cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systematic investigation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzymes catalyzing carbonyl reductions.

Eighteen key reductases from baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) have been overproduced in Escherichia coli as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins. A representative set of α- and β-keto esters was tested as substrates (11 total) for each purified fusion protein. The stereoselectivities of β-keto ester reductions depended both on the identity of the enzyme and the substrate structure, and some reductases yielded both l- and d-alcohols with high stereoselectivities. While α-keto esters were generally reduced with lower enantioselectivities, it was possible in all but one case to identify pairs of yeast reductases that delivered both alcohol antipodes in optically pure form. Taken together, the results demonstrate not only that individual yeast reductases can be used to supply important chiral building blocks, but that GST-fusion proteins allow rapid identification of synthetically useful biocatalysts (along with their corresponding genes).
New multidentate ligands—XI: Synthesis and chelating tendencies of ethylenediamine-N,N′-di(methylenephosphinic) acid, ethylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetra(methylenephosphinic) acid and ethylenediamine-N,N′-di(methylenephosphonic) acid

Abstract The syntheses, properties and metal-chelate formation constants are reported for the new ligands ethylenediamine-N,N′-di(methylenephophinic) acid (EDDPI), ethylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetra(methylenephosphinic) acid (EDTPI), and ethylenediamine-N,N′-di(methylenephosphinic) acid (EDDPO). The stoichiometries of acid-base and metal ion interaction are deduced from potentiometric data, and probable structures of chelates formed are inferred from the new data presented as well as from a comparison of the metal ion affinities with those of analogous ligands. The question of charge repulsion interactions between two or more phosphonate groups coordinated to a common metal ion is further probed.
Low turn-on voltage InP/In/sub 0.7/Ga/sub 0.3/As/InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors

In this paper, low V/sub be/ HBTs were developed in the InP based material system, taking advantage of both its maturity and the high bandgap and breakdown field of an InP collector.
Plastic deformation of titanium at elevated temperatures

The deformation of iodide titanium single crystals containing 200 to 250 ppm O, was studied in compression at temperatures from 25° to 800°C. Reduction of about 5 pct along thec axis was accommodated almost entirely by $$\left\{ {11\bar 22} \right\}$$ twinning from 25° to 300°C, and above 400°C by $$\left\{ {10\bar 11} \right\}$$ twinning in combination with c+a slip. The stress for $$\left\{ {11\bar 22} \right\}$$ twinning increased with increasing temperature, and twin formation was accompanied by a load drop, while the stress for $$\left\{ {10\bar 11} \right\}$$ twinning decreased with increasing temperature and twinning was not accompanied by a load drop. Crystals reduced normal to thec axis deformed by a combination of prism slip and $$\left\{ {10\bar 12} \right\}$$ twinning at 25°C and by prism slip alone above 500°C.
Studies on transmural potentials in vitro in relation to intestinal absorption. V. Kinetic characteristics of lipid interactions with rat gut.

Abstract The in vitro studies reported here are concerned with the interactions of bile salt alone and of bile salt, fatty acid, monoglyceride and triglyceride in various combinations, with the mucosal surface of paired everted sacs prepared from the rat small intestine. Lipid-induced changes were noted in transmural potential (ΔPD) and in short-circuit current ( ΔI sc ) during incubation in buffered media. Increments in PD and I sc appeared to be saturable functions of graded concentrations of taurocholate and of glyceryl monooleate in the mucosal medium. This was confirmed by Line-weaver-Burk plots of the data and apparent K m values for the interaction of taurocholate and of monooleate with the ileal mucosal epithelium were estimated by extrapolation to be 3.6 and 6.0 mM, respectively. The lipid-membrane interactions are Na+-dependent. For example, apparent K m values increased as the Na+ concentration of the medium was decreased by isosmolar replacement with Tris+ or K+. Moreover, K+, compared with Tris+, seemed to inhibit markedly the bile salt interaction, but had little effect on the interaction of monoglyceride other than deprivation of Na+. Furthermore, this Na+ dependency is reflected in a mutual competitive inhibition between glucose and these lipids as well as between the lipids themselves. A comparison of ΔPD and ΔI sc data, obtained with mixed lipids containing oleic acid or triolein, suggests that 3-component preparations (with taurocholate and monoglyceride) are more effective in interacting with the mucosal surface of the sac than are the corresponsing 2-component preparations (without monoglyceride). The studies with [14C]triolein indicate that (1) a small but significant fraction of the lipid may actually enter the mucosal tissues and (2) uptake, determined under open-circuit and short-circuit conditions, appears to be an active, Na+-dependent process.
Origin of the Moon's orbital inclination from resonant disk interactions

