cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exposure to CYP3A4-inducing and CYP3A4-non-inducing antiepileptic agents and the risk of fractures.

Purpose To evaluate whether exposure to Cytochrome P450, family 3, subfamily A, polypeptide 4 (CYP3A4)-inducing antiepileptics increases fracture risk compared to CYP3A4-non-inducing antiepileptics. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of initiators of antiepileptic agents using a UK medical record database (The Health Improvement Network) from 1995 to 2007. We considered an antiepileptic user an initiator if he or she had not received a prescription for an antiepileptic agent within the first year after entry in the database. Proportional hazards regression was used to calculate hazard ratios for fracture during long-term (≥6 months) exposure to CYP3A4 inducing versus CYP3A4 non-inducing antiepileptics. Results We identified 4077 initiators of CYP3A4-inducing antiepileptics and 6433 initiators of CYP3A4-non-inducing antiepileptics with at least 6 months of antiepileptic exposure. During 6006 person-years exposed to CYP3A4-inducing antiepileptics, 118 fractures were identified for an incidence rate of 1.96 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.63–2.35) fractures per 100 person-years. During 7184 person-years exposed to CYP3A4-non-inducing antiepileptics, 127 fractures were identified, for an incidence rate of 1.77 (95% CI: 1.47–2.10) fractures per 100 person-years. The adjusted hazard ratio for CYP3A4-inducing antiepileptic versus CYP3A4-non-inducing antiepileptic was 1.21 (95% CI: 0.93–1.56). No duration–response relationship was evident. Conclusions Our results do not support the hypothesis that CYP3A4 induction by antiepileptic agents increases the fracture risk. Further research will be needed to evaluate whether mechanisms other than CYP3A4 induction might explain some of the elevated risk of fractures associated with long-term use of antiepileptic agents. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Changes in Enrollment and Applications to Graduate Schools of Social Work: 1972-1982

Abstract This study reexamines changes in enrollments and applications to graduate schools of social work. The reexamination was necessitated by flaws in earlier investigations of this critical topic. On the aggregate levels, the results of this secondary data analysis demonstrate that there has been a reduction in the proportion of potential students who earned MSWs in recent years, thus supporting the hypothesis that there has been a decline in interest. The analysis by individual schools makes it apparent that the experiences are more diverse and complex than previously thought and calls into question the type of school which is the most attractive. Data about concomitant changes in faculty size are included.
The Underrepresentation of Women in Elective Office

Despite the inroads women have made in American politics in recent decades, women still hold far fewer elective offices than men. This raises the question of why women fall short in this important mode of political engagement. Early research on this question emphasized the obstacles created by gender socialization, women's underrepresentation in the professions most likely to produce candidates, and women's family and household responsibilities. Scholars have also found that some voters use gender stereotypes in evaluating candidates. Importantly, however, the average female candidate wins the same percentage of the vote as the average male candidate, and that fact has become the basis for the widespread belief that voters are not systematically biased against female candidates—that the cause of women's underrepresentation must lie elsewhere. Cutting-edge political science research has found that women are less likely than men to even consider running for office, that recruiters prefer to recruit male candidates over female candidates, and that primary races that feature female candidates attract larger numbers of challengers than all-male primary races. But other cutting-edge work suggests that the widely accepted conclusion that voters harbor no bias against female candidates is likely incorrect. Future research will likely reevaluate this conclusion using new approaches and methods and will also delve deeper into the question of why women are less politically ambitious than men. These lines of inquiry will likely borrow insights from psychology, sociology, and economics, as well as the political science literature on race. Keywords: women; female; gender; politics; election; candidate; representation; voter; socialization; stereotype
What Law Schools Are Doing to Accommodate Students with Learning Disabilities

The year 2000 marks the tenth anniversary of the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). It also marks a quarter century since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (“EAHCA”). The EAHCA opened the doors for disabled children to receive a free and appropriate education. As a result of this special education law, many disabled young people were able to succeed and are now knocking at law schools' doors seeking admission.On July 26, 1990, Congress enacted the ADA, a landmark civil rights bill designed to open up all aspects of American life to individuals with disabilities. The stated purpose of this federal law is to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The focus of the ADA is to furnish strong and consistent standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, Congress bestows on the federal government the primary responsibility for enforcing the standards established by the ADA. Law schools face the challenge of providing disabled students reasonable accommodations in a fair and equitable manner. Disabled law students are demanding academic modifications in course examinations -- claiming to be persons with mental and physical disabilities. Law schools, by virtue of the entitlements under the ADA, are witnessing requests for exam modifications, including: changes in exam format; additional test time to complete an exam; and test relocation for environmental control purposes.This article discusses and analyzes court decisions addressing reasonable accommodations in the academic arena of law school examinations. The text illustrates the impact of the ADA and the direction courts are heading as they tackle this difficult and important area of law. In a prior study, eighty law schools from across the country were surveyed to obtain data and elicit their opinions on questions relating to academic modifications. The empirical data is intended to serve as a backdrop for elaboration and comparison of these and other questions. The significant number of disabled students seeking academic modifications in their law school education warrants such an inquiry. Law schools continue to grapple with claims from disabled students for fair and equitable treatment. An additional concern is the desire to avoid a backlash from the non-disabled students who want to prevent providing disabled students an unfair advantage in the law school setting.
Analog readout system with charge division type output

