cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From the personal to the public: Conceptions of creative writing in higher education

Much qualitative research on student learningin higher education has focused on a keydistinction between surface reproductionof `knowledge' and a deeper understandingof it. This distinction has also been found inresearch on student practice and understandingof essay and discursive writing. This paperreports on results from a study of 40interviews conducted with students takingcreative writing courses at three differenthigher education institutions in the UnitedKingdom. Interviews were conducted withstudents of various levels of experience andexpertise in creative writing and includedstudents taking a single undergraduate modulein creative writing and students enrolled in ahighly selective Masters program in CreativeWriting. The interviews focused on thestudents' conceptions and practice of creativewriting while taking their respective courses. The analysis of the interview transcriptsrevealed an underlying subjectivistepistemology in the students' generalassumptions and perception of the nature ofCreative Writing vis-a-vis other forms ofacademic writing. Linked to this epistemology,the analysis disclosed a typology of fourdiffering conceptions of student understandingand practice of creative writing within twooverall transcribing and composingcategories of conception. These categoriesclosely resemble student's conceptions ofwriting practices in other disciplines.
File system logging versus clustering: a performance comparison

The Log-structured File System (LFS), introduced in 1991 [8], has received much attention for its potential order-of-magnitude improvement in file system performance. Early research results [9] showed that small file performance could scale with processor speed and that cleaning costs could be kept low, allowing LFS to write at an effective bandwidth of 62 to 83% of the maximum. Later work showed that the presence of synchronous disk operations could degrade performance by as much as 62% and that cleaning overhead could become prohibitive in transaction processing workloads, reducing performance by as much as 40% [10]. The same work showed that the addition of clustered reads and writes in the Berkeley Fast File System [6] (FFS) made it competitive with LFS in large-file handling and software development environments as approximated by the Andrew benchmark [4]. These seemingly inconsistent results have caused confusion in the file system research community. This paper presents a detailed performance comparison of the 4.4BSD Log-structured File System and the 4.4BSD Fast File System. Ignoring cleaner overhead, our results show that the order-of-magnitude improvement in performance claimed for LFS applies only to meta-data intensive activities, specifically the creation of files one-kilobyte or less and deletion of files 64 kilobytes or less. For small files, both systems provide comparable read performance, but LFS offers superior performance on writes. For large files (one megabyte and larger), the performance of the two file systems is comparable. When FFS is tuned for writing, its large-file write performance is approximately 15% better than LFS, but its read performance is 25% worse. When FFS is optimized for reading, its large-file read and write performance is comparable to LFS. Both LFS and FFS can suffer performance degradation, due to cleaning and disk fragmentation respectively. We find that active FFS file systems function at approximately 85-95% of their maximum performance after two to three years. We examine LFS cleaner performance in a transaction processing environment and find that cleaner overhead reduces LFS performance by more than 33% when the disk is 50% full.
Action Rules Discovery without Pre-existing Classification Rules

Action rules describe possible transitions of objects from one state to another with respect to a distinguished attribute. Previous research on action rule discovery usually requires the extraction of classification rules before constructing any action rule. In this paper, we present a new algorithm that discovers action rules directly from a decision system. It is a bottom-up strategy which has some similarity to systems ERIDand LERS. Finally, it is shown how to manipulate the music score using action rules.
Genomic Instability and DNA Repair

First page of article Keywords: genomic instability; chromosome instability; microsatellite instability; DNA repair; nucleotide excision repair; base excision repair; transcription-coupled DNA repair; DNA alkyltransferase; mismatch repair; mitochondrial DNA repair; base-free sites; DNA double-strand breaks; DNA cross-links; chemotherapy resistance; bloom syndrome protein; werner syndrome protein; transforming growth factor receptor; apoptosis
Nickel-cadmium cell separator life test

Results of tests on two identical groups of 26.5 Ah (nameplate) aerospace-type NiCd battery cells, carried out to determine the effect of separator material on cell performance, are presented. One 11-cell group employs the standard separator material Pellon 2505 ML, and the second group employs an industry-recommended substitute, Pellon 2536. The two cell groups, designed for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) application, are being tested in series at a temperature of 4 degrees C. To ensure identical test conditions, a single test chamber is employed. The NiCd separator life test began in mid-1985; thus far, 10500 cycles have been completed. Ten cells have been removed for various reasons, and testing continues on the six remaining cells in each group. Variations in cell voltage have been measured in several cells containing the new separator material. However, in most cases, examination of dissected cells have not revealed the cause of their performance variations. The authors describe the life test, the results of cell dissections completed to date, and analyses performed thus far. Theories are offered to explain the performance anomalies that have been observed. >
A case study of type 2 diabetes self-management

