cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maximum relaxation times in polytetrafluoroethylene

Molecular weights of polytetrafluoroethylene are presently measured by a density method. We have found that polytetrafluoroethylene exhibits a sharply defined maximum relaxation time, τm, above its melting point. There is a clear correlation between τm at 380°C. and the “molecular weight” Mn of the polymer based on the measurement of density. However, log τm vs. log Mn gives a slope of 0.78 as against a value of 3.4 obtained for other polymers. Either polytetrafluoroethylene has flow behavior very different from other polymers or the molecular weight of the polymer based on the measurement of density is only approximate.
Comparative binding of biotinylated neurotrophins to alpha(2)-macroglobulin family of proteins: relationship between cytokine-binding and neuro-modulatory activities of the macroglobulins.

Human alpha(2)-macroglobulin (alpha(2)M), pregnancy zone protein (PZP), rat alpha(1)M and acute-phase rat alpha(2)M belong to the alpha(2)M gene family of proteins, which can react covalently with nucleophilic monoamines to yield monoamine-activated (MA) macroglobulins. The MA forms of human alpha(2)M, PZP and rat alpha(2)M have been demonstrated previously to inhibit various neurotrophin-promoted neuronal activities, whereas MA-alpha(1)M is neurostimulatory and all native macroglobulins are generally inactive. The mechanism of neuromodulation is unknown, but it has been postulated that MA macroglobulins might inhibit neurons via their binding and sequestration of neurotrophins. This study employed a novel biotinylation-Western blot technique to compare the neurotrophin-binding properties of the four macroglobulins, and to correlate their binding activities with their known neuro-modulatory activities. In comparison with their respective native counterparts, human and rat MA-alpha(2)M bound slightly more NGF, but significantly less BDNF or NT-3. Native human alpha(2)M and PZP in general have no neuro-modulatory activity, but native PZP bound significantly more NGF, BDNF or NT-3 than either native alpha(2)M or MA-alpha(2)M, which is neuro-inhibitory. It is known that MA-PZP is neuro-inhibitory, but it fails to bind more NGF, BDNF, or NT-3 than native PZP. MA-alpha(1)M is the only macroglobulin known to stimulate NGF-promoted neurite outgrowth, but it bound NGF with similar affinities as native alpha(1)M and rat alpha(2)M; in addition, it bound significantly less BDNF or NT-3 than native alpha(1)M. All the bindings were non-covalent and appeared specific. In conclusion, PZP and rat macroglobulins are versatile carriers of neurotrophins with diverse binding capacities, and the neurotrophin-binding property does not appear to mediate the neuro-modulatory activity of these human and rat macroglobulins.
Ethylene oxide: induction of specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region of heterokaryon 12 of Neurospora crassa and implications for genetic risk assessment of human exposure in the workplace

Abstract Ethylene oxide (ETO) is an important industrial intermediate used extensively in the production of ethylene glycol, as a fumigant, and as a sterilant of choice for various medical devices. The mutagenicity of ETO was studied for the induction of specific-locus mutations in the adenine-3 ( ad-3 ) region of a two-component heterokaryon (H-12) of Neurospora crassa . The objectives of these studies with ETO were to rank its mutagenic potency and to compare its mutational spectrum for induced specific-locus mutations with other chemical mutagens in this lower eukaryotic organism. Specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region of heterokaryon H-12 result from gene/point mutations at the closely linked ad-3A and ad-3B loci, multilocus deletion mutations and multiple-locus mutations. These major genotypic classes are similar to the types of specific-locus mutations that can be detected in higher organisms. Conidial suspensions of H-12 were treated with five different concentrations of ETO (0.1–0.35%) for 3 h at 25°C. Control and ETO-treated conidial suspensions were used to obtain dose-response curves for inactivation as well as the overall induction of ad-3 forward mutations using a non-selective method based on pigment accumulation rather than a requirement for adenine. The results from these experiments are: (1) the slope of the dose-response curve for ETO-induced specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region is 1.49±0.07, and (2) the maximum forward-mutation frequency fell between 10 and 100 ad-3 mutations per 10 6 survivors; therefore, ETO is a moderate mutagen . Classical genetic tests were used to characterize the ETO-induced ad-3 mutations from each of two treatments (0.25 and 0.35%). The overall data base demonstrates that ETO-induced ad-3 mutations result from a high percentage (96.9%) of gene/point mutations at the ad-3A and ad-3B loci, as well as from a low percentage (3.1%) of multilocus deletion mutations. The mutagenic activity of ETO is compared with the mutagenic specificity of other chemical mutagens and carcinogens in the ad-3 forward-mutation assay in Neurospora. The utilization of the Neurospora specific-locus data on ETO and those from experiments in the mouse and Drosophila, by others, is discussed for genetic risk assessment of germ-cell effects resulting from human exposure to ETO in the workplace.
Prognostic features at diagnosis of chronic myelocytic leukemia

