cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric deceased donor kidney transplant outcomes under the Kidney Allocation System

The Kidney Allocation System (KAS) has resulted in fewer pediatric kidneys being allocated to pediatric deceased donor kidney transplant (pDDKT) recipients. This had prompted concerns that post-pDDKT outcomes may worsen. To study this, we used SRTR data to compare the outcomes of 953 pre-KAS pDDKT (age <18 years) recipients (December 4, 2012-December 3, 2014) with the outcomes of 934 post-KAS pDDKT recipients (December 4, 2014-December 3, 2016). We analyzed mortality and graft loss by using Cox regression, delayed graft function (DGF) by using logistic regression, and length of stay (LOS) by using negative binomial regression. Post-KAS recipients had longer pretransplant dialysis times (median 1.26 vs 1.07 years, P = .02) and were more often cPRA 100% (2.0% vs 0.1%, P = .001). Post-KAS recipients had less graft loss than pre-KAS recipients (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.35 0.540.83 , P = .005) but no statistically significant differences in mortality (HR: 0.29 0.721.83 , P = .5), DGF (odds ratio: 0.93 1.321.93 , P = .2), and LOS (LOS ratio: 0.96 1.061.19 , P = .4). After adjusting for donor-recipient characteristics, there were no statistically significant post-KAS differences in mortality (adjusted HR: 0.37 1.042.92 , P = .9), DGF (adjusted odds ratio: 0.94 1.412.13 , P = .1), or LOS (adjusted LOS ratio: 0.93 1.041.16 , P = .5). However, post-KAS pDDKT recipients still had less graft loss (adjusted HR: 0.38 0.590.91 , P = .02). KAS has had a mixed effect on short-term posttransplant outcomes for pDDKT recipients, although our results are limited by only 2 years of posttransplant follow-up.
With us or against us?: Nazi collaboration and the dialectics of loyalty and betrayal in postwar Poland, 1944–1946

Given instances of widespread citizen cooperation with political regimes widely perceived as illegitimate, why are some individuals subsequently branded as collaborators who had engaged in “treasonous cooperation” with the enemy whereas others who had been involved in similar or identical forms of cooperation were not? Using the branding and punishment of Nazi collaborators in the postwar Polish criminal court system as a case study, this article excavates how the perceived betrayals undergirding the social construction of collaboration are shaped by the interaction of macro- and micro-level bonds associated with membership in national and local communities. This analysis highlights how highly localized perceptions of betrayal, manifested as individual grievances, became intertwined with larger understandings of loyalty to the nation, thereby selecting who was eligible for membership in the postwar political and social order. In addition to laying the groundwork for a sociological theory of collaboration, this study also contributes to a growing body of scholarship dedicated to “everyday nationhood.”
Novel Allosteric Destabilizers as Therapeutics for Genetic Diseases and Trauma

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), the most disabling condition of ectopic skeletogenesis known to mankind, results from spontaneous mutations in Activin-Like Receptor Kinase 2 (ALK2), a ...
Some Aspects of Interest Rate Policies in Less Developed Economies: The Experience of Selected Asian Countries*

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some aspects of interest rate policies in less developed economies. One of the basic problems faced by the less developed countries is the scarcity of domestic capital in relation to the size of investment required to achieve high and self-sustaining rates of growth of national and per capita real income. Although the accumulation of capital is not the prime determinant of economic growth, its role as a necessary, even if not a sufficient, condition in the economic development of the less developed countries is widely recognized. The importance of capital accumulation is also reflected in the use of savings as an explicit variable in most economic growth models, a typical example of which is the well-known Harrod Doman model. The chapter discusses the potentialities and limitations of interest rate policies as an integral part of the broad strategies for mobilizing domestic savings in developing countries. It takes into account the experience of China and Korea, which used a high interest rate strategy, and of Malaysia and Singapore, where comparatively low interest rates have been associated with rising levels of monetary savings.
Marketing Processed Organic Foods: The Impact of Promotional Message Framing (Vice Vs. Virtue Advertising) on Perceptions of Healthfulness

The study shows that the perceived healthfulness of processed organic foods, compared to their conventional counterparts, can be altered by slight variations in how promotional messages are framed....
Evaluation of the Efficacy and Superiority of Different Vial Rubber Closure Disinfection Techniques

