cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insights into Second Language Reading: Developing strategic reading

Accomplished readers continuously adjust their reading behaviors to accommodate text difficulty, task demands, and other contextual variables. Monitoring their reading process carefully, they take immediate steps when encountering comprehension problems. Aware of their own cognitive and linguistic resources, they are capable of directing their attention to the appropriate clues in anticipating, organizing, and retaining text information. These and similar behaviors, separating accomplished and less-accomplished readers, essentially characterize what is referred to as strategic reading. It is generally acknowledged that beyond information-processing skills, reading proficiency requires capabilities for exploiting cognitive and other resources to their maximum benefit. For these reasons, readers' real-time thoughts and actions – what they do and why – have attracted serious attention in both L1 and L2 reading research. Three issues are central: what behaviors are consciously initiated by readers to improve their ongoing comprehension, how such reader-initiated behaviors can be examined systematically with different groups of readers under varying conditions, and which reader-initiated actions are most efficacious in enhancing comprehension. Several circumstances contribute to the popularity of this research. First, the significance of strategic reading has become widely recognized only relatively recently. Researchers now generally concur that strategic reading is vital in academic pursuits, where reading often is inseparable from learning, necessitating both understanding and retaining complex, often unfamiliar concepts. Second, recent advancements in research methodology now afford stable data on reader introspection, creating a window through which readers' own accounts of how a task is performed – and the ways they manage a wide range of cognitive activities – can be deciphered and analyzed.
New strings for old Veneziano amplitudes. I. Analytical treatment

Abstract The bosonic string theory evolved as an attempt to find a physical/quantum mechanical model capable of reproducing Euler’s beta function (Veneziano amplitude) and its multidimensional analogue. The multidimensional analogue of beta function was studied mathematically for some time from different angles by mathematicians such as Selberg, Weil and Deligne, among many others. The results of their studies apparently were not taken into account in physics literature on string theory. In a recent publication [IJMPA 19 (2004) 1655] an attempt was made to restore the missing links. The results of this publication are incomplete, however, since no attempts were made at reproduction of known spectra of both open an closed bosonic strings or at restoration of the underlying model(s) reproducing such spectra. Nevertheless, as discussed in this publication the existing mathematical interpretation of the multidimensional analogue of Euler’s beta function as one of the periods associated with the corresponding differential form “living” on the Fermat-type (hyper)surfaces, happens to be crucial for restoration of the quantum/statistical mechanical model reproducing such generalized beta function. Unlike the traditional formulations, this model is supersymmetric. Details leading to restoration of this model will be presented in the forthcoming Parts 2–4 of our work. They are devoted, respectively, to the group-theoretic, symplectic and combinatorial treatments of this model. In this paper the discussion is restricted mainly to the study of analytical properties of the multiparticle Veneziano and Veneziano-like (tachyon-free) amplitudes. In the last case, we demonstrate that the Veneziano-like amplitudes alone (with parameters adjusted accordingly) are capable of reproducing known spectra of both open and closed bosonic strings. The choice of parameters is subject to some constraints dictated by the mathematical interpretation of these amplitudes as periods of Fermat-type (hyper)surfaces considered as complex manifolds of Hodge-type.
Financial Conflicts of Interest in Medicine

We use the geographic distance between a doctor’s office and drug company headquarters to instrument for the likelihood of pecuniary transfers, such as meals or speaking fees. Doctors tilt prescriptions in favor of the paying firm’s drugs, shifting away from both branded and generic substitutes. Larger transfers cause larger shifts in prescriptions. We explore two potential explanations: 1) information flow (or its perception), and 2) rent seeking. Payments increase prescriptions of branded drugs over generic equivalents, situations where information cannot play a large role. However, doctors residing in states known to be corrupt in other ways (e.g., electoral fraud) are much more sensitive to payments from the drug industry, as are male doctors.
Wavelet soft-thresholding of time-frequency representations

The high noise sensitivity of the Wigner distribution makes smoothing a necessity for producing readable time-frequency images of noise corrupted signals. Since linear smoothing suppresses noise at the expense of considerable smearing of the signal components, the author explores two nonlinear denoising techniques based on soft-thresholding in an orthonormal basis representation. Soft-thresholding provides considerable noise reduction without greatly impairing the time-frequency resolution of the denoised distribution. >
Topics in Code Generation and Register Allocation

Abstract : This paper discusses some questions about register allocation and code generation in optimizing compilers. The context of the research is the PQCC (Production Quality Compiler-Compiler) project. The questions discussed include fundamental questions of compiler structure, that is, questions of the feasibility and correctness of the approach taken by the project. I also report on less fundamental issues, issues more or less orthogonal to the questions of structure. This discussion should be of interest to any designer of optimizing compilers who is interested in retargetability, that is, in the adaptability of such a compiler to modification to allow code generation for different target machines.
The Self-Concept as a Side Bet: How Stripping Enhances the Self-Views of Men who Dance for Women

