cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Future challenges in secondary prevention of breast cancer for women at high risk

We are making great progress in singling out those among us who are at high risk of cancer, whether on the basis of epidemiologic characteristics that predict risk in the absence of a firm knowledge of mechanism or, more recently, by specifying the genetic site of a factor that unequivocally puts a specific person in danger. We have been less capable of identifying factors that, given awareness of increased risk, determine whether or not a person adopts an appropriately self-protective behavior. This article reports the experience of female twins whose co-twins have a diagnosis of breast cancer. Such individuals can be assumed to have been presented with incontrovertible evidence of their elevated risk almost as much as if they had been found to have a dangerous gene. Their subsequent actions can shed light on why persons do not always take steps to protect themselves from a clear but future danger. It is evident that cognition is not the sole, or even the most important, determinant of health promoting behavior. Among the others are beliefs about cancer causality and the state of personal health, the details of the medical experience of relatives, and the degree to which perceptions of that experience have intruded into consciousness. The gap between rational and actual efforts to reduce personal risk is great, and if technology is to offer us the benefits promised, we must give priority to narrowing that gap.
Gender Differences in Self-Conscious Emotional Experience: A Meta-Analysis

The self-conscious emotions (SCE) of guilt, shame, pride, and embarrassment are moral emotions, which motivate adherence to social norms and personal standards and emerge in early childhood following the development of self-awareness. Gender stereotypes of emotion maintain that women experience more guilt, shame, and embarrassment but that men experience more pride. To estimate the magnitude of gender differences in SCE experience and to determine the circumstances under which these gender differences vary, we meta-analyzed 697 effect sizes representing 236,304 individual ratings of SCE states and traits from 382 journal articles, dissertations, and unpublished data sets. Guilt (d = -0.27) and shame (d = -0.29) displayed small gender differences, whereas embarrassment (d = -0.08), authentic pride (d = -0.01), and hubristic pride (d = 0.09) showed gender similarities. Similar to previous findings of ethnic variations in gender differences in other psychological variables, gender differences in shame and guilt were significant only for White samples or samples with unspecified ethnicity. We found larger gender gaps in shame with trait (vs. state) scales, and in guilt and shame with situation- and scenario-based (vs. adjective- and statement-based) items, consistent with predictions that such scales and items tend to tap into global, nonspecific assessments of the self and thus reflect self-stereotyping and gender role assimilative effects. Gender differences in SCE about domains such as the body, sex, and food or eating tended to be larger than gender differences in SCE about other domains. These findings contribute to the literature demonstrating that blanket stereotypes about women's greater emotionality are inaccurate.
525: Novel therapies for pediatric patients with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance undergoing heart transplantation

Purpose: We reviewed the outcomes of preand post-heart transplant (HT) treatment of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in pediatric cardiomyopathy patients. Methods and Materials: Pre-and post-operative data of 9 cases (5 females) ages 4-19 years were retrospectively reviewed and compared to 20 controls with normal PVR who underwent HT during the same period. All cases were admitted to the ICU, treated with inotropes and diuretics, and underwent catheterization. 7 cases were treated pre-HT with sildenafil or bosentan (10-172 days), and 3 were bridged with ECMO or biventricular assist device. Nitric oxide was used in all 9 cases post-HT. Sildenafil or bosentan was used post-HT in 4 patients with pre-HT non-reactive PVR. Results: Pre-HT, mean PVR in the 9 cases was 11 /4.6 (6-22) Wood’s units indexed(WU), vs. 3.07 WU in controls (p 0.12 10). Mean transpulmonary gradient (TPG) was 17 /7.5 in cases vs 6.15 /-2.3 in controls (p 0.27 10). With oxygen and nitric oxide testing, 3 of the cases had 2WU decrease in PVR, while 1 decreased from 13 to 8WU, and were considered non-reactive. Six cases survived 1 year post-HT, and the other 3 are well at 5, 6, and 10 months; there were no readmissions for RV failure and no medication side-effects. Controls had 90% survival at 1 year, with 2 deaths due to rejection. Mean PVR in the cases at 1 week to 1 month post-HT was 4.2 /-1.9WU (1-6.9WU) vs 2.64 in the control group (p 0.004), and TPG was 13 /-5.8 (6-25) vs. 6.2 /-2.4 (2-10) respectively (p 0.0001). At 3 months post-HT mean PVR was 3.24 /-1.6 (1.5-6.8) vs 2.36 /-1.4 (0.5-5.3) in the control group (p 0.2), and TPG was 10.3 /-5 (6-22) vs. 6.4 /4(0-16) (p 0.07) respectively. Three of the 4 non-reactive PVR cases had PVR 4 WU at a mean of 2.7 months. One had PVR of 6.8 and remains on sildenafil at 6 months with a PVR of 4 WU. Conclusions: Pre-and post-operative treatment of significantly elevated pulmonary vascular resistance with new and proven vasodilator therapies appears to be safe and effective in bridging children through HT.
A mixed proton, oxygen ion, and electron conducting cathode for SOFCs based on oxide proton conductors

Abstract A composite cathode, consisting of Ba(Zr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.2 )O 3− δ (BZCY) and La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3− δ (LSCF), has shown high catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction, demonstrating a peak power density of 855 mW cm −2 at 750 °C. The chemical compatibility between BZCY and LSCF is excellent since there was no evidence of chemical reaction between the two after being fired at 1100 °C for 10 h. The stability of the composite cathode is further shown in single cells operated at 750 and 600 °C for 100 h without observable degradation in performance.
Measurement of the total transverse diameter of the heart by direct percussion.