Contamination of sterile products has caused significant adverse outcomes in patients, including death. Limited research has been conducted on the efficacy and/or superiority of sterile isopropyl alcohol disinfection techniques of rubber stopper surfaces in sterile compounding. The objective of this evaluation was to investigate the efficacy and/or superiority between the following three disinfecting techniques of vial rubber tops when utilizing sterile isopropyl alcohol wipes: Intervention 1) three swipes back and forth using the same surface; Intervention 2) three swipes in a unidirectional manner using the same surface; Intervention 3) three swipes in a unidirectional manner using a different side of wipe with each swipe. The rubber stopper surfaces of 90 vials were contaminated with bacteria. Thirty vials were disinfected with each assigned technique, swabbed after drying, and plated. After plates were incubated for 48 hours, colonies were quantified, and the different techniques compared. When comparing the varying disinfection techniques to the positive control, Intervention 1 and Intervention 3 techniques showed statistical significance (P=0.00). The Intervention 2 technique showed no difference in colony counts from the positive control (P=0.259). Comparing the different techniques side by side, both Intervention 1 and Intervention 3 techniques were statistically different from the Intervention 2 technique (P=0.027, P=0.00). There was no statistical significance noted between the Intervention 1 and Intervention 3 disinfecting techniques (P=0.141). Disinfecting vials with three swipes in one direction with a different surface of the sterile alcohol wipe or disinfecting vials with a back and forth motion three times is superior to either not disinfecting the vial or disinfecting the vial with three swipes in one direction using the same surface of the sterile alcohol wipe during sterile compounding.
How can healthcare professionals provide guidance and support to parents of adolescents? Results from a primary care-based study.

This study explored the rewards and difficulties of raising an adolescent and investigated parents’ level of interest in receiving guidance from healthcare providers on parenting and adolescent health topics. Additionally, this study investigated whether parents were interested in parenting programs in primary care and explored methods in which parents want to receive guidance. Parents of adolescents (ages 12–18) who attended an outpatient pediatric clinic with their adolescent were contacted by telephone and completed a short telephone survey. Parents were asked open-ended questions regarding the rewards and difficulties of parenting and rated how important it was to receive guidance from a healthcare provider on certain parenting and health topics. Additionally, parents reported their level of interest in a parenting program in primary care and rated how they would like to receive guidance. Our final sample included 104 parents, 87% of whom were interested in a parenting program within primary care. A variety of parenting rewards and difficulties were associated with raising an adolescent. From the list of parenting topics, communication was rated very important to receive guidance on (65%), followed by conflict management (50%). Of health topics, parents were primarily interested in receiving guidance on sex (77%), mental health (75%), and alcohol and drugs (74%). Parents in the study wanted to receive guidance from a pediatrician or through written literature. The current study finds that parents identify several rewarding and difficult aspects associated with raising an adolescent and are open to receiving guidance on a range of parenting topics in a variety of formats through primary care settings. Incorporating such education into healthcare visits could improve parents’ knowledge. Healthcare providers are encouraged to consider how best to provide parenting support during this important developmental time period.
The pathogenesis of disease due to nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae

To summarize, the pathogenesis of disease due to nontypeable H. influenzae involves multiple steps and the interplay of a number of bacterial and host factors, as shown in Fig. 1. Following entry into the upper respiratory tract, bacteria encounter the mucociliary escalator. The P2 and P5 outer-membrane proteins and probably other factors promote bacterial binding to mucus, and elaboration of LOS causes damage to ciliated cells and impairs mucociliary function. Subsequently, several adhesins, including HMW1 and HMW2, pili, Hia, Hap, and others, mediate direct adherence to nonciliated epithelial cells. Cleavage of IgA1, invasion into cells and the subepithelial space, and phase and antigenic variation facilitate evasion of local immune mechanisms. Binding and uptake of iron and heme allow organisms to persist on the respiratory mucosa despite the relative scarcity of these nutrients. In the setting of a viral infection, allergic disease, or exposure to cigarette smoke, bacteria spread from the nasopharynx to other sites within the respiratory tract and produce symptomatic disease.
Nitrile cup seal robustness in the India Mark II/III hand pump system

Abstract Accessing clean water is a persistent and life-threatening challenge for millions of people in the world. Each hour, 400 children under the age of five die because of the lack of clean water. To help people get access to clean ground water, mechanical hand pumps are often used. Among the most ubiquitous is the India Mark II/III hand pump system, of which there are more than 4 million installed across the world. These are estimated to serve between 600 million and 1 billion people. But as with most mechanical systems, they degrade over time–leading to pumps becoming dysfunctional due to lack of required service. The pump's nitrile cup seals are the most common cause of dysfunctionality. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the robustness of the cup seals in the India Mark II/III hand pump system. In this paper, 110 off-the-shelf nitrile cup seals purchased by the authors in Uganda were tested and characterized. Leak and pump performance tests were performed in both static and dynamic settings and the correlations between performance and geometry and material properties of the cup seals were determined. This important baseline evaluation for the seals supports our future work to improve the longevity and robustness of the India Mark II/ III hand pump system, with a focus on the cup seals. We believe that by finding the baseline of a product, engineers and designers will be able to improve its performance.
Complexes of silver perchlorate, antimony trichloride and mercuric chloride with dioxane and benzene: Infrared spectra and thermodynamics