Clinical and laboratory findings at the time of diagnosis were correlated with the survival of 242 patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia. Twelve patients with the blastic stage of the disease (blasts greater than or equal to 29%) had a median survival of eight months. Of the nonblastic patients, 28 without the Philadelphia chromosome had a relatively constant mortality averaging 43% per year and a median survival of 13 months, markedly worse than the Ph1-positive group (mortality, 6% in the first year, 17% in the second year, and the 25% per year, with a median survival of 43 months; P less than 0.001). In the latter group of 202 patients, features reflecting the "quantity" of leukemia (leukocyte count, marrow cellularity, and M:E serum B12, different degrees of splenomegaly, presence or absence of symptoms) had weaker or short-term correlations with mortality, while "qualitative" abnormalities (e.g., increased percentage of circulating blast, extramedullary leukemic tumors, major abnormalities of erythropoiesis or platelet production, marked basophilia or eosinophilia) had strong and persistent correlations with mortality. Chromosome abnormalities in addition to the Ph appeared to have a delayed though significant effect on survival. Serum alkaline phosphatase and SGOT levels did not correlate significantly with survival, but major elevations of serum LDH were associated with increased mortality throughout the course of the disease.
Some convergence results related to the JOR iterative method for symmetric, positive-definite matrices

The Jacobi method for iteratively solving a set of linear algebraic equations is well known. However, it suffers from the drawback that it does not converge for all linear algebraic systems. In science and engineering, one often encounters algebraic systems of the form Ax = b where the matrix A is symmetric and positive- definite. In this paper we show that a slight variant of the Jacobi method, namely the Jacobi overrelaxation (JOR) method, can be made to ensure convergence of the iterative scheme for such matrices. Thus we expand the applicability of JOR iterative methods to all symmetric, positive-definite matrices in a manner which is computationally convenient and simple. In particular, we show that this variant scheme can be explicitly determined without the need for any eigenvalue computations. We show that if eigenvalue computations are employed, one can obtain the maximum rate of convergence by a proper choice of parameters for the JOR scheme. This maximum rate of convergence is also explicitly obtained.
Detection of enzymatic activity by post-column reaction after separation by high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract This review covers the origins, selected application, designs, and theoretical aspects of post-column reactors for the continuous detection and quantitation of isoenzymes following separation by high-performance liquid chromatography. Compensation for interferences present in biological samples and the dispersion properties of packed bed and coiled capillary reactors are discussed.
Perturbation of Nonlinear Potential Problems

Abstract Invariant imbedding can be viewed as a nonclassical perturbation technique which converts nonlinear boundary-value problems to quasilinear initial-value problems. The application of these ideas to the nonlinear partial differential equations of the type arising in potential theory is investigated.
α-Synuclein activation of protein phosphatase 2A reduces tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation in dopaminergic cells

alpha-Synuclein is an abundant presynaptic protein implicated in neuronal plasticity and neurodegenerative diseases. Although the function of alpha-synuclein is not thoroughly elucidated, we found that alpha-synuclein regulates dopamine synthesis by binding to and inhibiting tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis. Understanding alpha-synuclein function in dopaminergic cells should add to our knowledge of this key protein, which is implicated in Parkinson's disease and other disorders. Herein, we report a mechanism by which alpha-synuclein diminishes tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation and activity in stably transfected dopaminergic cells. Short-term regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase depends on the phosphorylation of key seryl residues in the amino-terminal regulatory domain of the protein. Of these, Ser40 contributes significantly to tyrosine hydroxylase activation and dopamine synthesis. We observed that alpha-synuclein overexpression caused reduced Ser40 phosphorylation in MN9D cells and inducible PC12 cells. Ser40 is phosphorylated chiefly by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase PKA and dephosphorylated almost exclusively by the protein phosphatase, PP2A. Therefore, we measured the impact of alpha-synuclein overexpression on levels and activity of PKA and PP2A in our cells. PKA was unaffected by alpha-synuclein. PP2A protein levels also were unchanged, however, the activity of PP2A increased in parallel with alpha-synuclein expression. Inhibition of PP2A dramatically increased Ser40 phosphorylation only in alpha-synuclein overexpressors in which alpha-synuclein was also found to co-immunoprecipitate with PP2A. Together the data reveal a functional interaction between alpha-synuclein and PP2A that leads to PP2A activation and underscores a key role for alpha-synuclein in protein phosphorylation.
Uniform Binding of Aminoacylated Transfer RNAs to the Ribosomal A and P Sites

The association and dissociation rate constants of eight different E. coli aminoacyl-tRNAs (aa-tRNAs) for E. coli ribosomes programmed with mRNAs of defined sequences were determined. Identical association and dissociation rate constants were observed for all eight aa-tRNAs in both the ribosomal A and P sites despite substantial differences in tRNA sequence, the type of esterified amino acid, and posttranscriptional modifications. These results indicate that the overall binding of all aa-tRNAs to the ribosome is uniform. However, when either the esterified amino acid or the tRNA modifications were removed, binding was no longer uniform. These results suggest that differences in tRNA sequences and tRNA modifications have evolved to offset differential thermodynamic contributions of the esterified amino acid and the codon-anticodon interaction so that ribosomal binding of all aa-tRNAs remains uniform.
Discussion on “Likelihood Ratio Identities and Their Applications to Sequential Analysis” by Tze L. Lai

It is a particular pleasure for me to welcome Dr. Lai's paper because it covers the area I am deeply interested in and to which I devoted a lot of effort in the last 25 years. I commend Dr. Lai for...
Carcinogenesis and regeneration in newts.

