cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Coefficient of Interspecific Assciation

It is shown that Cole's (1949) coefficient of interspecific association (C7) is biased in that it is influenced by the species' frequencies. The formulas given by Cole (1949) for the calculation of C7 all can be written in the form: C7 = ad — bc / °ad — bc° ° / Obs g2/Max g2° where a, b, c, and d refer to the four cells of a 2 x 2 contingency table. Obs g2 is simply the value of g2 associated with the observed values of a, b, c, and d. Max g2 is the value of g2 when a is as large (if ad ° bc) or as small (if ad < bc) as the marginal totals of the 2 x 2 table permit. The bais of C7 is considerably diminished if Min g2 is subtracted from the numerator and the denominator of the fraction under the square root sign. Thus a new coefficient is defined. C8 = ad — bc / ° ad — bc ° ° /Obs g2 — Min g2 / Max g2 — Min g2 ° Min g2 is the value of g2 when the observed value of a differs from a, the expected value of a, by less than 1.00. Except when a — a equals zero or 0.5, the value of Min g2 depends on whether (ad —...
Grouping of Bus Stops for Aggregation of Route-Level Passenger Origin–Destination Flow Matrices

Route-level, bus passenger origin-destination (O-D) matrices summarize useful information on travel patterns for use in route planning, design, and operations. However, the size of stop-to-stop O-D matrices makes it difficult to synthesize important flow patterns and to estimate stop-to-stop O-D passenger flows accurately. To reduce the size of the O-D matrix for improved estimation, analysis, and communication, stops can be grouped so that passenger flows between far fewer stop group pairs can be estimated and represented. The problem of grouping of bus stops for aggregation of passenger O-D flows is presented with the explicit objective of reducing the passenger O-D flow matrix while capturing important O-D flow characteristics. Two computationally efficient heuristic algorithms for solution of this problem are proposed. A set of empirical studies—conducted with automatic passenger counter data collected on major bus routes operated by the Ohio State University's Campus Area Bus System, the Central Ohio...
Inactivation of the oxytocin and the vasopressin (Avp) 1b receptor genes, but not the Avp 1a receptor gene, differentially impairs the Bruce effect in laboratory mice (Mus musculus).

The Bruce effect is a pheromonally mediated process whereby exposure to chemosensory cues from an unfamiliar male terminates pregnancy in a recently mated female. Pharmacological and genetic evidence implicates both oxytocin (Oxt) and vasopressin (Avp) in the regulation of social memory in males, but less work has been done in females. We tested the extent to which the Avp receptors (Avprs) 1a and 1b and Oxt are essential for the Bruce effect, a phenomenon that relies on olfactory memory. Adult female mice were paired with stimulus males and monitored for the presence of sperm plugs. Wild-type, heterozygous, and homozygous knockout (KO) females for either the Avpr1a, Avpr1b, or Oxt genes were randomly assigned to one of the following treatment groups: 1) alone (mate removed, no second exposure to another animal); 2) paired continuously (mate kept with female for 10–14 d); 3) familiar male (mate removed, reintroduced 24 h later); or 4) unfamiliar male (mate removed, BalbC male introduced 24 h later). Regar...
On the sensitivity of the asperity pressures and temperatures to the fluid pressure distribution in mixed-film lubrication

This paper studies the sensitivities of the asperity pressures and temperatures to the fluid pressure distribution in concentrated contacts operating in the regime of mixed-film lubrication. Two fluid pressure distributions are used in the study. One is a Hertz-like distribution that neglects micro-EHL responses of the lubricant, and the other models the micro-EHL effects with significant pressure rippling. The asperity pressures and temperatures are deterministically calculated in time by numerically solving the asperity-contact and the transient energy equations as the two surfaces move relative to each other. The contact is simulated for sufficient time duration until the samples of the calculated asperity variables reach a statistical equilibrium that reflects the random-process nature of the problem. Parametric analyses are carried out that cover a wide range of operating conditions of practical interest. The results obtained consistently suggest that the asperity pressures and temperatures are not sensitively related to the fluid pressure. This insensitivity supports the use of any fluid pressure distribution consistent with the underlying mixed-film problem, rather than determining it by numerically solving the Reynolds equation at every time step of the simulation process. The study lays a foundation on which to advance modeling of the mixed-film contacts with a proper balance among model robustness, computational efficiency and solution accuracy.
PRACTICING WITH A CRITICAL MULTICULTURAL LENS