Abstract 1. 1. A study comparing the total transverse cardiac diameters as obtained by direct percussion with the measurements on teleroentgenogram is presented. 2. 2. A discussion of the possible sources of error in both methods of examination is included. 3. 3. Of 333 examinations of 305 men, percussion measurements in 74 per cent were within plus or minus 10 per cent of the teleroentgenographic figures; 88 per cent were within plus or minus 15 per cent. In 58 per cent, percussion figures were within 1.0 cm. of the teleroentgenographic measurements. 4. 4. Fifty-five comparative examinations of forty-five women gave similar results. 5. 5. Direct percussion of the total transverse cardiac diameters appears to be of decided value in men.
Effect of occlusion of a tracheotomy tube on aspiration.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of occlusion of a tracheotomy tube on aspiration utilizing fluoroscopy. Twenty consecutive tracheotomized patients referred for a modified barium swallow were included. Selection criteria were ability to tolerate tracheotomy tube occlusion during the modified barium swallow procedure, no surgery of the upper aerodigestive tract except tracheotomy, and no history of oropharyngeal cancer or stroke. These was 100% agreement among 3 independent reviewers on ratings of the presence or absence of aspiration. It was found that the occlusion status of the tracheotomy tube did not influence the prevalence of aspiration. Nine of 10 (90%) subjects who exhibited aspiration were over 65 years of age ( X=72 years 2 months). No trends were observed for bolus consistency, type of tracheotomy tube, or presence/absence of a nasogastric tube and ratings of aspiration.
Optical techniques for the measurement of frazil ice

We have investigated the possibility of using optical instruments to detect the presence of frazil ice in Arctic leads. Frazil ice was successfully detected with a transmissometer but could not be seen with scattering sensors. Field measurements were made in Arctic leads north of Alaska during the spring of 1992 as a part of the lead experiment (LEADEX). On two occasions, the temperature, salinity, and transmission signals show the presence of frazil. Because a transmissometer cannot distinguish ice from other types of particles, we present a concept for a dual wavelength absorption meter that would be able to distinguish between frazil ice and biological particles.
A parallel-computing solution for optimization of polynomials

In this paper, we consider optimization of polynomials in a parallel computing environment. Algorithms for optimization of polynomials can be used to solve NP-hard control problems such as stability of nonlinear and delayed systems. Unfortunately, the high computational costs of current algorithms such as sum-of-squares has limited its use to relatively small problems. In this paper we review several results on polynomial representation which and show that these results can be used to develop an algorithm for polynomial optimization with a naturally parallel structure. In particular, we design and implement a massively parallel algorithm in MPI which tests positivity of polynomials. Test results confirm that the implementation has high efficiency with relatively low overhead.
Understanding Job Satisfaction: Principals and Teachers, Urban and Suburban

This study explored various factors that affect teachers' and administrators' reported job satisfaction. The intent was to determine whether teachers and administrators in urban and suburban settings viewed job satisfaction differently. Factor analyses of job satisfaction data indicated that teachers and administrators perceive their jobs differently and that differences also exist within these groups when the urban and suburban contexts in which they work are considered. The major finding of this study is that job satisfaction is determined by both role and context. Thus the findings of this study imply specific action for enhancing satisfaction of educators based on role and contextual variables. The article concludes with a discussion of the findings in terms of implications for policymakers' behavior, actions, and policies.
New ground states in unconventional superconductors: Broken translational and time-reversal symmetry

We explore the spatial structure of novel ground states which can arise in unconventional superconductors. If the coefficients in the Ginzburg-Landau functional are in the appropriate range, the free energy, even in zero applied field, is minimized by a state with a spatially varying order parameter. This variation leads to supercurrents, which generate substantial magnetic fields. The interactions between the vector potential and the order parameter are responsible for the net lowering of the free energy. We use a simulated annealing technique to find numerically the minima of the Ginzburg-Landau functional.
The decohesion of thin films from brittle substrates

