cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory Building from the Quantitative Analysis of Qualitative Information

This article examines a methodology for building theory from the quantitative analysis of qualitative information through the analysis of linkages between codes and of code configurations, which define causal relationships across interviews. Transcripts from 39 personal discussions with undergraduate seniors in marketing provided the data to illustrate the approach. The findings demonstrate the potential of using personal interviews, content analysis, and quantitative methods on qualitative information to develop theories.
Extension of reflection-mode digital gradient sensing method for visualizing and quantifying transient deformations and damage in solids

Abstract The reflection-mode Digital Gradient Sensing (r-DGS) method is extended to visualize and quantify dynamic deformations in solids due to stress wave propagation and for damage/disbond detection in layered materials due to impact loading. The r-DGS technique employs digital image correlation principles to quantify two orthogonal surface slopes simultaneously in specularly reflective solids. Here, for the first time, r-DGS has been implemented in conjunction with ultrahigh-speed photography to quantitatively map surface slopes during stress wave propagation in a thin plate due to an impact event. The measured surface slopes have also been used to successfully evaluate instantaneous topographic information. The r-DGS method has been subsequently demonstrated to be an effective tool for detecting disbonds in layered structures subjected to impact loading. Baseline experiments in each category have been carried out to demonstrate the methodology.
Learning dimensionality-reduced classifiers for information fusion

The fusion of multimodal sensor information often requires learning decision rules from samples of high-dimensional data. Each data dimension may only be weakly informative for the detection problem of interest. Also, it is not known a priori which components combine to form a lower-dimensional feature space that is most informative. To learn both the combination of dimensions and the decision rule specified in the reduced-dimensional space together, we jointly optimize the linear dimensionality reduction and margin-based supervised classification problems, representing dimensionality reduction by matrices on the Stiefel manifold. We describe how the learning procedure and resulting decision rule can be implemented in parallel, serial, and tree-structured fusion networks.
NASA seeking high-power 60-GHz IMPATT diodes

Recent progress in the development of high-power 60 GHz GaAs IMPATT diodes for communication links with high-data-rate satellites is discussed. One of the advantages of GaAs over Si as the material for the diodes are that GaAs is likely to have a higher output and efficiency than Si despite recent advances in Si technology. It is therefore in GaAs technology that research is currently concentrating. Some of the design strategies of the various companies working on the technology are described, including a pill process, MOCVD growth, and the use of diethy zinc as a dopant. Reliability testing of the diodes will be performed by NASA. Some of the alternatives to solid state amplifiers are discussed, including optical and traveling wave tube technology (TWT).
Joint inventory and production decisions with supply quality and demand uncertainty

The authors consider a manufacturing facility with one critical raw material and one or more finished products whose demand has to be met. It is assumed that the demands for finished goods and the arrival process of raw material are stochastic. The authors calculate simultaneously the production quantity of finished goods and the order quantity of raw material which minimize the total expected cost subject to capacity and release level constraints. They show that major savings are obtained with respect to traditional models. The authors also evaluate the reliability of supplies of raw materials. >
The sine oculis homeobox (SIX) family of transcription factors as regulators of development and disease

The sine oculis homeobox (SIX) protein family is a group of evolutionarily conserved transcription factors that are found in diverse organisms that range from flatworms to humans. These factors are expressed within, and play pivotal developmental roles in, cell populations that give rise to the head, retina, ear, nose, brain, kidney, muscle and gonads. Mutations within the fly and mammalian versions of these genes have adverse consequences on the development of these organs/tissues. Several SIX proteins have been shown to directly influence the cell cycle and are present at elevated levels during tumorigenesis and within several cancers. This review aims to highlight aspects of (1) the evolutionary history of the SIX family; (2) the structural differences and similarities amongst the different SIX proteins; (3) the role that these genes play in retinal development; and (4) the influence that these proteins have on cell proliferation and growth.
Roentgenologic aspects of Hodgkin's disease. II. Role of routine radiographs in detecting initial relapse.

The role of routine follow-up diagnostic radiographs in detecting initial relapse in Hodgkin's disease was assessed. Of 442 patients treated for cure between 1955-1970, 130 suffered relapse. Significantly, the diagnosis of relapse was initiated by radiographic findings alone (patients who were symptomatically and clinically without evidence of disease) in 35% of all relapses. These findings were equally divided between changes in retroperitoneal lymph nodes and in the mediastinum/lungs, and emphasize the value of routine surveillance abdominal and chest films, as well as repeat lymphangiography in selected cases. In 30% of all relapses, detection was based upon combined radiographic and clinical findings, while the remaining 35% were initiated primarily on the basis of clinical findings. There were 77 radiographically detected anatomic sites of relapse: 44 were seen on the abdominal film (34 abnormal retroperitoneal lymph nodes, 6 bone lesions, 4 enlarged spleens) and 31 on the chest radiographs (12 parenchymal lesions, 11 mediastinal and/or hilar adenopathies, 5 pleural effusions, and 3 bone lesions). Two sites were in the skull.
Untangling the pathophysio-chemistry of β-amyloid

