 to 2.82]), any bloodstream infection (3.1% and 2.5%; RR 1.21 [95% CI: 0.86 to 1.71]), and S aureus bloodstream infection (0.37% and 0.48%; RR 0.77 [95% CI: 0.30 to 2.03]). Mupirocin use declined substantially after introduction of the protocol. Conclusions A strategy of targeting perioperative mupirocin treatment to carriers leads to significant reduction in mupirocin use without increasing early postoperative infectious complications in noncarriers.
Tributyltin compounds induce male characteristics on female mud snails Nassarius obsoletus = Ilyanassa obsoleta

Superimposition of male characteristics on to normal females of this dioecious snail is prevalent near marinas in estuaries. In the laboratory it can be caused by exposure to parts per billion concentrations of three organotin biocides: tributyltin oxide, tributyltin resinate and tributyltin chloride. Occurrence of such abnormalities in natural populations is thus an indicator of organotin pollution which might present an environmental hazard.
On the homotopy groups of toric spaces

Given a certain class of simple polyhedral complexes P and the associated Borel space BTP we compute the E2-term of the Unstable Adams Novikov Spectral Sequence for BTP through a range. As a result, through a range, the higher homotopy groups of BTP are isomorphic to the homotopy groups of a wedge of spheres whose dimensions depend on the combinatorics of P. This paper provides a unified approach to attacking the problem of computing the higher homotopy groups of complements of arbitrary complex coordinate subspace arrangements. We extend all higher homotopy group computations in the cases where the homotopy type of a complement of a complex coordinate subspace arrangement is unknown. If K is a simplicial complex that defines a triangulation of a sphere that is dual to a simple convex polytope P, then, in many cases, the homotopy groups of the quasi-toric manifold M 2n (‚) can be computed through a range that was previously unknown. As an application, the homotopy type of a family of moment angle complexes ZK will be determined.
Modeling and forecasting of manufacturing variations (embedded tutorial)

Process-induced variations are an important consideration in the design of integrated circuits. Until recently, it was sufficient to model die-to-die shifts in device performance, leading to the well known worst-case modeling and design methodology [1, 2]. However, current and near-future in-tegrated circuits are large enough that device and intercon-nect parameter variations within the chip are as important as those same variations from chip to chip. This presents a new set of challenges for process modeling and characterization and for the associated design tools and method-ologies. This paper examines the sources and trends of process variability, the new challenges associated with the increase in within-die variability analysis, and proposes a modeling and simulation methodology to deal with this variability.
Constructing Masculinities and Experiencing Loss: What the Writings of Two Chinese Americans Tell

Chinese American men live in partially hostile environments where they confront discrimination and stereotypes that can undermine their sense of manhood. Through a critical analysis of autobiographies, this study explores how two Chinese American men, Yi-Fu Tuan and Ben Fong-Torres, poignantly construct viable masculinities. In the face of discrimination, they experience conflicting selves as they negotiate between their gender, race, class, and cultural and sexual identities: a process that involved search for empowerment, splitting of selves, and painful loss. Life studies as a method of doing masculinity research reveals the complexities of men's experiences and the need to examine how gender, race, class, culture, and sexuality together both limit and allow possibilities for being men.
Young singles' contemporary dating scripts

Single women's and men's scripts for a hypothetical and actual first date were investigated for a sample of 135 predominately white undergraduates. Strong scripts were found for both. Hypothetical scripts contained 19 actions for women and men; actual dates consisted of 20 actions for women and 15 for men. Hypothetical scripts constituted a core action sequence that were embellished upon in actual dates. Gender-typed actions were evidenced as strongly for actual dates as hypothetical ones. A proactive male role and a reactive female role were reflected in script content as well as quantitative measures. Actual dates also were characterized by numerous interruptions of the hypothesized sequence.
Coordinate 5′ and 3′ endonucleolytic trimming of terminally blocked blunt DNA double-strand break ends by Artemis nuclease and DNA-dependent protein kinase

Previous work showed that, in the presence of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), Artemis slowly trims 3′-phosphoglycolate-terminated blunt ends. To examine the trimming reaction in more detail, long internally labeled DNA substrates were treated with Artemis. In the absence of DNA-PK, Artemis catalyzed extensive 5′→3′ exonucleolytic resection of double-stranded DNA. This resection required a 5′-phosphate, but did not require ATP, and was accompanied by endonucleolytic cleavage of the resulting 3′ overhang. In the presence of DNA-PK, Artemis-mediated trimming was more limited, was ATP-dependent and did not require a 5′-phosphate. For a blunt end with either a 3′-phosphoglycolate or 3′-hydroxyl terminus, endonucleolytic trimming of 2–4 nucleotides from the 3′-terminal strand was accompanied by trimming of 6 nt from the 5′-terminal strand. The results suggest that autophosphorylated DNA-PK suppresses the exonuclease activity of Artemis toward blunt-ended DNA, and promotes slow and limited endonucleolytic trimming of the 5′-terminal strand, resulting in short 3′ overhangs that are trimmed endonucleolytically. Thus, Artemis and DNA-PK can convert terminally blocked DNA ends of diverse geometry and chemical structure to a form suitable for polymerase-mediated patching and ligation, with minimal loss of terminal sequence. Such processing could account for the very small deletions often found at DNA double-strand break repair sites.
Attempting to Close the Sacred Circle: The Endeavor of the American Indian Movement