Because stripping is considered a form of “dirty work,” it has the capacity to negatively influence exotic dancers’ self-definitions. While some researchers have looked at the ways in which stripping impacts the self-concepts of women who dance for men and men who dance for men, there have been very few studies of the self-views of men who dance for women. Using qualitative methods, I examine how stripping shapes the self-concepts of male strippers. Overall, I found that the positive effect on dancers’ self-definitions was an important side bet that kept them committed to the occupation.
The American Statutory Business Trust: A Research Agenda

The trust has long competed with the corporation as a form of business organization. Although today the corporate form dominates the trust for the organization of operating enterprises, the trust dominates the corporation in a handful of specialized niches. The market value of these niches measures in the trillions of dollars. Yet the modern business trust has only recently begun to be subjected to scholarly inquiry. Accordingly, this essay outlines a research agenda for the study of the trust -- in particular, the modern statutory business trust -- as a form of business organization.
Influence of Injected Caffeine on the Metabolism of Calcium and the Retention and Excretion of Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc and Copper in Rats

Mineral metabolism was studied by the metabolic balance technique in rats with and without administration of caffeine. Caffeine was injected subcutaneously each day at either 2.5 mg or 10 mg/100 g body weight for 2 wk before the balance studies. Urinary volume excretion was higher in the group given caffeine than in the control group, but the creatinine clearance was not different. Urinary excretion of potassium, sodium, inorganic phosphate, magnesium and calcium, but not of zinc and copper, was also higher in the rats given caffeine. The rank order of the difference was the same as the percent of ingested mineral excreted in urine in the absence of caffeine. Caffeine caused a negative balance of potassium, sodium and inorganic phosphate. There was no significant difference from the control levels and in the apparent metabolic balance of calcium and magnesium. The urinary and fecal excretion of zinc and copper were found to be unaffected by caffeine. It is suggested that chronic administration of caffeine may lead to a tendency toward deficiency of those minerals that are excreted primarily in urine.
Use of all-trans retinoic acid plus arsenic trioxide as an alternative to chemotherapy in untreated acute promyelocytic leukemia.

We examined whether combining all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) might be an alternative to ATRA plus chemotherapy in untreated acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Twenty-five low-risk patients (white blood cell [WBC] count less than 10 × 109/L [10 000/μL]) received ATRA (45 mg/m2 daily) and ATO (0.15 mg/kg daily, beginning day 10 of ATRA), and in complete remission (CR) received ATO plus ATRA, without chemotherapy, unless they were reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)–positive 3 months from CR date or had molecular relapse. Nineteen high-risk patients were treated identically, but received chemotherapy, generally 9 mg/m2 gemtuzumab ozogamycin (GO) on day 1 of induction. The CR rate was 39 of 44 (24 of 25 in low-risk, 15 of 19 in high-risk). Disease recurred at 9, 9, and 15 months, respectively, in 3 high-risk patients. The median follow-up time from CR date in the 36 patients alive in first CR is 16 months (15 months in low-risk, 20 months in high-risk), with 9 patients followed for at least 24 months. Each of the 36 patients was PCR-negative at last follow-up. Thus, none of the low-risk patients has received chemotherapy, and only 3 high-risk patients (the 3 with relapsed disease) have received chemotherapy past induction. ATRA plus ATO may serve as an alternative to chemotherapy in low-risk untreated APL (eg, in older patients) and, when combined with GO, may improve outcome in high-risk patients.
Immunological properties of the fibrinolytic enzyme (fibrolase) from southern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) venom and its purification by immunoaffinity chromatography

H. M. Chen, A. L. Guan and F. S. Markland, Jr. Immunological properties of the fibrinolytic enzyme (fibrolase) from southern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) venom and its purification by immunoaffinity chromatography. Toxicon29, 683–694.—An antibody to the fibrinolytic enzyme in southern copperhead venom was produced by immunizing rabbits with chromatographically purified enzyme. The antibody was purified from rabbit blood by ammonium sulfate fractionation and protein-A affinity chromatography. The purified antibody reacted only with the fibrinolytic enzyme in southern copperhead venom as demonstrated by immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. Western immunoblotting revealed that several snake venoms, including Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti, Crotalus atrox, Crotalus basiliscus basiliscus, and Bothrops asper, cross-reacted with the antibody to varying degrees. However, Deinagkistrodon acutus showed no cross-reaction. Immobilized antibody has been used, in combination with molecular sieve chromatography, to purify the fibrinolytic enzyme from southern copperhead venom. In this two-step purification procedure, the enzyme was purified in good yield within two days. The specific activity of the enzyme purified by the immunoaffinity chromatography procedure is comparable with that of enzyme purified by a four-step chromatographic procedure. The mol. wt of the purified enzyme is approximately 23,000–24,000 as determined by SDS-PAGE. Interestingly, the enzyme purified by this two-step immunoaffinity chromatography procedure possesses virtually no hemorrhagic activity.
A series of crystalline solids composed of aminopyridines and succinic, fumaric, and sebacic acids