Abstract The formation of complexes between inorganic salts and organic solvents with the following compositions have been observed: SbCl-. 1/2 C 6 H 6 ; AgClO 4 .3, 2, 4/3 , and 1C 6 H 6 ; SbCl 3 .3, 3/2 , 1 and 2/3 C 4 H 8 O 2 ; HgCl 2 .2 and 1C 4 H 8 O 2 ; AgCl0 4 .3 and 1C 4 H 8 O 2 . The infrared spectra from 650 to 5000 cm −1 of most of these complexes in the solid state are presented. Also included are the spectra of solutions of the inorganic salt in an excess of organic solvent. The differences between the spectra of the complexes and a summation of the spectra of their component parts are discussed in terms of selection rules. The vapor pressures above the complexes are given as a function of temperature and from these data the thermodynamic functions ΔH, ΔF° and ΔS° for the dissociation reactions are calculated. The heats of dissociation range from −7920 to −15,300 cal/mole of organic constituent.
Response of Phloem Loading and Export to Rapid Changes in Sink Demand

Sink demand was abruptly changed for an illuminated sugar beet source leaf by shading the six to ten other source leaves. Export of recently assimilated, labeled material underwent a transient increase and then returned to a steady rate approximately equal to the pretreatment rate. Uncovering the darkened leaves caused a transient decrease in export of 14C; following recovery there was a gradual decline. It remains to be established whether export of unlabeled reserves occurs in response to increased sink demand. The possibility that phloem loading increases in response to decreased sieve tube turgor was tested. Phloem loading of exogenous 14C-sucrose increased when turgor in leaf cells was decreased by floating leaf discs on solutions with up to 1 M mannitol osmoticum. However, the increase appeared to be the result of plasmolysis of mesophyll cells possibly resulting from easier access to minor veins via the free space. Phloem loading in leaf discs continued undiminished even though sieve tube-companion cell sucrose concentration exceeded a calculated value of 1 M. Regulation of export to meet sink demand by a direct response of phloem loading to a turgor or concentration set point does not appear to occur. Phloem loading may be promoted by the influx of water which drives mass flow, increasing phloem loading in response to increased velocity of transport.
Toward a parsimonious model of arbitrator acceptability: What matters most in arbitrator selection?

Purpose – The aim of this study is to take a construct validation approach toward developing and testing a parsimonious, yet comprehensive, higher‐order factor model of arbitrator acceptability that helps to identify what matters most in the arbitrator selection process.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques to examine data from a sample of union advocates attending an arbitration conference to test a hypothesized model of arbitrator acceptability that includes procedural justice, experience, and education as first‐order indicators of arbitrator acceptability. Three competing alternative models that add age, race/gender, and distributive justice, respectively, to the hypothesized model as an additional indicator of arbitrator acceptability were also examined.Findings – Results suggest that the hypothesized model is the best fitting of the four models tested. In addition, the path coefficients of the added paths in each of the alternative models were non‐...
The Nature Contact Questionnaire: a measure of healthy workplace exposure.

UNLABELLED Understanding and promoting healthy workplaces is an important and growing area of interest in occupational health. Nature contact is a central component to the study of and promotion of healthy places. Previous findings suggest that nature contact influences health via stress appraisal process. Currently, there are no known comprehensive valid and reliable measures of nature contact, which presents obstacles to research and worksite health promotion. OBJECTIVE This study was designed to develop and test an instrument to measure nature contact at work, entitled the Nature Contact Questionnaire (NCQ), 16-item self-reported checklist to measure actual exposure. PARTICIPANTS A sample of 503 (30% response rate) office staff completed the questionnaire. METHODS Office staff were sent an email with a link to the electronic survey twice, two weeks apart. RESULTS Content and construct validity (KMO=0.68), internal consistency (Alpha=0.64), and test-retest reliability (r=0.85, p<0.01) were established. CONCLUSIONS The NCQ is the first known comprehensive, reliable and valid survey to measure nature contact, which allows research to compare forms of nature contact to best inform practice and design of healthy places.
Programmed cell death in the immune system.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the mechanisms of programmed cell death (PCD). In many different examples of PCD, regardless of the cell type involved and regardless of the stimulus, the cells undergo similar biochemical and morphological events, and PCD often follows a final common pathway. Evidence for the existence of programmed cell death and cell death program is discussed. Programmed cell death is an old phenomenon that has awakened new interest. It can be demonstrated in various systems.. They all have in common nuclear disintegration, the morphology of apoptosis, DNA damage, and early recognition by phagocytic cells. It is likely that there is a death program that all cells follow when they embark on this pathway, even if the specific (or nonspecific) triggers are very different. There are various stages in a B cell's life when it risks undergoing a programmed death.
Computational analysis of mist/air cooling in a two-pass rectangular rotating channel with 45-deg angled rib turbulators