Bei Untersuchungen an MolchenTriturus (Diemictylus) viridescens uber Carcinogenese und Regeneration ergibt sich, dass wahrend Schwanzregeneration die mit Dibenzanthracen oder Methylcholanthren behandelten Tiere im Unterschied zu nicht regenerierenden keine Geschwulstbildung zeigen. Andererseits hemmen aber carcinogene Stoffe den Regenerationsprozess bedeutend. Carcinogenese und Regeneration sind also verwandte, aber antagonistische Prozesse.
The structure and reaction mechanism of rich, non-sooting C2H2/O2/Ar flames

We have studied three rich, low-pressure C2H2/O2/Ar flames (O=1.03, 1.67, and 2.0, P=25 Torr). Thermocouples and OH laser-induced flourescence are used to measure the temperature. Quartz-microprobe sampling is used to measure concentrations of the stable species, LIF to measure concentrations of CH and OH, and multiphoton-excited fluorescence to measure H-atom concentrations. The measurements are compared with the predictions of a comprehensive chemical kinetic model. The agreement between model and experiment is generally good. Possible sources of the discrepancies are discussed. Analysis of the reaction mechanism clearly shows the importance of reactions of 1CH2 in rich acetylene flames, particularly in the formation of higher hydrocarbons.
Transition rates of KNO3 high-pressure polymorphs

Abstract A beryllium pressure vessel mounted in an X-ray goniometer and modified for heating to 300°C has permitted the direct recording of transition rates across all of the equilibrium boundaries of the KNO 3 phase diagram. Most transitions show rate curves that taper off near the completion of the process, but metastable persistance of phase III occurs in the phase II field and becomes greater at high pressures and low temperatures along the negative II–III phase boundary. Several diffraction patterns of the transitions I–II and III–II revealed preferred orientation of grains in the resulting aragonite-type phase. Cell parameters of KNO 3 -I and KNO 3 -III (both modified calcite-type structures) taken in their stability fields show a marked reduction in the c -axis length going from phase I to phase III with increasing pressure at constant temperature.
Civil liberties and the regulation of public space: the case of sidewalks in Las Vegas

Conflicts over the nature of and rights associated with public space have a long history and have prompted numerous regulatory responses. Perhaps nowhere in the USA has the regulation of public space been as far-reaching as in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the financial stakes associated with sidewalks are enormous. This study examines how local officials mediate among varied and competing uses of the sidewalk. In defining the function of the sidewalks narrowly and passively deferring questions of civil liberties, local officials have effectively controlled almost all aspects of public behavior. In recent years, cities have invested in major commercial realization projects. Evidence from this case study suggests that, if successful, these developments will engender more extensive regulation of public life and the further curtailment of the freedoms traditionally guaranteed to citizen activity in public places.
Computing and our relationship to work

Surveys of public attitudes toward computers suggest that, for most people, most of the time, the machines are not seen as having great importance in their lines. Yet there are developments occurring which may produce profound effects with important social consequences. It is now recognized that the automobile allowed and accelerated the development of specialized institutions, and changed residential patterns which, in turn, changed the nature and function of the family. An examination of the history of the automobile reveals that these important but indirect effects were not even hinted at (Flink, 1970). It is now time to see if it is possible to understand and anticipate the potential human impact of computation.
Developing Good Soldiers: The Problem of Fragmentation Within the Army

Fragmentation – a form of which involves the division of soldiers' lives into professional and personal domains that are insulated from each other – is a significant problem for members of the US Army profession. The past 12 years of combat along with the US Army's posture of persistent conflict seem to have intensified this perennial problem in military service. We argue that the Army Profession campaign – the Army's main program for moral development – fails to recognize the problem of fragmentation. Instead, it seems to further the fragmentation of soldiers' lives. Some might contend that the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program – which emphasizes the emotional, social, familial and spiritual domains of soldiers – addresses this problem. We maintain that this is not the case. The Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program fails to view the domains of soldier fitness as constitutive of moral development. We conclude by recommending that the Army begin to address the problem of fragmentation by drawing from ...
A load balancing framework for adaptive and asynchronous applications

