cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Driving and creating brand value through brand equity valuation

Business decision-makers must effectively allocate scarce resources in order to survive and thrive in today's competitive business environment. The dramatic advances in technology over the last decade, fueled in part by the rapidly expanding use of social media, have created an extremely complex and fast-moving global marketplace. The traditional tools and methods used to measure brand equity and returns from brand investments have become less effective in providing decision makers guidance in gauging returns, and in determining where and what to invest to maximize brand value. The traditional tools are therefore no longer able to provide significant impactful or actionable information to assist executives making resource allocation decisions. This paper examines traditional brand equity valuation approaches, identifying their strengths and limitations. It then introduces a proactive brand equity valuation methodology - the Brand Equity Valuation Methodology (BEVM). This new approach applies the Black-Sholes Option Pricing Model (BSOPM) statistical and mathematic logic to brand equity valuation. The BEVM reconfigures the BSOPM variables enabling the BSOPM to generate a measure of the brand's equity value for publicly held companies (in this paper) as well as for privately owned business. It is anticipated that future applications of this methodology will enable quantification of the likely returns on brand-building investment initiatives. The BEVM model will offer decision-makers a robust and effective tool to enable improved resource allocation decisions that maximize overall brand value.
Long-Term Outcomes With Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients With Mild Heart Failure With Moderate Renal Dysfunction

Background—We aimed to determine the impact of renal function on long-term outcomes with cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator among patients with mild heart failure (HF). Methods and Results—We stratified 1820 Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial–Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy patients by QRS morphology into those with and without left bundle-branch block. Subgroups within each QRS morphology category were created based on glomerular filtration rate (GFR): GFR <60 and ≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Primary end point was death; secondary end points were HF/death and HF events alone during long-term follow-up. Among 1274 left bundle-branch block patients, 413 (32%) presented with GFR <60 (mean, 48.1±8.3) mL/min per 1.73 m2. Relative to the 861 (68%) patients with GFR ≥60 (mean, 79.6±16.0) mL/min per 1.73 m2, low-GFR patients experienced higher risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53–2.86; P<0.01) and HF/death (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.17–1.82; P<0....
An experimental design strategy for distinguishing among rival mechanistic models an application to the catalytic hydrogenation of propylene

Box and Hill's method was applied to discriminate between two mechanistic models for the catalytic hydrogenation of propylene. A sequential experimental design procedure, this method makes use of a discrimination criterion obtained from information theory.
Analysis of Hydroxy-Containing Seed Oils Using Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) coupled to reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was used for direct analysis of intact triacylglycerols (TAGs) from hydroxy-containing plant oils. Castor bean oil, Lesquerella fendleri and Lesquerella gordonii oils were separated into tri-hydroxy, di-hydroxy, mono-hydroxy, and non-hydroxy TAGs using the RP-HPLC method. The APCI­ MS ionization source produced fragments representing loss of zero (protonated molecular ion), one, two, and three hydroxy groups. The primary fragments (base peaks) in the mass spectra resulted from loss of all hydroxy groups from the TAGs. Using the acetonitrile/methylene chloride solvent system, diagnostically important acetonitrile adducts were formed which allowed identification of the molecular weights of the hydroxy TAGs as well as confirmation of the number of hydroxy groups contained therein. A series offour adducts was formed: [M+23t, [M+39t, [M+54t, and [M+59t.
Mapping critical loads of nitrogen deposition for aquatic ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains, USA.

Spatially explicit estimates of critical loads of nitrogen (N) deposition (CLNdep) for nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems were developed for the Rocky Mountains, USA, using a geostatistical approach. The lowest CLNdep estimates ( 3k g Nh a �1 yr � 1 ), resulting in CLNdep exceedances � 1.5 � 1k g Nh a �1 yr � 1 .C LNdep and CLNdep exceedances exhibit substantial spatial variability related to basin characteristics and are highly sensitive to the NO3 threshold at which ecological effects are thought to occur. Based on an NO3 threshold of 0.5 mmol L �1 , N deposition exceeds CLNdep in 21 � 8% of the study area; thus, broad areas of the Rocky Mountains may be impacted by excess N deposition, with greatest impacts at high elevations.
Semiquantitative analysis of X-linked gene expression during spermatogenesis in the mouse: ethidium-bromide staining of RT-PCR products.

