cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Technology roadmap development process (TRDP) for the service sector: A conceptual framework

Abstract This paper provides a decision making framework for development of technology roadmaps by integrating emerging technology intelligence with established decision making and product development methods. This paper integrates the following methods: technology mining, analytic hierarchy process, and technology roadmapping Specifically the emphasis is pointed towards service industry where research has indicated major differences exist when compared to the manufacturing industries. The framework is detailed in the paper providing a platform for practitioners to adopt for their own decisions to make and for researchers to expand by applying it to different service industries.
Column chromatography and electrophoresis of bovine uterine lumenal proteins collected during the estrous cycle

Abstract Uteri of 29 normally cycling Holstein and Jersey cows were non-surgically flushed with 50 ml sterile 1.5% saline, and fluids were recovered to evaluate biochemical methods for determination of qualitative changes in uterine lumenal protein at known stages of the estrous cycle. Total protein (mg) and number of red blood cells (million/ml) were 17.7 and 9.8; 7.6 and 7.1; 9.1 and 6.0; and 26.2 and 2.8 at day 0, 5, 10 and 15 of the bovine estrous cycle. Column chromatography (Sephacryl S-200) of uterine secretions revealed seven uterine specific peaks at ambient temperatures. One peak may be a hemoglobin contaminant. Five uterine specific protein peaks representing proteins greater than 160 000, ∼ 25 000 and less than 13 700 mol. wt. (3) were eluted with high performance liquid chromatography. Native polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis fractionated uterine fluid into as many as 13 bands. There were differences in six protein bands between uterine fluid and plasma. The consistency between Sephacryl S-200 and high performance liquid chromatography is the presence of three to four low molecular weight ( 160 000 and approximately 25 000 were found with high performance liquid chromatography. Results indicate no differences in protein class during the estrous cycle and that red blood cell contamination must be monitored during qualitative evaluation of uterine proteins.
Defining environmental risk: Multiple dimensions of psychological vulnerability

Children participating in a longitudinal study of risk for serious mental disorder were assessed at 48 months of age. Six risk factors were defined: negative life events, e.g., illness/injury to the child; maternal hospitalizations, for all reasons; number of children in the family; maternal psychiatric status; maternal cognitive orientation toward child-rearing; and single-parent family. The results show that the number of risk factors is negatively related to social and intellectual adjustment; a rigid conforming maternal cognitive orientation is associated with diminished intellectual and social performance; maternal psychiatric status is associated with lessened social performance. Additionally, the combination of a rigid conforming maternal cognitive orientation with negative life events is associated with diminished social adjustment. A discussion examines these results in a context defined by developmental and crisis theory.
A check for consistency between positron-atomic hydrogen total, positronium formation, and ionization cross section measurements

We have recently measured total cross sections for 5 to 302 eV positrons scattered by atomic hydrogen using a beam transmission technique. A check for consistency is made between these measurements and prior measurements of positronium formation and ionization cross sections by making use of available theoretical calculations of elastic and excitation cross sections for positron-atomic hydrogen scattering.
Excitatory Amino Acids (NMDA) Alter Nitric Oxide Synthetase (NOS) Activity in the Isolated Salt Perfused Rat Lung

Excitatory Amino Acids (NMDA) Alter Nitric Oxide Synthetase (NOS) Activity in the Isolated Salt Perfused Rat Lung
Group-Contingent Time-out and Behavior on a School Bus

A school bus on its evening route was stopped (time-out) following any instance of standing, incorrect in-seat posture, or fighting. Frequency and duration of the target behaviors declined to zero ...
Stationary-Phase Regulation of RpoS Translation in Escherichia coli

In enteric bacteria, adaptation to a number of different stresses is mediated by the RpoS protein, one of several sigma factors that collectively allow a tailored transcriptional response to environmental cues. Stress stimuli including low temperature, osmotic shock, nutrient limitation, and growth to stationary phase (SP) all result in a substantial increase in RpoS abundance and activity. The mechanism of regulation depends on the specific signal but may occur at the level of transcription, translation, protein activity, or targeted proteolysis. In both Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica, SP induction of RpoS in rich medium is >30 fold and includes effects on both transcription and translation. Recently, we found that SP control of rpoS transcription in S. enterica involves repression of the major rpoS promoter during exponential phase by the global transcription factor Fis. Working primarily with E. coli, we now show that 24 nucleotides of the rpoS ribosome-binding site (RBS) are necessary and sufficient for a large part of the increase in rpoS translation as cells grow to SP. Genetic evidence points to an essential role for the leader nucleotides just upstream of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence but is conflicted on the question of whether sequence or structure is important. SP regulation of rpoS is conserved between E. coli and S. enterica. When combined with an fis mutation to block transcriptional effects, replacement of the rpoS RBS sequence by the lacZ RBS eliminates nearly all SP induction of RpoS.
Solution conformation of longifolene and its precursor by NMR and ab initio calculations