Abstract Experimental observations have been made concerning the decohesion of Cr films from glass substrates. The observations reveal that the films first split, the cracks then extend into the substrate and eventually acquire a steady-state trajectory parallel to the interface. A comparison of fracture mesurements with mechanics solutions for substrate cracks affirms a prior postulate that steady-state cracks grow along the plane for which KII = 0. Evaluations of KI, on that plane, deduced from measurements of crack velocities (in a controlled humidity environment) are also in good agreement with predicted values.
Macro-economic determinants of penal policy: Estimating the unemployment and inflation influences on imprisonment rate changes in the United States, 1948–1985

Conflict theory proposes that systemic economic distress generates problem populations which require control via palliative and coercive means. Most previous research has concentrated on examining the unemployment-imprisonment relationship. A review of the literature suggests that other structural conditions that generate marginalization as well as the state's placative control must be considered in order to understand the linkage between economic-fiscal forces and penal policy. Using annual time-series data for the period 1948–1985, the present paper examines the extent to which changes in inprisonment rates reflect (a) governmental attempts to offset the threat of unemployment and inflation and (b) fiscal limitations placed by state expenditures on placative controls. The results indicate support for the conflict thesis, with inflation rates and annual fluctuations in black and white male unemployment rates exerting an independent positive effect upon imprisonment-rate changes, after controlling for variations in violent crime rates, prison capacity, and age structure. Possible reasons for the lack of evidence regarding trade-offs between state's placative and coercive policies are discussed and suggestions for further research are noted. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** AW502010 00003
Psychiatry with the aborigines of West Malaysia.

The authors report on a year's experience with psychiatric patients from aborigine tribes in West Malaysia. Of the 20 cases seen, all but one were psychotic and 16 were also classified as schizophrenic. Withdrawal and running away were common symptom patterns. Only one patient came from a deep jungle area; the others were from fringe areas where sociocultural disruption was more evident. Because of a good preexisting medical service, these patients were easily managed in a hospital that emphasized their own culture. Follow-up in the jungle or villages by aborigine staff members and the use of long-acting injectable phenothiazines resulted in continued improvement of the patients.
Highly ordered nanoscale surface ripples produced by ion bombardment of binary compounds

Nanoscale surface ripples generated by oblique-incidence ion bombardment of a solid are generally full of defects, and this has prevented the widespread adoption of ion bombardment as a nanofabrication tool. We advance a theory that predicts that remarkably defect-free ripples can be produced by ion bombardment of a binary material if the ion species, energy and angle of incidence are appropriately chosen. This high degree of order results from the coupling between the surface height and composition, and cannot be achieved by bombarding an elemental material.
Separation-of-function mutation in HPC2, a member of the HIR complex in S. cerevisiae, results in derepression of the histone genes but does not confer cryptic TATA phenotypes

Abstract The HIR complex, which is comprised of the four proteins Hir1, Hir2, Hir3 and Hpc2, was first characterized as a repressor of three of the four histone gene loci in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Using a bioinformatical approach, previous studies have identified a region of Hpc2 that is conserved in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and humans. Using a similar approach, we identified two additional domains, CDI and CDII, of the Hpc2 protein that are conserved among yeast species related to S. cerevisiae . We showed that the N terminal CDI domain (spanning amino acids 63–79) is dispensable for HIR complex assembly, but plays an essential role in the repression of the histone genes by recruiting the HIR complex to the HIR-dependent histone gene loci. The second conserved domain, CDII (spanning amino acids 452–480), is required for the stability of the Hpc2 protein itself as well as for the assembly of the HIR complex. In addition, we report a novel separation-of-function mutation within CDI of Hpc2, which causes derepression of the histone genes but does not confer other reported hir/hpc- phenotypes (such as Spt phenotypes, heterochromatin silencing defects and repression of cryptic promoters). This is the first direct demonstration that a separation-of-function mutation exists within the HIR complex.
Linking Departmental and Institutional Mission.

Mission statements at the departmental level can frame strategic planning and assessment efforts, build community, and focus teaching and research activities.
Tumor microvasculature targeting with dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles

Monodisperse dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles (diameter = 3.0 nm) were prepared using G5 poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer functionalized with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FI) and Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide as template; in vitro targeting efficacy to integrin receptor expressing cells was confirmed by flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and ICP-MS.
Nest site quality, female mate choice, and polygyny in the house Wren Troglodytes aedon

Many models proposed to explain the occurrence of polygyny in birds implicitly assume that females actively choose males offering the highest quality breeding situations. However, strong evidence of active mate choice by females in polygynous bird species is scarce. This study asked whether females in a polygynous population of house wrens Troglodytes aedon, a small, cavity-nesting songbird, base their choice of a mate at least partly on characteristics of the nest site that he controls. Already-mated males were randomly assigned one of two types of nest boxes to which they could attempt to attract secondary mates. Some males were given standard-type boxes with small entrance holes in the front sides of boxes, while other males were given boxes with larger entrance holes located in the boxes' roofs. A preliminary experiment revealed that female house wrens overwhelmingly prefer front-entrance to roof-entrance boxes when both types of boxes are available on the same territory. Females chose mated males with front-entrance boxes over mated males with roof-entrance boxes significantly more often than expected by chance. This preference demonstrates that female house wrens do discriminate among potential mates and base their choice of a mate at least partly on characteristics of the nest site he has to offer. This observation is compatible with the hypothesis that female house wrens choose mated males because they gain access to high-quality nest sites.
Unsupervised estimation of speckle noise in radar images

