cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron Affinity Calculations for Thioethers

Previous work indicated that polyphenyl thioethers possessed chemical properties, related to their electron affinities, which could allow them to function as vapor phase lubricants (VPL). Indeed, preliminary tribological tests revealed that the thioethers could function as vapor phase lubricants but not over a wide temperature and hertzian pressure range. Increasing the electron affinity of the thioethers may improve their VPL properties over this range. Adding a substituent group to the thioether will alter its electron affinity in many cases. Molecular orbital calculations were undertaken to determine the effect of five different substituent groups on the electron affinity of polyphenyl thioethers. It was found that the NO2, F, and I groups increased the thioethers electron affinity by the greatest amount. Future work will involve the addition of these groups to the thioethers followed by tribological testing to assess their VPL properties.
Estimation of canopy water content with MODIS spectral index

Canopy water content is an important variable for forestry and agriculture management. This study was aimed at building calibration models to estimate vegetation canopy (VC) equivalent water thickness (EWT) from high temporal resolution and large areal coverage MODIS images. The models were developed for a semi-arid area in Arizona (SMEX04) and the best one was applied to MODIS images covering a forest area in Southern Indiana. EWT derived from hyperspectral data in the process of atmospheric correction was used for calibrating MODIS spectral indices. Tested in this study were four vegetation indices: Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Shortwave Infrared Water Stress Index (SIWSI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), which were designed based on either water (NDWI and SIWSI) or chlorophyll absorptions (NDVI and EVI). Validating these indices on field measured EWT for the SMEX04 site resulted in R 2 correlations of 0.7547, 0.7509, 0.7299 and 0.7547, respectively. According to regression equations, however, EWT estimated using NDWI and SIWSI shows a slope more close to 1 than those using NDVI and EVI when validated with ground measured EWT, thus showing a better prediction ability than the two chlorophyll indices. The SIWSI-EWT model was chosen to apply to a time series of MODIS images covering the Southern Indiana areas and the relationship of EWT derived from these images to precipitation was examined.
Milagrosas imágenes marianas en el Nuevo Reino de Granada

In recent decades art historians specializing in Europe, such as Hans Belting and David Freedberg, have widened the scope of images that can be studied as ‘art,’ bringing a new emphasis on works tr...
Quantile regression for longitudinal data

The penalized least squares interpretation of the classical random effects estimator suggests a possible way forward for quantile regression models with a large number of "fixed effects". The introduction of a large number of individual fixed effects can significantly inflate the variability of estimates of other covariate effects. Regularization, or shrinkage of these individual effects toward a common value can help to modify this inflation effect. A general approach to estimating quantile regression models for longitudinal data is proposed employing l 1 regularization methods. Sparse linear algebra and interior point methods for solving large linear programs are essential computational tools.
Solvent extraction of lipid components from egg yolk solids

The effects of solvent systems on extraction of lipid components from commercially spray-dried egg yolks were investigated. Hexane, hexane:isopropanol (2:1), and chloroform:methanol (2:1) were studied, and the effects of temperature of extraction and ratio of solvent to egg were examined in a 3×2×2 factorial design. Hexane removed more fat and phospholipid and less cholesterol and pigment than the more polar solvents. Increased solvent ratio extracted more of the lipid components, although temperature of the extraction had little effect on removal of the lipid components.
Measurement of 125I by liquid scintillation methods

Abstract The decay scheme of 125 I is examined for the explanation of the observed pulse height spectrum and counting efficiency measured by liquid scintillation methods. The pathways of energy release in the form of kinetic energy of electrons (conversion or Auger electrons) is explained. Two major energy groups are predicted at 12 and 40 keV. These two groups were observed in the liquid scintillation systems. The measured counting efficiency in an unquecheed emulsifier scintillator solution and a coincidence type liquid scintillation counter was 76%. The effects of quenching on the counting efficiency and pulse height spectrum of 125 I were measured.
TRAVEL DEMAND AND THE 3DS: DENSITY, DIVERSITY, AND DESIGN

Abstract The built environment is thought to influence travel demand along three principal dimensions —density, diversity, and design. This paper tests this proposition by examining how the ‘3Ds’ affect trip rates and mode choice of residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Using 1990 travel diary data and land-use records obtained from the U.S. census, regional inventories, and field surveys, models are estimated that relate features of the built environment to variations in vehicle miles traveled per household and mode choice, mainly for non-work trips. Factor analysis is used to linearly combine variables into the density and design dimensions of the built environment. The research finds that density, land-use diversity, and pedestrian-oriented designs generally reduce trip rates and encourage non-auto travel in statistically significant ways, though their influences appear to be fairly marginal. Elasticities between variables and factors that capture the 3Ds and various measures of travel demand are generally in the 0.06 to 0.18 range, expressed in absolute terms. Compact development was found to exert the strongest influence on personal business trips. Within-neighborhood retail shops, on the other hand, were most strongly associated with mode choice for work trips. And while a factor capturing ‘walking quality’ was only moderately related to mode choice for non-work trips, those living in neighborhoods with grid-iron street designs and restricted commercial parking were nonetheless found to average significantly less vehicle miles of travel and rely less on single-occupant vehicles for non-work trips. Overall, this research shows that the elasticities between each dimension of the built environment and travel demand are modest to moderate, though certainly not inconsequential. Thus it supports the contention of new urbanists and others that creating more compact, diverse, and pedestrian-orientated neighborhoods, in combination, can meaningfully influence how Americans travel.
Murine psoriasis-like disorder induced by naive CD4+ T cells