We describe the conformation and stereospecific 1H and 13C chemical shift assignments of longifolene 1 and its penultimate precursor 2 through the combined use of ab initio calculations and experimental NMR techniques. The predicted stable conformation for both compounds was similar and adopts a twisted chair conformation at the seven-membered ring where C4 lies on top of the exocyclic double bond. The calculated chemical shifts for the stable conformation agree well with the experimental values. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Automating Libraries: The Major Mistakes Librarians are Likely to Make

Five prominent consultants‐Richard Boss, Susan Baerg Epstein, Rob McGee, Joseph Matthews, and James E. Rush—discuss the three most common mistakes made by librarians involved in automation. These mistakes are costly in terms of time, money, and functional success. They are made repeatedly; all are avoidable.
Selective ring opening reactions of 3,7-diarylsulfonyl-1,3,5,7-tetrazabicyclo[3.3.1] nonaries

The selective formation of 1,3,5,7-tetrazacyelooctanes from the title compounds is described. Exclusive cleavage of the IN-CH2-N bonds at the bridge methylene is shown to be a facile process, thus providing a convenient route to tetrazacyclooctane derivatives.
Electromagnetic Simulation of T Violation in the A = 12 Triad Beta Decay

Electromagnetic final-state effects are considered in the absence of $T$ violation for the $A=12\ensuremath{\beta}$ processes ${\mathrm{B}}^{12}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{C}}^{12}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ and ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{12}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{C}}^{12}{e}^{+}\ensuremath{\nu}$. The emphasis is to determine the contribution which gives rise, in the decay spectrum, to the polarization of the parent nucleus normal to the decay plane. It is shown that this polarization is directly dependent on weak magnetism. The conserved-vector-current theory is used to estimate the magnitude of this effect. It is found to be significantly larger than the corresponding values in mirror $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decays.
The Effect of Surface Charge on the Voltage-Dependent Conductance Induced in Thin Lipid Membranes by Monazomycin

Differences in the behavior of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) thin lipid membranes treated with monazomycin are shown to be due to the negative surface charge on PG membranes. We demonstrate that shifts of the conductance-voltage (g-V) characteristic of PG films produced by changes of univalent or divalent cation concentrations result from changes of the membrane surface potential on one or both sides. In particular, if divalent cations are added to the aqueous phase not containing monazomycin, the resulting asymmetry of the surface potentials results in an intramembrane potential difference not recordable by electrodes in the bulk phases. Nevertheless, this intramembrane potential difference is "seen" by the monazomycin, and consequently the g-V characteristic is shifted along the voltage axis. These changes are accounted for by diffuse double layer theory. Thus we find it unnecessary to invoke specific binding of Mg(++) or Ca(++) to the negative charges of PG membranes to explain the observation that concentrations of these ions some 100-fold lower than that of the univalent cation present produce large shifts of the g-V characteristic. We suggest that analogous shifts of g-V characteristics in axons produced by changes of divalent cation concentration are also best explained by diffuse double layer theory.
Wang-Landau sampling of an asymmetric ising model: a study of the critical endpoint behavior

We use the Wang-Landau algorithm to calculate a density of states for an asymmetric Ising model on a triangular lattice with two- and three-body interactions in an external field. An accurate density of states allows us to determine the phase diagram and to study the critical behavior of this model at and near the critical endpoint. We observe a divergence of the curvature of the spectator phase boundary at the critical endpoint in accordance with theoretical predictions.
Managing PV power on Mars - MER Rovers

The MER Rovers have recently completed over 5 years of operation! This is a remarkable demonstration of the capabilities of PV power on the Martian surface. The extended mission required the development of an efficient process to predict the power available to the rovers on a day-to-day basis. The performance of the MER solar arrays is quite unlike that of any other Space array and perhaps more akin to Terrestrial PV operation, although even severe by that comparison. The impact of unpredictable factors, such as atmospheric conditions and dust accumulation (and removal) on the panels limits the accurate prediction of array power to short time spans.
Physiological Studies on the Effect of Flies and Fly Sprays on Cattle

Results of extensive studies on the effect of flies and fly sprays on body temperature and respiratory rate of cattle are given. All of the petroleum oil sprays studied and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans L., caused a measurable rise in body temperature and respiratory rate under certain weather conditions. House flies, Musca domestica L., had no effect on the body temperature and respiratory rate of cattle.
MetaMorphe: Designing Expressive 3D Models for Digital Fabrication

The creative promise of 3D digital fabrication tools is tremendous. However due to the wide range of tools and interfaces, a common static file format called STL is used for sharing designs. While customization tools add creative handles to these digital models, they are often constrained to pre-configured parameters limiting the creative potential of shared digital models. We introduce MetaMorphe, a novel digital fabrication framework that uses a common web-programming metaphor to enable users to easily transform static 3D models into re-formed, re-made, and re-imagined customized personal artifacts. We demonstrate the compatibility of MetaMorphe with three well-established design interfaces, direction manipulation, scripted-CAD, and generative design. Through a user study with design experts, MetaMorphe reveals that decisions that physically produce bespoke artifacts or encode unique metadata actively affect perceptions of authorship, agency, and authenticity. We discuss how expressive model-building tools such as MetaMorphe enable a cultural shift in 3D design in terms of participation, personalization, and creativity.
WE‐A‐M100F‐01: Central Nervous System Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

Intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) for the central nervous system(CNS) is being used more frequently in radiationoncology clinics. There are two general situations that the treatment of CNS disease may benefit from the use of IMRT compared to conventional, three‐dimensional conformal radiation therapy: 1) when multiple critical structures confined within the intracranial vault are to be avoided, one may desire an optimal dose distribution that allows for the dose to these structures to be minimized, and 2) since high‐grade gliomas tend to recur locally, IMRT should allow for dose escalation proportional to the corresponding heterogeneous cell populations. Based on the anatomic location of the treatment volumes, one can envision examples where IMRT could be of benefit. Patients with a concave or irregularly‐shaped target in a frontal lobe may require IMRT in order to spare the adjacent globe and any uninvolved optic apparatus. In patients with well‐lateralized tumors involving the brain parenchyma, complete sparing of the contralateral hemisphere is desirable. Patients with infiltrative gliomas traditionally have large margins placed around the treatment volumes, and these may often encompass uninvolved critical normal structures. For such cases, IMRT may allow for non‐uniform reduction of the treatment volume around these normal structures. The primary goal of this presentation is to provide a practical overview of IMRT for the CNS. Though much attention has been given to the inverse planning and quality assurance aspects of IMRT, one should have an adequate understanding of the entire process; from proper patient selection to positioning/immobilization and continuing through treatment. A discussion of the steps of the CNSIMRT process will include: patient selection, immobilization, recommended imaging acquisitions, structure delineation, planning strategies/parameters, dose objectives, plan evaluation, QA, and potential delivery issues. Guidelines and practical examples for each component of this process will be presented. To gain further familiarization of CNSIMRT, one should review the corresponding technological and clinical outcome literature. Comparisons to conventional radiotherapy methods will be examined in terms of technique, dosimetry and clinical outcome. Finally, current research and future directions of CNSIMRT will be introduced such as the novel use of sophisticated imaging techniques for improved structure definition, patient positioning and dose modulation. Educational Objectives: 1. To understand the general practice of CNSIMRT from patient selection through actual treatment. 2. To become familiar with specific details pertaining to the CNSIMRT process through several illustrative examples. 3. To be introduced to some of the research and future directions of CNSIMRT. Research supported, in part, by Varian Medical Systems.
A prospective study of oral lesions and their predictive value for progression of HIV disease

OBJECTIVE: This report evaluates and compares individual oral lesions and combinations of lesions in predicting progression-free survival in a seroprevalent cohort of men and women with HIV infection. DESIGN: This was a prospective study of HIV-infected patients, initially AIDS-free, followed for approximately 30 months. SETTING: Patients were volunteers examined at an academic medical center and at an inner-city hospital in New York. Participants identified themselves as homosexual men or as injection drug users (IDU). OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome being assessed is time from a baseline oral examination until the development of an AIDS-defining condition or death from any cause within 12 months of the last study visit. Correlation is measured by relative risk (RR). RESULTS: While oral lesions were not predictive of progression among subjects with CD4 > or = 200, they were highly predictive of progression among those with CD4 < 200. For subjects with CD4 < 200, the only individual lesion that was significantly associated with progression-free survival was oral candidiasis (RR = 4.12, P = 0.009). Positivity for one or more lesions in a set demonstrated greater prognostic value among those with CD4 < 200, with RR's of 6.03 (P = 0.018) for the set consisting of oral candidiasis, hairy leukoplakia, and necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (NUG), and 8.77 (P = 0.036) for the set consisting of the above lesions plus linear gingival erythema (LGE). Analysis by cohort suggested that the improvement in correlation was stronger in homosexual men than in IDU, but this question could not be resolved conclusively with these data. CONCLUSIONS: Lesion sets might be better prognosticators of progression-free survival than individual lesions among HIV-infected subjects with CD4 < 200. Prognostic value of the core lesion set (oral candidiasis and hairy leukoplakia) was enhanced by the addition of other lesions (NUG and LGE) not usually included in HIV staging systems. These results suggest that staging systems for HIV might be improved by the inclusion of other, survival-related oral lesions.
High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell rescue in the treatment of patients with recurrent non-cerebellar primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