We describe the design of a flexible load balancing framework and runtime software system for supporting the development of adaptive applications on distributed-memory parallel computers. The runtime system supports a global namespace, transparent object migration, automatic message forwarding and routing, and automatic load balancing. These features can be used at the discretion of the application developer in order to simplify program development and to eliminate complex bookkeeping associated with mobile data objects. An evaluation of this system in the context of a three-dimensional tetrahedral advancing front parallel mesh generator shows that overall runtime improvements of 15 percent compared to common stop-and-repartition load balancing methods, 30 percent compared to explicit intrusive load balancing methods, and 42 percent compared to no load balancing are possible on large processor configurations. At the same time, the overheads attributable to the runtime system are a fraction of 1 percent of the total runtime. The parallel advancing front method is a coarse-grained and highly adaptive application and therefore exercises all of the features of the runtime system.
Appearance of the Sun and the Moon seen through clouds

If the Sun can be seen at all through thin clouds it usually has a sharp edge, although occasionally it appears fuzzy, especially through altostratus, but rarely, if ever, through fog. Experiments with suspensions of polystyrene spheres of different sizes and optical thicknesses suggest that the range of cloud optical thicknesses over which a fuzzy Sun is seen increases with particle size. Nonsphericity, turbulence, and cloud horizontal inhomogeneity are not necessary for fuzziness. A possible explanation for what is observed is that, for a given optical thickness, the modulation contrast function of a cloud decreases more rapidly with increasing frequency the greater the particle size. Consequently the transition from optical thicknesses for which contrast is above the contrast threshold at all spatial frequencies to optical thicknesses for which contrast is below the threshold at high frequencies is sufficiently gradual to permit fuzziness of the Sun to be observed through clouds of constantly changing opt cal thickness.
A 3.6GHz, 16mW ΣΔ DAC for a 802.11n / 802.16e transmitter with 30dB digital power control in 90nm CMOS

This paper presents a SigmaDelta DAC based transmitter (TX) baseband for 802.11n / 802.16e with channel filtering and gain control performed in the digital domain. The effect of circuit imperfections on TX EVM is analyzed for a robust line-up with gain control and the design of the high speed SigmaDelta modulator is described. The SigmaDelta DAC fabricated in a 90 nm CMOS process operates up to 3.6 GHz while drawing 16 mW from a 1.3 V supply.
Analysis of oversampling effects on digitally controlled power supply performances

A digitally controlled power supply senses its output voltage through an error A/D converter (EADC) or an A/D converter (ADC). A voltage error signal is generated by subtracting the feedback signal from a voltage reference at a frond end amplifier. The error signal is sampled and digitized and then fed to a digital compensator. The digital compensator output is a duty cycle value, which is then loaded to a following DPWM module to generate a desired PWM signal. The EADC's sampling position and sampling rate, digital filter's computing speed and DPWM's updating timing all directly affect the control loop's performance. Among these, oversampling (multiple samplings over one switching period) is one of the most effective methods to reject noise and to improve signal measurement accuracy and control loop performance. Effects of oversampling are analyzed. Detailed simulated data and test data on a PFC converter and a DC/DC converter are also provided.
Synaptic modification of interneuron afferents in a hippocampal CA3 model prevents activity oscillations

In recurrent neural networks, excessive activity oscillations can be very disruptive to successful learning performance. Inhibitory feedback can be used to offset a dominating positive feedback; however, synaptic modification at excitatory synapses would seem to require synaptic modification at inhibitory synapses if activity is to be controlled during training. Here, we present a novel synaptic modification rule that governs the synaptic strength of afferents (inputs) to activity controlling inhibitory interneurons. A hippocampal CA3 model incorporating this rule can avoid certain performance destroying activity oscillations. In the minimal model used here, this new rule for synaptic modification implements an error-correcting-like procedure at each excitatory input to a global feedback inhibitory interneuron. Simulations that include this novel modification rule demonstrate robust sequence learning as well as the elimination of major activity fluctuations that are outside the biologically plausible range. Importantly, simulations using this rule are able to adapt quickly and selectively to large, discontinuous jumps in the training sequences.
Investigation of the presence of charge order in magnetite by measurement of the spin wave spectrum

Inelastic neutron scattering results on magnetite $({\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})$ show a large splitting in the acoustic spin wave branch, producing a $7\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ gap midway to the Brillouin zone boundary at $\mathbf{q}=(0,0,1∕2)$ and $\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}=43\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$. The splitting occurs below the Verwey transition temperature, where a metal-insulator transition occurs simultaneously with a structural transformation, supposedly caused by the charge ordering on the iron sublattice. The wavevector $(0,0,1∕2)$ corresponds to the superlattice peak in the low symmetry structure. The dependence of the magnetic superexchange on changes in the crystal structure and ionic configurations that occur below the Verwey transition affect the spin wave dispersion. To better understand the origin of the observed splitting, several Heisenberg models intended to reproduce the pair-wise variation of the magnetic superexchange arising from both small crystalline distortions and charge ordering were studied. None of the models studied predicts the observed splitting, whose origin may arise from charge-density wave formation or magnetoelastic coupling.
Sulfonamide Cross-Reactivity: Fact or Fiction?