Analyses of the Alzheimer's disease β-amyloid peptide are revealing the chemical basis for its propensity to form insoluble neurotoxic fibrils and suggest an intriguing link between the free radical theory of neurodegenerative disorders and the chemistry of amyloidogenic peptides.
Modeling Two-Stage Bunch Compression With Wakefields: Macroscopic Properties And Microbunching Instability

In a two-stage compression and acceleration system, where each stage compresses a chirped bunch in a magnetic chicane, wakefields affect high-current bunches. The longitudinal wakes affect the macroscopic energy and current profiles of the compressed bunch and cause microbunching at short wavelengths. For macroscopic wavelengths, impedance formulas and tracking simulations show that the wakefields can be dominated by the resistive impedance of coherent edge radiation. For this case, we calculate the minimum initial bunch length that can be compressed without producing an upright tail in phase space and associated current spike. Formulas are also obtained for the jitter in the bunch arrival time downstream of the compressors that results from the bunch-to-bunch variation of current, energy, and chirp. Microbunching may occur at short wavelengths where the longitudinal space-charge wakes dominate or at longer wavelengths dominated by edge radiation. We model this range of wavelengths with frequency-dependent impedance before and after each stage of compression. The growth of current and energy modulations is described by analytic gain formulas that agree with simulations.
Ferrate(VI) and ferrate(V) oxidation of organic compounds: Kinetics and mechanism

Abstract This review presents a critical assessment of the kinetics and mechanisms of the oxidation of organic compounds, X (organosulfur compounds, amines, phenols, alcohols, hydrocarbons, ascorbate, and pharmaceuticals) by ferrate(VI) (Fe VI O 4 2− ) and ferrate(V) (Fe V O 4 3− ). The rate constants ( k app , M −1 s −1 ) of reactions of these compounds with ferrate(VI) and ferrate(V) usually decrease with increase in pH in alkaline media and the species-specific rate constants were evaluated from pH-dependent kinetics. The rate constants for the reactions of HFe VI O 4 − and HFe V O 4 2− with X were correlated with 1 − e − and 2 − e − reduction potentials in order to understand the mechanisms of the reactions. Ferrate(V) generally oxidizes compounds by a 2 − e − transfer step. The reactions of ferrate(VI) with compounds may be characterized most commonly by (i) a 1 − e − transfer step from Fe(VI) to Fe(V), followed by a 2 − e − transfer to Fe(III) as the reduced product (Fe VI → Fe V → Fe III ), and (ii) 2 − e − transfer steps (Fe VI → Fe IV → Fe II ). Oxygen-atom transfer to the compounds may occur through involvement of either ferrate(VI) or ferrate(V) in the oxidations carried out by ferrate(VI). Hammett-type relationships of reactions provided additional information on intermediates involved in oxidation processes and proposed mechanisms are consistent with the oxidized products of the reactions. Oxidation of biological species by ferrate(VI) is also briefly presented.
Geographic variation in hypertension prevalence among blacks and whites: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND Many studies have examined differences in hypertension across race/ethnic groups but few have evaluated differences within groups. METHODS We investigated within-group geographic variations in hypertension prevalence among 3,322 black and white participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Place of birth and place of residence were included in multivariate Poisson regression analyses. RESULTS Blacks born in southern states were 1.11 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 1.23) times more likely to be hypertensive than non-southern states after adjusting for age and sex. Findings were similar, though not statistically significant, for whites (prevalence ratio (PR): 1.15, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.35). Blacks and whites living in Forsyth (blacks, PR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.42; whites, PR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.60) and Baltimore (blacks, PR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.31; whites, PR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.47) were also significantly more likely to be hypertensive than those living in Chicago after adjusting for age and sex. Among blacks, those living in New York were also significantly more likely to be hypertensive. Geographic heterogeneity was partially explained by socioeconomic indicators, neighborhood characteristics or hypertension risk factors. There was also evidence of substantial heterogeneity in black-white differences depending on which geographic groups were compared (ranging from 82 to 13% higher prevalence in blacks compared with whites). CONCLUSIONS A better understanding of geographic heterogeneity may inform interventions to reduce racial/ethnic disparities.
EUS and/or EUS-guided FNA in patients with CT and/or magnetic resonance imaging findings of enlarged pancreatic head or dilated pancreatic duct with or without a dilated common bile duct.