Abstract Increasing the turbine inlet temperature can increase the gas turbine cycle efficiency. In order to increase the turbine inlet temperature significantly, an advanced cooling system has to be essentially developed. Injection of mist to the coolant fluid is considered a promising technique to protect the hot components such as combustor liners, combustor transition pieces, and turbine vanes and blades. A series of experiments conducted in the past proved the success of mist cooling technology in the laboratory environment. Favorable results from the numerical simulation further encourage continuous exploration of employing mist-cooling technology in the actual gas turbine working environment in various applications. The present study focuses on applying mist cooling to the rotating mist/air internal cooling passage with rib turbulators using numerical simulation. In the first part, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of smooth and ribbed channels without mist and rotation are validated with the experimental results available in literature. The agreement between the predicted and experimental values in the lower Reynolds number (Re) range is within 3% deviation, and, at higher Re range, the deviation is about 10%. For the smooth channel, the agreement with experimental result is good for the entire range of Re values. In the second part, the rotational effect on the smooth and ribbed channels is predicted and analyzed. In the last part, the mist cooling enhancement on the ribbed channel with rotation is simulated. The secondary flows created due to channel bend and rotation are specifically analyzed. The results show that the mist cooling enhancement is about 30% at the trailing surface and about 20% at the leading surface of the first passage with 2% mist injection. In the second passage, 20% enhancement is predicted for both the surfaces.
Physical-chemical properties of the very low-density lipoprotein of porcine serum☆

Abstract The very low-density lipoprotein was isolated from porcine serum to examine its chemical and physical properties. Preparations were made by both preparative and zonal ultracentrifuges and the yield was 39 ± 8 mg/100 ml of serum. The lipid content was 92.1 ± 0.7% and the molecular weight was (19.2 ± 1.0)·106. The amino acid content of the apoprotein was similar to that of human very low-density apoprotein. Partial delipidation of the lipoprotein with ethyl ether produced one to three protein-lipid complexes of diminished size. The major complex had a molecular weight of (2.47 ± 0.15) · 105. Fractions isolated from partially delipidated very low-density lipoprotein differed in amino acid composition.
Direct method of calculation of dynamic effective charges: Application to GaAs

A method is described for the calculation of effective charges and piezoelectric constants in crystals directly from self-consistent electronic calculations. The central equations are based upon moments of the change in electronic charge density $\ensuremath{\delta}n(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}})$ caused by the displacement of an atom. The long-range Coulomb interactions are taken into account, and it is shown that the moments are rigorously convergent and define longitudinal effective charges and piezoelectric constants. The method is not limited to small displacements and, in fact, uses exactly the same techniques which have been extensively developed for the calculation of surface and interface dipoles. Results are presented for the effective charge in GaAs using the same ionic pseudopotentials and density functional for the electrons that predict accurately the lattice constant and phonon energies. The predicted charge is ${e}_{L}^{*}=0.16|e|$ (positive on Ga) compared to the experimental value ${e}_{L}^{*}=\frac{{e}_{T}^{*}}{{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{0}}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20|e|$.
Animating blendshape faces by cross-mapping motion capture data

Animating 3D faces to achieve compelling realism is a challenging task in the entertainment industry. Previously proposed face transfer approaches generally require a high-quality animated source face in order to transfer its motion to new 3D faces. In this work, we present a semi-automatic technique to directly animate popularized 3D blendshape face models by mapping facial motion capture data spaces to 3D blendshape face spaces. After sparse markers on the face of a human subject are captured by motion capture systems while a video camera is simultaneously used to record his/her front face, then we carefully select a few motion capture frames and accompanying video frames as reference mocap-video pairs. Users manually tune blendshape weights to perceptually match the animated blendshape face models with reference facial images (the reference mocap-video pairs) in order to create reference mocap-weight pairs. Finally, the Radial Basis Function (RBF) regression technique is used to map any new facial motion capture frame to blendshape weights based on the reference mocap-weight pairs. Our results demonstrate that this technique is efficient to animate blendshape face models, while offering its generality and flexiblity.
Robust synchronization in nonlinear network with link failure uncertainty

The problem of synchronization of systems over a network, is a widely studied problem given the importance of synchronization phenomena, in various natural science and engineering applications. In this paper, we study one of the important aspect of this problem that is, robustness of synchronization to random link failure uncertainty. The link failure uncertainty is modeled as an on-off Bernoulli switch. The main results of this paper provide, for the first time, analytical conditions for the maximum tolerable link failure uncertainty to maintain mean square synchronization among the network components. The analytical conditions are expressed in terms of individual component dynamics, network properties, and link uncertainty. The main results of this paper can be used to determine, the weakest/strongest link in the network. Simulation results are provided to verify the main results of this paper.
Cell Wall Synthesis by Chlamydia psittaci Growing in L Cells