Psoriasis is a complex disorder involving alterations of many cell types. Although evidence suggests a T-cell pathogenesis for psoriasis, a primary role of T cells has not been directly demonstrated. Here, we show that reconstitution of scid/scid mice with minor histocompatibility mismatched naive CD4+ T lymphocytes resulted in skin alterations that strikingly resembled human psoriasis clinically, histopathologically and in cytokine expression. This skin disorder was diminished when memory T cells were coinjected. Thus, a subset of dysregulated CD4+ T cells can cause tissue alterations seen in psoriasis without the presence of CD8+ cells or a primary epithelial abnormality.
Exploring an interdisciplinary expedition in a global history class

Abstract This qualitative study investigated an interdisciplinary expedition (based on the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound model) in a Global History Class in an urban charter high school to understand what happens during an expedition and how the students viewed the expedition. Findings indicated students were engaged in learning about issues of security and privacy, but failed to make interdisciplinary connections between global history and their other classes. Additionally, the Global History teacher encountered challenges in enacting interdisciplinary, expeditionary curricula with racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse students. This study highlights the benefits and challenges of implementing an interdisciplinary approach to teaching, as well as the need for additional supports for teachers who want to implement interdisciplinary curricula.
Nosotros, We, the Hispanic Americans in the Schools

Abstract “The public schools in America have been alien places [for Hispanic Americans], places so foreign to their linguistic and cultural background that the children felt alienated not only from the schools but, worse, from their homes as well.”
Simultaneous inversion of local and teleseismic data for the crust and mantle structure of southern California

We determined a detailed three-dimensional seismic velocity structure of the crust and mantle to a depth of 800 km beneath southern California using local and teleseismic data simultaneously. We used 131 372 P-wave arrival times from 6437 local earthquakes and 12 134 travel time residuals from 193 teleseismic events recorded by 251 seismic stations of the Caltech-US Geological Survey Southern California Seismic Network. Compared with previous local and teleseismic studies, the station coverage is considerably improved, and the number of data used is greatly increased in the present study. This, together with the local and teleseismic joint inversion approach, results in a unified three-dimensional (3-D) P-wave velocity model of the crust and mantle in southern California with a higher resolution than the previous models. The result obtained shows very heterogeneous structures in the crust and upper mantle in southern California. Shallow crustal structures correlate well with surface geological features. Sedimentary basins such as the Los Angeles Basin, Ventura Basin and Santa Maria Basin are imaged well as low velocities, and batholiths such as the Peninsular Ranges and San Gabriel Mountains are imaged as high velocities. The velocity in the crust is generally low in the Mojave Desert. The crustal velocities change abruptly across major faults such as the San Andreas, San Jacinto, Elsinore and Garlock faults. In the upper mantle, three major anomalies are found, beneath the Transverse Ranges, Salton Trough and Southern Sierra Nevada. The Transverse Ranges feature appears as a curtain-like, east-trending and north-dipping high-velocity anomaly with a thickness of approximately 50 km, and extends most deeply at its eastern end to about 250 km. The Salton Trough feature is composed of low velocities which trend southeast and extend to approximately 200 km depth. The Southern Sierra Nevada feature is a slab-like high-velocity anomaly which extends to about 250 km. The mantle velocity is generally low in the upper 100–200 km beneath the volcanic areas in southern California. The seismic velocity anomalies in the mantle beneath southern California are considered to result from small-scale mantle convection.
Dynamic Characters with Communication Disorders in Children's Literature.

Using quality children's literature with portrayals of characters that have communication impairments can be an effective teaching tool. Storybook characters with communication disorders can provide positive role models and promote understanding of diverse populations. Eighteen children's books were selected based on the following criteria: publication dates between 1994 and 2001, reading levels between preschool and eighth grade, and main characters with speech, language, or hearing disorders. Curriculum topics were summarized for integration into state academic content areas.
Cystic adult medulloblastomas.

