cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PbCrO4 mediates cellular responses via reactive oxygen species.

Exposure to certain particulate hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] compounds, such as lead chromate (PbCrO4), has been associated with lung cancer and respiratory tract toxicity· Previous studies indicate that the solubility of Cr(VI)-compounds is an important factor in Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis· The present study investigates reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by PbCrO4 particles and cellular responses using RAW 264·7 cells· A mixture containing PbCrO4 and RAW 264·7 cells generated hydroxyl radical (·OH), using cellularly generated H2O2 as a precursor, as measured by electron spin resonance (ESR) spin trapping in combination with H2O2 and ·OH scavengers, catalase and sodium formate· The effect of ascorbic acid on ·OH radicals was also measured using ESR· Confocal microscopy showed that particles could become either bound to the cell surface or engulfed over a 120 min time period· H2O2 generation and O2 consumption were also increased after treatment of the cells with PbCrO4· Both NF-κB and AP-1 were activated after exposure to PbCrO4 particles as measured by the NF-κB or AP-1 luciferase reporter plasmid assay· Our investigation thus demonstrated that the RAW 264·7 cells phagocytized the PbCrO4 particles leading to accumulation of the particles within vacuoles in the cytoplasm· These particles could induce chronic production of ROS and activation of NF-κB and AP-1· Such induction of transcription pathways may be involved in the inflammatory and carcinogenic responses induced by Cr(VI)-containing particles·
THE CDC2 PROTEIN KINASE CONTROLS CDC10/SCT1 COMPLEX FORMATION

In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the execution of Start requires the activity of the Cdc2 protein kinase and the Cdc10/Sct1 transcription complex. The loss of any of these genes leads to G1 arrest and activation of the mating pathway under appropriate conditions. We have undertaken a genetic and biochemical analysis of these genes and their protein products to elucidate the molecular mechanism that governs the regulation of Start. We demonstrate that serine-196 of Cdc10 is phosphorylated in vivo and provide evidence that suggests that phosphorylation of this residue is required for Cdc10 function. Substitution of serine-196 of Cdc10 with alanine (Cdc10 S196A) leads to inactivation of Cdc10. We show that Cdc10 S196A is incapable of associating with Sct1 to form a heteromeric complex, whereas substitution of this serine with aspartic acid (S196D) restores DNA-binding activity by allowing Cdc10 to associate with Sct1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Cdc2 activity is required for the formation of the heteromeric Sct1/Cdc10 transcription complex and that the Cdc10 S196D mutation alleviates this requirement. We thus provide biochemical evidence to demonstrate one mechanism by which the Cdc2 protein kinase may regulate Start in the fission yeast cell cycle.
Epitaxial growth in a strained system: Ni(100)O(7 × 7)

Abstract It is known that a (7 × 7) superstructure forms in the temperature range 300 to 400 K, upon oxidation of Ni(100). Quantitative measurement of LEED spot intensities reveals the presence of regularly-spaced antiphase walls within the (7 × 7) unit cell. We suggest that such antiphase walls may serve generally to relieve strain in oxide epitaxies.
Distinct potassium channels on pain-sensing neurons

Differential expression of ion channels contributes functional diversity to sensory neuron signaling. We find nerve injury induced by the Chung model of neuropathic pain leads to striking reductions in voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel subunit expression in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, suggesting a potential molecular mechanism for hyperexcitability of injured nerves. Moreover, specific classes of DRG neurons express distinct Kv channel subunit combinations. Importantly, Kv1.4 is the sole Kv1 α subunit expressed in smaller diameter neurons, suggesting that homomeric Kv1.4 channels predominate in Aδ and C fibers arising from these cells. These neurons are presumably nociceptors, because they also express the VR-1 capsaicin receptor, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and/or Na+ channel SNS/PN3/Nav1.8. In contrast, larger diameter neurons associated with mechanoreception and proprioception express high levels of Kv1.1 and Kv1.2 without Kv1.4 or other Kv1 α subunits, suggesting that heteromers of these subunits predominate on large, myelinated afferent axons that extend from these cells.
11. The influence of pain, executive functions, and inflammation in predicting chronic disease score in older adults

Objective : Aging is accompanied by increases in pain symptoms, greater inflammation, and declines in executive functions (EF) that put older adults at risk for chronic disease (CD). The current study tested whether changes in these factors interacted to predict CD at a future wave, and whether such changes were mediated by changes in IL-6. Methods : Participants included 150 community-dwelling older adults who provided data every 6 months for 5 years. At each wave, IL-6, pain, and EF were measured, and participants provided a list of current medications which were coded and multiplied by empirically derived weights to obtain a measure of CD that is validated against future morbidity and mortality. Results : Multilevel lagged analysis were conducted to test whether changes in pain, EF, and their interaction predicted changes in CD score at the subsequent wave. A significant pain X EF interaction was found such that when participants experienced higher than usual pain at the last wave, lower levels of EF predicted greater CD score at the next wave. The relationship between EF and CD score was not significant when pain levels were low. Although IL-6 predicted CD, it did not significantly mediate the relationships. Conclusions : The results suggest that increasing pain co-occurring with decreasing EF may put older adults at a particular health risk. Immunological pathways mediating this relationship should be tested in future research.
Synthesis and reactions of organolithium and -magnesium compounds of perfluorodiphenyl ethers