The Moon is generally believed to have formed from the debris disk created by a large body colliding with the early Earth1,2. Recent models of this process predict that the orbit of the newly formed Moon should be in, or very near, the Earth's equatorial plane3,4. This prediction, however, is at odds with the known history of the lunar orbit: the orbit is currently expanding, but can be traced back in time to reveal that, when the Moon formed, its orbital inclination relative to the Earth's equator was I ≈ 10° (refs 5, 6). The cause of this initial inclination has been a mystery for over 30 years, as most dynamical processes (such as those that act to flatten Saturn's rings) will tend to decrease orbital inclinations. Here we show that the Moon's substantial orbital inclination is probably a natural result of its formation from an impact-generated disk. The mechanism involves a gravitational resonance between the Moon and accretion-disk material, which can increase orbital inclinations up to ∼15°.
Disaster Begets Crisis: The Role of Contagion in Financial Markets

Severe economic downturns like the great depression of the 1930s take place over extended periods of time. I model an economy where rare economic disasters increase the likelihood of subsequent near term disasters. The mechanism generates more clustering of disasters than existing models. Serial correlation in disasters has important implications for asset prices. For example, it generates a larger equity premium and a lower risk free rate than similarly calibrated models without this feature. The calibrated model developed here replicates the temporal structure of severe economic downturns in OECD countries. It quantitatively explains the equity premium, the risk-free rate, excess volatility and return predictability. It also generates the implied volatility smile observed in equity index options.
Location-based services: models for strategy development in M-commerce

There is wide appreciation of the integral role location-based services would play in the mobile-commerce arena. The early-stage infrastructure for enabling these services is just now reaching the commercialization stage. Strategic thinking in this domain is rudimentary - there is not a clear understanding of issues associated with location data such as ownership and management of location-specific data, and consumer privacy. This paper provides an overview of location-based mobile-wireless services and related technologies, an evaluation of potential business models, and strategic implications for key entities in the value chain.
The Lesbian and gay past: It's Greek to whom?

Abstract Part of a series of projects which seek to defamiliarize—indeed, to queer—the concept history in lesbian and gay studies, this paper focuses on the ‘imagined cultural geography’ of ancient Greece in queer fictions of the past. Although figurations of Greek culture have been centrally important in a wide range of reverse discourses on homosexuality, such conceptual models are neither historically inevitable nor politically innocent, and are in fact weighted with dense cultural baggage. In a reading of several texts (including ones which disavow their complicity in this practice), this paper investigates the ethnocentric notions of ‘lesbian and gay identity formation’ which inhere in this cultural project to raise questions about multiculturalism and the (hidden) construction of white racial identification within these gay and lesbian discourses.
New maximal prime gaps and first occurrences

The search for first occurrences of prime gaps and maximal prime gaps is extended to 10 15 . New maximal prime gaps of 806 and 906 are found, and sixty-two previously unpublished first occurrences are found for gaps varying from 676 to 906.
Coordination of 2-methylthioethanol with ferroprotoporphyrin IX.

Abstract 1. 1. The equilibrium addition of 2-methylthioethanol to ferroporphyrin in aqueous alcoholic solution is examined and found to consist in two overlapping steps. 2. 2. A mixed hemochrome is formed with thioether and CN- or imidazole as ligands and is notably more stable than the complex with two thioether molecules.
Limited photosynthetic plasticity in Sedum pulchellum Michx.

Carbon dioxide exchange pattern, carboxylating enzyme specific activity and titratable acidity were measureed for field collected individuals of Sedum pulchellum Michx., a winter annual of xeric cedar glade communities in central Tennessee. Evidence of a weak-CAM mode of photosynthesis was found on 4 of 27 sampling dates during a three year period. Three of these dates occurred during 1978, the driest study season, and nocturnal CO2 uptake contributed a maximum of 10% of the plants daily CO2 uptake. Weak CAM in the field was associated with elevated phosphoenol-pyruvate (PEP) carboxylase activity and, to a lesser degree, with decreased ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase activity. In contrast, carboxylating enzyme specific activities of the sympatric, obligate CAM species Opuntia compressa, a dominant perennial of the cedar glades, were highly stable.
Does Temperament Moderate Treatment Response in Adolescent Substance Use Disorders

To assess whether temperament moderates response to treatment for substance use disorders (SUD), n = 88 consecutively referred adolescents with SUD were randomized to cognitive- behavioral (CBT) or psychoeducational (PET) therapies. Principal components analyses reduced the 10-attribute Dimensions of Temperament Revised (DOTS-R) to three factors (Rhythmicity, Activity/Flexibility, and Mood/Sociability). Three response domains (Alcohol Use, Other Substance Use, and Psychological Function) from the Teen Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI) were assessed at baseline and at 3-month post-treatment completion. There was a significant moderator effect on Treatment only for Rhythmicity on T-ASI Alcohol and Psychological domains. For Alcohol use, for youth with poor levels of Rhythmicity, only PET effected significant improvement, whereas for youth with good levels of Rhythmicity, no treatment differences emerged. For Psychological function, for youth with good levels of Rhythmicity, only CBT effected significant improvement, whereas for youth with poor levels of Rhythmicity, no treatment differences emerged. Implications of these findings are discussed.
On the meaning of effects of substrate structure on biological transport