Background Recurrent non-cerebellar primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) carry a dismal prognosis when treated with conventional chemotherapy alone. XSWe tested the efficacy of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by autologous stem-cell rescue (ASCR) in this setting. Procedure Eligibility mandated either minimal residual disease or evidence of chemosensitivity before HDC. Conditioning consisted of carboplatin (CBDCA) (500 mg/m2 or AUC = 7 mg/ml min using the Calvert formula) on days −8 to −6, thiotepa (300 mg/m2), and etoposide (250 mg/m2) on days −5 to −3. Irradiation was given post HDC selectively. Results Among 17 patients treated in this study, there were eight pineoblastoma(s) (pineo), seven cortical PNETs, and two arising elsewhere. Relapse was either local (nine) or metastatic to the brain (four) or spine (four). Two patients received HDC as the sole therapy for recurrence; additionally, eight underwent surgical debulking before HDC, and nine received irradiation, including six after HDC. Median age at ASCR was 3.9 years. Two patients died of toxicity (11%) and ten experienced tumor relapse (range: 23–361 days post ASCR). Five patients with cortical PNETs remain alive disease-free (median follow-up: 8.3 years); four of them received irradiation post HDC. The difference in 5-year event-free survival (EFS) between patients with pineo and other supratentorial PNETs was significant (0 vs. 62.5 ± 17%, P = 0.0065). Both surgery at relapse and irradiation post HDC were favorable prognostic factors (P = 0.006 and 0.01, respectively). Conclusions Patients with recurrent cortical PNETs can be cured with this strategy. Surgical debulking before, and irradiation after HDC play an important role in treatment success. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dynamics of fundamental matter in \( \mathcal{N} = 2* \) Yang-Mills theory

We study the dynamics of quenched fundamental matter in \( \mathcal{N} = 2* \) super-symmetric large N SU(N) Yang-Mills theory at zero temperature. Our tools for this study are probe D7-branes in the holographically dual \( \mathcal{N} = 2* \) Pilch-Warner gravitational background. Previous work using D3-brane probes of this geometry has shown that it captures the physics of a special slice of the Coulomb branch moduli space of the gauge theory, where the N constituent D3-branes form a dense one dimensional locus known as the enhancon, located deep in the infrared. Our present work shows how this physics is supplemented by the physics of dynamical flavours, revealed by the D7-branes embeddings we find. The Pilch-Warner background introduces new divergences into the D7-branes free energy, which we are able to remove with a single counterterm. We find a family of D7-brane embeddings in the geometry and discuss their properties. We study the physics of the quark condensate, constituent quark mass, and part of the meson spectrum. Notably, there is a special zero mass embedding that ends on the enhancon, which shows that while the geometry acts repulsively on the D7-branes, it does not do so in a way that produces spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking.
Regulation of nitrogen fixation in Azospirillum brasilense

The regulation of nitrogen fixation in Azospirillum brasilense is very complicated, and it responds to exogenous fixed nitrogen or a change of oxygen concentration. This regulation occurs at both transcriptional and posttranslational levels. Unlike regulation seen in Klebsiella pneumoniae, transcription of nifA does not require NTRB/NTRC in A. brasilense and the expression of nifHDK is controlled by posttranslational regulation of NIFA activity. Addition of NH+4 or a shift from microaerobic to anaerobic conditions also causes a rapid loss of nitrogenase activity in A. brasilense. This posttranslational regulation of nitrogenase activity involves the DRAT/DRAG regulatory system, which is similar to that of Rhodospirillum rubrum. Both DRAT and DRAG activities are regulated in vivo, but the mechanisms for their regulation are unknown.
Extinction symmetry for reciprocal objects and its implications on cloaking and scattering manipulation

Using Lorentz reciprocity and power conservation, we prove that the extinction cross section of an arbitrarily shaped scatterer is always the same when illuminated from opposite directions and with the same polarization. For lossless and passive objects, this finding implies identical scattering cross sections for opposite excitations, with relevant implications on cloaking designs and scattering suppression schemes. This scattering symmetry can be broken by introducing absorption into the system, providing a path toward large scattering asymmetries when combined with Fano interference.
Deficiency of education concerning the methodological issues in accepting null hypotheses

Abstract Although there have been frequent warnings in the methodology literature about the serious problems which are entailed in accepting null hypotheses, empirical research often reveals a casual acceptance of null hypotheses simply because the obtained differences are not statistically significant. The present article examines this disparity between the methodology and the empirical research literature in order to suggest a specific cause for it in the training programs for psychological researchers. The analysis indicates that the training programs have concentrated on inculcating rules and narrow methods of hypothesis testing, without a proper emphasis on the comprehensive evaluation of all information, as demanded by modern views of the scientific method. The significance test is only one part of the multifarious scientific process for confirming hypotheses and theories.
Amphotericin B in the Treatment of Coccidioidomycosis

In the 25 years since its introduction, amphotericin B has demonstrated clear value in the management of coccidioidomycosis. However, its effectiveness is less certain than in diseases due to other fungal aetiological agents, even when the loci of infection and in vitro drug susceptibilities are identical. The refractoriness of coccidioidomycosis may relate to the unique ability of each Coccidioides immitis spherule to release hundreds of endospores, thus maximally challenging host defence mechanisms. Amphotericin B is most likely to be effective where there is evidence of intact cell-mediated immunity against C. immitis (i.e. positive coccidioidin or spherulin skin test; low titre of complement fixing antibody), and structural damage to tissues. When bones and joints are involved, as is frequently the case, adjunctive surgical management is generally required. Patients with structural lung disease (i.e. cysts and/or cavities) show variable, often minimal, response to treatment. Amphotericin B has transformed coccidioidal meningitis from a routinely fatal disease to one where prolonged survival is possible. However, the drug must be given by the intrathecal route, and for periods of years, before the possibility of cure can be considered. Relapses of bone, joint and meningeal coccidioidomycosis are common and should be anticipated, especially in patients with impaired immunity.
c-jun is essential for sympathetic neuronal death induced by NGF withdrawal but not by p75 activation

