cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information Asymmetry and Self-Selection Bias in Loan Announcement Studies

We question the validity of the broad consensus in the literature that loans are unique relative to other financial contracts. Research in this area is event-study driven and implicitly assumes that relatively small samples of loan announcements adequately represent all bank loans. Our analysis begins with a sizeable loan universe and asks whether some credits are more likely to be announced than others. We find that loan announcements are relatively rare, and that factors such as information asymmetry and materiality affect borrowers’ decisions to announce loans. Using Billet, Flannery, and Garfinkel’s (1995) data, we show that their sample fails to represent the loan universe and that significant abnormal announcement returns are confined to the smallest firms. The abnormal return for our own sample, which better represents the loan population, is insignificantly different from zero. We conclude that if all loans were announced, the average abnormal return would likely be insignificant. Our findings, which suggest self-selection bias affects extant loan announcement research, do not support the views that loans generally are a special form of finance or that private and public debt differ in significant ways.
Residents' ratings of clinical excellence and teaching effectiveness: is there a relationship?

Background: Assessment of faculty teaching and clinical skills is often based on learners' ratings. It is not clear that differences between the constructs are detectable in the results. Purpose: The purpose is to examine relationships between (a) residents' ratings of faculty clinical excellence and teaching effectiveness and (b) track-related performance differences. Methods: There were 3,713 evaluations for 399 faculty provided by 436 different residents. Eight items assess teaching effectiveness (5-point scale); five items assess clinical excellence (dichotomous scale). Each scale included a global item. Results: Teaching effectiveness and clinical excellence ratings were correlated: .59 (p < .0001) for global scores and .55 (p < .0001) for scale scores. Teaching effectiveness ratings were not related to faculty track. Clinical excellence ratings showed differences of medium magnitude. Conclusions: The moderate correlations between teaching and clinical domain scores suggests more thought be given abo...
Spatial Distribution of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Wheat

A two-year study was conducted in South Carolina wheat (Triticum aestivum L. (Poales: Poaceae)) fields to describe spatial and temporal dynamics of stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), which were sampled weekly with sweep nets. In 2010, the main phytophagous stink bugs caught in a grid sampling plan across two fields were the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say), the rice stink bug, Oebalus pugnax (F.), the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), and the red shouldered stink bug, Thyanta custator (F.), for both adults and nymphs. In 2011, the main phytophagous stink bugs were E. servus, O. pugnax, N. viridula, and T. custator across two fields. Adult stink bug counts adjacent to fallow fields were 2.1-fold greater for all species combined compared with counts adjacent to woods. Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE) indicated significant aggregation for 35% of analyses for adults and nymph stink bugs at each sampling date. As a measure of spatial and temporal stability, positive SADIE association indices among sampling dates recorded 11, 36, 43, and 16% of analyses for adult E. servus and 7, 50, 50, and 14% for adult O. pugnax in fields A, B, C, and D, respectively. Adult and nymph stink bugs were spatially associated within wheat fields based on SADIE association indices. Seasonal counts of stink bugs were spatially associated with spike counts at least once for each species across the four fields. Future work may investigate practices to reduce stink bug buildup on wheat in the spring and movement to susceptible crops such as corn, Zea mays L.
High performance nanoporous carbon membranes for air separation

Abstract The preparation of porous stainless steel supports was found to have a significant impact on the properties of nanoporous carbon membranes fabricated upon them. Nanofillers were incorporated into porous stainless steel supports to modify the pore structure by reducing the average pore size and porosity. Carbon membrane properties were examined as a function of support variables such as filler content, shape, size and nature of the particles. Optimum performances, in terms of the ideal selectivity ratio for oxygen to nitrogen permeances ( S O 2 / N 2 ∼ 3 – 6 ) and the oxygen permeance (10−8 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1), were obtained when the filler completely saturated the support. This represents about a two order of magnitude improvement in oxygen permeance when compared to carbon membranes prepared on unmodified porous stainless steel supports. The origin of the improvement in the permeance is due to the formation of carbon membranes which are on average two orders of magnitude thinner than those formed on unmodified supports, i.e., the carbon membranes exists as very thin layers around and between the silica nanoparticles. A simple geometric model based on the packing of silica particles inside the porous stainless steel support is proposed to visualize and quantify this effect. The generality of the support modification concept is also demonstrated by the ability to employ different types of nanofillers and support geometries to obtain carbon membranes with high flux. Air separation experiments show that these membranes can produce both oxygen rich streams enriched to as much as 48% by volume and nitrogen rich streams enriched to over 90% by volume at reasonable operating conditions.
Stroke due to calcific embolism after cardiac procedures

We evaluated two patients with calcific brain embolism. Following trans-septal cardiac catheterization, an 84-year-old woman with coronary artery disease and prior mitral valve annuloplasty and bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement, had aphasia and right hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) showed a calcific embolus of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) (Fig 1) […]. Stroke due to calcific embolism after cardiac procedures
Atomic structure analysis of NdFe and NdCo amorphous films

Abstract The amorphous structures of Nd 17 Fe 83 and Nd 18 Co 82 alloys with high Kerr rotation at short wavelengths were examined by means of X-ray diffraction, using dense random packing of hard sphere model analysis and polyhedron analysis. It was observed that the general local environments of NdFe and NdCo amorphous structures are very similar and that their local atomic structures are very close to those of an RETM 2 crystalline Laves phase.
Guilt by association: non-coding RNAs, chromosome-specific proteins and dosage compensation in Drosophila.