No single approach or simple combination of approaches will bring us an understanding of membrane transport, how it occurs, how it is driven and how it drives other processes. The particularity of the minds of individual investigators usually ensures that numerous attacks on a problem are undertaken, and also that these attacks are continued, and reapplied even after other investigators may have begun to deplore them. This article was in the first instance initiated for myself, to rethink what it is that my associates and I hope to achieve by one set of approaches, namely by observing the results of modifying the structure of substrates on their transport. To a degree I am taking a precaution that we do not decide that such studies are obsolescent, that the approach is indirect, a “black box” and born of a lack of courage for direct isolative approaches, or that only superficial objectives can be pursued by the approach, simply because superficial objectives are so often pursued by it.
Structural investigation of tin(IV) alkoxide compounds—II. Solid state and solution structural characterization of [Sn(O-i-Bu)4· HO-i-Bu]2

Abstract The trans-alcoholysis reaction between Sn(O-t-Bu)4 and an excess of HO-i-Bu results in quantitative formation of [Sn(O-i-Bu)4·H0-i-Bu]2. This compound was structurally characterized in solution by 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR spectroscopy and in the solidstate by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The molecular structure consists of an edge-shared bi-octahedral Sn2 unit with an intramolecular hydrogen bridge between the coordinated alcohol and metal alkoxide. The dynamic behaviour of this compound was studied in solution and revealed the presence of an intramolecular proton exchange process that was fast on the NMR time-scale.
Structure-biodegradability correlations among xenobiotic industrial amines

Using acclimated sewage sludge enrichment cultures, 60 amines with potential uses in industrial processes were evaluated for their biodegradability. Biodegradation was measured as cell protein yield with 0.05% amine serving as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy in a mineral solution. Inhibitory properties of the amines, measured by their ability to decrease protein yield on a glucose medium, were unrelated to biodegradability. Under the specified test conditions, all amines that contained tertiary carbon atoms were recalcitrant. Ring N-substituted heterocyclics were readily degraded, but ring C-substituted piperidines, with the exception of pipecolinic acid, were not. When amines lacked other functional groups, tertiary amino groups hindered degradation. Amines with alkyldiamine moieties shorter than propyl did not serve as growth substrates. Predictive generalizations of this type about biodegradability serve as an aid in selecting environmentally safe compounds for industrial processes.
Reversal by cytidine of cyclopentenyl cytosine-induced toxicity in mice without compromise of antitumor activity

Among nine compounds surveyed, cytidine was found to be the most effective in reversing the antiproliferative effects of cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPEC) on human T-lymphoblasts (MOLT-4) in culture. Cytidine, at concentrations of 1-25 microM, enabled cells to maintain normal logarithmic growth when added up to 12 hr after exposure to a 200 nM concentration of the oncolytic nucleoside, CPEC. The most abundant CPEC metabolite, CPEC-5'-triphosphate, is a potent [K1 approximately 6 microM] inhibitor of CTP synthetase (EC 6.3.4.2). Accumulation of this inhibitor resulted in a depletion of CTP levels to 17% of their original cellular concentration. Exogenous cytidine reversed CPEC-induced cellular cytotoxicity by suppressing the formation of CPEC-5'-triphosphate by 70%, and by partially replenishing intracellular CTP to at least 60-70% of its original concentration. In vivo, cytidine (500 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally 4 hr after each daily dose of CPEC (LD10-LD100) for 9 days reduced the toxicity and abolished the lethality of CPEC to non-tumored mice. Of greater practical importance is the finding that, under these experimental conditions, cytidine did not curtail the antineoplastic properties of CPEC in L1210 tumor-bearing mice. Moreover, the concentration range over which CPEC exhibited antineoplastic activity was extended with cytidine administration.
A circular-arc-shaped slit with fixed center and continuously adjustable radius for the analysis of circularly symmetric low-angle x-ray diffraction patterns

Abstract It is shown that a slit bounded by two appropriately chosen logarithmic spirals can be rotated and translated in front of a circular sector V-shaped opening with such a motion that the exposed segment of spiral slit at all times furnishes a good approximation to a circular are with center fixed at the point of the “V” and with continuously variable radius of curvature, the maximum radius being 10 times the minimum radius. The slit may be constructed so that its radial width remains at all times the same percentage of the radius so as to afford a total slit area varying as the square of the radius. The advantage in the quantitative scanning of circular diffraction patterns whose intensities frequently fall off rapidly with radius is obvious. Photographs of such a slit, constructed of metal by photolithographic etching process with a maximum radius of 2.8 cm and a minimum radius of 2.8 mm are shown and the method of construction is described.
Factors in the waning of muricide in the rat: I. Analysis of intra‐ and intersession decrement