Sympathetic neurons depend on NGF binding to TrkA for their survival during vertebrate development. NGF deprivation initiates a transcription-dependent apoptotic response, which is suggested to require activation of the transcription factor c-Jun. Similarly, apoptosis can also be induced by selective activation of the p75 neurotrophin receptor. The transcriptional dependency of p75-mediated cell death has not been determined; however, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase has been implicated as an essential component. Because the c-jun–null mutation is early embryonic lethal, thereby hindering a genetic analysis, we used the Cre-lox system to conditionally delete this gene. Sympathetic neurons isolated from postnatal day 1 c-jun–floxed mice were infected with an adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase or GFP and analyzed for their dependence on NGF for survival. Cre immunopositive neurons survived NGF withdrawal, whereas those expressing GFP or those uninfected underwent apoptosis within 48 h, as determined by DAPI staining. In contrast, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) binding to p75 resulted in an equivalent level of apoptosis in neurons expressing Cre, GFP, and uninfected cells. Nevertheless, cycloheximide treatment prevented BDNF-mediated apoptosis. These results indicate that whereas c-jun is required for apoptosis in sympathetic neurons on NGF withdrawal, an alternate signaling pathway must be induced on p75 activation.
The Oregon Health Plan Ten Years Later

Politics and ethics come together in Oregon’s experiment with allocating resources for health care. The Oregon Health Plan rests on a commitment of solidarity with the poor. The concepts of the common good, fairness, prudence and wisdom reveal the successes and failures of the plan. Fewer Oregonians are uninsured than ten years ago, but universal coverage has not been achieved. Medical care costs are rising slower but continue to cause havoc in the state’s budget. In September 2000, the Governor convened a Summit of health leaders to regenerate bi-partisan support and commitment. The promise of solidarity, community involvement, and bi-partisan collaboration will determine future success of the drive toward universal coverage in a costcontrolling system.
Regional specification of stomatal production by the putative ligand CHALLAH

The problem of modulating cell fate programs to create distinct patterns and distributions of specialized cell types in different tissues is common to complex multicellular organisms. Here, we describe the previously uncharacterized CHALLAH (CHAL) gene, which acts as a tissue-specific regulator of epidermal pattern in Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis plants produce stomata, the cellular valves required for gas exchange, in virtually all aerial organs, but stomatal density and distribution differ among organs and along organ axes. Such regional regulation is particularly evident in plants mutant for the putative receptor TOO MANY MOUTHS (TMM), which produce excess stomata in leaves but no stomata in stems. Mutations in CHAL suppress tmm phenotypes in a tissue-specific manner, restoring stomatal production in stems while minimally affecting leaves. CHAL is similar in sequence to the putative stomatal ligands EPF1 and EPF2 and, like the EPFs, can reduce or eliminate stomatal production when overexpressed. However, CHAL and the EPFs have different relationships to TMM and the ERECTA (ER) family receptors. We propose a model in which CHAL and the EPFs both act through ER family receptors to repress stomatal production, but are subject to opposite regulation by TMM. The existence of two such ligand classes provides an explanation for TMM dual functionality and tissue-specific phenotypes.
Estrogen-induced disruption of neonatal porcine uterine development alters adult uterine function.

In the pig, estradiol-17b valerate (EV) exposure from birth (Postnatal Day [PND] 0) disrupts estrogen receptor-a (ER)-dependent uterine development and increases embryo mortality in adults. To determine effects of neonatal EV exposure on adult uterine morphology and function, 36 gilts received corn oil (CO) or EV from PND 0 to PND 13. Cyclic and pregnant (PX) adults from each treatment group were hysterectomized on Day 12 after estrus/mating. Treatment and pregnancy effects were determined for uterine weight and horn volume, uterine luminal fluid (ULF) protein and estradiol content, endometrial incorporation of 3H-leucine (3H-Leu) into nondialyzable product, and endometrial mRNA levels for ER, progesterone receptor (PR), uteroferrin (UF), retinol-binding protein (RBP), and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF). Adults cycled normally and had similar numbers of corpora lutea. Uteri of PX gilts contained tubular/ filamentous conceptuses, and ULF estradiol content was unaffected by treatment. However, pregnancy increased uterine weight and size only in CO gilts (Treatment 3 Status, P , 0.01). Treatment reduced ULF protein content (P , 0.01), endometrial 3H-Leu incorporation (P , 0.05), and the pregnancy-associated increase in ULF protein (Treatment 3 Status, P , 0.01). Treatment did not affect endometrial ER or PR mRNA levels but attenuated the pregnancy-associated increase in UF mRNA (Treatment 3 Status; P , 0.01), increased RBP (P , 0.10), and decreased KGF mRNA levels (P , 0.05). These results establish that transient postnatal estrogen exposure affects porcine uterine responsiveness to potentially embryotrophic signals and that estrogen-sensitive postnatal uterine organizational events are determinants of uterine size and functionality. developmental biology, estradiol, uterus
Vitamin D, Calcium, and Dairy Intakes and Stress Fractures Among Female Adolescents