Abstract p -C 6 F 5 OC 6 F 4 Li and p -C 6 F 5 OC 6 F 4 MgBr have been prepared. Their stability, benzyne formation and reactions with water, carbon dioxide, cuprous chloride and oxygen, phosphorus tribromide, tin tetrachloride have been studied. Solvent effects of THF, diethyl ether and furan on the synthesis and subsequent reactions of p -C 6 F 5 OC 6 F 4 Li are reported.
Observations on the Political Economics of Regulations

This conference on regulation responds to a demand for better understanding of the U.S. regulatory system. Public officials, business leaders, news reporters and citizens in general are raising serious questions about existing government regulations. Questions are raised about the benefits and costs, the complexity, the apparent irrationality, the unanticipated outcomes and failures to achieve perceived objectives. At the same time newly defined problems and public concerns, and new groups with political awareness and power have created a demand for additional regulations. I assume that to regulate means to control, to direct, to govern directly and indirectly. To define regulation broadly emphasizes the ubiquity and complexity of regulations and focuses attention on alternatives and problems in regulating economic behavior rather than on the meaningless question of whether to regulate or not. It focuses attention on the political economy as a regulatory system. Economic behavior is regulated in many ways. Resources are never allocated simply by the market. A regulatory system is always assumed. It is useful to think of the market as
Racial disparity in emergency department triage.

Abstract Background Previous reports of lower triage acuity scores and longer Emergency Department (ED) wait times for African Americans compared to Caucasians had insufficient information to determine if this was due to bias or appropriately based on medical history and clinical presentation. Objective (1) Determine if African Americans are assigned lower triage acuity scores (TAS) after adjusting for a number of demographic and clinical variables likely to affect triage scores. (2) Determine if lower TAS translate into clinically significant longer wait times to assignment to a treatment area. Methods This was a retrospective matched cohort design analysis of de-identified data extracted from the ED electronic medical record system, which included demographic and clinical information, as well as TAS, and ED process times. Triage scores were assigned using a 5-point scale (ESI), with 1 being most urgent and 5 being least urgent. Mean TAS and wait times to a treatment area for specific chief complaints were compared by race; after adjusting for age, gender, insurance status, time of day, day of week, presence of co-morbidities, and abnormal vital signs using a 1:1 matched case analysis. Results The overall mean TAS for African Americans was 2.97 vs. 2.81 for Caucasians (difference of 0.18; p p Conclusion Our current study supports the hypothesis that racial bias may influence the triage process.
Modeling of Anisotropic Magnetic Shielding Using the Two Scalar Potential Formulation

The two-scalar potential formulation has been shown to be very accurate for modeling magnetic problems with high permeability materials. This paper extends the formulation to incorporate multiple and anisotropic magnets. Application of the model to the shielding of orthogonal electromagnets shows that an anisotropic shield can reduce the interference between electromagnets without adversely affecting the amount of useful flux
Sephardic sacred space in colonial America

The Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, the oldest extant synagogue building in the United States, has provoked a certain amount of controversy regarding its origins: while the architect is known, scholars have disputed whether the essential attributes of the structure should be traced to eighteenth-century English pattern books, descriptions of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam provided to architect Peter Harrison by congregants, or the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London. The origins of the structure are important, as most of the Portuguese synagogues in colonial American and the Caribbean bear the same basic and unusual design features as the Touro structure. This essay argues that the resolution to this controversy lies in the structural ideal behind both the pattern books and the synagogues in Amsterdam and London: the Biblical Tabernacle and Temple as described by Rabbi Jacob Judah Leon de Templo in his messianic study, the Retrato del Templo de Selomo (1642). Early modern synagogue architects mimicked both the proportions prescribed by Leon de Templo and key symbolic design features of the Temple. By echoing the divinely-inspired structures, eighteenth-century Sephardic Jews in colonial America hoped to draw their worship closer to God and to help bring about the messianic era.
A typology of knowledge management: strategic groups and role behavior in organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a typology of people and organizations who transact in knowledge.Design/methodology/approach – Based on structural interviews with 37 managers in three large manufacturing companies a model is proposed which describes the processing of knowledge in organizations.Findings – Four stages are identified: generation, transfer, implementation, and absorption. Similarly, three types of transactors in knowledge are also identified: generators, transformers, and users. The findings from the interviews are the different motives that animate the different transactors in knowledge, and the distinct behavioral roles that these transactors assume in their organizations.Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature by proposing a new way of classifying the roles of people and organizations in their transaction in knowledge.
Benign versus Malignant Breast Masses: Optical Differentiation with US Localization

A group of 5 invasive carcinomas and 16 benign lesions have shown that malignant cancers present more than two-fold greater total hemoglobin concentration than benign lesions. Optical tomography provides much higher specificity than Doppler US.
Deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, mitosis, and skeletal muscle differentiation.