The American Indian Movement has had an important impact on American society. It has been variously described as part of the ethnic consciousness movement and as a class phenomenon. An analysis of the history of the movement's emergence and its development suggest, however, that instead it is a supra-ethnic phenomenon. The very special historical circumstances which have formed the relationship between Native Americans and American Society, the impact of AIM on the larger society, and the attraction of AIM to Indian peoples is analyzed.
Prognosis after valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis and a low transvalvular pressure gradient

Abstract Objectives. This study was conducted to determine the risks and benefits of valve replacement in patients with severe antic stenosis and a low transvalvular pressure gradient. Background. There is uncertainty regarding the appropriate management of adults with severe aortic stenosis and a transvalvular pressure gradient ⩽30 mm Hg. With only six such patients reported, one study suggested that these subjects have a prohibitive operative risk and little symptomatic improvement if they survive surgical treatment, whereas another showed that they can survive an operation and improve symptomalically. Methods. In an attempt to clarify the risks and benefits of valve replacement in these patients, we reviewed the records of 18 patients (15 men and 3 women, aged 49 to 81 years) with severe aortic stenosis (valve area ⩽0,4 (m2/m2body surface area), a mean transvalvutar pressure gradient ⩽30 mm Hg and limiting symptoms (New York Heart Association functional class III or IV) who underwent valve replacement. Results. Six patients (33%) (95% confidence interval 13% to 59%) died perioperatively, whereas 10 patients (56%) (95% confidence interval 31% to 78%) improved symptomatically to functional class 1 (n = 8) or II (n = 2) (p = NS in comparison with the 6 who died). No chinical or hemodynamic. variable was predictive of survival or improvement in functional class. Conclusions. Valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis and a transvalvular pressure gradient ⩽30 mm He is accompanied by a considerable operative risk. Although there were no significant differences in this small series between the fraction of patients who died and those who exhibited improvement, we still recommend the procedure because many patients survive the operation and most of the survivors show an improved symptomatic status.
Orientation in acrylonitrile copolymers

Rubber modified and unmodified poly(acrylonitrile/methyl acrylate) (75/25) copolymers [(Barex® resins) (Barex® is a registered trademark of Vistron Corporation, a subsidiary of The Standard Oil Company, Ohio)] were stretched at varying strain rates at different temperatures. Molecular orientation of the stretched samples at different extension ratios was determined using birefringence, the X-ray orientation factor, and infrared dichroism. The birefringence of rubber modified copolymers, which were prepared by graft copolymerization of the poly(acrylonitrile/methyl acrylate) copolymer with 10 parts (by weight) of a poly(butadiene/acrylonitrile) rubber, is found to be appreciably different as compared with the birefringence of unmodified poly(acrylonitrile/methyl acrylate) copolymer. The possible reasons for this difference are discussed. The orientation measured from the three techniques is compared, and the effects of temperature of stretching and of strain to are discussed. The maximum values of the birefringence of these two copolymers and that of the polyacrylonitrile have been estimated. Transition moment angles for CH2 and CN stretching bonds are obtained. From the birefringence data at various temperatures and strain rates, the activation energies of these two copolymers have been obtained.
Steady potential shifts in the rat during desynchronized sleep

Abstract Upon passing from slow wave to desynchronized sleep a steady potential shift was identified in the rat brain. In polarity this shift was similar to the one observed during transition from slow wave sleep wakefullness. Both shifts were surface-negative in direction with reference to an extra-cerebral electrode and were similar to shifts reported for cat and rabbit. The shift on entry into desynchronized sleep was opposite in polarity from that reported in a previous study of the rat.
Effect of smoking on survival from non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective Veterans' Affairs Central Cancer Registry (VACCR) cohort analysis.

