cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma: problems, remaining challenges, and future prospects.

Table 1 summarizes the results of autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in more than 200 patients. The results seem to be rather consistent between the groups who have the largest published series of ABMT in Hodgkin’s lymphoma. These results can be summarized as follows: about half of the patients not responding to primary induction chemotherapy or refractory to two or more chemotherapy regimens can obtain complete remission by high-dose chemotherapy and ABMT, and about half of the complete responders can be expected to remain in long-term disease-free survival. Even though toxicity and morbidity of this aggressive procedure are high, the death rate is about 10%. Thus, there is no doubt that high-dose chemotherapy with ABMT is an established approach in certain patients with Hodgkin’s disease. However, as this approach is very toxic, several questions arise: what are the characteristics of patients with Hodgkin’s disease who are likely to profit from this approach; which is the optimal high-dose myeloablative regimen; which is the optimal source of stem cells for hematopoietic reconstitution; is there any value in bone marrow purging; how can toxicity be reduced; and what are the future prospects of ABMT in Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Name Your Price: Economic Compensation and Suicide Terrorism

Suicide terrorism remains a difficult action to rationally explain. Scholars often rely on ideological or religious motivations to explain these seemingly irrational actions. While it seems clear that non-economic motives matter, it is also the case that economic compensation can incentivize suicide terrorism in ways that allow for more robust suicide terrorism campaigns. As such, we would expect that organizations providing monetary incentives generate more attacks. In addition, the general economic environment plays into this as poor economic conditions increase the attractiveness of monetary compensation. To test our arguments, we conduct a series of statistical analyses looking at seven terrorist organizations that engaged in suicide terrorism from 2000 through 2008 and find that both high levels of economic compensation and poor economic conditions are correlated with a greater number of suicide terrorist attacks.
A machine-vision approach for automated pain measurement at millisecond timescales

Objective and automatic measurement of pain in mice remains a barrier for discovery in both basic and translational neuroscience. Here we capture rapid paw kinematics during pain behavior in mice with high-speed videography and automated paw tracking with machine and deep learning approaches. Our statistical software platform, PAWS (Pain Assessment at Withdrawal Speeds), uses a univariate projection of paw position over time to automatically quantify fast paw dynamics at the onset of paw withdrawal and also lingering pain-related behaviors such as paw guarding and shaking. Applied to innocuous and noxious stimuli across six inbred mouse strains, a linear discriminant analysis reveals a two-dimensional subspace that separates painful from non-painful stimuli on one axis, and further distinguishes the severity of pain on the second axis. Automated paw tracking combined with PAWS reveals behaviorally-divergent mouse strains that display hypo- and hyper-sensitivity to mechanical stimuli. To demonstrate the efficacy of PAWS for detecting hypersensitivity to noxious stimuli, we chemogenetically activated pain-aversion neurons in the amygdala, which further separated the behavioral representation of pain-related behaviors along a low-dimensional path. Taken together, this automated pain quantification approach should increase the ease and objectivity of collecting rigorous behavioral data, and it is compatible with other neural circuit dissection tools for determining the mouse pain state.
Can a DNA Origami Structure Constrain the Position and Orientation of an Attached Dye Molecule

There has been significant interest in using DNA origami nanostructures as scaffolds to organize dye molecules into networks for a variety of applications. Such networks rely on having efficient en...
Increased Hemoglobin A1c Time in Range Reduces Adverse Health Outcomes in Older Adults With Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Short- and long-term glycemic variability are risk factors for diabetes complications. However, there are no validated A1C target ranges or measures of A1C stability in older adults. We evaluated the association of a patient-specific A1C variability measure, A1C time in range (A1C TIR), on major adverse outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational study using administrative data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicare from 2004 to 2016. Patients were ≥65 years old, had diabetes, and had at least four A1C tests during a 3-year baseline period. A1C TIR was the percentage of days during the baseline in which A1C was in an individualized target range (6.0–7.0% up to 8.0–9.0%) on the basis of clinical characteristics and predicted life expectancy. Increasing A1C TIR was divided into categories of 20% increments and linked to mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (i.e., myocardial infarction, stroke). RESULTS The study included 402,043 veterans (mean [SD] age 76.9 [5.7] years, 98.8% male). During an average of 5.5 years of follow-up, A1C TIR had a graded relationship with mortality and CVD. Cox proportional hazards models showed that lower A1C TIR was associated with increased mortality (A1C TIR 0 to CONCLUSIONS In older adults with diabetes, maintaining A1C levels within individualized target ranges is associated with lower risk of mortality and CVD.
Long-Term Supplementation With Fruits and Vegetables Curbs High-Fat Diet/Obesity-Induced Changes in Body Composition and Favorably Affects Blood T Cell Phenotype in Mice