Abstract The cocrystallization of five mono- and diaminopyridines, namely 2-aminopyridine (2-AP), 2,3-diaminopyridine (2,3-DAP), 2,6-diaminopyridine (2,6-DAP), 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), and 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP), with three dicarboxylic acids, namely, succinic (SUH2), fumaric (FUH2), and sebacic (SEH2) acids resulted in twelve organic salts including two hydrates, (2-HAP)2(SU)(SUH2) 1, (2,3-HDAP)2(SU) 2, (2,3-HDAP)2(SE) 3, (2,6-HDAP)2(FU) 4, (2,6-HDAP)2(SU) 5, (4-HAP)(SUH) 6, (4-HAP)2(FU) 7, (4-HAP)2(SE) 8, (3,4-HDAP)(SUH) 9, (3,4-HDAP)2(SE) 10, (4-HAP)2(FU)⋅2H2O 11, (4-HAP)2(SU)⋅2H2O 12. All compounds were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectra, and melting points. The proton transfer to the pyridine nitrogen in all compounds, and its location in carboxylic group in adducts with SUH2 (1, 6, and 9) were determined reliably from the low-temperature X-ray experiments. The impact of number and position of amino-groups in the pyridine molecules, as well as the conformational flexibility of the acids, and water inclusion on the final stoichiometries and supramolecular architectures is discussed.
Fundamentals of Electromagnetics 2: Quasistatics and Waves

This book is the second of two volumes which have been created to provide an understanding of the basic principles and applications of electromagnetic fields for electrical engineering students. Fundamentals of Electromagnetics Vol 2: Quasistatics and Waves examines how the low-frequency models of lumped elements are modified to include parasitic elements. For even higher frequencies, wave behavior in space and on transmission lines is explained. Finally, the textbook concludes with details of transmission line properties and applications. Upon completion of this book and its companion Fundamentals of Electromagnetics Vol 1: Internal Behavior of Lumped Elements, with a focus on the DC and low-frequency behavior of electromagnetic fields within lumped elements, students will have gained the necessary knowledge to progress to advanced studies of electromagnetics.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among children with current asthma.

Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among children with current asthma. Design We analyzed data from the Asthma Call Back Survey (ACBS) 2006–2008. ACBS is a follow-up to the state-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey that collects information on asthma and related factors including CAM use for asthma. The survey is administered to the parents who report in a subset of BRFSS states that their children have asthma. 5435 children had current asthma and were included in this analysis. Results Overall, 26.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 24.5–29.0) of children with current asthma reported CAM use in the previous 12 months. Among them, the three most commonly used therapies were breathing techniques (58.5%; 95% CI = 53.6–63.5), vitamins (27.3%; 95% CI = 23.0–31.5), and herbal products (12.8%; 95% CI = 9.2–16.4). Multivariate analysis of CAM use revealed higher adjusted odds ratios (aOR) among children who experienced cost barriers to conventional health care compared with children with no cost barrier (aOR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.2–2.8). Children with poorly controlled asthma were most likely to use all types of CAM when compared to their counterpart with well-controlled asthma: aOR = 2.3 (95% CI = 1.6–3.3) for any CAM; aOR = 1.7 (95% CI = 1.2–2.6) for self-care based CAM; and aOR = 4.4 (95% CI = 1.6–9.3) for practitioner-based CAM. Conclusions Children with poorly controlled asthma are more likely to use CAM; this likelihood persists after controlling for other factors (including parent's education, barriers to conventional health care, and controller medication use). CAM is also more commonly used by children who experienced cost barriers to conventional asthma care. CAM use could be a marker to identify patients who need patient/family education and support thus facilitate improved asthma control.
Effect of minor Si addition on the creep of a fully lamellar TiAl alloy

Considerable efforts have been made to improve the creep property of TiAl-based, two-phase alloys. While previous studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of Si(0.25--1%) on the creep property of fully lamellar {gamma} alloys, the authors recently observed an opposite effect. That is, the addition of minor Si was found to be detrimental to the creep property of a fully lamellar TiAl in the present communication, the authors report this detrimental effect.
Fluorescence depolarization study of lamellar liquid crystalline to inverted cylindrical micellar phase transition of phosphatidylethanolamine

The orientational order and rotational dynamics of 2-[3-(diphenyl-hexatrienyl) propanoyl]-3-palmitoyl-L-alpha- phosphatidylcholine (DPH-PC) embedded in dioleoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine (DOPE) were studied by fluorescence depolarization technique. Upon increasing the temperature, the calculated wobbling diffusion constant D perpendicular of the fluorescent probe was found to decrease at the lamellar (L alpha) to inverted cylindrical (H II) phase transition (10 degrees C). This suggested that the increased gauche rotamers of the alkene chains in the HII phase imposes a constraint in the wobbling motion of the fluorophore. The calculated ratio of order parameter in the L alpha phase to that in the HII phase was 1.7 and different from the theoretical value of 2.0 as predicted from the change in packing symmetry. This result can be explained by a slightly higher local order parameter of the fluorophore or by the fast rotational diffusion motion of the fluorophore around the symmetry axis of the cylindrical tubes in the HII phase.
Does Aβ 42 Have a Function Related to Blood Homeostasis

In this review, I discuss the possibility that Aβ42 has a physiologic function in blood vessel homeostasis and the consequences that this might have for theories concerning the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and for treatment.
Colonoscopy — how difficult, how painful?

