cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ACTH protects mature oligodendroglia from excitotoxic and inflammation-related damage in vitro.

Corticosteroids (CS) are widely employed to treat relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS). Endogenous ACTH is a 39-amino acid peptide that, among other functions, stimulates CS production. Exogenous ACTH 1-39 is used to treat MS relapses, presumably by stimulating endogenous CS production. However, unlike CS, ACTH binds to melanocortin receptors, found in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as on inflammatory cells. Since glia are implicated in MS and other neurodegenerative diseases, and oligodendroglia (OL) are more sensitive to injury than other glia, we characterized the protective effects of ACTH on OL in vitro without the confounding effects of CS. Rat brain cultures containing OL, astrocytes (AS), and microglia (MG) were incubated for 1 day with potentially cytotoxic agents with or without preincubation with ACTH 1-39. The cytotoxic agents killed 55–70% of mature OL, but caused little or no death of AS or MG at the concentrations used. ACTH protected OL from death induced by staurosporine, AMPA, NMDA, kainate, quinolinic acid, or reactive oxygen species, but did not protect against kynurenic acid or nitric oxide. The protective effects of ACTH were dose dependent, and decreased OL death induced by the different agents by 30–60% at 200 nM ACTH. We show for the first time that melanocortin 4 receptor is expressed on OL in addition to MG and AS. In summary, ACTH 1-39 protects OL in vitro from several excitotoxic and inflammation-related insults. ACTH may be activating melanocortin receptors on OL or alternately on AS or MG to prevent OL death. GLIA 2013;61:1206–1217
Evaluation of associated upper gastrointestinal pathology prior to elective cholecystectomy.

Abstract The prevalence of associated upper gastrointestinal pathology in patients with symptoms suggestive of chronic cholecystitis was reviewed to determine whether routine preoperative gastrointestinal evaluation is justified. Findings in 267 patients, including 222 with proven gallbladder disease (group A) and 45 with no evidence of gallbladder disease (group B), showed that 125 (56 per cent) of the group A patients had associated upper gastrointestinal abnormalities (p
Learning Effects of Print and Digital Geographic Maps

AbstractTwo research studies were conducted to determine if the benefits of studying print geographic maps along with related factual information (i.e., map, order, and edge effects) also apply to studying digital geographic maps with factual information. Both experiments confirm that the learning benefits associated with print maps also apply to digital maps. In addition, the studies reveal that a medium attribute associated with digital maps (computer rollover effect) provides learning advantages beyond what is possible with traditional maps due to the constraints of the print medium. The results are discussed in terms of recommendations for classroom teaching and education in general.
Formation of DNA Adducts and Oxidative Base Damage by Copper Mediated Oxidation of Dopamine and 6-Hydroxydopamine

Abstract We have investigated the formation of DNA adducts and oxidative base damage produced by copper sulfate activation of dopamine and 6-hydroxydopamine. In the presence of 10 μMcopper sulfate both 100 μMdopamine and 100 μM6-hydroxydopamine formed three similar DNA adducts with relative adduct levels of 8.36 ± 2.23 × 10−8and 7.98 ± 2.53 × 10−8, respectively. The levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine produced by these incubations were 5.2 ± 0.03, 32.6 ± 2.4, and 0.01 pmol/μg DNA for dopamine, 6-hydroxydopamine, and control incubations, respectively, representing a 520- to 3260-fold increase in the level of this base oxidation product. The use of specific chelators and catalase demonstrated that the reduction of Cu2+to Cu1+and the formation of a peroxide plays an important role in the activation of dopamine and 6-hydroxydopamine to form adducts and oxidative base damage. Our results suggest that the oxidation of dopamine by transition metals present in the brain may lead to the formation of both DNA adducts and oxidative base damage in dopaminergic cells. We propose that these processes may contribute to the observed loss of dopaminergic neurons in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Assessing Student Perceptions of the Benefits of Discussions in Small-Group, Large-Class, and Online Learning Contexts

A large literature establishes the benefits of discussions for stimulating student engagement and critical thinking skills. However, we know considerably less about the differential effects of vari...
Attitudes Toward Mental Illness and Changes Associated with a Brief Educational Intervention for Medical and Nursing Students in Nigeria

This study assessed beliefs about mental disorders and changes in those beliefs following an educational intervention for a convenience sample of Nigerian medical and nursing students. A 43-item questionnaire was used to assess perceptions regarding mental disorders and attitudes toward people with mental illness before and after a 4-day educational intervention. Factor analysis identified four domains: (1) socializing with people with mental illness, (2) belief in witchcraft or curses as causes of mental illness, (3) favorable attitudes toward normalization of the lives of people with mental illness, and (4) biopsychosocial approaches to mental illness. The greatest changes were in attitudes favoring normalization of the lives of people with mental illness (p = 0.0002), socializing with the mentally ill (p = 0.01), and biopsychosocial perspectives on mental illness (p = 0.01). Brief educational interventions may alter some stigmatizing negative attitudes toward mental illness in healthcare trainees in low- and middle-income countries.
Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is an unusual polyposis syndrome that has enjoyed a rich and somewhat confusing history. Mucocutaneous pigmentation and diffuse gastrointestinal hamartomas are the hallmark features of this autosomal dominant inherited condition. Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is now also recognized as a cancer predisposition syndrome. In this review, we highlight the historical aspects of PJS polyposis with special emphasis on its extraintestinal manifestations, particularly genital tract tumors. A PJS management scheme for clinicians is included.
Absence of a specific chromosomal marker in essential thrombocythemia.