Biochemical events accompanying changes in structure and behavior of the cell walls of Chlamydia psittaci strain 6BC during its developmental cycle in L cells (mouse fibroblasts) were studied by measuring at short intervals the effect of d-cycloserine and penicillin G on incorporation of labeled intermediates into acid-insoluble fractions of infected L cells in which host incorporation had been inhibited by cycloheximide and into intact chlamydial cells and cell walls separated from the infected L cells. d-Cycloserine enhanced the incorporation of (14)C-l-alanine at all times in the developmental cycle, but the incorporation of (14)C-l-lysine was always inhibited. In parallel experiments, penicillin G had no effect on incorporation of any of these intermediates, but when infected L cells incorporated (14)C-l-alanine in the presence of penicillin G, the labeled alanine was released more rapidly in the subsequent absence of the antibiotic than in its continued presence. When either penicillin G or d-cycloserine was present throughout the developmental cycle, C. psittaci continued to synthesize deoxyribonucleic acid and protein, but at less than normal rates.
Time-resolved temperature in an argon theta-pinch by line ratio methods

Pulsed inductive argon plasma in an 80 J, 15 kV, 490 kHz theta-pinch is interrogated using spectroscopic methods. Time-resolved electron temperature is obtained with line intensity ratios coupled with corona and collisional-radiative models. Neutral excited state argon transitions from the 2p to 1s sub-shells were utilized. Backfill pressures of 50 and 100 mTorr are of primary focus here. Time-resolved electron temperature estimates range from 2.4 to 8.6 eV for the steady-state corona model analysis while the collisional-radiative analysis predicts temperature in excess of 80 eV. Electron temperature can be seen to ramp up between approximately the first and third zero-crossings of the oscillating discharge current. Analysis of long exposures reveal substantial second order diffracted spectra. Low spectral signal quality for short exposures of 0.25 µs yield poor time-resolved spectra and ultimately elucidate the fundamental time-resolution limitation of this experimental test article.
Family socialization and delinquency in the United States and Switzerland

The vast majority of research on the aetiology of juvenile delinquency has examined intrasocietal data. This approach has facilitated a general understanding of this social problem, determined criminological theory, and influenced policy decisions. However, Arnett (1994) has pointed out the importance of intersocietal data for understanding juvenile delinquency. First, cultural contexts provide important information on adolescent developmental processes; and second, developmental processes as well as behavioural outcomes found in one country do not necessarily apply other national contexts. A growing number of researchers have recognized the shortcomings of intrasocietal research; they have also realized the importance of a cross-cultural comparative framework for understanding and preventing juvenile delinquency (see e.g., Gartner, 1993). Official statistics on cross-national variability in criminal behaviours indicate tremendous variability in cross-national rates of delinquency and crime. Gartner (1990; 1991) reviewed data provided by the World Health Organization on adult male homicide rates in 18 developed democracies between 1950 and 1980 and on male (14 years and older) homicide rates between 1965 and 1980. Data consistently demonstrated tremendous variability between national contexts. In fact, American males were fifteen times more likely to be victims of homicide than males in Denmark, the Netherlands, or Switzerland. Crosscultural diffeences for females were less dramatic, although American rates still exceeded the rates of European adolescents. For cross-national rates of juvenile delinquency, similar findings were made; however, intersocietal variability was
Reduction of Fluctuating Pressure Loads in Shock/Boundary-Layer Interactions Using Vortex Generators

Fluctuating wall pressure measurements have been made in a separated shock wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction produced by an unswept compression corner in a Mach 5 flow. Wheeler doublet vortex generators were placed upstream of the corner to study their effect on the fluctuating pressure loads within the interaction. The vortex generators produce significant three dimensionality in an otherwise two-dimensional interaction. They reduce the upstream influence and the length of the region of separation shock motion by 60 % and 64 %, respectively, and they decrease the maximum wall pressure rms near separation by 23% and shift the fluctuations to higher frequencies. The maximum fraction of energy in the resonant frequency band of typical skin panels (i.e., 100-500 Hz) is decreased by 11%. On the corner face, where the maximum loads occur, the maximum wall pressure rms is reduced by 10%, and the maximum fraction of energy in the 100-500 Hz band is reduced by 35%. These changes are due to a fuller boundary-layer profile, a weaker separation shock, increased boundary-layer turbulence causing increased separation shock jitter, and a shorter region of shock motion.
Non-convergence of the L-curve regularization parameter selection method

The L-curve method was developed for the selection of regularization parameters in the solution of discrete systems obtained from ill-posed problems. An analysis of this method is given for selecting a parameter for Tikhonov regularization. This analysis, which is carried out in a semi-discrete, semi-stochastic setting, shows that the L-curve approach yields regularized solutions which fail to converge for a certain class of problems. A numerical example is also presented which indicates that this lack of convergence can arise in practical applications.
Martha J. Macri & Anabel Ford (eds.), The language of Maya hieroglyphs

