cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insider Share-Pledging and Equity Risk

Corporate insiders frequently borrow from lending institutions and pledge their personal equity as collateral for the loan. This borrowing, or pledging, potentially affects shareholder risk through changing managerial incentives or contingency risk. Using an exogenous shock to lending supply, we document a significant increase in risk arising from pledging. Difference-in-differences regressions indicate that insider pledging corresponds with a 16.5% relative increase in risk despite unchanged firm fundamentals. The empirical analysis supports contingency risk in linking pledging to volatility. Overall, our findings suggest that pledging allows influential insiders to extract private benefits of control at the expense of outside shareholders.
RING THE ALARM: Black Girls in the Discourse on the School-to-Prison Pipeline

In this research, I use theories of framing and social construction to investigate how race and gender are featured in national news coverage of the school-to-prison pipeline, and how policies and practices funnel students from school to the criminal justice system. Results indicate that there are three primary narratives surrounding the school-to-prison pipeline. The first is a narrative that harsh disciplinary practices in schools are irrational and negatively impact all students. The second narrative crafts the school-to-prison pipeline as a social problem for all Black students irrespective of gender. The final narrative emphasizes the impact of exclusionary discipline on Black boys. Each of these narratives functions to erase the experiences of Black girls. Ultimately, I argue that we need to take a more intersectional approach to school discipline policies and take into account how Black women and girls are situated within popular and policy discussions.
Venous thrombosis, thromboembolism, biomarkers of inflammation, and coagulation in coronavirus disease 2019.

Abstract Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with abnormal inflammatory and coagulation markers, potentially mediating thrombotic events. Our objective was to investigate the incidence, time course, laboratory features, and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19 patients with suspected venous thromboembolism (VTE). Methods A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who had undergone ultrasound imaging for suspected VTE from March 13 to May 18, 2020. The medical records of the included patients were reviewed for D-dimer, fibrinogen, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, platelet count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and high-sensitivity troponin T at admission and at up to seven time points before and after ultrasound examination. The clinical outcomes included superficial venous thrombosis, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, intubation, and death. Mixed effects logistic, linear, and Cox proportional hazards methods were used to evaluate the relationships between the laboratory markers and VTE and other in-hospital outcomes. Results Of 138 patients who had undergone imaging studies, 44 (31.9%) had evidence of VTE. On univariable analysis, an elevated admission CRP (odds ratio [OR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.09; P = .02; per 10-U increase in CRP), platelet count (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.04-2.12; P = .03; per 1000-U increase in platelet count), and male sex (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.19-5.84; P = .02), were associated with VTE. However only male sex remained significant on multivariable analysis (OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.01-5.56; P = .048). The independent predictors of death included older age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00-1.07; P = .04), active malignancy (HR, 4.39; 95% CI, 1.39-13.91; P = .01), elevated admission D-dimer (HR, 1.016; 95% CI, 1.003-1.029; P = .02), and evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (HR, 4.81; 95% CI, 1.76-13.10; P = .002). Conclusions Male sex, elevated CRP, and elevated platelet count at admission were associated with VTE on univariable analysis. However, only male sex remained significant on multivariable analysis. Older age, active malignancy, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and elevated D-dimer at admission were independently associated with death for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Evaluating the Change in Thickness of the Diaphragm and Work of Breathing While Normal Subjects Are Exercising

Background: Exercising patients in the ICU receiving mechanical ventilation has shown to have positive outcomes; however, there is limited evidence as to which mode of ventilation to use during exercise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in diaphragm thickness between expiration and inspiration (ΔDTE-I) during exercise in four modes of ventilation in normal subjects, to determine which mode had the smallest ΔDTE-I, indicating the lowest WOB. Methods: Following IRB approval, 16 subjects (8 male, 8 female) were ventilated with the PB 980 in VC A/C, VC + A/C, PC A/C and CPAP with PSV. Ventilator settings: PEEP 0 cm H2O in all modes, VT 8 mL/kg in VC A/C and VC + A/C, PSV 5 cm H2O in CPAP, PIP 5 cm H2O in PC A/C. While sitting on an exercise bike, subjects breathed on one of the 4 randomly assigned modes of ventilation for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, the diaphragm thickness was measured at end-expiration (DTE) and end-inspiration (DTI) on 3 breaths, when possible, by an experienced sonographer using a 9L3 linear transducer at 8 MHz. Heart rate (HR), SpO2, PEEP and Borg rating were recorded. Subjects remained in the same mode and started to pedal 50 RPM. At two minutes, subjects stopped pedaling, but continued to breathe on that mode while data were gathered. After the subject’s HR and SpO2 returned to baseline, the next randomly assigned mode was selected and the process was repeated until the subject breathed on all four modes. Results: VC A/C had the highest, and CPAP with PSV had the lowest, Borg rating during exercise, 6.25 and 1.94, respectively. During exercise, VC A/C had the most negative PEEP (-15.5 cm H2O), while PEEP in CPAP with PSV was least affected (-0.28 cm H2O). There was no statistically significant difference in DTI, DTE or ΔDTE-I when comparing VC A/C, VC + A/C and PC A/C to CPAP with PSV during exercise. Conclusions: VC A/C was shown to have the highest work of breathing via the Borg rating, the decrease in SpO2 and the decrease in PEEP. It is very difficult to measure the change in diaphragm thickness in a normal subject while exercising because of the chest movement and variation in VT causing the excursion of the diaphragm to move out of the range of the ultrasound transducer. There was no significant difference between DTI, DTE, ΔDTE-I between modes, during rest or exercise. Factors such as negative PEEP, SpO2 changes and the patient’s perceived WOB should be used to evaluate WOB during early mobility.
The Misplaced Burdens of 'Gender Equality' in Caster Semenya v IAAF: The Court of Arbitration for Sport Attempts Human Rights Adjudication