It has been established that careful diabetes self-management is essential in avoiding chronic complications that compromise health. Disciplined diet control and regular exercise are the keys for the type 2 diabetes self-management. An ability to maintain one's blood glucose at a relatively flat level, not fluctuating wildly with meals and hypoglycemic medical intervention, would be the goal for self-management. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c or simply A1c) is a measure of a long-term blood plasma glucose average, a reliable index to reflect one's diabetic condition. A simple regimen that could reduce the elevated A1c levels without altering much of type 2 diabetic patients' daily routine denotes a successful self-management strategy. A relatively simple model that relates the food impact on blood glucose excursions for type 2 diabetes was studied. Meal is treated as a bolus injection of glucose. Medical intervention of hypoglycaemic drug or injection, if any, is lumped with secreted insulin as a damping factor. Lunch was used for test meals. The recovery period of a blood glucose excursion returning to the pre-prandial level, the maximal reach, and the area under the excursion curve were used to characterize one's ability to regulate glucose metabolism. A case study is presented here to illustrate the possibility of devising an individual-based self-management regimen. Results of the lunch study for a type 2 diabetic subject indicate that the recovery time of the post-prandial blood glucose level can be adjusted to 4 hours, which is comparable to the typical time interval for non-diabetics: 3 to 4 hours. A moderate lifestyle adjustment of light supper coupled with morning swimming of 20 laps in a 25 m pool for 40 minutes enabled the subject to reduce his A1c level from 6.7 to 6.0 in six months and to maintain this level for the subsequent six months. The preliminary result of this case study is encouraging. An individual life-style adjustment can be structured from the extracted characteristics of the post-prandial blood glucose excursions. Additional studies are certainly required to draw general applicable guidelines for lifestyle adjustments of type 2 diabetic patients.
Abnormal regulation of plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in patients with liver disease.

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), the coenzyme form of vitamin BI, is essential for many biochemical reactions in the body. Studies in experimental animals have suggested that the liver is a primary site for the formation of PLP circulating in the plasma, and that it may also participate in its degradation. This study evaluates, for the first time, the effects of liver disease in man on the regulation of plasma PLP. The plasma PLP level was measured before and sequentially after the rapid intravenous administration of 50 mg of pyridoxine to patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, acute hepatitis, and extrahepatic obstruction, and to normal control subjects. The base line plasma PLP concentration was significantly lower in cirrhotic patients than in normal persons (P 0.05), but the clearance of plasma PLP in cirrhotics was much faster (63.0 ± 7.4 versus 31.7 ± 2.7 ml per min, P 0.05). In conclusion: (1) plasma PLP regulation in patients with liver disease is abnormal, (2) a significant factor in the decrease in plasma PLP after intravenous pyridoxine administration in these patients appears to be an increase in the total plasma clearance of the coenzyme, and (3) it is postulated that this may be due to increased degradation of PLP by the diseased liver.
New paradigms for quality in primary care.

HERE is no longer any doubt of the importance of primary care as the key to an effective and efficient health service. Primary care, defined in terms of the achievement of its four functions, can be measured and its quality assessed. But, as in all forms of human endeavour, science and society change over time, providing primary care with new challenges. The science of quality measurement is, at best, still in its adolescence. 1 For the most part, current approaches to assessing quality of care are based on models developed a half-century ago. At that time, the techniques of medical audit of the processes of care were developed to assess the extent to which generally recognised features of care, such as preventive procedures, indicated screening tests, and appropriate management strategies for specific conditions, were performed by practitioners. These are still the stock-intrade of virtually all quality assessment schemes today with relatively minor modification. First, evidence for appropriateness is increasingly sought as the basis for making judgments about indicated interventions. Secondly, satisfaction surveys have been added to the armamentarium of quality assessments, although these types of assessments are arguably more useful for marketing of competing health plans than for assessing the quality of care. Outcomes of care, as characterised by self-reported functional assessment instruments, are increasingly recognised as important measures of quality; however, there have been no serious
The use of endoscopy to treat bronchobiliary fistula caused by choledocholithiasis.

Abstract Bronchobiliary fistula is a rare disorder consisting of the formation of a passageway between the biliary ducts and the bronchial tree. We describe an 87-yr old woman who had a bronchobiliary fistula secondary to obstruction caused by multiple common bile duct stones. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of bile in the sputum and transhepatic cholangiography. Successful stone extraction with balloon and basket techniques and endoscopic sphincterotomy decompressed the biliary tract and was followed by healing of the bronchobiliary fistula without surgical intervention, which has heretofore been considered the only successful means of treatment.
Intelligence and the Workplace