Editor's note: Readers will note that all the book reviews in the present issue are concerned with Maya studies. This is by way of an appetizer, anticipating the following issue of the journal: a special issue on Maya decipherment, guest-edited by Martha Macri and Gabrielle Vail. The issue will include revised versions of papers given at a symposium on Mayan glyphs held at the 1998 Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Seattle, as well as obituaries of several recently deceased Mayanists.
Plasticity of vascular smooth muscle alpha-actin gene transcription. Characterization of multiple, single-, and double-strand specific DNA- binding proteins in myoblasts and fibroblasts

Transcriptional activity of the mouse vascular smooth muscle (VSM) alpha-actin promoter was governed by both cell type and developmental stage-specific mechanisms. A purine-rich motif (PrM) located as -181 to -176 in the promoter was absolutely required for activation in mouse AKR-2B embryonic fibroblasts and partially contributed to activation in undifferentiated mouse BC3H1 myoblasts. Transcriptional enhancer factor 1 recognized the PrM and cooperated with other promoter-binding proteins to regulate serum growth factor-dependent transcription in both myoblasts and fibroblasts. Two distinct protein factors (VAC-ssBF1 and VAC-ssBF2) also were identified that bound sequence-specifically to single-stranded oligonucleotide probes that spanned both the PrM and a closely positioned negative regulatory element. VAC-ssBF1 and BF2 binding activity was detected in undifferentiated myoblasts, embryonic fibroblasts, and several smooth muscle tissues in the mouse and human. A myoblast-specific protein (VAC-RF1) also was detected that bound double-stranded probes containing a CArG-like sequence that previously was shown to impart strong, cell type specific repression. The binding activity of transcription enhancer factor 1, VAC-RF1, and VAC-ssBF1 was significantly diminished when confluent BC3H1 myoblasts differentiated into myocytes and expressed VSM alpha-actin mRNA after exposure to serum-free medium. The results indicated that cell type-specific control of the VSM alpha-actin gene promoter required the participation of multiple DNA-binding proteins, including two that were enriched in smooth muscle and had preferential affinity for single-stranded DNA.
Role of bond-length mismatch in L2-xCexCuO4 (L=lanthanide).

The electron-doped ${\mathit{L}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ce}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ (L=lanthanide) superconductors have intergrowth structures in which ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ sheets alternate with (L,Ce${)}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ fluorite layers along the c axis. Stabilization of such intergrowth structures requires bond-length matching between Cu-O and (L,Ce)-O bonds. Any bond-length mismatch will result in the buildup of compressive or tensile stresses in the Cu-O and (L,Ce)-O bonds. The consequences of such internal stresses in ${\mathit{L}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ce}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ are investigated by a systematic variation through ${\mathit{L}}^{3+}$ size of the lattice parameter a. A decrease in the degree of bond-length mismatch or internal stresses with decreasing ${\mathit{L}}^{3+}$ size causes a systematic decrease in the Ce solubility limit and in the ease with which oxygen vacancies can be created. The concentration of oxygen vacancies decreases---or the oxygen content increases---with decreasing ${\mathit{L}}^{3+}$ size for a given ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$-annealing temperature and Ce content; it also decreases with increasing Ce content for a given ${\mathit{L}}^{3+}$ ion. The decreasing oxygen-vacancy concentration with decreasing size of ${\mathit{L}}^{3+}$ causes an apparent increase in the critical Ce concentration ${\mathit{x}}_{\mathit{c}}$ required to induce the antiferromagnetic semiconductor to superconductor transition as the size of ${\mathit{L}}^{3+}$ decreases, although the transition seems to occur at a fixed critical electron concentration ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{c}}$=0.175\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005 irrespective of the ${\mathit{L}}^{3+}$ size.
Gatekeeping: Why Shouldn't we be Ambivalent?

An increase of 88% in programs from 1990 through 2004, low GRE scores, low entry- level wages, declining pass rates in licensing tests, and an increase in ethical violations reported all support the contention that there are higher enrollment rates and decreased gatekeeping selectivity in today's graduate MSW programs. This article discusses four factors that are important in distinguishing a uniform, transparent gatekeeping stance for the profession, to begin to resolve the intrinsic dilemmas of those factors.
Strong anisotropy and weak flux pinning in (BIPB)2SR2CACU2O8 crystals

Abstract Magnetic hysteresis and relaxation were measured on high quality single crystals of (BiPb) 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 to study the critical state behavior and thermally activated flux creep. The critical current densities show a large anisotropy and weak flux pinning in this material. The relaxation studies indicate that the flux creep is giant and flux motions are parallel to the ab plane in the both H|c and H⊥c configurations.
SEPTIC ARTHRITIS IN CHILDREN

Septic arthritis in children is a true medical emergency and poses a unique clinical challenge to the pediatrician, rheumatologist, and orthopedic surgeon. The disease is more commonly seen in children than in adults. The term septic arthritis refers to microbial invasion of the joint space, not associated with contiguous osteomyelitis. Acute septic arthritis is bacterial, regardless of age, and is the most common form of infectious arthritis. Early diagnosis and subsequent appropriate medical and surgical intervention is imperative to avoid destruction of the articular cartilage, thus preventing permanent disability. The authors review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical, and microbiological characteristics of septic arthritis in children and examine the current approaches to diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
The Impact of NAFTA on Training and Development in Mexico: The Perspective of Mexican Senior Government Agency Officials.