Abstract Dosage compensation is a striking example of the interplay between gene-specific regulation and chromosomal architecture. This process has evolved to make X-linked gene expression equivalent in males with one X chromosome and females with two. Examining species at the molecular level has shown that dosage compensation is mediated by sex-specific factors that decorate the X chromosomes to regulate chromatin structure and gene expression. In Drosophila , dosage compensation is achieved, at least in part, through site-specific histone H4 acetylation, which is modulated by a male- and X-specific protein complex. The discovery of non-coding RNAs that ‘paint' dosage-compensated X chromosomes in mammals and in Drosophila suggests that RNAs play an intriguing, unexpected role in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression.
Lymphocyte migration in inbred syrian hamsters with acute measles virus encephalitis

Abstract The migratory pattern of 15 Cr-labeled adult lymphocytes, as measured by 51 Cr concentration in various tissues, was followed in inbred weanling Syrian hamsters infected intracranially with measles virus. Donor-labeled lymphocytes were inoculated intracardially into infected and control recipients. Increased passage of labeled lymphocytes across the blood-brain barrier was first seen on day 3 post virus inoculation and 1 day prior to development of clinical signs of acute measles encephalitis. 51 Cr concentration in the brain increased progressively along with neurologic signs until the death of the hamsters. Aberration of lymphocyte migration peripherally, manifested by reduced presence of labeled cells in lymph nodes and spleen, first occurred 4 days post virus inoculation in those hamsters with clinical signs of disease. By days 5 and 6 post virus inoculation, the concentration of 51 Cr in lymph nodes was 30% and 20%, respectively, of that in lymph nodes of control hamsters. Concentration of labeled lymphocytes in lymph nodes and spleen of the occasional virus-inoculated animal that appeared clinically well at time of autopsy was always greater than that in ill hamsters, and was closer to and sometimes equal to the concentration in the corresponding tissues of control hamsters. Thus, increased passage of labeled lymphocytes into the brain and decreased recovery of labeled lymphocytes in lymph nodes and spleen occurred concomitantly with increased neurologic signs of disease. No differences in presence of labeled cells in other tissues tested (liver, lung thymus and blood) between infected and control hamsters were noted. Labeled lymphocytes from either measles virus or ovalbumin-immunized donors appeared to pass more readily into the brains of ill recipients than labeled lymphocytes from unimmunized donors.
Impaired neurogenesis and neurite outgrowth in an HIV-gp120 transgenic model is reversed by exercise via BDNF production and Cdk5 regulation

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection-associated neurocognitive disorders is accompanied with brain atrophy. In these patients, impairment of adult neurogenesis and neurite outgrowth in the hippocampus may contribute to cognitive dysfunction. Although running exercises can enhance neurogenesis and normalize neurite outgrowth, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. The HIV envelope protein, gp120, has been shown to impair neurogenesis. Using a gp120 transgenic mouse model, we demonstrate that exercise stimulated neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and increased the survival rate and generation of newborn cells. However, sustained exercise activity was necessary as the effects were reversed by detraining. Exercise also normalized dendritic outgrowth of neurons. Furthermore, it increased the expression of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and normalized hyperactivation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5). Hyperactivated Cdk5 or gp120 treatment led to aberrant neurite outgrowth and BDNF treatment normalized the neurite outgrowth in NPC cultures. These results suggest that sustained exercise has trophic activity on the neuronal lineage which is mediated by Cdk5 modulation of the BDNF pathway.
Ethnic notions and healthy paranoias: understanding of the context of experience and interpretations of healthcare encounters among older Black women

Objectives. To report the first-hand perspectives of older Black women within healthcare encounters that impact the trajectories of health-seeking behavior; to examine their perceptions, expectations, and beliefs about the role of cultural difference within predominantly White (US) healthcare settings; and to explore how sharing personal experiences (theirs and others’) as a fund of knowledge influences ethnic notions. This research is aimed at the development of community resource partnerships and effective healthcare service delivery with intervention and promotion efforts targeting older Black women. Design. Ethnographic data collected over a 24-month period (2003–2005) from 50 older Black women in Tucson, AZ, USA are discussed on three levels: (1) expectations and beliefs; (2) the use of ethnic notions in the form of healthy paranoias as part of individual and communal health advocacy; and (3) perceptions of interethnic communication within healthcare settings, including feeling uncared for by healthc...
Conditional-logit Bayes estimators for consumer valuation of electric vehicle driving range