Speckle in radar images has the characteristic of a multiplicative noise. In this article, two unsupervised methods are introduced to estimate the speckle noise statistics using the mean and the standard deviation of small image blocks (4 × 4, or 6 × 6 pixels). Since most radar images contain many small homogeneous areas, a scatter plot of the standard deviation versus the mean can reveal the characteristic of the noise. The blocks from inhomogeneous areas have higher values for the standard deviation, and they are scattered above the main cluster. They are considered as outliers, and should be excluded in the statistical estimation. These two methods are designed for obtaining a linear fit in the scatter plot by ignoring outliers. Several synthetic aperture radar(SAR) images are used for illustration.
Thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy in patients with internal mammary artery coronary bypass grafts.

Background This study examined outcomes of a technique for performing thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy (LUL) in patients with a previous left internal mammary artery (LIMA) coronary artery bypass graft, where a small wedge of lung parenchyma adjacent to the graft is left to avoid injury. Methods All patients undergoing thoracoscopic LUL from 1999 to 2010 at a single institution were reviewed. Perioperative morbidity, cancer recurrence, and long-term survival were compared between patients who had (LIMA group) or did not have (control group) a previous LIMA graft. Results During the study period, 290 patients underwent thoracoscopic LUL; 14 (5%) had previous LIMA grafts. There was no perioperative mortality in the LIMA group versus 4 (1%) in the control group ( p = 0.65). One patient (7%) in the LIMA group required conversion to thoracotomy, which was similar to the control group (n = 16, 6%; p = 0.83). Overall perioperative morbidity was also not different between the groups (LIMA 36% [5 of 14] versus control 29% [81 of 276], p = 0.61). No patient in the LIMA group had perioperative cardiac ischemia. For patients with lung cancer, 5-year survival (LIMA 50% vs control 63%, p = 0.23) and cancer recurrence rates (LIMA 27% (3 of 11) versus control 15% (36 of 242), p = 0.27) were not different between the groups. Only 1 LIMA recurrence was local, and it was not related to the parenchyma left on the LIMA graft. Conclusions Thoracoscopic LUL can be performed safely in patients with LIMA bypass grafts. Leaving lung parenchyma on the graft may prevent injury and does not compromise oncologic outcomes in appropriately selected patients.
Who needs to know? Knowledge LOF risk and the subsidiary staffing decision

This paper analyses knowledge-related liability of foreignness (‘KLOF’) risk in the context of foreign subsidiary staffing decisions, to explore how the latter affects the former. KLOF risk related to a lack of complete knowledge of the host country is centred at the critical link between specific home country and host country individuals. Assessment of KLOF risk must begin with the question: ‘Who needs to know?’ Subsidiary staffing decisions shift the location of KLOF risk, changing the answer. To enhance the depth of KLOF analysis, the next step involves assessing knowledge due diligence affecting those with the greatest need for host country information. The central contributions of this KLOF work include identification of the critical link or location of risk affected by staffing decisions, and exploration of knowledge due diligence as the concept that may foster increased understanding of KLOF risk to suggest future measurement and mitigation approaches.
Can we live without cats? Interpreting and expanding on Ellson's question from a cat-lover's perspective

Abstract This commentary responds to Tony Ellson's, “Can we live without a dog? Consumption life cycles in dog–owner relationships” from the point of view of a cat owner and her cats. The author discusses cat-related consumption via a life-cycle framework and notes that consumption extends beyond basic food, veterinarian care, pet supplies, and pet services. Stories or vignettes emanating from subjective personal introspection reveal the complexity and intimacy of the cat–owner relationship and the plethora of needs and wants generated as a result of this relationship.
Growing certainty with null values

Abstract Non-availability of part of the data is a problem common to many database systems. We study here some aspects relating to incomplete information. Obviously, when the information in a database is not complete the answer to any query is only an approximation to the true result. The aim is to get a precise approximation. We regard databases as many-sorted algebras. Based on the concept of extended algebra we define what it means for an algebra to approximate another algebra. We then give the following simple principle for extending query languages to handle missing data: “Whenever information is added to an incomplete database subsequent answers to queries must not be contradictory or less informative than previously.” We then apply this principle to extend the functional query language Varqa. Finally, we compare the previously proposed many-valued logic systems with the system devised based on our principles.
Impact of Peak and Off-Peak Tolls on Traffic in San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Corridor in California

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area in California and connects two of the largest cities in northern California over San Francisco Bay. In July 2010, the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) increased tolls on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge from a flat toll collected westbound only to week-day peak and off-peak tolls. BATA also instituted a carpool toll of $2.50 (previously carpools crossed for free) payable by FasTrak electronic toll collection tag only. With floating-car data provided by BATA, the change in travel time for the I-80, I-580, and I-880 approaches was computed by payment type (cash, FasTrak, and high-occupancy vehicle access lanes) and hour. Travel times were found to have been reduced by 0 to 16 min for cash customers (varying by time of day and approach), with varying results for FasTrak customers and little change for high-occupancy vehicle customers. Data collected by BATA at the toll plaza were analyzed by hour and payment type. Th...
The measurement of gamma-glutamyl hydrolase (conjugase) activity in rat brain.