This study explored the perceptions of Mexican senior government agency officials with regard to the impact of NAFTA on training and development practices in Mexico. This study was conducted using a phenomenological tradition within qualitative research. The major findings of the study indicate that Mexican senior government agency officials consider NAFTA as a driver for the implementation/development of training and development practices in Mexican companies. According to the participants' perceptions, NAFTA motivated the creation and development of national programs for training and development. The Mexican government has found in these programs a means to provide support to Mexican companies to increase their competitiveness.
Intermittent chemotherapy in metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Intermittent use of chemotherapy for androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) instead of treatment until disease progression may reduce toxicity. We prospectively tested this approach in eight AIPC patients responding to calcitriol plus docetaxel who reached a serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) <4 ng ml−1. Chemotherapy was suspended until a rise in PSA⩾50% and 1 ng ml−1. The median duration of treatment holiday was 20 weeks (13–43+weeks) and all patients retained sensitivity to re-treatment. Chemotherapy holiday was associated with an improvement of fatigue (P=0.05). Intermittent chemotherapy for AIPC is feasible and deserves further study.
A Bisulfite-free Intraocular Epinephrine Solution

We evaluated a preservative-free, sulfite-free epinephrine solution for potential corneal toxicity, which has been described for sulfite-containing epinephrine solutions. The preservative-free, sulfite-free epinephrine solution did not exhibit endothelial toxicity in three-hour paired human corneal endothelial perfusion at two and four times the concentration of the 1:1,000,000 dilution currently recommended for anterior chamber intraocular irrigating solutions. When epinephrine at a dilution of 1:1,000 was injected directly into the anterior chamber of New Zealand white rabbits, there was markedly less corneal edema induced than there was in previous studies with sulfite-containing solutions of comparably low pH but higher buffer capacities. Although potential toxicity exists for any irrigating solution with a pH outside of the 6.5 to 8.5 pH range, the endothelial toxicity of this solution has been reduced by its low buffer capacity, lack of preservatives, and lack of sulfite, offering an extra margin of safety for intraocular use.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE LEAST SQUARES ESTIMATOR IN A FIRST-ORDER AUTOREGRESSIVE MODEL

This paper investigates the finite sample distribution of the least squares estimator of the autoregressive parameter in a first-order autoregressive model. A uniform asymptotic expansion for the distribution applicable to both stationary and nonstationary cases is obtained. Accuracy of the approximation to the distribution by a first few terms of this expansion is then investigated. It is found that the leading term of this expansion approximates well the distribution. The approximation is, in almost all cases, accurate to the second decimal place throughout the distribution. In the literature, there exist a number of approximations to this distribution which are specifically designed to apply in some special cases of this model. The present approximation compares favorably with those approximations and in fact, its accuracy is, with almost no exception, as good as or better than these other approximations. Convenience of numerical computations seems also to favor the present approximations over the othe...
Editorial on Consensus Recommendations for the Postmortem Diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease from the National Institute on Aging and the Reagan Institute Working Group on Diagnostic Criteria for the Neuropathological Assessment of Alzheimer Disease

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING AND REAGAN INSTITUTE WORKING GROUP ON DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR THE NEUROPATHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.Consensus recommendations for the postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. NEUROBIOL AGING18(S4) S1-S2, 1997.—This report summarizes the consensus recommenda- tions of a panel of neuropathologists from the United States and Europe to improve the postmortem diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease. The recommendations followed from a two-day workshop sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Institute of the Alzheimer's Association to reassess the original NIA criteria for the postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease published in 1985 (2). The consensus recommendations for improving the neuropathological criteria for the postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease are reported here, and the "position papers" by members of the Working Group that accompany this report elaborate on the research findings and concepts upon which these recommendations were based. Further, commentaries by other experts in the field also are included here to provide additional perspectives on these recommendations. Finally, it is anticipated that future meetings of the Working Group will reassess these recommendations and the implementation of postmortem diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease. © 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.
From anti-Stokes photoluminescence to resonant Raman scattering in GaN single crystals and GaN-based heterostructures

The progress on anti-Stokes photoluminescence and Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman scattering in GaN single crystals and GaN/AlN heterostructures is reviewed. Anti-Stokes photoluminescence investigated in the past was primarily attributed to two-photon absorption, three-photon absorption, and phonon-assisted absorption. On the other hand, anti-Stokes Raman scattering was used to determine electron-phonon scattering time and decay time constant for longitudinal-optical phonons. In a typical high electron mobility transistor based on GaN/AlN heterostructures, strong resonances were reached for first-order and second-order Raman scattering processes. Therefore, both Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman intensities were dramatically enhanced. The feasibility of laser cooling of a nitride structure has been demonstrated. Anti-Stokes photoluminescence and Raman scattering have potential applications in upconversion lasers and laser cooling of nitride ultrafast electronic and optoelectronic devices.
Neurophysiology: Electrically evoking sensory experience

Monkeys trained to distinguish touch stimuli that 'flutter' with different frequencies can similarly distinguish electrical stimulation of the somatosensory cortex according to its frequency; the implication is that the electrically-evoked patterns of cortical activity cause flutter sensations similar to those induced by touch.
Increased prostatic lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase activity in human prostate cancer: a marker for malignancy.