OBJECTIVE:To provide a critical and comprehensive review of the literature, specifically case reports and observational studies used to support the concept of cross-reactivity between sulfonylarylamines and non-sulfonylarylamines.DATA SOURCES:A list of medications was formulated from several different review articles. A MEDLINE/PubMed search was conducted (1966–March 2004) using the individual medications and the MeSH terms of drug hypersensitivity/etiology, sulfonamides/adverse effects, and/or cross-reaction.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:A critical review of the methodology and conclusions for each article found in the search was conducted. The manufacturer's package insert (MPI) for each drug was examined for a statement concerning possible cross-reactivity in patients with a sulfonamide allergy. If indicated, the manufacturers were contacted to obtain any clinical data supporting the statement.DATA SYNTHESIS:A total of 33 medications were identified. Seventeen (51.5%) of the MPIs contained statem...
Mitral Valve Replacement with the Hancock Bioprosthesis: Five- to Ten-Year Follow-up

Abstract One hundred eleven patients undergoing mitral valve replacement, either alone (56) or in conjunction with another type of prosthetic valve, prior to 1975 were evaluated. Hospital mortality was 9.9%. Cumulative follow-up is 505 patient-years (mean, 5.4 years). Seventy patients have been followed between 5 and 10 years. Late mortality for mitral valve replacement alone is 4.3 ± 1.3% per patient-year; actuarial survival is 82 ± 6% at 5 years and 65 ± 11% at 10 years. The incidence of emboli was 3.3 ± 0.9% per patient-year for all patients with bioprostheses (62) and 4.2 ± 1.7% per patient-year for bioprostheses and concomitant mechanical aortic valves (32). In patients with only bioprostheses, two of twelve emboli occurred within the first 6 postoperative months and there were three fatal cerebral emboli (0.8 + 0.5% per patient-year). The incidence of hemorrhagic complications is 4.9 ± 1.9% for anticoagulated patients with bioprostheses and mechanical aortic valves; one hemorrhage was fatal (0.7 ± 0.7% per patient-year). Intrinsic mitral bioprosthesis failure occurred in 10 patients; 2 died. Five patients had valve failure secondary to perivalvular regurgitation (3) or endocarditis (2). Actuarial late survival free from intrinsic mitral bioprosthetic failure was 99 ± 1% at 5 years, 92 ± 4% at 7 years, 70 ± 12% at 9 years, and 61 ± 13% at 10 years. It is unknown at the present time whether the long-term risk of late intrinsic valve failure and reoperation will outweigh the low incidence of emboli and avoidance of anticoagulant-related hemorrhage. Until further information becomes available, the Hancock bioprosthesis is used for mitral valve replacement only in patients older than 60 years or in patients with contraindications for anticoagulant therapy.
Prognosis and Prevention

Historically, psychiatric theoreticians conceived of failure to develop a moral conscience and higher intellectual abilities as a partial explanation for mental deficiency and psychopathy. However, the notion that the psychiatric disorders of adulthood are a continuation of the behavioral deviations of childhood or that they are etiologically related gained currency following the introduction of psychoanalysis. Retrospective studies of the life histories of adult patients and follow-up investigations of children with behavior disorders have so far failed to substantiate the assumption of the continuity of behavior in spite of the logical appearance of the hypotheses. Furthermore, although it has been established that children with identified behavioral disorders have a three to four times higher risk of becoming psychiatric patients as adults than the general population, no differential pathognomic patterns have been found to signify the nature of the future psychiatric illness (Mellsop, 1972). For example, in some studies timidity, shyness, and social isolation are found as precursors of adult schizophrenia, while in others aggressive and antisocial patterns of behavior have been noted in the childhoods of patients later diagnosed as schizophrenics (Rutter, 1972). Some behavioral symptoms associated with anxiety—such as nail biting, thumb sucking, and tics—are not more prevalent in the background history of adult neurotics. Nor do phobias and anxiety attacks of childhood necessarily lead to neuroses in adult life. Diagnostic and prognostic uncertainty continues into adolescence, so that ambiguous terms such as adolescent turmoil have been used to describe the clinical picture of psychiatric problems with varied course and outcome in this population (Pichel, 1974). The affective disorders, which comprise a significant portion of the psychiatric illnesses of adults, have not been identified in childhood, which has led some researchers to postulate a phenomenologically different picture of behavioral deviation in early life as the precursor of affective illnesses. On the other hand, the future of children with the hyperkin-etic syndrome, a frequently diagnosed entity during childhood, remains uncharted.
Adolescent Risk Factors for Sexual Victimization A Longitudinal Analysis of Rural Women

