cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cooperative language learning : a teacher's resource book

recent decades, this stand is particularly significant. The text offers an engaging analysis of various issues in teaching, arguing that the nature of language and L2 teaching problems must be reexamined if an effective pedagogical model and corresponding teacher preparation program are to be developed. Widdowson offers some observations which could provide a basis for classroom research; in Part 2, "Aspects of Language," he looks at some semantic and pragmatic issues in communication. In Chapter 6, "Grammar, Nonsense, and Learning," he effectively argues against the notion that a correct employment of the communicative approach to L2 teaching can or should dispense with the teaching of grammar. Grammar, as he illustrates, is part of meaning in most communication contexts. In Part 3, "Aspects of Teaching," he assesses some of the problems of syllabus design and then outlines, in some detail, a methodology for the teaching of meaning. The final chapter consists of an interesting assessment of the different classroom forces of pupil autonomy and teacher authority, concluding that interactional autonomy is not necessarily a solution. Several chapters of this work are derived from conference presentations and published articles, but they have been reworked to achieve cohesiveness and a system of cross-referencing, and the text reads smoothly as a whole. It serves as an excellent opportunity to refocus our concerns in L2 teaching and target the areas to be considered by L2 researchers and teachers.
Globalization of the animation industry: multi-scalar linkages of six animation production centers

This paper examines the change in animation production over time and analyzes the different scales of internal and external linkages among six animation production centers. Four types of producers were identified based on their roles in the animation industry and their multi-scalar linkages were investigated for similarities and differences. Several factors including production costs, local skills, government policy and domestic markets were found to affect the growth of new production centers. High value-capture occurs mostly in production centers where tacit knowledge is created. The governance of each animation production center was found to have evolved based on its unique development path within the industry’s global value chain.
Molecular Weight of Heparin Using 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Heparin is a polydisperse, heterogeneous polysaccharide that has been used as an anticoagulant for the past 50 years. The molecular weight determination of this important drug has traditionally relied on gel permeation chromatography, which requires the use of well-defined molecular weight standards that are not easily obtained. We have investigated the use of 13C-NMR spectroscopy for measuring the number average molecular weight of heparin. The signal intensities of the reducing end and internal anomeric carbons, having distinctive chemical shifts in the 13C-NMR spectrum, were used to determine the molecular weight. Distortionless enhancement polarization transfer was found to provide a better quantitation of signal intensities of anomeric carbons than broad band decoupling or selective decoupling of anomeric protons. Signal averaging over 300,000 transients, requiring approximately 48 h on a 360 MHz NMR spectrometer, resulted in the measurement of the number average molecular weight (approximately 10,000 Da) of heparin. 13C-NMR spectroscopy does not require the use of difficult to obtain molecular weight standards and thus is particularly well-suited for workers in the pharmaceutical industry.
The Social and Economic Production of Greed, Cooperation, and Taste in an Ohio Food Auction

Monthly food auctions in Saint Mary's, Ohio, are events where individuals and their families have the opportunity to purchase a variety of foods at bargain prices. We might assume that the opportunity to fill the pantry while saving money would encourage greed and hoarding. An individual can bid strategically to amass resources (here defined as the supply of food available for consumption or resale) at the expense of others who are not as adept or willing to participate in the auction. We also might assume that the auction's suppliers and the auction house staff would look upon the event as a chance to earn a large return on their investments. Yet, the food auctions in Saint Mary's reveal an event where greed is managed and balanced against cooperation among bidders, suppliers, and auction house staff. In our article, we present data that confirm our assumptions of greed. Bidders do compete with each other, hoard purchases, and balance their bids against their ideas of what is good food and what that food should cost. Suppliers and auction house staff do manage bids to maximize their profits by encouraging competitive bidding. However, our data also demonstrate that the event as a whole works to check greed through community-based expectations of the auction and its outcomes. The event allows us to examine what the auction says about the avarice and greed of the food industry and large-scale, industrialized agriculture.
Effect of Excess Dietary L-Histidine on Plasma Cholesterol Levels in Weanling Rats

Supplementation of a closed formula, cereal based stock diet with excess L-histidine at a 5% or 8% level for 4 days reduced growth and induced hepatomegaly and an increase in plasma cholesterole levels in weanling rats. The enlargement of the liver was in part due to glycogen accumulation; plasma glucose concentration was unchanged. Feeding four different amino acids (L-phenylalanine, L-glutamic acid, glycine and L-tryptophan), at levels which caused reduction of growth comparable to the 5% and 8% L-histidine supplementation, did not effect liver weight or plasma cholesterol levels. L-Threonine added, at a 2% level, to the 8% L-histidine diet did not alleviate any of the histidine effects. Rats fed a diet containing 5% urocanic acid, the first metabolite of the histidine degradative pathway, grew at a normal rate but had higher plasma cholesterol levels compared to rats fed stock diet. When rats fed L-histidine-or urocanic acid-supplemented diets were returned to stock diet, a normal growth rate was resumed immediately and plasma cholesterol levels returned to normal within 6 days. These results suggest that L-histidine and/or urocanic acid induce a hypercholesterolemia which disappears several days after the supplementation ceases.
Memory for Brand-Product Information in Pictorial Advertising