Abstract We have used analysis of ethidium-bromide-stained reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) products to assess the effects of X-chromosome inactivation during spermatogenesis in the mouse. RT-PCR was performed on total RNA from eight different spermatogenic cell types, including premeiotic spermatogonia, meiotic spermatocytes, and postmeiotic spermatids, to detect transcripts from five different X-linked structural genes ( Pgk-1, Zfx, Pdha-1, Hprt , and Phka ) and two autosomal genes ( Pgk-2 and β- actin ). Relative intensities of ethidium-bromide-strained RT-PCR products representing transcripts from each gene in each cell type were analyzed by densitometry using the Image program (version 1.4, NIH), and normalized against β- actin values. These results suggest a coordinate inactivation of the X-linked loci at the onset of meiosis, followed by variable rates of decline of corresponding transcript levels reflecting differential mRNA stabilities and/or leaky expression after inactivation. Technically, these results indicate that analysis of ethidium-bromide-stained RT-PCR products can be used to provide a “semiquantitative” indication of relative levels of specific transcripts in a developing cell lineage without using radioactive probes to quantitate these products.
Electronic structure of ZnO:GaN compounds: Asymmetric bandgap engineering

ZnO and GaN have a type-II band offset. The incorporation of one compound into the other would lead to a reduced bandgap as compared to that of either ZnO or GaN. Our density-functional theory calculation reveals an asymmetric bandgap reduction in this nonisovalent system; i.e., incorporating GaN in a ZnO host results in a much more effective bandgap reduction than incorporating ZnO in a GaN host. We further find that the random-alloy system is more favorable than the superlattice system in terms of light absorption in the longer-wavelength regions. Our results suggest that the wave-function localization at the band edges plays an important role in how to choose the host material and dopant for effective bandgap engineering through semiconductor compound alloying.
Treatment of catecholamine-sensitive right ventricular tachycardia by endocardial catheter ablation

Endocardial catheter ablation with direct current high voltage shocks was performed in a patient with recurrent syncope due to a catecholamine-sensitive ventricular tachycardia that was drug refractory and occurred in the absence of identifiable heart disease. Pace mapping and catheter activation mapping of the spontaneous and isoproterenol-induced ventricular tachycardia located the tachycardia origin in the right ventricular outflow tract. Ablation dramatically reduced spontaneous ventricular tachycardia and ectopic activity (from 50,000 to less than 100 ectopic beats/24 h). The patient has remained symptom free and without ventricular tachycardia recurrence for 3 years. These observations and review of previous studies suggest that catheter mapping can easily locate the arrhythmia focus in the right ventricular outflow tract and that catheter ablation can be performed at low risk. Catheter ablation is a viable option for the treatment of right ventricular catecholamine-sensitive tachycardias that are unresponsive to antiarrhythmic drugs.
A pulsed, optically-pumped rubidium laser at high pump intensity

Abstract A rubidium laser operating at 795 nm is optically pumped by a pulsed titanium sapphire laser to investigate the dynamics of Diode Pumped Alkali Lasers (DPALs). Linear scaling of output intensity for longitudinal excitation at intensities of 1.3–43 kW/cm2 and as much as 32 times threshold is observed. The slope efficiency depends directly on the number of absorbed photons for alkali concentrations of 0.8–2.0 × 1013 atoms/cm3 with no evidence for second order kinetics. The effective absorption cross section is reduced in part by the broad spectral width of the pump source relative to the pressure broadened lineshape. Spin orbit relaxation between the pumped and upper laser levels is sufficiently fast at 550 Torr of methane to prevent bottlenecking at all but the highest intensities. Comparison of laser characteristics with a quasi-two level analytic model suggests performance near the ideal steady-state limit, with the exception of modest mode matching.
Thin teflon-like films for MEMS: Film properties and reliability studies

This work presents film properties and initial reliability studies for thin Teflon-like films applied to a unique test vehicle, the Sandia-designed and fabricated microengine. Results on microengines coated with the film show a factor of three improvement in their lifetime and an order of magnitude reduction in the coefficient of friction when compared to uncoated samples. Coefficients Of Friction (COF) of 0.07 for the Teflon-like film and 1.0 for uncoated samples are extracted from models which match the measured behavior of working microengines. These films, deposited form a plasma source, exhibit the ability to penetrate into very narrow, deep channels common to many MEMS devices. For as-deposited film, both the refractive index at 1.4 and the contact angle with water at 108{degree} show the film to be very similar to bulk Teflon PTFE. Film stability as a function of temperature has been examined using Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The film structure as observed by the fluorine-carbon (F-C) peak is stable up to 200 C, but starts decomposing above 250 C. Film composition has been examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and is quite different for directly exposed surfaces compared with deep, narrow channels where the deposition process is diffusion limited.
IV—Counterfactual Entailment

Counterfactual Entailment is the view that a counterfactual conditional is true just in case its antecedent entails its consequent. I present an argument for Counterfactual Entailment, and I develop a strategy for explaining away apparent counterexamples to the view. The strategy appeals to the suppositional view of counterfactuals, on which a counterfactual is essentially a statement, made relative to the supposition of its antecedent, of its consequent.
Current Imaging Paradigms in Radiation Oncology

Abstract Apisarnthanarax, S. and Chao, K. S. C. Current Imaging Paradigms in Radiation Oncology. Radiat. Res. 163, 1–25 (2005). The technological revolution in imaging during recent decades has transformed the way image-guided radiation therapy is performed. Anatomical imaging (plain radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging) greatly improved the accuracy of delineating target structures and has formed the foundation of 3D-based radiation treatment. However, the treatment planning paradigm in radiation oncology is beginning to shift toward a more biological and molecular approach as advances in biochemistry, molecular biology, and technology have made functional imaging (positron emission tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, optical imaging) of physiological processes in tumors more feasible and practical. This review provides an overview of the role of current imaging strategies in radiation oncology, with a focus on functional imaging modalities, as it relates to stagi...
Electrokinetic Remediation of Pentachlorophenol Contaminated Clay Soil