Abstract Range anxiety – consumers’ concerns about limited driving range – is generally considered an important barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles. If consumers cannot overcome these fears it is unlikely that they will consider purchasing an electric car. Hence, a successful introduction of low emission vehicles in the market requires a full understanding of consumer valuation of driving range. By analyzing experimental data on vehicle purchase decisions in California, I derive and study the statistical behavior of Bayes estimates that summarize consumer concerns toward limited driving range. These estimates are superior to marginal utilities as parameters of interest in a discrete demand model of vehicle choice. One of the empirical results is the posterior distribution of the willingness to pay for electric vehicles with improved batteries offering better driving range. Credible intervals for this willingness to pay, as well as both parametric and nonparametric heterogeneity distributions, are also analyzed.
Redefining the EdD: Seeking a Separate Identity

The purpose of this manuscript was to discuss the recommendations and guidelines of the Carnegie Group's 2007 effort to “Reclaim the EdD” as well as to outline the work completed at the University of Virginia related to their re-design of the Doctor of Education (EdD) degree. In order to address the re-envision and re-formulation of the Doctor of Education degree, several topics were covered: (a) differentiation of the Doctor of Education and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees; (b) limitation, characteristics, and principles of the Doctor of Education program; (c) proposed course of study; (d) training experiences for the Doctor of Education program; (e) research and dissertation requirements for the Doctor of Education program; and (f) the influence of how this newly re-envisioned Doctor of Education program might impact on Kinesiology, especially in the areas of pedagogy and adapted physical education.
Efficacy of novel organic acid and hypochlorite treatments for eliminating Escherichia coli O157:H7 from alfalfa seeds prior to sprouting

Abstract This study investigated novel two-step organic acid/hypochlorite treatments as alternatives to 20 000 ppm active chlorine (from calcium hypochlorite) for eliminating Escherichia coli O157:H7 from alfalfa seeds prior to sprouting. Commercially available alfalfa seeds were inoculated with a five-strain E. coli O157:H7 mixture and dried to attain ca. 10 6 CFU/g of seeds. Seeds then underwent one of several soak treatments including: (1) 5% (v/v) lactic acid for 10 min at 42°C; (2) 5% acetic acid (v/v) for 10 min at 42°C; (3) 2.5% lactic acid for 10 min at 42°C followed by 2000 ppm active chlorine (from calcium hypochlorite) for 15 min at 25°C; (4) 5% lactic acid for 10 min at 42°C followed by 2000 ppm active chlorine for 15 min at 25°C; or (5) 20 000 ppm active chlorine for 15 min at 25°C. Each treatment reduced numbers of inoculum cells by about 6.0 log 10 CFU/g as determined by plating on Sorbitol MacConkey agar (SMac). Plating on non-selective brain heart infusion agar (BHI) showed that treatments 1–4 reduced counts by 2.3–4.1 log 10 CFU/g, thus indicating a large proportion of injured cells. Successive lactic acid and hypochlorite treatments (3 and 4) were more lethal than either organic acid alone (1 and 2). No surviving cells were detected on SMac or BHI following treatment with 20 000 ppm active chlorine (treatment 5). Regardless of the previous treatment, E. coli O157:H7 counts increased to 10 7 –10 8 CFU/g during sprouting. Germination of seeds was not adversely affected by any of the treatments (germination >90%). Results of this study show that: (a) non-lethal cell injury must be considered when evaluating intervention treatments against E. coli O157:H7 on alfalfa seeds; (b) reductions of 2–4 log 10 CFU/g can be attained without using 20 000 ppm active chlorine; (c) successive lactic acid and hypochlorite treatments have greater lethality than organic acid treatments alone; and (d) none of the treatments tested can prevent regrowth of surviving E. coli O157:H7 during sprouting.
Perceived Interactivity in Online Retail Services: Approach from the Features

As online business continues to grow, interactivity becomes essential in E-commerce service area. The objective of this study is to examine the relative positioning of website features based on their level of interactivity in the context of e-commerce. The findings suggest that online marketers need to put strategic emphasis on certain website features in their websites based on targeted consumers' needs, product attributes, and their marketing strategies.
Reconstruction of complex parotidectomy defects using the lateral arm free tissue transfer

OBJECTIVES: The study goal was to show that the lateral arm flap is a viable reconstructive option for complex parotidectomy defects.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We studied a case series at a tertiary care medical center from March 1997 to March 2002. The lateral arm flap was used to reconstruct parotidectomy defects that included a composite resection of adjacent tissue in 30 patients. There were 19 men and 11 women (mean age, 62 years; mean follow-up, 19 months). The mean flap area was 114 cm2, and the mean flap volume was 172 cm3. The posterior cutaneous nerve of the forearm (PCNF) was used as a facial nerve cable graft in 14 patients. Facial disability outcomes were measured using the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation scale.RESULTS: The major and minor complication rates with use of this reconstructive approach were low: 16.7% (5 of 30) and 26.7% (8 of 30), respectively. Donor site morbidity was minimal, with no patient having a major donor site complication and 23.3% (7 of 30) having minor complications. Fu...
Mitochondria In Cancer Cells As Targets Of Photodynamic Therapy