In the past, it was generally thought that processes of differentiation and proliferation in eukaryotic cells were antagonistic, the implication being that somehow the two processes cannot go on simultaneously within the same cell. There are, however, many examples of synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid and of specialized cell proteins occurring simultaneously in the same cell (1-5). It has become clear in recent years that it would be more accurate to say that there are several differentiating systems in which special relationships exist between the events leading to overt differentiation and cell proliferation. Some of the better studied examples are in erythroid differentiation, where a programmed sequence of cell division occurs (6-9); in formation of tubular gland cells, in which division is required for the formation and subsequent synthesis of ovalbumin in the chick oviduct (10, 11); in viral transformation of cells, where cell division is required to establish this state (12-15); in the differentiation of mammary gland epithelium, where cell division must occur in the presence of hydrocortisone in order for prolactin to stimulate milk protein synthesis (16, 17); and in the differentiation of skeletal muscle cells, where cells synthesizing contractile proteins do not divide (18, 19). For several years we have been exploring the relationship of cell proliferation and differentiation in skeletal muscle cells differentiating in vitro. We describe this relationship and relate some of our general conclusions about deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in differentiating myogenic cells. DISCUSSION
Noise and reliability in advanced CMOS devices for low power applications

This tutorial will discuss on low-frequency noise and reliability related issues in MOSFETs used for low-power applications. The first part of the tutorial will first direct the readers to understand flicker noise and random telegraph signals from a basic fundamental science perspective. The flicker and RTS noise will be dealt from a circuit perspective with some real-time examples. CMOS scaling requirements for technology and the effects of device scaling on low frequency noise will be discussed.The second part of the tutorial will then discuss about the relationship between reliability and flicker noise followed by effects of various different types of stress on flicker noise. The effect of (a) gate voltage and current stress, (b) channel hot carrier (CHC), (c) time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) and (d) negative bias temperature instabilities (NBTI) on flicker noise will be covered. The effects of radiation hardness on low-frequency noise will also be discussed.The tutorial concludes with various techniques that would help device and circuit designers on reducing flicker noise at process and device level. Also phase noise reduction techniques at circuit level will be dealt with.
An Interference-Filter Monochromator System for the Irradiation of Biological Material.

The determination of action spectra for biological photoreactions requires that large areas be irradiated uniformly at high inteiisities and with narrow band widths for the resolution of spectral details. When the material is changing irreversibly with time or when long irradiation periods are required, it may be necessary to irradiate samples at ten or more different points in the spectrum simultaneously. This excludes use of the conventional single-exit-slit monochromator and requires a spectrograph with a series of wide slits arranged in the focal plane of the spectrum. The necessity of both high radiant power and narrow band width are difficult to meet with the prism or grating spectrograph. These instruments are capable of producing band widths of a small fraction of a millimicron but the intensity of the beam falls rapidly as the waveband is decreased. Large prism (8) and grating (7) spectrograph systems using 5 to 15 kw carbon-arc sources have been described for the simultaneous irradiation of relatively large objects with monochromatic energy at many wavelengths. The band width of such systems is usually from 5 to 20 ??? when the radiant power is sufficiently high. The properties and application of these systems have been discussed elsewhere (14). The principal practical limitations of the spectrograph system are: 1) the large space required, 2) the unequal irradiance distribution over the spectrum, and 3) the cross-scattering of energy between wavelength stations. Because of the magnification required of the optical system, it is necessary to project the beam over relatively large distances of 5 to 15 meters. The relative intensity distribution between the various wavelength stations is arbitrarily determined by the spectral energy distribution of the source and transmission of the spectrograph. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain an equal irradiance or equal quantum-intensity spectrum. While this is not. always essential for action spectrum studies, it is certainly desirable for convenience of analysis and. interpretation of results. It is especially desirable for biological systems for which reciprocity does not hold. The interference-filter monochromator presents several important advantages over the prism and grating instruments. A system of 10 or 20 wavelength stations can be placed in a relatively small constantcondition room. The spectral bands can be completely isolated in small cabinets and the intensity of each wavelength station adjusted independently by electrical control of the source or by neutral density filters so as to produce an equal irradiance or equal quantum-intensity spectrum. The system is simple optically, does not require high quality optical components, and is much easier to adjust than grating and prism instruments. The interference-filter monochromator system to be described has been developed for the determination of action spectra in plants and for kinetical studies where it is desired to irradiate the material with high intensities of monochromatic energy of high spect al purity.
Who gets protection orders for intimate partner violence

