cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diversification by the audit offices in the US and its impact on audit quality

Audit offices in the US exhibit a wide variation in the number of industries they service. Strategic management theory suggests that diversification can affect the quality of output, depending on the nature and circumstances of diversification. This paper examines the effect of diversification at the audit office level on audit quality. Five proxies of audit quality are examined, mainly, absolute discretionary accruals, propensity to meet-or-beat earnings expectations by a cent, propensity to restate financial statements, propensity to receive a comment letter after an SEC review and propensity to issue a going concern opinion. Results suggest that diversification has detrimental effects on audit quality. On the other hand, when the diversification is part of the audit firm level strategy, the detrimental effects on audit quality are dampened. Moreover, when the diversification at the office level is part of a revenue expansion strategy, the audit quality is adversely affected. However, there is no detrimental effect on the audit quality when revenue expansion is not the objective. Also, diversification across dissimilar industries leads to more adverse effect on audit quality than diversification to similar industries. Results also suggest that when the audit office is located in a market with more (less) diversified client base, the adverse effects of diversification on audit quality are weaker (stronger). Finally, the offices of big-4 audit firms handle diversification better with less adverse effect on audit quality. The findings are important since they identify additional factors that explain audit quality at the audit office level.
Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers.

This study investigated the relationship between six-minute walking test (6MWT) distance walked and preschool-aged children’s academic abilities, and behavioral and event-related potentials (ERP) indices of cognitive control. There were 59 children (25 females; age: 5.0 ± 0.6 years) who completed a 6MWT (mean distance: 449.6 ± 82.0 m) to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness. The Woodcock Johnson Early Cognitive and Academic Development Test evaluated academic abilities. A modified Eriksen flanker, hearts and flowers task, and auditory oddball task eliciting ERPs (N2, P3) assessed cognitive control. After adjusting for adiposity, diet, and demographics, linear regressions resulted in positive relationships between 6MWT distance and General Intellectual Ability (β = 0.25, Adj R2 = 0.04, p = 0.04) and Expressive Language (β = 0.30, Adj R2 = 0.13, p = 0.02). 6MWT distance was positively correlated with congruent accuracy (β = 0.29, Adj R2 = 0.18, p < 0.01) and negatively with incongruent reaction time (β = −0.26, Adj R2 = 0.05, p = 0.04) during the flanker task, and positively with homogeneous (β = 0.23, Adj R2 = 0.21, p = 0.04) and heterogeneous (β = 0.26, Adj R2 = 0.40, p = 0.02) accuracy on the hearts and flowers task. Higher fit children showed faster N2 latencies and greater P3 amplitudes to target stimuli; however, these were at the trend level following the adjustment of covariates. These findings indicate that the positive influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive function is evident in 4–6-year-olds.
Urinary phthalate exposures and risk of breast cancer: the Multiethnic Cohort study

The epidemiologic evidence from observational studies on breast cancer risk and phthalates, endocrine disrupting chemicals, has been inconsistent. In the only previous study based on pre-diagnostic urinary phthalates and risk of breast cancer, results were null in mostly white women. We examined the association between pre-diagnostic urinary phthalates and breast cancer in a nested case-control study within the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) study, presenting the first data from five major racial/ethnic groups in the USA. We measured 10 phthalate metabolites and phthalic acid, using a sensitive liquid chromatography mass spectrometry assay on 1032 women with breast cancer (48 African Americans, 77 Latinos, 155 Native Hawaiians, 478 Japanese Americans, and 274 Whites) and 1030 matched controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine risk with individual metabolites and ratios of primary (MEHP, mono-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate) to secondary (MEHHP, mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl); MEOHP, mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexy)) metabolites of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), a widely used plasticizer. In addition, we investigated risk associations with high (∑HMWP) and low molecular weight (∑LMWP) phthalates, as well as total phthalates which included high and low molecular weight phthalates with phthalic acid (∑LMHMPA) or without phthalic acid in molar ratios (∑LMHMmolar) and adjusted for creatinine and potential confounders. Among all women, breast cancer risk was higher for those in tertile 2 and tertile 3 of primary to secondary metabolites of DEHP (MEHP/(MEHHP + MEOHP)) in comparison to those in tertile 1; the respective odds ratios were 1.32 (95% CI 1.04–1.68) and 1.26 (95% CI 0.96–1.66) (Ptrend = 0.05). Risk among Native Hawaiian women increased with exposures to eight of ten individual phthalates and total phthalates (∑LMHMPA ORT3 vs T1 = 2.66, 95% CI 1.39–5.12, Ptrend = 0.001). In analysis by hormone receptor (HR) status, exposure above the median of ∑LMWP was associated with an increased risk of HR-positive breast cancer (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.05–1.60) while above the median exposure to phthalic acid was associated with an increased risk of HR-negative breast cancer (ORabove vs below median = 1.59, 95% CI 1.01–2.48). Further investigations of suggestive associations of elevated breast cancer risk with higher ratios of primary to secondary metabolites of DEHP, and differences in risk patterns by race/ethnicity and HR status are warranted.
Aseptic Meningitis after Recovery from SARS-CoV-2 in an Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Recipient

SARS-CoV-2 emerged as a worldwide pandemic in late 2019 and initially was described as a primary respiratory illness. The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are now known to encompass nearly all organ systems, including the central nervous system. We present a case of an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient who recovered from documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and later presented with symptoms of meningitis. While cerebrospinal fluid analysis did not reveal any bacterial or viral etiologies, evidence of an inflammatory state, including ophthalmologic findings of episcleritis, indicate what is likely the first reported case of aseptic meningitis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection after initial clinical recovery.
A Thorough Evaluation of Task-Specific Pretraining for Summarization.