Charge division readout provides a relatively simple electronic solution for data readout of position sensitive radiation detectors. Conventional charge division usually consists of some charge division media connected to the detector outputs to provide proportional charge division between two division chain outputs. Although offering some advantages such as simplicity and the reduction of the number of analog outputs, it reduces the detector spatial resolution and image quality, because of signal to noise reduction from the attenuation of the signal before reaching the amplifiers. An analog readout system with functionally the same output as common charge division, but without a division chain connected to the detector outputs before signal amplification was designed and evaluated. This readout system operates as a multi-channel analog signal converter which converts signals from multi-channel output position sensitive devices such as multianode PMTs or gamma cameras built of PSPMT arrays etc. to two per coordinate analog outputs with same amplitude correlation as common charge division position readout.
Substance P and Neurotensin: Discovery, Isolation, Chemical Characterization and Physiological Studies

During the course of work directed towards the purification of a corticotro-pin-releasing factor, two other biological active substances were discovered in bovine hypothalamic extracts: one a sialogogic peptide, the other a vaso-active substance easily separated from the sialogogic agent by ion-exchange chromotography. The sialogogic peptide was subsequently characterized as substance P (SP); the other substance, also a peptide, was named neurotensin (NT). These peptides were isolated, their amino acid sequences determined (substance P; arg-pro-lys-pro-gln-gln-phe-phe-gly-leu-met-NH 2 ; neurotensin: in vivo from mammalian spinal cord after activation of nociceptive afferents. Neurotensin is also unevenly distributed throughout the CNS and is present in the GI tract. Neurotensin containing cells have been demonstrated scattered throughout the small intestinal epithelium of every mammalian and avian species. The concentration of immunoreactive NT has been measured to increase in hepatic portal vein plasma after infusing a micellar solution of lipid through the small intestine of rats. Neurotensin has been demonstrated to be present in a cell line derived from a rat medullary thyroid carcinoma permitting studies on the regulation of neurotensin release from these cells in culture.
Infection and cancer in multicellular organisms

Evolutionary considerations suggest that oncogenic infections should be pervasive among animal species. Infection-associated cancers are well documented in humans and domestic animals, less commonly reported in undomesticated captive animals, and rarely documented in nature. In this paper, we review the literature associating infectious agents with cancer to evaluate the reasons for this pattern. Non-malignant infectious neoplasms occur pervasively in multicellular life, but oncogenic progression to malignancy is often uncertain. Evidence from humans and domestic animals shows that non-malignant infectious neoplasms can develop into cancer, although generally with low frequency. Malignant neoplasms could be difficult to find in nature because of a low frequency of oncogenic transformation, short survival after malignancy and reduced survival prior to malignancy. Moreover, the evaluation of malignancy can be ambiguous in nature, because criteria for malignancy may be difficult to apply consistently across species. The information available in the literature therefore does not allow for a definitive assessment of the pervasiveness of infectious cancers in nature, but the presence of infectious neoplasias and knowledge about the progression of benign neoplasias to cancer is consistent with a widespread but largely undetected occurrence.
Deep submicron device isolation with high scalability and manufacturability for ULSI

An isolation scheme employing a reactive-ion etch directly into field oxide to define the isolation areas is presented. This technique features process simplicity, no field thinning at narrow isolation spacings, negligible pattern transfer difference, freedom from defects and narrow-width effects, and excellent electrical isolation and active device characteristics. This technology has been proved to be highly scalable and manufacturable for deep-submicron ULSI (ultra-large-scale integration). >
IL-18 binding and inhibition of interferon γ induction by human poxvirus-encoded proteins

Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) is a common, human poxvirus that causes small papular skin lesions that persist for long periods without signs of inflammation. Previous studies revealed that MCV encodes a family of proteins with homology to mammalian IL-18 binding proteins. IL-18 is a proinflammatory cytokine that induces synthesis of interferon γ, activates NK cells, and is required for a T-lymphocyte helper type 1 response. We expressed and purified the proteins encoded by the MC53L and MC54L genes of MCV, as well as their human and murine homologs. All four recombinant proteins were able to bind with high affinity to human and murine IL-18 molecules and inhibited IL-18 mediated interferon γ production in a dose-dependent manner. The pirating of IL-18 binding proteins by poxviruses and their use as decoy receptors is consistent with the critical role of IL-18 in defense against virus infections and provides a mechanism for evasion of the immune system by MCV.
Isolated vaginal recurrences of endometrial carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The authors undertook this study to evaluate the results of radiation therapy (RT) for vaginal recurrence in early stage endometrial carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1964 and 1987, 34 patients with isolated vaginal recurrences of endometrial carcinoma were treated with RT. The records were reviewed for outcome and prognostic factors, such as location of tumor recurrence, time to recurrence, size of tumor at recurrence, tumor differentiation, and total radiation dose delivered at RT. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 48 months, the 5-year actuarial survival and disease-free survival rates were 68% +/- 4 and 60% +/- 3, respectively. Results were statistically significant for some prognostic factors, including time to tumor recurrence and total radiation dose delivered at RT to the recurring tumor. CONCLUSION: Long-term survival can be obtained for patients with an isolated vaginal recurrence of endometrial cancer treated with aggressive local-regional radiation therapy.
Studies on the Regulation of Colicin Ib Synthesis: Replication of the Col Ib-P9 Plasmid During Colicin Induction

The Col Ib-P9 plasmid content of colicinogenic cells has been measured by both sedimentation analysis of cleared lysates and by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization to purified Col Ib-P9 factor deoxyribonucleic acid. The results show an independence between mitomycin C-induced colicin synthesis and Col Ib-P9 replication. In addition, the ratio of the various molecular configurations (i.e., covalently closed circles or open circles) of the Col Ib-P9 plasmid does not change upon induction of colicin synthesis. Heat treatment of a colicinogenic strain carrying a thermosensitive dnaB mutation on the bacterial chromosome leads to complete inhibition of Col Ib-P9 plasmid replication and the simultaneous induction of colicin Ib synthesis in all cells of the colicinogenic population. These studies rule out mechanisms or regulation of colicin Ib synthesis based on the induced replication of the Col Ib-P9 plasmid. Our studies show that in a Col Ib-P9 colicinogenic population there is, on the average, one plasmid per cell.
Ideology, Institutions and Ideas: Explaining Political Change in Venezuela

This article scrutinises the links between patterns and modes of political participation and the emergence of Bolivarianism in Venezuela in the early 1990s. I study how Bolivarianism triumphed over competing projects in a period characterised by widespread unrest and its relationship to the Punto-Fijo institutional structure it overthrew. I argue that the ideas of Bolivarianism are derived from contradictions inherent to the existing institutions, and can only be understood in relation to the values and practices embedded in them, which Bolivarianism aimed to replace.
Genetic vaccination for re-establishing T-cell tolerance in type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease resulting in the destruction of the insulin-secreting β cells. Currently, there is no established clinical approach to effectively suppress long-term the diabetogenic response. Genetic-based vaccination offers a general strategy to reestablish β-cell specific tolerance within the T-cell compartment. The transfer of genes encoding β-cell autoantigens, anti-inflammatory cytokines and/or immunomodulatory proteins has proven to be effective at preventing and suppressing the diabetogenic response in animal models of T1D. The current review will discuss genetic approaches to prevent and treat T1D with an emphasis on plasmid DNA- and adeno-associated virus-based vaccines.
Recent Advances in Amelogenin Biochemistry

This paper reviews advances in amelogenin biochemistry in three areas; (i) amelogenin expression; (ii) amelogenin post-translational and post-secretory processing, and (iii) amelogenin structure and function. Recent studies of amelogenin expression have demonstrated that alternative-splicing of mouse amelogenin RNA generates seven distinct mRNAs, coding for amelogenin proteins from 194 to 44 amino acid residues in length. A polyclonal antibody to a sequence of the 194-residue murine amelogenin identified this protein in vivo. While several studies have reported that amelogenins are post-translationally phosphorylated, it has proved difficult to confirm this view. Mass spectrometry studies of bovine and porcine TRAP and LRAP amelogenins have established a phosphoserine residue at position-16 as originally reported by Takagi et al. for a 180-residue bovine amelogenin. Also, we discovered that the detailed mechanism(s) of carboxy-terminal amelogenin proteolytic processing appear different than previously reported. In terms of amelogenin structure, it is well known that amelogenins form aggregated structures. Studies employing a recombinant amelogenin and dynamic light-scattering instrumentation demonstrated aggregate structures of 15-20 nm in radius, corresponding to a mass of 2-3 million daltons. Imaging these aggregates by transmission electron and atomic force microscopy suggested that these structures are equivalent to the "stippled" or "granular" material seen in electron photomicrographs of developing enamel. Collectively, these advances in amelogenin biochemistry lead to a new view of amelogenin structure, processing and functions in enamel biomineralization.
Dehydration and survival of the European house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