Background Incidental findings of an enlarged head of pancreas (HOP) or dilated pancreatic duct (PD) with or without a dilated common bile duct (CBD) on CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in patients without obstructive jaundice, raise suspicion for a pancreatic neoplasm, but their clinical significance has not been established. Objective To determine the prevalence of pancreatic neoplasm in this patient group. Design Retrospective analysis of a prospective database. Setting Tertiary-care university hospital. Patients Patients without obstructive jaundice at initial presentation, who underwent EUS and/or EUS-guided FNA (EUS-FNA) for an abnormal CT and/or MRI with an enlarged HOP (n = 67) or a PD with or without a dilated CBD (n = 43). The final diagnosis was based on definitive cytology, surgical pathology, and clinical follow-up. Interventions An EUS examination was performed by using a radial echoendoscope followed by a linear echoendoscope, if a focal pancreatic lesion was identified. Fine-needle aspirates were stained with Diff-Quik and Papanicolaou's methods, and were immediately assessed by an attending cytopathologist. Main Outcome Measurements (1) The prevalence of pancreatic neoplasms and (2) performance characteristics of EUS-FNA for identifying malignant neoplasm, in this patient group. Results In 110 study patients, the final diagnosis included adenocarcinoma (n = 7), pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (n = 1), neuroendocrine tumor (n = 1), tumor metastasis (n = 1), and benign cyst (n = 3). Thirty-two patients had EUS evidence of chronic pancreatitis, and, in the remaining 65 patients, the pancreas was normal. The accuracy of EUS and EUS-FNA for diagnosing pancreatic neoplasm in these patients was 99.1%, with 88.8% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 99% negative predicative value, and 100% positive predictive value. Limitation A retrospective design and surgical confirmation in only a small number of study patients. Conclusion A pancreatic neoplasm is seen in a clinically significant number of patients with "enlarged HOP" or "dilated PD with or without a dilated CBD" but without obstructive jaundice. EUS-FNA seems highly accurate for diagnosing pancreatic neoplasm in these patients.
Finite-Element Method-Based Model to Study High-Cycle Fatigue in Turbine Blades

In order to satisfy the defense challenges of the 21st century, more advanced technologies are needed to build aircraft engines that are lighter, compact, and more powerful than existing designs. Turbine blades are highly critical components of an aircraft engine, and high-cycle fatigue is one of the prime reasons for turbine blade failures; thus understanding and prediction of fatigue failure are of the utmost importance. A primary function of the Turbine Engine Fatigue Facility of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is evaluation of the development of crack initiation and growth in turbine blade components. One major avenue for the inception of a crack under high-cycle fatigue is the use of a shaker table or an applied forcing function imposed by a piezoelectric transducer. In order for a crack to develop in a plate device, one must have appropriate specimen geometry that produces crack initiation. There are many situations where particular plate dimensions are chosen for testing but a crack never initiates even at the designated endurance limit. This paper presents a method, based on finite-element evaluation, that determines if plate geometry does lead to high-cycle fatigue (HCF) cracking. Furthermore, it justifies the use of a concentrated load as a representation for an aerodynamic forcing function. If the method is followed, a researcher can study the crack-growth scenario within the HCF environment.
Cancer Recovery Analysis System

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women with over 230,000 incidences diagnosed every year. A typical breast cancer surgery might include but is not limited to, biopsies, breast conservation surgery or mastectomies. Moreover, these surgeries usually cause soreness in the shoulder and arms which in turn affect the ability of the patient to perform simple everyday activities.Lymphedema, another serious side effect of these surgeries, when coupled with radiation therapy, can appear in breast cancer patients during months or even years after the treatment ends. Lymphedema is a condition in which high-protein fluid collects beneath the skin and causes swelling, redness and discomfort. This condition occurs in breast cancer patients when lymph nodes are damaged or removed during the procedures.Research suggests that early physiotherapy as well as exercises can reduce the risk of lymphedema. Monitoring the progress during these exercises can be a first step in diagnosing lymphedema. Along with better prognosis, the patients can observe the benefits of early diagnosis with insurance coverage, since most insurance companies do not cover treatments associated with advanced stages of lymphedema. The initial stretching workouts, done during recovery, target the range of motion of the shoulder that is affected by the surgery. This range of motion, determined by the severity of the surgery, improves over time. These exercises can then be used to drain the lymph nodes and help retain flexibility in the affected muscles. A monitoring device engineered to provide data about the extent of recovery would be a significant aide to both the patients and healthcare professionals.The intent of the paper is to introduce a distinctive device that monitors workouts and uses the data as a motivating factor for the patient as well as an early detection system for lymphedema. The device shows the effort that the patient has put for each workout into user friendly real time graphs. Patients and healthcare professionals can then use this data and graphs to identify problem areas in the recovery process. Preliminary tests of this device, which are presented in this paper, showed promising results in accuracy and repeatability as the device calculated and displayed graphs which were a quantified estimation of the range of motion and workout effort of the user.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Development of successful fish passage structures for downstream migrants requires knowledge of their behavioural response to accelerating flow.