Task-agnostic pretraining objectives like masked language models or corrupted span prediction are applicable to a wide range of NLP downstream tasks (Raffel et al.,2019), but are outperformed by task-specific pretraining objectives like predicting extracted gap sentences on summarization (Zhang et al.,2020). We compare three summarization specific pretraining objectives with the task agnostic corrupted span prediction pretraining in controlled study. We also extend our study to a low resource and zero shot setup, to understand how many training examples are needed in order to ablate the task-specific pretraining without quality loss. Our results show that task-agnostic pretraining is sufficient for most cases which hopefully reduces the need for costly task-specific pretraining. We also report new state-of-the-art number for two summarization task using a T5 model with 11 billion parameters and an optimal beam search length penalty.
Continuous assimilation of simulated Geosat altimetric sea level into an eddy-resolving numerical ocean model. I - Sea level differences. II - Referenced sea level differences

The optimal interpolation method of Lorenc (1981) was used to conduct continuous assimilation of altimetric sea level differences from the simulated Geosat exact repeat mission (ERM) into a three-layer quasi-geostrophic eddy-resolving numerical ocean box model that simulates the statistics of mesoscale eddy activity in the western North Pacific. Assimilation was conducted continuously as the Geosat tracks appeared in simulated real time/space, with each track repeating every 17 days, but occurring at different times and locations within the 17-day period, as would have occurred in a realistic nowcast situation. This interpolation method was also used to conduct the assimilation of referenced altimetric sea level differences into the same model, performing the referencing of altimetric sea sevel differences by using the simulated sea level. The results of this dynamical interpolation procedure are compared with those of a statistical (i.e., optimum) interpolation procedure.
Description of Martiniozyma gen. nov. and transfer of seven Candida species to Saturnispora as new combinations

DNA sequence analysis has shown Candida abiesophila (NRRL Y-11514(T), CBS 5366(T)) and Candida asiatica (NRRL Y-63747(T), CBS 10863(T)) to be members of a small clade that is phylogenetically separate from other yeasts. In view of their isolation from neighboring genera, such as Pichia and Saturnispora, the two anamorphic species are proposed for transfer to Martiniozyma gen. nov. (MycoBank MB 812061) with Martiniozyma abiesophila designated as type species (MycoBank MB 812062). In keeping with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, which specifies that related anamorphic and teleomorphic species can be assigned to the same genus, the following Candida species are transferred to Saturnispora to conform with their phylogenetic placement: Candida diversa (NRRL Y-5713(T)), Candida halmiae (CBS 11009(T)), Candida sanitii (CBS 10864(T)), Candida sekii (CBS 10931(T)), Candida siamensis (CBS 11022(T)), Candida silvae (NRRL Y-6725(T)) and Candida suwanaritii (CBS 11021(T)).
A 1.8 GHz CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator

This paper describes the factors that limit the tuning range of monolithic LC voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), especially at low supply voltages, and introduces circuit techniques that alleviate this problem. Incorporating such techniques, a 1.8 GHz CMOS oscillator achieves a tuning range of 120 MHz with a relatively constant gain while exhibiting a phase noise of -100 dBc/Hz at 500 kHz offset. The actual implementation is a quadrature generator consisting of two coupled oscillators. Since the two oscillators are identical, only one is considered here.
Antibody and complement-mediated enhancement of red cell invasion by Plasmodium falciparum. (MPF2P.806)

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by an intracellular protist of the genus Plasmodium that invades red blood cells (RBCs). Experimental vaccines that target the blood stage of the parasite (merozoites) induce a potent humoral immune response but there is no protection despite inhibition of invasion in vitro in the presence of heat-inactivated (HI) serum. The reason for this discrepancy is unknown. We hypothesize that complement activation and opsonization of merozoites enhances complement receptor 1 (CR1)-mediated invasion of RBCs. We tested the effect of anti-merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) antibody 5.2 (mAb5.2) in the presence of fresh or HI serum on the in vitro invasion of RBCs by P. falciparum. We observed inhibition of RBCs invasion with inactivation of serum for 3 min, 5 min, or 30 min at 56°C. The inhibitory effect of 3 min HI serum was rescued upon the addition of C2 and Factor B, but only in the presence of mAb5.2. Compstatin, a C3 inhibitor, negated the enhancing effect of mAb5.2 in fresh serum. The invasion enhancing effect of mAb5.2 was absent in 3 min HI serum. Similar results were seen in fresh serum when sCR1 was used as a competitor. Purified antibodies from MSP-1 vaccinees showed inhibitory activity in 3 min HI serum, but inhibition was reduced in fresh serum. Our results suggest that anti-merozoite antibodies in the presence of complement can enhance RBCs invasion, constituting a novel mechanism of immune evasion by P. falciparum.
Muscle cell differentiation is inhibited by the helix-loop-helix protein Id3