Encouraging results are being reported in treatment of cancer by photodynamic therapy, consisting of the administration of hematoporphyrin photosensitizers and subsequent illumination of the neoplastic lesion with visible light. Studies in our laboratory have peen directed towards defining cellular sites of action of these photosensitizers. Results obtained using a rodent mammary carcinoma in vitro and in vivo indicate that an important target of tumor photosensitization is the mitochondrion, effects that are manifested by inhibition of enzymes involved in electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. These events in turn lead to a significant reduction in cellular ATP, which we suggest represents an early and important mechanism that contributes to the ensuing tumor cytotoxicity. Optimization of this mechanism could provide improved efficacy of treatment.
Assessing bias in search engines

This paper deals with the measurement of bias in search engines on the World Wide Web. Bias is taken to mean the balance and representativeness of items in a collection retrieved from a database for a set of queries. This calls for assessing the degree to which the distribution of items in a collection deviates from the ideal. Ascertaining this ideal poses problems similar to those associated with determining relevance in the measurement of recall and precision. Instead of enlisting subject experts or users to determine such an ideal, a family of comparable search engines is used to approximate it for a set of queries. The distribution is obtained by computing the frequencies of occurrence of the uniform resource locators (URLs) in the collection retrieved by several search engines for the given queries. Bias is assessed by measuring the deviation from the ideal of the distribution produced by a particular search engine.
Aggregate breakage in protein precipitation

Abstract Particle breakage establishes limits on both size and shape in a variety of aggregation processes. The mechanisms by which breakage of isoelectrically precipitated protein aggregates occurs and models to describe the size and shear dependence of breakage rates are the subjects of this work. The analyses are based on experiments performed in a turbine-agitated vessel in which various concentrations of protein aggregates prepared under standard precipitation conditions were subjected to a range of agitation (and hence, shear) levels. The data collected were the aggregate size distributions as functions of time of exposure. Maximum aggregate size decreased with agitation level but not in the fashion predicted by past models based on maximum stable size. In contrast, a statistical model, assuming similarity of the breakage function, did give useful insights. Such analysis showed that a power law description of breakage frequency required two such functions to cover the entire distribution with a higher exponent for the larger sizes. Further, it showed that the daughter size distribution shifts from a more thorough to a more erosive mode as the aggregate volume increases. However, the relatively small reduction in size observed in these experiments did not allow conclusive proof of the similarity assumption. Mechanistic models for the kinetics of the size reduction proved the most useful. They show the expected increase in rate as the shear rate increases. The total extent of breakage depends on the solids concentration in the suspension. This is best described as a second order process involving collision of a breakage-susceptible aggregate with another aggregate. Expressions are given both for the rate of decrease in mean size and for the rate of removal by breakage of numbers of particles from the large end of the size distribution.
Central nervous system myelination in rats exposed to ethanol in utero

Abstract Pregnant rats were pair-fed using isocaloric control or 6.6% (v/v) ethanol liquid diets. At 18, 25, and 53 days, the in vivo incorporation of [ 3 H]leucine and [ 14 C] glucose into proteins and lipids of three central nervous system (CNS) myelin subfractions was examined in the offspring (control and ethanol pups) of control and ethanol-treated females. With few exceptions, the pattern of CNS myelination appeared nearnormal in the ethanol pups. The ethanol pups had brain weights and total myelin protein content within the normal range. In addition, the amount of protein in light, medium, and heavy myelin was normal at 18 and 25 days. However, the ethanol pups had an excess of the chemically and morphologically immature heavy fraction at 53 days. The incorporation of [ 3 H] leucine and [ 14 C] glucose into myelin subfractions and separated proteins and lipids was similar in control and ethanol pups. The findings of near-normal CNS myelination in the offspring of female rats fed an ethanol liquid diet during gestation differ from our previous findings of a premature onset and slowdown of active CNS myelination in the offspring of female rats that consumed an ethanol liquid diet for one month prior to conception as well as during gestation.
Comparative DOC Estimates from the Heartwood and Sapwood of Five Hardwoods

Across North America, increasing attention is being paid to the quantity and nature of the volatile organic compounds (VOC) released when lumber is being dried or processed. A number of studies have estimated the VOC emissions from a variety of species and a few researchers have identified and quantified the major chemical compounds released during the drying process for certain species. The previously reported data often show substantial variation. The purpose of this research was to investigate the differences in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) between heartwood and sapwood as potential sources of the variation. The results show that some differences in the DOC exist between the heartwood and the sapwood among the five species tested but these differences do not fully explain the variation seen in VOC estimates.
Hexavalent chromium reduction by an actinomycete, arthrobacter crystallopoietes ES 32.