OBJECTIVE To identify whether calcium, vitamin D, and/or dairy intakes are prospectively associated with stress fracture risk among female adolescents. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Adolescent girls living throughout the United States. PARTICIPANTS A total of 6712 girls aged 9 to 15 years at baseline in the Growing Up Today Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study. MAIN EXPOSURES Dairy, calcium, and vitamin D intakes assessed by food frequency questionnaire every 12 to 24 months between 1996 and 2001. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Incident stress fracture that occurred between 1997 and 2004 as reported by mothers of the participants in 2004. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations. RESULTS During 7 years of follow-up, 3.9% of the girls developed a stress fracture. Dairy and calcium intakes were unrelated to risk of developing a stress fracture. However, vitamin D intake was inversely related to stress fracture risk. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of stress fracture for the highest vs the lowest quintile of vitamin D intake was 0.49 (95% CI, 0.24-1.01; Ptrend = .07). We conducted a stratified analysis to estimate the association between vitamin D intake and stress fracture risk among girls participating in at least 1 h/d of high-impact activity, among whom 90.0% of the stress fractures occurred, and found that higher vitamin D intake predicted significantly lower risk of stress fracture (Ptrend = .04). CONCLUSIONS Vitamin D intake is associated with lower stress fracture risk among adolescent girls who engage in high levels of high-impact activity. Neither calcium intake nor dairy intake was prospectively associated with stress fracture risk.
Spatiotemporal maps of brain activity underlying word generation and their modification during repetition priming.

Spatiotemporal maps of brain activity based on magnetoencephalography were used to observe sequential stages in language processing and their modification during repetition priming. Subjects performed word-stem completion and produced either novel or repeated (primed) words across trials. Activation passes from primary visual cortex (activated at ∼100 msec after word presentation), to left anteroventral occipital (∼180 msec), to cortex in and near Wernicke's (∼210 msec) and then Broca's (∼370 msec) areas. In addition, a posteroventral temporal area is activated simultaneously with posterosuperior temporal cortex. This area shows an early (∼200–245 msec) increase in activation to repeated word stems. In contrast, prefrontal and anterior temporal regions showed activity reductions to repeated word stems late (∼365–500 msec) in processing. These results tend to support classical models of language and suggest that an effect of direct item repetition is to allow word-form processing to increase its contribution to task performance while concurrently allowing reductions in time-consuming frontal temporal processing.
CAMPAIGN EFFECTS OF EARLY VOTING

While attention has been focused on the goal of boosting voter participation, early voting reforms adopted by numerous states may also have important effects on the conduct of campaigns and the outcome of elections. By summarizing the national debate over the campaign effects of early voting, this paper identifies five primary questions. A case study of Colorado addresses those five questions. Early voting does substantially alter campaign dynamics. It takes campaigns several election cycles to adapt, and campaigns which make serious efforts to adapt are much more likely to win. Hypotheses that early voting drives up campaign costs and reduces late negative campaigning are not supported by the evidence. Finally, despite the beliefs of candidates that early voting does not systematically help either par@ and that it does systematically help incumbents, available evidence indicates that early voting helps Republicans fairly consistently but does not systematically benefit incumbents. In an attempt to reverse the trend of declining voter turnout that started after 1960, two dozen states have instituted a variety of election innovations that generally come under the heading of “early voting.” The most common of these innovations in partisan elections are unrestricted absentee voting, in which voters can request absentee ballots for any reason, and walk-in early voting, in which county clerks’ offces (and sometimes satellite oftices) are open for voting for a specified period prior to election day (from 20 to 40 days depending on the state). While turnout has been the focus of early voting reforms, they have carried with them incidental but potentially profound consequences for the conduct and outcome of campaigns and elections. This research note will attempt to identify the main implications of early voting for campaigns and elections as well as areas for future research by conducting a detailed study of early voting in Colorado in 1992 and 1994.’ Of course, no definitive conclusions can be reached on the basis of data from only two election years in one state, but as long as this limitation is acknowledged the information presented here can at least help to illuminate the most important questions.
Parallels and Parodies: Emilia Pardo Bazán's Response to Emile Zola (La Tribuna and L'Assommoir)

As Emilia Pardo Bazan reveals in her short but highly illuminating Apuntes autobiograficos, published as the prologue to Los pazos de Ulloa (1886), her earliest readings were quite varied and included history, poetry and science. Nevertheless, her exposure to the novel, due to the predjudiced attitude which reigned in her family,1 was haphazard if not actually deficient. The adolescent of fourteen was allowed to read Cervantes, but the French Romantic novelists—Dumas, Victor Hugo, Georges Sand—were proscribed. Yet early on she had devoured ‘novelones del genero terrorifico y lacrimoso … con el apetito de los pocos anos’.2 These readings3 were the reason for her initial judgement of the modern novel as ‘campo abierto en que brinca y retoza la inventiva suelta y desenfrenada la imaginacion’ (AA, 715). It was not until as a young woman, during trips to France, that her immersion in the contemporary novel took place, leading to her discovery of its fuerza incontrastable y su obligacion de vivir y de reflejar,...
Examining social influence in information-sharing contexts.