Fish have evolved intrinsic flight responses, allowing pre-emptive avoidance of potentially threatening situations. To direct downstream migrant fish away from deleterious conditions at dams and ot...
The Protective Role of Melanin Against UV Damage in Human Skin

Human skin is repeatedly exposed to UVR that influences the function and survival of many cell types and is regarded as the main causative factor in the induction of skin cancer. It has been traditionally believed that skin pigmentation is the most important photoprotective factor, as melanin, besides functioning as a broadband UV absorbent, has antioxidant and radical scavenging properties. Besides, many epidemiological studies have shown a lower incidence for skin cancer in individuals with darker skin compared to those with fair skin. Skin pigmentation is of great cultural and cosmetic importance, yet the role of melanin in photoprotection is still controversial. This article outlines the major acute and chronic effects of UVR on human skin, the properties of melanin, the regulation of pigmentation and its effect on skin cancer prevention.
Steroid-responsive alveolitis associated with ulcerative colitis.

Two patients with ulcerative colitis are reported in whom widespread alveolitis developed rapidly and responded promptly and completely to administration of prednisolone.
An Analysis of the Causes and Effects of Sickness and Death in Wuthering Heights

AbstractA major part of the literary criticism of Wuthering Heights has dealt with sickness and death but the focus has almost exclusively been directed to the psychological, emotional and socio-economic implications of the diseases. Descriptions of the characters' diseases are examined and diagnosed in the light of present medical knowledge. This paper shows how Emily Bronte has used illness, injury and death exclusively to direct and advance the plot. Building on the early Victorian view of illness as a societal value system, Emily Bronte used it as a metaphor to direct the reader's interpretation of the personality of the characters and their importance in the story.
Two latent period processes in Limulus ventral photoreceptors

Abstract The latent period of Limulus ventral photoreceptor potentials consists of two contiguous time segments, S 1 and S 2 , which exhibit the following properties: (1) the duration of S 1 is inversely dependent on the incident energy provided by the first stimulating light flash; (2) the duration of S 1 is prolonged in the presence of GTP-γ-S [guanosine-5′-0- (3-thiotriphosphate)] or papaverine; (3) the duration of S 1 is abbreviated in the presence of sodium vanadate or chlorobutanol; (4) the duration of S 2 is abbreviated by light adaptation; and (5) the duration of S 2 is prolonged more than S 1 in a low temperature environment. The existence of these two components of the Limulus ventral photoreceptor potential latent period is demonstrable both in dark adapted photoreceptors, using single constant intensity light pulses of varying duration, or in partially light adapted photoreceptors, using a stimulating conditioning pulse-test pulse sequence. On the basis of these results it is tentatively concluded that the two segments of the latent period of Limulus ventral photoreceptor potentials are occupied by different processes. The first process, occupying the S 1 segment, generates a critical concentration of a photoproduct which, directly or indirectly, eventually alters the conductance of the active photoreceptor membrane. The second process, occupying the S 2 segment, is concerned with the initiation of the SPFs which sum to produce the receptor potential. It is possible that the hydrolysis of GTP actively participates in the first process.
A Neural-Network Model-Based Engineering Tool for Blast Wall Protection of Structures

Blast barrier walls have been shown to reduce blast loads on structures, especially in urban environments. Analysis of existing test and simulation data for blast barrier response has revealed that a need still exists to determine the bounds of the problem and produce a fast-running accurate model for the effects of barrier walls on blast wave propagation. Since blast experiments are very time intensive and extremely cost prohibitive, it is vital that computational capabilities be developed to generate the required data set that can be utilized to produce simplified design tools. The combination of high fidelity model-based simulation with artificial neural network techniques is proposed in this paper to manage the challenging problem. The proposed approach is demonstrated to estimate the peak pressure, impulse, time of arrival, and time of duration of blast loads on buildings protected by simple barriers, using data generated from validated hydrocode simulations. Once verified and validated, the proposed...
The production of rubber from furfural

Abstract The preparation of piperylene, or 1,3-pentadiene, from furfural has been undertaken with the view of developing a commercially practical process. Although other paths are possible, the following three steps were considered the most direct and feasible. During the course of this study, a patent was granted which covered essentially the same process, but the claims, particularly of the last two steps, were not substantiated in this laboratory. Vapor-phase catalytic reactions were utilized in the process. For the first two steps, a vapor phase hydrogenation apparatus with a recirculation device, was employed. This effected the saving of considerable quantities of hydrogen and uncondensed materials. The apparatus could also be employed for the dehydration in the last step. More than twenty catalysts were studied for the conversion of furfural to methylfuran (sylvan). Only two types were found to be satisfactory. The copper deposited from the decomposition of copper acetate on a carrier such as activa...
Coproduction in human services administration