Abstract The computed tomography scans of four patients who had a medulloblastoma are reviewed. In all the cases, atypical findings were present-specifically, cystic or lucent areas within the tumor. The importance of this uncommon finding associated with adult medulloblastoma is discussed.
Modernity and its Discontents: Western Catholic Pioneers of the Hindu-Christian Dialogue

This article presents a reassessment of the Hindu-Christian dialogue in its relationship with modernity. The focus is on a group of Western Catholic clergymen who relocated to India, specifically during 1940-70, and became involved in the Hindu-Christian dialogue. The article traces the reasons for these Catholics’ relocations to their dissatisfaction with modernity and the predominance of rationality in the West, as well as their aversion to modern scientific thought. It emphasises the dual character of the interfaith dialogue, and the struggles of this group of clergymen to overcome modernity, whereby a modern Weltanschauung was the obstacle along the path to reshaping Catholic theology and establishing a fruitful interfaith dialogue with Hinduism. Although they did not pursue a common agenda and had different goals, these pioneers of interfaith dialogue came to consider such a dialogue with Hinduism as regenerative, as a means of revitalising Western thought, of balancing the modern excesses of a Western civilisation increasingly dominated by technology, and of transcending the rationalised culture of the modern West to achieve higher consciousness.
A simulated soil moisture based drought analysis for the United States

[1] Droughts have severe economic, environmental and social impacts. Timely determination of the current level of drought may aid the decision making process in reducing the impacts from drought. In this study, high-resolution, land surface hydrology simulations using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model are used to derive a hydrologically based drought index. Soil moisture data from a retrospective simulation from 1950 to 1999 over the continental United States are used to develop probability distributions of monthly average soil moisture, and the relative position of soil moisture fields within the historic distribution provides a measure of drought in relation to the long-term behavior. The index is able to identify the major drought events during the latter part of the twentieth century and shows good agreement with the time series of U.S. drought from two Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) data sets. On average, 30% of the United States experienced dry conditions (<10% soil moisture quantile) during 1950–1999, peaking at over 70% coverage at the height of the 1950s drought. Many dry events exhibit long-term persistence, especially in the West, which is important in terms of the cumulative impacts. The physical basis of the model allows the index to take into account a number of processes, which contribute to the development of drought, such as snow accumulation and melt that other indices ignore or treat unsatisfactorily. Furthermore, the high spatial and temporal resolution of the simulations ensure that the drought index is able to allow for the effects of short-term changes in meteorology as well as longer-term climate variations, and resolve the high spatial variability in soil moisture and drought occurrence. The potential for implementing the analysis in an operational mode exists by using data from the near real-time simulations within the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS).
Ten-year incidence of self-reported erectile dysfunction in people with long-term type 1 diabetes.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this report is to examine the overall 10-year incidence of erectile dysfunction and its relationships to other characteristics in men with younger onset diabetes. Methods In a population-based cohort study in southern Wisconsin, a 10-year cumulative incidence of reported erectile dysfunction was obtained in men who were 21 years of age or older, were less than 30 years of age at diagnosis of diabetes, had 10 or more years of diabetes, and were taking insulin ( n =264). Results Twenty-five percent developed erectile dysfunction. The incidence of erectile dysfunction increased with age (from 10.2% in those 21–29 years of age to 48.6% in those 40 years of age or older, P P =.01). In multivariate analyses, incidence of erectile dysfunction was associated with age [odds ratio (OR) 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06, 1.14], untreated hypertension (OR 5.01, 95% CI, 2.05, 12.27), and a history of smoking (OR 2.41, 95% CI, 1.09, 5.30) at baseline. Conclusions These data suggest that cessation of cigarette smoking and tighter control of blood pressure might prevent or delay the onset of erectile dysfunction in persons with type 1 diabetes.
The effects of extrahypothalamic cycloheximide on sexual receptivity in the rat

Abstract The present experiment was concerned with extrahypothalamic control of sexual receptivity. Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, suppressed sexual receptivity in the steroid-primed ovariectomized rat when it was injected into the preoptic area. Cyclohexamide was without effect when injected into the cortical and medial nuclei of the amygdala, lateral septum or caudate nucleus.
Ab initio calculation of melting and thermodynamic properties of crystal and liquid aluminum.

A first-principles technique for calculating accurate equations of state of metals is illustrated with an application to Al. Results for the thermodynamic properties of Al at densities near normal, and at temperatures into the liquid phase, are presented. In contrast to previous calculations by other workers, the present technique makes no use of experimental data. The ab initio procedure begins with electronic-band-structure calculation of the ground-state energy, the elastic constants, and selected short-wavelength phonons. A physically realistic interatomic potential is calibrated by fitting it to the calculated elastic constants and phonons. Ion-motional contributions are computed from quasiharmonic lattice dynamics at low temperatures, and from molecular-dynamics simulations at classical temperatures. Melting is computed from the free energy constructed from these combined results. Very accurate results are obtained for zero-temperature properties and phonon frequencies. The calculated melting temperature of 955 K is within 2.5% of the observed value, a difference comparable to the estimated precision of the calculation. Good results are obtained for two highly sensitive quantities, the entropy change upon melting and the Clapeyron slope. The calculated entropy as a function of temperature is in excellent agreement with experiment for solid and liquid phases. The present procedure can potentially provide reliable values of thermodynamic properties of any metal under extreme conditions where no data are avilable.
An examination of sexual orientation group patterns in mammographic and colorectal screening in a cohort of U.S. women