Objectives Obesity is associated with impaired immune function. However, impact of obesity on blood T cell profile is not well studied. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and long-term fruits and vegetable (FV) consumption on body composition and blood T cell profile.
All-optical polarization conversion of cw 1.55 um lasers with liquid crystals by stimulated scattering

We report on theoretical and experimental studies of all-optical polarization conversion of cw 1.55 μm lasers using nematic liquid crystal in their ordered and isotropic phases. Almost complete conversion of the linearly polarized laser is achieved in a 400 μm thick film at mW power.
Visualization and Dissemination of Multidimensional Proteomics Data Comparing Protein Abundance During Caenorhabditis elegans Development

Regulation of protein abundance is a critical aspect of cellular function, organism development, and aging. Alternative splicing may give rise to multiple possible proteoforms of gene products where the abundance of each proteoform is independently regulated. Understanding how the abundances of these distinct gene products change is essential to understanding the underlying mechanisms of many biological processes. Bottom-up proteomics mass spectrometry techniques may be used to estimate protein abundance indirectly by sequencing and quantifying peptides that are later mapped to proteins based on sequence. However, quantifying the abundance of distinct gene products is routinely confounded by peptides that map to multiple possible proteoforms. In this work, we describe a technique that may be used to help mitigate the effects of confounding ambiguous peptides and multiple proteoforms when quantifying proteins. We have applied this technique to visualize the distribution of distinct gene products for the whole proteome across 11 developmental stages of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The result is a large multidimensional dataset for which web-based tools were developed for visualizing how translated gene products change during development and identifying possible proteoforms. The underlying instrument raw files and tandem mass spectra may also be downloaded. The data resource is freely available on the web at http://www.yeastrc.org/wormpes/.
Mao's Cultural Army: Drama Troupes in China's Rural Revolution

Preface List of abbreviations Introduction: performing Mao's revolution 1. The revolution will be dramatized: Red drama troupes 2. Acting against Japan: drama troupes in North China 3. Playing soldiers and peasants: civil war and agrarian reform 4. Staging rural revolution: land reform operas 5. State agents and local actors: cultural work in the early PRC 6. Peasants on stage: amateur actors in socialist China 7. Tradition in conflict: professional drama troupes and the PRC state Conclusion Select bibliography.
Physical activity in U.S. older adults with diabetes mellitus: prevalence and correlates of meeting physical activity recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the prevalence and correlates of meeting current recommendations for physical activity in older adults with and without diabetes mellitus (DM) in the United States. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, population-based sample. SETTING: The 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, which employs random-digit dialing to interview noninstitutionalized U.S. adults. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-nine thousand one hundred seventy-two adults (18,370 with DM) aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: The age-adjusted prevalence and the odds ratios for physical activity patterns (defined on the basis of the physical activity guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA 2007) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS 2008)) were obtained using multiple logistic regression analyses. The correlates of meeting physical activity recommendations were assessed using log-binomial regression analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 25% and 42% of older adults with diabetes mellitus met recommendations for total physical activity based on the ADA 2007 and the DHHS 2008 guidelines, respectively. Adults with DM were 31% to 34% (P<.001) less likely to engage in physical activity at recommended levels and 13% to 19% (P<.001) less likely to be physically active at insufficient levels than those without DM. Analyses limited to participants who reported no disability yielded similar results. In adults with DM, older age (≥75); being female; being non-Hispanic black; and having obesity, coronary heart disease, and disability were associated with less likelihood, whereas advanced educational status was associated with greater likelihood of meeting physical activity recommendations. CONCLUSION: In the United States, efforts to boost physical activity participation in older adults with DM are needed.
The Effect of Polygyny on the Sex Ratio of Mice (Mus Musculus)

Two series of polygynous matings in mice produced a total of 3430 young, 1803 females and 1627 males, giving a sex ratio of 90.23 : 100 which does not differ significantly from that of the average for the colony, 93.06, indicating that polygyny has no apparent influence on the normal sex ratio, but that high or low ratios are individual characteristics of certain males.
Evolutionary air traffic control compatible flight management systems

An advanced air traffic management (ATC) system employing compatible flight management systems (FMS) is described. The Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS) which is currently under development and evaluation by the FAA, NASA Ames, and NASA Langley is used as the baseline ATC approach. The use of increasing degrees of automation in the aircraft flight management system and the issue of air traffic control compatibility is addressed. An ATC-compatible FMS is one that generates paths that match those generated on the ground despite: (1) differences in A/C models, atmospheric and wind models, (2) limitation on the amount of information that can be transferred, and (3) limitations of the A/C flight path control system. First, near-term FMS not using digital data links are examined. Both descent automation and cruise automation approaches are examined. Then, a number of long-term general approaches using digital data link are proposed. In the first stage of deployment, the ATC system will handle aircraft with a mixture of FMS ranging from unequipped to a full FMS. In future years all or most of the aircraft would transition to a fully automated FMS.
Interrelationship Between Phosphorus, Sodium, and Chloride in the Diet of Laying Hens