Many human services require active participation between provider and beneficiary; this collaboration between producer and client has been named “coproduction” in are cent body of literature. The concept is now being applied in the delivery of a wide range of services. Civic, education and health service administrators are interested in systemitizing a coproduction philosophy because of its potential for simultaneously improving quality of service while reducing budgetary costs. However, market categories of producer and consumer neither describe the categories of producer and consumer neither describe the coproduction phenomena nor provide theoretical insights for further organizing its potential. Administratively, it is well known that standard bureaucratic methods cannot sustain the levels of motivation necessary for citizen collaboration. There is a literature treating the design of organizations destined to become institutional vehicles for valued behaviors which is applicable to coproduction theory ...
The association between occurrence and severity of subclinical and clinical mastitis on pregnancies per artificial insemination at first service of Holstein cows

The objective of this prospective study was to determine associations between occurrence and severity of clinical (CM) and subclinical mastitis (SM) during a defined breeding risk period (BRP, 3d before to 32d after artificial insemination) on pregnancies per artificial insemination at first service (P/AI1). Dairy cows (n=3,144) from 4 Wisconsin herds were categorized based on the occurrence of one or more CM or SM events during and before the BRP: (1) healthy, (2) mastitis before BRP, (3) SM during BRP, (4) chronic SM, (5) CM during BRP, or (6) chronic CM. Clinical mastitis cases were categorized based on etiology (gram-negative, gram-positive, and no growth) and severity (mild, moderate, or severe). Compared with healthy cows, the odds of pregnancy were 0.56, 0.67, and 0.75 for cows experiencing chronic CM, CM, or SM during the BRP, respectively. The occurrence of chronic SM was not associated with reduced probability of P/AI1. Compared with healthy cows, the odds of pregnancy were 0.71 and 0.54 for cows experiencing mild or moderate-severe cases of CM during the BRP, respectively. The odds of pregnancy for cows experiencing CM caused by gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria during the BRP were 0.47 and 0.59, respectively. The occurrence of CM that resulted in no growth of bacteria in cultured milk samples was not associated with reductions in P/AI1. Regardless of etiology, microbiologically positive cases of CM with moderate or severe symptoms were associated with substantial reductions in P/AI1. Etiology, severity, and timing of CM were associated with decreases in the probability of pregnancy at first artificial insemination. Severity of the case was more important than etiology; however, regardless of severity, microbiologically negative cases were not associated with reduced probability of pregnancy.
The Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Molecular and Cellular Biology: A Smaller but not Lower Eucaryote

The baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a single celled eucaryote that is gaining appeal for studies of fundamental processes in cellular and molecular biology. This article describes three examples of the use of yeast to study problems of importance to human medicine. Specifically, the enzymes involved in neuropeptide processing, the RAS oncogenes, and the regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis in humans are shown to have remarkable similarities to their equivalent processes in yeast. In several cases the yeast and human enzymes are functionally interchangeable, emphasizing the unity of basic principles in biology.
Spike train analysis for single trial data

Abstract Traditional methods in neural data analysis are not appropriate for analyzing the spike train of a single experimental trial. We show that, by constructing a model of firing statistics, a more accurate estimate of the firing rate for a single spike train can be obtained. The model is based on the assumption that the neuron's spikes are generated by a non-homogeneous Poisson process which follows Markovian dynamics. We test the method by reconstructing the input stimulus based on the neurons’ responses either on the raw spike data or the firing rate estimate. The spike data were recorded from macaque V1 neurons in response to a sinewave grating undergoing pseudo-random walk. For a large percentage of the cells studied, the reconstruction is significantly improved by using the estimated firing rate over the raw spikes, suggesting that estimated rate reflects more accurately the underlying state of the neurons.
Some Issues in Chinese Philosophy of Religion

Chinese philosophy of religion is a less discussed and less clearly formed area in the study of Chinese philosophy. It is true that there is virtually no discussion in Chinese philosophy about rationality or justification of religious beliefs comparable to the discussion of the same issues in Western philosophy of religion. The inquiry about rationality and justification of religious beliefs has shaped Western philosophy of religion. However, the scope of philosophy of religion in the Western context has been widened since Hume and Kant. When the West began to be exposed to non-Western religions, philosophical reflection on non-Western religions is also brought into the scope of philosophy of Religion. We can expect that the concept of religion will become much broader, the scope of philosophy of religion will expand and new issues, especially, issues concerning specific and non-Western religions, will be framed. When we look at philosophy of religion in a broad sense, the field of Chinese philosophy of religion begins to emerge. In this survey paper, I will focus on several issues which, in a broad sense of philosophy of religion, can be construed as the issues of Chinese philosophy of religion. One of the issues is about the religiosity of Confucianism. The second issue is about the concept of Tian. The third is the issue regarding the origin and nature of Chinese state religion and its characteristics which also have caught the attention of scholars, especially, in China. Is Confucianism a religion? How should we construe the religiosity of Confucianism if it does have a religious dimension? Is Tian a theological term? How does Tian differ from Western God? Is the sacrifice to Tian religious and a form of monotheism? What is the nature of state religion in traditional China? What is the relation between the state religion and Confucianism in traditional China? The debates on the issues addressing these questions will be introduced and discussed in this paper.
Do zwitterions contribute to the ionic strength of a solution