Abstract In two experiments, we investigated whether the type of picture that accompanies a brand-product pair has an effect on memory in an advertising context. Subjects were students in introductory psychology classes who received course credit for participation. We formed 24 fictitious brand-product pairs and illustrated them using pictorial presentation and letter accentuation in both interactive and noninter-active relationships. In Experiment 1, subjects in the interactive pictorial presentation group recalled more brands in a paired-associate task than did the interactive letter accentuation group or the control group. In a paired-associate task in Experiment 2, we examined relative effectiveness of interactive and noninteractive presentation relationships and revealed two main effects: (a) Interactive was superior to noninteractive, and (b) pictorial presentation was superior to letter accentuation in aiding recall. Results are discussed in terms of implications for advertising.
Commutes, Neighborhood Effects, and Compensating Differentials: Revisited☆

Abstract This article reexamines a question first posed by Gabriel and Rosenthal [ 6 ]: Are minorities compensated for longer commutes by lower housing prices and better neighborhood amenities? They test this hypothesis by comparing the commutes of similar black and white household heads who reside in the same neighborhood. Gabriel and Rosenthal's sample combines households from many metropolitan areas and regions of the country. This article reexamines racial differences in commute time using samples drawn from individual metropolitan areas. The basic findings of Gabriel and Rosenthal are confirmed for some metropolitan areas, but the analysis also indicates that both racial commute time differences and the sources of potential compensation vary dramatically by metropolitan area.
Oxidation of Dibenzothiophene Catalyzed by Hemoglobin and Other Hemoproteins in Various Aqueous-Organic Media

Biocatalytic oxidation of dibenzothiophene (a model of organic sulfur in coal) with hydrogen peroxide was investigated. It was found that various hemoproteins, both enzymic (e.g., horseradish peroxidase) and nonenzymic (e.g., bovine blood hemoglobin), readily oxidized dibensothiophene to its S-oxide and, to a minor extent, further to its S-dioxide (sulfone). This process catalyzed by hemoglobin (a slaughterhouse waste protein) was studied in a number of monophasic aqueousorganic mixtures. Although hemoglobin was competent as an oxidation catalyst even in nearly dry organic solvents (with protic, acidic solvents being optimal), the highest conversions were observed in predominantly aqueous media. The hemoglobin-catalyzed oxidation of dibenzothiophene at low concentrations of the protein stopped long before all the substrate was oxidized. This phenomenon was caused by inactivation of hemoglobin by hydrogen peroxide that destroyed the heme moiety. The maximal degree of the hemoglobin-catalyzed dibenzothiophene oxidation was predicted, and found, to be strongly dependent on the reaction medium composition.
Student Perceptions of Sandtray in Solution-Focused Supervision

Sandtray supervision and solution-focused supervision (SFS) are both strengths-based approaches that may be effective in helping counselor trainees reduce their anxiety and develop clinical self-confidence. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore how a group of practicum students with a school counseling emphasis experienced a blending of sandtray and solution-focused supervision (SFS) approaches. Participants described how the blended approach fostered group cohesiveness in their supervision and promoted both personal and professional development. Participants indicated more awareness of the impact of sandtray than the influence of the solution-focused approach in their supervision.
The safety and efficacy issues of progestin-only oral contraceptives — An epidemiologic perspective

Abstract Progestogen-only oral contraceptives (POCs) are generally considered a good contraceptive choice for breastfeeding women and for women who want to use an oral form of contraception, but are not suited for, or cannot tolerate the side effects of, estrogen-containing preparations. However, a number of POCs' safety, efficacy and other related issues remain to be addressed. This paper reviews recent literature and evaluates these issues from an epidemiologic perspective. The small number of users imposes severe limitations in designing epidemiologic studies to address POCs' long-term safety issues, but available information suggests POCs are at least as safe as, if not safer than, COCs. Compared to COCs, POCs are more likely to cause menstrual disturbances which, in turn, could affect their acceptability and lead to poor compliance and hence higher pregnancy rates. POCs' efficacy has been estimated to be between 1.4 and 4.3 pregnancies per 100 woman-years of use. Lower pregnancy rates approaching those of COCs have been reported in centers with good counseling. POCs' benefits outweigh their risks. However, more studies are needed to further address POCs' safety and efficacy issues.
Systematic Training in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics End of Residency Handoffs: Residency Director Attitudes and Perceived Barriers

Background: It is unclear why systematic training in end-of-residency clinic handoffs is not universal. Purposes: We assessed Internal Medicine-Pediatrics (Med-Peds) residency program directors’ attitudes regarding end-of-residency clinic handoff systems and perceived barriers to their implementation. Methods: We surveyed all Med-Peds program directors in the United States about end-of-residency outpatient handoff systems. Results: Program directors rated systems as important (81.5%), but only 31 programs (46.3%) utilized them. Nearly all programs with (29/31 [93.5%]), and most programs without systems (24/33 [72.7%]) rated them as important. Programs were more likely to have a system if the program director rated it important (p = .049), and less likely if they cited a lack of faculty interest (p = .023) or difficulty identifying residents as primary providers (p = .04). Conclusions: Most program directors believe it important to formally hand off outpatients. Barriers to establishing handoff systems can...
Issues for international franchising: lessons from the case of a Poland-based restaurant operator.

The accompanying case study highlights some of the debatable issues surrounding international restaurant franchise development. Some of these issues, such as customization versus standardization and the relationship between a franchisor and an international franchisee, are critical in the development of international restaurant franchises.
On the Future of Laboratory Education

The primary reason for the creation of laboratory education was to help human beings to deal more effectively with complex human relationships and problems. As such, laboratory education shares the same goals with many other types of education. What distinguishes laboratory education from most other education is its basic assumptions concerning the process of education. The traditional educational methods primarily emphasize substance, rationality, the in-appropriateness of feelings, direction and control by the teacher, and so on. Laboratory education assumes that these emphases are not adequate by themselves. New ones need to be added such as the importance of maintaining the effectiveness of the learning groups, the admission of all data that are relevant, including feelings, and the enlargement of responsibility by giving the students greater direction and control over their education (Bradford, Gibb, & Benne, 1964; Schein & Bennis, 1965).Because feelings, group maintenance, and student control are so...
Preface to special topic: papers from the 82nd american chemical society colloid and surface science symposium, raleigh, north Carolina, 2008.

This Special Topic section of Biomicrofluidics contains original contributions that were presented at the 82nd Colloid and Surface Science Symposium, which took place on 15–18 June 2008 at North Carolina State University. The Symposium covered a wide range of topics that are relevant to the fundamentals of fluidics and their application to biological systems.
Optimizing Synaptic Architecture and Efficiency for High-Frequency Transmission

Bursts of neuronal activity are transmitted more effectively as synapses mature. However, the mechanisms that control synaptic efficiency during development are poorly understood. Here, we study postnatal changes in synaptic ultrastructure and exocytosis in a calyx-type nerve terminal. Vesicle pool size, exocytotic efficiency (amount of exocytosis per Ca influx), Ca current facilitation, and the number of active zones (AZs) increased with age, whereas AZ area, number of docked vesicles per AZ, and release probability decreased with age. These changes led to AZs that are less prone to multivesicular release, resulting in reduced AMPA receptor saturation and desensitization. A greater multiplicity of small AZs with few docked vesicles, a larger pool of releasable vesicles, and a higher efficiency of release thus promote prolonged high-frequency firing in mature synapses.
Electromagnetic and Structural Analysis of ITER Central Solenoid Insert Coil

The United States ITER Project Office (USIPO) is responsible for fabrication of the Central Solenoid (CS) for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The CS Insert (CSI) project should provide verification of the conductor performance in relevant conditions of temperature, field, currents and mechanical strain. The USIPO will build the CSI that will be tested at the Central Solenoid Model Coil (CSMC) Test Facility at JAEA, Naka, Japan. This paper presents three-dimensional mathematical model of CSI based on the design. Simulations were performed in order to verify structural integrity and compliance with the Japanese High Gas Pressure Safety Law. Numerical simulations lead to the design of the CSI that produced a required strain levels during operation on the superconductor cable, while simultaneously satisfy the ITER magnet structural design criteria.
The flocculation of aqueous sols of a graphitized carbon black by a potential-determining electrolyte

Summary The rates of flocculation of carbon black sols stabilized by sodium β-naphtalene sulfonate were measured by means of the accompanying decrease in light absorbance. Values were observed of the zeta-potential over the same concentration range. The surfactant is presumed to stabilize the sol by formation of a diffuse electric double layer around the particles. However, an excess of surfactant beyond that leading to the maximum stability results in increased rates of flocculation. The behavior can be described qualitatively by DLVO theory but the theory in its present form does not give satisfactory quantitative agreement with experiment. The disagreement may be ascribed to failure of the sols to match the required premises of monodispersity and spherical shape of particles or constant surface potential during the act of aggregation, etc. Alternatively, the use of rates of decrease of light absorbance rather than the more accurate but tedious particle counting methods to measure rates of flocculation may make the disagreement illusory. Thirdly, it is possible that the, procedures used for calculating the expected behavior are inadequate despite qualitative satisfaction.
Interactome of a cardiopoietic precursor.

Pluripotency is a hallmark feature of embryonic stem cells, but concomitantly expressed transcripts confound resolution of specific developmental signaling axes. Ratification of a molecular fingerprint critical to cardiogenesis mandated investigation of gene expression in stem-cell-derived cardiac precursors undergoing guided differentiation to define genomic networks responsible for cardiogenic progression. Upregulated transcripts organized into a discrete network with enhanced themes of “cardiovascular development” and “cellular movement”, while downregulated transcripts demonstrated significant overrepresentation of “oncogenesis” and “gene expression”. Ontological characterization of molecular functions revealed robust enrichment of binding factor classifications that bolstered upregulated themes of cardiovascular development and cellular movement, and significant nonstochastic overrepresentation of gene metabolism that drove oncogenic and gene expression network themes in downregulated transcripts. Collectively, these global adjustments engaged a systems biology repertoire switch towards functional specification. Thus, resolution of a precursor pedigree reveals coordinated themes that facilitate a nascent interactome which guides embryonic stem cell cardiopoiesis.
Novel Swine—Origin Influenza A: The 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus

During April-May 2009, a novel H1N1 influenza virus was determined to be the cause of influenza outbreaks in North America. By June 2009, widespread infections were recorded all over the world and an ongoing pandemic was declared. The clinical manifestations ranged from a self limited illness to fatal disease. Current clinical data suggest that the highest infection rates and complications occur in children and young adults. In contrast to seasonal influenza, the rates of hospitalization and death in adults 65 years or older were low. Risk factors for severe disease are similar to those of seasonal influenza and include diverse medical conditions. However, pregnant women and children with neurodevelopmental disorders or chronic pulmonary conditions are at highest risk of developing severe disease. Rapid antigen detection tests have variable and suboptimal sensitivity for diagnosis of novel H1N1 influenza. Diagnosis is confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction or by virus isolation in cell culture. Treatment is recommended with oral oseltamivir or inhaled zanamavir for patients who are at risk of complications as well as those who are worsening clinically or have evidence of lower respiratory tract infection. Treatment with intravenous peramivir can be used in special situations when oral or inhaled antiviral therapy is not tolerated or considered inadequate. Inactivated and live attenuated vaccines are available. Current vaccination recommendations and infection control measures are discussed.
Protocol Materials as Related to Teacher Performance and Pupil Achievement.

AbstractAn experimental group of 25 in service intermediate grade teachers were trained using four protocol modules which covered 12 specific teaching behaviors. Their performance before and after training was observed and compared with the performance of 15 comparable control group teachers. The experimental group teachers made significant gains on all 12 teaching behaviors and significantly exceeded the control group teachers on four of these. There was some evidence of contamination that probably accounts for pins made by the control group. At the end of the study, all teachers taught a 4-hour content unit in their own classrooms and their pupils were given two achievement measures that focused on the content unit. Partial correlations were computed between pupil achievement on these two measures and teacher use of each of the 12 behaviors covered in the protocol modules. Pupil scholastic ability, parent's occupation and teacher coverage of the unit's content were partialled out. The teachers' use of d...
Classical conditioning selectively increases AMPA receptor binding in rabbit hippocampus.

Abstract The NMDA and AMPA receptors have been shown to play critical roles in various forms of synaptic plasticity (learning and memory, long-term potentiation). The present study investigated the involvement of these two receptors in a well-characterized classical conditioning paradigm. Following classical conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane the binding properties of these two subclasses of excitatory amino acid transmitter receptors were analyzed in dorsal hippocampi by quantitative autoradiography. [ 3 H]TCP and [ 3 H]AMPA were used to identify the NMDA and AMPA receptors, respectively. The binding of [ 3 H]TCP to the NMDA receptor remained unchanged in all the experimental groups tested. Paired presentations of the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli resulted in increased [ 3 H]AMPA binding to the AMPA receptor in several subfields of the hippocampus, while unpaired presentations had no significant effects. The increase in binding was due to an increased affinity of the low-affinity component of the AMPA receptor. The results support the hypothesis that changes in glutamate receptors participate in the synaptic plasticity involved in certain forms of learning.
RESEARCH AND TEACHER EDUCATION: IN SEARCH OF COMMON GROUND

knowledge do teachers need to become effective teachers of mathematics? What sorts of experiences are needed for teachers to acquire this knowledge? A fundamental question for mathematics teacher educators is how the field of teacher education can be conceptualized so that programs and activities can be created to assist in the acquisition of this knowledge. Given the high visibility of standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (NCTM, 1988, 1991, in press), a question of interest to many is, What does it take to develop teachers who can move the field toward realizing these standards? The focus of this article is on how various issues related to teacher educa-
Value-based quality processes and results

Cost effectiveness is one of the important issues for developing products in a life cycle. And review is a key activity that can detect defects from the early stage and fix them. This paper provides Value-based review techniques adding cost effectiveness into review processes and reports on an experiment on Value-based review. Through the experiment, the Value-based review is shown to have higher cost effectiveness in review processes.
Detection of DNA complementary to pathogenic viroid RNA in exocortis disease.

A LOW molecular weight (about 105 daltons) free RNA has been identified as the pathogenic agent of the exocortis disease of citrus (CEV) by Semancik and Weathers1. This minimal ‘infectious’ RNA (viroid), characterised by a highly ordered structure rich in G–C base pairs2 does not contain polyadenylate sequences3 nor can it be translated in vitro4. The CEV–RNA induces the identical symptom expression in tomato and potato as the spindle tuber viroid5, thus supporting the class relationship of these unique pathogenic RNAs. The limited genetic potential of these extremely low molecular weight pathogenic RNAs lends credence to the suggestion of host-dependent synthesis6 and the homology of the pathogenic CEV–RNA with the host genome. This relationship is supported by the detection of a CEV-like DNA, reported here, presumably resulting from the action of host polymerase7. The final pathogenic response induced by the viroid RNA might then reflect simply an aberrant expression of the host genome. These functions, resulting in pathogenic RNA synthesis by means of a DNA intermediate as well as the intimate interaction with the host cell, offer striking parallels to the oncogenic viral processes operating at a minimal level.
Electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon

The experimental and theoretical status of elastic electron scattering from the nucleon is reviewed. As a consequence of new experimental facilities and new theoretical insights, this subject is advancing with unprecedented precision.
Virtual effects of Higgs particles

The possibility of observing Higgs particles through virtual effects is considered in detail for a general gauge theory. The effect of charged Higgs particles on low-energy weak interaction processes, like muon decay, tau decay, nuclear beta decay, pion decay, and some higher-order processes is analyzed. The effect of flavor-changing neutral Higgs particles on rare decay modes of the muon and kaon, μe conversion, Ko-Ko and Do-Do mixing is also studied. We discuss constraints on possible extensions of the Weinberg-Salam model and experiments sensitive to their Higgs particles. In particular, we analyze the neutral Higgs which couple to fermions in the minimal SU(2)L×SU(2)R×U(1) model and find that they probably have mass greater than 100 GeV.
Complications in the Oncological Patient

OMPLICATIONS in the oncological patient undergoing surgery comprise three major areas of concern for the anesthesiologist. First, the type and extent of the tumor and whether organs are involved can have a profound impact on the management and outcome of the anesthetic. Second, the patient's chemotherapy regimen can interact with drugs given by the anesthesiologist. Third, radiation treatment can markedly alter the course of surgery and recovery. As with all patients undergoing surgery, a preoperative assessment should address the patient's general background health, extent of cancer growth, and treatment history. A close scrutiny of these areas will help to select an appropriate management course. This evaluation of the major organ system function may alter the need for invasive monitoring as well as for postoperative pain requirements (patient-controlled analgesia [PCA] v epidural analgesia).
Further studies on formamidinate dirhenium(III) complexes of the type Re2(μ-form)2Cl4 and the isolation and characterization of the ferrocenyl ligand Fe[η5-C5H4C(NHCy)(NCy)]2

Abstract The quadruply bonded dirhenium(III) complexes trans -Re 2 (dpf) 2 Cl 4 ·H 2 O·2THF ( 1 ) (dpf= N , N ′-diphenylformamidinate) and Re 2 (μ-RNCHO) 4 Cl 2 (R=Ph ( 2 ) or Cy ( 3 )) have been prepared in good yield from the reactions of (n-Bu 4 N) 2 Re 2 Cl 8 and Re 2 (μ-O 2 CCH 3 ) 4 Cl 2 , respectively, with the appropriate molten ligands dpfH and RNHCHO. The ferrocenyl ligand Fe[C 5 H 4 C(NHCy)(NCy)] 2 ( 4 ) has been prepared but failed to yield dirhenium complexes that could be characterized. The structures of 1 , 2 and 4 have been established by single crystal X-ray crystallography.
LACK OF FIRST-PASS METABOLISM OF ETHANOL AT BLOOD CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SOCIAL DRINKING RANGE

Abstract Previously published data are displayed in a new manner and show that there is complete systemic availability of oral doses of 23–47 g of ethanol (0.35–0.75 g/kg or 30–60 ml of 95% ethanol) in man when administered in the fasting state relative to an intravenous infusion of the same doses administered over a 2-hr period. A previous report by other authors that oral ethanol (0.15 g/kg) in man had a mean systemic availability of only 29% is explained by the fact that the subjects were fed one hour prior to administration of the alcohol and that the intravenous dose was infused over only a 20 minute period.
Glimpses into the embryo: between advancements and controversies

Fertility and prediction of a child's gender have preoccupied cultures since ancient times. While Aristotle advised couples to make love in the North wind if they wanted to conceive a boy, Anaxagoras suggested tying a string around the left testicle during intercourse; medieval alchemists thought that drinking the blood of a lion before making love under the full moon ensured the birth of a son, and the bearer of a fertility doll was thought, according to an African legend, to give birth to a 24-inch-tall child.
Risk factors for tuberculin skin test conversion among HIV-infected patients in New York City

Summary Background We assessed the incidence of and risk factors for tuberculin skin test (TST) conversion among HIV-infected adults at a New York City clinic. Methods All adult HIV-infected patients were eligible for inclusion if they had a negative baseline TST result and at least one subsequent documented TST test result. Results A total of 414 HIV-infected patients had a negative baseline TST result; 288 (69.6%) were male. Among 348 patients who had a place of birth documented, 50% were born outside of mainland USA. Twenty-two (5.3%) of 414 patients had documented TST conversions, giving a crude incidence rate of 1.77 per 100 person-years. Being a foreign-born Asian individual ( p =0.02), having lived in a shelter ( p =0.004), and having an increase in CD4 cell count ( p =0.02) while under care were independent risk factors for TST conversion. Conclusions We found a high TST conversion rate among HIV-infected patients attending an urban clinic. Annual TST testing is particularly important for patients who are foreign-born from high-endemic countries, those with a history of homelessness, and those with an increase in CD4 cell count since the baseline negative TST test.
Electron microscope observations of Ceratocystis ulmi-induced tylosis development in Ulmus