If each mouse killed by a rat is removed from the rat's home cage and replaced immediately by another live mouse, the rate of killing declines within 1- and 3-hr sessions. Muricide could not then be dishabituated by either a “nonspecific” stimulus (a loud noise) or a specific change in target characteristics (a frog substituted for the mouse). By systematically varying intersession intervals, we found that 1 hr of ad lib killing produced a monotonically decreasing suppression of muricide over the succeeding 96 hr. Subjects performed an interesting kind of forward didng which was influenced by both dishabituating stimuli and killing; this may be a form of die placement behavior.
Towards an easier way to measure the visual span

Pelli, D. G. (2009), Towards an easier way to measure the visual span. Vision Sciences Society, Naples, Florida, May 9-14, 2009. Summary: The “visual span” is defined as the number of letters, in a line of text, that one can identify without moving one’s eyes. While reading, people advance their eyes by a distance roughly equal to the visual span, five times per second. Thus, the tenfold increase in reading speed during childhood implies a proportional increase in the visual span, and there are some data to support this (reviewed in Pelli & Tillman, 2008, Nature Neuroscience). In normal adults, the vi-
Income, productivity, and satisfaction of breast surgeons.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to assess how the practice patterns of breast surgeons affect their income and job satisfaction. Methods A 19-question survey regarding practice patterns and income and job satisfaction was mailed to all active US members of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. Results There were 772 responses. An increasing percentage of breast care was associated with lower incomes ( P = .0001) and similar income satisfaction ( P = .4517) but higher job satisfaction ( P = .0001). The increasing proportion of breast care was also associated with fewer hours worked per week ( P = .0001). Although incomes were lower in surgeons with a higher proportion of their practice in breast care, income satisfaction was not affected. Conclusions Although cause and effect relationships between income and breast surgery are difficult to establish, several trends do emerge. Most significantly, we found that dedicated breast surgeons have higher job satisfaction ratings and similar income satisfaction despite lower incomes.
Population Growth, Environmental Degradation, and State-Sponsored Violence: The Case of Kenya, 1991-93

This article examines the connection between demographic and environmental stress (DES) and civil strife in Kenya. DES is a composite variable encompassing population growth degradation depletion and maldistribution of renewable resources. The causal connection between population growth environmental pressure and civil strife is rarely direct and obvious. Thus some scholars dismiss the notion that DES represents a serious threat to political stability in the developing world. States need not totally collapse for population growth and environmental pressures to produce violent internal conflicts; violence could also result from the purposive actions of the state s elite. Nevertheless analysts must resist the kind of environmental determinism that creeps into discussions of population growth and environmental degradation as potential sources of civil strife. As the discussion of institutional inclusivity and groupness suggests DES would produce widespread violence only in certain institutional and social contexts. Consequently future analysts must clearly specify the intervening variables that mediate the relationship between DES and deadly internal conflict.
Solution to the proton radius puzzle

The relationship between the static electric form factor for the proton in the rest frame and the Sachs electric form factor in the Breit momentum frame is used to provide a value for the difference in the mean squared charge radius of the proton evaluated in the two frames. Associating the muonic–hydrogen data analysis for the proton charge radius of 0.84087 fm with the rest frame and associating the electron scattering data with the Breit frame yields a prediction of 0.87944 fm for the proton radius in the relativistic frame. The most recent value deduced via electron scattering from the proton is 0.877(6) fm so that the frame dependence used here yields a plausible solution to the proton radius puzzle.
Measurement tool for preoperative anxiety in young children: The yale preoperative anxiety scale

Abstract To develop a preoperative anxiety scale (YPAS) for children undergoing surgery, 21 specific behaviors indicating anxiety were defined within five domains (activity, emotional expressivity, state of arousal, vocalization, and use of adults). A reliability Kappa analysis revealed that inter-observer agreement ranged from .66 to .94, while intra-observer Kappa ranged from .66 to .91. Validity analysis between a Visual Analog Scale and the YPAS revealed an r of .59 for entering the operating room. Multiserial analysis comparing the YPAS to the Vernon Anxiety Scale ranged from .61 to .64. Showing good to excellent observer reliability and validity, the YPAS proves to be an appropriate tool for studying children's responses in preoperative settings. As such, the new assessment instrument should be of interest to clinical and research neuropsychologists who need to assess a child's anxiety level prior to the undertaking of a given surgical procedure.
Fulminant Kaposi's sarcoma complicating long-term corticosteroid therapy.

Abstract Cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma occurs rarely in patients receiving longterm corticosteroid therapy. The case of a rapidly progressive form of Kaposi's sarcoma occurring in a 29-year-old Palestinian woman with steroid-dependent Crohn's disease and familial Mediterranean fever is reported. Despite an extensive transfusion history, serologic and vira logic studies failed to demonstrate exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus. Serologic and virologic evidence of concomitant cytomegalovirus infection, however, suggests possible pathogenic features similar to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related form of Kaposi's sarcoma.
Influence of hydrogeology, microbiology and landscape history on the geochemistry of acid hypersaline waters, N.W. Victoria.