The highly anticipated decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Caster Semenya v International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has quickly become its most (in)famous. Whatever one might think of the regulations at issue in this case — by which the IAAF excludes certain female athletes with “differences of sexual development” from the female category of competition — the Panel's decision is an instructive example of the limits of the CAS when it comes to the adjudication of human rights claims. This article argues that the CAS stamp of approval is no guarantee of human rights compliance and therefore the IAAF cannot rely on the decision to credibly claim its female eligibility regulations respect, let alone promote, human rights. This conclusion is reached through the identification of multiple shortcomings in the CAS Panel's analysis of the necessity, reasonableness and proportionality of the IAAF's discriminatory regulations. It demonstrates that such analysis effectively placed the burdens of 'gender equality' — in particular, the burden of the IAAF’s history of gender discrimination, the burden of uncertainty in the IAAF’s evidence, and the burden of ongoing risk of harm arising from the IAAF’s regulations — on Semenya and other targeted female athletes. Some concluding remarks are then offered on the implications of the decision for the protection and promotion of human rights in sport.
Diminishing Returns? Threshold Effects of Dispositions and Recidivism Among Court-Involved Girls:

This study examines juvenile court responses among justice-involved girls. We analyze 10 years of court records on girls (N = 1,102) from a Midwestern juvenile court to assess the impact of various...
Mutational analysis reveals potential phosphorylation sites in eukaryotic elongation factor 1A that are important for its activity.

Previous studies have suggested that phosphorylation of translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) can alter its function, and large-scale phospho-proteomic analyses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have identified 14 eEF1A residues phosphorylated under various conditions. Here, a series of eEF1A mutations at these proposed sites were created and the effects on eEF1A activity were analyzed. The eEF1A-S53D and eEF1A-T430D phosphomimetic mutant strains were inviable, while corresponding alanine mutants survived but displayed defects in growth and protein synthesis. The activity of an eEF1A-S289D mutant was significantly reduced in the absence of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor eEF1Bα and could be restored by an exchange-deficient form of the protein, suggesting that eEF1Bα promotes eEF1A activity by a mechanism other than nucleotide exchange. Our data show that several of the phosphorylation sites identified by high-throughput analysis are critical for eEF1A function.
US-guided Interventions to Diagnose and Treat Gynecologic and First-Trimester Disease.

US-guided interventions have an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of obstetric and gynecologic pathologic conditions, and knowledge of abnormal imaging findings, the limitations of thes...
Ideal structure of rings of analytic functions with non-Archimedean metrics

The work of Helmer [Divisibility properties of integral functions, Duke Math. J. 6(2) (1940) 345–356] applied algebraic methods to the field of complex analysis when he proved the ring of entire fu...
Dynamic Data-Driven Carbon-Based Electric Vehicle Charging Pricing Strategy Using Machine Learning

In order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, it is estimated that California will need approximately eight million Electric Vehicles (EVs) and 1.5 million shared chargers by 2030. It is clear that innovative charging solutions will be needed to align EVs charging with renewable energy generation and local grid needs. We propose a carbon-based pricing strategy to charge EVs that considers CO2 emissions from the grid, local solar photovoltaics (PV) electricity generation, building power usage, Time-of-Use (TOU) rates, and Carbon Allowance Prices (CAP). Our model generates day-ahead and three-hour-ahead carbon-based pricing predictions by learning the patterns of the data to incentivize users to charge at favorable times. Our model was created by using data from the Center for Environmental Research & Technology (CE-CERT) at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). We generate three separated predictions: CO 2 emissions rate from the grid, as well as solar PV power and building power usage from CE-CERT. Results show that the predicted cost per mile for an average EV (33 kWh to travel 100 miles) should be decreased from $0.0249 to $0 during abundant solar hours when considering our carbon-based pricing strategy instead of a pre-programmed Time-of-Use scheme. Further, the predicted cost per mile should also increase from $0.0249 to $0.027 during non-solar hours.
Coralline algae and arsenic fixation in near shore sediments