Environmental contamination by hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), presents a serious public health problem. This study assessed the reduction of Cr(VI) by intact cells and a cell-free extract (CFE) of an actinomycete, Arthrobacter crystallopoietes (strain ES 32), isolated from soil contaminated with dichromate. Both intact cells and CFE of A. crystallopoietes, displayed substantial reduction of Cr(VI). Intact cells reduced about 90% of the Cr(VI) added within 12 h and Cr(VI) was almost completely reduced after 24 h. The K M and V max of Cr(VI) bioreduction by intact cells were 2.61 µM and 0.0142 µmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Cell-free chromate reductase of the A. crystallopoietes (ES 32) reduced hexavalent chromium at a K M of 1.78 µM and a V max of 0.096 µmol/min/mg protein. The rate constant (k) of chromate reduction was inversely related to Cr(VI) concentration and the half-life (t 1/2) of Cr(VI) reduction increased with increasing concentration. A. crystallopoietes produced a periplasmic chromate reductase that was stimulated by NADH. Results indicate that A. crystallopoietes ES 32 can be used to detoxify Cr(VI) in polluted sites, particularly in stressed environments.
Logic Based Design Modeling with Shape Algebras

Abstract A new method of describing designs by combining the paradigms of shape algebras and predicate logic representations is presented. Representing shapes and spatial relations in logic provides a natural, intuitive method of developing complete computer systems for reasoning about designs. The advantages of shape algebra formalisms over more traditional representations of geometric objects are discussed. The method employed involves the definition of a large set of high level design relations from a small set of simple structures and spatial relations. Examples in architecture and geographic information systems are illustrated.
Formation of stress fibres in human endothelial cells infected with Bartonella bacilliformis is associated with altered morphology, impaired migration and defects in cell morphogenesis.

Bartonella bacilliformis, a Gram-negative, flagellated bacterium, infects human erythrocytes (haematic phase) and endothelial cells (tissue phase), resulting in a biphasic disease. In the tissue phase of disease (verruga peruana), infection leads to infection of endothelial cells and a pronounced proliferation of these cells, resulting in characteristic skin eruptions of papules and nodules. We have studied the properties of endothelial cells infected in vitro. Extensive cytoskeletal remodelling of endothelial cells occurred after infection in vitro with B. bacilliformis. The cells became spindle shaped and contained arrays of actin stress fibres orientated parallel to the long axis of the cell. Cell–cell contacts were disrupted, along with the distribution of the plasma membrane marker protein, PECAM-1, which participates in cell–cell junctions. The prominent stress fibres terminated in an increased number of focal contacts, which were studied using immunofluorescent staining for paxillin, a cytoplasmic protein that localizes in the focal adhesions. These morphological changes are consistent with activation of intracellular Rho by B. bacilliformis. Formation of stress fibres and the increased number of focal adhesions could be prevented by preincubation of the endothelial cells with C3 exoenzyme, which inactivates intracellular Rho by ADP ribosylation. Endothelial cell motility was greatly diminished in infected cells and the cells did not respond effectively to a stimulus that would evoke motility. In addition, infection of endothelial cells interfered with their ability to form networks of capillary tubes when suspended within three-dimensional collagen matrices. If the properties of infected endothelial cells in vivo are similar, the infected cells will probably not participate effectively in angiogenesis.
More Nuts and Bolts of Michaelis-Menten Enzyme Kinetics.

Several additions to a classroom activity are proposed in which an “enzyme” (the student) converts “substrates” (nut−bolt assemblies) into “products” (separated nuts and bolts) by unscrewing them.
5-Aminouracil treatment. A method for estimating G2.

Treatment of Vicia faba lateral roots with a range of concentrations of 5-aminouracil (5-AU) indicate that cells are stopped at a particular point in interphase. The timing of the fall in mitotic index suggests that cells are held at the S - G2 transition. When cells are held at this point, treatments with 5-AU can be used to estimate the duration of G2 + mitosis/2 of proliferating cells. Treatment with 5-AU can also be used to demonstrate the presence of subpopulations of dividing cells that differ in their G2 duration. Using this method, 5-AU-induced inhibition, we have confirmed that in V. faba lateral roots there are two populations of dividing cells: (a) a fast-dividing population, which makes up ∼85% of the proliferating cell population and has a G2 + mitosis/2 duration of 3.3 hr, and (b) a slow-dividing population, which makes up ∼15% of dividing cells and has a G2 duration in excess of 12 hr. These estimates are similar to those obtained from percentage labeled mitosis (PLM) curves after incorporation of thymidine-3H.
Health services research in sub-Saharan Africa: thirty recommended examples.

While there is good health services research work beingperformed in and concerning sub-Saharan Africa, it ischallenging and time-consuming to identify and locateit in print. To that end, the Society for Health ServicesResearch in sub-Saharan Africa was founded ﬁve yearsago among faculty and graduate students in theDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at CaseWestern Reserve University. About half the membersare from sub-Saharan Africa while the others haveresearch interests in that region. One of the initial activi-ties was to compile a list of recommended articles fromthe region.The selection criteria were inﬂuenced by HisExcellency the Vice President of Uganda, Dr GilbertBukenya, who during a visit to the Department in2006 expressed the view that: ‘We know that we haveproblems. What we need are solutions’. Therefore,our selection criteria for articles were that they had to:demonstrate solutions to problems; provide a clearand replicable description of an intervention; describeoutcome measures; and have at least one Africanauthor. We aimed to cover a wide range of illnessesand health conditions, methods and countries.Individual members of the Society adopted a varietyof search methods to identify articles including systema-tic searches conducted through Google and Medline.This produced over 1500 articles for consideration.In addition, reviews of regional journals, reviews ofwebsites for organizations undertaking health relatedworkintheregion,andmembers’knowledgeofprojectsand unpublished research were all employed.Agreement on which potential articles should beincluded was reached by having each member indepen-dently review and rank them based on the above cri-teria. The 30 highest ranked articles were included inthe recommended list (Box 1).
Molecular glue to cement a phage.