Abstract In 33 patients with essential thrombocythemia, a specific chromosomal abnormality (21q−) could not be confirmed. All patients in this series met rigid criteria for diagnosis of this myeloproliferative disorder.
Middle Pleistocene age of the Nome River glaciation, northwestern Alaska

Abstract During the middle Pleistocene Nome River glaciation of northwestern Alaska, glaciers covered an area an order of magnitude more extensive than during any subsequent glacial intervals. The age of the Nome River glaciation is constrained by laser-fusion 40 Ar 39 Ar analyses of basaltic lava that overlies Nome River drift at Minnie Creek, central Seward Peninsula, that average 470,000 ± 190,000 yr (±1σ). Milligram-size subsamples of the lava were dated to identify and eliminate extraneous 40Ar enrichments that rendered the mean of conventional KAr dates on larger bulk samples of the same flow too old (700,000 ± 570,000 yr). While the 40 Ar 39 Ar analyses provide a minimum limiting age for the Nome River glaciation, maximum ages are provided by a provisional KAr date on a basaltic lava flow that underlies the Nome River drift at nearby Lave Creek, by paleomagnetic determinations of the drift itself at and near the type locality, and by amino acid epimerization analysis of molluscan fossils from nearshore sediments of the Anvilian marine transgression that underlie Nome River drift on the coastal plain at Nome. Taken together, the new age data indicate that the glaciation took place between 580,000 and 280,000 yr ago. The altitude of the Anvilian deposits suggests that eustatic sea level during the Anvilian transgression rose at least as high as and probably higher than during the last interglacial transgression; by correlation with the marine oxygen-isotope record, the transgression probably dates to stage 11 at 410,000 yr, and the Nome River glaciation is younger still. Analyses of floor altitudes of presumed Nome River cirques indicate that the Nome River regional snowline depression was at least twice that of the maximum late Wisconsin. The cause of the enhanced snowline lowering appears to be related to greater availability of moisture in northwestern Alaska during the middle Pleistocene.
Diagnosing The English Patient: schizoid fantasies of being skinless and of being buried alive.

The psychological world of The English Patient is explored to deepen the understanding of schizoid states. The protagonist, Almasy, is a remote desert explorer whose triangular sadomasochistic affair with the married Katharine destroys them all. His damaged skin is understood as a symbolic representation of his psychological condition. For the schizoid, love consumes and leads to obliteration of the self, represented by the loss of identifying features, and to traumatic permeability (i.e., the loss of boundaries between self and other, and between the ego and repressed desires). Other schizoid themes are the animation of the inanimate, as in the depiction of the desert as a woman; hidden or buried identities; the digital and destructive experience of emotion represented by the conundrum of the bomb defuser; the sense that everything good is imaginary and might suddenly explode; and the moral unevenness of the characters. Almasy collaborates with the Nazis so he can retrieve Katharine's three-year-old corpse, with which he has necrophilic contact in a cave. Fantasies of the lost object buried within the self, of being buried alive, and of being skinned alive are related to the schizoid condition. Hyperpermeability is proposed as a core schizoid state, underlying schizoid withdrawal.
We Recruit Them, But Then What? The Educational and Psychological Experiences of Academically Talented Undergraduates

As universities actively compete for the best and brightest students, educators may wonder about the nature of these gifted students and what awaits them in college. Yet, research on the programs and opportunities provided for talented undergraduates at institutions of higher education is limited, leaving researchers to question what universities are doing for bright students. The purpose of this review is to examine recent research on academically talented undergraduates, both on the nature of the undergraduates themselves and the programs provided for them at public institutions of higher education. Areas in need of additional research are discussed.
Timing of Discharge: a Key to Understanding the Reason for Readmission after Colorectal Surgery