The critical equilibrium activity (humidity) for female, European house dust mites was found to be 0.73. Standardized females and males were found to weigh 5.83 ± 0.161μg and 3.48 ± 0.18μg, respectively. Using tritium-labeled water (HTO) as a tracer, both males and females were found to exchange water with the ambient air from a large and a small water compartment. Transpiration rate constants for each compartment were determined. Males transpire water at greater rates than females. LT50ʼs for 40% and 50% RH and 28°, 31° and 34°C ranged from 1.82 to 3.43 days. LT50ʼs for males were smaller than for females.
Localization of adenylate cyclase during development of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract Cyclic AMP is known to function as the chemo-tactic signal during aggregation of single-celled amoebae of the cellular slime mold Dictyosteliwn discoideum. Evidence from several laboratories has accumulated suggesting that cAMP also acts as a regulatory molecule during Dictyostelium multicellular differentiation. We have used ultra-microtechniques and a sensitive radioimmunoassay in the localization of adenylate cyclase, the cAMP synthetic enzyme, during the development of Dictyostelium. We demonstrate that adenylate cyclase activity is localized in the pre-spore cells of the culminating individual with no activity detectable in the prestalk region. We show that this lack of activity in the stalk may be due to a masking by an endogenous inhibitor of the enzyme. Within the spore mass we found an increasing gradient of enzyme activity toward the base. These data, along with that from the localization of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, indicate that an enzymatic potential exists for the creation of cAMP gradients during development in the organism. Such a gradient may provide positional information necessary to direct the terminal differentiation of spore and stalk cells.
Toxic effects of hypoxia on neonatal cardiac function in the rat: α-adrenergic mechanisms

Abstract Stimulation of peripheral α-adrenergic receptors by circulating catecholamines derived from the adrenal medulla is essential for surviving neonatal hypoxia. In 1-day-old rats, where sympathetic innervation of cardiovascular sites has not yet developed, blockade of these receptors results in failure of cardiac performance from a progressive decline in sinus rate and atrioventricular conduction deficits. These effects are absent in 8-day-old rats, where sympathetic efferent innervation has become established.
Anatomical organization of retinotectal afferents in the cat: An autodiographic study

The distribution of retinotectal afferents has been studied by autoradiography in 4 adult cats. The findings suggest that crossed and uncrossed retinal fibers terminate in a striking cluster-and-sheet pattern that varies systematically with respect to the retinotopic map of the colliculus. Following unilateral eye injection, labelling was most pronounced in the contralateral colliculus but a suprising volume of label appeared on the ipsilateral side in all cases in the form of dense clumps of silver grains separated by sparsely labelled zones. The contralateral projection appeared densest in the most superficial of the 3 laminae of the stratum griseum superficiale; appreciable labelling was present also in the middle lamina at all survival times used (23-72 h). Near the area centralis representation labelling in both contralateral tiers weakened markedly and local gaps appeared densest in the more dorsal band. Elsewhere, labelling in this dorsal band was generally dense, though sharply interrupted at the optic disc representation and in a curious, elongated lateral zone at mid-collicular levels. In the caudal half of the binocular zone rarefications or 'holes', about 200 mum wide, appeared in the more ventral tier between more densely labelled zones of roughly similar width. On the ipsilateral side, labelling was sparse or absent at the rostral and caudal collicular poles, and was also weak in the region of the area centralis representation save for occasional very superficial grain-clusters. Farther caudally, however, prominent approx. 200 mum wide 'puffs' of label marked the middle lamina of the superficial gray layer. The puffs were most regular in shape in the caudal half of the ipsilateral zone and these were spaced at roughly 200 mum intervals. Puffs lateral to the horizontal meridian representation tended to lie more dorsal than those medial to this line and some of the most lateral puffs at mid-collicular levels invaded the upper lamina of the superficial gray layer. The optic disc representation was marked by a column of label extending through the upper and middle laminae. Similar experiments in cat fetuses suggest that these staggered--and possible even complementary--patterns of crossed and uncrossed retinotectal projection are innate: ipsilateral 'puffs' of labelling and contralateral 'holes' appear in the superior colliculus at least one week before term, as does the ipsilateral filling-in and contralateral gap at the optic disc representation. These observations suggest that in the cat, a vertical as well as horizontal organization may characterize the superficial layers of the superior colliculus. The additional finding of a similar, interrupted puff-like pattern of labelling in the stratum griseum medium following injections in the region of the substantia nigra makes it likely that a somewhat comparable cluster-and-sheet organization may exist also in the deep collicular layers.
Optimal tool replacement with nondecreasing tool wear

This paper addresses the problem of optimal tool replacement, specifically the selection of the optimal initial tool setting and the tool replacement cycle. A tool replacement model is derived by assuming tool wear is the most important factor affecting machining accuracy. The economic loss due to the deviation of a part from its target value is characterized by a quadratic function. The model is based on an empirical approach and does not attempt to explain the underlying physics of tool wear.
The relationship between four health-related quality-of-life indicators and use of mammography and Pap test screening in US women.