Abstract Background: It is unknown how victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) who seek civil protection orders differ from IPV victims who do not. Methods: To compare characteristics of women with and without protection orders, 448 women with police or court contact for an IPV incident in Seattle, Washington, were interviewed. Data collected included demographic characteristics of the subject and her abuser, abuse history, and the subject’s mental and physical health. Results: IPV victims who obtained protection orders were more likely than victims without protection orders to be employed full-time, be pregnant, be married, aged over 24, and less likely to be involved with perpetrator at index incident. The perpetrators for both groups were similar, and the majority had a current or previous alcohol/drug problem and a previous criminal history. Both groups of victims had been psychologically and physically abused during the previous year and nearly all had symptoms of depression. However, at the index incident, women who sought protection orders were less likely to be physically assaulted or injured, but more likely to have family members or friends physically assaulted. Conclusions: Financial independence and abuse of family or friends are important factors associated with the decision to seek a protection order in IPV.
End force loading of generally anisotropic curved beams with linearly varying elastic constants

Abstract The analytical solution for the stress field is derived for the case of a non-homogeneous curved beam in the form of a segment of a plane circular ring fixed at one end and acted upon by a load at the other end. It is assumed that the beam possesses general anisotropy and that the elastic constants are linear functions (with two non-zero coefficients) of the radial distance. The solution is found in a series form with a complex stress function. Numerical examples for the distribution of stresses in comparison with the homogeneous orthotropic case are presented and the effect of the gradient in the elastic constants is discussed.
Concerning maximal packing arrangements of binary disk mixtures

The determination of the maximal packing arrangements of two-dimensional, binary hard disks of radii RS and RL (with RS 6 RL) for su0ciently small RS amounts to 1nding the optimal arrangement of the small disks within a tricusp: the nonconvexcavity between three close-packed large disks. We present a particle-growth Monte Carlo algorithm for the generation of geometric packings of equi-sized hard disks within such a tricusp. The 1rst 19 members of an in1nite sequence of maximal density structures thus produced are reported. In addition, the Monte Carlo algorithm is applied to the geometric packing of disks within a 8at-sided equilateral triangle and compared to published results for that packing problem. We perform an analysis of geometric properties of the packings, e.g. packing fractions and symmetries of structures con1ned to both containers. Interestingly, we 1nd a non-monotonic increase in the packing fraction with increasing number of disks packed within both the 8at-sided triangle and tricusp. It is important to note that for disk packings within a 8at-sided equilateral triangle, this non-monotonic behavior of the packing fraction had not been reported in previously published works. For the 8at-sided equilateral triangle, local maxima occur at the triangular integers NS =1; 3; 6; 10; 15 :::; as well as NS =1 2; where NS is the number of disks in each packing. However, local maxima for packings within the tricusp exist at NS =1 ; 3; 6; 10; 18 ::: :Finally, we analyze the asymptotic approach to the upper bound on the packing fraction of the in1nite sequence of maximal structures of disks con1ned to the tricusp. c
Technology transfer vs. diffusion: A conceptual clarification

Technology transfer and diffusion are often used interchangeably and applied to diverse phenomena. Policy needs to distinguish between them. Transfer of knowledge and legal rights to produce a new product is constrained by the owner's concern for a return on innovation; diffusion of use is restricted by willingness and ability to adopt it. Speedy diffusion of use rewards the innovator; premature or inadequately rewarded transfer undermines incentives to innovate. The conflict occurs with product innovations, but may not arise with process innovations, whose diffusion is also contrary to the interests of the innovator unless compensated. Factors favoring and hindering technology transfer, and conditions affecting the rate of diffusion of use, are briefly considered.
Optimal sparse pharmacokinetic (PK) sampling strategies (OSS) for multi‐drug antiretroviral (ARV) regimens

Aims ARV therapy is a rapidly evolving area that requires an excellent understanding of drug interactions & metabolism as well as adaptive feedback control (PK/PD individualization). Clinicians & patients are confronted with increasingly complex regimens in order to optimize treatment & to prevent emergence of resistance, failure or toxicity. ARV regimens often include 3 or 4 drugs, making population PK/PD analysis based on traditional sampling strategies difficult. Our goal was to develop a sparse efficient multi-drug OSS for the evaluation of PK in patients receiving ARV regimens. Methods Saquinavir (SQV) & efavirenz (EFV) data from 10 healthy subjects also on amprenavir, in AACTG A5043, were fit to compartmental models (maximum likelihood, ADAPT II). Optimal Sampling Theory (ADAPT II, D-optimality) was used to determine sparse, efficient study designs (best 6-, 4-, 3- & 2- sample OSS) constrained to 8h post-dose, at steady state. Bias & precision of clearance (CL) estimates were evaluated. Results OSS3 included samples at 0, 4 & 8h post-dose; OSS4 added a 6h & OSS6 added 1& 2h samples. CL estimates for all OSSs were unbiased & even OSS3 provided acceptable precision; mean absolute errors, with OSS6, for SQV & EFV were 14.9 & 4.1% respectively & with OSS3, for SQV & EFV were 16.9 & 5.4%. No OSS with <3 samples was adequate for SQV. Conclusions CL for both SQV & EFV were reasonably estimated using ≥ 3 sample strategy. This approach will facilitate population PK/PD analyses of combined ARV regimens. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P90–P90; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.236
Long-term effects of minimum legal drinking age laws on marijuana and other illicit drug use in adulthood