There is a growing interest in surgery regarding the balance between appropriate hospital length of stay (LOS) and prevention of unnecessary readmissions. This study examines the relationship between postoperative LOS and unplanned readmission after colorectal resection, exploring whether patients discharged earlier have different readmission risk profiles. Patients undergoing colorectal resection were selected by Common Procedural Terminology (CPT) code from the 2012 ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Patients were stratified by LOS quartile. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to examine characteristics associated with 30-day unplanned readmission. Factors with a p < 0.1 were included in the Cox proportional hazards model. Subsequently, chi-square analysis compared LOS, patient, and perioperative factors with the primary reason for readmission. Factors with a p < 0.2 were included in a multivariable logistic regression for each readmission reason. For 33,033 patients undergoing colorectal resection, the overall 30-day unplanned readmission rate was 11 %. After adjusting for patient and perioperative factors, a postoperative LOS ≥8 days was associated with a 55 % increase in the relative hazard of readmission. Patients with a ≤3-day LOS were more likely to be readmitted with ileus/obstruction (odds ratio (OR): 1.8, p = 0.001) and pain (OR: 2.2, p = 0.007). LOS was not significantly associated with readmission for intraabdominal infection or medical complications. Patients with longer LOS and complicated hospital courses continue to be high risk post-discharge, while straightforward early discharges have a different readmission risk profile. More targeted readmission prevention strategies are critical to focusing resource utilization for colorectal surgery patients.
Reply to “Comments on ‘Searching for Information in 133 Years of California Snowfall Observations’”

AbstractCoats raises issues regarding the utility of the snowfall metric presented by Christy in “Searching for information in 133 years of California snowfall observations,” suggesting that variance issues need more attention and that alternative metrics would be more useful than snowfall. Although discussed by Christy, the variance question is further addressed here. Regarding other metrics, it is shown that they are either inconsistently measured for long-term analysis or are actually consistent with Christy’s findings. In addition, it is demonstrated that Tahoe City, discussed by Coats, is inappropriate for examining long-term precipitation trends because of inconsistent measuring practices through time. Christy’s results remain unchanged.
Calcium-induced pulmonary vasodilation: modification by meclofenamate and ouabain.

Abstract Based on work with isolated arteries, we hypothesized that elevation of the extracellular calcium concentration would cause pulmonary vasodilation by stimulation of the Na+K+ATPase. If so, ouabain should inhibit the “membrane stabilizing” effect of a high calcium concentration. Addition of CaCl 2 to the perfusate of rat isolated lungs to give a final concentration of 10 −2 M caused vasodilation when the lungs were vasoconstricted by KCl, angiotensin II or hypoxia. Ouabain addition to the perfusate 1) increased pulmonary artery perfusion pressure and the magnitude of angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction 2) delayed vasodilation and 3) transformed the CaCl 2 -induced vasodilation into rapid vasoconstriction accompanied by edema formation. Meclofenamate reduced the calcium-induced vasodilation suggesting that part of the high calcium vasodilation may be due to the action of a vasodilator prostaglandin. The vasodilation due to prostacyclin was blocked in lungs treated with ouabain. The results taken together suggest that high calcium vasodilation operates by mechanisms which may be prostaglandin-dependent and prostaglandin-independent, both of which can be blocked by ouabain.
Reuse of copper catalyst in continuous hydrogenation

Continuous hydrogenation of soybean oil using copper catalyst can be improved economically by reusing the catalyst. A hydrogenated oil with an approximate iodine value drop of 25 was attained by regulating the conditions and size of the reactor. Catalyst was removed by centrifuge and recycled. Reaction products were evaluated to determine catalyst activity, linolenate selectivity andtrans formation. By adding 0.2–0.4% fresh catalyst each time, the activity was retained. Linolenate selectivity ranged from 6 to 11 andtrans formation, expressed as specific isomerization, ranged from 0.63 to 0.78.
Preferential presentation of herpes simplex virus T-cell antigen by HLA DQA1*0501/DQB1*0201 in comparison to HLA DQA1*0201/DQB1*0201

The HLA DQA1 locus is polymorphic. Haplotypes containing HLA DQA1*0501, but not HLA DQA1*0201, together with HLA DQB1*0201 are associated with Grave's disease and celiac sprue. In this report, we demonstrate a functional correlate of DQA1 polymorphism. T cells infiltrating a herpes simplex virus (HSV) lesion from a HLA DQ 2,7 individual yielded a virus-specific CD4+ clone restricted by DQ2. Presentation of viral peptide and protein segregated with DQA1 allele, because cell lines bearing DQA1*0501/DQB1*0201 heterodimers presented antigen in proliferation and cytotoxicity assays much more efficiently than cell lines bearing DQA1*0201/DQB1*0201. Binding of viral peptide to cell lines bearing DQA1*0201, in comparison to DQA1*0501, was only moderately reduced and may not explain this effect. Truncation and substitution analyses of peptide binding and T-cell activation were performed to determine which viral peptide residues contacting TCR might therefore be presented in an altered conformation by DQA1*0201/DQB1*0201. Residues 432, 435, 437, 438, and 440 (position P1, P4, P6, P7, and P9) contributed to DQ2 binding, whereas residues 431, 433, 434, and 436 (positions P 1, P2, P3, and P5) contributed to TCR contact. Differential presentation of peptide by HLA DQ2 heterodimers varying at the DQA1 locus may have relevance to host defense and the pathogenesis of HLA DQ2-associated autoimmune diseases.
Successful Intraoperative Retrieval of Dislocated Femoral Trial Head During Total Hip Arthroplasty

Since the advent of modular hip prostheses in the early 1970s, dissociation of the femoral trial head and migration into the deep tissue space of the pelvis are rarely reported complications of total hip arthroplasty. Several case reports have described this complication, but the actual incidence is unknown and likely underreported. Two cases are presented here using a new technique to retrieve a trial femoral head from within the pelvis without use of an extensile approach, laparoscopic retrieval, or secondary incisions.
Evidence for a single catalytic binding site on human brain type B monoamine oxidase.