Electron microscope observations of Ceratocystis ulmi-induced tylosis development in 3 species of elm were made during the first 2 weeks after artificial inoculation. Tylosis forming from both ray and vasicentric parenchyma occluded vessels adjacent to those containing the fungus conidia within one day after inoculation. The expanding protoplast forced the intact vessel-parenchyma “pit membrane” and protective layer through the pit into the vessel lumen. Cell organization during this expansion is discussed. The observations on tylosis development for the 3 elms used were identical.
Road following using vannishing points

The location of a vanishing point determined by boundaries of a road indicates the direction of the road. The detection of reliable road boundaries is a nontrivial task in most scenes, however. We propose an algorithm that uses hypothesized vanishing points to extract the road boundaries. Based on the direction and strength of edges in an area for a hypothesized vanishing point, a performance measure is computed. This performance measure reflects confidence in the hypothesis that the given vanishing point is the correct vanishing point for the road. The vanishing point for the given image, and the corresponding road boundaries is selected by searching for the maxima of the performance measures. The efficacy of our approach is demonstrated using several real-world road images.
Osteoblastic niche supports the growth of quiescent multiple myeloma cells

The heterogeneity of multiple myeloma (MM) contributes to variable responses to therapy. In this study, we aim to correlate the heterogeneity of MM to the presence of quiescent cells using the PKH26 dye. We tracked the rare quiescent cells in different niches of the bone marrow by allowing the cells to cycle in vivo. Surprisingly, quiescent PKH(+) MM cells prefer to reside within the osteoblastic niches of the bone marrow (PKH(+)/OS) rather than the vascular (VS) niches or the spleen. These cells (PKH(+)/OS) displayed enhanced stemlike properties by forming colonies in semisolid medium. PKH(+) cells were highly tumorigenic compared with PKH(-) cells and were resistant to a variety of drugs. However, the levels of drug resistance were somewhat similar regardless of where the PKH(+) cells were isolated. Our data indicate that osteoblastic niches support the growth of quiescent PKH(+) cells and allow them to have stemlike functions.
The N-terminal domain of substance P is required for complete homologous desensitization but not phosphorylation of the rat neurokinin-1 receptor

The agonist activity of substance P (SP) is a function of the C-terminal domain of the peptide. A C-terminal SP fragment (SP(6-11)) and analog (septide) and neurokinin A (NKA; a related tachykinin with a divergent N-terminal amino acid sequence) were found to be full neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) agonists, but were not able to desensitize the receptor maximally as much as SP. Substance P caused 95.6 +/- 0.9% maximal desensitization of the NK-1R whereas SP(6-11), septide, and NKA(only)caused 74 +/- 3.5, 50.6 +/- 8, and 71.5 +/- 4.4% maximal desensitization, respectively (mean +/- SEM; P < 0.001 vs SP). When a series of SP C-terminal fragment peptides were tested for their NK-1R desensitizing activity, it was found that SP(5-11)and SP(6-11)caused significantly less maximal NK-1R desensitization than SP. SP N-terminal fragment peptides had no effect on the ability of SP(6-11)to compete with(3)H-SP binding, generate an IP(3)response, or cause NK-1R desensitization when tested with or without SP(6-11). SP, SP(6-11), septide, and NKA all maximally stimulated 8-9-fold increases in NK-1R phosphorylation. When attached to the C-terminal domain of SP responsible for NK-1R binding and agonism, the N-terminus of SP is responsible for 25-50% of homologous desensitization and this may occur via a mechanism other than NK-1R phosphorylation.
Cholinergic Cerebral Vasodilatation in the Rabbit: Absence of Concomitant Metabolic Activation

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was estimated from measurements of internal carotid blood flow and sagittal sinus blood flow in mechanically ventilated rabbits under 70% N2O–30% O2. Intravenously administered physostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, increased CBF under normocapnia and enhanced the cerebral vasodilatation of hypercapnia, but did not alter the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2). The cerebrovascular effects of physostigmine were antagonized by atropine but not by dihydro-beta-erythroidine, a nicotinic blocker. Neostigmine, a quaternary cholinesterase inhibitor that does not cross the blood-brain barrier, showed no cerebrovascular effects, It is concluded that the cholinergic cerebral vasodilatation does not depend on cerebral metabolic activation, and that the cholinergic receptors involved are muscarinic and located beyond the blood-brain barrier.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)–cellulose nanofibril (CNF)–multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) hybrid organic aerogels with superior mechanical properties

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)–cellulose nanofibril (CNF)–multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) hybrid organic aerogels were prepared using an environmentally friendly freeze-drying process with renewable materials. The material properties of these “green” hybrid aerogels were characterized extensively using various techniques. It was found that adding a small amount of CNFs and MWCNTs increased the mechanical properties of the PVA aerogels drastically. The mechanical properties of the hybrid aerogels showed an exponential dependency on the relative aerogel densities. These low-density hybrid aerogels also exhibited very low thermal conductivities and high surface areas, thereby making them potentially useful for many applications including thermal insulation and structural components.
Aspirin response and failure in cerebral infarction.

The purpose of this study was to assess the biological effect of aspirin as measured by the inhibition of platelet aggregation in patients taking aspirin for stroke prevention and in patients with acute stroke.We administered increasing doses of aspirin (325, 650, 975, and 1,300 mg daily) to 113 patients for stroke prevention and measured the inhibition of platelet aggregation in these patients and in 33 patients with acute stroke taking aspirin before stroke onset.Eighty-five patients on or = 650 mg aspirin had complete inhibition of platelet aggregation. Increase of the dose by 325 mg in nine of the 22 patients with partial inhibition of platelet aggregation produced complete inhibition in five patients at 650 mg and in one at 975 mg. At 1,300 mg, three patients still had only partial inhibition of platelet aggregation (aspirin resistance). Of the 33 inpatients with acute stroke, 24 had platelet aggregation studies done before further administration of aspirin. Of these, 19 had c...
Tax policy, regulated interest rates, and saving

Abstract The paper evaluates tax policy options designed to reduce distortions to savings behavior that occur when administered interest rates are set beneath market equilibrium levels. While the removal of controls on interest rates might be the best option, political, legal or institutional circumstances might well preclude this solution. It suggests that consumption (or sales) taxes can be designed so that, in the short term, the rate of return to saving can be changed to approximate the market-determined interest rate. The main advantage of the measure is that it can provide (a) time to develop appropriate legal and institutional structures for financial deregulation, and (b) an additional policy instrument that allows the burden of adjustment, in a stabilization policy setting, to be distributed over more than one instrument.
Marine Toxins and Nonmarine Toxins: Convergence or Symbiotic Organisms?†

Bioactive marine natural products occur only rarely in nonmarine sources. The converse also is true. Divergent evolutionary pathways for the biosynthesis of bioactive secondary metabolites seem to be the rule. Marine biosynthetic pathways lead to a wide variety of different structural classes, among which polyethers, macrolides, terpenes, unusual amino acids/peptides, and alkaloids are notable. Nonmarine biosynthetic pathways also lead to a similar wide variety of structural classes. However, the structures are usually quite different from the marine analogues. The alkaloids of plants are notable, but again there appears little convergence between the marine and nonmarine alkaloids. However, tetrodotoxin, a remarkable, highly polar, marine alkaloid, does occur in various amphibians. The occurrence and possible origin of tetrodotoxin and congeners, including chiriquitoxin, and of the saxitoxin analogue zetekitoxin in amphibians are reviewed.
A new technique for the simultaneous, real-time measurement of membrane compaction and performance during exposure to high-pressure gas

Abstract Membrane compaction accounts for a major source of the flux decline that occurs during gas separation using polymeric membranes. Previous membrane compaction studies have been limited by the inability to simultaneously measure membrane performance. In this study, we report the development of a technique based on ultrasonic time-domain reflectometry (TDR) that enables the simultaneous, real-time, noninvasive measurement of membrane compaction and performance during gas separation. In order to demonstrate the utility of the technique, representative data are presented for membrane compaction and pressure-normalized flux of a commercial asymmetric cellulose acetate (CA) gas separation membrane. Data obtained during the recovery cycle, i.e., after the pressure difference across the membrane is removed, are also described. These preliminary results indicate that the ultrasonic TDR technique can be successfully applied to quantify the effect of high-pressure gases on polymeric films and asymmetric membranes.
Evidence-based medicine in the education of psychiatrists.

Objective Evidence-based medicine has an important place in the teaching and practice of psychiatry. Attempts to teach evidence-based medicine skills can be weakened by conceptual confusions feeding a false polarization between traditional clinical skills and evidence-based medicine.
Autoregulation of an E2 enzyme by ubiquitin-chain assembly on its catalytic residue

Cells have quality-control mechanisms to recognize non-native protein structures and either help the proteins fold or promote their degradation1,2. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) and ubiquitin ligases (E3s) work together to assemble polyubiquitin chains on misfolded or misassembled proteins, which are then degraded by the proteasome3,4. Here, we find that Ubc7, a yeast E2, can itself undergo degradation when its levels exceed that of its binding partner Cue1, a transmembrane protein that tethers Ubc7 to the endoplasmic reticulum5,6. Unassembled, and thus mislocalized, Ubc7 is targeted to the proteasome by Ufd4, a homologous to E6-AP C-terminus (HECT)-class E3. Ubc7 is autoubiquitinated by a novel mechanism wherein the catalytic cysteine, instead of a lysine residue, provides the polyubiquitin chain acceptor site, and this cysteine-linked chain functions as a degradation signal. The polyubiquitin chain can also be transferred to a lysine side chain, suggesting a mechanism for polyubiquitin chain assembly that precedes substrate modification.
Divergent responses of human astrocytoma and non-neoplastic astrocytes to tumor necrosis factor alpha involve the 55 kDa tumor necrosis factor receptor.

Abstract The effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) on DNA synthesis, proliferation, and induction of gene/protein expression of TNF were compared in neoplastic and non-neoplastic adult human astrocytes. Previously, we demonstrated that TNF induced proliferative responses in non-neoplastic adult human astrocytes. In astrocytoma cells, however, TNF elicited both proliferative and cytostatic responses depending upon cell density and TNF concentration. This bimodal effect persisted even in a homogeneous, cloned astrocytoma cell line (STT-9C), and was inhibitable by neutralizing antibody to TNF. TNF treatment enhanced expression of TNF mRNA in astrocytoma cells but not in non-neoplastic astrocytes, and cell-associated or secreted TNF was not detectable in any culture. The involvement of receptors in astrocyte responses to TNF was examined in serological studies using monoclonal antibodies Utr-1 to the 75 kDa, and Htr-9 to the 55 kDa TNF receptor. Antibody to the 55 kDa TNF receptor alone was able to mimic the effects of TNF in both neoplastic astrocyte cultures while antibody to the 75 kDa TNF receptor had no effect. These data indicate that the bimodal actions of TNF on human astrocytoma cells as well as the stimulatory effects on non-neoplastic adult astrocytes are regulated at least in part by the 55 kDa TNF receptor. Astrocyte TNF receptors, however, do not appear to constitute part of an autocrine growth pathway in either non-neoplastic or neoplastic human astrocytes.
Studies on electroreduction mechanisms of selected aromatic hydrocarbons in tetrahydrofuran

Abstract Detailed mechanisms of electrochemical reductions of seven polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[e]pyrene (BeP), dibenz[a,h]anthracene, dibenz[a,c]anthracene, 3-methylcholanthrene, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, and benz[a]anthracene were studied using cyclic voltammetry, single potential step chronoamperometry, voltammetry at rotating disk electrodes, and controlled potential coulometry in tetrahydrofuran solution using 0.1 M tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate as a supporting electrolyte. Results indicate that these compounds undergo ECE reactions to a final product reduced at L-regions of each PAH with the exception of BaP and BeP. For these two PAHs, unreduced hydrocarbons were identified after exhaustive electrolysis. Heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constants, as well as homogeneous reaction rate constants, for the addition of the proton to electrogenerated anion radicals are also reported.
Reasons, Holism And Virtue Theory

Some particularists have argued that even virtue properties can exhibit a form of holism or context variance, e.g. sometimes an act is worse for being kind, say. But, on a common conception of virtuous acts, one derived from Aristotle, claims of virtue holism will be shown to be false. I argue, perhaps surprisingly, that on this conception the virtuousness of an act is not a reason to do it, and hence this conception of virtuous acts presents no challenge to particularist claims about the context variance of reasons. Still, I argue that the virtues nevertheless have important implications for our understanding of the particularism debate. Specifically, we can accept the particularist claim that reasons do not need to be principled in order to have the normative status that they do have, while still maintaining that sound moral thought and judgement has a principled structure understood in terms of the virtues.
RESPONSE PATTERNS AND CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS DURING RESPONSE SEQUENCE ACQUISITION BY HUMANS

The effects of temporal delays imposed between successive responses and of vitamin C administration were examined on the acquisition of response sequences and on cardiovascular reactivity during sequence acquisition. Thirteen adult subjects (6 female, 7 male), in good health, gave written consent prior to participating in 12 weekly 45-min sessions. Points, exchanged for money after each session, were presented when subjects completed 15-response sequences on a touch-sensitive three-response keypad. A position counter increased from 0 to 14 as subjects emitted correct responses in the sequence. Four novel 15-response sequences were presented each session. No delays were imposed between successive responses during the acquisition of one sequence; delays were imposed immediately following each response during the acquisition of a second sequence, thereby delaying response feedback; delays were imposed following feedback during acquisition of a third sequence, resulting in the removal of the stimulus correlated with sequence position; and, as a control condition, delays were imposed following feedback, but stimuli correlated with sequence position were reinstated prior to the next response during acquisition of a fourth sequence. Subjects were exposed to one of two delay durations (0.2 and 0.5 or 0.5 and 1.0 s) each session, and delay durations alternated every session. During Weeks 5 to 8, subjects received 3 grams of vitamin C per day, whereas during Weeks 1 to 4 and 9 to 12, subjects received placebo under single-blind conditions. All subjects acquired the sequences, as evidenced by decreasing percentages of incorrect responses across trials. When temporal delays were imposed between successive responses during sequence acquisition, acquisition efficiency was enhanced. Examination of response latencies suggested that the status of preceding responses (i.e., correct or incorrect) rather than the status of the position counter influenced subsequent responding. Cardiovascular effects were inversely related to the length of the temporal delay. Neither cardiovascular reactivity or sequence acquisition were related to vitamin C administration.