Abstract There is now evidence that naturally occurring acid–water is more abundant than previously thought and that it has been important in the geologic past. Understanding the processes leading to the formation of such systems is required to appreciate the role of acid systems in geologic processes and to develop indicators for recognizing the geologic/environmental importance of these systems in the past. This paper characterizes the hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, microbial biogeochemistry and landscape attributes of acid–groundwater surface water systems in Australia with an emphasis on a well studied playa-lake system, Lake Tyrrell, Murray Valley. A model for the origin of these acid brines is presented and the importance of acid-brine producing systems is speculated upon. Data include porewater and groundwater geochemical measurements (collected during a 10 day field campaign) and results from geochemical modeling and graphics (e.g., Piper diagrams and x–y plots of seawater evaporation trajectories). Key characteristics of the system are (1) aquifer materials have low acid buffering capacities, (2) saline groundwater flowing onto playa surfaces is an oxic, H2SO4 solution, (3) authigenic minerals include combinations of jarosite [KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6], alunite [KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6] and Fe oxides that can form as evaporite minerals, (4) a source for solutes can be marine aerosols and (5) the formation of ironstones. Groundwater acidification by various processes including sulfide oxidation and ferrolysis, and at many different times, are the unique aspects for evolution of these acid brines and they can be considered another end member of the Eugster–Jones–Hardie model for the evolution of brines in closed basins. Acid–hypersaline groundwater and playa systems such as Lake Tyrrell may be an example of expected changes in the hydrogeochemistry of terrestrial water during late-stage continental denudation under arid conditions. Historically these systems may have been integral to the formation of opal, bauxite, some low temperature ore deposits, of authigenic K-feldspars, and continental redbeds. Natural acid saline systems, such as those in Australia, may also be representative of acid saline systems on Mars.
Effects of contralateral sound on auditory-nerve responses. I. Contributions of cochlear efferents

The response properties of single auditory-nerve fibers in barbiturate-anaesthetized cats were recorded with and without simultaneous presentation of sound to the contralateral ear. The tendons to the middle ear muscles on both sides were cut before all experiments, and contralateral stimuli were restricted to levels below the threshold for crosstalk to the ipsilateral ear. Contralateral tones and broad-band noise were found to suppress the responses of auditory-nerve afferents to ipsilateral tones at their characteristic frequency (CF), but not to tones off CF. The suppression due to contralateral sound required approximately 100-200 ms to develop and to decay. When the contralateral stimuli were tones at the CF, the strongest suppression was observed in low- and medium-spontaneous-rate units with CFs between 1 and 2 kHz. The suppressive effect of contralateral sound completely disappeared immediately after severing the entire olivocochlear bundle (OCB) within the internal auditory meatus. the completeness of the OCB cuts was assessed histologically. Most of the suppressive effect remained after lesions to the OCB in the floor of the IVth ventricle which eliminated the crossed olivocochlear projection but spared most of the uncrossed projection. It is argued that this suppressive effect of contralateral sound is mediated by the uncrossed olivocochlear efferents to the outer hair cells.
The Abl-related gene (Arg) nonreceptor tyrosine kinase uses two F-actin-binding domains to bundle F-actin

Abl family nonreceptor tyrosine kinases regulate cellular morphogenesis and motility through functional interactions with the actin cytoskeleton. Although Abl family kinases are known to contain filamentous (F)-actin-binding domains at their C termini, it is unclear how Abl family kinases regulate the structure and/or function of the actin cytoskeleton. We show here that the Abl-related kinase Arg binds with positive cooperativity to F-actin in vitro with binding saturating at a ratio of one Arg/two actin molecules. Measurements of the F-actin-binding properties of Arg deletion mutants led to the identification of a second, previously uncharacterized internal F-actin-binding domain in Arg. Purified Arg can bundle F-actin in vitro, and this bundling activity requires both F-actin-binding domains. An Arg-yellow fluorescent protein fusion protein can induce the formation of actin-rich structures at the lamellipodia of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Both of Arg's F-actin-binding domains are necessary and sufficient for the formation of these actin-rich structures. Together, our data suggest that Arg can use its F-actin-bundling activity to directly regulate actin cytoskeletal structure in vivo.
Moral Reasoning and Religious Belief: does content influence structure?

Abstract Kohlberg's theory of moral development draws a distinction between content and structure of moral thought. An inference based on this distinction is that content and structure are independent. To investigate this inference, we studied fourth‐and eighth‐grade students in two distinct educational settings in the United States. Sample 1 contained 83 students attending a church‐sponsored, evangelical Christian school. Sample 2 contained 60 students attending government‐supported public schools. Students were administered Kohlberg's moral dilemmas of life versus law, punishment versus conscience, and authority versus contract. Christian school students made more religious references in resolving dilemmas. More Christian than public school students favoured law, punishment and authority. More importantly, regardless of the school attended, students who used religious terminology to resolve dilemmas were less likely to reason in Kohlberg's Stage 2 than those who did not. Grade differences emerged. Regar...
Age and practice effects on inter-manual performance asymmetry.