Colonoscopy is sometimes painful for the patient and often difficult for the endoscopist, but it is hard to predict how difficult or painful the examination will be. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence difficulty and pain during colonoscopy. Some 1,284 consecutive patients undergoing office colonoscopy by three endoscopists were prospectively studied. A standard questionnaire was completed by the nursing staff, who assessed the degree of difficulty and pain associated with each exam on a four-point scale. There were 682 men and 551 women (sex not recorded in 51). There was no pain in 27%, mild pain in 39%, moderate pain in 25%, and severe pain in 9%. There was no difficulty in 25%, mild difficulty in 33%, moderate difficulty in 28%, and severe difficulty in 14%. Colonoscopy was significantly easier (P < 0.001, chi square) and less painful (P < 0.001, chi square) in patients after sigmoidectomy. It was more painful after hysterectomy (P < 0.05, chi square) and more difficult and painful in women than in men (P < 0.01, chi square). There were significant differences between endoscopists in the assessment of pain associated with colonoscopy. Most colonoscopies are associated with little or no pain (66%) and are easy or only mildly difficult to perform (58%). Patients who have had sigmoid resection are especially easy and painless to examine while women, especially after hysterectomy, are at higher risk of having a painful experience. Colonoscopy technique can influence the amount of pain experienced by the patient.
Preliminary analysis of Monterey kerogen by mild stepwise oxidation with sodium dichromate in glacial acetic acid

Kerogen from Monterey shale was degraded by a controlled, mild stepwise oxidation with sodium dichromate in acetic acid. The products of each step were examined by capillary gas chromatography and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of their methyl esters. Major oxidation products were saturated normal monocarboxylic acids (C/sub 6/-C/sub 34/), saturated normal, ..cap alpha..,omega-dicarboxylic acids (C/sub 4/-C/sub 34/), and isoprenoid acids (C/sub 14/-C/sub 21/, except C/sub 18/). Less dominant were aromatic acids, branched monocarboxylic acids (C/sub 6/-C/sub 16/), cyclic structures, heterocyclic compounds, as well as some unidentified compounds. On the basis of the evidence obtained from the qualitative and quantitative variation of the products with duration of oxidation, the following results were obtained: (a) the kerogen nucleus is mainly composed of long-chain polymethylene, cross-lined aliphatic structure from which protrude n-alkyl chains and minor amounts of isoprenoid and non-isoprenoid branched hydrocarbons; (b) the periphery, compared to the nucleus, contains a greater proportion of n-alkyl and isoprenoid moieties, particularly the C/sub 14/, C/sub 16/, and C/sub 18/ n-alkyl chains as well as the C/sub 15/ and C/sub 16/ isoprenoid chains; (c) other subordinate structures present include phenyl and tolyl groups as well as alicyclic and heterocyclic compounds.
An experimental method for contaminant dispersal characterization in large industrial buildings for indoor air quality (IAQ) applications

Spatial contaminant distribution in large semi-open building areas such as sports arenas, warehouses, atriums, malls and other industrial halls, is critical to estimating exposure, health risks and building energy performance. It is considered a challenge to measure experimentally how effectively the ventilation system removes or dilutes air pollutants in a large open space, taking into consideration the usual non uniformity of the air flow created by local heat and contamination sources, geometrical obstructions and the air distribution system. An experimental method is presented in this paper which can be used for both the experimental evaluation of ventilation effectiveness as well for CFD modeling validation in large open space applications. The developed method which is based on a passive perfluorocarbon tracer gas (PFT) system has been successfully used for the experimental evaluation of ventilation effectiveness in an ice skating arena in the Boston area and for the validation of a developed CFD model for the analysis of the IAQ in ice rink facilities. The method is very easy to use, fast and fairly inexpensive and it does not interfere with human and other activities within the building environment.
Geometrical branching model: Correlations and jets