Abstract Brazilian tropical beaches are enriched with arsenic (As) for hundreds of kilometres. The high levels of As in sediments, exceeding the legislative environmental thresholds, correlate by the presence of detritus material of geniculate calcareous algae involved in diagenetic processes in the coastal zone. Due to the porous structure of calcareous algae, the precipitation of iron hydroxides and subsequent absorption of arsenic occur not only on the surface but also in the inner parts of algal particles. The subsequent diagenetic filling of the cell lumen with calcium and magnesium carbonate preserves As inside the particles. This preservation contributes to the conservative behaviour of As in the changing geochemical conditions in sediments, and greatly reduces the efficiency of surf abrasion in the purification of beach sand from the high concentrations of As. The type of As enrichment in beach sands may exist in other regions of the world in addition to Brazil.
Abstract #LB-265: Identification of prognostic markers by integrative gene expression analysis of an in vitro model of lung carcinogenesis and their validation in lung cancer tissue specimens

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO BACKGROUND: Improved early diagnosis and prognosis assessment could reduce lung cancer mortality. We hypothesized that genes differentially expressed among cells constituting an in vitro human lung carcinogenesis model are relevant to the clinical outcome of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Multi-dimensional scaling, microarray, and functional pathways analyses of the transcriptomes of the above cells were performed and combined with integrative genomics to incorporate the microarray data with published NSCLC datasets. mRNA levels were measured by quantitative PCR. Immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry analyses were performed to assess protein levels in cell culture and tissue specimens, respectively. Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank statistics were used to assess survival differences between patient subgroups. RESULTS: Up-regulated (n=346) and down-regulated genes (n=466) were found to display expression level variation across the in vitro model with progressive changes in cancer-related molecular functions. A subset of the differentially expressed genes (n=584) separated lung adenocarcinoma clinical samples (n=360) into two clusters with significant survival differences. Interestingly, six selected genes (UBE2C, MCM2, MCM6, FEN-1, TPX2, and SFN) were also effective in prognosis. Further studies with one of these genes - UBE2C- demonstrated that its mRNA and protein levels were significantly up-regulated in NSCLC tissue relative to normal lung and its protein levels increased progressively in preneoplastic lung lesions. Moreover, stage-I NSCLC patients with positive UBE2C expression displayed significantly poorer overall and progression-free survival than patients with negative expression. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro lung carcinogenesis model utilized in this study is valuable for the discovery of early prognostic biomarkers for NSCLC. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr LB-265.
Connection Between Time- and Frequency-Domain Three-Dimensional Inverse Problems for the Schrödinger Equation

The use of inverse scattering methods in electromagnetic remote sensing, seismic exploration and ultrasonic imaging is rapidly expanding. For these cases which involve classical wave equations with variable velocity,1 no exact inversion methods exists for general three-dimensional (3d) scatterers. However, exact inversion methods (for example, those based on the Born series2 and the Newton-Marchenko equation2) do exist for the 3d Schrodinger equation. In this paper, these inversion methods for Schrodinger’s equation will be rewritten in a form which brings out certain analogies with classical wave equations. It is hoped these analogies will eventually contribute to a common exact inversion method for both types of equations.
Nuclear relaxation of 55 Mn in Ni-Mn alloys

Nuclear relaxation times of $^{55}\mathrm{Mn}$ have been studied in a series of Ni-Mn alloys containing between 1.0- and 14.4-at.% Mn using spin-echo techniques. ${T}_{1}$ was measured at 77 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and in some cases at 4.2 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K as a function of external magnetic field. In the 1.0-at.% alloy ${T}_{1}T$ increases from a value of 30 msec \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K in zero field to a value of about 90 msec \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K at 18 kG. At 18 kG, ${T}_{1}T$ is found to decrease with increasing Mn concentration to a value of about 11 msec \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K at 14.4-at.% Mn. Various contributions to the nuclear relaxation are evaluated both in the dilute Mn in Ni alloy and in the more concentrated alloy. In the dilute alloy, spin-wave-enhanced conduction-electron relaxation appears to be the dominant relaxation mechanism, while in the more concentrated alloys the orbital relaxation may be important.
Supporting the Development of Effective Teachers: A Case for the Formation of Collaborative Partnerships in the Development of a Clinical Model