The structure of the protein Dec that "decorates" phage L capsids is described in this issue of Structure by Tang et al., 2006. Intriguingly, the Dec protein trimers bind to only a subset of quasi-equivalent sites on the capsids.
Soil water dynamics, transpiration, and water losses in a crested wheatgrass and native shortgrass ecosystem

The status of water in soil and vegetation was monitored in a stand of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) and a nearby shortgrass steppe during a growing season. This was done to determine if water use and losses were similar among two very different communities in a similar climate. Precipitation was similar throughout the study period for both the crested wheatgrass and native shortgrass communities. However, the native shortgrass community with greater root biomass had consistently greater soil water depletion in the deeper soil horizons than was found in the crested wheatgrass community. Greater depletion of soil water by native shortgrass species suggests that they might be more competitive than crested wheatgrass in a water-limited environment.
Deformation mechanisms of a rapidly solidified Al-8.8Fe-3.7Ce alloy

The mechanisms of deformation of a rapidly solidified and compacted Al-8.8Fe-3.7Ce (wt pct) alloy were investigated in the stress range 20 to 115 MPa and temperature range 523 to 623 K. The stress dependence of the steady state strain rates indicated a transition from diffusional creep to power law creep, the transition stress decreasing with increasing temperature from 70 MPa (σ/G = 3.1 × 10-3) at 523 K to 40 MPa (σ/G = 1.9 × 10-3) at 623 K. The activation energy in the power law creep regime was close to that of bulk self-diffusion in aluminum, while the activation energy in the diffusional creep regime was close to that of grain boundary self-diffusion in Al. The creep strain rates in the power law creep regime were found to be predicted much better by the substructure-invariant creep law (Sherby, 1981) than by the semi-empirical Dorn equation for Al, with the inclusion of a “threshold” stress. In the Coble creep regime, it was found that the cell/subgrain boundaries are inefficient vacancy sources/sinks and that their contribution to Coble creep is totally suppressed in this alloy. The Coble creep rates could be explained by using the average diameter of the powder particles as the effective grain size in the Coble creep equation.
Comparative analysis of chemical reaction mechanisms for photochemical smog—II. Sensitivity of EKMA to chemical mechanism and input parameters

Abstract The six chemical reaction mechanisms for photochemical smog described in Pan I (Leone and Seinfeld, 1985, Atmospheric Environment 19,437–464) were used to study the effect of input parameters on volatile organic compound (VOC) control requirements needed to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. The parameters studied were initial VOC composition, dilution rate, post 8-a.m. emissions, base case (present day) O3 levels, entrainment from aloft of VOC and ozone and initial VOC/NOx ratio. The Empirical Kinetic Modeling Approach (EKMA) was used to generate ozone isopleths for each chemical mechanism. The VOC control needed to reduce the maximum ozone concentration from some present day value to 0.12 ppm, assuming no NOx control and a specified initial VOC/NOx ratio, was calculated using the six chemical reaction mechanisms. The initial VOC/NOx ratio was found to have the largest effect of all the parameters studied on VOC control requirements. Choice of chemical mechanism, ozone and VOC entrainmem from aloft, base-case ozone and the composition of the initial VOC mixture also had a large effect on predicted control requirements. To reduce the degree of uncertainty in control predictions using EKMA it is necessary to establish as accurately as possible the composition of urban air in early morning. Also, because of the substantial effect the choice of chemical mechanism has on the predicted control requirements using EKMA, it is important that future work continues to be directed toward evaluating candidate chemical mechanisms with respect to their ability to simulate atmospheric smog chemistry.
Sensory preconditioning of a conditioned emotional response

Twenty male rats were trained to bar-press for food reinforcement. One group (N = 10) received paired presentations of white noise and light (sensory preconditioning), while the other (N = 10) received only noise presentations. A conditioned emotional response was established to the light in both groups. Finally, generalization tests of this response were conducted. Only the group that received sensory preconditioning exhibited transfer of the conditioned emotional response.
Electronic specific heat and magnetic susceptibility in bismuth thin films under three-dimensional quantization

Une quantification tri-dimensionnelle du spectre d'energie des electrons ou des trous peut etre realisee dans le bismuth semi-metallique en appliquant un champ magnetique perpendiculaire au film fin de bismuth. Les calculs numeriques concernent l'energie, la chaleur specifique electronique, l'aimantation electronique et la susceptibilite magnetique dans des films minces de bismuth quantifies tri-dimensionnels. Le modele de bande electronique ellipsoidale, non parabolique pour les bismuth est utilise, et les films sont perpendiculaires a l'axe trigonal
Laser-tweezer-controlled solid immersion microscopy in microfluidic systems