A geometrical model for multiparticle production at low as well as high p/sub T/ is discussed. Below the threshold of substantial production of jets, the model has geometrical scaling and Koba-Nielsen-Olesen scaling, the latter being a result of Furry branching in multiplicity distribution at each impact parameter. Above the threshold the production of jets is explicitly taken into account by use of perturbative QCD. The separation into soft and hard components is done in the eikonal formalism consistent with unitarity. Geometrical scaling defines the soft component of the eikonal function. The hard component is related to the jet-production cross section; the p/sub T/ cutoff is not chosen arbitrarily, but is to be determined by sigma/sub el/ and sigma/sub tot/. Forward-backward multiplicity correlation can be calculated separately for the cases of no jets and with jets. The emphasis in this paper is on the formalism of the model. The procedure to determine the multiplicity distribution at all s is discussed.
The use of hormone-supplemented serum-free media in primary cultures

Abstract Recent advances in tissue culture and endocrinology have made possible the growth of established cell lines in hormone-supplemented serum-free media. The hormone requirements differ for different cell types but are similar or identical for the same cell types. The hormone supplements derived for four different cell types, a melanoma, GH3 pituitary tumor, and testicular cell lines TM3 and TM4 are used in preparing primary cultures for organs to detect melanoma metastasis, and grow normal pituitary and normal Leydig and Sertoli cells, respectively. This hormone supplementation and the concomitant elimination or reduction of the serum requirement is shown to have several advantages in the preparation of primary cultures including prolonged viability and function, partial or total selection of the desired cell type and inhibition of fibroblast overgrowth. It is felt that such culture systems will significantly expand the range of problems which can be approached using primary culture systems.
Growth stimulating effect of picolinic acid added to rat diets.

AbstractRats fed either a soybean protein-based diet or a casein-based diet supplemented with picolinic acid gained significantly more weight than rats fed unsupplemented diets. The zinc concentration of the kidneys from the rats fed the diets supplemented with picolinic acid was significantly greater than that of the rats fed the unsupplemented diets. Rats fed a pyridoxine-free diet formulated with vitamin-free casein and supplemented with picolinic acid gained significantly more weight than rats fed an unsupplemented pyridoxine-deficient diet. The zinc concentration of the kidneys from the rats fed the pyridoxine-deficient diet supplemented with picolinic acid was significantly greater than that of the rats fed the unsupplemented diet. Dietary zinc absorption and food efficiency were increased when rats were fed supplemental picolinic acid. The results suggest that picolinic acid may increase the bioavailability of dietary zinc and perhaps other divalent cations which results in increased food efficiency.
Phenomenal Orientation and Perceived Achromatic Color

(1961). Phenomenal Orientation and Perceived Achromatic Color. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 51-53.
Nucleic Acid Vibrational Circular Dichroism, Absorption, and Linear Dichroism Spectra. II. A DeVoe Theory Approach

Infrared (IR) vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), absorption, and linear dichroism (LD) spectra of four homopolyribonucleotides, poly(rA), poly(rG), poly(rC), and poly(rU), have been calculated, in the 1750–1550 cm-1 spectral region, using the DeVoe polarizability theory. A newly derived algorithm, which approximates the Hilbert transform of imaginaries to reals, was used in the calculations to obtain real parts of oscillator polarizabilities associated with each normal mode. The calculated spectra of the polynucleotides were compared with previously measured solution spectra. The good agreement between calculated and measured polynucleotide spectra indicates, for the first time, that the DeVoe theory is a useful means of calculating the VCD and IR absorption spectra of polynucleotides. For the first time, calculated DeVoe theory VCD and IR absorption spectra of oriented polynucleotides are presented. The calculated VCD spectra for the oriented polynucleotides are used to predict the spectra for such measurements made in the future. The calculated IR spectra for the oriented polynucleotides are useful in interpreting the linear dichroism of the polynucleotides.
Enhanced water level model in image classification

Water-Level model is an effective method in density-based classification. We use biased sampling, local similarity and popularity as preprocessing, and employ a merging operation in the water-level model for classification. Biased sampling is to get some information about the global structure. Similarity and local density are mainly used to understand the local structure. In biased sampling, images are divided into many l x l patches and a sample pixel is selected from each patch. Similarity at a point p, denoted by sim(p), measures the change of gray level between point p and its neighborhood N(p). Besides using biased sampling to combine spectral and spatial information, we use similarity and local popularity in selecting sample points. A sample point is chosen based on the minimum value of sim(p) + [1-P(p)] after normalization. The selected pixel is a better representative, especially near the border of an object. To make it more effective, one has to deal with small spikes and bumps. To get rid of the small spikes, we establish a threshold |[f(P1)-f(P2)]*(P1-P2)| > c*l*l , where c is a constant, P1 is a local maximum point to be tested and P2 is the nearest local minimum from P1. The condition is only related to the size of the patches l*l. The merging operation we include in the model makes the threshold constant less sensitive in the process. DBScan is combined with the enhanced water level model to reduce noise and to get connected components. Preliminary experiments have been conducted using the proposed methods and the results are promising.
METAL ION BINDING BY ALGAE AND HIGHER PLANT TISSUES: A Phenomenological Study of Solution pH Dependence