BACKGROUND: Exposure to permissive minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws (ability to purchase alcohol METHODS: Participants from the 2004-2012 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were linked with historical state MLDA laws. Participants born in 1949-1972 (age 31-63 years at observation, n=110,300) were analyzed because they came of legal age for alcohol purchase when changes occurred in state MLDA laws. Logistic regression was used to model drug use measures as a function of exposure to permissive MLDA during adolescence, adjusting for state and birth-year fixed effects, demographics, and salient state characteristics. RESULTS: Rates of past month use, past year use, and abuse/dependence of marijuana were 4.7%, 7.8%, and 1.2%, respectively. Rates of past month use, past year use, and abuse/dependence of illicit drugs other than marijuana were 2.9%, 6.2%, and 0.7%, respectively. Among the full sample, exposure to permissive MLDA laws was not significantly associated with drug use or abuse/dependence in adulthood. Men exposed to permissive MLDA laws were at 20% increased odds of past year illicit drug use (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.32). CONCLUSIONS: Restricting alcohol access during adolescence did not increase long-term drug use. Allowing the purchase of alcohol among those less than 21 years of age could increase the risk of drug use later in life. Language: en
When less is more: Consumer aversion to unused utility

Abstract A series of experiments demonstrates that consumers exhibit aversion to waste during forward-looking purchase. These experiments further reveal that such behavior is driven by distaste for unused utility, a reaction that is shown to be distinct from an aversion to squandering money. Waste aversion is especially pronounced when consumers anticipate future consequences and deprivation is salient. In addition to demonstrating robustness across consumers and marketing contexts, the results also demonstrate how waste aversion can lead to self-defeating behavior in which consumers forego desired utility. Finally, the present research demonstrates and discusses the implications of waste aversion for a variety of marketing issues, including buy-rent markets, bundling, and the fundamental distinction between goods and services.
Residual-based tree-structured survival analysis.

Extensions of various non-parametric regression techniques (for example, additive models, trees, MARS) have been devised for right censored survival data. These approaches directly handle the difficulties posed by censoring. However, it is possible to bypass these difficulties by utilizing standard non-parametric regression procedures applied with (say) martingale residuals as outcome. Analytic correspondences between the direct and residual-based approaches have been established for additive models while more qualitative comparisons have been provided for MARS. Here we develop such correspondences for tree-structured regression. In particular, we provide an analytic relationship between logrank and martingale residual sum-of-squares split functions that explains the widely observed similarity of the resultant trees. Further investigation is provided by simulation and an illustrative example using time to AIDS with data deriving from a Western Australian HIV cohort study.
New Challenges for Thrombolytic Therapy

Excerpt A survey of recent medical literature might suggest that the major challenges in the field of coronary thrombolysis have been met. Several large, randomized trials have now established that...
Distribution of Total and Soluble Fiber in Various Millstreams of Wheat

Twenty-three mill flour streams, four final flours, germ, millfeed and three millfeed fractions from milling hard red wheat were analyzed for soluble fiber (SF) and insoluble fiber (IF). The objective was to identify a fraction(s) that may be a good source of SF. Whole wheat flour and germ each contained about 10% total (IF + SF) fiber; they also matched closely in SF and IF. Excluding the red dog fraction, the bran fraction was highest in SF. SF represented about 5% of the total fiber in the bran. No flour stream was a particularly good source of SF. The sixth middlings stream had about one-fourth of the total fiber as SF. Other streams, as well as “straight” and “patent” flours, contained SF and IF in about equal amounts. Products with straight or patent flour would increase SF in the diet without a disproportionate increase in IF.
Transport of labile carbon in runoff as affected by land use and rainfall characteristics

The mobilization of organic carbon (C) by water erosion could impact the terrestrial C budget, but the magnitude and direction of that impact remain uncertain due to a lack of data regarding the fates and quality of eroded C. A study was conducted to monitor total organic C and mineralizable C (MinC) in eroded materials from watersheds under no till (NT), chisel till (CT), disk till low input (DT-LI), pasture and forest. The DT-LI treatment relies on manure application and legume cover crops to partly supply the N needed when corn is grown, and on cultivation to reduce the use of herbicides. Each watershed was instrumented with a flume and a Coshocton wheel sampler for runoff measurement. Carbon dioxide (CO2) evolved during incubation (115 days) of runoff samples was fitted to a first-order decomposition model to derive MinC. Annual soil (6.2 Mg ha −1 ) and organic C (113.8 kg C ha −1 ) losses were twice as much in the DT-LI than in the other watersheds (<2.7 Mg soil ha −1 , <60 kg C ha −1 ). More than management practices, rainfall class (based on intensity and energy) was a better controller of sediment C concentration and biodegradability. Sediment collected during the low-intensity (fall/winter) storms contained more organic C (3 7gCk g −1 ) and MinC (30–40% of sediment C) than materials displaced during the high-intensity summer storms (22. 1gCk g −1 and 13%, respectively). These results suggest a more selective detachment and sorting of labile C fractions during low-intensity storms. However, despite the control of low-intensity storm on sediment C concentration and quality, increased soil loss with high-energy rainfall suggests that a few infrequent but high-energy storms could determine the overall impact of erosional events on terrestrial C cycling. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The Courage to Leave: Wrestling with the Decision to Leave Teaching in Uncertain Times