Limited evidence is available to explain the role of four components of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) on breast and cervical cancer screening. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between four HRQoL aspects and use of mammography and Pap test screening in US women. Data were obtained from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The outcome variables were receiving mammogram <2 versus ≥2 years in women aged 50–74 years, and receiving Pap test <3 versus ≥3 years in women aged 18–64 years. Eight logistic regression models were conducted to test the role of four HRQoL aspects (general health status, physical HRQoL, mental HRQoL, and activity limitation) on the two screening variables, after adjusting for covariates. Statistical analysis accounted for the complex sampling design of the BRFSS, and the a priori alpha error was set at p ≤ 0.05. Among respondents, approximately 74 and 78 % of the women received mammography and Pap test, respectively. Three HRQoL aspects (general health status, physical HRQoL, and activity limitation) were significantly associated with mammography use (all p values < 0.05), whereas two HRQoL aspects (general health status and physical HRQoL) were significantly associated with Pap test (p values ≤ 0.05). All significant relationships demonstrated higher cancer screening rates among individuals with better HRQoL. HRQoL is an important factor associated with use of mammography and Pap test. Future studies should explore the mechanisms associated with an individual’s HRQoL and use HRQoL assessment as an avenue to influence adherence to use of mammography and Pap tests.
Optimal Image Tilings with Application to Video Compression

We build on our previous work on best basis selection algorithms in large tree-structured dictionaries, previously used to construct effective image coders based on block and lapped transforms. In the present paper, we use such algorithms to select the optimal tiling for the motion compensation step in video compression. We illustrate the effectiveness of this approach by showing that our tiling selection method results in up to 18% savings in bit rate as compared to the H.264 tiling selection, for several standard video sequences.
Differential FGF Ligands and FGF Receptors Expression Pattern in Frontal and Parietal Calvarial Bones

The mammalian skull vault consists mainly of 5 flat bones, the paired frontals and parietals, and the unpaired interparietal. All of these bones are formed by intramembranous ossification within a layer of mesenchyme, the skeletogenic membrane, located between the dermal mesenchyme and the meninges surrounding the brain. While the frontal bones are of neural crest in origin, the parietal bones arise from mesoderm. The present study is a characterization of frontal and parietal bones at their molecular level, aiming to highlight distinct differences between the neural crest-derived frontal and mesodermal-derived parietal bone. We performed a detailed comparative gene expression profile of FGF ligands and their receptors known to play crucial role in skeletogenesis. This analysis revealed that a differential expression pattern of the major FGF osteogenic molecules and their receptors exists between the neural crest-derived frontal bone and the paraxial mesoderm-derived parietal bone. Particularly, the expression of ligands such as Fgf-2, Fgf-9 and Fgf-18 was upregulated in frontal bone on embryonic day 17.5, postnatal day 1 and postnatal day 60 mice. Frontal bone also elaborated higher levels of Fgf receptor 1, 2 and 3 transcripts versus parietal bone. Taken together, these data suggest that the frontal bone is a domain with higher FGF-signaling competence than parietal bone.
Peralkaline and metaluminous mixed-liquid ignimbrites of the Guadalajara region, Mexico

Abstract Two widespread ignimbrites, the 4.8-Ma San Gaspar ignimbrite and the 3.3-Ma Guadalajara ignimbrite, are distinctive units in the Guadalajara region, Mexico. Both ignimbrites contain fiamme of two distinct compositions and in some fiamme two glasses are intricately intermixed, indicating that two magmas were erupted simultaneously. The metaluminous San Gaspar ignimbrite is characterized by high-K dacite fiamme containing abundant phenocrysts of andesine, augite, hypersthene, hornblende, and biotite, and greatly subordinate shards and small aphyric fiamme of colorless rhyodacitic glass. Geothermometry based on coexisting mafic phenocrysts indicates pre-eruptive magma temperatures of about 1000°C. Conversion of common hornblende to oxyhornblende at the top of the ignimbrite, revesiculation of larger fiamme, and dense welding throughout the ignimbrite are indicative of high emplacement temperature. The Guadalajara ignimbrite contains in nearly equal proportions aphyric, peralkaline rhyolite and sparsely porphyritic, peralkaline, low-silica rhyolite. Several Plio-Pleistocene occurrences of peralkaline volcanism in the western portion of the dominantly calc-alkaline Mexican Neovolcanic Belt suggest that locally this zone accommodates extension, which may be related to opening of the Gulf of California.
Seroprevalence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in Dogs in the United States

Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an obligate intracellular microsporidian parasite that can result in clinical and subclinical infection in many species. It is also considered the cause of a potential zoonotic disease. In the present study, a serological survey was conducted using samples from pet dogs in the state of Florida. Twenty-seven of 125 serum samples, or 21.6%, were found to demonstrate reactivity by ELISA, with titers ranging from 1:32 to 1:512. There were no significant differences by age or sex. This is the first report on the detection of E. cuniculi antibodies in dogs in the United States.
An experimental investigation of the biaxial strength of IM6/3501-6 carbon/epoxy cross-ply laminates using cruciform specimens