Id3 (originally named HLH462) belongs to the Id family of the helix-loop-helix transcription factors. Members of the Id family do not contain basic DNA binding regions adjacent to the helix-loop-helix dimerization domain and are, therefore, hypothesized to act as negative regulators of other helix-loop-helix proteins by preventing the formation of functional dimers. We have investigated the potential role of Id3 in the control of muscle cell differentiation. Id3 mRNA is expressed at a high level in proliferating myoblasts and is down-regulated following induction of differentiation. We show that stable overexpression of Id3 mRNA inhibits differentiation of the Sol 8 muscle cell line. Both the HLH and COOH-terminal domains of Id3 are necessary and sufficient for its dominant-negative activity in muscle cells. DNA-binding activity present in nuclear extracts prepared from Id3-overexpressing cells was significantly reduced when compared to the wild-type or vector-transfected cells. Finally, we show by in situ hybridization that the Id3 mRNA is co-expressed with the myogenic regulatory factor myogenin in somites and developing muscle during embryogenesis, although unlike the myogenic regulatory factors, Id3 is also expressed in many other locations in the embryo. These data support a model in which Id3 negatively regulates muscle differentiation by inhibiting the DNA-binding activities of the myogenic regulatory factors.
Giant acrochordon of the axilla.

Acrochordons or fibroepithelial polyps, are very common skin lesions. However, giant acrochordons are extremely rare. We present a case of a morbidly obese diabetic man who was treated with primary excision of a giant 18 cm acrochordon of the left axilla.
Light and Scanning-Beam Electron Microscopy of Wall-Defective Staphylococcus aureus Induced by Lysostaphin

Abstract The serial morphological changes of Staphylococcus aureus after exposure to lysostaphin (one unit per ml) in hypertonic culture medium containing 5% NaCl were studied over an 8-hr period at 37 C. S. aureus stained gram-negative almost instantaneously upon contact with lysostaphin. Many cells were lysed, but wall-defective staphylococci with corrugated surface were detected as early as 5 min by use of scanning-beam electron microscopy. Wall-defective staphylococci enlarged progressively with increasing periods of incubation. The absorbance of the lysostaphin-treated culture decreased significantly by 2 min, remained stationary for 2 hr, and then progressively increased. The number of vegetative colony-forming units decreased progressively with increasing periods of incubation, whereas the number of L-colony-forming units remained the same.
NEW EVIDENCE FOR APULIAN RED‐FIGURE PRODUCTION CENTRES

A total of 52 South Italian red-figure vases were subjected to neutron activation analysis. The primary aim of the study was to determine whether all Apulian red-figure pottery datable to the period c. 430-340 BC was produced at the Greek colony of Taras, as has been widely assumed. Three chemically distinct compositional groups were isolated and compared to archaeological reference material from Taranto. The results of this comparison suggest that some Early Apulian red-figure pottery may have been produced outside of Taras from the fifth century BC onwards.
Labor Economists Get Their Microscope: Big Data and Labor Market Analysis

Abstract This article describes how the fine-grained data being collected by Internet labor market intermediaries, such as employment websites, online labor markets, and knowledge discussion boards, are providing new research opportunities and directions for the empirical analysis of labor market activity. After discussing these data sources, we examine some of the research opportunities they have created, highlight some examples of existing work that already use these new data sources, and enumerate the challenges associated with the use of these corporate data sources.
Inhibition of tumor growth by magnesium depletion of rats.

BETTY J. MILLS, WALTER L. BROGHAMER,PATRICK J. HIGGINS ANDROBERT D. LINDEMANThe Louisville Veterans Administration Medical Center, andthe Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine, Universityof Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40292ABSTRACT In earlier studies tumor growth was inhibited in rats that first weremade magnesium-deficient and subsequently implanted with tumors. The objectiveof this study was to determine if the reverse sequence is also effective Namely, istumor growth inhibited if tumors first are established and then a magnesium deficiency imposed? Rats with palpable mammary adenocarcinomas, or with shamimplants were pair-fed either a control or magnesium-deficient diet for 32 days. Ratswere then killed and tumors, plasma and several tissues analyzed. In tumors frommagnesium-depleted rats, growth was inhibited 46%, magnesium concentrationdecreased 40% and necrosis was 50% greater. Magnesium depletion alone resulted ina 66% decrease in magnesium and a 29% increase in copper in plasma. Also, depletion caused a decrease in heart zinc and increase in kidney copper concentrations. Asa result of tumor growth alone, concentrations of zinc in plasma decreased 40% andcopper increased 37%. Rats with tumors also had decreased sodium and increasedpotassium levels in plasma. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration that thegrowth of an established tumor can be retarded solely by dietary magnesium depletion and thus may be significant for the nutritional management of tumor patients.J. Nutr. 114: 739-745, 1984.INDEXING KEY WORDS tumor growth â€¢magnesium depletion
Bats, Balls, and Lures: Cognitive Style in CS Education