This qualitative case study of successful educators in one urban high school investigated: How do veteran urban teachers wrestle with the decision to stay or leave teaching? If and how can we conceptualize their considerations in light of a theory of courageousness? Using philosophical foundations and a framework of ordinary courage (Brown, The gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are. Hazelden, Center City, MN, 2010), findings indicate that there are multiple “push” and “pull” factors—almost all linked to educational policies—with which teachers wrestle while contemplating leaving the classroom, and their willingness to confront and discuss these factors marks them as potentially courageous. Implications for research, policy, and practice are presented.
The utilization of fuzzy sets in the recognition of imperfect strings

Abstract The intent of this paper is to present a new method in imperfect string recognition, when classical error detection algorithms are employed on a given grammar. First we will describe the classic approach and then we will introduce the new approach. We present examples that describe the use of fuzzy sets in the recognition of imperfect strings.
Complex Partial Seizures of Hippocampal and Amygdalar Origin

We studied the first clinical manifestations of 72 complex partial seizures (CPS) in 17 drug-resistant patients. CPS were indicated to be of hippocampal-amygdalar origin by scalp and depth EEG. We asked: (a) Do all CPS of hippocampal-amygdalar origin start with an initial motionless stare and/or oroalimentary automatisms? (b) If not, what other clinical manifestations appear at onset of the CPS? Results showed that approximately 39% of CPS begin with motionless staring, 25% with nonfocal discrete movements, 21% with oroalimentary automatisms, 10% with perseverative stereotyped automatisms, and 6% with vocalizations. Nonfocal discrete movements and oroalimentary automatisms were identified as the most common second and third clinical sequential manifestations during a CPS. We conclude that although approximately 60% of CPS of hippocampal-amygdalar origin start with motionless staring or oroalimentary automatisms, 40% do not.
Engagement of T-cell antigen receptor and CD4/CD8 co-receptors induces prolonged STAT activation through autocrine/paracrine stimulation in human primary T cells

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins are key signaling molecules in response to cytokines and in regulating T cell biology. However, there are contradicting reports on whether STAT is involved in T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) signaling. To better define the role of STAT in TCR signaling, we activated the CD4/CD8-associated Lck kinase by co-crosslinking TCR and CD4/CD8 co-receptors in human peripheral blood T cells. Sequential STAT1, STAT3 and STAT5 activation was observed 1 h after TCR stimulation suggesting that STAT proteins are not the immediate targets in the TCR complex. We further identified interferon-γ as the key cytokine in STAT1 activation upon TCR engagement. In contrast to transient STAT activation in cytokine response, this autocrine/paracrine-induced STAT activation was sustained. It correlated with the absence of two suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins, SOCS3 and cytokine-inducible SH2 containing protein that are negative feedback regulators of STAT signaling. Moreover, enforced expression of SOCS3 inhibited tyrosine phosphorylation of zeta-associated protein kinase of 70 kD in TCR-stimulated human Jurkat T cells. This is the first report demonstrating delayed and prolonged STAT activation coordinated with the loss of SOCS expression in human primary T cells after co-crosslinking of TCR and CD4/CD8 co-receptors.
Weighted Markov chains and graphic state nodes for information retrieval

Decision-making in uncertain environments, such as data mining, involves a computer user navigating through multiple steps, from initial submission of a query through evaluating retrieval results, determining degrees of acceptability of the results, and advancing to a terminal state of evaluating where the interaction is successful or not. This paper describes iterative information seeking (IS) as a Markov process during which users advance through states of “nodes”. Nodes are graphic objects on a computer screen that represent both the state of the system and the group of users' or an individual user's degree of confidence in an individual node. After examining nodes to establish a confidence level, the system records the decision as weights affecting the probability of the transition paths between nodes. By training the system in this way, the model incorporates into the underlying Markov process users' decisions as a means to reduce uncertainty. The Markov chain becomes a weighted one whereby the IS makes justified suggestions.
Radiological Case of the Month