Longitudinal data were used to examine riskfactors for sexual victimization among 237 young adult rural women. In this sample, 8% reported experiencing forced sex (i.e., physically violent experiences) and a separate 22% reported experiencing coerced sex(i.e., external psychological manipulation, substance-related coercion, or internal psychological pressure.) Women who had more educated mothers had a greater probability of reporting forced sex. In addition, mothers’ education moderated the relationship between individual riskfactors and the probability of reporting forced sex. For women with less educated mothers, higher frequency of sexual activity during adolescence was related to an increased probability of reporting forced sex. For women with more educated mothers, higher frequency of sexual activity was related to a decreased probability of reporting forced sex. Frequency of sexual activity during adolescence was also related to coerced sex, with higher frequency of sexual activity predicting a grea...
Being modern in Japan : culture and society from the 1910s to the 1930s

This volume is a multifaceted study of the development of modernism in Japan, with authors from Japan, the United States, and Australia spanning the fields of art history, social history, and literature. Being Modern in Japan raises many issues about Japanese modernity and its contested meanings. Writers explore what it means to be modern in Japan from the 1910s to the 1930s, but many subjects discussed are relevant to modernity elsewhere in Asia, Europe, and North America. Certain aesthetic concerns in Japanese art occurred spontaneously, while others reflected the adoption of a common formal modernist language. Being modern in the Taisho and early Showa periods became integral to the society of the time. The practices and spaces of modernity changed in their meaning, or took on multiple meanings, during the 1920s, and by the early 1930s Japan was widely perceived by Japanese themselves as "modern."
Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery

Mark S. Myerson. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2005. 500 pages. $199.00. This comprehensive surgical textbook is a first-edition compendium of the author's approach to foot and ankle problems. The book is written in the first person, as if Dr. Myerson were talking to the reader. The list of foot and ankle techniques is very complete, and novel surgical solutions to these problems are included. Video clips in a DVD format serve as a supplement to twenty-nine of …
Periventricular Hemorrhagic Infarction (PVHI) or Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL)

Investigators from Okazaki City Hospital, and other centers in Japan retrospectively evaluated the clinical features, ultrasonography, and EEG findings in 22 preterm infants with PVHI and 49 with PVL.
Anomalous function of vimentin in chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) lymphocytes manifest anomalous motility and cap formation. Since these processes involve cytoskeletal proteins, vimentin from intermediate filaments of normal and CLL lymphocytes was investigated using hetero- and monoclonal antisera. The antisera reacted predominantly with a 60-kD polypeptide, following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of total lymphocyte proteins. When lymphocytes were stained by indirect immunofluorescence, normal lymphocytes demonstrated well defined cytoplasmic fibrils that capped spontaneously after contact with a glass surface and incubation at 37 degrees C. This capping was dependent on energy and intact microfilaments. Lymphocytes from patients with CLL showed several patterns. In one group, the initial staining was weak, and few capped cells were present after incubation. Lymphocytes from other patients had either normal or aberrantly organized fibrils in which capping was diminished. In another group, a fibrillar pattern with normal or increased capping was seen. In total, 47% +/- 5.1% (mean +/- SE) of normal lymphocytes capped after a 1-hr incubation at 37 degrees C (n = 12) compared to 21% +/- 5.1% for CLL lymphocytes (n = 20, p less than 0.002). Purified subpopulations of normal B and T cells did not differ from unfractionated normal lymphocyte populations. These results demonstrate an anomalous vimentin capping response in CLL lymphocytes. They also show that the arrangement of vimentin in these cells differs from that of normal lymphocytes.
Biological Cancer Therapies and the Kidney

Targeted therapies now cover a range of new signaling cascades. Because these drugs are both specific and highly potent, toxicities are now a well-recognized consequence of these therapies. Typically, these toxicities result from inhibition of the biologic pathway in a non-cancer tissue, where the pathway regulates some aspect of organ homeostasis. Kidney toxicities are often cumulative, and high dose or prolonged therapy increases the risk of renal dysfunction. Whereas acute kidney injury generally improves when diagnosed early, there is a very real risk of permanent chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to chemotherapy. Nephrologists need to be aware of the presentation, prevention, and treatment of toxicities associated with targeted therapies. This chapter will review the kidney toxicities of antiangiogenic therapies, of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, and of other multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI).
Long-Term Stability of Ethanol Solutions for Breath-Alcohol Tests

Aqueous alcohol solutions in conjunction with a simulator are used commonly to calibrate and check the operation of breath-alcohol instruments. In Ohio, these solutions expire one year from the date of manufacture. This study was undertaken to review and report the stability of several batches of solution that had been manufactured from 2003 to 2007 and were statutorily expired. Eight batches of solution, each with a theoretical breath-alcohol target value of 0.100 g/210 L, were tested on paired Intoxilyzer 8000s using Guth model 590 simulators. This model of simulator required only 250 mL of solution per simulator. Therefore, each batch was evaluated by testing a single bottle of solution that had remained sealed since its manufacture. Five tests were performed on each instrument, and the acceptable criterion was limited to +/- 0.005 g/210 L of the established target value. A current batch of solution was also examined to verify the performance of the instrument before study sample testing commenced and at the completion of testing. All batches and bottles produced acceptable results within the acceptable limit for each target value. It can be concluded that the stability of the wet bath solution packaged in high-density polyethylene bottles with a theoretical concentration of 0.100 g/210 L is in excess of five years and surpasses the statutory expiration term of one year from the date of manufacture when stored at normal room temperatures.
Effect of Growth Hormone on Plasma Unesterified Fatty Acid Levels of Hypophysectomized Rats