Research on hidden profiles has found that groups tend to make decisions reflecting the information shared among group members prior to discussion. However, shared information is confounded with individual prediscussion preferences in hidden profile situations. In this article, the authors manipulate information distribution to examine hidden, ambiguous (i.e., prediscussion preferences favor no alternative), and clear (i.e., prediscussion preferences support the decision alternative favored by the total information) profiles. They examine the influence of profile type on group decisions, use of shared and unshared information, and perceptions of normative and informational influence. Results indicate that groups make superior decisions and rely more on unshared information in clear and ambiguous profiles than in hidden profiles. In addition, perceived social influence is most prevalent in ambiguous profiles.
Some results on the complexity of Boolean functions for table look up architectures

We address the problem of determining the "complexity" of Boolean functions where complexity is measured as the minimum number of table look up blocks (TLUs) needed to implement a function. We present three new results. The first shows the exact value of the complexity of the class of (m+1)-input functions in terms of the TLUs with m inputs (m/spl ges/2). The next two derive upper bounds on the complexity, given some information about the representation of the function. One bound needs the number of literals and the number of cubes in a sum-of-products representation, and the other, the number of literals in a factored form. We compare these bounds with the results obtained by a TLU synthesis tool. On average, the factored form bounds are about 20% higher than the synthesized results, and hence are reasonable predictors of the number of TLUs needed. This prediction capability can be employed to quickly estimate, without performing any technology mapping, if a circuit can fit on one chip. >
Cellular Mechanisms and Modulation of Activin A- and Transforming Growth Factor β-Mediated Differentiation in Cultured Hen Granulosa Cells

Abstract Undifferentiated granulosa cells from prehierarchal (6- to 8-mm-diameter) hen follicles express very low to undetectable levels of LH receptor (LH-R) mRNA, P450 cholesterol side chain cleavage (P450scc) enzyme activity, and steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein, and produce negligible progesterone, in vitro, following an acute (3-h) challenge with either FSH or LH. It has previously been established that culturing such cells with FSH for 18–20 h induces LH-R, P450scc, and StAR expression, which enables the initiation of progesterone production. The present studies were conducted to characterize the ability of activin and transforming growth factor (TGF) β, both alone and in combination with FSH, to promote hen granulosa cell differentiation, in vitro. A 20-h culture of prehierarchal follicle granulosa cells with activin A or transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)1 increased LH-R mRNA levels compared with control cultured cells. Activin A and TGFβ1 also promoted FSH-receptor (FSH-R) mRNA expr...
Location of the Second Steroid-Binding Site on the Glucocorticoid Receptor

Abstract The ability of nonradioactive progesterone to accelerate the dissociation of tritiated dexamethasone from the agonist-binding site of the glucocorticoid receptor was used as a probe for the existence of a second antagonist steroid site. The goal was to evaluate if this second site was on the glucocorticoid receptor and, if so, on what region of that protein. The magnitude of acceleration of dissociation was assessed during purification of the receptor as well as with the untransformed (multimeric), transformed (monomeric), and mero-receptor. In each preparation progesterone caused a statistically significant increase in the rate of agonist dissociation. The documentation of acceleration of dissociation during purification suggests that progesterone is interacting with a site on the glucocorticoid receptor and not with another protein. Evidence for the second binding site was found using each form of the receptor, untransformed, transformed, and mero-receptor, suggesting that the second binding si...
Caries Experience Differs between Females and Males across Age Groups in Northern Appalachia

Sex disparities in dental caries have been observed across many populations, with females typically exhibiting higher prevalence and more affected teeth. In this study we assessed the sex disparities in two Northern Appalachian populations from West Virginia (WV, N = 1997) and Pennsylvania (PA, N = 1080) by comparing caries indices between males and females across four phases of dental development: primary dentition in children aged 1–5 years, mixed dentition in children aged 6–11 years, permanent dentition in adolescents aged 12–17 years, and permanent dentition in adults aged 18–59 years. No significant sex differences were observed for children aged 1–5 years. Contrary to national and international trends, WV girls aged 6–11 years had 1.5 fewer affected teeth than boys (p < 0.001). However, by ages 12–17, caries indices in the WV girls matched those in boys. In both WV and PA adults, women and men had similar total counts of affected teeth (i.e., DMFT), although women had more dental restorations (p < 0.001) and men had more current decay (p < 0.001). These results suggest that in some Appalachian populations, young girls benefit from protection against caries that is lost during adolescence and that adult women utilize dental health care to a greater degree than men.
Branch capture reactions: effect of recipient structure