Two experiments were conducted with commercial egg production type hens to determine the effects of dietary phosphorus, sodium, and chloride levels as related to levels of plasma calcium and phosphorus, blood acid-base balance, and production characteristics. Sodium and chloride were supplied to the diet as sodium bicarbonate and hydrochloric acid, respectively. In Experiment 1, five treatment groups were fed diets ad libitum containing .2, .6, 1.0, 1.4, and 1.8% total phosphorus. The remaining treatment group was fed a diet containing .4% total phosphorus from 1400 to 2030 hr and 1.4% total phosphorus from 600 to 1100 hr. In Experiment 2, a 3 X 4 factorial arrangement of treatments was used that consisted of three levels of total phosphorus (.2, .6, and 1.4%) and four levels of added sodium (0, .06, .22, and .45%) provided by sodium bicarbonate. Three other treatment groups were fed diets containing .36% supplemental chloride supplied by hydrochloric acid and either .2, .6, or 1.4% total phosphorus. Egg production was decreased in hens fed diets containing 1.8% total phosphorus. Egg specific gravity was decreased by both low and high phosphorus levels. Hens fed .4% total phosphorus in the afternoon produced eggs with higher specific gravity as compared with hens fed 1.4% total phosphorus during the entire experiment. At 1.4% dietary phosphorus, a significant increase in specific gravity was observed when .2 or .8% sodium bicarbonate was added to the diet. Increasing dietary phosphorus resulted in elevated plasma phosphorus and calcium concentration. Plasma phosphorus of hens fed .2 through 1.8% total phosphorus declined slowly from oviposition until 6 hr after oviposition and then reached a peak at 21 hr after oviposition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Degradation in fatigue behavior of carbon fiber–vinyl ester based composites due to sea environment

Abstract This study focuses on the effect of confined and one sided sea water confinement on the cyclic fatigue behavior of carbon fiber reinforced vinyl ester composites that serve as facings materials for naval sandwich structures. Experimental results for facings yielded failures under much lower number of cycles when fatigued under immersed conditions surrounded by sea water than in air. Water penetrates the matrix resin through diffusion and fiber/matrix interface by capillary action through micro-cracks or inter-layer delaminations. During fatigue loading, its inability to drain during the downward (compressive) cyclic loading and the near incompressibility of water induces an internal pore water pressures which dominates the progressive failure mechanism. Sea water induced fatigue degradation data and resulting microstructure changes are obtained using high resolution X-ray micro-tomography along with the implications for marine composites.
Protein digestion and absorption after massive small bowel resection.

The digestion, absorption, and intestinal propulsion of a14C-labeled protein meal were examined in rats with a 70% proximal small bowel resection at one and at six weeks after surgery. In addition, rats were studied one week after 70% small bowel resection plus ileocecal valve bypass. Comparison with sham-operated controls showed no significant impairment of digestion or absorption of the protein meal in both groups of resected rats. Intestinal transit was measured by a nonabsorbable marker51CrCl3, and there was no evidence of early appearance of the meal in the colon even in resected animals with ileocecal valve bypass. We conclude that, as early as one week after massive proximal small bowel resection, significant compensatory adaptative and motility changes have occurred, allowing protein digestive and absorptive function to be maintained.
DESCRIPTION OF MASS MOTIONS AND BRIGHTENINGS IN A CLASS 2b FLARE, AUGUST 8, 1968.

Filtergrams spanning Hα ± 4.1 A, supplemented with observations at 2.8 and 3 GHz, are used variously to describe the onset, dormancy, and flash phase of this 2b flare. Among the phenomena observed are 17- and 23-sec periodic pulsations in the microwave data early in the flare and formation of perpendicular, overlapping threads of red-shifted and blue-shifted material late in the flare.
Risk Aversion and Support for Merit Pay: Theory and Evidence from Minnesota's Q Comp Program.

Abstract Recent research attributes the lack of merit pay in teaching to the resistance of teachers. This article examines whether the structure of merit pay affects the types of teachers who support it. We develop a model of the relative utility teachers receive from merit pay versus the current fixed schedule of raises. We show that if teachers are risk averse, teachers with higher base salaries would be more likely to support a merit pay program that allows them to keep their current base salary and risk only future salary increases. We test the predictions of the model using data from a new merit pay program, the Minnesota Q Comp program, which requires the approval of the teachers in each school district. Consistent with the model's predictions, we find that districts with higher base salaries and a higher proportion of teachers with master's degrees are more likely to approve merit pay.
Projecting the regional economic impacts of energy development

Changes in Federal energy policy create incidental economic impacts that affect output, income, employment, and other macro-economic variables which are largely ignored. A methodology for analyzing incidental multi-regional impacts uses the National Regional Impact Evaluation System (NRIES), which integrates 51 state econometric models into a national five-to-ten year framework to determine the implications of expanded coal use. The NRIES model simulates two advanced production scenarios at a single state (Montana) and a multiregional/national level. The effects of policy change appear as political and economic disruptions that cannot be contained within a single region. 14 references, 2 figures, 7 tables. (DCK)
Heat-induced injury inListeria monocytogenes