If a bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total and the bat costs $1.00 more than the ball, how much does the ball cost? Many people trained in logical reasoning answer this question incorrectly. Is the kind of logical trap posed by this question similar to the logical traps in computer science? This paper examines the similarity between computer science programming problems with intuitive yet incorrect "lure" answers and logical problems from psychology and economics that share this characteristic. We find that there are fundamental similarities between these kinds of problems and that these problems can even be used as predictors of grades in introductory programming courses. Furthermore, we demonstrate that certain cognitive styles identified in recent psychological literature perform better on such problems.
Interaction of Escherichia coli DNA Polymerase I (Klenow Fragment) with Primer-Templates ContainingN-Acetyl-2-aminofluorene or N-2-Aminofluorene Adducts in the Active Site *

DNA adducts formed by aromatic amines such asN-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (AAF) andN-2-aminofluorene (AF) are known to cause mutations by interfering with the process of DNA replication. To understand this phenomenon better, a gel retardation assay was used to measure the equilibrium dissociation constants for the binding of an exonuclease-deficient Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment) to DNA primer-templates modified with an AAF or AF adduct. The results indicate that the nature of the adduct as well as the presence and nature of an added dNTP have a significant influence on the strength of the binding of the polymerase to the DNA. More specifically, it was found that the binding is 5–10-fold stronger when an AAF adduct, but not an AF adduct, is positioned in the enzyme active site. In addition, the polymerase was found to bind the unmodified primer-template less strongly in the presence of a noncomplementary dNTP than in the presence of the correct nucleotide. The same trend holds true for the primer-template having an AF adduct, although the magnitude of this difference was lower. In the case of the AAF adduct, the interaction of the polymerase with the primer-template was stronger and almost independent of the nucleotide present.
Design, synthesis, and chemistry of sterically nondemanding primary bisphosphines.

Design and synthesis of chelating bisphosphines functionalized with the smallest chemical unit “H” on the PIII centers ((PH2CH2)2CHCH2NHPh (4) and (PH2CH2)2CHCONHPh (5)) are described. Studies demonstrating that no bulky chemical substituents are necessary to offer thermal/oxidative stability to the −PH2 groups in 4 and 5 are described. The H atoms around the PIII centers in 5 (or 4) concur limited/no steric influence, but yet the phosphines manifest high nucleophilicity to coordinate strongly with W(0) and Re(I). The studies include synthesis and X-ray structural characterization of an air-stable primary bisphosphine (5) and its transition-metal chemistry with W(CO)6 and Re(CO)5Br to produce the complexes (η2-(PH2CH2)2CHCONHPh)W(CO)4 (6) and (η2-(PH2CH2)2CHCONHPh)Re(CO)3Br (7), respectively.
Glycine potentiates the anticonvulsant action of diazepam and phenobarbital in kindled amygdaloid seizures of rats

Abstract The effect of glycine on the anticonvulsant activity of diazepam and phenobarbital in fully developed kindled amygdaloid seizures in rats was determined. Glycine alone had no significant effect on the seizure response, either when administered orally 1 hr prior to the seizure test or when given chronically in a 0.5 M solution as the source of water. Administration of glycine (10 mmol/kg, oral) together with diazepam produced a significant reduction in both cortical epileptiform afterdischarge and the severity of seizures at doses of diazepam which had no significant effect on the seizures when administered alone. Glycine potentiated the effects of phenobarbital on the cortical afterdischarge but not the severity of the seizures. The observed potentiation of the effects of diazepam and phenobarbital suggests a glycinergic mechanism in the anticonvulsant action of these drugs which may be mediated in part by the inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) systems.
Minimal mesh embeddings in binary hypercubes

The authors state and prove a result about minimal graph embeddings of meshes into hypercubes. This corrects a flaw in a previously published proof by D.W. Krumme and K.N. Venkataraman (1986). >
Hate crimes and violence against the Transgendered

According to J. Caputi, “in mainstream discussion, violent crimes against women are frequently presented as inexplicable and their perpetrators as social deviants ... [Researchers] have argued for an awareness of the sexually political and conformist nature of such crimes and have invented the word ‘gynocide’ to name the range of systematic violence against women by men.” Similarly, crimes of violence and victimization against transsexual, transgendered and cross‐dressing persons are often characterized as either the actions of individuals (males) who do not live within the rules of society, or as being somehow provoked by victims through their deviancy with regard to gender expectation. In each case, these arguments are simply extensions of the traditional discourse regarding violence against women: either the perpetrator is a “mad dog” (i.e. a criminally deviant male) or the victim “asked for it” (via exhibiting the “provocative behavior” of failing to conform to gender role expectations).
Lesions and reversible inactivation of the dorsolateral caudate-putamen impair cocaine-primed reinstatement to cocaine-seeking in rats.