This essay focuses on the development of effective teachers through the development of an embedded clinical model in a teacher preparation program. An Extended Professional Learning Community magnifies the partnership comprised of teaching universities and public school districts. By carefully attending to the five disciplines of effective learning organizations outlined by Senge, this shift in practice may be accelerated and the growth of the learning organization enhanced. As teacher preparation programs shift toward embedding the medical clinical model into their programs, masterful teacher practitioners contributing to such programs are also stimulated, influencing more effective teaching practice Keywords: Clinical practice, medical clinical model, collaborative partnerships, pre-service teaching
Nationwide shift from microscopic to endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

Transsphenoidal pituitary surgery can be carried out with either an operating microscope or with an endoscope, but the relative frequency of both techniques is unknown. All microscopic and endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgeries were extracted from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Part B data files between the years 2003 and 2013. National and state-level trends were compared over time. Endoscopic surgery significantly increased and microscopic surgery significantly decreased over the years 2003–2013. Thirty-eight of 48 states increased their use of endoscopic surgery, while 38 of 48 states decreased their use of microscopic surgery. Nationwide data show a clear trend for an increasing use of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery at the expense of microscopic surgery. The underlying causes of these trends are unknown, but clearly deserve further investigation.
Planar-bond-all: A technology for three-dimensional integration of multiple packaging functions into advanced power modules

A packaging approach has been developed for fabrication of power electronics modules. The multi functions of power packaging are fulfilled through three-dimensional (3-D) planar electrical interconnection, and double sided direct cooling. The further integration of these features into one packaging process has been demonstrated with highly integrated silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) phase leg power module prototypes. The comprehensive improvements in module's electrical, thermal performance and manufacturability lead to cost-effective, high efficiency, high power density power conversion in electric drive systems of modern vehicles.
Electrical characterization of polysilicon surface roughness in double polysilicon EPROMS

Data retention in floating gate double-polysilicon erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs) strongly depends on the insulating properties of the interpolyoxide layer. The author describes a method for rapid evaluation of the interpolyoxide quality and the surface texture of the underlying polysilicon by simple electrical measurements. First, the electrical conduction mechanism in the interpolyoxide is discussed. A simple quantitative model relating the increased conductivity of polyoxides to the polysilicon surface morphology is presented. The test structures used in this study, the interpolyoxide conductivity measurements, and the proposed characterization technique are described. The results are discussed, and the predicted poly surface roughness is compared to that obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). >
Organizational tension and occupational scripts: Stories from HR professionals and top executives

Abstract This study compared the biases and beliefs of top executives and HR professionals in Fortune 500 companies. The study's findings and theoretical framework were derived from the analysis of story components (e.g., heros, villains, turning points) of informant-generated tales of work place experiences. The findings indicate that the two informant groups differ with respect to values, beliefs, casual attributions, and priorities. Our work suggests that these differences may create a competitive undercurrent and communication breakdowns between top executives and the functions reporting to them. Implications for HR roles along with suggestions for theory development and further research on occupational scripts are offered.
Formylation of methionyl-transfer RNA from prokaryotes and eukaryotes by Bacillus subtilis transformylase

Abstract Methionyl-tRNA transformylase from Bacillus subtilis was able to formylate methionyl-tRNA from bacterial species, Drosophila hydei pupae, Xenopus laevis eggs, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis cells, and beef heart muscle. These results illustrate the highly conserved structure of tRNA F met during evolution and a similarity between the protein synthesis system of mitochondria and bacteria.
Nuclear protein tyrosine kinases

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation plays an important role in the transduction of extracellular signals. The prototypical protein tyrosine kinases are localized at the plasma membrane and are coupled to receptors that bind extracellular factors. Thus, protein tyrosine phosphorylation was previously thought to occur only in the cytoplasm. However, several cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases have recently been found to enter the nucleus; and resident nuclear proteins, such as the catalytic subunit of RNA polymerase II, have been found to be phosphorylated on tyrosine. Nuclear tyrosine kinases may participate in the regulation of transcription, the cell cycle and possibly other nuclear processes.
The development of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the USA

The penetration rate of devices in general, and in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) specifically, is significantly delayed in the United States of America (USA) compared with in Europe. This is mostly due to the mission statement of the regulatory agencies in the USA, which requires very rigorous clinical testing of a device prior to its approval. The USA had a major role in the development and evaluation of this technology and USA research has enabled clinicians inside and outside of the USA to conduct a concise scientifically based assessment of the performance of TAVR devices in terms of safety and efficacy. In the following review, we provide data on the development of TAVR in the USA, revealing the critical role the USA has played in this extraordinary process.
Development of high performance charged ligands to control protein transport through charge-modified ultrafiltration membranes