Heating ofListeria monocytogenes (Scott A strain) in potassium phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH 7.2) at 52°C for 1 h led to injury, with the heat-injured cells failing to produce colonies on agar medium containing 5% NaCl. The detection of injury was based on the use of differential media: plating on tryptose phosphate broth+2% agar and 1% sodium pyruvate (TPBA+P) and on tryptose phosphate broth+2% agar and 5% NaCl (TPBA+S). Only non-injuredListeria formed colonies on TPBA+S whereas both heat-injured and non-injured cells formed colonies on TPBA+P. The bacterial count on TPBA+P minus that on TPBA+S represents the extent of heat injury. A large number of selective agars were tested and compared to TPBA+P for their ability to support repair and colony formation of heat-injuredL. monocytogenes. Media containing 0.025% phenylethanol, 0.0012–0.0025% acriflavin, 0.1–0.2% potassium tellurite, 0.001% polymyxin B sulfate, 5% NaCl or a combination of these ingredients were detrimental to the recovery of heat-injuredL. monocytogenes. Media currently in use forL. monocytogenes are not satisfactory for the recovery of injured cells.
What is scalability

Scalability is a frequently-claimed attribute of multiprocessor systems. While the basic notion is intuitive, scalability has no generally-accepted definition. For this reason, current use of the term adds more to marketing potential than technical insight.In this paper, I first examine formal definitions of scalability, but I fail to lind a useful, rigorous definition of it. I then question whether scalability is useful and conclude by challenging the technical community to either (1) rigorously define scalability or (2) stop using it to describe systems.
The fate of glucose during the period of decreased metabolism after fluid percussion injury: a 13C NMR study.

The present study determined the metabolic fate of [1, 2 13C2] glucose in male control rats and in rats with moderate lateral fluid percussion injured (FPI) at 3.5 h and 24 h post-surgery. After a ...
5 Pregnancy in SLE

The effect of pregnancy on disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus remains controversial. Studies on lupus flares in pregnancy are discussed, including prospective data on severity of flares and organ involvement from the Hopkins Lupus Pregnancy Center. The major fetal concerns of miscarriage (due to the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome), pre-term birth (largely due to pre-eclampsia or premature rupture of membranes) and neonatal lupus, are reviewed.
Small silencing RNAs: an expanding universe

Since the discovery in 1993 of the first small silencing RNA, a dizzying number of small RNA classes have been identified, including microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). These classes differ in their biogenesis, their modes of target regulation and in the biological pathways they regulate. There is a growing realization that, despite their differences, these distinct small RNA pathways are interconnected, and that small RNA pathways compete and collaborate as they regulate genes and protect the genome from external and internal threats.
Predicting Voluntary and Involuntary Turnover Using Absenteeism and Performance Indices

Absenteeism and performance indices accounted for substantial variance in bank teller voluntary turnover (resignation) and involuntary turnover (dismissal). Predictor and criteria relationships cha...
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Applications of the “Molecular Clock” in Systematic Biology

Abstract—Divergence time analyses have become increasingly popular over the past several decades, partly due to the proliferation of molecular data, but also because of the development of methods that do not assume a strict molecular clock. In this review, I provide a brief background to the topic, then highlight several methods for “relaxing” the assumptions of a strict molecular clock. I discuss the pros and cons of many of these methods. Finally, I discuss the various techniques for incorporating fossils in molecular studies to estimate absolute ages of clades.
Time–cost evaluation of alternative system/process designs

Abstract Techniques for representing system/process designs are a common feature of most design methodologies. These techniques can be enhanced to provide valuable information regarding a specific design structure’s trade-off between task completion times and cost. In this paper, we present a mathematical model and a solution algorithm which can be used to upgrade any well-structured representation technique to provide this trade-off. Having this information readily available allows a design team to focus on less quantifiable features of specific designs, thereby improving the overall design process.
Computer Control of the M.S.U. 50 MeV Cyclotron

The MSU cyclotron control system employs a novel concept of operator-machine interface. An Intel 8080 front end microprocessor to a DEC PDP 11/20 minicomputer is dedicated to the control of the trim coils and centering coils and the beamline quadrupole magnets. The operator has control of these elements through dedicated control modules. Each module has a digital readout, a thumbwheel switch and a rotary knob for control of the setpoint. Standard CAMAC hardware is used in the interface. The R.F. system tuning elements can also be set with the computer. Radial beam current traces can be taken and displayed on a graphics terminal. A link to the laboratory ?-7 computer allows access to its mass storage devices and peripherals.
Sensitivity transformation for vertebrate vision