ABSTRACT Several biomaterials derived from blue-green algae and cells and tissues from some higher plants were tested for their potential to remove metal ions from solutions at different pH. Most biomaterials displayed pH-dependent binding profiles for Cu(II), Al(III), and Au(III). However, fragments of cultured Datura innoxia cells showed pH-lndependent binding of Au(III) binding of over 97%. Other biomaterials also showed high affinity for Cu(II) and Au(III) at pH 5.0. These included freeze dried roots and stems of cattail plants [Typha latifolia], the leaves of tumble weeds [Salsola spp), alfalfa sprouts [Medicago sativa’, and sphagnum peat. Al(III) binding by most biomaterials was low. An exception to this observation was Al(III) binding to alfalfa sprouts. The highest binding capacities for copper were exhibited by sphagnum peat moss and alfalfa sprouts with 30 and 18 mg Cu/g biomaterial,
Microbubbles have intracardiac velocities similar to those of red blood cells

The slope of an individual contrast trajectory on M-mode echocardiography represents the projection of the intracardiac velocity vector of a microbubble in the direction of the sound beam. Doppler echocardiography measures this projection of red blood cell velocity. To ascertain whether microbubbles have similar intracardiac velocities to those of red blood cells, 11 subjects were studied during intravenous injections of 5% dextrose solution. The flow across the tricuspid and pulmonary valves was examined. Microbubble velocity was measured by M-mode contrast slope analysis and simultaneously by Doppler technique. Results from both methods were correlated with red blood cell velocity measured by Doppler recording at the same time in the cardiac cycle, shortly before appearance of contrast medium (3 to 8 beats before the corresponding contrast velocity measurements). In all subjects, 10 sets of three velocities each (M-mode slope and Doppler data before and during contrast injection) were obtained for each valve. Visual inspection of the Doppler tracings showed similar velocity profiles before and during contrast appearance; the signal intensity was greater with contrast. Quantitatively, microbubble velocity assessed by M-mode trajectory slopes correlated well with the Doppler-de-rived velocity of red blood cells (r = 0.98, p It is concluded that microbubbles derived from intravenous injections travel with velocities similar to those of red blood cells across the tricuspid and pulmonary valves. Thus, contrast echocardiography can be used to estimate intracardiac blood velocity.
Role of oxidative mixed-disulfide formation in elastase–serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) complex

To understand the role of thiol and oxidative mixed-disulfide exchange reaction in serpins, we analyzed the conformation of native and mixed-disulfide forms of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-PI), alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1-ACT), alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2-AP), angiotensinogen, and ovalbumin. The conformation of native and oxidized mixed-disulfide serpins was measured by transverse urea gradient (TUG) gels. The results suggest that the acute phase proteins alpha 1-PI and alpha 1-ACT undergo conformational changes following oxidative mixed-disulfide formation and that alpha 2-AP and angiotensinogen do not. The kinetics of disulfide formation was followed by measuring changes in absorbance at 412 nm resulting from Ellman's reaction of disulfide exchange. The rate of mixed-disulfide formation in albumin was 10-fold faster than in the serpin tested. The rate of disulfide exchange in alpha 1-PI was 2-fold faster than that of alpha 1-ACT. However, disulfide formation in alpha 1-PI and alpha 1-ACT was much slower than for any other serpin, e.g., alpha 2-AP and angiotensinogen. We present evidence that alpha 1-PI forms a dimer sensitive to thiol reduction, suggesting cysteinyl-mediated dimerization of alpha 1-PI. The alpha 1-PI also demonstrated two types of inter-protein disulfide linkages: one resulting in homodimer and other involving heterodimer formation. TUG-Western immunoblot methodology was developed to identify the conformational changes in serpins. We found that the conformational changes in serpins by mixed-disulfide formation are due to unfolding and not to decomposition or degradation in TUG gels. Using fluorescence measurements with isolated tryptic fragments of fluorescence-labelled elastase, we observed that the cysteinyl232 in alpha 1-PI interacted with the cysteinyl168 of elastase in the proteinase-inhibitor complex. Our data suggests that serpin thiols may play an important role in forming a stable serpin-proteinase complex.
Study of satellite structure found in the photoelectron spectra of gaseous alkenes

Abstract The satellite structure in the photoelectron spectrum of the C(1 s ) shell has been studied for the following compounds: ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, trans -2-butene, cis -2-butene, butadiene and, for comparison, propane. The structure can be divided into two parts: a relatively sharp peak due to π → π* excitation and a broad complex band involving excitation of σ orbitals. Calculation of electron shakeup probabilities has been carried out using CNDO wave functions and compared with experiment. Reasonably good agreement was obtained, and the general problem of characterizing carbon—carbon double bond behavior by satellite structure due to electron shakeup is discussed.
Factors affecting terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity in cacodylate buffer.