A 14-YEAR-OLD African American adolescent girl presented with a 6-month history of intermittent upper abdominal pain and postprandial vomiting. These symptoms had become progressively worse during the 2 months prior to hospital admission. The medical history was unremarkable except for dysmenorrhea. The physical examination revealed a thin adolescent girl with a weight of 35 kg (10th percentile) and height of 150 cm (25th percentile). Her vital signs were normal. The abdomen was slightly distended with mild tenderness in the epigastric region and normal bowel sounds on auscultation. No hepatosplenomegaly or ascites was detected. Results of a complete blood cell count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were normal. A guaiac test of the stool was negative for occult blood. A radiograph of the abdomen revealed gastric distention. Abdominal and pelvic ultrasound was normal. An upper gastrointestinal tract contrastmedium study was obtained (Figure). From the Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, New Orleans.
Emerging diagnostic and therapeutic molecular imaging applications in vascular disease

Assessment of vascular disease has evolved from mere indirect and direct measurements of luminal stenosis to sophisticated imaging methods to depict millimeter structural changes of the vasculature. In the near future, the emergence of multimodal molecular imaging strategies may enable robust therapeutic and diagnostic (‘theragnostic’) approaches to vascular diseases that comprehensively consider structural, functional, biological and genomic characteristics of the disease in individualized risk assessment, early diagnosis and delivery of targeted interventions. This review presents a summary of recent preclinical and clinical developments in molecular imaging and theragnostic applications covering diverse atherosclerosis events such as endothelial activation, macrophage infammatory activity, plaque neovascularization and arterial thrombosis. The main focus is on molecular targets designed for imaging platforms commonly used in clinical medicine including magnetic resonance, computed tomography and positron emission tomography. A special emphasis is given to vascular ultrasound applications, considering the important role this imaging platform plays in the clinical and research practice of the vascular medicine specialty.
Peptidylglycine α-Amidating Monooxygenase and Other Processing Enzymes in the Neurointermediate Pituitarya

Studies on the mRNAs encoding PAM and on the various PAM proteins have begun to reveal some of the intricate mechanisms used to optimize the ability of this enzyme to carry out the alpha-amidation of peptides. Comparison of the regulatory elements governing expression of the various enzymes involved in peptide processing should reveal common elements. Knowledge of the processing enzymes themselves should help us to understand how these enzymes function in the secretory granule environment. In addition to their catalytic domains, other processing enzymes, like PAM, may well have processing domains and routing domains designed to optimize their ability to function in secretory granules.
AN ALGORITHM FOR FINDING LONGEST CYCLES IN CERTAIN BIPARTITE GRAPHS

Let G be a connected bipartite graph with with bipartition (X, Y) such that |X| ≥ |Y| (≥ 2). Put n = |X|, m = |Y| and l = m + n. Suppose that, for all vertices x ∈ X and y ∈ Y, dist(x,y) = 3 implies d(x) + d(y) ≥ n + 1. We show that G contains a cycle of length 2m. We also give an efficient algorithm to obtain such a cycle. The complexity of this algorithm is O(l3). In case m = n, we find a hamiltonian cycle of G. This generalizes a result given in [10].
Iterative demodulation and decoding of turbo-coded M-ary noncoherent orthogonal modulation

This paper considers bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) with a turbo channel code and M-ary orthogonal modulation. The BICM signal is iteratively demodulated and decoded in a noncoherent fashion. A soft demodulator suitable for noncoherent orthogonal modulation is presented, and the convergence of the iterative receiver is analyzed through extrinsic information transfer charts. The demodulator can work either with or without fading amplitude estimates. Extensive simulation results are presented for the well-known cdma-2000 turbo code, and the results are compared with the corresponding channel capacities, which are computed using a Monte Carlo technique. The results indicate gains of up to 1 dB relative to noniterative BICM can be achieved with the iterative receiver.
Altering telomere structure allows telomerase to act in yeast lacking ATM kinases

Abstract Background: Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that copies a short RNA template into telomeric DNA, maintaining eukaryotic chromosome ends and preventing replicative senescence. Telomeres differentiate chromosome ends from DNA double-stranded breaks. Nevertheless, the DNA damage-responsive ATM kinases Tel1p and Mec1p are required for normal telomere maintenance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . We tested whether the ATM kinases are required for telomerase enzyme activity or whether it is their action on the telomere that allows telomeric DNA synthesis. Results: Cells lacking Tel1p and Mec1p had wild-type levels of telomerase activity in vitro. Furthermore, altering telomere structure in three different ways showed that telomerase can function in ATM kinase-deleted cells: tel1 mec1 cells senesced more slowly than tel1 mec1 cells that also lacked TLC1 , which encodes telomerase RNA, suggesting that tel1 mec1 cells have residual telomerase function; deleting the telomere-associated proteins Rif1p and Rif2p in tel1 mec1 cells prevented senescence; we isolated a point mutation in the telomerase RNA template domain ( tlc1-476A ) that altered telomeric DNA sequences, causing uncontrolled telomeric DNA elongation and increasing single strandedness. In tel1 mec1 cells, tlc1-476A telomerase was also capable of uncontrolled synthesis, but only after telomeres had shortened for >30 generations. Conclusion: Our results show that, without Tel1p and Mec1p, telomerase is still active and can act in vivo when the telomere structure is disrupted by various means. Hence, a primary function of the ATM-family kinases in telomere maintenance is to act on the substrate of telomerase, the telomere, rather than to activate the enzymatic activity of telomerase.
The ‘Impact’ of Equal Employment Legislation on Women's Earnings: Limitations of Legislative Solutions to Discrimination in the Economy