An assay using the artificial substrate, 2,4-diamino-10-methyl-pteroylglutamyl-gamma-glutamate (MTX-G1), was developed to measure gamma-glutamyl hydrolase (conjugase), which hydrolyzes folylpolyglutamates. This assay allows us to: 1) measure conjugase for the first time in rat brain and 2) measure conjugase in a reliable, sensitive and inexpensive manner. The MTX-binding assay results were compared to samples analyzed by HPLC and found to vary by only 13%. The artificial substrate, MTX-G1, had a lower rate of hydrolysis than pteroylglutamyl-gamma-glutamate (Pte-G2), 70.7±0.64 and 92.6±0.22 nmoles/hr/mg protein respectively. Conjugase was semi-purified 24 fold in H2O and found to have a pH optimum of 5.0.
A Survey of Calpain Inhibitors

Calpain is unique among the cysteine protease family of enzymes in that it combines thiol protease activity with calmodulin-like activity. Despite its wide spread distribution the exact physiological function(s) of calpain is yet to be deciphered. The enzyme is however, implicated in a number of pathophysiological conditions. Due to the potential of calpain as a therapeutic target a number of inhibitors have been described for the enzyme. In this article we have grouped calpain inhibitors into those derived from natural sources, and those derived from chemical synthesis. Additionally, an overview of functional groups that have been used as warheads of calpain inhibitors is presented along with a discussion of the structure activity relationship studies of the address region of peptidyl calpain inhibitors. Recent work in this area has led to a better understanding of the structural requirements for tight binding of inhibitors to the active site of calpain. A discussion of peptidomimetic calpain inhibitors, nonpeptide calpain inhibitors, and selectivity of some calpain inhibitors are also presented. The recent disclosure of the crystal structure of a nonpeptide calpain inhibitor bound to a hydrophobic pocket on the calcium-binding domain of calpain has opened the door to future development of potent cell permeable nonpeptide calpain inhibitors.
Laser radar with atomic vapor ultranarrowband image detectors (UBID)

The basic characteristics, figures of merit and potential applications of laser radar with atomic vapor ultra- narrowband imaging detectors (UBID) are discussed. One of the most important figures of merit of a narrowband imaging spectrometer used in a laser radar is the product of throughput and spectral resolution. The atomic vapor UBID, compared with all known spectral imaging instruments, can potentially have a throughput-resolution product up to a million times greater. It is theoretically shown that despite hyperfine structure, one can have smooth characteristics well-suited for an ultranarrowband resonance ionization image detector (RIID) by choosing an appropriate ionization scheme for Cs atoms using the 894.3 nm line. Recent experiments with a vacuum cell mercury atomic vapor RIID are described.
Jurisdictional Conflicts: A New Approach to the Development of the Legal Professions

This paper sketches a new theoretical approach to the study of professions and uses that approach to analyze differences that have emerged between the American and English legal professions since the late nineteenth century. Earlier studies have generally emphasized professional structure and organization while ignoring work and its control. I argue that control of work is central to professional development. Since work is central and since professions compete for it, interprofessional competition is the determining fact in the history of professions. This paper analyzes the work available to the legal profession, the numbers and types of legal personnel available to do that work, and the various competitors contesting it. Studying in detail complaints of unqualified practice in England (1870–1940) and two American states (1910–50), I locate the types of contested work and the competitors involved, using these to explain important aspects of the two legal prof essions today. Throughout, a variety of theoretical concepts are developed and applied to the particular case. One striking discovery is the contrast in competitors; American lawyers' chief competitors were corporations, while British lawyers' chief competitor was the state. I close by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the particular methodology here used—the study of conflicts—and suggest alternative methods using the same theoretical framework.
Renormalization of four-fermion theories in a mean-field expansion

The generating functional of a ${(\overline{\ensuremath{\psi}}\ensuremath{\psi})}^{2}$ four-fermion field theory in four dimensions is expressed in terms of collective boson variables and then expanded in a Laplace expansion. All divergences are absorbed in a renormalized Yukawa-type coupling and a renormalized fermion mass. The collective boson mass and self-couplings are fixed to all orders in terms of the Yukawa coupling. The renormalized theory is formally equivalent to the Yukawa theory expanded the same way.
An Improved Mean Atomic Number Background Correction for Quantitative Microanalysis