We describe the creation and implementation of a near-field scanning solid immersion microscope that is specifically tailored for use in microfluidic systems. The microscope comprises a newly fabricated Weierstrass solid immersion lens (SIL), which is detached from its substrate and is free floating in the fluid, and a laser optical tweezer, which serves both as a trapping beam for alignment and positioning of the SIL and as a near-field scanning beam that images the sample through the SIL. A discussion of the SIL’s fabrication method is presented along with experimental results that demonstrate the effectiveness of our microscope design.
Experimental investigation of nondipole effects in photoemission at the advanced light source

Abstract Breakdowns in the dipole approximation in the soft-X-ray photon-energy range ( h ν 5 keV ) were first observed 30 years ago and have been studied theoretically for many years. However, only recently their significance at low energies has been appreciated when advances in gas-phase-photoemission experiments using synchrotron radiation began to highlight numerous examples of significant nondipole effects at photon energies as low as tens of eV. In a previous publication [Hemmers et al., 2004a. Radiat. Phys. Chem. 70, 123–147], we presented a description of the recent advances made in the investigation of nondipole effects in photoionization from an experimental perspective. In this article, we report the results obtained by the X-ray atomic and molecular spectroscopy (XAMS) group at the Advanced Light Source, over the last 10 years, on the limits of the dipole approximation, probed by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy for atoms and molecules in gas phase.
The geodynamo, past, present and future

The geodynamo simulation of Glatzmaier and Roberts (1996, Physica D97, 81) is driven by the cooling of the model Earth, which releases latent heat and light components of core fluid at the freezing...
Evaluation of Hydrologic Modeling Techniques for Forest Land Management Planning

: A growing concern for environmental quality paralleled with increasing demands on our forest resources has prompted the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to evaluate simulation modeling as a technique for analyzing management decisions in terms of their environmental effects. The evaluation focused on a system of integrated models developed at the University of Washington which simulate processes and activities within the forest ecosystem. A major part of the system is a hydrologic model which predicts changes in discharge, stream temperature, and concentrations of suspended sediment and dissolved oxygen based on information generated by other models representing intensive management practices. The evaluation consisted of applying the system to a 72,000 acre tract of forest land, validating the models with two years of discharge and water quality data from a 93,000 acre watershed, and determining the pertinence of hydrologic modeling for management purposes. Results show several potential uses of hydrologic modeling for forest management planning, especially for analyzing the effects of timber harvesting strategies on water quality.
Temperature dependence of intensities and widths of N2-broadened lines in the 15 μm CO2 band from tunable laser measurements

Abstract Intensities and nitrogen-broadened widths of several low-J lines in the Q-branch of the 15 μm band of CO2 have been determined over the temperature range 200–300 K. Measurements were made with a tunable infra-red diode laser spectrometer having a spectral resolution ∼ 10-4 cm-1. Measured intensities are uniformly about 7% lower than available calculations which were based on previous measurements of band intensity. Measured line widths are higher than available calculations and generally followed the relation b L 0 (T)=b L 0 (T 0 )(T 0 |T) n with n = 0.74 (standard deviation 0.08).
An Efficient Method for the Long-Term and Specific Expression of Exogenous cDNAs in Cultured Purkinje Neurons

We present a simple and efficient method for expressing cDNAs in Purkinje neurons (PNs) present in heterogeneous mouse cerebellar cultures. The method combines the transfection of freshly dissociated cerebellar cells via nucleofection with the use of novel expression plasmids containing a fragment of the L7 (Pcp2) gene that, within the cerebellum, drives PN-specific expression. The efficiency of PN transfection (determined 13 days post nucleofection) is approximately 70%. Double and triple transfections are routinely achieved at slightly lower efficiencies. Expression in PNs is obvious after one week in culture and still strong after three weeks, by which time these neurons are well-developed. Moreover, high-level expression is restricted almost exclusively to the PNs present in these mixed cultures, which greatly facilitates the characterization of PN-specific functions. As proof of principle, we used this method to visualize (1) the morphology of living PNs expressing mGFP, (2) the localization and dynamics of the dendritic spine proteins PSD-93 and Homer-3a tagged with mGFP and (3) the interaction of live PNs expressing mGFP with other cerebellar neurons expressing mCherry from a β-Actin promoter plasmid. Finally, we created a series of L7-plasmids containing different fluorescent protein cDNAs that are suited for the expression of cDNAs of interest as N- and C-terminally tagged fluorescent fusion proteins. In summary, this procedure allows for the highly efficient, long-term, and specific expression of multiple cDNAs in differentiated PNs, and provides a favorable alternative to two procedures (viral transduction, ballistic gene delivery) used previously to express genes in cultured PNs.
Pharyngeal pumping continues after laser killing of the pharyngeal nervous system of C. elegans