Purpose Underutilization of cancer screening has been found especially to affect socially marginalized groups. We investigated sexual orientation group patterns in breast and colorectal cancer screening adherence.
Prevalence of down syndrome among children and adolescents in metropolitan Atlanta.

BACKGROUND: Down syndrome (DS) prevalence estimates beyond infancy are needed to assess health service needs among those with DS. METHODS: Children with DS born in metropolitan Atlanta from 1979 through 2003 were ascertained from a population-based birth defects registry. Vital status through 2003 was obtained using case records, vital records, and the National Death Index. Prevalence was calculated by dividing the children surviving with DS by the population derived from U.S. Census estimates. Variations in DS prevalence by race, heart defects, age, birth cohort, and time period were examined using Poisson regression. RESULTS: In metropolitan Atlanta in 2003, there were 67 livebirths with DS (13.0 per 10,000 livebirths) and 738 0- to 19-year-olds surviving with DS (8.3 per 10,000 population). Over time, births to mothers 35 years and older and DS birth prevalence increased. Birth prevalence was higher among Whites, did not vary by sex, and was higher for infants without heart defects. DS prevalence among 0- to 14-year-olds increased over time (p < .05). Within each 5 year birth cohort, prevalence decreased with age: this decrease was greater among Blacks than among Whites and among children with heart defects than among children without heart defects. CONCLUSIONS: DS prevalence increased among livebirths and among young children. Further studies are warranted to determine whether health services are meeting the needs of an increasing number of children with DS. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 79:765–774, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis of transforming growth factor- α and epidermal growth factor receptor in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

BACKGROUND Transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA are up-regulated in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) tissues. METHODS Immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies to TGF-α and EGFR was undertaken to identify the cellular origin in tissue obtained from cancer patients and controls and to determine the correlation between mRNA expression levels and two methods of immunohistochemical evaluation. RESULTS TGF-α protein staining occurred in the suprabasal layers and spared the basal layer of normal controls. Conversely, in histologically normal mucosa from SCCHN patients, TGF-α was present throughout the epithelium, including the basal layer. EGFR staining was negligible in normal mucosa from control patients without cancer and relatively increased in SCCHN tissues. Increasing staining intensity was correlated with worsening dysplasia and closer proximity to the tumor. Using computerized image analysis to quantify the intensity of immunostaining, the mean optical density (MOD) of TGF-α staining in histologically normal mucosa (P = 0.049) and tumors (P = 0.005) from SCCHN patients was significantly higher than in control normal mucosa from noncancer patients (1.9- and 1.7-fold, respectively). EGFR MOD was also greater in the histologically normal mucosa (P = 0.009) and tumors (P = 0.006) from SCCHN patients than in control normal mucosa (1.8- and 1.9-fold, respectively). For both TGF-α (P = 0.668) and EGFR (P = 0.116), the MOD was similar for both tumor and histologically normal mucosa from SCCHN patients. CONCLUSIONS TGF-α and EGFR protein expression is increased early in head and neck squamous cell carcinogenesis and can be quantitated by computerized image analysis of immunohistochemical staining. Altered distribution of TGF-α protein in histologically normal mucosa from SCCHN patients compared with control mucosa from patients without cancer suggests a switch from a paracrine to an autocrine pathway. Cancer 1996;78:1284-92.
Promoters of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti-plasmid virulence genes

The DNA sequences of the promoter and 5' upstream regions of six Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti-plasmid encoded virulence (vir) genes were determined. The transcription initiation sites were mapped by the S1 nuclease protection assay. In the -10 region, the vir promoters share a consensus sequence that is homologous to a DNA sequence found in the same region of E. coli promoters. In contrast, the -35 region sequences are variable. Several vir genes contain two common hexanucleotide sequences, 5'CGAGTA3' and 5'GCAATT3'. Translation initiation codons for all vir genes, except virG, are preceded by sequences homologous to the ribosome binding site sequences found in E. coli.
Thor: Cloud Thickness from Off Beam Lidar Returns

Conventional wisdom is that lidar pulses do not significantly penetrate clouds having optical thickness exceeding about tau = 2, and that no returns are detectable from more than a shallow skin depth. Yet optically thicker clouds of tau much greater than 2 reflect a larger fraction of visible photons, and account for much of Earth s global average albedo. As cloud layer thickness grows, an increasing fraction of reflected photons are scattered multiple times within the cloud, and return from a diffuse concentric halo that grows around the incident pulse, increasing in horizontal area with layer physical thickness. The reflected halo is largely undetected by narrow field-of-view (FoV) receivers commonly used in lidar applications. THOR - Thickness from Off-beam Returns - is an airborne wide-angle detection system with multiple FoVs, capable of observing the diffuse halo, detecting wide-angle signal from which physical thickness of optically thick clouds can be retrieved. In this paper we describe the THOR system, demonstrate that the halo signal is stronger for thicker clouds, and validate physical thickness retrievals for clouds having z > 20, from NASA P-3B flights over the Department of Energy/Atmospheric Radiation Measurement/Southern Great Plains site, using the lidar, radar and other ancillary ground-based data.
Corals as Bioindicators of Climate Change

Potential effects of climate change and ocean acidification have energized much discussion among coral scientists, especially biologists. Will corals go extinct, lose their skeletons, or migrate po...
Controlling the soil moisture environment of transpiring plants

A method of growing plants under constant soil moisture conditions when the transpiration rate is constant is presented. This method uses the principles of unsaturated flow through a porous media to arrive at values for the design variables. If the transpiration rate is not constant, the maximum possible fluctuation in the soil moisture content can be determined.
Mesorectal microfoci adversely affect the prognosis of patients with rectal cancer

PURPOSE: Mesorectal involvement is a common feature in rectal tumors. Neoplastic foci can be identified at pathologic examination of the mesorectum, but their incidence and prognostic significance remain to be defined. METHODS: A series of 77 patients with extraperitoneal rectal cancer, resected with total mesorectal excision, entered the study. After fixation, the excised specimens were submitted to serial transverse sections and staining. Direct tumor infiltration, lymph node involvement, and neoplastic microfoci in the mesorectum were investigated. Patients with mesorectal foci were compared with those without deposits with regard to clinical and pathologic parameters; different patterns of foci (endovasal, endolymphatic, perineural, isolated) were also considered. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the impact on survival rate. RESULTS: Neoplastic mesorectal involvement was found in 64 patients (83.1 percent). Direct tumor infiltration was detected in 66.2 percent, node involvement in 28.6 percent, microscopic foci in 44.2 percent of cases (endovasal in 11.7 percent, endolymphatic in 15.7 percent, perineural in 26 percent, isolated in 14.3 percent). In 7 cases (10.9 percent) microfoci alone (without any kind of other mesorectal involvement) were detected. Deposits were found in 18.8 percent of TNM Stage I tumors, in 46.9 percent of Stage II and in 59.3 percent of Stage III cancers. Similar incidence was found in patients treated with integrated therapies and surgery alone (43.3 vs. 44.7 percent, P = not significant). Poorer median (44.5 vs. 57 months, P = 0.04) five-year overall survival rate (43.4 vs. 63.3 percent, P = 0.016) and disease-free survival rate (43.3 vs. 57.7 percent, P = 0.048) were observed in patients with microscopic foci compared with those without deposits. Tumor configuration was found to be a independent prognostic factor for both overall and disease-free survival rates; furthermore, endolymphatic, perineural, and isolated foci significantly affected overall survival rate, while TNM staging affected disease-free survival rate. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of neoplastic foci in the mesorectum is high, even in early staged tumors and despite aggressive preoperative treatment. They seem to affect prognosis. Such features should, therefore, be considered when local excision of the tumor is planned. Presence of mesorectal foci should modify conventional staging of the rectal tumor.
1H NMR studies of the binding of EDTA to bovine pancreatic ribonuclease.

Abstract EDTA binds at the active site of ribonuclease causing a selective downfield shift of the C2 proton resonance of His 12 at pH∗ 5.5 (pH∗ denotes an uncorrected glass electrode pH meter reading of a 2H2O solution). A dissociation constant for EDTA binding to ribonuclease of 1.70 mM was calculated from this chemical shift change. The pKa of His 12 increased from 5.79 in ribonuclease alone to 6.73 in the RNAase · EDTA complex. Compared to these effects, the other histidine residues were not significantly affected by EDTA. EDTA was shown to act as a competitive inhibitor of cytidine 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate hydrolysis by ribonuclease with a Ki of 1.37 mM at pH 5.5, 25°C. Molecular model building suggests that three of the four carboxyl groups of EDTA could simultaneously interact with histidine 12, lysine 41 and lysine 7. A complex of this type would account for the data described herein.
Quality of Financial Sector Regulation and Supervision Around the World

The paper analyzes the quality of financial sector regulation and supervision around the globe. Unlike studies that collect and analyze data on regulation and supervision "on the books," this study also analyzes available information on supervisory implementation, making use of data from IMF-World Bank assessments of compliance with international standards and codes. Incorporating supervisory implementation into the study provides an improved means of assessing countries' regulatory systems. We find that countries' regulatory frameworks score on average one notch below full compliance with the standards (on a 4-notch scale). There are substantial differences in the quality of regulatory and supervisory frameworks across countries, with the income level being a major factor.
Frequency of p53 tumor suppressor gene mutations in human primary brain tumors.

Mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene are the most common genetic alterations found in diverse types of human cancer, including the primary malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme. To estimate the frequency of p53 mutations in human brain tumors, we screened 120 human primary brain tumors (59 astrocytic; 61 nonastrocytic) by the polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism technique. Six astrocytic tumors (one anaplastic astrocytoma and five glioblastoma multiforme) were found to have putative p53 mutations. Direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction-amplified deoxyribonucleic acid from these six tumors confirmed the presence of different point mutations in the conserved regions of the p53 gene. Allelic losses on chromosome 17p were detected in four (67%) of the six tumors with p53 mutations. p53 mutations were not detected in any of the 61 nonastrocytic brain tumors. Also, polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of 74 leukocyte deoxyribonucleic acid samples from patients with astrocytic and nonastrocytic brain tumors failed to detect any germ-line p53 mutations. We conclude from these findings that p53 gene mutations in brain neoplasms are primarily limited to tumors of astrocytic origin and that the p53 gene mutations in sporadic astrocytomas are somatic in origin (i.e., nonprenatally determined).
Liposomal dry powders as aerosols for pulmonary delivery of proteins.

The purpose of this research was to develop liposomal dry powder aerosols for protein delivery. The delivery of stable protein formulations is essential for protein subunit vaccine delivery, which requires local delivery to macrophages in the lungs. β-Glucuronidase (GUS) was used as a model protein to evaluate dry powder liposomes as inhaled delivery vehicles. Dimyristoyl phosphatylcholine:cholesterol (7∶3) was selected as the liposome composition. The lyophilization of liposomes, micronization of the powders, aerosolization using a dry powder inhaler (DPI), and in vitro aerodynamic fine particle fraction upon collection in a twinstage liquid impinger were evaluated. After lyophilization and jet-milling, the total amount of GUS and its activity, representing encapsulation efficiency and stability, were evaluated. The GUS amount and activity were measured and compared with freshly-prepared liposomes in the presence of mannitol, 43% of initial GUS amount, 29% of GUS activity after lyophilization and 36% of GUS amount, 22% of activity after micronization were obtained. Emitted doses from dry powder inhaler were 53%, 58%, 66%, and 73% for liposome powder:mannitol carrier ratios of 1∶0, 1∶4, 1∶9, and 1∶19. Fifteen percent of the liposome particles were less than 6.4 μm in aerodynamic diameter. The results demonstrate that milled liposome powders containing protein molecules can be aerosolized effectively at a fixed flow rate. Influences of different cryoprotectants on lyophilization of protein liposome formulations are reported. The feasibility of using liposomal dry powder aerosols for protein delivery has been demonstrated but further optimization is required in the context of specific therapeutic proteins.
Enzymatic synthesis of 2'-deoxypseudouridylic acid.

Summary A partially purified pseudouridylate synthetase preparation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens B6 was found to catalyze the reaction between uracil and 2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate. The product of this enzymic reaction was susceptible to cleavage by snake venom 5′-nucleotidase to yield a hitherto undescribed nucleoside, which resembled 8-pseudouridine in its ultraviolet spectral characteristics and its reactivity toward acrylonitrile. The initial synthetic product of the enzymic reaction was identified as 2′-deoxypseudouridylic acid.
Retropharyngeal abscess management in children: Current practices ☆ ☆☆

Retropharyngeal abscesses (RAs) in children are uncommon in the modern antibiotic era. As a result, there are few large series outlining the management of these infections in contemporary literature. The goal of this study is to determine the current standard of care for RA. The membership of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology was surveyed, and the response rate was 77.5%. Seventy-two percent of practitioners reported that CT is their preferred diagnostic method. Nearly two thirds recommended a trial of intravenous antibiotics at least occasionally for suspected RA before operative drainage was considered; 51% of respondents indicated that 20% to 40% of RA may resolve with antibiotics alone. Intraoral incision and drainage is the surgical technique preferred by 83% of respondents. Tracheotomy and short-term intubation (24 to 72 hours) are rarely required. This study defines current management practices for RA in children among pediatric otolaryngologists. Results are compared with those in the existing literature.
Competition alters the perception of noxious stimuli in male and female athletes