Quantitative EPMA (electron probe microanalysis) intensity measurements require an accurate correction for the X-ray continuum (or background) created by the Bremsstrahlung effect from the primary electron beam. This X-ray continuum, as measured on a wavelength-dispersive spectrometer at any particular wavelength, is primarily a function of the mean atomic number of the material being analyzed. One can calibrate the dependence of the continuum on mean atomic number by measuring and curve fitting the X-ray intensities at the analytical peak in pure elements, oxides, and binary compound standards that do not contain any of the analyte or any interfering elements and use that calibration to calculate the X-ray background correction. For unknown samples, the mean atomic number is determined from the elemental concentrations calculated by the ZAF or φ(ρz) matrix correction, and the fit regression coefficients are used iteratively to calculate the actual background correction. Over a large range of mean atomic number we find that the dependence of the continuum intensity on mean atomic number is well described by a second-order polynomial fit. In the case of low-energy X-ray lines (<1 to 2 keV), this fit is significantly improved by correcting the X-ray continuum intensities for absorption. For major and most minor element analyses, the improved mean atomic number background correction procedure presented in this paper is accurate and robust for a wide variety of samples. Empirical mean atomic number background data are presented for a typical 10-element silicate and a 15-element sulfide analytical set up that demonstrate the validity of the technique as well as some potential limitations.
The psychological costs of knowledge specialization in groups: Unique expertise leaves you out of the loop

Abstract Knowledge specialization, such as that present in cross-functional teams, produces both positive and negative outcomes. Our research investigated how unique expertise can lead to feelings of ostracism in the form of being out of the loop. Compared to group members with shared expertise, members with unique expertise felt out of the loop and experienced decreased fulfillment of fundamental needs, particularly when their expertise was to be given less weight in the group’s decision. Possessing unique expertise did not inhibit leadership emergence, even when that expertise should not have been used in the decision-making process. So, although knowledge specialization can have positive consequences for teams and task performance, it also has some negative psychological consequences that need to be understood.
Mechanoporation Induced by Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury: An Irreversible or Reversible Response to Injury?

Diffuse traumatic brain injury (DTBI) is associated with neuronal plasmalemmal disruption, leading to either necrosis or reactive change without cell death. This study examined whether enduring membrane perturbation consistently occurs, leading to cell death, or if there is the potential for transient perturbation followed by resealing/recovery. We also examined the relationship of these events to calpain-mediated spectrin proteolysis (CMSP). To assess plasmalemmal disruption, rats (n = 21) received intracerebroventricular infusion 2 h before DTBI of a normally excluded 10 kDa fluorophore-labeled dextran. To reveal plasmalemmal resealing or enduring disruption, rats were infused with another labeled dextran 2 h (n = 10) or 6 h (n = 11) after injury. Immunohistochemistry for the 150 kDa spectrin breakdown product evaluated the concomitant role of CMSP. Neocortical neurons were followed with confocal and electron microscopy. After DTBI at 4 and 8 h, 55% of all tracer-flooded neurons contained both dextrans, demonstrating enduring plasmalemmal leakage, with many demonstrating necrosis. At 4 h, 12.0% and at 8 h, 15.7% of the dual tracer-flooded neurons showed CMSP, yet, these demonstrated less advanced cellular change. At 4 h, 39.0% and at 8 h, 24.4% of all tracer-flooded neurons revealed only preinjury dextran uptake, consistent with membrane resealing, whereas 7.6 and 11.1%, respectively, showed CMSP. At 4 h, 35% and at 8 h, 33% of neurons demonstrated CMSP without dextran flooding. At 4 h, 5.5% and at 8 h, 20.9% of tracer-flooded neurons revealed only postinjury dextran uptake, consistent with delayed membrane perturbation, with 55.0 and 35.4%, respectively, showing CMSP. These studies illustrate that DTBI evokes evolving plasmalemmal changes that highlight mechanical and potential secondary events in membrane poration.
Soil water and temperature regimes in drip and sprinkler irrigation, and implications to soybean emergence

Abstract Irrigation has long been used in agriculture as a primary means of water management. It is well known that water distributions in the soil differ depending on the methods of irrigation. However, it is less clear how soil thermal regimes would change over time and space when irrigation methods are different. A field study was conducted to investigate the interactive effect of soil water and temperature regimes in drip and sprinkler irrigation. The effect of different methods of irrigation on soil water and thermal environment was then used to interpret differences in soybean emergence and seedling growth under the two irrigation treatments. Time domain reflectometry wave-guides and thermocouples were installed in field plots to provide soil water content and temperature measurements. Soybean seeds were planted to assess the emergence and seedling development. Consistent with infiltration theory, soil water contents were higher directly under the drip tapes in drip irrigation, but were relatively more uniform across the whole soil surface in sprinkler irrigation. Although five times more water was used in the sprinkler than in the drip plot, the soil water content at the seed zone was similar. Soil temperature was significantly higher in the drip than in the sprinkler plot, which led to a higher emergence rate and enhanced seedling growth. Drip irrigation not only conserved water but also maintained the soil profile at a higher temperature more favorable for plant emergence and seedling development.
Teaching constructive security