This paper presents a bench-scale experimental study performed to investigate the remediation of low permeable soil contaminated with pentachlorophenol (PCP) using the electrokinetic technique. A total of six electrokinetic tests were performed using kaolin soil spiked with 100 mg/kg of PCP. The first three tests were performed with an applied voltage gradient of 1 VDC/cm, where each test employed one of the three different flushing solutions: deionized water, electrolyte, or buffered electrolyte. The other three tests were performed using the same electrolyte solution, but each employed voltage gradient of 2 VDC/cm under constant and periodic application modes and constant voltage gradient with electrode liquid recirculation. The results of this study showed that PCP can be degraded in an electrokinetic system due to the direct electrochemical reduction process at the electrodes. The degradation of PCP ranged from 52% to about 78% depending on the conditions present. As the applied voltage gradient across the PCP-contaminated soil increased, the electroosmotic flow and PCP migration toward the cathode increased, resulting in higher PCP degradation by the direct reduction process. In the tests with electrolyte flushing solution, PCP degradation was about 58% and 65% under the applied voltage gradients of 1 and 2 VDC/cm, respectively. The mode of application of voltage potential across the PCP-contaminated soil showed noticeable effect on the system pH and electroosmotic flow and hence the PCP degradation. The highest PCP degradation (i.e., 78%) was in the test with constant 2 VDC/cm voltage gradient and recirculation application. Overall, this study demonstrated that electrokinetic technology has the potential to remediate PCP-contaminated clay soils by the direct reductive process. The electroosmatic flow as well as degree of PCP degradation during electrokinetics depend on the applied potential gradient and properties of the aqueous phase such as pH, ionic strength, and presence of carbonates.
The Challenge of Human Resources Development

A productive workforce depends on a country's educational system, the quality of its health care, training and retraining opportunities, its family policy, its labor policies with or without unions, and the quality of public services. On all counts, a significant portion of the U.S. workforce is in serious trouble. Numerous community cases and experience abroad teach that ideological boundaries in the United States inhibit the formation of new partnerships, coalitions, and forums essential to the development of more productive human resources
Radioactive iodine-associated changes in thyroid on fine-needle aspiration.

A 64-year-old man with adenocarcinoma of the prostate status postprostatectomy was seen for routine screening. His medical history was significant for deep vein thrombosis, persistent hyperparathyroidism after parathyroid adenoma resection, and hyperthyroidism treated with radioactive iodine ablation 4 years before this visit. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration with a 20-gauge needle was performed on bilateral thyroid nodules at this follow-up visit. Cytologic examination of the resulting smears revealed a moderately cellular aspirate with cohesive, crowded sheets of atypical follicular epithelial cells on a background of inspissated colloid. Even on low-power examination, scattered atypical giant cells were evident (Fig. C1). Closer examination showed bizarre mononuclear giant cells with dense, oxyphilic cytoplasm (Fig. C-2). The nucleus was round to oval or elongated with a smooth nuclear membrane. The chromatin was slightly hyperchromatic with heterogeneous distribution and clearing with rare intranuclear inclusions. Nucleoli and nuclear grooves were not observed. A diagnosis of atypical follicular epithelial cells consistent with changes owing to therapy was rendered. Antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine, and surgery are the mainstays of treatment for Graves’ disease. The cytomorphological features have been well described in the literature. 1–3 However, the cytologic characteristics vary
Biomimetic Calcium Carbonate Concentric Microgrooves with Tunable Widths for Promoting MC3T3‐E1 Cell Functions

Biomimetic, self-assembled calcium carbonate (CaCO(3) ) concentric microgrooves with groove widths of 5.0 and 10 μm were fabricated through simply controlling incubation temperature. Mouse pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on flat and microgrooved substrates of CaCO(3) and their adhesion, spreading, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, and calcium content were remarkably enhanced by the microgrooves, in particular, the narrower ones. Furthermore, focal adhesions and actin filaments of MC3T3-E1 cells could be aligned on both 5.0-μm and 10-μm-wide CaCO(3) grooves. Compared with the original round nuclei on the flat substrates and expanded round nuclei on the narrower microgrooves, the MC3T3-E1 cell nuclei on 10-μm-wide CaCO(3) grooves demonstrated preferred entrapment in the grooves and significant alignment with a smaller area after two-day culture.
Ultrastructural Study of Skeletal Fish Muscle After Freezing at Different Rates