SummaryInjection of growth hormone into hypophysectomized rats causes a significant rise in concentration of plasma unesterified fatty acids after an 8 hour interval. This rise in unesterified fatty acids is not associated with a concomitant rise in esterified fatty acid. Injection of inactivated growth hormone does not cause an increase in plasma unesterified fatty acid levels. It is postulated that this rise in unesterified fatty acids may provide an important source of energy for the known protein anabolic effect of growth hormone.
The Wilderness and The Garden: Metaphors for The American Landscape

MR. FRITZELL is assistant professor of English at Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin. This article is based on research done for his doctoral dissertation, "Landscapes of Anglo-America During Exploration and Early Settlement" (Stanford University, 1966). Landscape and land are different things. By "landscape" I mean essentially what is meant by the historian of the fine arts, a descriptive picture with a frame, with clear "visual" limits. But one can convey an idea of the land or express a feeling about the land without descriptive aids. Approaches and attitudes toward the environment, ideas and images of the land also constitute "landscapes." They are the methods by which the facts of geographical existence are ordered and made systematic. American landscapes, as they have been created by writers and artists, have given rise to a perplexing set of conditions, reactions, and attitudes-sometimes comic, sometimes absurd, and almost never consistent. Intentionally or unintentionally, Americans have continued to see their land in terms of conventions and preconceptions borrowed from their European heritage or constructed and derived from traditional systems of thought. Seventeenth century Americans were too busy surviving, trading, shipping, fighting, building, and cultivating to be much concerned with conceptualizing or representing the land. Sixteenth century explorers, on the other hand, were forced to describe the New World-to represent, report, and order the new materials of experience. Explorers like White, Harriot, Laudonniere, Cartier, and Verrazano tried to come to grips with the American land, and we owe them a debt of recognition all too often forgotten. But however hard they tried these explorers were bound to the use of descriptive tools forged in the Old Country. Even in the face of famine and death, America re-
Susceptibility of Different Instars of European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to Diet Containing Bacillus thuringiensis

J. Econ. Entomol. 92(3): 547-550 (1999) The relative susceptibility of different instars of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), to a commercial formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner subsp. kurstaki, Dipel ES, was determined using diet incorporation. European corn borers exposed to Dipel during the 1st instar were much more susceptible than were older larvae. No significant differences in susceptibility were found among 3rd, 4th, and 5th instars at doscs of 0.03-0.81 ml of Dipel per kilogram of diet. At high concentrations (2.43 ml/km of dict). 5th inslars had significantly lower mortality than did 3rd or 4th instars. The LC 50 and LC 90 of the 5th instars were 98.1-and >168.2-fold higher, respectively, than those of 1st instars. These findings should be accounted for during the development of a resistance management strategy for the use of B. thuringiensis toxin as a microbial insecticide and possibly, for Bt-expressing transgenic corn. Differential susceptibility of different instars of European corn borer to B. thuringiensis suggests that the ultra high-dose or high-dose resistance management strategy should be defined in terms of the largest and the least susceptible stage, because larvae may have opportunitics to grow and develop on non-Bt corn or alternate hosts before they attack the Bt-corn plants.
A Monte Carlo approach to integrating uncertainty into the levelized cost of electricity

Abstract A Monte Carlo analysis of the levelized cost of electricity yields probability distributions for the costs of major generation technologies rather than the usual point values. A Monte Carlo approach is only slightly more complex than using point values, but provides more realistic information about risk and uncertainty and enables more useful analysis of potential investments in electricity generation.
Robust H_∞ Integrated Control Strategy of Vehicle and Seat Suspensions

Based on the integrated models of ‘vehicle-seat-people',an integrated vehicle seat and suspension robust H∞integrated control strategy was proposed by using linear matrix inequalities( LMI) technique. An H∞state feedback controller of integrated vehicle seat and suspension was designed,with the PSD of vertical body acceleration chosen as the controlled outputs and the limits of dynamic suspension deflection,relative dynamic tire load,and integrated control force chosen as the constrained outputs. The MATLAB simulation was employed in the paper,and the simulation results confirm the feasibility and effectiveness. The analysis results provide a fundamental basis for the study of active control suspension system.
Prospective randomized trial of skin adhesive versus sutures for closure of 217 laparoscopic port-site incisions

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to determine whether closure of laparoscopic port-site incisions using octylcyanoacrylate (OCA) is feasible, whether it is faster than traditional subcuticular suturing, whether the number and length of incisions impact on closure time, and to determine wound morbidity and patient satisfaction outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective randomized trial was performed on adult patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic surgery in three surgical specialties at a tertiary referral center. Patients were randomized to have closure of laparoscopic port sites using either OCA or sutures. Patients were followed up 2 to 3 weeks postoperatively. At 2 months patients were mailed a questionnaire regarding their satisfaction with the method of closure and the appearance of their scars. RESULTS: A total of 175 incisions in 50 patients were closed with OCA, and 142 incisions in 42 patients were closed with subcuticular sutures. Time to close was significantly faster for OCA (median 2.5 minutes versus 6 minutes, p 4 cm (median 2.6 minutes versus 7 minutes, p < 0.001). OCA and subcuticular suturing groups did not differ significantly on patient acceptance or assessment of scars. CONCLUSIONS: Closure of laparoscopic port-site incisions is feasible with OCA. Closure with OCA requires significantly less operative time than subcuticular suturing, particularly in cases when three or more port sites are used or when total incision length is greater than 4 cm. OCA appears to have equivalent adverse wound outcomes and patient acceptance rates as subcuticular suturing.
Sums of Random Variables, Random Walks and the Central Limit Theorem

Why do we care about sums of random variables? The answer is that everywhere around us the processes that we see often depend on the accumulation of many contributions or are the result of many effects. The pressure in a room, measured on a surface, is the sum of the order of 1023 momentum exchanges between the air molecules and the surface. The large time tectonic deformation is the (tensorial) sum of the deformation associated with the myriad of earthquakes. Errors and/or uncertainties in measurements are often the aggregation of many sources and are in many cases distributed according to a Gaussian law (see below). In fact, it is hard to find an observation that is not controlled by many variables. Studying the sum of random variables allows us to grasp the fundamental notion of collective behavior without the need for further complications.
The canonical semantic network supports residual language function in chronic post-stroke aphasia

Current theories of language recovery after stroke are limited by a reliance on small studies. Here, we aimed to test predictions of current theory and resolve inconsistencies regarding right hemispheric contributions to long-term recovery. We first defined the canonical semantic network in 43 healthy controls. Then, in a group of 43 patients with chronic post-stroke aphasia, we tested whether activity in this network predicted performance on measures of semantic comprehension, naming, and fluency while controlling for lesion volume effects. Canonical network activation accounted for 22%-33% of the variance in language test scores. Whole-brain analyses corroborated these findings, and revealed a core set of regions showing positive relationships to all language measures. We next evaluated the relationship between activation magnitudes in left and right hemispheric portions of the network, and characterized how right hemispheric activation related to the extent of left hemispheric damage. Activation magnitudes in each hemispheric network were strongly correlated, but four right frontal regions showed heightened activity in patients with large lesions. Activity in two of these regions (inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis and supplementary motor area) was associated with better language abilities in patients with larger lesions, but poorer language abilities in patients with smaller lesions. Our results indicate that bilateral language networks support language processing after stroke, and that right hemispheric activations related to extensive left hemispheric damage occur outside of the canonical semantic network and differentially relate to behavior depending on the extent of left hemispheric damage. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1636-1658, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Corruption in African Countries: A Symptom of Leadership and Institutional Failure

This paper explores the lingering effects of corruption within the context of weak or bad governance after African countries gained their independence. Within the African context, bad governance is characterized by dictatorial leadership, non-free media, policy manipulations, and undemocratic elections. Jespersen (1992) observes that African economies performed well in the early years of their independence, but they failed their performance test thereafter, and the region is now characterized by poor living standards, declining agricultural production, stagnating manufacturing, rising imports, and rapidly expanding external debts. Additionally, the continent is notorious for its coups d’etat, civil unrests, ethnic violence, widespread bureaucratic corruption, administrative inefficiency, and institutional ineptitude or outright failure. Van de Walle (2001) states that the weakness of political institutions explains the region’s persistent crisis and that reform efforts will fail unless regional politics are reformed.
Diagnosis of Acute Gout: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians

This clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians provides clinical recommendations about the diagnosis of acute gout in adults with joint inflammation suspected to be gout.
Phonological Working Memory Deficits in ADHD Revisited: The Role of Lower Level Information-Processing Deficits in Impaired Working Memory Performance.

Objective: The current study dissociates lower level information-processing abilities (visual registration/encoding, visual-to-phonological conversion, and response output) and examines their contr...
Citrobacter rodentium: A Model Enteropathogen for Understanding the Interplay of Innate and Adaptive Components of Type 3 Immunity

Citrobacter rodentium is a natural murine intestinal pathogen that shares a core set of virulence factors with the related human pathogens enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). C. rodentium is now the most widely used small animal model for studying the molecular underpinnings of EPEC and EHEC infections in vivo, including: enterocyte attachment; virulence; colonization resistance; and mucosal immunity. In this review, we discuss type 3 immunity in the context of C. rodentium infection and discuss recent publications that use this model to understand how the innate and adaptive components of immunity intersect to mediate host protection against enteric pathogens and maintain homeostasis with the microbiota.