Using a laser microbeam to kill specific subsets of the pharyngeal nervous system of C. elegans, we found that feeding was accomplished by two separately controlled muscle motions, isthmus peristalsis and pumping. The single neuron M4 was necessary and sufficient for isthmus peristalsis. The MC neurons were necessary for normal stimulation of pumping in response to food, but pumping continued and was functional in MC- worms. The remaining 12 neuron types were also unnecessary for functional pumping. No operation we did, including destruction of the entire pharyngeal nervous system, abolished pumping altogether. When we killed all pharyngeal neurons except M4, the worms were viable and fertile, although retarded and starved. Since feeding is one of the few known essential actions controlled by the nervous system, we suggest that most of the C. elegans nervous system is dispensable in hermaphrodites under laboratory conditions. This may explain the ease with which nervous system mutants are isolated and handled in C. elegans.
Angiotensin II Stimulates Thick Ascending Limb Superoxide Production via Protein Kinase Cα-dependent NADPH Oxidase Activation

Angiotensin II (Ang II) stimulates thick ascending limb (TAL) O₂ production, but the receptor(s) and signaling mechanism(s)involved are unknown. The effect of Ang II on O₂. is generally attributed to the AT₁receptor. In some cells, Ang II stimulates protein kinase C (PKC), whose α isoform (PKCα) can activate NADPH oxidase. We hypothesized that in TALs, Ang II stimulates O₂. via AT₁and PKC α-dependent NADPH oxidase activation.In rat TALs, 1 nM Ang II stimulated O₂. from 0.760.17 to 1.97 0.21 nmol/min/mg (p < 0.001). An AT₁antagonist blocked the stimulatory effect of Ang II on O₂. (0.87 0.25 nmol/min/mg; p < 0.006), whereas an AT₂ antagonist had no effect (2.16 0.133 nmol/min/mg; p < 0.05 versus vehicle). Apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, blocked Ang II-stimulated O₂by 90% (p <0.01). Ang II failed to stimulate O₂. in TALs from p47(phox) -/- mice (p < 0.02). Monitored by fluorescence resonance energy transfer, Ang II increased PKC activity from 0.02 0.03 to 0.13 0.02 arbitrary units (p < 0.03). A general PKC inhibitor, GF109203X, blocked the effect of Ang II on O₂(1.47 +/- .21 versus 2.72 +/- .47 nmol/min/mg with Ang II alone; p < 0.03). A PKCα- and s-selective inhibitor, Go6976, also blocked the stimulatory effect of Ang II on O₂. (0.59 +/- 0.15 versus 2.05 +/- 0.28 nmol/min/mg with Ang II alone; p < 0.001). To distinguish between PKC α and PKC s, we used tubules expressing dominant-negative PKC α or -s. In control TALs, Ang II stimulated O2. by 2.17 0.44 nmol/min/mg (p < 0.011). In tubules expressing dominant-negative PKC α, Ang II failed to stimulate O2. (change: -0.30 +/- 0.27 nmol/min/mg). In tubules expressing dominant-negative PKC s1, Ang II stimulated O2. by 2.080.69 nmol/min/mg (p < 0.002). We conclude that Ang II stimulates TAL O₂production via activation of AT₁receptors and PKC α-dependent NADPH oxidase.
Active Ras-induced effects on skeletal myoblast differentiation and apoptosis are independent of constitutive PI3-kinase activity.

23A2 myoblasts expressing GAP-resistant, constitutively active G12V:H-Ras (A2:G12V:H-Ras myoblasts) display a transformed morphology and do not undergo mitogen-deprivation-induced differentiation or the associated apoptosis. To determine the phenotype induced by F156L:H-Ras, a constitutively active mutant with enhanced nucleotide exchange activity rather than impaired GAP-stimulated GTPase activity, myoblast cell lines were established that stably express F156L:H-Ras at levels of H-Ras comparable to the A2:G12V:H-Ras myoblasts. These A2:F156L:H-Ras myoblast cell lines do not possess a transformed morphology, and while differentiation and apoptosis are impaired, these processes are not abrogated as in the A2:G12V:H-Ras myoblasts. Surprisingly, while expression of either G12V:H-Ras or F156L:H-Ras results in constitutive signaling through PI3-kinase, only cells expressing G12V:H-Ras additionally possess constitutive signaling through MAPK, and NFκB. Pharmacological abrogation of the Ras-induced constitutive PI3-kinase signal, however, is not responsible for the impaired differentiation or apoptosis in either A2:G12V:H-Ras myoblasts or A2:F156L:H-Ras myoblasts. Thus, our data suggest that a pathway distinct from those that signals through MAPK, NFκB or PI3-kinase is responsible for the impaired differentiation and apoptosis in 23A2 skeletal myoblasts expressing constitutively active Ras.
Determination of glycols in air: development of sampling and analytical methodology and application to theatrical smokes.

Glycol-based fluids are used in the production of theatrical smokes in theaters, concerts, and other stage productions. The fluids are heated and dispersed in aerosol form to create the effect of a smoke, mist, or fog. There have been reports of adverse health effects such as respiratory irritation, chest tightness, shortness of breath, asthma, and skin rashes. Previous attempts to collect and quantify the aerosolized glycols used in fogging agents have been plagued by inconsistent results, both in the efficiency of collection and in the chromatographic analysis of the glycol components. The development of improved sampling and analytical methodology for aerosolized glycols was required to assess workplace exposures more effectively. An Occupational Safety and Health Administration versatile sampler tube was selected for the collection of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, and tetraethylene glycol aerosols. Analytical methodology for the separati...