The visual response to a flash given in the dark is known to saturate according to the Michaelis-Menten relationship. Nevertheless, the incremental response from increasing levels of mean luminance tends to follow a Weber-Fechner relationship well into the saturation range determined from the Michaelis-Menten results. This sensitivity transformation from Michaelis-Menten to Weber-Fechner is an important characteristic of light adaptation in the vertebrate retina. Recent studies concerning the role of calcium in photoreceptor adaptation have shown that the relaxation from peak to plateau in the response of isolated photoreceptors was absent under conditions in which adaptation was blocked. Comparing the pronounced relaxation from peak to plateau in turtle horizontal cells with the absence of such relaxation in the catfish response, we noted also that turtle incremental sensitivity shows a Weber-Fechner relationship while catfish incremental sensitivity more closely follows the local slope of the Michaelis-Menten relation. Based on these observations, we have obtained an expression to relate the relaxation from peak to plateau with the sensitivity transformation. We assume that adaptation shifts the half-maximum point of the Michaelis-Menten curve so that the light response relaxes to a plateau value equal to a specified fraction phi of the peak response. We show that this manipulation alone results in a transformation from Michaelis-Menten kinetics to Weber-Fechner sensitivity.
How Far Can a Brand Stretch? Understanding the Role of Self-Construal

Abstract A brand's stretchability is an important avenue for growth and new product introductions. This research examines the role of an individual-difference variable (self-construal) in enhancing a brand's stretchability potential. It is postulated that an interdependent self-construal leads to a superior ability to uncover relationships among stimuli (e.g., an extension and its parent brand) and thus is likely to enhance the perceived fit of an extension and the likelihood of its acceptance. However, these beneficial effects are likely to emerge only under conditions in which the interdependent consumer is motivated to elaborate extensively on the extension information. Five experiments test the underlying mechanism, its implications for different levels of brand stretch (varying from close to far), and the marketing strategy implications of the proposed theoretical framework.
Repression of a mutant derivative of the pRE promoter of bacteriophage lambda by its activator, CII.

Abstract A 2-bp insertion between the −10 and −35 regions of the pRE promoter of bacteriophage λ reverses the effect of the activator protein, CII, on transcription from pRE in vitro. The mutant promoter is weakly constitutive in the absence of cII protein and repressed in its presence. This is in sharp contrast to wild-type pRE which is inactive in the absence of cII protein and stimulated at least 1000-fold in its presence (Shih and Gussin, 1984a; McClure and Hoopes, 1985). These effects are explained by the creation of a new −35 region with weak homology to the −35 consensus sequence for Escherichia coli promoters, and by the altered spatial relationship between the −35 region and the CII-binding site. This interpretation was confirmed by analysis of double mutants containing known cy (pRE) mutations together with the 2-bp insertion. Insertion of 4 bp or deletion of 2 bp completely inactivates pRE in the presence or absence of cII protein, again indicating that activation is dependent upon proper spacing between the −35 region and the transcription start point.
Connecting the Kinetics and Energy Landscape of tRNA Translocation on the Ribosome

Functional rearrangements in biomolecular assemblies result from diffusion across an underlying energy landscape. While bulk kinetic measurements rely on discrete state-like approximations to the energy landscape, single-molecule methods can project the free energy onto specific coordinates. With measures of the diffusion, one may establish a quantitative bridge between state-like kinetic measurements and the continuous energy landscape. We used an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation of the 70S ribosome (2.1 million atoms; 1.3 microseconds) to provide this bridge for specific conformational events associated with the process of tRNA translocation. Starting from a pre-translocation configuration, we identified sets of residues that collectively undergo rotary rearrangements implicated in ribosome function. Estimates of the diffusion coefficients along these collective coordinates for translocation were then used to interconvert between experimental rates and measures of the energy landscape. This analysis, in conjunction with previously reported experimental rates of translocation, provides an upper-bound estimate of the free-energy barriers associated with translocation. While this analysis was performed for a particular kinetic scheme of translocation, the quantitative framework is general and may be applied to energetic and kinetic descriptions that include any number of intermediates and transition states.
Acute complications after radical retropubic prostatectomy

Objectives: To assess the rate of acute complications after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) using contemporary surgical techniques and perioperative care. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 306 consecutive patients who underwent RRP with or without bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection under low-thoracic epidural anesthesia between October 1996 and April 1999. A standardized postoperative regimen was employed including early ambulation, epidural analgesia, and liquid diet the day after surgery. Results: The median length hospital stay was two nights. Acute complications occurred in 25 (8.2%) of 306 patients and were mostly minor. No thromboembolic or pulmonary events were noted, and there were no deaths. The 30-day hospital readmission rate was 0.3%. Conclusion: The contemporary regimen of perioperative management employed in this series of men undergoing RRP results in short hospital stay and a low rate of primarily minor complications.
Asymmetric stem cell division and pathology: insights from Drosophila stem cell systems†

Adult stem cells maintain many tissues and organs throughout the life of an organism by serving as renewable sources of differentiated cells. While stem cells remain in a relatively undifferentiated state, their daughters can commit to differentiation to acquire distinct cell fates. Therefore, a stem cell's choice between self-renewal and commitment to differentiation is of critical importance to the maintenance of functional tissues and organs. Many adult stem cells can divide asymmetrically to produce one self-renewed stem cell and one differentiated daughter, preserving the critical balance between stem cell and differentiated cell populations. Stem cell dysfunction and/or malfunction have been proposed to lead to several human pathologies, including tumourigenesis and tissue degeneration, yet whether a failure of asymmetric division is a primary cause of stem cell-related pathologies remains largely uninvestigated. Here, I discuss the implications of asymmetric stem cell division in pathology.
Vowel identification and vowel masking patterns of hearing-impaired subjects.

Confusion matrices for seven synthetic steady‐state vowels were obtained from ten normal and three hearing‐impaired subjects. The vowels were identified at greater than 96% accuracy by the normals, and less accurately by the impaired subjects. Shortened versions of selected vowels then were used as maskers, and vowel masking patterns (VMPs) consisting of forward‐masked threshold for sinusoidal probes at all vowel masker harmonics were obtained from the impaired subjects and from one normal subject. Vowel‐masked probe thresholds were transformed using growth‐of‐masking functions obtained with flat‐spectrum noise. VMPs of the impaired subjects, relative to those of the normal, were characterized by smaller dynamic range, poorer peak resolution, and poorer preservation of the vowel formant structure. These VMP characteristics, however, did not necessarily coincide with inaccurate vowel recognition. Vowel identification appeared to be related primarily to VMP peak frequencies rather than to the levels at the ...
High Energy Resolution ARPES Measurements of the Normal and Superconducting States of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

The near-EF electronic structure and Fermi surface of Bi2212 has been mapped out with ARPES. A key feature of our measured bandstructure is the existence of an extended region of flat CuO2-derived bands at EF. Comparative analysis of this data with that from NdCeCuO and YBCO7 suggests that many of the anomalous (normal) physical properties of Bi2212 and YBCO7 (NdCeCuO) may be related to the existence (absence) of such bands at EF. Superconducting gap anisotropy at least an order of magnitude larger than that of the conventional superconductors has been observed in the a-b plane of Bi2212 in ARPES. For samples with Tc of 88K, the gap size reaches a maximum of approximately 20 meV along the Cu-O bond direction, and a minimum of much smaller or vanishing magnitude 45° away. The experimental data is discussed within the context of various theoretical models. In particular, a detailed comparison with what is expected from a superconductor with a dx2-y2 order parameter is carried out, yielding a consistent picture.
Theoretical Study of Structural and Vibrational Properties of (AlP)n, (AlAs)n, (GaP)n, (GaAs)n, (InP)n, and (InAs)n Clusters with n = 1, 2, 3

The structure, geometry, and vibrational frequencies of several isomers of small group III−V (MX)n clusters (n = 1, 2, 3; M = Al, Ga, In; X = P, As) have been investigated using density functional theory. The results reveal the same behavior as in the nitride clusters for monomers and dimers. The Al trimers exhibit a D3h structure like the nitride, but the gallium and indium trimers exhibit a three-dimensional structure of Cs symmetry. The existence of strong X−X bonds dominates both the structure and the vibrations of the Ga and In trimers.
Aerobic exercise training versus the aetiology of insulin resistance

Abstract Type 2 diabetes represents an epidemic disease that has become a widespread healthcare problem throughout the world. The prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle and excess caloric intake promotes the aetiology of insulin resistance that results in the development of the metabolic condition, Type 2 diabetes. Despite numerous investigations that have demonstrated the positive influence of aerobic exercise training on a reduction in the severity of insulin resistance, many of these exercise programmes yield benefits that are only short-lived and promote only modest reductions in the severity of the disease aetiology. Therefore, the efficacy of exercise training as a therapeutic intervention against the development of Type 2 diabetes rests on its ability to normalize insulin resistance in the liver and skeletal muscle using a progressive approach that combines the beneficial influences of exercise training and weight loss.
A simple polymerase chain reaction-sequencing analysis capable of identifying multiple medically relevant filamentous fungal species

Due to the accumulating evidence that suggests that numerous unhealthy conditions in the indoor environment are the result of abnormal growth of the filamentous fungi (mold) in and on building surfaces it is necessary to accurately determine the organisms responsible for these maladies and to identify them in an accurate and timely manner. Historically, identification of filamentous fungal (mold) species has been based on morphological characteristics, both macroscopic and microscopic. These methods may often be time consuming and inaccurate, necessitating the development of identification protocols that are rapid, sensitive, and precise. To this end, we have devised a simple PAN-PCR approach which when coupled to cloning and sequencing of the clones allows for the unambiguous identification of multiple fungal organisms. Universal primers are used to amplify ribosomal DNA sequences which are then cloned and transformed into Escherichia coli. Individual clones are then sequenced and individual sequences analyzed and organisms identified. Using this method we were capable of identifying Stachybotrys chartarum, Penicillium purpurogenum, Aspergillus sydowii, and Cladosporium cladosporioides from a mixed culture. This method was found to be rapid, highly specific, easy to perform, and cost effective.
Management of trauma in pregnancy

No Abstract. Keywords : trauma in pregnancy; domestic violence; maternal morbidity and mortality; fetal morbidity and mortality; trauma care Archives of Ibadan Medicine Vol. 7 (1) 2006: 50-56
Part-whole transfer of a categorizable word list

The Ss learned a part list where the words could be placed into one of four Underwood & Richardson (1956) categories and were then transferred to the whole list containing all the words of the part list plus additional words from each category. One group was told prior to part list learning that the words could be categorized, and another group was never given this information. An additional control group was included to assess the effects of information, per se. The results of whole-list learning, which were in the predicted direction but generally nonsignificant, showed a slight superiority for the group receiving information over the group not receiving information.
Isostructural antimonates in olefin oxidative dehydrogenation.

Abstract Compounds with the rutile or trirutile structure and the composition MSbO4 or MSb2O6, were investigated as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of 1-butene and the oxidation of CO; their activities were compared to those of Sb2O4 and Fe2O3. The reagents were studied separately but also as mixtures. Sb2O4, Al- and CrSbO4 were hardly active.The Fe-rutile was fairly active and also selective for the oxidation of butene to butadiene; its selectivity increased by animpregnation with Sb2O3 but at the cost of a loss in activity. The trirutile, CoSb2O6, was active but unselective. For all catalysts, except RhSbO4, the oxidation of CO was inhibited in the presence of butene. RhSbO4 was very active for both reactions but entirely unselective for the butene oxidation; the presence of butene did not inhibit its CO oxidation. These results are discussed in terms of the ensemble theory with its parameters “ensemble size” and “electronic factor”. We suggest that two reactions with different mechanims are involved.
Cells with microvillous borders in the cerebral ganglion of Leptodora kindtii focke (Crustacea)

Groups of large cells in the cerebral ganglion of Leptodora kindtii join in intricate patterns to enclose lacunar spaces. The cell surfaces bordering on these lacunae are covered by long, densely packed microvilli that all but fill the spaces. Near their “brush borders” the cells are joined by adhesion plates; for the rest they are separated from each other by glial septa. The possible significance of these structures is discussed.
Assessing an intermittently operated household scale slow sand filter paired with household bleach for the removal of endocrine disrupting compounds

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are a contaminant of emerging concern throughout the world, including developing countries where centralized water and wastewater treatment plants are not common. In developing countries, household scale water treatment technologies such as the biosand filter (BSF) are used to improve drinking water quality. No studies currently exist on the ability of the BSF to remove EDCs. In this experiment, the BSF was evaluated for the removal of three EDCs, estrone (E1), estriol (E3), and 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2). Removal results were compared to the slow sand filter (SSF) from the literature, which is similar to the BSF in principal but comparisons have revealed differences in removal of other water quality parameters between SSF and BSF. In general, the BSF minimally removed the compounds from spiked lake water as removal was less than 15% for all three compounds, though mass removal much higher than other studies in which the SSF was used. Household bleach was added to the rate was BSF effluent as suggested in order to achieve different Cl- concentrations (0.67, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/L) and subsequent removal of EDCs by oxidation was examined. Concentrations were reduced > 98% for all compounds when the Cl- concentration was greater than 5 mg/L. Removal efficiency was > 50% at the 0.67 mg/L Cl- concentration, while almost 70% removal was observed for all compounds at the 2.0 mg/L Cl- concentration.
Rubblization of Concrete Pavements: Field Investigation

Substantial resources are required to preserve aging highway systems. Various alternatives have been used for the rehabilitation of concrete pavements, including bonded and unbonded overlays, full-depth repair, crack and seat and asphalt overlay, joint and crack repairs, asphalt overlay, and rubblization with asphalt surface overlay. Presented are the results of extensive field investigation of rubblized concrete pavements. Various trenches were made in the rubblized pavements before the asphalt surface was placed. Some trenches were made at midslab, and others were made at old joints and cracks. In some trenches, permeability tests were conducted. Advantages and shortcomings of the rubblization procedures are presented and discussed. It is shown that well-executed rubblization procedures lead to durable pavements and that, for certain concrete pavements, rubblization is not a viable option because it may lead to inadequate pavement performance.
A New Approach to Collecting Survey Data: An Item Response Icon Scale (IRIS)