Manual dexterity declines with increasing age however, the way in which inter-manual asymmetry responds to aging is unclear. Our purpose was to determine the effect of age and practice on inter-manual performance asymmetry in an isometric force pinch line tracing task that varied in difficulty within segments. Thirty right handed participants, 5 males and 5 females in each of three age groups, young (Y20), young-old (O70), and old-old (O80), practiced an isometric force pinch task for 10 trials with each hand on each of five consecutive days. Inter-manual performance asymmetry of the right and left hands was analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA of asymmetry with age groups, practice, task difficulty, and hand as factors. The within-individual magnitude of asymmetry was also analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA of manual asymmetry calculated as an asymmetry index (AI). Post hoc pair-wise comparisons were performed when significance was found. We observed no inter-manual performance asymmetry on this isometric tracing task among any of the age groups, either in the hand performance differences or in the magnitude of the asymmetry index (AI). Age and practice interacted in terms of manual performance: the Y20 and O70 group improved accuracy and task time across the five days of practice but the O80 group did not. However, practice did not differentially affect the AI for accuracy or task time for any group. Accuracy of performance of the two hands was differentially affected by practice. All age groups exhibited poorer performance and larger AIs on the most difficult segments of the task (3 and 6) and this did not change with practice.
The Cultural Logics of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005: Fiscal Identities and Financial Failure

The enactment of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (‘BAPCPA’) of 2005, amending the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, marks a transformation in bankruptcy law and policy that is representative of larger shifts in dominant economic and political models from ‘embedded liberalism’ to free market ‘neoliberalism’. BAPCPA’s provisions are part of the new practices of the emergent neoliberal state as they relate to the American middle-class segment of the population. In disciplining the middle class, BAPCPA shifts the risk and the responsibility of the lending relationship onto consumer debtors.
Quantization Noise in Digital Moving Target Indication Systems

This paper deals precisely with the effect of quantum or step size in an analog-to-digital converter on the quantization noise in the output of MTI (moving target indication) radar processors. The correlation between quantization errors on successive pulses is considered in the analysis and is shown to have a small quieting effect on the output quantization noise.
A decomposition of UAV-related situation awareness

This paper presents a fine-grained decomposition of situation awareness (SA) as it pertains to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and uses this decomposition to understand the types of SA attained by operators of the Desert Hawk UAV. Since UAVs are airborne robots, we adapt a definition previously developed for human-robot awareness after learning about the SA needs of operators through observations and interviews. We describe the applicability of UAV-related SA for people in three roles: UAV operators, air traffic controllers, and pilots of manned aircraft in the vicinity of UAVs. Using our decomposition, UAV interaction designers can specify SA needs and analysts can evaluate a UAV interface's SA support with greater precision and specificity than can be attained using other SA definitions.
Secondary nitrogen limitation in a subtropical lake impacted by non-point source agricultural pollution

A 20-year history of nutrient limitation was quantified for Lake Okeechobee, a nutrient-impacted lake in Florida, USA. Limiting status (nitrogen versus phosphorus) was estimated from deviations between trophic state index (TSI) parameters, calculated from routine monitoring data. The lake is presently nitrogen-limited. However, historical trends in the TSI deviations indicate that contemporary nitrogen limitation is a secondary, unnatural condition that has arisen due to excessive phosphorus loading. Prior to 1980, there was evidence of lake-wide limitation by phosphorus, rather than nitrogen. The finding of secondary nitrogen limitation in Lake Okeechobee has important management implications. Phosphorus loads are presently being reduced in order to reduce in-lake concentrations and create phosphorus-limited conditions (nitrogen limitation is undersirable because it has favored bloom-forming cyanobacteria). The present results indicate that this long-term management goal is ecologically sound; it is consistent with the concept of restoration of the lake.
Measurable improvement in patient safety culture: A departmental experience with incident learning

Purpose: Rigorous use of departmental incident learning is integral to improving patient safety and quality of care. The goal of this study was to quantify the impact of a high-volume, departmental incident learning system on patient safety culture. Methods and materials: A prospective, voluntary, electronic incident learning system was implemented in February 2012 with the intent of tracking near-miss/no-harm incidents. All incident reports were reviewed weekly by a multiprofessional team with regular department-wide feedback. Patient safety culture was measured at baseline with validated patient safety culture survey questions. A repeat survey was conducted after 1 and 2 years of departmental incident learning. Proportional changes were compared by χ 2 or Fisher exact test, where appropriate. Results: Between 2012 and 2014, a total of 1897 error/near-miss incidents were reported, representing an average of 1 near-miss report per patient treated. Reports were filed by a cross section of staff, with the majority of incidents reported by therapists, dosimetrists, and physicists. Survey response rates at baseline and 1 and 2 years were 78%, 80%, and 80%, respectively. Statistically significant and sustained improvements were noted in several safety metrics, including belief that the department was openly discussing ways to improve safety, the sense that reports were being used for safety improvement, and the sense that changes were being evaluated for effectiveness. None of the surveyed dimensions of patient safety culture worsened. Fewer punitive concerns were noted, with statistically significant decreases in the worry of embarrassment in front of colleagues and fear of getting colleagues in trouble.
Mucosal vaccine delivery: is M cell-targeted delivery effective in the mucosal lumen?