Abstract Several variations of a thickness-tapered cruciform specimen have previously been used to experimentally determine the biaxial strength of an AS4/3501-6 carbon/epoxy cross-ply laminate. The present work represents a follow-up study of the original specimen design, and incorporates numerous specimen improvements made in an attempt to generate more accurate biaxial results. A total of 52 tests were performed at numerous biaxial stress ratios, utilizing six different specimen configurations. The experimental data generated in the present study for all specimen geometries, as well as a complete biaxial failure envelope in σ1–σ2 stress space for this laminate configuration, are presented. A desirable failure mode in the gage section of the specimen was achieved for all specimens tested in the present study, indicating that accurate biaxial stress states were being generated at ultimate specimen failure. The ability of the thickness-tapered cruciform specimen to determine the biaxial strength of composite materials at any stress ratio has been demonstrated.
Transcription-dependent polyubiquitination of RNA polymerase II requires lysine 63 of ubiquitin.

Lysine-63-linked polyubiquitin chains are not thought to signal protein degradation but instead signal for a variety of cellular processes including some types of DNA repair. RNA polymerase (Pol) II is polyubiquitinated following DNA damage or upon treatment of nuclear extracts with the transcription inhibitor α-amanitin. Here, we report, using a reaction in vitro, that transcription-dependent polyubiquitination of RNA Pol II consists of lysine-63-linked chains. This modification is specific for RNA Pol II engaged in active transcription and arrested by α-amanitin.
Study of the Stability of Secobarbital Sodium Solutions I: Determination of Solubility of Secobarbital as a Function of Solvent and Hydrogen Ion Concentration

The solubility of secobarbital in water at various temperatures was determined and from this information a plot was prepared, log S vs . 1/ T . The linear relationship indicated the adherence of the curve to van't Hoff's equation. From the slope, the heat of solution was calculated and found to be 4358.0 cal./deg./mole. Solubility studies were also undertaken to determine the quantity of secobarbital which would dissolve in various binary solvent systems in which water was always the second solvent. The order of solubility increased from glycerin–propylene glycol–PEG 400–alcohol. Glycerin had very little solubilizing activity for secobarbital even in volume concentrations up to 50 per cent. In a three-component solvent system composed of alcohol: glycerin : water, the glycerin produced a synergistic effect on the dissolution reaction. Finally, the influence of pH on solubility of secobarbital in water alone and in several mixed solvents was ascertained, and the results plotted as solubility curves. It was also demonstrated that alcohol, propylene glycol, glycerin, and PEG 400 suppressed ionization of secobarbital in aqueous solutions. All of the solvents except PEG 400 showed a linear relationship in the solvent concentration studied.
Lipid composition of cultured murine keratinocytes.

The current study was undertaken to determine whether a previously reported murine culture system is an acceptable model for the study of epidermal lipid metabolism. The lipid composition of primary neonatal mouse keratinocyte cultures was determined and compared with that of freshly isolated keratinocytes and whole epidermis. 14C- Labeled arachidonic acid (AA) and linoleic acid (LA) were added to cultures and the incorporation into specific lipids was assessed. The lipid composition of the cultures indicated that they were partially differentiated, which parallels the well-known incomplete keratinization seen in many keratinocyte culture systems. Of particular importance, the LA-rich uniquely epidermal lipids which may be of importance in water barrier function, acylglucosylceramide (AGC) and acylceramide (AC), were made by the cultures. Fatty acid analysis of total lipid, phospholipid, and AGC extracts revealed a significant decrease in LA content compared with the parent epidermis; this may have resulted from the low level of LA in fetal bovine serum, which was the serum source for these cultures. Labeled AA and LA were incorporated into the lipids of cultured keratinocytes in distinct patterns that were consistent with the fatty acid content of the lipids. Both AGC and AC showed preferential uptake of LA compared with AA. There was minimal labeling of non-linoleate-containing lipids and a low degree of conversion of labeled LA to AA. Considering the grossly different environment of the in vitro system compared with the in vivo state, the overall lipid composition was remarkably well maintained. Keratinocyte cultures should be of great value in the study of epidermal lipid metabolism.
THYROID HORMONE KINETICS: IMPROVED METHOD FOR QUANTITATIVE SEPARATION AND MEASUREMENT OF THE VARIOUS RADIOIODINATED SPECIES IN SERUM AFTER RADIOIODOTHYRONINE INJECTION

SUMMARY An accurate and reproducible method for measurement of radioactive species in blood after in vivo injection of labelled iodothyronines is described. By extraction with high-affinity antisera, radioactive reverse T3 and T3 are separated from serum quantitatively. Radioiodide is quantitatively separated from radio-thyronine species and serum proteins by Sephadex G50 filtration. The residual mixture of radio-T4 and iodoprotein is quantitatively resolved by ion-exchange adsorption. Minimal misclassification of radiospecies occurs, and can be corrected for. Mean recoveries of various radiospecies added to serum were: radioiodide 98.9%, radio-rT3 87.6%, radio-l-T3 94.5%, radio-T4 98.0% and radioiodoprotein 94.5%. The performance of the method is superior to that of chemical methods such as trichloracetic acid precipitation, ion-exchange or alkaline Sephadex extraction, and chromatographic separation.
Seeking a rational approach to setting conservation priorities for marine mammals