Obtaining worker survey data can be a time consuming process. A survey often employs a large number of items, and considerable effort is required to assure that the items used will be understood by the target worker population. To facilitate the research process in a diverse worker population, a five-point Item Response Icon Scale (IRIS) was developed using the symbols found in Wingdings, a standard font included in many microcomputer word processing programs. The IRIS and a five-point verbal Likert-type Scale were found to be parallel forms, with demonstration of statistically significant parallel forms reliability and convergent validity. These findings, along with that of discriminant validity, indicate that IRIS and Likert-type Scale produce interchangeable data when given to individuals with reading skills. This suggests that the IRIS may be a valuable design tool for collecting survey data from worker groups with diverse reading skills and/or from different cultural backgrounds.
An age-structured epidemic model of rotavirus with vaccination

The recent approval of a rotavirus vaccine in Mexico motivates this study on the potential impact of the use of such a vaccine on rotavirus prevention and control. An age-structured model that describes the rotavirus transmission dynamics of infections is introduced. Conditions that guarantee the local and global stability analysis of the disease-free steady state distribution as well as the existence of an endemic steady state distribution are established. The impact of maternal antibodies on the implementation of vaccine is evaluated. Model results are used to identify optimal age-dependent vaccination strategies. A convergent numerical scheme for the model is introduced but not implemented. This paper is dedicated to Prof. K. P. Hadeler, who continues to push the frontier of knowledge in mathematical biology.
Hydrostatic and triaxial compression experiments on unpoled PZT 95/5–2Nb ceramic: The effects of shear stress on the FR1 → AO polymorphic phase transformation

We conducted a series of hydrostatic and constant shear stress experiments at room temperature on three different sintering runs of unpoled, niobium-doped lead-zirconate-titanate ceramic (PZT 95/5–2Nb) in order to quantify the influence of shear stress on the displacive (possibly martensitic), first-order, rhombohedral → orthorhombic phase transformation. Inter- and intra-batch variations were detected, but some generalizations can be made. In hydrostatic compression at room temperature, the transformation began at approximately 260 MPa, and was usually incompletely reversed upon return to ambient conditions. Strains associated with the transformation were isotropic, both on the first and subsequent hydrostatic cycles. Results for the constant shear stress tests were very different. First, the confining pressure and mean stress at which the transition begins decreased systematically with increasing shear stress. Second, we observed that the rate of transformation decreased with increasing shear stress and the associated elastic shear strain. This result contrasts with the typical observation that shear stresses increase reaction and transformation kinetics. Third, strain was not isotropic during the transformation: axial strains were greater and lateral strains smaller than for the hydrostatic case, though volumetric strain behavior was comparable for the two types of tests. However, this effect does not appear to be an example of transformational plasticity: no additional unexpected strains accumulated during subsequent cycles through the transition under deviatoric loading. If subsequent hydrostatic cycles were performed on samples previously subjected to shear stress, strain anisotropy was again observed, indicating that the earlier superimposed shear stress produced a permanent mechanical anisotropy in the material. The mechanical anisotropy probably resulted from a crystallographic preferred orientation that developed during the transformation under shear stress. Finally, in a few experiments on specimens from one particular sintering run, volume strain was often completely recovered and sporadic evidence for a shape memory effect was observed.
Wall effects in laminar flow of fluids through packed beds

A model which accounts for the effect of a confining wall and the resulting voidage variations near it on the flow behavior in packed columns is proposed. The model, which is restricted to columns randomly packed with spheres of uniform size, reasonably describes the pressure drop-flow rate relationship for both linear and non-Newtonian fluids. The mass flux distribution is also studied in order to provide an insight into processes in which the flow behavior near the wall may be important.
Fast trimming of electro-optic polymer waveguide Y-branches by postphotobleaching for tuning the power splitting ratio

We present a novel post-fabrication laser trimming technique to adjust the power splitting ratio of strip waveguide Y-branches made in thermally crosslinked electro-optic polymers. The trimming is based on the irreversible index change due to photobleaching. Our method uses simple equipment and the process takes only a few seconds. Waveguides made by both reactive ion etching and photobleaching are trimmable. An adjustable range of the splitting ratio as wide as is achieved with less than 0.2 dB of excess loss. This in situ trimming technique is effective for both the TE and TM modes of the waveguide and is very suitable for automated device processing.
Asian Indian Women and Feminism: A Double-edged Sword?

This paper addresses the struggle of social work practitioners in working towards social justice while maintaining cultural and ethnic sensitivity. Issues specifically related to social work practice with Asian Indian women who have immigrated to the United States within a strengths-based perspective are explored. Possible directions for practice with the growing Asian Indian immigrant population in the US, at the macro and micro levels, which are both ethnically sensitive and empowering are offered. These directions for practice were generated through developing an understanding of the rich history and socio-cultural context of the lives of women in India. By understanding how Asian Indian women have struggled against oppression in their own country, opportunities for assisting them in overcoming oppression in the US can be discovered.