This chapter provides a broad review of theories and research on intelligence with particular emphasis on its importance in the workplace. Psychometric theories of intelligence, beginning with Spearman and concluding with Carroll, are described. Spearman's (1904) original theory emphasized the importance of general cognitive ability, which he denoted as g; after a century of research and controversy, Carroll's massive reanalysis of the available data placed g at the apex of a three-stratum model. The information-processing approach to intelligence and the neuropsychological perspective is also summarized. Then research on the relation of intelligence and performance is reviewed. Laboratory studies of skill acquisition, as well as field studies of workers, clearly show the critical role of intelligence for job performance. Interestingly, it has been argued that specific facets of intelligence, such as reading comprehension and quantitative reasoning, provide little incremental validity over general cognitive ability. A limitation on this line of argument is that it has focused on the prediction of task performance; effectiveness in interpersonal activities that contribute to organizational effectiveness has been considered to a lesser extent. Broadening the conceptualization of performance to include both task performance and contextual performance suggests that social intelligence or situational judgment may add substantially to the validity of prediction. Finally, avenues for future research are described. Keywords: cognitive ability; contextual performance; intelligence; job performance; situational judgment; social intelligence
The role of temporal coherence in imaging with extreme ultraviolet lithography optics

Being based on reflective elements, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography optics can support much larger spectral bandwidths then do modern refractive lithography optics. Moreover, EUV source power limitations dictate the use of the full bandwidth supported by the reflective EUV multilayers. A typical four mirror EUV optic supports an operating bandwidth of approximately 360 pm. This large bandwidth, combined with the off-axis nature of EUV lithography optics leading to significant pathlength differences across the field, raises the issue of temporal coherence effects on the imaging properties of EUV systems. Here we present analysis and computer simulation of the temporal coherence effect in EUV lithography optics. The analysis shows that under typical lithographic operating conditions, temporal coherence effects can still be safely ignored. However, non-negligible effects could arise in cases of higher-coherence imaging (small partial coherence factor, σ).
A new approach to the classification of neonatal corneal opacities.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Neonatal corneal opacification (NCO) describes the loss of corneal transparency at or soon after (<4 weeks) birth. Historically, the literature is strewn with terminology that has been at best misleading and at worst, a hindrance to selecting the appropriate treatment plan for, accurate genotype-phenotype correlation of and a better understanding of the entities that present in the clinic. RECENT FINDINGS Recent literature has demonstrated that certain terms such as 'sclerocornea' are unhelpful when alluding to total NCO. The term Peters anomaly has also become a 'waste paper basket' diagnosis for anterior segment developmental anomalies. A new classification of NCO is suggested by the author, which allows a better understanding of the cause of NCO and the likely prognosis of therapeutic intervention. SUMMARY This classification system should help the clinician understand the cause of NCO, better explain this to parents and recognize those conditions in which therapeutic intervention may be helpful. By understanding which conditions have a better chance of interventional success and by employing outcome definitions that take into consideration the developing neurobiological system of the infant brain and the effects of vision on its development, it is hoped more children with NCO will attain useful visual function.
Dealer dependence and influence strategies in a manufacturer-dealer dyad.

Etude des relations entre la dependance du fournisseur au sein de la dyade le liant au fabricant et son utilisation de strategies d'influence visant une modification directe ou indirecte du comportement
Patient satisfaction and pain severity as outcomes in pain management: A longitudinal view of one setting's experience

Longitudinal data from quality assurance studies of pain outcomes (pain severity and patient satisfaction) were critically examined to explore the reasons that patients are satisfied with their care even when they are in pain. Data were acquired from three sources: self-report surveys of patients during inpatient admission or ambulatory clinic visit (N = 306), telephone interviews of patients after discharge (N = 869), and chart reviews (N = 112). These data were compared to baseline data obtained 2 years ago, before the implementation of a number of programs designed to improve pain management. Findings reveal little change from baseline with respect to patient satisfaction with pain management--an overwhelming percentage are satisfied or highly satisfied. Similarly, there has been little change in pain intensity ratings--on average, patients' worst pain is approximately 7 on a 0-10 scale. In addition, almost all analgesic orders continue to be written for "as needed" administration. Based on these findings, we postulate that patients are satisfied even though they are in pain because they experience a commonly expected peak and trough pattern of pain relief, a pattern that occurs with "as needed" administration. That is, we conclude that pattern of pain relief, not pain severity, may be the critical determinant of satisfaction.
High BMI and reduced engagement and enjoyment of pleasant events

Abstract While the link between obesity and reduced physical activity is well established, the relationship between obesity and engagement in a wide range of positively reinforcing behaviors has been studied very little. We hypothesized that higher body mass index (BMI) would be associated with diminished engagement in rewarding behavior, and that this relationship would be mediated by depressive symptomatology and/or subjective enjoyment of rewarding behavior. Participants (N = 290; 58% female) completed questionnaires about depression as well as frequency and subjective enjoyment of rewarding behaviors. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that BMI predicted lower rates of positive reinforcing behavior for females (p
Fine structural study of a possible mechanism of secretion by the interrenal cells of the brown pelican.

In the deeper zones of the adrenal gland of the brown pelican, small dense bodies have been observed in the subendothelial space and between adjacent interrenal cells. They appear to be extruded from the interrenal cell by reverse pinocytosis. Intracellularly, similar appearing dense bodies, bounded by a single membrane, are sometimes evident. An interpretation of the foregoing is presented and discussed which suggests that this material may be hormone which is synthesized or organized into droplet form by the agranular endoplasmic reticulum and extruded from the cell either apically or apico-laterally, to be dispersed or rendered soluble in the subendothelial space.
The impact of battery capacity and memory bandwidth on CPU speed-setting: a case study

The purpose of this paper is to report the power and performance of an application on a real system as the CPU frequency varies. Previous work in CPU speed-setting considered only the power of the CPU and only CPU's that vary supply voltage with frequency. This work takes a broader approach, considering total system power, battery capacity and main memory bandwidth. The results, which are up to a factor of four less than ideal, show that all three must be considered when setting the CPU speed, whether the speed is fixed at a single value or varied dynamically during operation.
Astronomy: Martian illusions

The Mars canal controversy is a reminder to be cautious when interpreting alien worlds, notes Michael Carr.
Temperament and attention to positive and negative trait information

Abstract Two studies examined attention to positive and negative self-relevant trait adjectives. Subjects were presented with displays consisting of positive-neutral, negative-neutral or positive-negative adjective pairs. They responded first to a detection target appearing in the location of one of the two words, and then to a third word that either matched or did not match one of the initial words. Neither study found effects of extraversion, but both studies revealed a negative attentional bias related to neuroticism: compared to stable subjects, neurotics were fast to detect targets in the location of a negative trait adjective and slow to detect targets in the location of words paired with negative adjectives. This pattern suggests that neurotics' negative bias influences the ease of moving attention toward and engaging negative information as well as disengaging from it. In Experiment 2, neurotics were fast in responding to a third word that matched a negative word from the initial display. This suggests that neurotics formed a stronger memory representation of the negative word, perhaps as a result of their negative attentional bias.
Drug Testing for Newborn Exposure to Illicit Substances in Pregnancy: Pitfalls and Pearls

Estimates of the prevalence of drug usage during pregnancy vary by region and survey tool used. Clinicians providing care to newborns should be equipped to recognize a newborn who has been exposed to illicit drugs during pregnancy by the effects the exposure might cause at the time of delivery and/or by drug testing of the newborn. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature and assess the clinical role of drug testing in the newborn. Accurate recognition of a newborn whose mother has used illicit drugs in pregnancy cannot only impact decisions for healthcare in the nursery around the time of delivery, but can also provide a key opportunity to assess the mother for needed services. While drug use in pregnancy is not an independent predictor of the mother's ability to provide a safe and nurturing environment for her newborn, other issues that often cooccur in the life of a mother with a substance abuse disorder raise concerns for the safety of the discharge environment and should be assessed. Healthcare providers in these roles should advocate for unbiased and effective treatment services for affected families.
Elastic dislocation modeling of wrinkle ridges on Mars

Wrinkle ridges are one of the most common landforms on Mars. Although it is generally agreed that they are compressional tectonic features formed by folding and thrust faulting, there is no consensus on the number of faults involved, the geometry of the faults, or the maximum fault depth. The topography of martian wrinkle ridges in Solis Planum and Lunae Planum has been studied using MOLA data. As determined in previous studies, the topography shows that most wrinkle ridges are a composite of two landforms, a broad low relief arch and a superimposed ridge. Constrained by MOLA topographic profiles, the geometry and parameters of the faults associated with wrinkle ridges have been modeled. The best fits are obtained with a blind listric thrust fault that flattens into a decollement. The listric fault geometry is approximated by a series of linear connecting segments with varying dips. The major morphologic elements of wrinkle ridges can be matched by varying the displacement on the different fault segments. Modeling of large-scale wrinkle ridges indicates that the maximum depth of faulting or depth to the decollement is about 4.5 km. This may correspond to the depth of the contact between the ridged plains volcanic sequence and the underlying megabreccia. The results suggest that wrinkle ridge thrust faults are shallow-rooted and reflect thin-skinned deformation.
Neural correlates of successful encoding of semantically and phonologically mediated inter-item associations.

Abstract This experiment investigated whether the neural correlates of inter-item associative encoding vary according to study task. At study, pairs of unrelated words were subjected to either semantic or phonological relational judgments. Test items comprised studied word pairs (intact), pairs comprised of words belonging to different study pairs (rearranged), and novel pairs. The test requirement was to discriminate between these different classes of test item. fMRI was employed to contrast the neural activity elicited by studied pairs that were correctly endorsed as intact on the later associative recognition test, as opposed to pairs for which associative information was unavailable. In contrast to prior findings for the encoding of single items, there was no evidence that the loci of subsequent associative memory effects varied according to study task. Instead, in both tasks, pairs that were later correctly endorsed as intact elicited enhanced activity in mid- and ventral regions of the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). These findings were accompanied by extensive task-invariant reversed subsequent memory effects in medial and lateral parietal and frontal cortices. The findings suggest that the left VLPFC may play a domain-general role in the encoding of item–item associations, and in addition highlight the importance of elucidating the functional significance of reversed subsequent memory effects.
Shear stress modulates VCAM-1 expression in response to TNF-α and dietary lipids via interferon regulatory factor-1 in cultured endothelium

Dyslipidemia is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but the specific mechanisms that determine the localization of atherosclerotic plaques in arteries are not well defined. Triglyceri...
Study of uptake and loss of silica nanoparticles in living human lung epithelial cells at single cell level.

The toxicology of nanomaterials is a blooming field of study, yet it is difficult to keep pace with the innovations in new materials and material applications. Those applications are quickly being introduced in research, industrial, and consumer settings. Even though the cytotoxicity of many types of nanoparticles has been demonstrated, the behavior of those particles in a biological environment is not yet fully known. This work characterized the following over time: protein adsorption on silica particle surfaces, the internalization of particles in human lung carcinoma (A549) cells when coated with different specific proteins or no proteins at all, and the cellular loss of particles following the removal of extracellular particles. Proteins were shown to quickly saturate the particle surface, followed by a competitive process of particle agglomeration and protein adsorption. Uptake of particles peaked at 8–10 h, and it was determined that, in this system, the charge of the protein-coated particles changed the rate of uptake if the charge difference was great enough. Cells internalized particles lacking any adsorbed proteins with approximately 3 times the rate of protein-coated particles with the same charge. Although particles exited cells over time, the process was slower than uptake and did not near completion within 24 h. Finally, analysis at the single cell level afforded observations of particle agglomerates loosely associated with cell membranes when serum was present in the culture medium, but in the absence of serum, particles adhered to the dish floor and formed smaller agglomerates on cell surfaces. Although data trends were easily distinguished, all samples showed considerable variation from cell to cell.
Poster abstract: force-based geometric routing

Routing is the foremost issue in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) and sensor networks. To guarantee delivery and improve performance, most position-based routing protocols are based on face routing, which requires the underlying network to be a planar graph. Localized planar graph construction requires the radio model to be a unit disk graph and it is only applicable to two-dimensional networks. This paper presents an efficient force-based geometric routing algorithm which is applicable to general network models and has a worst-case bound for arbitrary three-dimensional networks.
SU-GG-T-295: Use of the PTW 729 for Routine QA of a TomoTherapy Unit

Purpose: To evaluate the use of the PTW 729 chamber array for routine quality assurance checks on a TomoTherapy unit. Method and Materials: The 729 was used to perform quality assurance tests for the following: Individual patient IMRT QA; beam profile, output, and energy constancy at the 4 cardinal angles; verification of the 70cm virtual isocenter distance. IMRT QA was performed by using the 729 in the Octavius phantom. Results were compared at specific points to measurements with a 0.1cc ion chamber. Beam profile and output constancy was performed at 0 degree gantry position at 1.5cm depth. Energy constancy was performed by placing the 729 in the Octavius phantom with the array parallel to the beam axis. This was done for the 4 cardinal angles. Output and profile constancy was similarly measured but with the array perpendicular to the beam. The virtual isocenter position was verified by aligning the 729 to the lasers. The table was then indexed to the true isocenter by the TomoTherapy control system prior to the exposure. Any deviation of the longitudinal profiles from the zero position would indicate an offset in the virtual isocenter laser position. Intentional offsets were introduced to determine the sensitivity of the test. Results: The IMRT QA results achieved results of > 90% of points passing 3%/3mm criteria for all deliveries checked. This is comparable with other reported results. In addition the individual points were within 2%. Beam profile, output, and energy constancy was within 1% for multiple readings. The beam profile was within 3% of water scans within the useful beam (+/−20cm) for all points. The average difference was 0.74%. The virtual isocenter was verified to within 1mm. Conclusion: The PTW 729 is suitable for routine QA measurements on a TomoTherapy unit. Research sponsored by PTW Corporation
Synthesis of Hemopressin Peptides by Classical Solution Phase Fragment Condensation

A fragment condensation solution phase assembly of the naturally occurring CB1 inverse agonist nonapeptides, Pro-Val-Asn-Phe-Lys-Phe/Leu-Leu-Ser-His-OH (hemopressins), and two other homologues: N-terminal 2-amino acid (dipeptide) extended undecapeptide, Val-Asp-Pro-Val-Asn-Phe-Lys-Leu-Leu-Ser-His-OH, and three-amino acid (tripeptide) extended dodecapeptide, Arg-Val-Asp-Pro-Val-Asn-Phe-Lys-Leu-Leu-Ser-His-OH, both CB1 agonists, is reported.
Attitudes of bus operators towards real-time transit information tools

Although it is apparent that providing useful information has a positive effect on transit riders, no studies to date have investigated bus operators’ reactions to real-time arrival information and other potential rider information tools. In this study, the project team surveyed 253 bus operators to determine their views and values concerning the existing use of real-time information and to ask about future transit rider information applications. Almost all operators (93 and 91 % on two separate questions) were positive or neutral to the provision of real-time information. In addition, operators were receptive to building other new information applications, with all applications in the survey being supported by at least 60 % of the bus operators. The two most widely supported potential applications in the survey were additional tools to help blind and deaf-blind riders (89 % of bus operators favored) and an application that would aid riders in identifying physical stop, shelter and bus issues such as graffiti, broken parts or a need for lights (88 % of bus operators). Applications displaying data about past performance or current bus capacity received the least support (66 and 61 % respectively). This research gives a better understanding of the impact of rider information tools on bus operators, including the views and values of the operators, and the harms and benefits of such tools.
Laryngeal findings in users of combination corticosteroid and bronchodilator therapy.

Educational Objective: At the conclusion of this article, the readers should be able to 1) describe the laryngeal findings in patients who use combination therapy for asthma, 2) discuss the mechanism of laryngeal irritation from the use of inhalers, and 3) describe possible mechanisms for reducing laryngeal irritation and secondary dysphonia from the use of inhalers. Objectives: To describe voice changes and laryngeal findings in patients who are started on combination corticosteroid and bronchodilator therapy in the form of a dry powder inhaler (DPI). Study Design: Retrospective, single-subject design. Methods: Retrospective review of 10 consecutive patients meeting inclusion criteria, who presented at the voice center with more than 4 weeks of dysphonia after being started on a combination form of asthma medication for control and maintenance therapy. All patients were nonsmokers and without history of previous identification or excision of vocal pathology. All patients were treated previously with a proton pump inhibitor for gastroesophageal reflux. Laryngeal videostroboscopic evaluations were performed on all patients. Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their perceived voice change and history of medical maintenance therapy for asthma. Results: Dysphonia was present in the patients selected for greater than 4 weeks. Patients had been switched to combination therapy after previously using traditional two-drug asthma regimens. In eight of nine patients, the vocal folds demonstrated areas of hyperemia, with plaque-like changes on the surface mucosa. Reduced amplitude of vibration and a reduction in mucosal wave propagation were present on videostroboscopy. Questionnaires revealed that all patients were initiated on combination DPI treatment within the last 6 months. Conclusions: Dysphonia caused by a change in the surface mucosa is a side effect from the use of DPI therapy for asthma. The high-impact force during inhalation of the medication and carrier leads to deposition of particles in the upper airway. We believe the extent of mucosal irritation can be minimized by patient education in the proper delivery of DPI. In some cases, however, return of the two medications delivered separately was necessary. The irritation of the laryngeal mucosa and return of normal vibratory parameters occurred in all patients.
Economic and fiscal impact analysis of energy development projects: Coal liquefaction in the Illinois Basin

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of anticipating the local economic, demographic and fiscal impacts occurring from the siting of coal liquefaction facilities in the Illinois Basin. This region (primarily western Kentucky) will contain some of the most ambitious liquefaction projects in the U.S., yet no comprehensive method for the estimation of these impacts currently exists. It is suggested that the solution might lie with the development of an integrated econometric impact evaluation model. The potential economic, demographic and fiscal impacts of these projects are also described, preliminary analyses using existing economic impact assessment methods are presented, and certain policy analysis applications are highlighted.
Suppression of a polyclonal B-cell response by supernatants from the murine autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction

Abstract Previously, we have demonstrated that supernatants from autologous mixed lymphocyte (AMLR) cultures contain helper factors which can mediate the development of a cytotoxic T-cell response to hapten modified self. In the current study, the effect of AMLR supernatants on the humoral response was explored. BALB/C splenic non-T cells produced a large polyclonal antibody response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as measured in a Protein A SRBC plaque assay. Surprisingly, syngeneic AMLR supernatants suppressed the LPS-induced generation of plaqueforming cells. The presence of T cells in the stimulated cultures did not affect suppressor activity. The decreased response was not the result of a shift in kinetics, as maximal activity was observed on Day 4, whether or not AMLR supernatants were added. The AMLR culture supernatants were most effective in suppressing the plaque-forming cell response when added at the initiation of culture. AMLR supernatants added after 24 hr of culture resulted in only about 50% of maximum suppression. Supernatants added at 48 or 72 hr had no effect. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) has been detected in AMLR culture supernatant and has been reported to suppress the development of plaque-forming cells in response to LPS. However, it is unlikely the suppressive activity observed in these studies is due to IFN-γ. Dialysis of the AMLR culture supernatant against a pH 2 buffer for 24 hr or incubation at 70, 80, or 90 °C for 10 min, treatments that inactivate IFN-γ, enhanced suppression. These results suggest that in addition to cytotoxic-T-cell helper factors, the cellular interactions in the AMLR induces the production of a stable mediator(s) which is able to directly suppress B cells at an early stage of their development into plasma cells.
Singular Perturbations of Quadratic Maps

We give a complete description of the dynamics of the mapping fe(z)=z2+(e/z) for positive real values of e. We then consider two generalizations: the case of complex e and the mapping z→zn+(e/zm), where e is positive and real. In both cases we provide a full characterization of the map for a certain set of parameters, and give observations based on numerical evidence for all other parameter values. The dynamics of all maps that we consider bears striking resemblance to that of complex quadratic maps.
Reaching in the dark toward sound as a measure of auditory localization in infants

Abstract Infants' auditory localization was tested by examining their ability to reach for a sounding object in the dark. Twenty infants, aged 7 months, were presented with 10 trials in the dark and 10 in the light at five positions, midline, ±30° and ±60°. Infants reached quickly and accurately, in both light and dark, although reaches occurred on fewer trials in the dark (77% compared to 100% in the light) and resulted in fewer contacts with the object. On trials with no reaching, infants oriented their heads toward the sound 80% of the time. These results suggest that infants can use sound cues to guide their hands in auditory space and do not require sight of either the hand or the object for accurate reaching. Because infants are willing to reach for sounding objects in the dark, future research can use this response to explore new aspects of the development of auditory localization, including the role of visual experience and tactile manipulation.
Mechanical Properties of Carbon Films for Thin Film Disks

Carbon overcoat films are used extensively in thin film disk applications to provide wear resistance. A nano-indentation technique and wafer curvature measurements have been used to study the mechanical properties of carbon films sputtered under various processing conditions. Specifically, the effects of substrate/target spacing, power, pressure, and substrate bias have been studied for films sputtered in an argon plasma. The relationship of these properties to contact start-stop performance of hydrocarbon lubricated disks is further described. The frictional performance during the test can be related to film hardness, while the durability can be affected by the residual film stress.
Skin Manifestations of Primary Immune Deficiency

Cutaneous manifestations are common in primary immune deficiency diseases, affecting between 40 % and 70 % of patients with diagnosed primary immune deficiency. Skin infections characterize many primary immune deficiencies, but there are also frequent noninfectious cutaneous manifestations seen in many of these disorders, including eczematous lesions, erythroderma, cutaneous granulomas, dysplasia of skin, hair, and nails, autoimmune conditions, and frank vasculitis. For the patient with suspected primary immunodeficiency, much can be inferred by evaluating the presenting cutaneous findings, including various infectious susceptibilities, presence of atopy, and evidence of impaired or overactive inflammatory response. The skin manifestations of primary immune deficiency diseases are often early or heralding findings of the underlying immunologic disease. Therefore, awareness of associations between skin findings and immune deficiency may aide in the early detection and treatment of serious or life-threatening immunologic defects. This review summarizes the common skin manifestations of primary immune deficiency diseases and provides the reader with a differential diagnosis of primary immune defects to consider for the most common skin manifestations.
Synthesis and evaluation of potential inhibitors of human and Escherichia coli histidine triad nucleotide binding proteins.

Abstract Based on recent substrate specificity studies, a series of ribonucleotide based esters and carbamates were synthesized and screened as inhibitors of the phosphoramidases and acyl-AMP hydrolases, Escherichia coli Histidine Triad Nucleotide Binding Protein (ecHinT) and human Histidine Triad Nucleotide Binding Protein 1 (hHint1). Using our established phosphoramidase assay, Ki values were determined. All compounds exhibited non-competitive inhibition profiles. The carbamate based inhibitors were shown to successfully suppress the Hint1-associated phenotype in E. coli, suggesting that they are permeable intracellular inhibitors of ecHinT.
Uranium isotopes in soils as a proxy for past infiltration and precipitation across the western United States

The intermittent presence of large Pleistocene lakes in the southwestern interior of North America, a region that is now a semi-arid desert, suggests repeated oscillations between profoundly different climatic conditions. The origin of these shifts is still unresolved due to inconsistencies in existing climate proxy data (for example, pollen, lake levels, and oxygen isotopes in speleothems). To resolve the inconsistencies in the water balance over the last 10 to 60 kyr, we use uranium isotopic variations in secondary soil minerals to quantify net infiltration and precipitation along a north-south transect in western North America. We show that winter infiltration increased by 30 to 100 percent, and precipitation by a lesser amount, in the valleys of the Great Basin and Mojave deserts between 60 and ∼26 ka. This increase in infiltration and precipitation preceded the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the timing of most lake highstands in the region by 5 to 10 kyr, respectively, suggesting a possible Last Precipitation Maximum (LPM) that coincided with a minimum in winter insolation. Subsequent decreases in infiltration and precipitation after the LGM can be reconciled with the timing of lake highstands if colder summer temperatures due to a minimum in summer insolation reduced lake evaporation. The soil records, combined with a range of proxy data, suggest that seasonal insolation is the long-term driver for large shifts in both precipitation and surface water variability in the region.
Mn(II,III) oxidation and MnO2 mineralization by an expressed bacterial multicopper oxidase

Reactive Mn(IV) oxide minerals are ubiquitous in the environment and control the bioavailability and distribution of many toxic and essential elements and organic compounds. Their formation is thought to be dependent on microbial enzymes, because spontaneous Mn(II) to Mn(IV) oxidation is slow. Several species of marine Bacillus spores oxidize Mn(II) on their exosporium, the outermost layer of the spore, encrusting them with Mn(IV) oxides. Molecular studies have identified the mnx (Mn oxidation) genes, including mnxG, encoding a putative multicopper oxidase (MCO), as responsible for this two-electron oxidation, a surprising finding because MCOs only catalyze single-electron transfer reactions. Characterization of the enzymatic mechanism has been hindered by the lack of purified protein. By purifying active protein from the mnxDEFG expression construct, we found that the resulting enzyme is a blue (absorption maximum 590 nm) complex containing MnxE, MnxF, and MnxG proteins. Further, by analyzing the Mn(II)- and (III)-oxidizing activity in the presence of a Mn(III) chelator, pyrophosphate, we found that the complex facilitates both electron transfers from Mn(II) to Mn(III) and from Mn(III) to Mn(IV). X-ray absorption spectroscopy of the Mn mineral product confirmed its similarity to Mn(IV) oxides generated by whole spores. Our results demonstrate that Mn oxidation from soluble Mn(II) to Mn(IV) oxides is a two-step reaction catalyzed by an MCO-containing complex. With the purification of active Mn oxidase, we will be able to uncover its mechanism, broadening our understanding of Mn mineral formation and the bioinorganic capabilities of MCOs.
USE OF LACTIC DEHYDROGENASE FOR DETECTION OF AVIAN LEUKOSIS.

IN the United States, the loss of birds from the avian leukosis complex is of the order of 1,000,000 dollars per week1. The loss to the poultry industry in the United Kingdom is estimated to be about £7,500,000 annually2. Investigation and control of the disease are impeded by lack of a rapid, dependable diagnostic test. The resistance-inducing factor (RIF) technique3 offers a valuable research tool but is too time-consuming and complicated for practical flock testing.
Adaptive Strategies and Structure and Stability of Ecosystem: ABSTRACT

Ecosystem structures and stabilities are based upon the modal adaptive strategies employed by their component populations. These population strategies are, in turn, a reflection of natural selection of individuals for adaptation to particular environmental regimes. The selective pressures that are of primary significance are those related to the trophic resource regime. Fluctuating regimes require flexible responses, broad tolerances, and high reproductive potentials. Ecosystems in such regimes therefore contain few species but may have complex trophic webs; they vary temporally in composition and relative population proportions. Stable regimes permit specialized responses, narrow tolerances, and small populations. Ecosystems in such regimes may contain many species but m y have simple trophic nets and vary but little through time. At present the pattern of ecosystem structure correlates well with the pattern of trophic resource regimes; latitudinally the pattern is chiefly due to variation in solar radiation; longitudinally, to variation in nutrient supply. In the past, variations in resource regimes on a global scale accounted for fluctuations in both diversity and quality of the biota as ecosystem structures adjusted to the changes. To preserve our present marine diversity, nutrient effluents should be engineered so as to stabilize the trophic regimes. End_of_Article - Last_Page 368------------
Being Raised by White People : Navigating Racial Difference Among Adopted Multiracial Adults

There are increasing numbers of multiracial families created through marriage, adoption, birth, and a growing population of multiracial persons. Multiracials are a hidden but dominant group of transracially adopted children in both the United Kingdom and the United States. This paper introduces findings from an interpretive study of 25 transracially adopted multiracials regarding a set of experiences participants called “being raised by White people.” Three aspects of this experience are explored: (1) the centrality yet absence of racial resemblance, (2) navigating discordant parent-child racial experiences, and (3) managing societal perceptions of transracial adoption. Whereas research suggests some parents believe race is less salient for multiracial children than for Black children, this study finds participants experienced highly racialized worlds into adulthood.