The U.S. Endangered Species Act establishes categories for endangered and threatened species but provides no criteria for deciding when a species should be listed, delisted, or downlisted. As a result, listing and recovery actions for marine mammals are widely inconsistent. In most cases, Endangered Species Act listing and recovery actions have been done without the benefit of high-quality population assessments and have been based on arbitrary, nonquantitative criteria. A new approach to determining classification criteria for marine mammals is presented, with the North Pacific humpback whale as a test case. The key idea underlying this approach is an attempt to incorporate biological uncertainty explicitly in the definition of threatened and endangered. I sketch the essential ingredients of this new approach and its motivation and use this discussion to illuminate the challenges we face in pursuing conservation in an uncertain and data-poor world.
Effect of Long‐Term, Biennial, Fall‐Applied Anhydrous Ammonia and Nitrapyrin on Soil Nitrification

Long-term dryland wheat plots were established in northwestern Utah and maintained for 8 yr in a 2-yr wheat-fallow rotation. Nitrapyrin [2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl)pyrindine] was applied with anhydrous ammonia (NH 3 ) in the fall preceding wheat growth to retard nitrification. Our objective was to determine the effects of long-term, biennial application of anhydrous NH 3 with and without nitrapyrin on soil nitrification. We were particularly interested in the potential residual effects of the long-term repeated applications of anhydrous NH, and nitrapyrin. Nitrification potentials were measured in control (no added N) soil, or soil fertilized with anhydrous NH 3 with or without nitrapyrin for both rotation phases. Nitrification potentials were higher in soils receiving anhydrous NH, than in the control soil during the cropped rotation. Nitrification potentials in soils receiving anhydrous NH 3 with nitrapyrin were similar to those of the control soils during the entire wheat fallow rotation period. Further, nitrification potentials in soils with a history of nitrapyrin use were significantly lower than in soils without nitrapyrin use when measured after 2 yr. We observed a transient increase in nitrification potentials with the application of anhydrous NH3 that did not last in the fallow year, suggesting that the long-term, biennial application of anhydrous NH 3 at a rate of 50 kg ha -1 had no residual effect on soil nitrifier population size. In contrast, our results suggest that the long-term, biennial application of nitrapyrin did have a residual effect on soil nitrifier populations that lasted at least 2 yr.
International income distribution: comparing new ICP and the existing data

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparison of data on real (purchasing‐power‐parity – PPP) gross domestic product (GDP) per capita recently released by International Comparison Program (ICP) with the numbers reported in World Development Indicators (WDI) and Penn World Tables (PWT) which have been used by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of researchers over many years.Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive comparison is first provided by listing cases of largest absolute and percentage differences between ICP and WDI and PWT numbers. Second, well‐recommended measures of cross‐country inequality in real GDP per capita are computed, and inequality in terms of ICP data are compared with that based on WDI and PWT data.Findings – First, there are huge differences for numerous countries between the ICP numbers and the WDI and PWT data. Second, many of these differences are much larger than the highly publicized cases of China and India. Third, since ICP numbers are more accurate, existing W...
Acuity of Visual Perception of Direction in the Dark for Various Positions of the Eye in the Orbit

Viewing monocularly in a dark room, Ss reported the location of a 4′ 100-msec. flash relative to the location of a fixation target extinguished 3 sec. earlier. In one experiment the flashes were randomly preselected from a horizontal array centered on the fixation target and S reported the horizontal displacement of the flash (left, right, same); fixation was either in primary position or in secondary position 34½° to the right or to the left of primary position. In a second experiment the flashes were randomly preselected from a vertical array centered on the fixation target and S reported the vertical displacement of the flash (above, below, same); fixation was either in primary position or in a secondary position 34¼° above or 23¼° below the fixation target. JNDs were about 20′ of arc in primary position and increased considerably in all secondary positions of fixation. In the first experiment PSEs shifted to the right as fixation position was shifted to the left; in the second experiment PSEs shifted ...
Hybridization between the threatened herb Boltonia decurrens (Asteraceae) and its widespread congener, B. asteroides

Boltonia decurrens (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Wood is a federally threatened herb endemic to the Illinois River floodplain, and currently restricted to fewer than 25 populations. We tested for hybridizat...
Learning from Falling: Retention of Fall‐Resisting Behavior Derived from One Episode of Laboratory‐Induced Slip Training