Previous studies of electrostatic interactions during protein ultrafiltration have generally assumed that the membrane surface charge density and pore size are the only membrane properties that determine the overall performance, without any consideration of the detailed molecular structure of the charged ligands. This is in sharp contrast to the behavior seen in ion exchange chromatography where the detailed physical and chemical properties of the functional ligand can have a significant impact on the adsorption characteristics. The objective of this study was to examine the behavior of several novel positively-charged ultrafiltration membranes generated by covalent attachment of a series of ligands having similar size but containing different numbers of primary, secondary, and quaternary amines. Membrane surface charge was evaluated using both streaming potential and dye-binding measurements, with the number of amine nitrogens verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Ultrafiltration experiments were performed over a range of solution ionic strength using cytochrome c as a model protein. Protein transmission was well correlated with the apparent zeta potential of the membrane, with minimal contribution from the number of amine groups along the length of the membrane or the presence of a quaternary versus primary amine. The results provide important insights into the relationship between ligand properties and membrane performance, providing a framework for the development of novel charged ultrafiltration membranes for high performance bioprocessing applications.
Proteomic and genomic approaches reveal critical functions of H3K9 methylation and heterochromatin protein-1γ in reprogramming to pluripotency

Reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) involves a marked reorganization of chromatin. To identify post-translational histone modifications that change in global abundance during this process, we have applied a quantitative mass-spectrometry-based approach. We found that iPSCs, compared with both the starting fibroblasts and a late reprogramming intermediate (pre-iPSCs), are enriched for histone modifications associated with active chromatin, and depleted for marks of transcriptional elongation and a subset of repressive modifications including H3K9me2/me3. Dissecting the contribution of H3K9 methylation to reprogramming, we show that the H3K9 methyltransferases Ehmt1, Ehmt2 and Setdb1 regulate global H3K9me2/me3 levels and that their depletion increases iPSC formation from both fibroblasts and pre-iPSCs. Similarly, we find that inhibition of heterochromatin protein-1γ (Cbx3), a protein known to recognize H3K9 methylation, enhances reprogramming. Genome-wide location analysis revealed that Cbx3 predominantly binds active genes in both pre-iPSCs and pluripotent cells but with a strikingly different distribution: in pre-iPSCs, but not in embryonic stem cells, Cbx3 associates with active transcriptional start sites, suggesting a developmentally regulated role for Cbx3 in transcriptional activation. Despite largely non-overlapping functions and the predominant association of Cbx3 with active transcription, the H3K9 methyltransferases and Cbx3 both inhibit reprogramming by repressing the pluripotency factor Nanog. Together, our findings demonstrate that Cbx3 and H3K9 methylation restrict late reprogramming events, and suggest that a marked change in global chromatin character constitutes an epigenetic roadblock for reprogramming.
Laboratory and Field Data Needs for Site-Specific Repository Modeling

The relative importance of material properties, geochemical processes, and environmental parameters affecting containment and release of radionuclides vary strongly as a function of time and spatial position within a nuclear waste repository located in basalt (NWRB). A simple matrix of spatial regions (Engineered-Barrier System, Disturbed-Rock Zone, Site System of the Controlled Access Zone) and time periods (Pre-emplacement, Containment, Isolation/Slow-release)can be used to identify the dominant processes that affect the containment, release, and migration of radionuclides. From this analysis, a directed and efficient program of field and laboratory studies can be conducted to obtain the data required to assess the feasibility of an NWRB and compliance with Federal regulatory criteria.
Integral equation theory of polymer blends: Numerical investigation of molecular closure approximations

The thermodynamics of symmetric polymer blends is investigated using the polymer reference interaction site model integral equation theory with the new molecular closures presented in the previous paper. In contrast to the atomic mean spherical approximation reported earlier by Schweizer and Curro [J. Chem. Phys. 91, 5059 (1989); Chem. Phys. 149, 105 (1990)] (in which the critical temperature is proportional to the square root of the degree of polymerization), the molecular closures predict a linear dependence of the critical temperature on the degree of polymerization, in agreement with classical mean field theory. Detailed numerical calculations using the reference molecular mean spherical approximation (R‐MMSA) and the reference molecular Percus–Yevick (R‐MPY) closures are presented for the intermolecular structure and effective chi parameter in symmetric blends of semiflexible chains. For the symmetric blend, the R‐MMSA closure is almost an integral equation realization of mean field theory, consisten...
Effects of Weather Variables on the Prices of Great Plains Cropland.