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that cocaine addiction may involve progressive drug-induced neuroplasticity of the dorsal striatum. Here, we examined the effects of a) dorsolateral caudate putamen (dlCPu) lesions on cocaine self-administration, extinction of responding, and subsequent reinstatement to cocaine-seeking, and b) reversible inactivation of the dlCPu with GABA receptor agonists (baclofen and muscimol) immediately prior to reinstatement testing. Male, Sprague–Dawley rats self-administered cocaine (0.2 mg/50 μl infusion, i.v.) along an FR1 schedule in daily 2 h sessions for 10 days, whereby lever presses resulted in cocaine infusions and presentation of a paired light-tone stimulus complex. After 14 days of abstinence, animals were returned to the self-administration chamber and lever responding was recorded, but had no programmed consequences (relapse test). Animals then underwent daily extinction, followed by reinstatement tests in the presence of the conditioned cues, after a cocaine priming injection (10 mg/kg), or cues + cocaine prime. Lesions of the dlCPu failed to affect responding during self-administration, extinction, relapse, or cued-induced reinstatement. However, lesioned animals showed reduced cocaine-seeking during cocaine-primed reinstatement as compared to sham controls. Furthermore, reversible inactivation of the dlCPu significantly impaired both cocaine-primed and cocaine-primed + cue-induced reinstatement. These results demonstrate the critical involvement of the dlCPu in cocaine-primed reinstatement, perhaps via chronic drug-induced changes in the interoceptive effects of cocaine that impact drug-seeking.
Vulvar mucus observations and the probability of pregnancy.

Abstract Objective To assess the day-specific and cycle-specific probabilities of conception leading to clinical pregnancy, in relation to the timing of intercourse and vulvar mucus observations. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of women beginning use of the Creighton Model Fertility Care System in Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and California. Data were abstracted from Creighton Model Fertility Care System records, including women’s daily standardized vulvar observations of cervical mucus discharge, days of intercourse, and clinically evident pregnancy (conception). Established statistical models were used to estimate day-specific probabilities of conception. Results Data were analyzed from 1681 cycles with 81 conceptions from 309 normally fertile couples (initially seeking to avoid pregnancy) and from 373 cycles with 30 conceptions from 117 subfertile couples (who were initially trying to achieve pregnancy). The highest probability of pregnancy occurred on the peak day of vulvar mucus observation (.38 for normally fertile couples and .14 for subfertile couples). The probability of pregnancy was greater than .05 for normally fertile couples from 3 days before to 2 days after the peak, and for subfertile couples from 1 day before to 1 day after the peak. The cycle-specific probability of conception correlated with the quality of mucus discharge in normally fertile couples but not in subfertile couples. Conclusion Standardized vulvar observations of vaginal mucus discharge identify the days with the greatest likelihood of conception from intercourse in normal fertility and subfertility and provide an indicator of the overall potential for conception in a given menstrual cycle in normal fertility.
Does Audience Participation on Facebook Influence the News Agenda? A Case Study of The Rachel Maddow Show

Social media have been theorized as being able to break the press' monopoly on agenda-setting, giving the public greater influence over which stories are covered in the news. This study uses a cross-lagged panel analysis to determine to what extent audience conversations on The Rachel Maddow Show's Facebook Page may have influenced the selection of issues covered in the TV broadcast. Results show a positive correlation between stories discussed on Facebook and the subsequent airing of similar stories on TV. The evidence also suggests that social media may enable many factors that influence both the media and the public agendas.
Co-occurrence and coaction of stress management with other health risk behaviors

This study provides a preliminary investigation of the role of stress management in multiple behavior change. Risk status on stress management and five health behaviors (healthy eating, exercise, alcohol, smoking, and depression management) was assessed before and after a multiple behavior change intervention. Findings suggested a link between stress management and a worse health risk behavior profile at baseline. Results also showed relationships between improved stress management over 6 months and heightened odds of improving on specific behaviors as well as improving one's overall behavioral risk profile. Particularly strong links between stress management and energy balance and other affective behaviors were observed.
College seniors to senior citizens: harnessing the e-connection.

This article is a report of the impact of an innovative assignment within an upper-division gerontology course in a public university. Although designed to enhance the understanding of important aging concepts for students in a Family Studies program, analysis of student writings revealed an increased understanding of the actual subject matter—older adults. As an addition to typical classroom instruction methods, students were paired with senior citizens from an adult education computer course to exchange a series of e-mail communications over the duration of the gerontology course. The e-mail discussion prompts stemmed from important concepts explored in class units. To determine the impact of this assignment, students were asked to submit a reflection paper on their experience. Student participants indicated that the experience enhanced their understanding of the course concepts and provided a positive interaction opportunity with older partners.
Dynamics of rotationally periodic large space structures

The analysis of large area rotationally periodic space structures presented in the paper combines the finite element method, transfer matrix procedures, approximation methods, and periodic structure analysis to obtain computational efficiency. The computations used in the analysis indicate that additive damping mechanisms can be evaluated from the frequency response of the structure. The transient response can also be obtained from the frequency response to complete the dynamic analysis.
Accurate verification of the conserved-vector-current and standard-model predictions.