Goldfish skeletal muscle was examined with the electron microscope to investigate the ultrastructural changes produced by freezing. Aquarium fish were used to circumvent the variables associated with catching and killing large food fish. Muscle tissue was frozen slowly in a refrigerator or quickly in liquid nitrogen. The results confirm the conclusions in the literature that fast freezing produces many small ice crystals which cause minimum dislocation of tissue ultrastructural components, whereas slow freezing generates fewer large ice crystals which distort cells and crush myofibrils. These results reveal the ultrastructural counterpart to those alterations which are visible in the light microscope using much simpler equipment and methodology [Bello et al. (1981), J. Food Sci. 46: 733].
Validity of Adolescent and Young Adult Self-Report of Papanicolaou Smear Results

Abstract Objective: To assess the validity of adolescent and young adult report of Papanicolaou smear results and to determine sociodemographic, cognitive, and behavioral factors associated with incorrect reporting. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 477 female subjects aged 12 to 24 years who attended an adolescent clinic and had a previous Papanicolaou smear. Subjects completed a self-administered survey assessing self-report of Papanicolaou smear results, knowledge about Papanicolaou smears and human papillomavirus (HPV), attitudes about Papanicolaou screening and follow-up, and risk behaviors. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of self-reported results were calculated using the cytology report as the standard. Variables significantly associated with incorrect reporting were entered into logistic regression models controlling for age and race to determine independent predictors for incorrect reporting. Results: Of the 477 participants, 128 (27%) had abnormal cytology reports and 66 (14%) had incorrect self-reports. Sensitivity of self-report was 0.79, specificity 0.89, positive predictive value 0.72, negative predictive value 0.92, and kappa (κ) 0.66. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the variables comprising a logistic regression model predicting incorrect reporting were an HPV knowledge source of zero (OR 2.4, CI 1.0, 5.8), low perceived communication with the provider (OR 2.1, CI 1.1, 4.0), and no contraception at last intercourse (OR 5.5, CI 2.7, 11.0). Conclusion: The validity of adolescent and young adult self-reported Papanicolaou smear result is high, except among those who lack knowledge of HPV, perceive poor communication with the provider, and use contraception inconsistently.
Particle modelling of solids, liquids and gases with application to a natural self-reorganization

Abstract A direct computer approach is developed for modelling solid, liquid and gas phenomena. The method simulates classical molecular mechanics, is computer oriented and is distinctly different from classical continuum modelling. Diverse examples are described for liquid wave generation, crack development in plates, lunar and binary star evolution, biological cell sorting, and the inversion of volvox. Also, it is noted that, by means of particle modelling, all the conservation and symmetry laws of deterministic physics can be established using only arithmetic.
On the solution of the problems of statics of toroidal shells with rigidly fixed end faces in the refined formulation

We propose an approach to the solution of the problems of stress state for toroidal shells with rigidly fixed end faces in the refined formulation. The approach is based on the methods of spline-collocation and discrete orthogonalization. We also present the data on the distributions of displacement and stress fields.
A ROLE FOR DIACYLGLYCEROL IN ANNEXIN A7-MEDIATED FUSION OF LUNG LAMELLAR BODIES

Lung surfactant secretion in alveolar type II cells occurs following lamellar body fusion with plasma membrane. Annexin A7 is a Ca2+-dependent membrane-binding protein that is postulated to promote membrane fusion during exocytosis in some cell types including type II cells. Since annexin A7 preferably binds to lamellar body membranes, we postulated that specific lipids could modify the mode of annexin A7 interaction with membranes and its membrane fusion activity. Initial studies with phospholipid vesicles containing phosphatidylserine and other lipids showed that certain lipids affected protein interaction with vesicle membranes as determined by change in protein tryptophan fluorescence, protein interaction with trans membranes, and by protein sensitivity to limited proteolysis. The presence of signaling lipids, diacylglycerol or phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, as minor components also modified the lipid vesicle effect on these characteristics and membrane fusion activity of annexin A7. In vitro incubation of lamellar bodies with diacylglycerol or phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate caused their enrichment with either lipid, and increased the annexin A7 and Ca2+-mediated fusion of lamellar bodies. Treatment of isolated lung lamellar bodies with phosphatidylinositol- or phosphatidylcholine phospholipase C to increase diacylglycerol, without or with preincubation with phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, augmented the fusion activity of annexin A7. Thus, increased diacylglycerol in lamellar bodies following cell stimulation with secretagogues may enhance membrane fusion activity of annexin A7.
Naked in the Public Square

Responding to Rawls’ pleas in Political Liberalism against appeals to comprehensive doctrines, be they religious or metaphysical, I argue that such constraints are inherently illiberal—and unworkable. Rawls deems political proposals inherently coercive and judges everyone in a democracy a participant in governance—thus, in effect, complicit in state coercion. He seeks to limit the sweep of his exclusionary rule to core questions of rights. But in an individualistic and litigious society like ours it proves hard to draw a firm boundary around issues that raise core (constitutional) questions. The standards Rawls proposes seem oppressive in effect, their likeliest yield, a kind of doublethink, encouraging many citizens to cloak their deepest normative concerns in neutered language. I worry about the means by which Rawls’ ‘overlapping consensus’ might be attained, and about the exclusion (as metaphysical) of policy proposals in behalf of broadly conceived human goods. I find it suppositious in Rawls to presume the innocence of seemingly secular arguments while placing in the stocks the religious appeals critical to many, along with old and new metaphysical arguments that may seek to bridge the gap between religious and secular appeals.
In-situ Study of Nanostructure and Electrical Resistance of Nanocluster Films Irradiated with Ion Beams

An in situ study is reported on the structural evolution in nanocluster fi lms under He + ion irradiation using an advanced helium ion microscope. The fi lms consist of loosely interconnected nanoclusters of magnetite or ironmagnetite (Fe-Fe 3 O 4 ) core-shells. The nanostructure is observed to undergo dramatic changes under ion-beam irradiation, featuring grain growth, phase transition, particle aggregation, and formation of nanowire-like network and nanopores. Studies based on ion irradiation, thermal annealing and electron irradiation have indicated that the major structural evolution is activated by elastic nuclear collisions, while both electronic and thermal processes can play a signifi cant role once the evolution starts. The electrical resistance of the Fe-Fe 3 O 4 fi lms measured in situ exhibits a super-exponential decay with dose. The behavior suggests that the nanocluster fi lms possess an intrinsic merit for development of an advanced online monitor for fast neutron radiation with both high detection sensitivity and long-term applicability, which can enhance safety measures in many nuclear operations.
Two-photon excitation energy transfer microscopy

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging is a unique tool used to visualize the spaciotemporal dynamics of protein-protein interactions in living cells. We used FRET to study the dimerization of the pituitary-specific transcription factor of Pit-1 fused with blue flourescent protein and green fluorescent protein. Transcriptional activity of the GFP- and BFP-Pit-1 fusion proteins was demonstrated by their ability to activate the prolactin gene promoter. The energy transfer in the conventional fluorescence microscopy was less efficient due to photobleaching of the BFP-Pit-1 donor molecules. In our studies we developed two-photon excitation energy transfer microscopy, where the photobleaching of blue flourescent protein was considerably reduced. This 2p-FRET imaging system was used to acquire the donor and acceptor images for a living HeLa cell nucleus. We selected 732 nm from the tunable Verdi pumped ti:sapphire laser, in a way that only excites the BFP-Pit-1 and not the GFP-Pit-1 proteins. The efficiency of the 2p-FRET signal increased to 30 percent compared to the conventional FRET imaging, which clearly demonstrates that there is considerable reduction in photobleaching of donor molecules in the 2p-FRET microscopy.
Accuracy Of Position Estimation By Centroid

The problem of locating an object in noisy optical sensor data has arisen in many applications. The object location normally coincides with the center of a two-dimensional blur, when there is no noise. Thus one intuitively appealing estimate of the object location is the centroid of the area in which intensities of pixels exceed a certain threshold. Before the centroid is computed, the intensity data have usually undergone a series of signal processing steps. Errors are introduced in signal processing through sampling, non-uniform responses among scanning detectors, read-out noise, and quantization. In this paper, we evaluate the accuracy of using the centroid to estimate the object position. We report simulated accuracy as a function of design parameters such as sampling rate, noise variance, quantizer resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio. We also report the derivation of probability density function of the centroid assuming additive Gaussian white noise.
Parents, public policy, and youth smoking

This paper jointly examines the importance of parental influences, prices, and tobacco control policies on the smoking behavior of youths. Data are drawn from the Audits & Surveys (A&S) 1996 survey of high school students across the United States from “The Study of Smoking and Tobacco Use Among Young People” to examine the impact of parental influences on the probability of youth smoking in the context of both specific observable parenting behaviors and in terms of youths' perceptions of the importance of their parents' opinions. The key finding is that specific parental influences (such as communication/bonding (extent of discussions about daily issues between parent/adult and child), limit-setting with regard to free time, home smoking rules, and parental smoking behavior) and the extent to which teenagers value their parents' opinions play a significant role in youth smoking decisions. Our results by age reveal that specific modifications related to improving communication channels and implementing home smoking rules and more general changes that improve the quality of the parent-child relationship so teens place a higher value on their parents' opinions are likely to be particularly effective in the early teen years. © 2005 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
‘So, why did you decide to do this?’ Soliciting and formulating motives for speed dating:

We bring a conversation analytic perspective to the phenomenon of soliciting and providing motives for participation in speed dating. Using data from three speed-dating events, we analyze how college-aged volunteers in a research study collaboratively formulate motives for participation and identities as speed daters. The findings reveal detailed and sequentially organized procedures by which participants display, monitor, and enforce normative expectations about how people of their age should treat this institutional activity. In particular, participants use a three-turn motive solicitation sequence to produce ‘casual’ accounts for participation that suggest a disinvested orientation toward speed dating. In the few cases in which what might be considered the ‘obvious’ motive for speed dating is invoked – meeting someone to date – it tends to be done ironically. When offered in earnest, however, interlocutors withhold alignment with this motive and treat it as accountable.
Discrete molecular dynamics study of oligomer formation by N-terminally truncated amyloid β-protein.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid β-protein (Aβ) self-assembles into toxic oligomers. Of the two predominant Aβ alloforms, Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42, the latter is particularly strongly linked to AD. N-terminally truncated and pyroglutamated Aβ peptides were recently shown to seed Aβ aggregation and contribute significantly to Aβ-mediated toxicity, yet their folding and assembly were not explored computationally. Discrete molecular dynamics approach previously captured in vitro-derived distinct Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 oligomer size distributions and predicted that the more toxic Aβ1–42 oligomers had more flexible and solvent-exposed N-termini than Aβ1–40 oligomers. Here, we examined oligomer formation of Aβ3–40, Aβ3–42, Aβ11–40, and Aβ11–42 by the discrete molecular dynamics approach. The four N-terminally truncated peptides showed increased oligomerization propensity relative to the full-length peptides, consistent with in vitro findings. Conformations formed by Aβ3–40/42 had significantly more flexible and solvent-exposed N-termini than Aβ1–40/42 conformations. In contrast, in Aβ11–40/42 conformations, the N-termini formed more contacts and were less accessible to the solvent. The compactness of the Aβ11–40/42 conformations was in part facilitated by Val12. Two single amino acid substitutions that reduced and abolished hydrophobicity at position 12, respectively, resulted in a proportionally increased structural variability. Our results suggest that Aβ11–40 and Aβ11–42 oligomers might be less toxic than Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 oligomers and offer a plausible explanation for the experimentally observed increased toxicity of Aβ3–40 and Aβ3–42 and their pyroglutamated forms.
The CO2 laser in oral and maxillofacial surgery

The CO2 laser as a surgical tool for the oral and maxillofacial surgeon is discussed. Basic laser physics as it applies to clinical use is presented. Forty cases in which the CO2 laser was used are reviewed. The CO2 laser may represent a significant advancement in and an alternative therapy for treatment of soft-tissue oral lesions.
Nerve growth factor in the anterior pituitary: regulation of secretion

beta-Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a 26-kilodalton protein that may have a broader distribution and set of functions than its name implies. Its functions are now linked to both the neuroendocrine and the immune systems. NGF immunoreactivity has been found in specific cell types in the anterior pituitary (AP) gland. The purpose of this study was to characterize further the NGF activity in AP cells, learn if it can be secreted, and determine the factors that may control secretion. NGF bioactivity was detected with assays of neurite outgrowth in PC12 tumor cells, and immunoreactivity was detected by an enzyme-linked immunoassay. AP cells secreted both bioactive and immunoreactive NGF at basal levels in vitro. In the enzyme-linked immunoassay, the anti-NGF recognized 2.5S NGF at a concentration of 0.10 pM, but it did not recognize brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), or NT-4, at concentrations as high as 10 nM. AP cells cultured for 6 days at 10(5) cells/200 microliters in DME plus 10% fet...
UNSTEADY NATURAL CONVECTION GENERATED BY A HEATED SURFACE WITHIN AN ENCLOSURE

The unsteady buoyancy-induced flow generated by an isothermal flat vertical surface enclosed in a long rectangular cavity is numerically analyzed. The enclosed fluid is assumed to be Newtonian and the walls are adiabatic. The transient process is initiated by suddenly and uniformly raising the temperature of the surface to a steady value higher than that of the fluid in the cavity. The full two-dimensional conservation equations, representing mass, momentum, and energy balance, are solved using a modified finite-difference scheme originally called the simple arbitrary La-grangian-Eulerian (SALE) technique. The resulting transport is found to be composed of several distinct regimes. At very short times a quasi-one-dimensional conduction regime occurs adjacent to the surface. The temperature distribution and heat transfer coefficient are found to closely follow the known one-dimensional conduction solution. At intermediate times the flow adjacent to the surface is observed to resemble the boundary-layer reg...
Teaching honor students: how do they measure up

The introductory course in data processing and computer programming as taught at Elon College is first, a strong introduction to structured programming in BASIC and second, a look at the business side of data processing. It is an attempt to expose students to the terminology of computers and their uses and also get them acquainted with some of the standard concepts of computing algorithms and problem solving. Students use the DEC PDP 11/34 for this first course and no attempt is made to teach line editing with EDT. There is such a wide range of abilities in this course that we try to gear the material so that most students will have a positive experience and frustrations will be kept to a minimum.
Molecular Disruption of the MRN(95) Complex Induces Radiation Sensitivity in Head and Neck Cancer

Objectives/Hypothesis The goal of the project was to develop a novel treatment strategy for head and neck cancer that induces radiation sensitivity. We hypothesized that the normal cellular DNA repair response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after radiation therapy can be blocked by a dominant negative disruption of the functioning MRN(95) protein complex. To test this hypothesis, we have developed a novel molecular therapy that inhibits the MRN(95) complex in tumor cells. Disruption the MRN(95) complex and thus DNA repair should result in enhanced tumor killing after classic external-beam radiation therapy. Study Design Experiments with human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines in vitro were performed. Methods Recombinant adenovirus vectors carrying the genes for enhancing radiation were generated. Human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells were treated with recombinant adenovirus vectors carrying the mutated p95 gene (p95–300), which contains the C-terminus 300 amino acids of the Nbs1(p95) protein. Tumor cells were also treated with adenovirus vector carrying full-length p95 protein or DL312 control virus; then all cell lines were subjected to 2 Gy irradiation. Cell growth curves were determined through colorimetric tetrazolium salt assay. Results Both the Ad-p95–300 and Ad-p94-his (full-length wild-type gene) demonstrated significant antitumor effect alone and in combination with radiation therapy compared with control samples. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated a shift toward the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Analysis of telomerase activity demonstrated a significant decrease in telomerase activity after molecular therapy alone, and a greater decrease when combined with radiation therapy. Conclusion Adenovirus-mediated mutant or full-length p95 molecular therapy demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in vitro. This novel molecular therapy strategy induced significant radiation sensitization, induced a relative G2/M arrest, and decreased telomerase activity, all of which enhance the benefit of radiation therapy.
Flat-panel display solutions for ground-environment military displays (Invited Paper)

Displays for military vehicles have very distinct operational and cost requirements that differ from other military applications. These requirements demand that display suppliers to Army and Marine ground-environments provide low cost equipment that is capable of operation across environmental extremes. Inevitably, COTS components form the foundation of these “affordable” display solutions. This paper will outline the major display requirements and review the options that satisfy conflicting and difficult operational demands, using newly developed equipment as an example. Recently, a new supplier was selected for the Drivers Vision Enhancer (DVE) equipment, including the Display Control Module (DCM). The paper will outline the DVE and describe development of a new DCM solution. The DVE programme, with several thousand units presently in service and operational in conflicts such as “Operation Iraqi Freedom”, represents a critical balance between cost and performance. We shall describe design considerations that include selection of COTS sources, the need to minimise display modification; video interfaces, power interfaces, operator interfaces and new provisions to optimise displayed video content.
Progressive Social Movements and Educational Equity

This article places policy development in the context of progressive social movements. It describes how social movements develop, and delineates some of the accomplishments of such contestation in U.S. history as well as in changes of education policy. The article closes by considering the possibilities and challenges of current social movement building efforts for equity in U.S. education policies.
On the economics of virtual water trade

Abstract Virtual water trade is increasingly recognized as a useful metaphor for thinking about freshwater resources in an international context. Its legitimacy in terms of economic theory has been questioned by a number of authors, however. In this article I develop new theoretical results that place the virtual water concept on a firm economic foundation, and which correct several misconceptions within the existing literature on virtual water economics.
Evolution in vitro of an RNA enzyme with altered metal dependence

The Tetrahymena group I ribozyme catalyses a sequence-specific phosphodiester cleavage reaction on an external RNA oligonucleotide substrate in the presence of a divalent metal cation cofactor. This reaction proceeds readily with either Mg2+ or Mn2+, but no detectable reaction has been reported when other divalent cations are used as the sole cofactor. Cations such as Ca2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+ can stabilize the correct folded conformation of the ribozyme, thereby partially alleviating the Mg2+ or Mn2+ requirement. But catalysis by the ribozyme involves coordination of either Mg2+ or Mn2+ at the active site, resulting in an overall requirement for one of these two cations. Here we use an in vitro evolution process to obtain variants of the Tetrahymena ribozyme that are capable of cleaving an RNA substrate in reaction mixtures containing Ca2+ as the divalent cation. These findings extend the range of different chemical environments available to RNA enzymes and illustrate the power of in vitro evolution in generating macromolecular catalysts with desired properties.
Characterization of a High-Frequency Pulsed-Plasma Jet Actuator for Supersonic Flow Control

thepulsed-plasmajet,thejetisinjectednormallyintoaMach3crossflowandthepenetrationdistanceismeasuredby using schlieren imaging. These measurements show that the jet penetrates 1.5 boundary-layer thicknesses into the crossflow andthe jet-to-crossflowmomentum fluxratioisestimated to be0.6.Aseries of experiments wasconducted to determine the characteristics of the pulsed-plasma jet issuing into stagnant air at a pressure of 35 torr. These resultsshowthattypicaljetvelocitiesofabout250 m=scanbeinducedwithdischargeenergiesofabout30mJperjet. Furthermore, the maximum pulsing frequency was found to be about 5 kHz, because above this frequency the jet beginstomisfire.Themisfiringappearstobeduetothe finitetimeittakesforthecavitytoberechargedwithambient air between discharge pulses. The velocity at the exit of the jet is found to be primarily dependent on the discharge current and independent of other discharge parameters such as cavity volume and orifice diameter. Temperature measurementsaremadeusingopticalemissionspectroscopyandrevealthepresenceofconsiderablenonequilibrium between rotational and vibrational modes. The gas heating efficiency was found to be 10% and this parameter is shown to have a direct effect on the plasma jet velocity. These results indicate that the pulsed-plasma jet creates a sufficiently strong flow perturbation that holds great promise as a supersonic flow actuator.
A Three-Step Route to a Tricyclic Steroid Precursor