Branch capture reactions (BCR) contain two DNA species: (i) a recipient restriction fragment terminating in an overhang and (ii) a displacer-linker duplex terminating in a displacer tail complementary to the overhang as well as contiguous nucleotides within the recipient duplex. Branched complexes containing both species are captured by ligation of the linker to the recipient overhang. Specificity depends upon branch migration and is increased by substitution of bromodeoxycytidine for deoxycytidine in the displacer. BCR rates and specificities were determined for recipient overhangs that were (i) 5' and 3', (ii) 3 and 4 nucleotides long, and (iii) 0-100% G+C. Model systems permitted independent determination of G+C and branching effects on ligation rates and verification of rapid equilibrium between the branched complex and its component species. With all 4-base overhangs, recipient duplexes permitting extensive branch migration became saturated with displacer-linker duplexes. With increasing G+C, increasing ligation at competing sites led to decreased BCR specificity. BCR may be used to label a DNA fragment prior to electrophoresis, mark a fragment for affinity chromatography, or introduce a new overhang sequence compatible with a restriction endonuclease site in a cloning vector. A protocol was confirmed for mapping restriction sites in cloned DNA.
Parentheticals and Personal Voice

Personal voice in writing is currently an all-too-subjectively understood notion. Different authors, Coles and Elbow, for example, have drawn appropriate attention to the voice phenomenon, but objective definitions and practical understanding are still lacking. One step toward understanding the workings of voice can be taken, however, by a linguistic analysis of structures that observably cause perception of a personal voice. Examining a limited set of data from professional writing reveals that one clear source of voice is appositive and parenthetical structures. These structures are produced “paragrammatically” by being inserted into a sentence, interrupting its normal flow, with the effect of creating a personal voice. They have a commentative function associated with a second-order “reflective mentality” and can be classified into at least three structural subtypes—displacements, equivalents, and interruptives—correlating with particular commentative functions. This analysis suggests, in general, that...
Celiac Disease Histopathology Recapitulates Hedgehog Downregulation, Consistent with Wound Healing Processes Activation.

Background In celiac disease (CD), intestinal epithelium damage occurs secondary to an immune insult and is characterized by blunting of the villi and crypt hyperplasia. Similarities between Hedgehog (Hh)/BMP4 downregulation, as reported in a mouse model, and CD histopathology, suggest mechanistic involvement of Hh/BMP4/WNT pathways in proliferation and differentiation of immature epithelial cells in the context of human intestinal homeostasis and regeneration after damage. Herein we examined the nature of intestinal crypt hyperplasia and involvement of Hh/BMP4 in CD histopathology.
Effects of aging and Parkinson's disease on joint coupling, symmetry, complexity and variability of lower limb movements during gait

Abstract Background Natural aging and disease processes such as Parkinson's disease often lead to gait impairment. This impairment often manifests as changes in symmetry, complexity, and variability of lower limb joint movements during gait as compared to young healthy adults. Current gait assessment tools primarily focus on discrete events during gait or are based on univariate statistical techniques. Therefore, they fall short in examining spatiotemporally complex gait characteristics including interactions across multiple segments and joints. Methods Treadmill walking data from ten healthy older adults and ten individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease were collected at their self-selected speed. Additionally treadmill walking data from previously collected gait studies on 20 young adults were also used. This study utilized new gait assessment techniques that quantitatively examined joint coupling characteristics (via Condition Signature Analysis), variability and complexity of joint variables (via Phase Portrait Analysis), and movement asymmetry (via Regions of Deviation analysis) of the three different groups. Findings People with Parkinson's disease had the highest asymmetry among the three groups. Aging and Parkinson's disease significantly decreased complexity of hip and ankle joint movements, respectively, while there were no significant differences in variability measures among the three groups. The Condition Signature Analysis method suggested significant differences of joint coupling patterns due to aging and Parkinson's disease. Interpretation These new gait assessment techniques successfully captured changes in asymmetry, variability, complexity, and joint coupling patterns. Quantitative gait assessment using these tools can be used to detect various types of gait impairments.
Food and Bait Preferences of Liometopum occidentale (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract The velvety tree ant, Limetopum occidentale Emery, is commonly found in urban areas throughout the western U.S. and has been reported damaging structures. Foragers prefer sucrose, glucose, and honey sucanat solutions. Solid protein baits containing anchovy also were retrieved by workers. In the early summer, foragers were active both day and night. In the late summer when daytime temperatures exceeded 35°C, workers only foraged at night. Even though workers are polymorphic, they all consumed about 0.25 mg of a 25% sucrose solution and thus providing a mechanism of determining foraging activity by determining sugar water removal from monitoring stations. Liquid bait bases containing 25% sucrose would be effective if suitable toxicants can be identified.