An approximate analytic calculation of $O(Z{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2})$ corrections to Fermi decays is presented. When the analysis of Koslowsky et al. is modified to take into account the new results, it is found that each of the eight accurately studied $\mathcal{F}t$ values differs from the average by $\ensuremath{\lesssim}1\ensuremath{\sigma}$, thus significantly improving the comparison of experiments with conserved-vector-current predictions. The new $\mathcal{F}t$ values are lower than before, which also brings experiments into very good agreement with the three-generation standard model, at the level of its quantum corrections.
Enhanced removal of groundwater‐borne nitrate in heterogeneous aquatic sediments

Anthropogenic nitrate loads to rivers and coasts deteriorate coastal water quality. The primary sink for nitrate is denitrification in aquatic sediments. Here I show that nitrate removal rates in upwelling groundwater are as much as 60 times more efficient in heterogeneous than equivalent homogeneous aquatic sediments, even when travel times are the same. Coupled flow and reactive transport simulations were used to quantify the removal of groundwater-borne nitrate in aquatic sediments with sand and silt structures that represent infilled burrows, rip-up clasts, or other core-scale features. In silt structures with greater organic carbon content and microbial biomass, aerobic respiration consumes oxygen, creating localized zones of denitrification that would not otherwise exist in homogeneous sediments. While hot spots of denitrification have previously been shown to form in organic-rich aggregates in soils and sediments, this study is the first to quantify their potentially large influence on groundwater-borne nitrate loads to surface waters.
Neutralization of saxitoxin by anti-saxitoxin rabbit serum.

Abstract This study examined the ability of anti-saxitoxin rabbit serum to neutralize saxitoxin, both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, two rabbit antisera decreased [3H]-saxitoxin binding to specific sites in rat brain membranes. The more potent of these sera, antiserum A, when combined with saxitoxin in vitro, decreased saxitoxin's lethal potency based on mouse bioassay. Antiserum A also neutralized saxitoxin in vivo, as illustrated by the fact that mice injected i.p. with antiserum A (1:4) survived a s.c. injection 1 hr later of 16.7 μg saxitoxin/kg (1 ld 99). Finally, antiserum A prevented death when injected i.v. immediately after s.c. injection of 16.7 μg saxitoxin/kg, however, antiserum injected by the i.p. and i.m. routes caused no significant increase in survival. This study indicates that antiserum can neutralize saxitoxin both in vitro and in vivo.
Discussion of “Puzzlingly High Correlations in fMRI Studies of Emotion, Personality, and Social Cognition” by Vul et al. (2009):

In their article, Vul, Harris, Winkielman, and Pashler (2009), (this issue) raise the issue of nonindependent analysis in behavioral neuroimaging, whereby correlations are artificially inflated as a result of spurious statistical procedures. In this comment, I note that the phenomenon in question is a type of selection bias and hence is neither new nor unique to fMRI. The use of massive, complex data sets (common in modern applications) to answer increasingly intricate scientific questions presents many potential pitfalls to valid statistical analysis. Strong collaboration between statisticians and scientists and the development of statistical methods specific to the types of data encountered in practice can help researchers avoid these pitfalls.
SQUID-based pulsed and CW NMR for the study of 3He monolayers

Abstract The use of a SQUID coupled to a sample by a superconducting circuit allows NMR measurements over wide bandwidths. For our recent NMR experiments on 3He monolayers we developed a sample cell that allows for indirect cooling of the grafoil without excessive eddy currents. The details of the cell design are discussed. In addition, we have found that the 13C signal from the graphite is observable in this system. The FID time constant for this signal is comparable to the field homogeneity and the amplitude follows the Curie law over our temperature range ( 15 mK >T>0.2 mK ). Since the NMR signal in 13C is observed simultaneously with the 3He signal, this signal can act as a thermometer for the graphite substrate.
The differential lysis of phosphoester bonds by nuclease P1

The hydrolysis by nuclease P1 of the 16 common deoxydinucleoside monophosphates was examined. The rates of hydrolysis of phosphodiester bond differ by more than two orders of magnitude; dinucleotide monophosphates of the type d(TpN) being most resistant and d(GpN) being next most resistant. The profiles of a mixture of the 16 common dinucleoside monophosphates and of DNA after partial hydrolysis by nuclease P1 and simultaneous treatment with acid phosphatase were compared. The resultant profiles are very similar, except for the appearance of 5-methyldeoxycytidine in the latter. Similar profiles are also obtained from a mixture of dinucleoside monophosphates and from DNA exposed to ionizing radiation beforehand. The 8-hydroxyguanine lesion and a formamido remnant of thymine appear in both profiles as a modified nucleoside and as modified dinucleoside monophosphate respectively. These results suggest that certain radiation induced DNA lesions can be selectively postlabelled based on their resistance to hydrolysis by nuclease P1. The nature of the nuclease P1-substrate interaction is discussed.
Withdrawal of beta blockers and ACE inhibitors in chemotherapy induced heart failure leads to severe adverse cardiovascular events

Withdrawal of Beta Blockers and ACE Inhibitors in Chemotherapy Induced Heart Failure Leads to Severe Adverse Cardiovascular Events Daniel J. Lenihan, Ann Tong, Myrshia Woods, S. Wamique Yusuf, Anecita Fadol, Shobha Pai, Jessica Tristan, Roger Campana, Mary Vooletich, Gregory Giesler, Vijay G. Divakaran, Joseph Swafford, Michael S. Ewer, Jean-Bernard Durand1—Cardiology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Resolution and isolation of avian and amphibian yolk-granule proteins using TEAE-cellulose.