Abstract The market price of land intended for agricultural use is closely and directly related to its long-term productivity which depends, inter alia, upon regional climatology and the individual farm's soil quality. Low-quality soils, consistently low precipitation, and/or high frequency of damaging hail are therefore negatively capitalized into land values. A market-price function for cropland was formulated in terms of indices for hail frequency and severity, precipitation and temperature during the growing season, along with a number of non-weather variables including soil quality, extent of irrigation, degree of urbanization, and effective tax rates. Detailed information for 577 land transactions during the years 1968 through 1973 was obtained from courthouse files and detailed soil surveys covering 12 counties in Colorado and Nebraska. Values of all of the variables in the price function were then calculated for each transaction. Multiple regression techniques were used to estimate the extent to w...
Enhancement of Radiation Killing of Cultured Mammalian Cells by Cordycepin

Asynchronous populations of rat hepatoma cells (H4) in log-phase growth survived a 3-hour exposure to cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), and RNA antimetabolite, in a simple exponential fashion with a 'DO' of 43.8 microM/l. When cordycepin-treated cells were exposed to X-irradiation, the resultant survival levels were much lower than one would expect were the agents simply additive. Patterns of X-ray survival of cells treated with cordycepin were dependent on drug concentration, the predominant effect being to decrease the DO of the X-ray survival curve. The increased sensitivity of cells exposed to cordycepin to subsequent X-ray treatment persists for longer than 4 hours after drug administration. Although immediate cordycepin post-treatment of X-irradiated cells is less effective than pre-treatment, the interaction is still significant. Cordycepin treatment did not appear to reduce split-dose recovery or to inhibit the rejoining of single-strand breaks as measured by DNA sedimentation in alkaline-sucrose gradients.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in adolescents: severity and impairment.

Abstract Objectives Identify the presence of patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in an adolescent gynecology practice, and evaluate the reported severity, impairment and timing of the symptoms in the menstrual cycle. Methods Adolescents ages 13–18 years completed a symptom questionnaire, functional impairment ratings, and a brief medical history questionnaire during an office visit. Teens who responded that they had PMS and reported a premenstrual symptom score at least 50% greater than the postmenstrual score and rated moderate to severe impairment in one or more domains comprised the “PMS” group. Teens who responded that they had PMS but did not meet the symptom and impairment criteria were termed “PMS not supported.” Teens who responded that they did not have PMS and did not meet the PMS symptom and impairment criteria were termed “No PMS.” Results Study participants (n = 94) had a mean age of 16.5 years (±1.3 SD); 31% met the criteria for the PMS group, 54% said they had PMS but did not meet criteria, and 15% clearly had no PMS. In the PMS group, the most severe symptoms were mood swings, anxiety, and irritability, with the greatest impairment in the home/family domain. Dysmenorrhea and the duration of PMS were significantly associated ( P Conclusions The reports of premenstrual symptoms, their severity, timing and impairment suggest that PMS is common in adolescents. Further study is warranted to confirm these results with prospective assessment of PMS and to evaluate treatments for adolescents who have clinically significant PMS.
Implicit computations of unsteady transonic flow governed by the full-potential equation in conservation form

An alternating-direction implicit algorithm is presented for solving the conservative, full-potential equation for unsteady, transonic flow. A new development is the time-linearization of the density function. This linearization reduces the solution process from one of solving a system of two equations at each mesh point to one of solving a single equation. Two sample cases are computed. First, a one-dimensional traveling shock wave is computed and compared with the analytic solution. Second, a two-dimensional case is computed of a flow field that results from a thickening and subsequently thinning airfoil. The resulting flow field, which includes a traveling shock wave, is compared to the flow field obtained from the low-frequency, small-disturbance, transonic equation.
Massively parallel processing of spatial statistics

Abstract Statistical measures of spatial association have significant computational requirements when large data sets are analysed. In this paper, a measure of spatial association, G(d), is used to illustrate how a massively parallel computer can be used to address the computational requirements of spatial statistical analysis. The statistical algorithms were implemented using two MasPar MP-1 computers, one with 8192 and the other with 16834 processors, and an MP-2 machine with 4096 processors. The results demonstrate that substantial reductions in processing times can be achieved using massively parallel architectures: when compared to a superscalar workstation, speed-up values in excess of 20 were obtained. The design of parallel programmes, however, requires careful planning since many factors under programmer control affect the efficiency of the resulting computations.
Intravenous fluid choices in critically ill children.

Purpose of review To review the past year's literature, and selected prior literature relevant to these most recent findings, regarding intravenous fluid choices in the management of critically ill children. Recent findings Twenty-eight publications were identified using the keywords pediatrics and intravenous fluid in the PubMed database. The subjects identified included intravenous fluid choices related to perioperative maintenance fluid management, rehydration for dehydration related to diarrhea losses, rehydration in diabetic ketoacidosis, intravenous fluid needs during mechanical ventilation, use of intravenous fluids as hyperosmolar agents in traumatic brain injury, isotonic fluid bolus resuscitation for sepsis-related capillary leak syndrome-induced hypovolemic shock, maintenance intravenous fluid and blood transfusion for malaria-associated euvolemic severe anemia shock, isotonic fluid and blood boluses for trauma-induced hemorrhagic shock, and isotonic fluid boluses and generous maintenance infusion for burn resuscitation. Summary Because intravenous fluid can be helpful or harmful, it can only be safely done in critically ill children when using state-of-the-art monitoring of patient volume, electrolyte, osmolarity, pH, and glucose status.
Solid phase synthesis of bifunctional antibodies