The ability of athletes to continue to compete despite sustaining painful injury is often interpreted as evidence for the activation of endogenous analgesia mechanisms. However, alterations in perception of noxious stimuli during competition have not yet been systematically investigated. This experiment evaluated experimental pain sensitivity in male and female athletes 2 days before, immediately following, and 2 days after competition. Non-athlete controls were evaluated at the same intervals. Competition dramatically reduced pain report on the cold-pressor test in all athletes. Withdrawal latencies to noxious heat also were altered by competition, with finger withdrawal latency decreasing and arm withdrawal latency increasing in most athletes. No changes in pain report were observed across time in non-athlete controls. Competition induces both hyperalgesic and analgesic states that are dependent on the body region tested and pain assessment methodology used.
Toward Integrated Molecular Diagnostic System ( $i$ MDx): Principles and Applications

Integrated molecular diagnostic systems (iMDx), which are automated, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, robust, rapid, easy-to-use, and portable, can revolutionize future medicine. This review will first focus on the components of sample extraction, preservation, and filtration necessary for all point-of-care devices to include for practical use. Subsequently, we will look for low-powered and precise methods for both sample amplification and signal transduction, going in-depth to the details behind their principles. The final field of total device integration and its application to the clinical field will also be addressed to discuss the practicality for future patient care. We envision that microfluidic systems hold the potential to breakthrough the number of problems brought into the field of medical diagnosis today.
Does the Hospital Predict Readmission? A Multi-level Survival Analysis Approach

Time to psychiatric rehospitalization was predicted for a sample of 1473 Medicaid-insured youth in Illinois in 2005 and 2006. A multi-level model statistical strategy was employed to account for the fact that youth days to rehospitalization were nested within hospital and to test the hypothesis that hospitals would vary significantly in return rates, controlling for individual-level (e.g., symptom, demographic) variables. Hospitals did not vary significantly in days to rehospitalization. At the individual-level, level of externalizing behavior and residential treatment placement predicted a faster return to the hospital. These results support the perspective that hospital outcomes are best operationalized using variables tied more directly to the inpatient episode (e.g., LOS, reductions in acuity).
Identification of virulence genes in uropathogenic Escherichia coli by multiplex polymerase chain reaction and their association with infectivity in mice.

Abstract Objectives. To use multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to screen a large number of Escherichia coli clinical isolates for virulence factor genes and to evaluate the importance of several known factors in the etiology of urinary tract infection. Methods. Eighty-six E. coli isolates from urine or vaginal or rectal swabs of patients with recurrent urinary tract infection were screened for P fimbria ( pap ), hemolysin ( hly ), aerobactin ( aer ), cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 ( cnf 1), S fimbria ( sfa ), and afimbrial adhesion I ( afa I) genes by multiplex PCR. The phenotype of the strains was determined for type 1 fimbriae and O antigen serotype. The infectivity of 11 strains with different combinations of virulence factors was tested using a mouse model of unobstructed urinary tract infection. Results. Type 1 fimbriae were present in 81 of the 86 strains and was the only virulence factor in approximately one third of the isolates. Genes for hly, aer, cnf 1, sfa, or pap were present in approximately one fourth of the strains; afa I was present less frequently. A positive type 1 fimbriae phenotype was common to all strains that induced a bladder infection in mice. Conclusions. Multiplex PCR methods can be effectively applied to studies that require genetic screening of numerous E. coli uropathogens. Where phenotypic information was available, it was consistent with genotypes identified by PCR. Infectivity studies showed that the presence of the type 1 fimbriae gene in an E. coli isolate was required to establish a bladder infection. Other genes that were not identified in this study may also be required in mice and humans.
The impact of exchange rate volatility on plant-level investment: Evidence from Colombia

Abstract We estimate the impact of exchange rate volatility on firms' investment decisions in a developing country setting. Employing plant-level panel data from the Colombian Manufacturing Census, we estimate a dynamic investment equation using the system-GMM estimator developed by Arellano and Bover (1995) and Blundell and Bond (1998). We find a robust negative impact of exchange rate volatility, constructed either using a GARCH model or a simple standard deviation measure, on plant investment. Consistent with theory, we also document that the negative effect is mitigated for establishments with higher mark-up or exports, and exacerbated for lower mark-up plants with larger volume of imported intermediates.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Changes in Mechanical Properties in Carbon-Carbon Composites during Processing

In the next decade, there will be a concerted effort to develop hypersonic aircraft for commercial applications. It is anticipated that the design of these vehicles will place new demands on material performance at elevated temperatures. Temperatures in excess of 3200° F will be experienced at hypersonic speeds in certain critical areas of the structure, such as the tip of the nose and the wing leading edges. Carbon-carbon composites are one of the few structural materials available which retain a significant fraction of their specific stiffness and strength at elevated temperatures. Consequently, there is a great deal of interest in carbon-carbon composites as structural materials for hypersonic applications. While this material offers much promise for the future, many problems remain to be solved before it can be effectively utilized.
Prediction of postoperative seroma after latissimus dorsi breast reconstruction.