Although a well-established risk factor for lung cancer, the impact of smoking on the survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not well known. We performed a retrospective analysis of the Veteran’s Affairs Comprehensive Cancer Registry of NSCLC patients. Smoking status was categorized as never smoker, past smoker and current smoker based on self-reported history. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of smoking on overall survival (OS) from NSCLC. The study population (n = 61,440) comprised predominantly of males (98 %) and Caucasians (81 %). The median age at diagnosis was 68 years (range 22–108 years). Current smokers were diagnosed with NSCLC at a younger age (65 years) compared to never smokers (71 years) and past smokers (72 years) (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, current smokers (n = 34,613) [Hazard ratio (HR) 1.059; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.012–1.108], but not past smokers (n = 23,864) (HR 1.008; 95 % CI 0.962–1.056), had worse OS for Stage III and IV NSCLC, compared to never smokers (n = 2,963). Smoking status was not prognostic in stages I and II NSCLC. Current smokers were diagnosed with NSCLC at a younger age than never smokers. Although current smoking was associated with worse prognosis, especially in stages III and IV, the impact of smoking status on OS was modest.
Sociodemographic and clinical predictors of mortality in geriatric depression.

OBJECTIVE It is well documented that depression and early mortality are related, and current research suggests that depression may influence vascular causes of death. The authors report on prospectively observed mortality in elderly depressed patients, comparing differences in sex and vascular risk. METHODS The subjects were 338 patients with unipolar major depression; patients with neurological or other psychiatric disorders were excluded. All subjects received a clinical evaluation and a standardized interview to establish DSM-III depression diagnosis. The cohort had a mean age of 67.2 years and was followed up at approximately 10 years from last contact. RESULTS Mortality was associated with older age, older age at depression onset, and being male. Also, in men, mortality was associated with higher baseline CES–D scores, and, in women, with having a higher vascular risk rating or late age at depression onset. CONCLUSION This is the first study demonstrating a gender-by-vascular condition interaction effect on mortality. Women with vascular risk factors may require closer follow-up to control vascular conditions. The relationship between greater depression and increased mortality risk among men is interesting, and further studies will be required to replicate and understand it.
An efficient alternative route to 3,6-disubstituted-furo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one analogues.

Copper(I)-catalyzed 5-endo-dig cyclizations of 5-(alkyn-1-yl)uracil derivatives had given poor yields of substituted furo[2, 3]pyrimidin-2-ones unless the uracil ring was substituted at N1 with alkyl or glycosyl groups. This limited flexibility for the synthesis of analogues with varied substituents at N3 and/or C6 of the furo[2, 3]pyrimidin-2-one core has been overcome with 5-(3-hydroxyalkyn-1-yl)uracil compounds with no substituent at N1. Manipulation of the side-chain hydroxyl group gives access to additional furo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one analogues.
Folic acid and chromosome breakage. II: A methionine effect similar to that in fragile X expression

The absence of folic acid results in an increase in spontaneous chromosome breakage in the presence of, but not in the absence of, methionine. This is similar to the methionine effect seen in studies of the fragile X chromosome. The results support the idea that fragile sites and at least some types of spontaneous chromosome breaks may share a common mechanism.
Whole‐field strain determination for plates in bending

Holographic and shadow Moire displacement data are used as the experimental input to a computer programme, which smooths and differentiates it, to obtain whole-field strain distributions. The choice of curve fitting functions is treated in detail, and applications to the flexure of composite plates demonstrated.
Bringing the Candidate into Models of Candidate Evaluation

Candidate characteristics are often treated as a lump sum that can be pulled apart but ultimately sum together in models of candidate evaluation. The present study asks, first, whether distinctions among traits are useful for models of candidate evaluation. Second, it considers whether the role of substantive trait dimensions in overall evaluation is uniform across candidates or varies by candidate and electoral context. Latent variable structural equation models are used to test the impact of trait dimensions on thermometer ratings of presidential candidates from 1984 to 1996. Results support the separation of traits into substantive content dimensions. Trait dimensions vary in their effect on candidate evaluations depending on the candidate and election year. This is consistent with a model of attitude response based on changing considerations. These results suggest that as candidates and campaigns call attention to different underlying trait dimensions, the bases for overall evaluation vary accordingly.
Phonetogram Changes for Trained Singers Over a Nine-Month Period of Vocal Training

Professional vocalists encounter demands requiring voluntary control of phonation, while utilizing a considerable range of frequency and intensity. These quantifiable acoustic events can be measured and represented in a phonetogram. Previous research has compared the phonetograms of trained and untrained voices and found significant differences between these groups. This study was designed to assess the effects of vocal training for singers over a period of nine months. Phonetogram contour changes were examined, with the primary focus on expansion of frequency range and/or intensity control. Twenty-one first-year, master's level, vocal music students, who were engaged in an intensive vocal performance curriculum, participated in this study. Following nine months of vocal training, significant differences were revealed in the subjects' mean frequency range and minimum vocal intensity across frequency levels. There was no significant difference for the mean maximum vocal intensity across frequency levels following vocal training.