Bifunctional antibodies were prepared using the principle of solid-phase synthesis. The two Fab′ fragments were chemically linked together via a bismaleimide crosslinking reagent. The F(ab′)2 fragments from intact IgG were prepared using an immobilized pepsin column. Goat, mouse and human antibodies were digested completely within 4 h. The F(ab′)2 fragments thus produced did not contain any IgG impurities. The Fab′ fragments were produced by reducing the inter-heavy chain disulfide bonds using 2-mercaptoethylamine. The use of the solid-phase reactor in the preparation of the bifunctional antibodies eliminated many of the time-consuming separation steps between the fragmentation and conjugation steps. This procedure facilitates the automation of the bifunctional antibody preparation and the rapid optimization of reaction conditions.
Differential Expression of Liver Interleukin-6 Receptor-?? in Female Versus Male Ethanol-Consuming Rats

: Background: It is well known that women are more susceptible to alcoholic liver disease (ALD) than men, and inflammation is thought to play a major role in alcohol-induced liver injury. Increased circulating levels of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 are a marker for serious ALD in humans. However, IL-6 also has protective effects, such as induction of liver regeneration and inhibition of hepatocyte apoptosis. Although the roles of IL-6 in ALD have begun to be established, little is known about the expression of its receptor (IL-6Rα) during chronic alcohol administration. Methods: Male and female rats were intragastrically fed ethanol or control isocaloric liquid diet for 2 and 4 weeks. Liver samples were collected, and gene expression was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Results: Herein, we show clear gender differences in alcohol-induced liver IL-6Rα expression. Analysis of rat liver samples showed that ethanol consumption significantly increased IL-6Rα messenger RNA and protein expression in females as compared with similarly treated males after 2 and 4 weeks. Increased STAT3 phosphorylation in the livers of ethanol-consuming females also indicated greater IL-6Rα activation in these animals. Conversely, ethanol-consuming males displayed increased IκB messenger RNA and protein expression, which may inhibit IL-6R expression, compared with females. Conclusions: Given the association of inflammation with ethanol-induced liver damage, these data may offer insight into a possible mechanism by which females develop more severe ALD than males.
Measuring Knowledge Integration Learning of Energy Topics: A two-year longitudinal study

Although researchers call for inquiry learning in science, science assessments rarely capture the impact of inquiry instruction. This paper reports on the development and validation of assessments designed to measure middle-school students’ progress in gaining integrated understanding of energy while studying an inquiry-oriented curriculum. The assessment development was guided by the knowledge integration framework. Over 2 years of implementation, more than 4,000 students from 4 schools participated in the study, including a cross-sectional and a longitudinal cohort. Results from item response modeling analyses revealed that: (a) the assessments demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity; (b) both the cross-sectional and longitudinal cohorts made progress on integrating their understanding energy concepts; and (c) among many factors (e.g. gender, grade, school, and home language) associated with students’ science performance, unit implementation was the stronge...
Process operation near an unstable steady state using nonlinear feedback control

Abstract Process performance is sometimes best at an unstable steady state. Following a new control philosophy, stable operation near an unstable steady state can be realized using a relay with hysteresis as a feedback controller. Properly designed, this control scheme produces a stable, small amplitude oscillation in the neighborhood of the desired state. Approximate solutions for such oscillations can be obtained by Tsypkin's method or Describing Function analysis. Comparisons of these solutions with exact simulation results for an example reveal that replacing the relay with the describing function is a major source of error in the approximate analysis.
The Influence of Resistant Apple Scions on the Susceptibility of Non-Resistant Stocks With Relation to Woolly Aphid Attacks

Northern spy has long been known as an apple variety fairly free from woolly aphid attack. The problem was to determine the influence this variety had on susceptible stock when used as a top graft or as an intermediate scion. The results of this study show that there is very little if any positive influence.
Identifying and Avoiding Sensitive Habitats in Petroleum Operations