Background:The latissimus dorsi flap has become a first-line option in reconstruction of the breast cancer patient. Donor-site seroma is a commonly described postoperative complication of the latissimus dorsi flap.Methods:A retrospective chart review from 1998 to 2003 of all patients undergoing lati
Good Neighbours?: Dominant Narratives about the ‘Other’ in Contemporary Polish and Russian Newspapers

Abstract This article explores whether and how pre-communist images and stereotypes of Russia and Russians and Poland and Poles are being perpetuated in the framing of Russian–Polish relations by the contemporary Russian and Polish print media. It is hypothesised that the stable core of pre-communist Russian public discourse about Poland and Polish narratives of Russia survived the forced internationalism of the communist period and is present today, although it is also being reimagined at the margins. Using a sample of 1,208 articles from Russian and Polish daily newspapers, the article examines contemporary narratives and their relationship to the old discourses.
A role for the speech-language pathologist in multidisciplinary assessment and treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is widely recognized as encompassing a variety of social, behavioral, academic, and psychiatric problems. Among these problems is a high rate of language disorders and impairments in receptive, expressive, and metalinguistic functions. Yet, relatively little attention is given to language impairment in assessment and treatment of ADHD, and so, these impairments often go unrecognized and untreated. In addition, Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are infrequently included in service delivery efforts for children with ADHD. This paper describes specific language problems that are frequently encountered by children with ADHD, as well as related clinical and research issues. Roles and contributions of SLPs in multidisciplinary services for ADHD are discussed. It is argued that greater representation of SLPs in the assessment and treatment of ADHD, and increased utilization of their services, is needed to more fully and adequately address needs of children with t...
Experimental demonstration of code position modulation in an O-CDMA system to increase the number of users

A novel, code-position modulation(CPM) that permits increase in the number of active users proposed and experimentally demonstrated. CPM-O-CDMA system with 6-asynchronous users at bit-rate 2.5 Gb/s and BER<1E-9 demonstrated to increase the bit-rate by 4X.
M.T.S.: An adaptable microcomputer-based testing system

An Apple II + computer-based human testing system is described. The system, which was developed using the Pascal language, provides library units of low-level procedures to rapidly access a clock, collect responses, control video output, control a touch-sensitive monitor, and display high-resolution graphics. Built-in hardware and software checks provide a high degree of system reliability. Use of easily altered text files for control of trials within a task and inclusion of and ordering of tasks within a session allows the system to be readily adapted.
The Gamitron - A High Power Crossed-Field Switch Tube for HVDC Interruption

A high power crossed-field discharge device has been developed for use as a high voltage direct current interrupter. This device operates at low pressure (0.05 Torr), conducting current at a fixed voltage (~500 V) only in the presence of a weak magnetic field (~100 G) which is substantially perpendicular to the electric field between the electrodes. When the magnetic field is removed, ionization ceases and current interruption results. Physical phenomena occurring in this device have been investigated, including the glow-to-arc transition, gas cleanup, and high voltage breakdown. Based on the results of these investigations, switch tubes have been developed and successfully tested at the 2 kA, 100 kV level, with recovery rates in excess of 2 kV/?s. The availability of such devices will make possible many applications including HVDC circuit breakers, ac current limiters, and practical inductive energy storage.
Vagal afferent innervation of the atria of the rat heart reconstructed with confocal microscopy

We have used confocal microscopy to analyze the vagal afferent innervation of the rat heart. Afferents were labeled by injecting 1,1'-dioleyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine methanesulfonate (DiI) into the nodose ganglia of animals with prior supranodose de-efferentations, autonomic ganglia were stained with Fluoro-gold, and tissues were examined in whole mounts. Distinctively different fiber specializations were observed in the epi-, myo-, and endocardium: Afferents to the epicardium formed complexes associated with cardiac ganglia. These ganglia consisted of four major ganglionated plexuses, two on each atrium, at junctions of the major vessels with the atria. Ganglionic locations and sizes (left > right) were consistent across animals. In addition to principal neurons (PNs), significant numbers of small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells were located in each of these plexuses, and vagal afferents provided dense pericellular varicose endings around the SIF cells in each ganglionic plexus, with few if any terminations on PNs. In the myocardium, vagal afferents formed close contacts with cardiac muscles, including conduction fibers. In the endocardium, vagal fibers formed "flower-spray" and "end-net" terminals in connective tissue. With three-dimensional reconstruction of confocal optical sections, a novel polymorphism was seen: Some fibers had one or more collaterals ending as endocardial flower sprays and other collaterals ending as myocardial intramuscular endings. Some unipolar or pseudounipolar neurons within each cardiac ganglionic plexus were retrogradely labeled from the nodose ganglia. In conclusion, vagal afferents form a heterogeneity of differentiated endings in the heart, including structured elements which may mediate chemoreceptor function, stretch reception, and local cardiac reflexes.