A priori, it would seem logical to use targeted delivery to enhance the effectiveness of a mucosal vaccine. This notion is based in part on observations that selective capture of microbes by M cell...
Does Opening Adoption Records Have an Adverse Social Impact? Some Lessons from the US, Great Britain and Australia, 1953–2007

This study provides an international history of the adoption reform movement in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia from 1953 to 2007. It empirically tests how safe birth parents and adopted adults are in countries that have opened their adoption records, usually birth registration records, using preference forms and contact vetoes. The results of this investigation reveal that a vast gap exists between the fear by birth parents and adopted adults that their privacy will be invaded and their family disrupted and the reality that few or no offenses are committed. It follows that opening adoption records with contact preference forms or contact vetoes provides a balanced adoption disclosure system and is a viable alternative to the sealed adoption policies currently used in the vast majority of American states and Canadian provinces.
Pathophysiologic bases for adjunctive therapies in the treatment and secondary prevention of acute myocardial infarction

Postmyocardial infarction (MI) survival has been steadily improving. This improvement has been due, in part, to the actions of the adjunctive medical therapies for the treatment of MI. Aspirin, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and lipid-lowering agents have been shown to improve survival in the treatment and secondary prevention of MI. Nitrates have beneficial effects as well. These medications complement the reperfusion strategies through different mechanisms. Other adjunctive medical therapies, namely magnesium, antiarrhythmic agents, and calcium-channel blockers, have not been shown to improve mortality with routine post-MI use despite their theoretical benefits.
Risk communication: Towards a rational discourse with the public

Professional risk managers and the general public strongly disagree about the seriousness of many risks. Most members of the public are concerned about long-term effects of risks, inequitable siting, lack of personal control, and the pace of technological diffusion into their cultural envi- ronment, whereas professional risk managers focus on the task to minimize the probability of adverse effects caused by a technology or other human activity. To bridge the gap between the professional mandate and the public perception of risk, a dialogue has to be initiated between risk mana- gers, interest groups and representatives of the affected public. This dialogue should serve the function of reconciling conflicts among various groups. A prerequisite for a successful conflict resolution is the willingness of each group to respect the perspective of all the other partici- pating groups and to include their concerns into the decision-making process. This paper reviews the literature on the three main functions of risk communication: message recognition, inducement of attitude and behavioral changes, and resolution of risk-related conflicts. The paper also discusses the structure of the communication process from a descriptive and a normative point of view, and draws on studies about risk perception and communication to develop some guidelines for successful risk communication.
Further experiments treating the effect of flowing and stationary solutions upon retinal sodium diffusion.

Abstract Previous work has revealed immediate increase in 22 Na efflux when dark adapted frog retinas are transferred from a chamber with flowing solution to one in which there is no flow. The explanation of this event not known. The experiments presented here, however, indicate that an increase in permeability to Na + , caused by absence of a solution flowing past the retina is not responsible for the increased efflux when the retina is placed in a non-flowing solution.
Human papilloma virus prevalence in a multiethnic screening population.

ObjectiveThe goal was to determine the prevalence of high-risk HPV16 using saliva in a screening population in Detroit, Michigan.Materials and MethodsReal-time quantitative polymerase chain reactio...
An Evaluation Mechanism for Defining Gaps and Overlaps of Product Information Exchange Standards

The need to exchange information between organizations or departments of the same corporation is hampered by interoperability problems that mostly originate from the necessity to comply with diverse standards while using dissimilar applications. Each organization generally uses different standards (both local and international) for products which they produce or use. The differences and similarities of these standards, or gaps and overlaps between these standards create problems when exchanging product information through the product life cycle. Defining gaps and overlaps for these standards will help us better understand the interoperability issues. This will aid in the development of strategies for reducing interoperability problems, thus improving efficient information exchange. In this study, we present different approaches for comparing standards and for identifying gaps and overlaps in standards. A Matrix–based evaluation mechanism developed for this purpose is also described.
Validity of Scores on the Attitudes toward Diversity Scale (ATDS)

The Attitudes Toward Diversity scale (ATDS) was developed to measure the construct of attitudes toward diversity. It consists of 10 items representing each of three domains: attitudes toward divers...
Locomotor training improves reciprocal and nonreciprocal inhibitory control of soleus motoneurons in human spinal cord injury