2-Alkyl cyclohexenones are useful intermediates for organic synthesis. The Wittig reaction of a series of aldehydes with (cyclopropylmethyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide delivered the corresponding alkenyl cyclopropanes. UV irradiation in the presence of Fe(CO)5 converted the alkenyl cyclopropanes to the 2-substituted cyclohexenones. This approach enabled a three-step synthesis of the tricyclic core of estrone methyl ether.
The Interdependence of Deformational and Thermal Processes in Mountain Belts

Crustal temperatures within collisional orogens are anomalously high compared with temperatures at comparable depths in stable continents, which is evidence of thermal processes that are fundamental to orogenesis. These temperatures can be explained by the redistribution of crust enriched in heat-producing elements through the accretion of crust from the down-going plate to the upper plate and surface erosion. With the use of geologically reasonable rates, the model results predict high temperatures (over 600°C) and inverted upper-plate geotherms (about 100°C over 20 kilometers) at shallow depths (20 to 40 kilometers) by 25 to 35 million years after collision. This study emphasizes the interdependence of deformational, surficial, and thermal processes.
Specialized Surgical Procedures for Management of Cranial Nerve Palsies

Surgical correction of cranial nerve palsies involves balancing unequal muscle forces. Conventional recess/resect techniques used in non-paralytic strabismus may not be sufficient. Special surgical...
Parental Exposure to Pesticides and Childhood Brain Cancer: U.S. Atlantic Coast Childhood Brain Cancer Study

BackgroundThe etiology of childhood brain cancer remains largely unknown. However, previous studies have yielded suggestive associations with parental pesticide use.ObjectivesWe aimed to evaluate p...
Expression of Escherichia coli promoters in Brevibacterium lactofermentum using the shuttle vector pEB003

Abstract A novel promoter probing vector for examining gene expression in a glutamic acid-producing bacterium Brevibacterium lactofermentum was constructed. This plasmid pEB003, a shuttle vector able to replicate either in B. lactofermentum or Escherichia coli , carries a promoter-less chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene as the index gene for probing promoter strength. By using pEB003, we demonstrated that the E. coli promoters, tac, trp and lac UV5 promoters, worked effectively in B. lactofermentum . As evaluated by the CAT activity, the relative strength of the promoters was the same in B. lactofermentum as in E. coli . Thus, B. lactofermentum seems to have a transcriptional machinery that is similar to that of E. coli .
Deficit reduction as causal story: strategic politics and welfare state retrenchment

Abstract In 1993, the Government of Alberta, facing continued budget deficits and increasing public debt, announced a multibillion dollar reduction in social welfare expenditures that included large cuts to health care and education, and the elimination of thousands of public sector jobs. This article examines the Alberta government’s attempts to overcome the often daunting challenge of effecting sizable reductions in social welfare expenditures. It explores how the government employed a number of political strategies in an effort to limit potential opposition to its retrenchment policies. The article argues the government was able to achieve its goals because it controlled the debate on the cause and potential consequences of deficit spending and government debt. This allowed the government to define problems and issues in terms that most suited its goal of restructuring the provincial welfare state. The conclusion notes that the Alberta experience offers an opportunity to add to the limited but growing literature on subnational social policy retrenchment.
Inhibition of human surfactant protein A function by oxidation intermediates of nitrite.

Abstract Nitration of protein tyrosine residues by peroxynitrite (ONOO−) has been implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A) has multiple functions including host defense. We report here that a mixture of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and nitrite (NO2−) induces nitration, oxidation, and chlorination of tyrosine residues in human SP-A and inhibits SP-A’s ability to aggregate lipids and bind mannose. Nitration and oxidation of SP-A was not altered by the presence of lipids, suggesting that proteins are preferred targets in lipid-rich mixtures such as pulmonary surfactant. Moreover, both horseradish peroxidase and myeloperoxidase (MPO) can utilize NO2− and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as substrates to catalyze tyrosine nitration in SP-A and inhibit its lipid aggregation function. SP-A nitration and oxidation by MPO is markedly enhanced in the presence of physiological concentrations of Cl− and the lipid aggregation function of SP-A is completely abolished. Collectively, our results suggest that MPO released by activated neutrophils during inflammation utilizes physiological or pathological levels of NO2− to nitrate proteins, and may provide an additional mechanism in addition to ONOO− formation, for tissue injury in ARDS and other inflammatory diseases associated with upregulated •NO and oxidant production.
Twenty five years of floating: some observations

Abstract Since the collapse of the Bretton Woods System, countries have adopted a variety of different exchange arrangements. The largest industrial countries adopted either a floating or a block floating system, while other countries chose a fixed or a crawling peg arrangement. We offer a few observations that suggest floating has not been all it was made out to be. The major reason for this has been the increasing mobility of capital, coupled with the heightened importance of macroeconomic policy credibility; other contributing factors have been real wage rigidity and large exchange rate volatility.