The constructive security philosophy is based on the assumption that that for certain critical operations, a system always must do the "right thing". What the "right thing" is depends on the intended security policy, but we need assurance that the system will not do something else. Thus, we must demonstrate the absence of unspecified functionality - manifestation of security's negative requirement. Because we must demonstrate the absence of something in a way that will promote user confidence, it is necessary to build systems to demonstrably meet the negative requirement.
Cerebral Blood Flow System

This paper describes the ORTEC 4840 Cerebral Blood Flow System (Figures 1 & 2). This system is used to measure the clearance rate of radioisotopes from brain tissue. This measures the regional cerebral blood flow (Glass & Harper1). The system can be separated logically into two major sections and subdivided thus: Hardware 1. Radiation detectors and support electronics 2. Computer interfacing of input and output devices using the CAMAC system 3. ADC for initial calibration of single channel analyzers 4. Computer and peripherals Software 1. calibration routines 2. Data acquisition routines 3. Data reduction routines 4. Data display and plotting routines 5. UItility programs
Sarcopenia and Mortality after Liver Transplantation

Background Surgeons frequently struggle to determine patient suitability for liver transplantation. Objective and comprehensive measures of overall burden of disease, such as sarcopenia, could inform clinicians and help avoid futile transplantations. Study Design The cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle was measured on CT scans of 163 liver transplant recipients. After controlling for donor and recipient characteristics using Cox regression models, we described the relationship between psoas area and post-transplantation mortality. Results Psoas area correlated poorly with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score and serum albumin. Cox regression revealed a strong association between psoas area and post-transplantation mortality (hazard ratio=3.7/1,000 mm 2 decrease in psoas area; p Conclusions Central sarcopenia strongly correlates with mortality after liver transplantation. Such objective measures of patient frailty, such as sarcopenia, can inform clinical decision making and, potentially, allocation policy. Additional work is needed develop valid and clinically relevant measures of sarcopenia and frailty in liver transplantation.
Recovery from Short-Term Depression and Facilitation Is Ultrafast and Ca2+ Dependent at Auditory Hair Cell Synapses

Short-term facilitation and depression coexist at many CNS synapses. Facilitation, however, has not been fully characterized at hair cell synapses. Using paired recordings and membrane capacitance measurements we find that paired-pulse plasticity at an adult frog auditory hair cell synapse depends on pulse duration and interpulse intervals. For short 20 ms depolarizing pulses, and interpulse intervals between 15 and 50 ms, facilitation occurred when hair cells were held at −90 mV. However, hair cells held at −60 mV displayed only paired-pulse depression. Facilitation was dependent on residual free Ca 2+ levels because it was greatly reduced by the Ca 2+ buffers EGTA and BAPTA. Furthermore, low external Ca 2+ augmented facilitation, whereas depression was augmented by high external Ca 2+ , consistent with depletion of a small pool of fast releasing synaptic vesicles. Recovery from depression had a double-exponential time course with a fast component that may reflect the rapid replenishment of a depleted vesicle pool. We suggest that hair cells held at more depolarized in vivo -like resting membrane potentials have a tonic influx of Ca 2+ ; they are thus in a dynamic state of continuous vesicle release, pool depletion and replenishment. Further Ca 2+ influx during paired-pulse stimuli then leads to depression. However, at membrane potentials of −90 mV, ongoing release and pool depletion are minimized, so facilitation is revealed at time intervals when rapid vesicle pool replenishment occurs. Finally, we propose that vesicle pool replenishment kinetics is not rate limited by vesicle endocytosis, which is too slow to influence the rapid pool replenishment process.
ALTERATION OF GENE EXPRESSION IN RAT MAMMARY TUMORS INDUCED BY N-METHYL-N-NITROSOUREA

Rodents are susceptible to the effects of chemical carcinogens and have been widely used in the study of mammary-gland carcinogenesis. However, little information is available regarding specific phenotypic changes that occur during mammary-gland carcinogenesis. In this study, subtraction hybridization was used to identify specific genes whose expression in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced rat mammary tumors had been altered. mRNA isolated from normal rat mammary tissue and tumors induced by treatment of 50-d-old female rats with MNU (50 mg/kg) was used to produce normal and tumor cDNA libraries. Total inserts prepared from each cDNA library were used to produce a subtracted tumor-normal probe. Differential screening of the tumor library with the subtracted probe and normal cDNA yielded 20 clones that appeared to be differentially expressed. Northern analysis of mRNA isolated from normal mammary tissue and tumor tissue confirmed that four of these clones were differentially expressed. The expression of clones 4 and 15 was greatly increased (13-fold and tenfold, respectively) in most MNU-induced mammary tumors, whereas the expression of clones 10 and 27 was decreased (13-fold and fourfold, respectively). Sequence analysis revealed that clones 15 and 27 were highly homologous to calcyclin and a cDNA isolated from HL-60 cells, respectively. The differential expression of clones 4 and 10 was due to the presence within these clones of retroviral sequences and a fragment of transferrin, respectively. These clones may represent markers useful for studying the development of MNU-induced mammary-gland neoplasias.
Author's reply: the devil is in the details