Pathologic reorganization of spinal networks and activity-dependent plasticity are common neuronal adaptations after spinal cord injury (SCI) in humans. In this work, we examined changes of reciprocal Ia and nonreciprocal Ib inhibition after locomotor training in 16 people with chronic SCI. The soleus H-reflex depression following common peroneal nerve (CPN) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) nerve stimulation at short conditioning-test (C-T) intervals was assessed before and after training in the seated position and during stepping. The conditioned H reflexes were normalized to the unconditioned H reflex recorded during seated. During stepping, both H reflexes were normalized to the maximal M wave evoked at each bin of the step cycle. In the seated position, locomotor training replaced reciprocal facilitation with reciprocal inhibition in all subjects, and Ib facilitation was replaced by Ib inhibition in 13 out of 14 subjects. During stepping, reciprocal inhibition was decreased at early stance and increased at midswing in American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale C (AIS C) and was decreased at midstance and midswing phases in AIS D after training. Ib inhibition was decreased at early swing and increased at late swing in AIS C and was decreased at early stance phase in AIS D after training. The results of this study support that locomotor training alters postsynaptic actions of Ia and Ib inhibitory interneurons on soleus motoneurons at rest and during stepping and that such changes occur in cases with limited or absent supraspinal inputs.
Genetic influences in common respiratory disorders.

Respiratory disorders are common problems for adults and children in North America and generally represent the outcome of gene–environment interactions. Some problems are considered genetic in origin, such as cystic fibrosis, and others are considered environmental in origin, such as respiratory infections. Emerging information indicates that even genetic-based disorders are influenced by the environment and that environmental-based disorders are modified by personal genetic factors in individual physiologic responses. An understanding of an individual's personal risk factors for disease or health problem development can allow health care professionals to tailor health promotion strategies and treatment plans with appropriate environmental manipulation. This article explores the genetic influences that may affect the individual's physiologic responses and the consequences of environmental stimuli.
The reliability of lamellar body count in predicting absence of respiratory distress syndrome from transvaginal and transabdominal amniotic fluid samples

THE EXPECTED CHANGE OVER TIME? SHAD DEERING, SARAH POGGI, CATHERINE SPONG, FRANCA BARTON, KATIE GOODWIN, ALESSANDRO GHIDINI, Georgetown University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington, DC Georgetown University, Biostatistics, Washington, DC OBJECTIVE: To assess the change in the lamellar body count (LBC) in patients undergoing repeat testing for fetal lung maturity to see if a predictable change in LBC over a given period of time exists. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed a cohort of women from 1998 to 2003 at a single institution who underwent amniotic fluid sampling at least twice during pregnancy for determination of fetal lung maturity. Charts were reviewed and maternal demographic information, as well as data regarding the gestational age at sampling and the LBC, were recorded. This study was approved by the institutional review board. Statistical analysis included linear regression of LBC and gestational age. RESULTS: There were a total of 24 patients who had at least two samples taken during the study period for a total of 57 samples. Themean gestational age at sampling was 34.8 ± 0.3 weeks. Linear regression demonstrated that the LBC count increased by 5087 per week (P = 0.008). This increase did not change significantly with increasing gestational age. CONCLUSION: The LBC count increases approximately 5100 per week during pregnancy after 28 weeks’ gestation and the rise appears to be consistent and linear. This information may be beneficial in determining when a patient can be expected to have a level consistent with fetal lung maturity after a given LBC and therefore have a low risk of RDS.
Matrix-Tensor Multiplication Using Phase-Coded Optical Correlation

We present a parallel optical method of multiplying a two-dimensional input array by an arbitrary fourth-rank tensor to produce a 2-D output array. This process is equivalent to a crossbar interconnection of the input and output arrays. The algorithm works by arranging the interconnection tensor into a 2-D phase-coded image. The input is pre-coded by transmission through a conjugate phase mask, and then optically correlated with the connection image. The correlation plane contains the output array values in a noisy background. We show how the output signal to noise ratio (SNR) can be traded in for connection image size and complexity, and give theoretical calculations of average output SNR, along with computer simulations supporting these predictions. We describe a proposed reconfigurable optical interconnection system using this matrix-tensor multiplier implemented with four-wave mixing in photorefractive materials.
Robotic-Assisted Prostatectomy : Is There Truth in Advertising?

The goal of radical prostatectomy (RP) is to remove the entire prostate with negative surgical margins, without intraor perioperative complications or blood transfusions and with full recovery of baseline urinary continence and erectile function. While no surgeon universally achieves these goals, there certainly is the suggestion, both in the published literature and on the Internet, that optimum patient outcomes after RP are more consistently achieved with robotic-assisted approaches than with open ones. Indeed, the manufacturer of the robotic system states on its Web site that the potential benefits of robotic-assisted prostatectomy are: