cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mouse background genetics in biomedical research: The devil's in the details.

BACKGROUND Genetically modified mice are used widely to explore mechanisms in most biomedical fields-including transfusion. Concluding that a gene modification is responsible for a phenotypic change assumes no other differences between the gene-modified and wild-type mice besides the targetted gene. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS To test the hypothesis that the N-terminus of Band3, which regulates metabolism, affects RBC storage biology, RBCs from mice with a modified N-terminus of Band3 were stored under simulated blood bank conditions. All strains of mice were generated with the same initial embryonic stem cells from 129 mice and each strain was backcrossed with C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Both 24-h recoveries post-transfusion and metabolomics were determined for stored RBCs. Genetic profiles of mice were assessed by a high-resolution SNP array. RESULTS RBCs from mice with a mutated Band3 N-terminus had increased lipid oxidation and worse 24-h recoveries, "demonstrating" that Band3 regulates oxidative injury during RBC storage. However, SNP analysis demonstrated variable inheritance of 129 genetic elements between strains. Controlled interbreeding experiments demonstrated that the changes in lipid oxidation and some of the decreased 24-hr recovery were caused by inheritance of a region of chromosome 1 of 129 origin, and not due to the modification of Band 3. SNP genotyping of a panel of commonly used commercially available KO mice showed considerable 129 contamination, despite wild-type B6 mice being listed as the correct control. DISCUSSION Thousands of articles published each year use gene-modified mice, yet genetic background issues are rarely considered. Assessment of such issues are not, but should become, routine norms of murine experimentation.
Nutrient Solution Nitrogen Form and Bird Cherry-Oat Aphid Resistance in Wheat

The form of nutrient solution nitrogen (NH4-N or NO3-N) provided to plants can have profound influence upon the severity of many crop diseases. It is not known if nutrient solution nitrogen form would affect wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) resistance to bird cherry-oat aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi L.). The objectives of our growth chamber experiments were to determine if the form of nitrogen provided in plant nutrient solutions affected aphid population growth parameters or the ability of wheat to withstand infestation. For aphid population growth experiments, winter wheat plants were watered with a complete nutrient solution containing NO3-N or NH4-N for 13 d prior to infestation with nymphs. The time period to adulthood and the number of progeny produced were recorded. For plant growth experiments, spring wheat plants were grown in sand culture using half-strength complete nutrient solution containing NO3-N or NH4-N. Approximately 100 apterous aphids were applied to half of the plants 7 d after germination. Plants were harvested for shoot and root fresh weight measurement 6 days after infestation. Aphid population growth (development time, number of aphids produced, and intrinsic rate of increase) were not significantly affected by nutrient solution N form treatments. Plants grown with NH4-N nutrient solutions had significantly less shoot fresh weight (0.181 g for NH4-N; 0.230 g for NO3-N). Aphid infestation also significantly reduced shoot fresh weight (0.149 g in infested; 0.262 g in control). There were no significant interactions between nutrient solution N form and aphid treatments for shoot fresh weight. Aphid treatment did not reduce root fresh weight in plants given NO3-N nutrient solution (aphid infested = 0.15 g; control = 0.15 g), but did in plants given NH4-N nutrient solution (aphid infested = 0.11 g; control = 0.17 g). Thus, while N form given to wheat plants had no effect on aphid population growth characteristics, plants given NH4-N nutrient solution showed less root growth than plants given the NO3-N nutrient solutions.
Unidimensional Interpretations for Multidimensional Test Items

This article considers potential problems that can arise in estimating a unidimensional item response theory (IRT) model when some test items are multidimensional (i.e., show a complex factorial structure). More specifically, this study examines (1) the consequences of model misfit on IRT item parameter estimates due to unintended minor item-level multidimensionality, and (2) whether a Projection IRT model can provide a useful remedy. A real-data example is used to illustrate the problem and also is used as a base model for a simulation study. The results suggest that ignoring item-level multidimensionality might lead to inflated item discrimination parameter estimates when the proportion of multidimensional test items to unidimensional test items is as low as 1:5. The Projection IRT model appears to be a useful tool for updating unidimensional item parameter estimates of multidimensional test items for a purified unidimensional interpretation.
Chapter 5 Molecular structure and regulation of tight junctions

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the molecular structure and regulation of tight junctions. Solute and water transport in the intestine requires both active transcellular transport mechanisms and the presence of a paracellular seal between two epithelial cells; tight junctions provide this seal. The tight junction was defined physiologically and microscopically during the 1960s and 1970s, long before any bio-chemical components were identified. This lack of biochemical insight impeded the rationalization of the junction's regulated barrier properties. The tight junction is located as a continuous gasket-like seal at the most apical region of the lateral cell membranes. In 1986, ZO-1, the first tight junction protein, was identified; now there are more than two dozen known junction-associated proteins. This has allowed recent attempts to describe the biochemical basis of tight-junction function. The chapter reviews the methods commonly used to study tight-junction physiology and known protein components, with special attention to those suspected of having a role in the organization or regulation of the junction. The issues that are specifically relevant to tight junctions in the gastrointestinal tract, such as the molecular mechanisms of bacterial toxins that contribute to diarrhea by disrupting the paracellular barrier, are also discussed in the chapter.
Fusarium solani endo-polygalacturonase from decayed muskmelon fruit: purification and characterization

Abstract Fusarium solani is one of the more important fungal pathogens involved in pre- and post-harvest decay of muskmelon fruit. Production of polygalacturonase (PG), by F. solani was studied in vitro and in vivo . The fungus produced at least 14 PG isozymes with pIs of 4.5 to 9.5 in shake culture using pectin as the sole carbon source. When glucose and pectin were used in combination as the carbon source, total PG activity decreased substantially as compared to pectin alone, suggesting that glucose may suppress PG production in vitro . Only one PG isozyme, designated as PG1, was detected in extracts from infected fruit tissue. PG1 from decayed fruit was purified to homogeneity by protein extraction, ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and cation exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of PG1 was estimated at 38 kDa based on SDS-PAGE with a pI of 9.5 according to IEF-PAGE. PG1 exhibited only endo-PG activity based on viscosity reduction and thin layer chromatography analysis of products released by enzymatic action. The optimum pH for PG1 activity was 6. The K m and V max of PG1 using polygalacturonic acid as the substrate were 1.34 mg ml -1 and 0.30 unit μg protein -1 , respectively. PG1 effectively macerated fruit tissue which suggests that it may play an important role in decay of muskmelon fruit caused by F. solani .
NASA’s IMP 8 Spacecraft

The IMP 8 spacecraft was launched by NASA on October 26, 1973, designed to perform observations in the solar wind and magnetotail. Although the average radius of the orbit is approximately 35 R E , the apogee and perigee distances over the entire mission were variable and had extreme values of 45 and 22 R E , respectively. Variations in the inclination of the orbit (0 to 55 degrees) mean that over long periods a large spread of space in the near-Earth environment is covered. About 7 to 8 days of each 12.5-day orbit are spent in the solar wind, after which the spacecraft crosses into the magnetosheath (approximately 1-3 days per orbit) and into the near-Earth magnetotail.
Identification of subcellular targets and sensitive tests of ethanol-induced damage in isolated rat gastric mucosal cells

Abstract Background/Aims: The mechanisms of chemically induced injury are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid method for isolation of gastric mucosal cells (GMCs) and sensitive tests for investigating cell damage and protection. Methods: GMCs were prepared from rat glandular stomach with pronase and ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)- N,N,N′,N′ -tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and kept in albumin-containing, albumin-free, or Hank's solutions. Initial cell viability and responsiveness were tested with trypan blue exclusion, and stimulation or inhibition of pepsinogen secretion were tested with carbachol, 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E 2 , or carbachol plus atropine. Plasma membrane damage was assessed by trypan blue exclusion, lactate dehydrogenase or cell protein leakage, mitochondrial integrity by succinic dehydroge nase activity, and nuclear lesions by ethidium bromide DNA fluorescence. Results: Incubation of GMC with ethanol resulted in 50% lethal dose for ethanol values of 12.3%, 7.4%, and 10.9% by trypan blue exclusion; 10.1%, 9.4%, and 9.1% by lactate dehydrogenase leakage; 12.8%, 10.0%, and 10.4% by succinic dehydrogenase; and 14.1%, 13.0%, and 11.5% by ethidium bromide DNA by binding using albumin-containing, albumin-free, and Hank's solutions, respectively. Conclusions: Rat GMC with high and long viability can be isolated by low concentrations of pronase and EGTA. The adapted biochemical and microscopic methods are suitable for parallel examination of chemical injury of plasma membrane, mitochondria, and nuclei. Albumin increased ethanol 50% effective concentration to GMC. A combination of biochemical and morphological methods with ethanol-induced injury to GMC is proposed for direct cytoprotection investigations.
Normative Reasons for Love, Part I

Are there normative reasons for love? More specifically, is it possible to rationally justify love? Or can we at best provide explanations for why we love? In Part I of this entry, I discuss the nature of love, theories of emotion, and what it takes to justify an attitude. In Part II, I provide an overview of the various positions one might take on the rational justification of love. I focus on the debate between defenders of the no-reasons view and the reasons view. Along the way, I discuss the significance of falling in love, the problem of trading up, and the notion of irreplaceability. I evaluate attempts to justify love based on the intrinsic and the relational properties of the beloved.
How Did You Survive in the First Five Years? Secrets to Success Described by Apparel New Ventures in China

The study explored the secrets of success described by Chinese apparel new ventures. Barney's (1991) resource-based view of the firm helped the researchers understand secrets to success from the firm's internal perspective, and the social network theory informed key secrets from the external perspective (Ahuja, 2000). In-depth interviews with open-ended questions were employed with sixteen top apparel companies in China. Results revealed that having the first successful store is the symbol of success and that success is a never-ending goal. The key secrets to success were described as the founders' ability to find the niche market, their down-to-earth attitude, unique branding position and products, and, finally, external relationships. The study will help Chinese apparel new ventures in realizing the secrets of surviving the initial stage. Academic organizations and governments may want to utilize the study findings to develop more curricula and policies that may be more fruitful for small businesses' su...
Experiences of Racial Discrimination and Relation to Sexual Risk for HIV among a Sample of Urban Black and African American Men

This study aimed to examine racial discrimination and relation to sexual risk for HIV among a sample of urban Black and African American men. Participants of this cross-sectional study were Black and African American men (N = 703) between the ages of 18 and 65 years, recruited from four urban clinical sites in the northeast. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the relation of reported racial discrimination to the following: (1) sex trade involvement, (2) recent unprotected sex, and (3) reporting a number of sex partners in the past 12 months greater than the sample average. The majority of the sample (96 %) reported racial discrimination. In adjusted analyses, men reporting high levels of discrimination were significantly more likely to report recent sex trade involvement (buying and/or selling) (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) range = 1.7–2.3), having recent unprotected vaginal sex with a female partner (AOR = 1.4, 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.1–2.0), and reporting more than four sex partners in the past year (AOR = 1.4, 95 % CI, 1.1–1.9). Findings highlight the link between experiences of racial discrimination and men's sexual risk for HIV.
Slab delivery of incoherent pump light to double-clad fiber amplifiers: an analytic approach

Delivery of incoherent diode bar pump power via a tapered slab into a double-clad fiber amplifier allows for compact and efficient devices. We provide analytic estimates of system parameters for robust slab coupled configurations.
Sexual Health, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States

The sexual health of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States is not getting better despite considerable social, political and human rights advances. Instead of improving, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain disproportionately high among MSM and have been increasing for almost two decades. The disproportionate and worsening burden of HIV and other STIs among MSM requires an urgent re-assessment of what we have been doing as a nation to reduce these infections, how we have been doing it, and the scale of our efforts. A sexual health approach has the potential to improve our understanding of MSM’s sexual behavior and relationships, reduce HIV and STI incidence, and improve the health and well-being of MSM.
Identification of the Phosphorylated Sites of Metabolically 32P-Labeled Osteopontin from Cultured Chicken Osteoblasts

Abstract Osteopontin (OPN) is one of the major secretory phosphoproteins in both calcifying and non-calcifying tissues. Evidence has accumulated for the biological importance of the phosphoproteins and, in particular, the phosphate groups in bone formation, resorption, and calcification. The precise locations of the phosphate groups in the OPN molecule were determined by metabolically labeling OPN with32P in cultured chicken osteoblasts, followed by purification to homogeneity. N-terminal sequencing showed a single sequence of WPVSKRQHAISA, consistent with that deduced from both cDNA, and previous amino acid sequencing of the protein isolated from chicken bone. Three 32P-labeled peptides were isolated by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography of thrombin-digested, 32P-labeled OPN. The N-terminal sequencing of each of these thrombin fragments gave single sequences as follows: WPVSKSRQHAIS, SHHTHRYHQDHVD, and ASKLRKAARKL, with approximate molecular masses of 5, 30, and 20 kDa. These data demonstrate that32P was incorporated throughout the N- to C-terminal sequence of the protein. Thrombin specifically cleaved chicken OPN at two sites: between Arg-22 and Ser-23, which generated the 5-kDa N-terminal end fragment, and another between Lys-138 and Ala-139, which generated the 30- and 20-kDa fragments. To further define the exact locations of the phosphorylated amino acids and the surrounding amino acid sequences, OPN was digested with trypsin, which generated seven major 32P-labeled peptides whose amino acid sequences were determined. The phosphorylated peptide regions of osteopontin were identified as amino acids 8–18 (QHAIS*AS*S*EEK), 39–54 (LASQQTHYS*S*EENAD), 150–171 (LIEDDAT*AEVGDSQLAGLWLPK), 179–191 (ELAQHQSVENDSR), 194–205 (FDS*PEVGGDSK), 214–219 (ES*LASR), and 239–248 (HSIENNEVTR). The phosphorylated amino acid sites are followed by an asterisk (*). Of the seven identified phosphorylated peptide regions, three were localized on the N-terminal end of the osteopontin molecule (with five phosphorylated serines) and contained the sequence motifs that were phosphorylated by casein kinase II type(s), whereas the remaining four peptides are concentrated toward the C-terminal half of the molecule (with five phosphorylated residues) and contained recognition motifs for other kinases as well as casein kinase II.
Instrumentation in Diffuse Optical Imaging

Diffuse optical imaging is highly versatile and has a very broad range of applications in biology and medicine. It covers diffuse optical tomography, fluorescence diffuse optical tomography, bioluminescence, and a number of other new imaging methods. These methods of diffuse optical imaging have diversified instrument configurations but share the same core physical principle - light propagation in highly diffusive media, i.e., the biological tissue. In this review, the author summarizes the latest development in instrumentation and methodology available to diffuse optical imaging in terms of system architecture, light source, photo-detection, spectral separation, signal modulation, and lastly imaging contrast.
Facts about FEMA Household Disaster Aid: Examining the 2008 Floods and Tornadoes in Missouri

AbstractVery little empirical work has been done on disaster aid in the United States. This paper examines postdisaster grants to households from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the state of Missouri in 2008, when the state experienced flooding, storms, and tornadoes. The paper answers the following questions: What was the aid for? How much was given? How many people applied for aid? How many households received aid and how many were denied? Why were some applicants denied aid? Is there any relationship between aid received and socioeconomic or demographic characteristics of communities? The paper finds that the majority of aid grants are for very small amounts of money, on the order of a few thousand dollars. Over half of aid applications are denied, often because of ineligible or insufficient damage. The paper provides some important basic information on the nature of disaster grants to households and also generates several hypotheses for future research.
Structure–Function Analysis of Human Cytochrome P450 3A4 Using 7-Alkoxycoumarins as Active-Site Probes☆

Abstract The oxidation of a series of seven alkyl ethers of 7-hydroxycoumarin by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) has been studied to probe the active site of the enzyme. TLC of the reaction mixture showed formation of metabolites other than 7-hydroxycoumarin. The separation and characterization of the different metabolites of the C4 to C7 compounds were achieved using a combination of TLC, HPLC, and gas chromatography–electron impact mass spectra. Among the 7-alkoxycoumarins, 7-hexoxycoumarin was found to be the most suitable candidate for investigating the active site of cytochrome CYP3A4, due to the well-separated metabolite peaks on TLC and HPLC. 7-Hexoxycoumarin was found to produce three side-chain hydroxylated products besides 7-hydroxycoumarin: 7-(5-hydroxyhexoxy)coumarin, 7-(4-hydroxyhexoxy)coumarin, and 7-(3-hydroxycoumarin). The substitution of residues from substrate recognition sites −1, −4, −5, and −6 of CYP3A4 showed a strong influence on the product profile of 7-hexoxycoumarin, the most prominent effects observed with mutants at residues 119, 301, 305, 370, 373, and 479. The docking of 7-hexoxycoumarin into a molecular model of CYP3A4 also confirmed the presence of these residues within 5 A of the substrate. A comparative study of cytochrome P450 2B1 showed that the active-site mutants F206L, T302V, V363A, and S478G but not V363L exhibited a dramatic decrease in total 7-hexoxycoumarin hydroxylation. The study suggests that although the electronic nature of the substrate is important, enzymatic constraints significantly contribute to CYP3A4 selectivity.
Stochastically computing discrete Fourier transform with reconfigurable digital fabric

Deviating from the deterministic convention, this paper offers a stochastic-based approach to efficiently compute discrete Fourier transform (DFT) with reconfigurable digital fabric. This is made possible by leveraging a well-known probabilistic principle and exploiting the convolution theorem. The resulting hardware implementation demonstrates significant advantages in both hardware usage and energy efficiency when compared with its conventional FPGA counterparts. Most interestingly, this architecture can readily achieve adjustable quality of results and graceful performance degradation when subject to device errors.
Antigenicity of a candidate varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein subunit vaccine

A 1642 bp DNA fragment, encoding the N-terminal region and 511 amino acid residues of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) glI gene, was inserted into vaccinia virus genome. The expression of recombinant vaccinia virus (designated VVTgpI-511) yielded the synthesis of a 60 kDa protein species which was processed to a secretory 76 kDa polypeptide (designated TgpI-511). The antigenicity of this protein was examined by subcutaneous inoculation of one rabbit with 100 micrograms purified TgpI-511 in the Ribi adjuvant system. The animal was boosted 3 weeks after the initial inoculation and antisera were tested 7 days after the last injection by immunoprecipitation and neutralization tests. The results showed that rabbit antibodies to TgpI-511 (RAnti-TgpI-511) were reactive with purified TgpI-511 as well as native gpI in VZV-infected cells. In addition, TgpI-511 was capable of eliciting complement-dependent VZV neutralizing antibodies. These results suggested that the purified preparation of TgpI-511 may have the potential to be used as a candidate VZV subunit vaccine.
Biologic sequelae of c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) activation in multiple myeloma cell lines.

Biologic sequelae of c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase (JNK) activation in multiple myeloma cell lines
Synthesis and properties of several members of the series CrO2−χFχ*

Several members of the CcO 2−χ F χ series were prepared by the reaction of CrO 2 with CrF 2 at high pressure in a tetrahedral anvil press. Homogeneous, single-phase products were obtained for 0 ⩽ × ⩽ 0.28, which possess the rutile-type structure and are ferromagnetic. The products with values of χ
An in-home investigation of maternal teaching strategies during Sesame Street and a popular situation comedy☆

Abstract A naturalistic in-home investigation of maternal teaching strategies while viewing an educational program (Sesame-Street) and an entertainment program (a situation comedy) was conducted. Fourteen mothers and their pre-school children tape-recorded their coversations while jointly viewing the two television programs. Mothers tooks the role of teacher during both types of programs, but they talked more and asked proportionally more questions about the content of Sesame Street than they did about the content of the situation comedy. Likewise, during Sesame Street, mothers talked more about educationally relevant concepts such as size, color, and number. Children, while watching Sesame Street, engaged in ore labeling of educationally relevant concepts than they did while viewing the situation comedy. During the situation comedy, mothers explained why television characters performed particular behaviors and assigned traits and emotions to characters more frequently than they did during Sesame Street. The findings suggest that the parent may play an important role in helping children maximally utilize television as a teacher.
The nature and petrogenesis of intra-oceanic plate alkaline eruptive and plutonic rocks: King's Trough, Northeast Atlantic

Abstract Basalts, diorites, and gabbros dredged from the side of King's Trough — a mid-plate fracture on the northeast Atlantic sea floor — are alkaline in character based on major- and trace-element chemistry and mineralogy. The variation in bulk chemical composition and in mineral paragenesis and composition suggest differentiation in a large magma chamber beneath a seamount volcano. Fractional crystallization took place in a hydrous magma and is characterized by early formation of a Ti-rich biotite as rims on olivine. Thus, pyroxene compositions are unusual in having relatively low molar Ti/Al ratios, and increasing differentiation is marked by progressively decreasing ratios of K to Na.
Palivizumab in the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus disease

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children. Premature infants and infants with underlying lung disease are at increased risk for severe RSV infection in the first 1 - 2 years of life. Monthly prophylaxis with palivizumab (Synagis) during RSV season has been proven safe and effective in this population and these effects have persisted over the 4 years since the drug was approved by the US FDA in 1998. Issues remain regarding the optimal candidates for palivizumab prophylaxis and whether additional groups of high-risk individuals, for example infants with congenital heart disease or cystic fibrosis, and immunocompromised hosts, might benefit from such preventive therapy. It is possible that palivizumab in combination with antiviral or anti-inflammatory agents might also prove to be beneficial in the treatment of RSV disease. Newer monoclonal antibodies to RSV in development may offer the potential for less frequent dosing, increased efficacy and a role in treatment of RSV disease, but pending further evaluation of such products palivizumab provides significant protection for high-risk infants against a major pathogen.
Kinetics of rejoining of single-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation in DNA of human lymphocytes.

Abstract The kinetics of repair of single-strand breaks induced by 6-MeV electrons in DNA of human lymphocytes was studied using sedimentation-velocity analysis of molecular weights. The rate of repair was found to be rapid initially and essentially constant for the first 20–30 min of incubation at 37°; it then declined markedly. For the rapid initial process the activation energy over the temperature range of 22–37° was 19.1±0.4 kcal/mole, the temperature at maximum rate was about 40°, and the Michaelis-Menten constant, estimated from the rate at V max /2, was approx. 20 krad. These results are similar to those characterizing the rate-limiting step for unscheduled DNA synthesis stimulated by X-rays. Moreover, the number of breaks per rad and the maximum rate of rejoining of single-strand breaks found in this study are similar respectively to the number of lesions per rad and the maximum rate of incorporation of nucleotides per cell found in studies of unscheduled DNA synthesis. It seems likely, therefore, that the repair of single-strand breaks and the incorporation of nucleotides in unscheduled DNA synthesis share the same rate-limiting enzymatic step.
The HIV-1 central DNA flap region contains a "flapping" third strand.

Abstract Due to the discontinuous nature of HIV-1 plus-strand DNA synthesis, a 99-nt plus-strand overhang termed the “central DNA flap” is present near the center of the proviral DNA prior to integration. The flap appears to have stabilizing and/or protective effects on viral DNA, which has been hypothesized to be due to a specific conformation adopted by the three-stranded region. The 5′ end of the flap sequence is very purine rich and has the potential to adopt different secondary structures (e.g., duplex, triplex or quadruplex). In the present work, circular dichroism spectroscopy and thermal unfolding techniques were used to characterize an 89-nt long DNA sequence designed to mimic the three-stranded region at the 5′ end of HIV-1 proviral DNA. The effect of addition of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) on the nucleic acid structure was also examined. Although, guanine-rich short oligonucleotides derived from the DNA flap demonstrated CD spectra characteristic to parallel quadruplexes, this analysis reveals that the extended 89-nt construct folds into a canonical duplex with a “flapping” third strand both in the absence and presence of NC.
Theory Building at the Intersection: Recipe for Impact or Road to Nowhere?

Zahra and Newey (2009) argue for the importance of creative theory building in management research and suggest that this is best to be done via interdisciplinary research. We argue that the more management research goes down the road of pursuing interdisciplinary research for generating novel theories, the more likely it will compromise another worthwhile goal, which is to establish the discipline of management as a legitimate academic discipline that is distinguishable from other academic disciplines in its subject matter and its theoretical and methodological approach. We also argue against the implicit premise that the focus of management discipline should be on developing new theories.
The connectivity of the superior longitudinal fasciculus: a tractography DTI study

Abstract Purpose The left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) has been felt to link receptive with expressive language areas. The latter is located in the pars opercularis (Broca's area) of the left inferior frontal gyrus. We report the findings with tractography of the SLF in a group of normal volunteers. Methods and materials The data and subsidiary results of 12 normal right-handed volunteers who participated in an institutional review board-approved diffusion tensor imaging study were evaluated. The SLF fibers were obtained bilaterally placing a region of interest at the triangular-shaped region lateral to each of the corticospinal tracts, in a coronal plane along the rostral aspect of the corpus callosum. A sagittal fractional anisotropy image was used to determine the rostral endpoint of the SLF fibers in the white matter pertaining to specific gyri or pars of the frontal lobe. The SLF projection to Broca's area was ranked qualitatively as none, minimal, most or all. Findings are presented in descriptive statistics. Results The SLF projection to Broca's areas was absent in seven subjects (58.3%) and minimal in five (41.6%). SLF's rostral end points were found uniquely or mainly in the precentral gyrus in 100% of cases. Conclusion The SLF was found connecting the posterior language areas to the precentral gyrus and only marginally in some cases to the canonical Broca's area. This finding is consistent with reports describing lack of correlation between lateralization of the SLF and language areas. The understanding of language circuitry is beginning to emerge with the use of tractography.
Probability Table for Number of Runs of Signs of First Differences in Ordered Series

Abstract This probability table is based on the number of runs of signs of first differences in ordered series, or expressed differently, the number of rises and falls in ordered series, that would occur under this nonparametric null hypothesis: the relative magnitude of an observation is independent of its position in the series. The runs test used in conjunction with the probability table in this article is probably less sensitive than rank order correlation techniques for detecting monotonic correlations, but much better for rejecting the above null hypothesis in dealing with series involving cycles or some other non-monotonic systematic rise and fall in the magnitude of the observations, such as U-shaped or inverted U-shaped series of observations.
Surface composition following high exposures to gases: CO, O2 and NH3 ON Pt

Abstract A simple contamination-free flow system has been constructed inside an ultrahigh vacuum system equipped with AES and a mass spectrometer for temperature programmed desorption (TPD) to monitor surface coverages following exposures of clean platinum to reacting and non-reacting gases. For O 2 , CO, and NH 3 exposures of up to 10 6 Torr sec a polycrystalline ribbon could be maintained essentially free of contamination as determined by AES and TPD. This requires that the concentration of adsorbing contaminants be less than 1 part in 10 12 or that the adsorbate passivates the surface or reacts with the contaminant to produce nonadsorbing products. A high exposure of O 12 produces a multilayer oxygen coverage with no detectable impurities. An exposure of 10 6 Torr sec of CO at 300 K produces a contaminant coverage of less than a tenth of a monolayer of carbon, with a CO TPD spectrum identical to that from a 10 −5 Torr sec exposure. No evidence for CO cracking is found for any surface temperature up to 1300 K; this places a bound of 10 −10 for the CO dissociation probability on Pt. Following high exposures of NH 3 at 300 K, the surface is covered with approximately a monolayer of nitrogen with only small coverages of hydrogen and ammonia.
Franklin's Free Will; or, Optimism in Cracow, 1798

On January 7, 1796, two days after Austrian rule came to Cracow in the wake of the Third Partition of Poland, Jan May resumed printing his recently established newspaper, the Cracow Gazette (Gazeta Kra-kowska), with a lead article brimming with enthusiasm for the new order: “Finally, the wishes of all have been fulfilled. The City of Cracow, destined for the rule of His Majesty, the Most Illustrious Roman Emperor, has, as of today, after the withdrawal of the Prussian armies, with the greatest satisfaction, seen within its walls the army of the desired Monarch.” Some of May's readers may indeed have been pleased to see Prussian troops leave. There may also have been a few aristocrats—if we credit accounts of a “Jacobin” fear—who were happy to see the Austrians come to Cracow. Probably many were relieved at having some sort of order after years of unrest. But many were also unhappy to find themselves under Austrian rule in those early days of the partitions. If readers recalled May's quite recent Jacobin leanings and his role as chief printer to the Kościuszko Uprising, they may have read his front-page effusions as a sudden servilism, a strategic response to political necessity, a bleak contextual joke in the form of excess flattery, or some combination of all these things.
Horizontal and Vertical Distribution of PCBs in Southern Lake Michigan Sediments and the Effect of Waukegan Harbor as a Point Source

The spatial distribution of PCBs in southern Lake Michigan sediments was obtained from the analysis of 66 box cores and 8 grab samples. PCB concentrations in surficial sediments were closely related to sedimentation zone and to the oxidizable organic matter content of the sediments. Average surficial sediment concentrations ranged from 81 ng/g in depositional zones to 7.2 ng/g in non-depositional zones. The vertical distribution of PCBs was determined at several sites and was used to estimate the areal burden and flux of PCBs in each of the southern sedimentation zones. The total sediment PCB burden in the southern portion of the lake was estimated to be 5,900 kg. Southern Lake Michigan has received PCBs since approximately 1930 at an average flux of 7.1 μg/m2 yr. The effect of Waukegan Harbor as a point source of PCBs to Lake Michigan was evaluated by comparing the PCB distribution and Aroclor composition of harbor sediments to those of sediments of decreasing distances from the harbor. Significant differences in total PCB concentration between non-depositional zones near the harbor and those in other areas of the basin indicate that Waukegan Harbor has influenced the PCB burden of Lake Michigan.
Assessment and modification of cardiovascular disease risk in the HIV-infected individual

HIV-infected patients are living decades longer than before owing to combination antiretroviral therapy. However, complications are emerging in this population at rates higher than the general population, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). HIV-infected patients have many traditional risk factors that account for a significant part of their increased risk of CVD. However, HIV factors, including complications from antiretroviral therapy and increased inflammation associated with chronic HIV infection, also play a role. Clinicians need to be ever-vigilant to calculate and help attenuate any modifiable CVD risk factors for each HIV-infected individual.
Electrolyte Effects on the Surface Tension and Micellization of n-Dodecyl β-d-Maltoside Solutions

Sugar-based surfactants such as polyglucosides are a relatively new class of nonionic surfactants portrayed to be suitable for high-salinity applications. To better utilize such surfactants, it is useful to elucidate the mechanisms of their interactions at various interfaces in the presence and absence of electrolytes and the reasons for their salt tolerance. In this work, the effect of various salts on the surface tension and critical micelle concentration of the nonionic surfactant n-dodecyl β-d-maltoside (DM) was studied. Interestingly, while the packing of DM molecules at the air−water interface was not affected by the nature of salt added, cations and anions were found to have markedly different effects on the surface activity and critical micelle concentration (cmc) of the surfactant. For the same cation Na+, the effect of anions decreases in the order F- > Cl- > SO42- > Br- > PO43- > citrate > I- > SCN-. For the same anion Cl-, the effect of cations follows the order K+ > Na+ > Rb+ > Li+ > Ca2+ > A...
On behavioral model equivalence checking for large analog/mixed signal systems

This paper presents a systematic, hierarchical, optimization based semi-formal equivalence checking methodology for large analog/mixed signal systems such as PLLs, ADCs and I/O's. We verify the equivalence between a behavioral model and its electrical implementation over a limited, but highly likely, input space defined as the Constrained Behavioral Input Space. Further, we clearly distinguish between the behavioral and electrical domains and define mappings between the two domains to allow for calculation of deviation between the behavioral and electrical implementation. The verification problem is then formulated as an optimization problem which is solved by interfacing a SQP based optimizer with commercial circuit simulation tools. The proposed methodology is then applied for equivalence checking of a PLL as a test case.
Topographic coding of odorant quality is maintained at different concentrations in the salamander olfactory epithelium

In a recent study in the tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum, were demonstrated topographic patterns of responsivity across the olfactory epithelium which were characteristic for each odorant. The present study was initiated to investigate whether these patterns remain constant when odorant concentration is varied. Odorant-induced electro- olfactograms were recorded from at least 12 sites on each epithelium. The odorants used were pinene, amyl acetate and propanol. Each epithelium was tested with one odorant, delivered at 3 concentrations. For comparison between animals, the epithelia were divided into 3 regions with at least 4 recording sites per region. An analysis of variance model was used to study odorants, concentrations, regions and animals. Odorant-induced regional patterns in responsivity were similar across all concentrations. In particular, the region of highest responsivity at one concentration was the region of highest responsivity at all concentrations. It is concluded that topographic patterns of receptor cell responses may reflect an underlying genetic component in the distribution of receptor cells. This distribution is related to two aspects of receptor cell responses: responsivity to particular odorants (Fig. 4) and general responsivity to all odorants (Fig. 5).
Childhood cancer in the United States. A geographical analysis of cases from the Pediatric Cooperative Clinical Trials groups.

BACKGROUND After injuries, cancer is the leading cause of death in children younger than 15 years in the United States. Despite dramatic increases in 5-year survival rates, more than 100,000 person-years of life are lost to childhood cancer each year. The exact proportion of pediatric cancer patients who receive care at centers that utilize up-to-date therapeutic protocols [such as those affiliated with the Childrens Cancer Group (CCG) or the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG)] remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion and geographic distribution of childhood cancer patients in the United States who are seen at participating centers of the CCG and the POG. METHODS Patients included 21,026 incident pediatric cancer cases diagnosed from January 1, 1989 through December 31, 1991. Observed numbers of pediatric cancer cases were compared with expected numbers of cases calculated from incidence rates obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and population counts obtained from the 1990 U.S. Census Bureau. RESULTS Approximately 94% of children younger than 15 years diagnosed with cancer are seen at an institution that is a member of either POG or CCG. Comparisons of the observed-to-expected numbers of incident cases in the age groups (birth-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years) demonstrated ascertainment rates of 100, 93, 84, and 21%, respectively. In some regions within the United States the observed number of cases was significantly less than the expected number, including areas of Idaho, Oklahoma, and Virginia. In addition, there were areas in which the observed number of childhood cancer cases was substantially greater than that expected, including areas in California and Florida. CONCLUSIONS The membership of the cooperative clinical trials groups (the POG and CCG) ascertain and provide access to state-of-the-art treatment protocols for the vast majority of pediatric cancer patients in the country. For the younger age groups, the CCG and POG may represent a mechanism of case ascertainment that approximates a population-based series for the continental United States. Those areas that have large enough discrepancies in observed-to-expected numbers may warrant further investigation.
A conversion alternative to ceramics in a crown-and-sleeve coping prosthesis