Abstract For reproducible terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity in cacodylate buffer, assay tubes need scrupulous cleaning, and for maximal activity with the commercial enzyme, zinc ion is required when dATP is polymerized. Potassium ion is also required for maximal activity, though ammonium ion may be used in some situations. The enzyme is readily inhibited by a variety of negative ions, and inhibition by the monovalent anions follows the chaotropic series. This result suggests that cacodylate ion belongs at the beginning of the chaotropic series and so may be generally useful in assaying enzymes with labile activity.
The effect of endotoxins on frog blood and survival time at several ambient temperatures.

SummaryTreatment of frogs with any of three endotoxins resulted in more rapid deaths at 30 and at 37° and a decrease in blood thrombocytes. The frogs were unaffected by bacterial endotoxin at 5 and at 20° at doses of 1 through 30 mg, and repeated injections at a 2-week interval were equally without effect. Other than thrombocytes, the formed elements of the blood were unchanged after endotoxin treatment.
“South of the Border” Progress and Problems in Implementing New Public Management Reforms in Mexico Today

This symposium assesses Mexico’s recent experiments with implementing new public management (NPM) reforms. The introduction describes Mexico’s characteristics, summarizes the history of NPM impleme...
Basolateral and central amygdaloid lesions leave aversion to dietary amino acid imbalance intact.

Abstract Expression of c-fos is increased in the central amygdaloid nucleus (CE) of rats ingesting a diet with a severely imbalanced essential amino acid profile (IMB), at a time associated with development of a conditioned taste aversion (CTA). The CE and the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (BL) both are reported to be involved in the development of CTA. Large amygdaloid lesions involving CE and BL mitigate the normal decrease in intake of IMB; this treatment also impairs CTA to a flavor cue associated with gastrointestinal discomfort. To differentiate their potential roles in aversive responses to IMB, we electrolytically lesioned CE and BL separately. Neither lesion attenuated IMB-induced anorexia, or prevented the avoidance of flavored solutions previously paired with IMB. In contrast, after saccharin–LiCl pairing, CE-lesioned animals showed attenuated CTA to saccharin solution in a two-bottle test. We conclude that neither the CE nor the BL is essential for the reduction of IMB intake, or for CTA associated with IMB. Furthermore, these results suggest that the aversive consequences of IMB intake do not involve gastrointestinal malaise-evoked neurotransmission involving the CE.
Personal characteristics associated with consistency of recall of depressed or anhedonic mood in the 13-year follow-up of the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Survey

Objective: Our study addressed two primary questions: (1) How reliable is long-term recall of lifetime history of episodes of depressed mood? (2) What characteristics are associated with consistent recall of this history? Method: Psychiatric symptoms were assessed in a population-based longitudinal survey of 1498 persons twice, in 1981 and 1994. Respondents whose reports of history of depressed affect were discordant after a 13-year follow-up interval were compared with those whose reports were concordant. Results: Absence of a reported history of episode of depressed mood was more consistently recalled than presence of such an episode. The kappa of reported lifetime history of episode of depressed mood was 0.32. Several personal characteristics predicted consistency of recall. Conclusion: If assessment of past episodes of depressed mood is used as guide for identifying cases at risk for depression, account must be taken of the personal factors that might influence recall.
Urologic laparoscopy: The future is now

Recent interest in urologic laparoscopy is a welcome renaissance of minimally invasive procedures that provide superior benefit to patients. It behooves the urologist to avoid complacency and embrace the resurgence of laparoscopy. Dedicated pursuit and perseverance will facilitate the evolution and future of urologic laparoscopy.
Body Size and Response to Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Abstract The purpose of this study was to measure body weight and BMI before and after chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients to determine the relationship between the chemotherapy. Data were collected from the medical records of 34 ovarian cancer patients who had undergone chemotherapy, and included patients' weights before and after chemotherapy, height, age, and whether or not the patient met with an RD; and BMI was calculated. Patients in the normal weight range with BMI between 20 and 25 were compared to all other patients, in response to therapy. Mean BMI and body weight differences before and after chemotherapy were determined using t-tests. Response to treatment was compared using BMI and body weight groups before and after chemotherapy in regression analysis. None of the patients were seen by an RD. There was no statistically significant relationship between BMI and response to treatment, nor was there a difference in body weight or BMI before and after chemotherapy. Although these results indicate that body size may not affect response to treatment, none of the patients were seen by an RD, so general nutritional counseling may be beneficial to them. Further research on ovarian cancer and body size should include data in which response to chemotherapy is measurable, duration and type of chemotherapy are consistently included, and nutrition intervention is used.
Wrongful life and the counterfactual element in harming.