Abstract A chromatographic procedure employing TEAE-cellulose as an adsorbent and a new solvent system consisting of citric acid and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol has been developed for the yolk-granule components present in the eggs of the chicken and the frog. The procedure is detailed and a comparison with past methodology is provided. The granule proteins are completely retained by the adsorbent and completely (97% recovery) eluted as relatively symmetrical peaks by a single gradient system, thus enabling a ready qualitative and quantitative evaluation of components. Other advantages of the procedure are that a phosphate-free buffer system is employed throughout all operations and that columns scaled to any size can be used repeatedly, providing reproducible results.
Preliminary Study of Pressure Drop and Heat Transfer Through a Friction Stir Channel

Commercially available compact heat exchangers are currently fabricated in several steps by joining multiple tubes, or by independently fabricting and joining fluid channels. Friction stir channeling (FSC) is a simple and innovative technique of manufacturing heat exchangers in a single step in a monolithic workpiece. During friction stir welding (FSW), a defect referred to as ‘wormhole’, is created if the processing parameters (tool traverse speed, tool rotation speed, and tool plunge depth) are not correct. FSC is based on converting this defect formation during FSW into a manufacturing technique for heat exchanger applications. If used to produce a cooling system or heat exchanger, FSC can provide many benefits over standard industrial practices in terms of simplicity in manufacturing. Experiments have shown that a continuous hole in a single plate can be created by selecting the optimum process parameters. The channel is characterized by roughness features on the inside, which can be analyzed using optical microscopy techniques. In this paper, five such channels with different hydraulic diameters are tested for the pressure drop and heat transfer. The thermal behavior of a friction stirred channel is simulated using the commercial CFD code FLUENT. Pressure drop along the channel is studied for different surface roughness heights. Temperature difference of water between the inlet and the outlet of the channel is also measured for the channels.© 2007 ASME
Analysis of 129I in groundwater samples: Direct and quantitative results below the drinking water standard

Abstract This paper highlights an analytical method based on mass measurement that can be used to directly quantify 129I in groundwater samples at concentrations below the maximum contaminant level (MCL) without the need for sample pre-concentration or extraction. Samples were analyzed on a Perkin Elmer ELAN DRC II ICP-MS after minimal dilution using O2 as the reaction gas. Analysis of continuing calibration verification standards indicated that the dynamic reaction cell (DRC) mode could be used for quantitative analysis of 129I in samples below the MCL (0.0057 ng/mL or 1 pCi/L). The low analytical detection limit of 129I analysis in the DRC mode coupled with minimal sample dilution (1.02x) resulted in a final estimated quantification limit of 0.0051 ng/mL. Subsequent analysis of three groundwater samples containing 129I resulted in fully quantitative results in the DRC mode, and spike recovery analyses performed on all three samples confirmed that the groundwater matrix did not adversely impact the analysis of 129I in the DRC mode. This analytical approach has been proven to be a cost-effective, high-throughput technique for the direct, quantitative analysis of 129I in groundwater samples at environmentally relevant concentrations that reach below the current MCL.
Surgical Lasers In Gynecology

Multipurpose surgical CO2 lasers marketed in the USA have been developed to be applicable to a variety of surgical procedures in many surgical fields. They are all suited for endoscopic surgical procedures and can be fitted to all standard surgical microscopes. They all can adjust the focal length of the laser beam to the different standard focal lengths of the surgical microscope which for instance in laryngoscopy is 400 mm and in colposcopy 300 mm. One laser instrument can even change the spot size in a given focal distance which is very advantageous for some microsurgical procedures (Merrimack Laboratories 820). All multipurpose surgical CO2 laser systems provide a multi-articulated surgical arm for free-hand surgery. The surgical arms are cumbersome to use but they are adapted to the surgeons needs with ingenuity. The practicality of the multi-articulated surgical arms depends mostly on the distance of the handpiece from the surgical console which now is also overbridged by the laser tube in most surgical laser system. The spot size of the beam is variable in most handpieces by interchangeable lenses which modify the focal distance of the beam and the power density. Another common feature in all systems is a coaxial He-Ne pilot light which provides a red spot which unfortunately becomes invisible in a bleeding surgical field. Most surgical laser systems have a spacial mode of TEM 00 which is essential for incisional surgery. The continuous mode of beam delivery is used for incisional surgery and also for most endoscopic procedures.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Statistical Analysis of the Dependency of Closure Assumptions in Cumulus Parameterization on the Horizontal Resolution.