Preliminary evidence has shown that crucial adaptive skills for resisting falls can be acquired rapidly through a single-session of repeated exposure to slips (perturbation training) induced during sit-to-stand and gait among both young and older adults2. This adaptation to slips was characterized by improving one’s center of mass (COM) stability by an anterior shift of the COM and the increase of its velocity relative to the base of support (BOS) 3. The purpose of this study was to determine whether such acquired fall-resisting motor skills could be retained for at least 6 months among older adults, a population known for general memory decay and age-related sensorimotor deteriorations.
Thouless energy as a unifying concept for Josephson junctions tuned through the Mott metal-insulator transition

The Thouless energy was introduced in the 1970s as a semiclassical energy for electrons diffusing through a finite-sized conductor. It turns out to be an important quantum-mechanical energy scale for many systems ranging from disordered metals to quantum chaos to quantum chromodynamics. In particular, it has been quite successful in describing the properties of Josephson junctions when the barrier is a diffusive normal-state metal. The Thouless energy concept can be generalized to insulating barriers by extracting an energy scale from the two-probe Kubo conductance of a strongly correlated electron system metallic or insulating via a generalized definition of the quantum-mechanical level spacing to many-body systems. This energy scale is known to determine the crossover from tunneling to Ohmic thermally activated transport in normal tunnel junctions. Here we use it to illustrate how the quasiclassical picture of transport in Josephson junctions is modified as the strongly correlated barrier passes through the Mott transition. Surprisingly, we find the quasiclassical form holds well beyond its putative realm of validity.
PATTERNS OF GROWTH IN BIRDS. II. GROWTH RATE AND MODE OF DEVELOPMENT

Summary. This analysis was initiated to examine the relationship between the rate of growth in birds and their development of mature function. The literature was surveyed for data on growth and development, and the growth curves of 81 species were chosen for the analysis. Growth curves of most species were fitted with the Gompertz equation, and the rate constants of the equation were used as an index of the growth rate. For those species whose curves were fitted better by other equations, with a slightly different form, appropriate conversion factors, derived in this paper, were employed. Among species with similar modes of development, growth rate decreases with increasing body weight in an allometric manner, with slopes of –0.26 to –0.42, depending on the group. Between groups, the rate of growth in body weight was found to be closely associated with the rate of development of function, in particular, the acquisition of flight. Among those species that can walk at an early age, but acquire flight relatively late, the rate of growth depends primarily on the relative size of the musculature of the lower extremities. Data are presented to refute the hypotheses that growth rate is adjusted to nestling mortality, or that the energy requirements of the young (and hence their growth rates) are balanced against brood size. It is concluded that most species grow at some physiologically maximum rate, but as yet it is not possible to distinguish between limitation of growth rate at the level of the organism or at the level of the tissue.
Effect of SiC schottky and Si junction diode reverse recovery on boost converter

The effect of diode reverse recovery on the performance of a pulse-width modulated (PWM) dc-dc boost converter employed for active power- factor correction (PFC) is analyzed. A 250 W boost converter is designed as per the requirements of a power-factor-corrector circuit and simulated using PSPICE. The effect of the diode reverse-recovery current on the MOSFET, employed as the switch in boost PFC circuit, is analyzed and depicted by the aid of simulated waveforms. The performance of three similarly rated diodes: CSD100600 silicon carbide Schottky diode, ultra-fast recovery silicon junction diode MUR1S60, and soft-recovery silicon junction diode MSR860 are compared and the simulation results are presented.
State-Selective Detection of Ultracold Rb 2 and Optical Trapping Using a CO 2 Laser

We report formation and state-selective detection of ultracold Rb 2 by photoassociation. Resonance-enhanced ionization was used for the detection. We also present recent progress towards forming ultracold Rb 2 in an optical trap using a CO 2 laser.
The Cellular Basis of Behavior: Two Perspectives

You might expect these two texts to be quite similar in tone, content, and organization. After all, repeated revisions of the standard fat Neuroscience texts for first-year med students have converged upon a common, comprehensive, and predictable pattern that admirably suits medical curricula focused on the National Boards. Surprise! These books, each written by a single author, are as different as still lifes by two skilled, confident artists. Each book is the product of years of experience teaching a particular course, and from the different goals of these courses come the books' particular strengths and unique voices.
DETERMINATION OF THE NEAR-TIP STRESS FIELDS FOR THE SCATTERING OF P-WAVES BY A CRACK

A conservation law implied by the field equations of linear elastodynamics is derived, and a procedure based on this conservation law is given for the direct determination of the near-tip stress fields arising from the scattering of normally incident P-waves by a crack in a homogeneous, isotropic elastic medium.
Polarization in p − p elastic scattering at large four-momentum transfers

New results are presented from the continuation of an experiment designed to study the polarization in elastic p-p scattering at large four- momentum transfers. A high intensity unpolarized proton beam of momentum 12.3 GeV/c was incident on a propanediol polarized porton target and both final-state protons were detected and momentum analyzed in multiwire proportional chamber spectrometers. The measurements spanned the t range 1.5 < absolute t < 6.2 (GeV/ c)$sup 2$. The results are discussed in the framework of optical, exchange, and parton models. (AIP)