Defining and understanding the habitats in which a company is operating is a key step toward the reduction of impacts on biodiversity. Identification of vegetation types is a commonly-used method for mapping an area of operations, and these vegetation types are often used as a surrogate for plant and animal habitats, but defining these types too finely may result in limited biological importance of these types for plants and animals, and may complicate the conservation planning process. Instead, habitat maps based on more coarse-scale but biologically important data such as elevation and geologic history can result in more useful maps of plant and animal communities and can lead to better land management during operations. We created habitat maps for Blocks 39 and 57 in northeastern and south central Peru, respectively, using Landsat imagery and elevation data. In Block 39, three different geological formations, or habitat types, were identified in the map, while four were identified in Block 57. In order to confirm that the habitats identified in this study are biologically distinct in terms of plant and animal communities, CCES researchers assessed soil samples and a variety of taxonomic groups including ferns, birds, bats, amphibians and reptiles in each. The protocol requires a minimum of five days sampling for each taxonomic group in a minimum of four different areas within each distinct habitat in order to ensure thorough data collection. We then use this data to test and redefine the boundaries of habitats, and to identify habitats with communities of plants and animals of special conservation concern. In the cases of Blocks 39 and 57, recommendations were made to the company regarding where to avoid or limit operations, in order to reduce negative impacts on special habitats and improve the likelihood and cost-effectiveness of habitat restoration post-operations.
Introduction of the H-2Dk gene into a class I-negative tumor cell line confers interferon-γ inducibility upon the silent endogenous H-2Kk gene

Kgv cells do not constitutively express class I mRNA or protein. Interferon (IFN)-gamma, but not IFN-alpha/beta, induces H-2Dk expression. IFN does not induce H-2Kk expression. We examined constitutive and IFN-inducible class I expression on Kgv cells stably transfected with genomic clones of H-2Kk or H-2Dk and on somatic cell hybrid lines constructed between Kgv cells and constitutively class I-positive cells of a distinguishable H-2 haplotype. Our results suggest that both the lack of constitutive class I expression and the inability of IFN-alpha/beta to induce class I expression on Kgv cells are primarily due to cis-regulatory mechanisms. However, stable introduction of the H-2Dk gene into Kgv cells conferred IFN-gamma inducibility upon the silent endogenous H-2Kk gene. Therefore, the failure of IFN-gamma to induce H-2Kk expression on Kgv cells is due, at least in part, to a trans-regulatory mechanism.
Developmental regulation of spatio-temporal patterns of cortical circuit activation

Neural circuits are refined in an experience-dependent manner during early postnatal development. How development modulates the spatio-temporal propagation of activity through cortical circuits is poorly understood. Here we use voltage sensitive dye imaging (VSD) to show that there are significant changes in the spatio-temporal patterns of intracortical signals in primary visual cortex from postnatal day 13 (P13), eye opening, to P28, the peak of the critical period for rodent visual cortical plasticity. Upon direct stimulation of layer 4 (L4), activity spreads to L2/3 and to L5 at all ages. However, while from eye opening to the peak of the critical period, the amplitude and persistence of the voltage signal decrease, peak activation is reached more quickly and the interlaminar gain increases with age. The lateral spread of activation within layers remains unchanged throughout the time window under analysis. These developmental changes in spatio-temporal patterns of intracortical circuit activation are mediated by differences in the contributions of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic components. Our results demonstrate that after eye opening the circuit in primary visual cortex is refined through a progression of changes that shape the spatio-temporal patterns of circuit activation. Signals become more efficiently propagated across layers through developmentally regulated changes in interlaminar gain.
Effects of sleep restriction, sleep inertia, and overload on complex cognitive performance before and after workload transition: a meta analysis and two models

We describe performance models and meta-analytic data in a period before and after an unexpected workload transition typical, for example, of a catastrophic automation failure, experienced by a fatigued operator. We first present meta-analytic findings on the effects of sleep restriction and sleep inertia on the complex cognitive performance that might typify such a “failure response”. We then present a workload overload task management model whose parameters are based on meta-analyses, relevant to predicting multi-task performance in the post-transition phase performance (independent of sleep disruption effects). We cite the lack of research intersecting these two areas.
Nuclear magnetic resonance in LiF

Abstract The line width of the nuclear magnetic resonance in a single crystal of LiF has been observed as 11 G for 7 Li and 12 G for 19 F; these values are constant with temperature between 1.4 and 80°K. The spin-lattice relaxation time, T 1 , has been measured by observing the exponential growth of the absorption signal after saturation. The value of T 1 for 7 Li is 3.6 × 10 4 sec at 14°K and is 7.8 × 10 2 sec at 80°K; for 19 F the value of T 1 is 1.8 × 10 4 sec at 1.4 °K and is 3.0 × 10 2 sec at 80°K. These values are for a steady field of 4 kG.
The interrelationship of student ratings of instructors' immediacy, verbal aggressiveness, homophily, and interpersonal attraction

This study explored the relationships of immediacy and verbal aggression with homophily and interpersonal attraction in the instructional context. Immediacy was negatively related to verbal aggression and positively related to all dimensions of homophily and interpersonal attraction. Verbal aggression was also found to be negatively related to both dimensions of homophily and all three dimensions of interpersonal attraction. It is recommended that the relationship between verbal aggression and immediacy be examined in greater detail, including possible’ interactions between these variables and various instructional outcomes.