. Although a strong legal basis now exists for equal opportunity in employment for women, women's earnings have actually dropped relative to men's. This holds true even when experience on the job, life-time work experience, and education are similar. Females are also still twice as likely as males to be below the poverty line. The impact of low female earnings may be of even greater significance today because of the increase in female-headed families. Equal opportunity legislation has not been sufficient to end economic sexism.
Match maker: how to compare thermoregulatory responses in groups of different body mass and surface area.

there is a long and rich history of research comparing thermoregulatory responses between groups of different sex, age, and health. Direct measurements of body temperature, whole body, and local sudomotor activity are the basic tools used by thermal and exercise physiologists to understand and
The Effects of Differential Interviewer Incentives on a Field Data Collection Effort

Surveys routinely offer incentives to motivate respondents and increase the likelihood of their participation, yet surprisingly little is known about the effectiveness of interviewer incentives. If...
Verbal, Physical, and Injurious Aggression Among Intimate Couples Over Time:

This study uses a large, longitudinal national data set to examine sociological, feminist, and psychological perspectives to assess the level of intimate couple aggression and change in dyad aggression over time. The first multivariate analysis evaluates factors associated with the type of couple aggression (none, verbal, physical, or injurious), and the other analyzes predictors of change in severity of aggression that couples experience over time. Demographic variables, social integration, dependency, and psychological health measures are used to examine level of aggression and change over time. Sociological, feminist, and psychological perspectives are all supported to some degree by the results of this study, and we suggest a synthesis of these perspectives to explain the dynamics of couple aggression.
Evaluation of the Health Belief Model and Decision Making Regarding Amniocentesis in Women of Advanced Maternal Age

The Health Belief Model (HBM) was developed as an attempt to explain an individual's decision regarding obtaining preventive health care. This model was applied to predict the decisions of women of advanced maternal age regarding their obtaining amniocentesis in a one-year study conducted in Toledo, Ohio. A questionnaire based on the HBM was administered to a sample of 98 pregnant women of advanced maternal age. A total of 96 questionnaires were eligible for inclusion in the study. Sixty-one women reported that they would have amniocentesis, 22 would not, and 13 were unsure. A multivariate analysis of variance among amniocentesis decision groups was performed using the health belief components (perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, perceived benefit, perceived barrier) and knowledge as variables. There was a significant difference (Wilks' criterion, p less than .0001) among the three decision groups, but the differences were in the health belief components and not in knowledge. A stepwise discriminant function analysis was used to classify subjects on the amniocentesis decision. Of the variables examined, only the HBM component perceived benefit factor was a significant discriminant (p = .0001). It is not necessarily the lack of knowledge that prevents women who are at risk because of advanced maternal age from having amniocentesis but their perceptions regarding amniocentesis. Genetic counselors need to focus more on exploring the perceptions of amniocentesis benefits in this population to facilitate the decision making process.
Plädoyer für eine praxisorientierte Technikphilosophie: die Erfahrungen in den USA

Frau Stroker erklart: „Nur als systematische Disziplin aber kann sie [die Philosophie der Technik] sich denjenigen Rang im Rahmen anderer philosophischer Disziplinen erwerben, der ihr nach der Bedeutung ihrer Aufgaben heute mehr denn je zukommt.“1 Meines Erachtens ist diese Taktik unklug. Als Beweis dafur berufe ich mich auf zwei ihrer deutschen Kollegen, Hans Lenk und Gunther Ropohl, die 1979 folgende Herausforderung formuliert haben: Die vieldimensionalen Probleme der technologischen Welt konnen nicht aufgegriffen werden . . . ohne die Beteiligung sozialwissenschaftlicher Generalisten und philosophischer Universalisten . . . technikwissenschaftlicher Experten, Systemanalytiker und Systemplaner . . . Die Philosophie mus die Herausforderung zu interdisziplina Ansatzen akzeptieren . . . Sie mus aus dem Elfenbeinturm der beschrankten und rein akademischen Philosophie heraustreten.2
Alternatives to FDIC Deposit Insurance

This paper considers potential alternatives to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) system of deposit insurance in the United States. We review the international and historical literature on deposit insurance which finds higher government involvement in the deposit insurance system increases the likelihood of bank failures and financial crises. We discuss three potential changes to the FDIC system. First, deposit insurance could be government mandated but privately administered as is done in most developed countries. Second, coverage levels could be lowered and supplemented by currently available private issuers. Third, the mandate on deposit insurance could be lifted and the supply of insurance privatized. Empirical evidence indicates these changes would reduce bank failures and financial crises.