I shall be concerned in this paper with some philosophical puzzles raised by so-called “wrongful life” suits. These legal actions are obviously of great interest to lawyers and physicians, but philosophers might have a kind of professional interest in them too, since in a remarkably large number of them, judges have complained that the issues are too abstruse for the courts and belong more properly to philosophers and theologians. The issues that elicit this judicial frustration are those that require the application to border-line cases of such philosophically interesting concepts as acting, causing, and the one that especially interests me, harming.I first became interested in the concept of harming in my work on the moral limits of the criminal law, where I had to come to terms with John Stuart Mill's famous “harm principle”–the principle that it is always a good reason in support of a criminal prohibition, indeed, the only legitimate reason, that it will prevent harm to persons other than the actor. I could not very well criticize that principle until I decided what the word “harm” must mean in its formulation. I gave what I took to be the requisite analysis of harm in my book Harm to Others. Here I wish to improve that analysis, examine its implications for civil as well as criminal liability, and test it on conceptually hard cases, especially cases of prenatal harming, that is, cases in which the wrongful causative conduct occurs before the victim's birth, and the harmed state that is its upshot consists in being born in an impaired condition.
Analysis of hemoglobin derivatives by capillary isoelectric focusing and its application in the antidotal research of cyanide poisoning.

Cyanide toxicity can be reduced by the use of methemoglobin (MetHb) formers, and antidotal dosage is based on the extent of MetHb formation. Hemoglobin and ferrihemoglobin (MetHb, hemimethemoglobins {alpha}{sup 3+}{beta}{sup 2+} and {alpha}{sup 2-}{beta}{sup 3-}, tetracyanmethemoglobin, and dicyanmethemoglobin) concentrations in human, pig, and mouse blood were determined after separation by isoelectric focusing with an octyl-bonded capillary. The predominant species formed in blood when MetHb formers, such as potassium ferricyanide, hydroxylamine, sodium nitrite, and 4-dimethylaminophenol (DMAP), added at molar ratios ranging from 1:10 to 1:1 to hemoglobin, are the valency hybrid intermediates {alpha}{sup 3+}{beta}{sup 2+} and {alpha}{sup 2+}{beta}{sup 3+}. In the detoxication of cyanide with methemoglobin, an intermediate dicyanhemimethemoglobin was demonstrated to be the predominant species in the formation of tetracyanmethemoglobin. Complex mixtures of hemoglobin derivatives were observed with DMAP at 1:1 or greater molar ratio to hemoglobin. Comparison of the MetHb values obtained with a hemoxometer indicated that the valency hybrids were measured as MetHb and the values of oxidized hemoglobin were overestimated. In cyanide poisoning, incorrect dosages of MetHb formers could be calculated, and misinterpretation of MetHb data would results from methods that fail to discriminate among the various species of MetHb. 24 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.
Generic Studies: Their Renewed Importance in Religious and Literary Interpretation

In recent years, the need for a critique of "reader" as rigorous as that which has been developed for "text" and for "author" has become increasingly acute. Whether in the study of religion as story and biography or in interpretative reading in general, a critical notion of reader is essential if the act of reading is to be anything other than mere consumption of texts. Some new way of understanding the hermeneutical circle is required to avert the narcissism latent in the Anselmian model. The notion of "genre" as developed by four recent theorists is helpful in the task of constructing a critique of "reader." E. D. Hirsch, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Tzvetain Todorov, and Paul Ricoeur have each surpassed the idealist notion of genre as a classificatory device and developed in its place the notion of genre as a generative pinciple. Todorov, for example, illustrates how "form" is a theoretical, as distinct from a descriptive or explanatory, issue. According to both Hirsch and Todorov, somewhere between empirical details and metaphysical thematizations lie generic formulations which can assist the reader to organize his/her response to the text and to recognize the probable understanding toward which the conventions of the text are directed. In Gadamer's theory of interpretation, the notion of genre acquires historicity. After Gadamer, genres can no longer be regarded as timeless a priori categories. Rather, because they are constituted by historical reflections, their rise and decline are intrinsic to text-interpretation. Finally, in Ricoeur's theory that generic considerations are correlative principles of production and interpretation, we find a basis for understanding genre as praxis. If we understand reading to be isomorphic to authoring, it becomes clear that the reader can no longer be regarded as the self-evident recipient of text-signification. Genre, in Ricoeur's theory, transforms
Refocusing on the Individual in an Ecological Analysis of Dwelling

Although Coolen does not mention Kurt Lewin, it seems that this article is very much in line with the theoretical concept of the life space, which is how Lewin designates the environmental context ...
Solute Transport in Open-Channel Networks in Unsteady Flow Regime

In this paper we propose a robust algorithm to evaluate solute transport in open-channel networks with transient storage under an unsteady flow regime. In the proposed approach, through the integration of junction equations into the model and solving them explicitly, the analysis of solute transport problems in open-channel networks is simplified significantly. Furthermore, when coupled with a transient hydrodynamic open-channel network model for flow simulation, the proposed model can be utilized in the solution of solute transport problems under unsteady flow regimes. In the proposed model, the governing equations are written in a conservative form and are solved using a fractional-step algorithm, which is based on a relaxation and central difference scheme. The proposed algorithm is robust and accurate even for advection dominant cases. A pure advection with discontinuities, a field application and solute transport in an open-channel network in an unsteady flow regime are included, to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.