— The tricyclic antidepressant drug, amitriptyline, inhibited the B form of human brain mitochondria] monomine oxidase (MAO) under normal atmospheric conditions in a noncompetitive manner when phenylethylamine (PEA) was used as substrate and competitively when benzylamine (BzNH2) was employed as substrate. In addition, it was also found that PEA and BzNH2 inhibited each other's degradation noncompetitively. Similar results have previously been reported with human platelet MAO. These data suggest that the catalytic binding sites for PEA and BzNH2 on the B form of human brain MAO may be different. Attempts were made to further distinguish these catalytic binding sites on the brain oxidase using the irreversible MAO inhibitors, pargyline and clorgyline. Though these drugs have considerably different affinities for the B form of the oxidase, the degree to which either compound inhibited PEA or BzNH2 deamination was essentially identical. When incubations were performed at elevated oxygen concentrations PEA and BzNH2 became mutually competitive inhibitors of each other's metabolism. Also at the higher levels of oxygen, amitriptyline inhibition of PEA deamination approached a competitive fashion. These results suggest that PEA and BzNH2 share a common catalytic binding site on the B form of MAO and, in addition, bind to an inhibitory site on the reduced form of the oxidase. Accordingly, the data indicate that amitriptyline also binds to both the oxidized and reduced forms of this human brain oxidase.
Laboratory-scale continuous hydrogenation: Effect of pressure

A laboratory-scale, high-pressure, continuous reactor was used to partially hydrogenate soybean oil with copper catalysts. Effects of pressure on the kinetics of the reaction were studied by conducting experiments in a central composite design. The interaction of pressure (75\s-200 psig) with the other independent variables of temperature (155\s-255 C) and copper concentration (0.15\s-1.85%) was evaluated. Dependent variables studied were linolenate selectivity and formation of trans isomers and conjugated dienes. in addition, effects of pressure up to 500 psig, use of experimental and commercial copper catalysts and comparison of continuous with high-pressure batch rections were investigated. Linolenate selectivity (8\s-10) and trans-isomer formation were not significantly affected by any of the independent variables. Conjugated dienes were eliminated as products of the reaction when pressure was above 200 psig. Experimental copper-silica catalyst gave a 1.6-fold increase in reaction rate over commercial copper catalysts.
The one-sided barrier problem for an integrated ornstein-uhlenbeck process

The first-passage problem is considered for the process where V(s) is an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process with an additive constant term μ friction parameter β, and variance σ2 starting from V(O)=μ+μ Global explicit analytic approximations to the first-passage density are derived for the case of a one-sided fixed barrier at distance x from X (0). By a series of simulations the quality of these approximations is studied for varies χ,ν,β,μ,σ2. We also consider an application to stochastic models for particle sedimentation in fluids where the first-passage problem of an integrated Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process naturally arises.
Price-driven charging of Plug-in Electric Vehicles: Nash equilibrium, social optimality and best-response convergence

As the number of charging Plugged-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) increase, it is crucial to control the charging of PEVs in order to minimize energy generation and transmission costs, and ensure grid stability. In this work, we analyze the equilibrium properties of a natural price-driven charging control game in the distribution grid, between the utility (that sets the time-dependent energy usage price) and selfish PEVs (that choose their own charging schedules to minimize individual cost). We demonstrate through analysis and simulations that individual best-response strategies converge to socially optimal charging profiles (also equilibrium solutions) under fairly weak assumptions on the (asynchronous) charging profile update processes. We also discuss how the framework can be extended to consider the topology of the distribution tree and associated transmission line capacity constraints.
Conformational pseudopolymorphism and orientational disorder in two-dimensional alkyl carbamate crystals.

The structures of self-assembled physisorbed monolayers of alkyl carbamates were examined with atomic detail by scanning tunneling microscopy at the liquid−solid interface. Through systematic variation of molecular structure, the factors determining the two-dimensional crystal packing and dynamics of alkyl carbamate monolayers were isolated. Two different conformational pseudopolymorphs on the surface were observed and their order of stability was varied by changing the length of the alkyl groups. The relative size of the two alkyl groups in a molecule affected the frequency of orientational flipping within a column, which in turn, exerts an influence on the relative orientation of the two-dimensional crystalline domains. These phenomena were explained on the basis of the preferred hydrogen-bonding geometry of the carbamate functional group and the different degree of van der Waals interaction for each form.
The NASA Living With a Star (LWS) Sentinels mission

The NASA Living With a Star (LWS) Sentinels mission is presently being defined by its Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT). Sentinels is the third element of the LWS program. Its primary scientific objective is to discover, understand and model the connection between solar phenomena and the interplanetary/geospace disturbances, specifically, the heliospheric initiation, propagation and solar connection of those energetic phenomena that adversely affect space exploration and life and society here on Earth. Sentinels will play a particularly important role in support of NASA's new Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), in providing key new measurements required to understand the production of Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) that are hazardous to human and robotic missions to the Moon and Mars. Here we describe the planning for Sentinels, and the preliminary design of the first phase, the Inner Heliosphere Sentinels, a four spacecraft mission to provide multi-point longitudinally and radially distributed in situ observations of SEPs, plasma, fields, and X-rays/gamma-rays/neutrons in the inner heliosphere (~0.25-0.76 AU), close to the site of SEP acceleration and rapid transient evolution.
Thermodynamic Puzzle of Apomyoglobin Unfolding

It has been shown that a compact, partly unfolded state of apomyoglobin, which is obtained in acidic solutions, had a heat capacity lower than that of the unfolded polypeptide chain. With increasing temperature, this intermediate state unfolds in a rather narrow temperature region. Its unfolding is accompanied by an increase of the heat capacity, which reaches the value specific for the fully unfolded polypeptide chain having all groups exposed to water. This unfolding, however, proceeds without the excess heat absorption expected for a temperature induced two-state transition. This eliminates the possibility of considering this process as a first order phase transition, as gross conformational transitions in proteins are usually considered. It appears that the process of unfolding of the intermediate state of apomyoglobin might represent a second order phase transition, which has been predicted on theoretical grounds for those compact proteins without unique structure, known as "molten globules".
Evaluation Of Medical Technology

Shannon's mutual information function is useful in modeling clinical decisions. The equivocation function determines useful bounds on the average probability of error. A model for medical diagnosis using Shannon's uncertainty function is demonstrated. An example is provided to illustrate the importance of the equivocation function.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Masculinity-femininity and accuracy of sex role ascription

To examine relationships between masculinity-femininity, presence of same or opposite sex sibling, and accuracy of cross-sex role-taking, 92 male and female undergraduates classified the 20 items comprising Smith’s (1968) Masculinity-Femininity Scale according the sex-role characteristics. Femininity and role-taking accuracy were positively correlated among males and negatively correlated among females, but only 1 of the 4 comparisons for sibling effects reached significance. It is suggested that greater role-taking accuracy among feminine scoring-males and masculine scoring-females results from problematic sex-role identification, and the findings are interpreted in terms of stabilizing mechanisms postulated by interpersonal congruency theory.
Patient Navigation: Development of a Protocol for Describing What Navigators Do

Challenges arise when people contemplate cancer screening. They multiply when tests suggest a threatening disease and indicate the need for follow-up investigations. And the challenges expand dramatically when such investigations reveal cancer, as people become “patients” in the complex realm of referrals, consultants, examinations, decisions, and often arduous treatment regimens. Individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged may find cancer care all the more problematic (Baquet et al. 2005). These people are at substantial risk of receiving inadequate care at each step of the cancer care continuum: screening, diagnostic follow-up of suspicious results, treatment when cancer is diagnosed, and survivorship surveillance. Moreover, the systems of care available to them, such as “safety net” institutions, are often beset with inefficiencies. Patient navigation has emerged in the past decade in response to these widely recognized disparities in cancer care. Health care advocates, policy makers, and innovative health care organizations have called for the adoption of patient navigation to assist patients and remedy inefficiencies in the provision of timely care (Freeman 2006; Jandorf et al. 2006;). As a result, patient navigation services have proliferated rapidly in recent years. Research to date supports the promise of patient navigation for reducing cancer disparities (Gabram et al. 2008). Currently, a large, multisite cooperative study of patient navigation is being conducted. The National Cancer Institute's Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP) is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of navigation in improving timeliness of care (i.e., time to follow-up of abnormal screening results and to completion of treatment when cancer is diagnosed) and patient satisfaction (Freund et al. 2008). The nine cooperating studies of the PNRP provide a laboratory for characterizing the actual work of patient navigators and linking variation in their activities to patient outcomes. The first step in such an effort is to design procedures for systematically observing navigators' activities. This paper reports on the development of a protocol for observing what navigators actually do.
Single-level composite wing optimization based on flexural lamination parameters

An optimization procedure based on flexural lamination parameters is used to integrate unstiffened composite panel design and wing structural design. The lamination parameters are constrained to a hexagonal domain when the amounts of 0°, ±45°, and 90° plies are given. The single-level optimization based on continuous flexural lamination parameters for the minimization of wing weight is compared with a two-level optimization using response surfaces of maximal buckling load for a simple wing box design example. Reasonable agreement between the two procedures indicates that the two-level approach leads to near-optimal designs.
Adsorption studies on Cu-ZSM-5: Characterization of the unique properties of ion-exchanged Cu

Abstract Simultaneous temperature-programmed desorption/thermogravimetric analysis (TPD-TGA) measurements of isopropylamine have been used to characterize a series of Cu(H)-ZSM-5. At the Bronsted acid sites in H-ZSM-5, isopropylamine decomposes to propene and ammonia between 575 and 650 K. The addition of Cu decreases the concentration of these Bronsted acid sites and leads to a new propene-ammonia decomposition feature between 650 and 800 K in TPD-TGA. This high-temperature feature is not observed when Cu is incorporated into a silicalite sample. implying that it is associated with Cu at the Al sites. Furthermore, the sum of Bronsted acid sites and high-temperature Cu sites is approximately constant and close to the Al content for H(Cu)-ZSM-5 series. Propene also interacts strongly with the Cu that is present at the Al sites in a stoichiometry close to 1/Cu at room temperature. Infrared measurements indicate that the Cu sites are neither Bronsted acid nor Lewis acid sites. All of the samples examined, including ion-exchanged silicalite, contained significant quantities of other Cu which do not appear to be associated with Al sites. Finally, ion exchange of Cu into a Na-ZSM-5 sample is shown to result in Bronsted acid sites, showing that protonic sites are easily incorporated into the zeolite during ion exchange, even when this is not done intentionally. The implications of these results for the characterization of Cu-exchanged zeolites are discussed.
Induction of nucleolar segregation by actinomycin D following inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide

Abstract In an electron microscopic study, actinomycin D produced typical nucleolar segregation in hepatic parenchymal cells and intestinal crypt cells of male rats in which prior inhibition of protein synthesis had been induced with cycloheximide. A dose of actinomycin D which produces typical segregation in hepatic parenchymal cells produces only partial segregation of the nucleoli of intestinal crypt cells. Typical segregation can be produced in the latter by prolonging the actinomycin treatment and increasing the dose. The segregation phenomenon demonstrates that the large particle component of crypt cell nucleoli represents a population distinct from the small particles of the nucleolonema of these cells.
The development of the rat flexor digital tendon, a fine structure study.

The development of hind feet synovial sheath flexor tendons has been examined in fetal and postnatal rats. The tendons were first identified as discrete collections of cells in 16-day fetuses. Synovial sheath formation had commenced in 18-day fetuses and was complete by birth. Cell junctions or adhesion sites were noted between the cells that form the tendon proper and between the cells of the visceral synovium. However, no junctions were observed between the cells of these two different populations. The interaction between growth forces and the maintenance of structural integrity by cell adhesions may explain the development of specific structural entities within the tendon. Poorly differentiated mesenchymal cells in 12-day fetuses containing predominantly free cytoplasmic ribosomes differentiate into tendon fibroblasts with a prominent rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex. Besides collagen fibrils in the extracellular space small elastic fibers were also identified and followed in their development.
Perceived opportunity, team attributes, and entrepreneurial orientation in Chinese new technology ventures: a cognitive perspective

This study investigates how perceived opportunity and team attributes affect entrepreneurial orientation in Chinese new technology ventures. Drawing upon the cognitive perspective of strategy, we propose that entrepreneurial orientation in Chinese new technology ventures is affected by: 1) the opportunities in the environment perceived by the venture team; 2) the venture team attributes that are relevant to recognition and exploitation of opportunities. Hypotheses are tested in a sample of 184 Chinese new technology ventures. Consistent with our predictions, our results show that perceived industry growth and causal understanding among team members are positively related to entrepreneurial orientation. Contrary to our prediction, perceived dysfunctional competition contributes positively to entrepreneurial orientation. Discussion and implications are presented.
Multiresidue pesticide analysis by ion-trap mass spectrometry.

The ion trap has been demonstrated to be able to detect and quantify 245 target pesticides extracted via the Luke method while providing concurrent confirmation of presence via full scan data at the sub-ppm level. The precision and accuracy of the analytical approach was determined to be no greater than 15% relative standard deviation. A comparision study of over 100 incurred residues analyzed by the ion trap and gas chromatography with an array of element-selective detectors has indicated that sample clean-up will probably be necessary before quantification is acceptable for all target compounds. The data obtained using a combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry and presented for 250 target pesticides constitutes the basic information required to duplicate and extend the methodology.
Happy by What Standard? The Role of Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Comparisons in Ratings of Happiness

The present research suggests that many of the most commonly-used indicators of happiness are constructed in a manner that renders them susceptible to null or misleading findings. While few happiness indicators specify particular comparison standards, we demonstrate that people tend to evaluate their happiness relative to comparison standards and give reliably different happiness ratings based on the comparison standards they spontaneously adopt. In Study 1, participants reported that intrapersonal comparisons were a more important consideration than interpersonal comparisons in determining their happiness ratings. In Study 2, participants using a free-response format more frequently reported making intrapersonal comparisons than interpersonal comparisons when rating happiness. In both Studies 1 and 2, participants who reported using interpersonal comparisons gave higher happiness ratings than those who reported using intrapersonal comparisons. In Study 3, participants who were prompted to make interpersonal comparisons gave higher happiness ratings than those prompted to make intrapersonal comparisons. We discuss the implications of these findings for measuring subjective well-being and interpreting happiness research.
Clearing the Air of Ozone

These important limitations to the BLS and GAO studies need to be acknowledged if policymakers are to avoid the pleas of special interests to intervene in labor-management relations. The irony is that many of the advocates of more federal involvement have ignored the inevitable trade-off involved in providing specified termination benefits to workers. It is naive to continue to believe that there is a "free lunch" available to employees or firms. With the current emphasis on "competitiveness" of United States industry and the importance of labor and management cooperation to compete effectively in the international marketplace, it seems oddly out of step to place further legislative restrictions on how these parties may interact. Many policymakers and opinion leaders who are supposedly most interested in the welfare of working men and women are advocating a labor policy agenda that would hamstring the response of our relatively free labor markets to meet this challenge. []
Multiscale Processes Regulate Brassy Minnow Persistence in a Great Plains River

Abstract Brassy minnow Hybognathus hankinsoni, a threatened species in Colorado, live in harsh, fluctuating stream environments subject to summer drying and winter freezing in the western Great Plains and yet may be capable of rapid dispersal and reproduction during the wet season. We studied brassy minnow populations at multiple spatial scales in the Arikaree River basin of eastern Colorado to determine the underlying mechanisms driving local extinction and colonization and regional persistence. Habitat units in three 6.4-km segments, arrayed across a gradient of stream intermittency from perennial to seasonally dry, were sampled five times in 2000 and 2001, the two driest summers on record. Logistic regression showed that brassy minnow were more likely to persist through summer drying in deeper pools connected to other habitat units and were more likely to persist in pools in the more perennial segments. The main cause of fish extirpation was pool drying, which logistic regression showed was more likely...
Microfabrication of an electromagnetic power relay using SU-8 based UV-LIGA technology

Most of the MEMS relays reported in the field now are based on silicon fabrication and cannot be used for power applications. In this paper, we report a research effort to microfabricate an electromagnetic relay for power applications using a multilayer UV-LIGA process. A mechanically wrapped coil was used and very simple design for the magnetic circuit was adopted to increase the design flexibility and performances. The broad material selection and the capability of making high aspect ratio microstructures of the UV-LIGA make the technology best suited for fabricating microelectromechanical relays for power applications. The prototype relay has a truly three-dimensional structure and very suitable for large power capacity applications.
The Akt pathway is involved in rapid ischemic tolerance in focal ischemia in Rats

Although the protective mechanisms of delayed ischemic preconditioning have received extensive studies, few have addressed the mechanisms associated with rapid ischemic postconditioning. We investigated whether ischemic tolerance induced by rapid preconditioning is regulated by the Akt survival signaling pathway. Stroke was generated by permanent occlusion of the left distal middle cerebral artery (MCA) plus 30 min or 1 h occlusion of the bilateral common carotid artery (CCA) in male rats. Rapid preconditioning performed 1h before stroke onset reduced infarct size by 69% in rats with 30 min CCA occlusion, but by only 19% with 1 h occlusion. After control ischemia with 30 min CCA occlusion, Western Blot showed that P-Akt was transiently increased while Akt kinase assay showed that Akt activity was decreased. Although preconditioning did not change P-Akt levels at 1h and 5h compared with control ischemia, it attenuated reduction in Akt activity at 5h in the penumbra. However, preconditioning did not change the levels of P-PDK1, P-PTEN, and P-GSK3β in the Akt pathway, all of which were decreased after stroke. At last, the PI3K kinase inhibitor, LY294002, completely reversed the protection from ischemic preconditioning. In conclusion, Akt contributes to the protection of rapid preconditionin against stroke.
OXYGEN TRANSMISSION RATE of an EDIBLE METHYLCELLULOSE‐PALMITIC ACID FILM

Edible coatings with low potassium sorbate permeability could be used to increase the microbial stability of food surfaces. However, such coatings could induce anaerobic food conditions if their oxygen permeability were low. the oxygen permeability of an edible emulsion film (average thickness, 55 μm), composed of methylcellulose and palmitic acid (weight ratio of 3:1), was evaluated at 24°C, atmospheric pressure, and at different percentages of relative humidity (RH). RH values in the 0–57% range had no significant effect on oxygen transmission rate (OTR); calculated OTR values ranged from 660 to 740 mL O2 (STP)/m2 24h atm. At 79% RH, the OTR doubled to 1,500 mL O2 (STP)/m2 24h atm. This effect correlated well with the moisture isotherm for the film which showed a low moisture content in the 0–57% RH range and a rapid increase at higher RH values. OTR values, particularly at high relative humidity, indicate no risk of developing anaerobic conditions on the food surface.
The Power-Inversion Adaptive Array: Concept and Performance

The use of a power-inversion adaptive array to improve the signal-to-interference ratio in a communication system is described. "Power inversion" refers to the ability of an adaptive array to invert the power ratio of two received signals. The power-inversion ion technique is useful because it does not require detailed ledgeknow about desired-signal structure or arrival angle. The perform ance attainable with a power-inversion array is described and typical al design curves are presented.
People helping robots helping people: Crowdsourcing for grasping novel objects

For successful deployment, personal robots must adapt to ever-changing indoor environments. While dealing with novel objects is a largely unsolved challenge in AI, it is easy for people. In this paper we present a framework for robot supervision through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Unlike traditional models of teleoperation, people provide semantic information about the world and subjective judgements. The robot then autonomously utilizes the additional information to enhance its capabilities. The information can be collected on demand in large volumes and at low cost. We demonstrate our approach on the task of grasping unknown objects.
Posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents: Commentary and recommendations

Abstract Developments related to understanding the etiology, diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents are noteworthy over the past decade. Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of PTSD among school-aged children and adolescents is a growing concern for school psychologists. With increasing levels of environmental stress and violence in school and community settings, school psychologists can expect to encounter children and their adult care-providers whom have experienced extreme trauma and whom may develop PTSD (Motta, 1995). The mini-series edited by Philip Saigh extends our knowledge of PTSD in several domains including contributions to understanding etiology, assessment, as well as treatment. In this brief response I provide some commentary that hopefully will influence the direction of future research priorities on this childhood disorder.
An Analysis of Chorioretinal Thermal Response to Intense Light Exposure

An analytical expression has been obtained for the transient temperature distribution produced when the retina is irradiated by a high-intensity light source. The following factors are included in the analysis: (1) structurally the fundus consists of layers of material which have different physical properties, (2) absorption of energy from the light beam follows the Beer-Lambert law, (3) energy is absorbed in the sclera as well as in the pigment epithelium and choroid, (4) heat is removed from the fundus by blood circulating through the capillaries of the choroid, and (5) intensity of the light source may vary with time. Computed values indicate that absorption of energy in the sclera and removal of heat by convection are both important for longer irradiation times, which agrees with recent experimental observations. The asymptotic response to a train of pulses is presented also.
Physician and patient perceptions in COPD: the COPD Resource Network Needs Assessment Survey.

Abstract Purpose Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, has received disproportionately little attention from physicians and institutions. National data are lacking on patient and physician perceptions of and patterns of care for COPD. Methods Linked surveys were administered to national samples of patients with COPD, primary care physicians, and pulmonologists to evaluate perceptions of COPD severity and quality of life, attitudes about COPD, health insurance barriers to COPD care, sources of information, and knowledge about COPD diagnosis and treatment. Results Overall, 1023 patients with COPD and 1051 primary care physicians and pulmonologists responded to the surveys. Despite experiencing significant symptoms and high health care use, the majority of patients were satisfied with their care. Eighty-eight percent of physicians agreed with the statement that COPD is a "self-inflicted" disease, and more than one third were nihilistic about the treatment of patients who continued to smoke. Patients and physicians reported that insurance problems impeded access to therapies. Patients were generally uninformed about COPD; 54% of primary care physicians were aware of any COPD guidelines. Both patient and physician surveys demonstrated continued confusion about the diagnosis of COPD and treatment choices. There was frequent use of regular oral steroids despite demonstrated lack of efficacy and under-use of pulmonary rehabilitation despite proven efficacy. Conclusions Patients with COPD have a high prevalence of activity limitations. Although most physicians believed that proper treatment can slow progression, inadequate knowledge and poor adherence to practice guidelines, together with insurance impediments, negatively impact COPD care.
Orientation-selective summing mechanisms revealed in visual search

We investigated properties of the neural mechanisms that mediate detection of complex grating targets in an orientation-based visual search task. Targets and distractors were composed of small patches of compound sinusoidal gratings. Components were chosen to differ enough in spatial frequency to stimulate separate and independent mechanisms at the primary cortical layer of processing. The orientations of the components were both vertical in distractor patches. In the uncrossed condition, both components of the target tilted either 3° left or right. In the crossed condition, one component of the target tilted left and the other tilted right. Search was faster and more accurate in the uncrossed condition, ruling out mediation either by V1-like tuned mechanisms or by a higher-level mechanism that signals differences in orientation. Results were consistent with two classes of mid-level summing mechanisms. We argue that mid-level mechanisms such as these may be the neural substrate for conceptual orientation feature maps.
The ethicality of child-finding in third world countries for the purpose of adoption.

Because of a scarcity of adoptable infants in the United States, adoption agencies are looking overseas for children. In their efforts at finding overseas "sources" they sometimes become associated with persons who see intercountry adoption as a means of easy financial gain. The author's commentary questions the behavior of U.S.-based adoption programs in forming these associations as well as the system which weighs the interests of North American adoptive parents against those of impoverished, Third World birthmothers.