Simulated data from the UCLA cumulus ensemble model are used to investigate the quasi-universal validity of closure assumptions used in existing cumulus parameterizations. A closure assumption is quasi-universally valid if it is sensitive neither to convective cloud regimes nor to horizontal resolutions of large-scale/mesoscale models. The dependency of three types of closure assumptions, as classified by Arakawa and Chen, on the horizontal resolution is addressed in this study. Type I is the constraint on the coupling of the time tendencies of large-scale temperature and water vapor mixing ratio. Type II is the constraint on the coupling of cumulus heating and cumulus drying. Type III is a direct constraint on the intensity of a cumulus ensemble. The macroscopic behavior of simulated cumulus convection is first compared with the observed behavior in view of Type I and Type II closure assumptions using 'quick-look' and canonical correlation analyses. It is found that they are statistically similar to each other. The three types of closure assumptions are further examined with simulated data averaged over selected subdomain sizes ranging from 64 to 512 km. It is found that the dependency of Type I and Type II closure assumptions on the horizontal resolution is very weak and that Type III closure assumption is somewhat dependent upon the horizontal resolution. The influences of convective and mesoscale processes on the closure assumptions are also addressed by comparing the structures of canonical components with the corresponding vertical profiles in the convective and stratiform regions of cumulus ensembles analyzed directly from simulated data. The implication of these results for cumulus parameterization is discussed.
Production of zearalenone, nivalenol, moniliformin, and wortmannin from toxigenic cultures ofFusarium obtained from pasture soil samples collected in New Zealand

One culture ofF avenaceum, 4 cultures ofF oxysporum, and 11 cultures of Fsambucinum were isolated from soil samples of pasture in New Zealand in 1987. All cultures, when grown on rice media and fed to rats caused a weight loss in rats as well as toxic signs including hemorrhaging and congestion, uterine enlargement, and hematuria. 6 out of 16 cultures caused death in rat feeding tests.F oxysporum #1 killed rats (feeding test) within 5-12hrs. 10 cultures produced zearalenone (19 to 8,849 ppm), 8 cultures produced nivalenol (32 to 117 ppm), 1 culture,F sambucinum #8, produced wortmannin (40 ppm), and 5 cultures produced moniliformin (19 to 9,000ppm). We report for the first time the co-occurrence of zearalenone, nivalenol, and moniliformin produced byF sambucinum #3 in culture.F avenaceum #1 andF oxysporum cultures (nos 1, 2, and 3) produced moniliformin alone.F oxysporum #4 produced zearalenone alone as well.F sambucinum #5 caused erythema in the small intestine of rats and 100% mortality and did not produce any known toxin(s). Nivalenol when administered to the stomach of rats orally at levels 10, 20, and 40mg/kg body weight caused inflammation in the intestines, coma, and death. The mycotoxins T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, T-2 tetraol, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), monoacetoxyscirpenol (MAS), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, depoxynivalenol, fusarenon-X, alpha-and beta-zearalenone, and fusarochromanone (TDP-1) were not detected in the extracts of these cultures.
Leishmania tarentolae : A parallel isolation of cytochrome bc1 and cytochrome c oxidase

Abstract Horvath, A., Berry, E. A., Huang L., and Maslov, D. A. 2000. Leishmania tarentolae: A parallel isolation of cytochrome bc 1 and cytochrome c oxidase. Experimental Parasitology 96 , 160–167. A rapid and simple method which allowed for a parallel isolation of cytochrome c reductase (cytochrome bc 1 ) and cytochrome c oxidase from kinetoplast-mitochondria of Leishmania tarentolae was developed. The method involved the lysis of kinetoplasts with dodecyl maltoside in the presence of 260 mM NaCl, followed by purification of bc 1 complexes on DEAE–sepharose CL-6B. The oxidase which was found in the flow-through fractions of the first chromatographic step was diluted and then repurified on a similar DEAE–sepharose column. The investigated properties of the isolated cytochrome c oxidase and reductase, such as their absolute and difference spectrum absorption maxima, heme content, specific activity, and subunit composition, confirm the usefulness of this method for obtaining highly active preparations of the enzymes.
Metamorphosis of polyhedrons. 1. Tetrahedron to octahedron

In this work, we transform the tetrahedron, which has four triangular faces and transformed it (as in Rubik cubes) into and octahedron with four triangular faces. We describe two important methods for which this can be performed. Both methods are used in order to present the methods, and techniques needed for actual applications in many works related to molecular spectroscopy and group theory. The basic fundamental methods are derived here.
DRUG-INDUCED IMMUNOLOGICAL NEUTROPENIA

Antineutrophil antibody capable of opsonising normal neutrophils was detected in the sera of 16 neutropenic patients receiving various drugs. A single drug was involved in 10 cases, multiple medication in 6. 4 patients received semisynthetic penicillins, 8 some form of antimicrobial, and 2 antithyroid agents. Neutrophil counts rose, and antineutrophil antibody activity declined or disappeared, after drug therapy was stopped. Opsonisation related to the semisynthetic penicillins was independent of complement but dependent on drug concentration. Complement-dependent opsonic activity was demonstrated in 2 patients (1 receiving methimazole and 1 receiving multiple medication) and in the patient receiving methimazole this activity was shown to reside in the IgM serum-fraction. In another patient receiving multiple drugs, a complement-independent IgG antibody was demonstrated.
Gap junction assembly: roles for the formation plaque and regulation by the C-terminus of connexin43

Gap junction (GJ) “formation plaques” are distinct membrane domains with GJ precursors; they assemble by means of a series of defined steps. The C-terminus of Cx43 is required for normal progressio...