The article titled “Ready-to-use therapeutic food for prevention of childhood undernutrition”1 was published in the Emerging Science section of Nutrition Reviews , a section that specializes in …
Morphology, Cytochemical Staining and Ultrastructural Characteristics of Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) Leukocytes

— Peripheral blood smears from four adult reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) were examined after staining with Romanowsky's stain and cytochemical stains, including α-napthyl butyrate esterase (α-NBE), Sudan black B (SBB), chloroacetate esterase (CAE) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Romanowsky-stained eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes resembled those of cattle, sheep and goats. Basophils had two different staining patterns with Romanowsky's stain. Basophils that we termed“grey basophils”were similar in appearance to grey eosinophils in Greyhound dogs, with medium blue-grey to lavender-grey cytoplasm containing varying numbers of clear vacuoles or granules and variable numbers of small, intensely basophilic, perinuclear granules. The second basophil staining pattern was more typical of ruminant basophils, with uniform, pale to dark, basophilic cytoplasmic granules. Basophils stained positive for α-NBE, SBB, CAE and ALP. Eosinophils stained positive for SBB, and were negative for α-NBE, CAE and ALP. Neutrophils stained positive for SBB and CAE, and were negative for α-NBE and ALP. Lymphocytes stained positive for α-NBE, and were negative for SBB, CAE and ALP. Monocytes stained positive for α-NBE, were rarely positive for CAE and SBB, and were negative for ALP. Transmission electron microscopy revealed matrix within all granulocyte granules, including those of basophils.
The Two‐Mile Time Machine: Ice Cores, Abrupt Climate Change and Our Future

Enhanced greenhouse warming attributable to our profligate consumption of fossil fuels has established itself as perhaps the most contentious environmental issue currently being debated in the international political arena. To a large extent, the debate over whether societies should undertake actions to mitigate potentially adverse effects of climate change focuses on uncertainties in climate predictions and societal impacts. In an effort to reduce some of the uncertainty the climate community has expended considerable efforts to obtain detailed records of past climates, recognizing that the past may hold the key to our future. The Two-Mile Time Machine by Richard Alley tells the captivating story of how one such record reconstructed from the GISP2 core, drilled through the more than 3-km thick Greenland Ice Sheet, has revealed startling clues about past climates and shattering many of our ideas on how climate operates.
On the long‐term stability of Gulf Stream transport based on 20 years of direct measurements

In contrast to recent claims of a Gulf Stream slowdown, two decades of directly measured velocity across the current show no evidence of a decrease. Using a well-constrained definition of Gulf Stream width, the linear least square fit yields a mean surface layer transport of 1.35 × 105 m2 s−1 with a 0.13% negative trend per year. Assuming geostrophy, this corresponds to a mean cross-stream sea level difference of 1.17 m, with sea level decreasing 0.03 m over the 20 year period. This is not significant at the 95% confidence level, and it is a factor of 2–4 less than that alleged from accelerated sea level rise along the U.S. Coast north of Cape Hatteras. Part of the disparity can be traced to the spatial complexity of altimetric sea level trends over the same period.
Differential Neutralization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Replication in Autologous CD4 T Cells by HIV-Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

Defining the antiviral efficacy of CD8 T cells is important for immunogen design, and yet most current assays do not measure the ability of responses to neutralize infectious virus. Here we show that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clones and cell lines derived from infected persons and targeting diverse epitopes differ by over 1,000-fold in their ability to retard infectious virus replication in autologous CD4 T cells during a 7-day period in vitro, despite comparable activity as assessed by gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. Cell lines derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated in vitro with peptides representing targeted Gag epitopes consistently neutralized HIV better than Env-specific lines from the same person, although ineffective inhibition of virus replication is not a universal characteristic of Env-specific responses at the clonal level. Gag-specific cell lines were of higher avidity than Env-specific lines, although avidity did not correlate with the ability of Gag- or Env-specific lines to contain HIV replication. The greatest inhibition was observed with cell lines restricted by the protective HLA alleles B*27 and B*57, but stimulation with targeted Gag epitopes resulted in greater inhibition than did stimulation with targeted Env epitopes even in non-B*27/B*57 subjects. These results assessing functional virus neutralization by HIV-specific CD8 T cells indicate that there are marked epitope- and allele-specific differences in virus neutralization by in vitro-expanded CD8 T cells, a finding not revealed by standard IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay currently in use in vaccine trials, which may be of critical importance in immunogen design and testing of candidate AIDS vaccines.