Abstract A technique has been described whereby a functional crown-and-sleeve coping prosthesis with defective veneers can be reveneered with a hard quartz-filled acrylic resin. The resulting prosthesis allows for a continued cosmetic appearance and long service for the patient.
Variable selection in nonparametric regression with categorical covariates

Abstract This article extends the problem of variable selection to a nonparametric regression model with categorical covariates. Two selection criteria are considered: the cross-validation (CV) criterion and the accumulated prediction error (APE) criterion. We find that, asymptotically, the CV criterion performs well only when the true model is infinite-dimensional, while the APE criterion is appropriate when the true model is finite-dimensional. This is very similar to the case of linear regression model. A simulation study reveals some interesting small-sample properties of these criteria. To be more specific, suppose that we have observations (X 1, Y 1), …, (Xn, Yn ) that are iid random vectors and X = (X(1), X(2), …), where the X(i)'s are categorical. We allow Y to be of any type. Now a new observation X has arrived and we want to predict the corresponding Y. Such a framework is more appropriate than regressions with fixed covariates in situations where the covariates are observational rather than bei...
What Is Neurophilosophy? A Methodological Account

The term ``neurophilosophy'' is often used either implicitly or explicitly for characterizing the investigation of philosophical theories in relation to neuroscientific hypotheses. The exact methodological principles and systematic rules for a linkage between philosophical theories and neuroscientific hypothesis, however, remain to be clarified. The present contribution focuses on these principles, as well as on the relation between ontology and epistemology and the characterization of hypothesis in neurophilosophy. Principles of transdisciplinary methodology include the `principle of asymmetry', the `principle of bi-directionality' and the `principle of transdisciplinary circularity'. The `principle of asymmetry' points to an asymmetric relationship between logical and natural conditions. The `principle of bi-directionality' claims for the necessity of bi-directional linkage between natural and logical conditions. The `principle of transdisciplinary circularity' describes systematic rules for mutual comparison and cross-conditional exchange between philosophical theory and neuroscientific hypotheses. The relation between ontology and epistemology no longer is determined by ontological presuppositions i.e. ``ontological primacy''. Instead, there is correspondence between different `epistemological capacities' and different kinds of ontology which consecutively results in ``epistemic primacy'' and ``ontological pluralism''. The present contribution concludes by rejecting some so-called `standard-arguments' including the `argument of circularity', the `argument of categorical fallacy', the `argument of validity' and the `argument of necessity'.
Respiratory methane excretion in children with lactose intolerance

Two evaluate the relationship between colonic methane production and carbohydrate malabsorption, we measured end-expiratory methane levels in 70 normal and 40 lactose-intolerant children. Time-dependent excretion of hydrogen and methane was determined every 30 min for 120 min following a fasting oral lactose challenge (2 g/kg). Mean breath hydrogen levels in normals (lactose-tolerant) equaled 3.7 parts per million (ppm) throughout the study, but increased to >10 ppm by 60 min and remained elevated in lactose-intolerant subjects. Breath methane in normal children averaged 1.6 ppm from 0 to 120 min. In contrast, CH4 excretion by lactose-intolerant children averaged 5.1 ppm at 90 min; and, by 120 min levels increased significantly compared with control. Breath methane levels in lactose-intolerant subjects following a lactose load continued to increase, however, despite the coingestion of exogenous lactase in amounts calculated to result in complete hydrolysis of the disaccharide. These data demonstrate that lactase-deficient children manifest significant increases in breath methane excretion following lactose ingestion and that enhanced methane production may be a consequence of several factors, including altered fecal pH and increased methanogenic substrates provided by colonic lactose fermentation. Further studies are required to determine the clinical significance of elevated methane production in lactose intolerance.
Root uptake coefficients for absorption of CaEDTA and Ca ++ by tomato plants

The rate of absorption of Ca++ and CaEDTA by tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) from solutions containing these species was determined for a one-day absorption period. The Ca/Sr ratio of uptake of Ca and Sr was used to separate Ca uptake into that coming from Ca++ and CaEDTA. The root absorption coefficient of each species decreased as Ca concentration in solution was increased from 20 to 200 μm. The root absorption coefficient for Ca++ was approximately four times that for CaEDTA. At a Ca concentration of 100 μm the root uptake coefficients were approximately 2.0 × 10-5 and 8.0 × 10-5 cm sec-1 for CaEDTA and Ca++, respectively.