Capillary electrophoresis has been used to determine whether zwitterions contribute to the ionic strength of a solution, by measuring the mobility of a double-stranded DNA oligomer in cacodylate-buffered solutions containing various concentrations of the ionic salt tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA(+)Cl(-)) or the zwitterion tricine(+/-). The mobility of the DNA decreased as the square root of ionic strength, as expected from the Debye-Huckel-Onsager theory of electrophoresis, when TEA(+)Cl(-) was added to the buffer. However, the mobility was independent of the concentration of added tricine(+/-). Hence, zwitterions do not contribute to the ionic strength of a solution.
Striatal expression of a calmodulin fragment improved motor function, weight loss and neuropathology in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder, caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin protein (htt). Increasing evidence suggests that transglutaminase (TGase) plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of HD possibly by stabilizing monomeric, polymeric and aggregated htt. We previously reported that in HEK293 and SH-SY5Y cells expression of a calmodulin (CaM)-fragment, consisting of amino acids 76-121 of CaM, decreased binding of CaM to mutant htt, TGase-modified htt and cytotoxicity associated with mutant htt and normalized intracellular calcium release. In this study, an adeno-associated virus (AAV) that expresses the CaM-fragment was injected into the striatum of HD transgenic R6/2 mice. The CaM-fragment significantly reduced body weight loss and improved motor function as indicated by improved rotarod performance, longer stride length, lower stride frequency, fewer low mobility bouts and longer travel distance than HD controls. A small but insignificant increase in survival was observed in R6/2 mice with CaM-fragment expression. Immunoprecipitation studies show that expression of the CaM-fragment reduced TGase-modified htt in the striatum of R6/2 mice. The percentage of htt-positive nuclei and the size of intranuclear htt aggregates were reduced by the CaM-fragment without striatal volume changes. The effects of CaM-fragment appear to be selective, as activity of another CaM-dependent enzyme, CaM-dependent kinase II, was not altered. Moreover, inhibition of TGase-modified htt was substrate-specific since overall TGase activity in the striatum was not altered by treatment with the CaM-fragment. Together, these results suggest that disrupting CaM-htt interaction may provide a new therapeutic strategy for HD.
Carnitine transport and tissue carnitine accretion in rats.

Abstract In rats, circulating carnitine levels were highly correlated with skeletal muscle and heart carnitine concentrations over the range of 26–69 μM serum carnitine, but not at higher extracellular carnitine concentrations (70–188 μM). By contrast, circulating carnitine levels over the entire range studied (26–188 μM) correlated with liver and kidney carnitine concentrations. For each tissue the range of extracellular carnitine concentrations which correlated with the tissue carnitine concentration correspond with the linear or nearly linear portion of the Michaelis-Menten curve for transport of carnitine in vitro.
Adolescents on the Move: Adjustment to Family Relocation

Three forms of post-relocation adjustment: (a) personal, (b) external, and (c) family, are predicted in a sample of 882 highly mobile Air Force adolescents using Hill's ABC-X crisis model, which fo...
Optical Associative Memory Using Fourier Transform Holograms

An experimental demonstration of a holographic associative memory is presented. The system utilizes an array of classic VanderLugt correlators to implement in parallel the inner product between an input and a set of stored reference images. Each inner product is used to read out an associated image. Theoretical analysis of the system is given, and experimental results are shown.
Proactive versus reactive task-set inhibition: Evidence from flanker compatibility effects

Two converging tests were used to determine whether people proactively inhibit recently performed tasks when switching to new tasks. A task-cuing paradigm was used. In each trial, the relevant stimulus was accompanied by flankers belonging either to the task performed on the immediately preceding trial (lag 1) or a more distant trial (lag 21). If the just-performed task is inhibited when switching to another task, and this inhibition declines across trials, then flanker interference should be smaller with lag 1 flankers than with lag 21 flankers. Experiment 1, following the methods of Hubner, Dreisbach, Haider, and Kluwe (2003), failed to confirm this prediction. The prediction was confirmed in Experiment 2, however, using a design modified to provide greater incentives for task-set inhibition. The results provide evidence that inhibition can be applied proactively, to reduce the ability of an abandoned task to interfere with the performance of other tasks.
Enlargement of subarachnoid spaces and lateral ventricles in pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy

This retrospective study investigated the possible adverse effects of cancer therapy on the brain. Cranial computed tomographic scans of 76 patients with non-central nervous system malignancies and 25 patients with leukemia had enlarged lateral ventricles and/or cortical sulci in 19% and 40%, respectively. Leukemic patients, especially those with meningeal involvement, had the most frequent and most severe abnormalities.
Press pools and military-media relations in the Gulf War: a case study of the battle of Khafji, January 1991

(1996). Press pools and military-media relations in the Gulf War: a case study of the battle of Khafji, January 1991. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television: Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 133-159.
Molecular models of neocarzinostatin damage of DNA : analysis of sequence dependence in 5'GAGCG:5'CGCTC

Abstract Model building and molecular mechanics and dynamics calculations have been performed on a number of complexes of the post-activated form of the neocarzinostatin chromophore (NCS) with the B-DNA oligomer 5'GAGCG:5'CGCTC. Stable structures with the naphthoic acid moiety intercalated at all base pairs can be constructed. The observed bistranded lesions consisting of an abasic site at the Cyt residue in AGC and a direct break at the Thy residue on the complementary strand can be explained by assuming that NCS in the (R,R) form intercalates between the Ade2-Thy9/Gua3-Cyt8 base step with its 'diradical' core oriented towards the 3'-end of the (+) strand. Sites at C5', C4' and C1' in the minor groove are within a short enough distance from the two radical centers on NCS to permit hydrogen atom abstraction and the formation of the bistranded lesions. Strand cleavage at Thy9 may occur as a single lesion if NCS is intercalated into the Gua3-Cyt8/Cyt4-Gua7 base step with its active core towards the 3'-end of the (-) strand. The results are analyzed, and the utility and limitations of this type of model building are discussed.
Protein Dielectric Environment Modulates the Electron-Transfer Pathway in Photosynthetic Reaction Centers

The replacement of tyrosine by aspartic acid at position M210 in the photosynthetic reaction center of Rhodobacter sphaeroides results in the generation of a fast charge recombination pathway that is not observed in the wild-type. Apparently, the initially formed charge-separated state (cation of the special pair, P, and anion of the A-side bacteriopheophytin, HA) can decay rapidly via recombination through the neighboring bacteriochlorophyll (BA) soon after formation. The charge-separated state then relaxes over tens of picoseconds and recombination slows to the hundreds-of-picoseconds or nanosecond timescale. This dielectric relaxation results in a time-dependent blue shift of BA– absorption, which can be monitored using transient absorbance measurements. Protein dynamics also appear to modulate the electron transfer between HA and the next electron carrier, QA (a ubiquinone). The kinetics of this reaction are complex in the mutant, requiring two kinetic terms, and the spectra associated with the two terms are distinct; a red shift of the HA ground-state bleaching is observed between the shorter and longer HA-to-QA electron-transfer phases. The kinetics appears to be pH-independent, suggesting a negligible contribution of static heterogeneity originating from protonation/deprotonation in the ground state. A dynamic model based on the energy levels of the two early charge-separated states, P+BA– and P+HA–, has been developed in which the energetics of these states is modulated by fast protein dielectric relaxations and this in turn alters both the kinetic complexity of the reaction and the reaction pathway.
Fatty Acid Binding Protein Is Induced in Neurons of the Dorsal Root Ganglia After Peripheral Nerve Injury

Peripheral nerve trauma induces the expression of genes presumed to be involved in the process of nerve degeneration and repair. In the present study, an in vivo paradigm was employed to identify molecules which may have important roles in these processes. A cDNA library was constructed with RNA extracted from rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) 3 days after a sciatic nerve crush. After differential hybridization to this library, several cDNAs were identified that encoded mRNAs that were upregulated in the DRG ipsilateral to the crush injury, as opposed to the contralateral or naive DRG. Approximately 0.15% of all the clones screened were found to be induced. This report presents the types of induced sequences identified and characterizes one of them, DA11. The 0.7 kb DA11 full length cDNA clone contains a 405 nucleotide open reading frame that encodes a putative protein of 15.2 kDa (135 amino acid residues) and is a member of the family of fatty acid binding proteins (FABP). The DA11 protein differs by one amino acid residue from the sequence of the C-FAPB protein and by eight residues from the sequence of mal1, proteins found in rat and mouse skin, respectively. Northern and Western blot analyses showed that the DA11 mRNA and protein were induced in the injured DRG. Furthermore, studies using antibodies generated against DA11 found that the DA11-like immunoreactivity was more pronounced in the nuclei of neurons located in the DRG ipsilateral to the sciatic cut than those located in the contralateral DRG. The induction of DA11 mRNA and protein in DRG neurons suggests, for the first time, the involvement of a neuronal FABP in the process of degeneration and repair in the nervous system.
Direct enzymic determination of acetate in tissue extracts in the presence of labile acetate esters.

Abstract Methods are presented for the direct spectrophotometric and fluorometric determinations of acetate in tissue extracts using beef heart mitochondria acetyl-CoA synthetase. The methods eliminate the need for diffusion or distillation of the acetate from the extract and thereby minimize the danger of breakdown of labile tissue acetate esters, an occurrence which would result in an overestimation of acetate. Acetyl-CoA, acetylcarnitine, and N-acetyl-aspartate do not break down to acetate during the extraction procedure and do not interfere with the assay.
Nature, frequency, and predictors of secondary procedures after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm

Abstract Objectives: Endovascular stent grafting offers a potentially less invasive option for treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Clinical benefit has been demonstrated with respect to early parameters such as blood transfusion, return of gastrointestinal function, and length of hospital stay. Endovascular repair, however, has been criticized on the basis of inferior long-term outcome. Secondary procedures may be necessary to address durability issues such as migration, high-pressure endoleak, graft limb thrombosis, and degeneration of the stent-fabric structure itself, issues that may compromise the primary goal of aneurysm repair, protection from rupture. Methods: Between 1996 and 2002, 703 patients underwent endovascular treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. During this time, five devices were used: Ancure, AneuRx, Excluder, Talent, and Zenith. Outcome was assessed with physical examination, lower extremity arterial studies, plain abdominal radiography, and computed tomography at discharge, at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, and annually thereafter. Secondary procedures were defined as any procedure, exclusive of diagnostic angiography, performed after stent graft implantation, directed at treatment of aneurysm-related events. Multivariable statistical techniques for censored data (Cox proportional hazards modeling) were used to determine baseline parameters associated with need for secondary procedures over follow-up, with calculation of hazards ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Patient follow-up averaged 12.2 ± 11.7 months. Patient survival was 90% ± 1.4% at 1 year, 78% ± 2.6% at 2 years, and 70% ± 3.8% at 3 years. Aneurysm rupture occurred in 3 patients (0.4%), accounting for rupture risk of 1.4% over the first 2 years of follow-up (Kaplan-Meier method). Overall, 128 secondary procedures were required in 104 patients (15%), with a cumulative risk of 12% ± 1.5% at 1 year, 24% ± 2.8% at 2 years, and 35% ± 4.4% at 3 years after stent graft implantation. Among the secondary procedures, new stent grafts and extensions were placed in 34 patients (27%), embolization of endoleak was performed in 33 patients (26%), and open surgical conversion was undertaken in 11 patients (9%). Periprocedural mortality of secondary procedures was 8% overall, but was 18% for patients undergoing open surgical conversion. Multivariable modeling identified the date the procedure was performed (HR, 1.53 per 3-month period of study; CI, 1.22-1.92; P P Conclusions: Current endovascular devices are associated with a relatively high rate of complications over mid-term follow-up, culminating in frequent need for secondary remedial procedures. With strict follow-up imaging compliance, however, risk for rupture and aneurysm-related death remain exceedingly low. Newer technology may achieve improved durability and a lower requirement for secondary procedures, while maintaining the minimally invasive nature of presently available devices. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:930-7.)
The cellular nature of hydrodynamic flame instability

Abstract The nonlinear evolution of a weakly perturbed planar flame under the influence of the Landau-Darrieus instability is studied numerically. It is shown that in sufficiently small-scale systems spontaneous instability appears in the guise of a cusp-shape flame. However, in sufficiently large-scale flames this configuration acquires a fine cellular structure with the cells constantly subdividing and merging in a chaotic manner.
Culture as a determinant of reasons for migration

Abstract This article evaluates the importance of cultural factors in the destination selection process for migrants moving into and returning to the state of Utah. As the center of the Mormon cultural region, the state provides an excellent laboratory for testing the importance of cultural determinants of migration. Migration to Utah possesses a distinct cultural flavor. Although economic reasons for selecting Utah as a destination predominate, culture and family play an important secondary role. Mormons are more likely to report cultural and family reasons for moving to Utah, while non-Mormons are more likely to move for employment and education reasons. Distance from the state and time since arrival are the most important determinants of reasons for migration to Utah. A positive relationship exists between distance traveled and the likelihood that cultural or family reasons are given; individuals moving long distances are more likely to report cultural and family reasons. Recently arrived in-migrants are more likely to give cultural and family explanations for moving, while earlier in-migrants give employment and education reasons.
Humanities in medical education: rationale and resources for the dissection laboratory.

Summary. Dissection of a human body during an anatomy course raises for first-year medical students questions about invasion of privacy, cadaver sources, dying and death. Emotions evoked are often heightened by the fear and uneasiness each student experiences when dissecting the body of a human being. Providing curricular resources for identification and discussion of reactions to death and dissection early in the first year can demonstrate to students the humanity of having such reactions, and that these reactions can be understood and managed more or less appropriately. An elective course has been offered to first-year medical students at the University of Massachusetts Medical School for 10 years; the students' reception of this evolving programme has been enthusiastic. The rationale, content, resources and responses of such a course are presented.