Purpose: Phospholipase A2 and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LAT) constitute a deacylation-reacylation cycle that incorporates arachidonic acid into the lipid membrane. In a preliminary report we found increased LAT activity in malignant prostate tissue. We measured LAT activity in prostate tissue from a large number of patients undergoing prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: Prostate tissue from 93 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate carcinoma, 14 undergoing cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer, 55 undergoing transurethral resection for benign prostatic hyperplasia and 11 with prostate cancer undergoing transurethral resection for relief of obstructive symptoms was analyzed for LAT activity.Results: In radical prostatectomy specimens using oleoyl coenzyme A as substrate mean increase in LAT activity between malignant and benign portions of the same specimen was 0.68 ± 0.12 nmol./mg. protein per minute (p <0.00001). In all radical prostatectomy specimens analyzed LAT activity...
Terpenoids of Piptothrix sinaloae

Abstract In addition to three known thymol esters and five known sesquiterpene lactones, two new germacrolides and a new diterpene diester were isolated from the dichloromethane extract of the aerial parts of Piptothrix sinaloae . Structures for the new compounds were elucidated by chemical transformations and spectral methods. The current taxonomic status of P. sinaloae is discussed on the basis of both morphological and secondary metabolite data.
Photo- and thermal-induced linkage isomerizations in a peroxydithiocarbamate-Ru complex

Previous work has shown that mono-oxygenation of Ru(bpy)2(N,N′-dimethyldithiocarbamate)+, 1, yields two different linkage isomers: S,S-bound 2a and O,S-bound 2b, as well as a stable dioxygenate, Ru(bpy)2(N,N-dimethylthiocarbamate-sulfinate-S,S)+, 3. In this report, the interconversion of the two peroxydithiocarbamate isomers was investigated using photolysis and thermal activations. The O,S-bound 2b undergoes phototriggered linkage isomerization to form the less stable S,S-bound 2a at low temperatures in non-coordinating solvents. The more reactive S,S-bound 2a then converts to O,S-bound 2b by a thermal isomerization at moderate temperatures in polar solvents. The different solvent and temperature dependences suggest distinct pathways for the two isomerizations.
Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Phosphorylation Requires Protein Geranylgeranylation but not Farnesylation

We have used specific inhibitors for farnesyltransferase (FTase) and geranylgeranyltransferase (GGTase) I as well as combinations of lovastatin with geranylgeraniol (GGOH) or farnesol (FOH) to investigate the role of protein prenylation in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced PDGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation. NIH-3T3 cells treated with the highly specific FTase inhibitor FTI-277 had no effect on PDGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation or PDGF activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) at doses that completely inhibit FTase-dependent processing. In contrast, treatment of these cells with GGTase I inhibitor GGTI-298 strongly inhibited receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, and co-treatment with FTI-277 had no additional effect. Interestingly, the inhibitory effect of GGTI-298 on PDGF activation of MAPK was only partial. Furthermore, although lovastatin, which inhibits both protein geranylgeranylation and protein farnesylation, blocked PDGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, co-treatment with GGOH, but not FOH, reversed the lovastatin block. In addition, although lovastatin was observed to block MAPK activation by PDGF, co-treatment with GGOH, but not FOH, restored its activation. Further investigations indicated that inhibition of receptor tyrosine phosphorylation was not due to decreased expression of the receptor or to inhibition of GGTase II. Thus, these results demonstrate that PDGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation requires protein geranylgeranylation but not protein farnesylation and that the tyrosine phosphorylation levels of the receptor are modulated by a protein that is a substrate for GGTase I.
Ventilated Flow in the Unobstructed Space Between Corotating Disks in a Cylindrical Enclosure

An experimental investigation has been performed for the ventilated flow of air in the unobstructed space between the center pair of four disks corotating in a fixed cylindrical enclosure. This configuration is of fundamental interest and considerable practical utility in the computer industry. Time-resolved and time-averaged measurements of the circumferential velocity component were obtained using a laser-Doppler velocimeter in back-scatter mode. The data were collected along the radial coordinate direction on the midplane between the disks (Z=0) and along the axial coordinate at two radial locations (R=0.71 and 0.86)