1 Our work as relational therapists is typically embedded in plural societies, in which social location largely determines the way resources and opportunities are distributed, as well as the nearness of one’s experience to culturally legitimized “truth.” While debate continues about the role of relational therapists as agents for social change (Johnson, 2001; McGoldrick, 2001; Sluzki, 2001), there is clearly growing interest in supporting social justice and cultural sensitivity (Storm, McDowell, & Long, 2003). As a field, we have engaged in valuable critiques of our theories and practices as andro-, Euro-, and hetero-centric (e.g., Hare-Mustin, 1978; Long, 1996; McGoldrick, 1998). We have also looked more closely at our approach to “multiculturalism,” moving steadily away from a stance that essentializes and “celebrates” cultural difference to one that acknowledges the politics of intersecting identities and differences within cultural groups (Falicov, 2003). In this way, we have begun to challenge the hegemony of a “majoritarian story” about multiculturalism (Soloranzo & Yosso, 2002) that promotes acceptance of difference as an end in itself without challenging existing power differentials. While these critiques are only the beginning of responsible, democratic practice, they are important political acts because they are aimed at dismantling structures and discourses that reify dominant cultural knowledge and further privilege the social positioning of those closest to the center. As Bacigalupe (1998) pointed out, however, “the critique of the previous dominant knowledge becomes a resource, but only after the dominant groups in the field have decided to leave the previous center” (p. 39). He further argued that it is often those who have been privileged by traditional discourses who, via this privilege, are in positions to act “as critics and creators of a more emancipatory discourse” (p. 39). We need to openly acknowledge this dynamic of “interest convergence” (Bell, 1980), in which social change occurs when it is of benefit to members of the dominant group. Power differences within our own field must be continually interrogated and existing
Regioselective Dye-Induced Photocleavage of Epoxides as an Alternative Mild Synthetic Route to a Targeted Alcohol Functionality

The regioselective cleavage of epoxides using visible light and a catalytic dye is reported in this study as an alternative mild synthetic approach. The epoxide radical anion is generated via visible light in an electron transfer reaction, induced by non-toxic dyes, leading to ring opening and formation of the corresponding alcohol with the hydroxyl group on the less substituted carbon in excellent yields.
Impact of surgical treatment on paranasal fungal infections in bone marrow transplant patients

Invasive fungal sinusitis can develop in immunosuppressed patients. A more complex problem is immunosuppressed patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantation. For a prolonged period, they are both neutropenic and thrombocytopenic. Survival in these patients is poor, and the role for extensive surgical intervention for sinus disease has to be weighed against the risk and the potential that this is a systemic disease. Between January 1983 and June 1993, 29 bone marrow transplant recipients with documented invasive fungal infections of the sinuses and paranasal tissues required surgical intervention. This represents 1.7% of the total 1692 bone marrow transplants performed. There were 22 allogeneic, 6 autologous, and 3 unrelated donor transplants, with two patients receiving two separate grafts. Underlying diseases included 24 hematologic malignancies and 5 other disorders, including 1 aplastic anemia and 1 solid tumor. The mortality rate from the initial fungal infection was 62%. Twenty-seven percent resolved the initial infections but subsequently died of other causes. All patients received medical management, such as amphotericin, rifampin, and colony-stimulating factors, in addition to surgical intervention. Surgical management ranged from minimally invasive procedures to extensive resections including medial maxillectomies. Sixty-one percent of the patients who died of the initial infection had undergone extensive surgical procedures versus 55% of those who resolved the infection. Recovery of neutrophil counts was required to clear the infection but did not necessarily predict a good outcome because 50% of those who died of the infection had experienced neutrophil recovery. White blood cell counts at the time of surgery were not significantly different between the two groups. Prognosis was poor when cranial and orbital involvement and/or bony erosion occurred.
Gene Therapeutic Approaches to Oxidative Stress-Induced Cardiac Disease: Principles, Progress, and Prospects

Heart and vascular diseases continue to rank among the most frequent and devastating disorders to affect adults in many parts of the world. Increasing evidence from a variety of experimental models indicates that reactive oxygen species can play a key role in the development of myocardial damage from ischemia/reperfusion, the development of cardiac hypertrophy, and the transition of hypertrophy to cardiac failure. The recent dramatic increase in availability of genomic data has included information on the genetic modulation of reactive oxygen species and the antioxidant systems that normally prevent damage from these radicals. Nearly simultaneously, progressively more sophisticated and powerful methods for altering the genetic complement of selected tissues and cells have permitted application of gene therapeutic methods to understand better the pathophysiology of reactive oxygen species-mediated myocardial damage and to attenuate or treat that damage. Although exciting and promising, gene therapy approaches to these common disorders are still in the experimental and developmental stages. Improved understanding of pathophysiology, better gene delivery systems, and specific gene therapeutic strategies will be needed before gene therapy of oxyradical-mediated myocardial damage becomes a clinical reality.
Radical Political Theology: Religion and Politics After Liberalism, by Clayton Crockett, Columbia University Press: New York, 2011, 202 pp. ISBN 978 0 231 52076 8, US$50.00 (cloth)

Radical Political Theology: Religion and Politics After Liberalism, by Clayton Crockett, Columbia University Press: New York, 2011, 202 pp. ISBN 978 0 231 52076 8, US$50.00 (cloth) A lesson from my...
A Restatement of the Satisfaction-Performance Hypothesis

This article reviews recent evidence in support of Organ's (1977) argument that satisfaction more generally correlates with organizational prosocial or citizenship-type behaviors than with traditional productivity or in-role performance. An attempt is then made to interpret just what it is in satisfaction measures that provides this correlation, leading to the suggestion that fairness cognitions comprise the major factor. Implications of this interpretation for theory, research, and management practice are offered.
Chromium(VI) enhances (′)-anti-7β, 8α-dihydroxy-9α, 10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene-induced cytotoxicity and mutagenicity in mammalian cells through its inhibitory effect on nucleotide excision repair

Chromium(VI) [Cr(VI)], a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, is a well-known carcinogen to both humans and experimental animals, although it is a weak mutagen by itself. Occupational exposure to Cr(VI) is strongly associated with a high incidence of lung cancer, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Tobacco smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in tobacco smoke are the major etiological agents. Since humans are frequently exposed to both Cr(VI) and PAHs, it is possible that Cr(VI) and PAHs have a synergistic effect on mutagenecity and cytotoxicity that contributes to the high incidence of lung cancer associated with exposure to both agents. In this study, we tested this possibility by determining the effect of Cr(VI) exposure on (±)-anti-7β,8α-dihydroxy-9α,10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE, an active metabolite of PAHs) induced cytotoxicity, mutagenicity, and DNA adduct formation in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Using the aden...
Production of deuterons and pions in a transport model of energetic heavy ion reactions

Abstract Green functions are used to derive transport equations with bound-state production and absorption. The equations are valid in the quasiparticle limit and are used to describe deuteron production in heavy-ion induced reactions. The deuterons are produced in three-nucleon collisions in a process that is inverse to deuteron breakup. We also derive rate equations for pion production by resonance formation and decay. Our equations satisfy detailed balance even in the case of wide resonances, unlike previous formulations. The relation widely employed in the cascade and Boltzmann equation models produces an equilibrium with too many pions. We have solved the equations numerically, finding for a number of cases fair agreement with experimental data. The predicted entropy produced in central Nb + Nb collisions at 650 MeV/nucleon exceeds by half a unit the entropy deduced from data. The predicted pion yields in the cascade limit are much closer to the data measured in central Ar + KCl collisions than was found in earlier treatments.
III-Nitride Photonics

The progress in III-Nitride photonics research in 2009 is reviewed. The III-Nitride photonics research is a very active field with many important applications in the areas of energy, biosensors, laser devices, and communications. The applications of nitride semiconductors in energy-related technologies include solid-state lighting, solar cells, thermoelectric, and power electronics. Several new research areas in III-Nitride photonics related to terahertz photonics, intersubband quantum wells, nanostructures, and other devices are discussed.
Pivotal role of Smad3 in a mouse model of T cell–mediated hepatitis†

Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) promotes hepatocellular apoptosis and suppresses hepatic lymphocyte responses in part through activation of Smad3. The purpose of the current study was to determine the importance of Smad3 signaling in an experimental model of autoimmune hepatitis induced by concanavalin A (ConA), a process involving T cell activation and hepatocellular apoptosis. C57Bl/6 wild-type (Wt) or Smad3-deficient (Smad3−/−) mice were injected intravenously with 15 mg/kg ConA or vehicle. Nine hours post ConA injection, Wt mice presented with severe hepatitis as assessed by increased liver transferases. This injury was associated with eosinophil accumulation and preceded at 3 hours post-injection by significant increases in hepatic T helper 1 (interferon gamma) and T helper 2 (interleukin-4) cytokine production. Absence of Smad3 significantly blunted hepatocellular injury 9 hours post ConA injection, which was associated with reduced early T helper 1 and T helper 2 cytokine production and eosinophil accumulation. Smad3−/− livers also showed significant reductions in hepatocellular apoptosis as assessed by terminal UTP nick-end labeling when compared to ConA-treated Wt mice in conjunction with reduced caspase 3 cleavage, which was likely mediated by a Smad3-dependent inhibition of the survival factor extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. In vitro, Smad3−/− hepatocytes were resistant to TGFβ-induced apoptosis, and this protection was dependent on extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. Conclusion: Together, these results show, for the first time, the significance of Smad3 signaling in autoimmune hepatitis, underlining the control of Smad3-dependent TGFβ signaling on proinflammatory cytokine production, eosinophil recruitment, and hepatocellular apoptosis. Interruption of this pathway could be beneficial clinically to limit acute fulminant liver pathologies. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)
Purchase intention behind Mercer University’s inaugural football team

The purpose of this study was to examine the drivers of consumer intentions surrounding a new college football program and its fan base. This study relied on and extended the Theory of Reasoned Action by incorporating variables of identity and loyalty and tested their mediated effect on intention to engage with a newly-fielded college football program at Mercer University in Macon, GA. The findings suggest that attitudes and normative beliefs have the strongest effect on intentions. Further, the analysis revealed partial mediation where students’ identity as football fans in general and intentions to engage in the new football program at their university were mediated by the students’ loyalty toward their university where the football team was developing. Overall, the model tested for this study explained almost 80 % of variation in intent.
Are low-loss glass–ceramic optical waveguides possible?

The results of a cutback measurement of a glass-ceramic optical waveguide with single-mode fiber geometry have demonstrated that sub decibels per kilometer losses can be achieved. Difference spectra show that the limit of intrinsic scattering in these two-phase structures ought to be tens of decibels per kilometer.
LMI parametrization of Lyapunov functions for infinite-dimensional systems: A framework

In this paper, we present an algorithmic approach to the construction of Lyapunov functions for infinite-dimensional systems. This paper unifies and significantly extends many previous results which have appeared in conference and journal format. The unifying principle is that any linear parametrization of operators in Hilbert space can be used to construct an LMI parametrization of positive operators via squared representations. For linear systems, we get positive linear operators and hence quadratic Lyapunov functions. For nonlinear systems, we get nonlinear operators and hence non-quadratic Lyapunov functions. Special cases of these results include positive operators defined by multipliers and kernels which are: polynomial; piecewise-polynomial; or semi-separable and apply to systems with delay; multiple spatial domains; or mixed boundary conditions. We also introduce a set of efficient software tools for creating these functionals. Finally, we illustrate the approach with numerical examples.
Olfactory discrimination learning deficit in heterozygous reeler mice

Abstract Adult mice heterozygous for the ‘reeler’ mutation (HR mice) have been found not to have a reeler phenotype but to express a number of abnormal traits including reduced sensorimotor gating, lower density of dendritic spines in frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus, and selectively decreased expression of one form of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67). Since reelin is expressed in olfactory areas of the adult mouse brain, we have tested for olfactory functions in HR mice that express only half of the reelin found in wild-type (WT) mice. HR and WT mice were trained to criterion performance of 90% correct in a block of 20 trials on eight distinct simultaneous-cue, two-odor discriminations. HR mice required significantly more training sessions and made more errors than did WT mice in acquiring the first olfactory discrimination. Subsequent discriminations were learned equally rapidly by both HR and WT mice. Memory retention for the final discrimination was tested 1 week after training and was equally good for both groups. Both HR and WT mice showed equivalent sensitivity in discriminating low concentrations of either ethyl acetate or butanol from non-odorized air. Whether or not the olfactory learning deficit observed in HR mice is related to the low dendritic spine density or GAD67 reduction observed in hippocampus and cortex are currently under investigation.
Cardiac auscultatory training among third year medical students during their medicine clerkship

Abstract Background Computer-aided instruction is becoming more popular as time available to teach physical examination has decreased. We tested whether a single intensive computer assisted cardiac auscultation training session for third-year medical students would improve their cardiac auscultatory skills. Methods 30 students identified cardiac sounds selected from a commercially available CD-ROM. A teaching session immediately followed, and the students were retested after two weeks. Students rated their confidence in cardiac auscultation both at the beginning and the end of the study. Results Median scores increased from 50% to 75% ( P P =.004), 67% and 67% ( P =.139), and 33% and 67% ( P P Conclusion A single computer-assisted cardiac auscultation teaching session was associated with short-term improvement in both third-year medical students' ability to identify cardiac physical exam findings and in their confidence in performing cardiac auscultation.
B-schools on the I-way : Avoiding potholes, dead ends, and crashes

This article discusses one approach to using the Internet in a required MBA course. As a novice with no formal course work or training on the Internet, the author decided to undertake a risky experiment. First, the author presents the advantages and disadvantages of employing emerging instructional technologies. Then, the author assesses the successes and failures of integrating the Internet in an MBA course. The analysis includes the observation of student electronic postings and the solicitation of their feedback in various ways. The article concludes by offering general advice to other instructors contemplating use of the Internet to reduce their frustrations and disappointments.
Evaluation of graphical and multivariate statistical methods for classification of water chemistry data

A robust classification scheme for partitioning water chemistry samples into homogeneous groups is an important tool for the characterization of hydrologic systems. In this paper we test the performance of the many available graphical and statistical methodologies used to classify water samples including: Collins bar diagram, pie diagram, Stiff pattern diagram, Schoeller plot, Piper diagram, Q-mode hierarchical cluster analysis, K-means clustering, principal components analysis, and fuzzy k-means clustering. All the methods are discussed and compared as to their ability to cluster, ease of use, and ease of interpretation. In addition, several issues related to data preparation, database editing, data-gap filling, data screening, and data quality assurance are discussed and a database construction methodology is presented.
Vibrational frequencies and structure determination of trifluorophosphine-borane

Abstract The normal mode frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of BH3PF3 are examined theoretically using the gaussian 98 set of quantum chemistry codes. All normal modes were successfully assigned to one of eight types of motion predicted by a group theoretical analysis (B–H stretch, P–F stretch, P–B stretch, H–B–H bend, F–P–F bend, BH3 wag, PF3 wag and P–B torsion) utilizing the C3v symmetry of the molecule. Predicted infrared and Raman intensities are presented. Molecular orbitals are presented and bonding is examined in terms of the molecular orbitals.
Comparative physiology of cellular ion and volume regulation

1. Intracellular [K+]i in most cells is around 100-150 mOs. This is true in invertebrate or vertebrate muscle or any other tissue, and the only known exceptions being the axons of some invertebrates (Burton, '73). 2. When cell volume is increased due to hypoosmotic swelling, cell volume is regulated back toward normal in almost all cells. In cells with an osmolality of 300-350 mOs, the regulatory volume decrease is caused primarily by a passive efflux of potassium and anions due to increased membrane permeability to potassium. In cells with a higher osmolality, regulatory volume decrease is caused by the passive efflux of small organic molecules. 3. When cell volume is decreased due to hyperosmotic shrinking, volume is not always regulated back toward normal in in vitro experiments carried out for several hours. However, it appears from the in vivo experiments that some cell volume control is always present. The volume control in the flounder red cells took place through increased sodium influx brought about by a relative increase in cell membrane permeability to sodium. This mechanism also appears to be dominant in the mammalian renal papilla, where the [Na+]i increases in proportion to the increase in cellular osmolality with no change in [K+]i. 4. Cells which remain shrunken in vitro, or cells which only partly restore their volume in vivo, do not exhibit increased [K+]i. This finding means that potassium is lost from the cell and, in most cases, exchanged for sodium when the volume is decreased, even though the osmotic concentration in the extracellular fluid is elevated. 5. Finally, it appears that the maintenance of a rather constant [K+]i is important for all cells. This constancy may be due to the fact that certain enzymes are sensitive to the intracellular potassium concentration. Thus, the DNA synthesis is blocked in mammalian kidney cells when [K+]i is increased (Bygrave, '67). Furthermore, Lubin ('64) has shown that low [K+]i concentrations also cause a decrease in DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. An optimal concentration appears to be necessary for protein synthesis.
Video News Releases and the Public: The Impact of Source Labeling on the Perceived Credibility of Television News

Observers of the television news business have suggested that public judgments of the credibility of news stories and the news industry would suffer if audiences knew that external sources routinely provided story content. An experiment examined whether on-screen labels identifying externally supplied video news release (VNR) content in television news can affect audience perceptions of the credibility of the news and the VNR provider. The results suggest that news audiences might not use the presence of VNR content in evaluations of news stories, news programs, and VNR producers. However, there is evidence that news audiences are concerned about the use of VNR content and support the use of labels.
Association of human herpesvirus 6 reactivation with severe cytomegalovirus-associated disease in orthotopic liver transplant recipients.

To explore the possible interaction between human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in patients who have undergone organ transplantation, stored serum samples from 139 orthotopic liver transplant recipients were tested for HHV-6 immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM antibodies. HHV-6 reactivation occurred in 87 patients (62.6%) and was associated with CMV disease (P = .01), severe CMV-associated disease (P = .01), older age (P = .005), and use of muromonab-CD3 (Orthoclone; Orthobiotech) as treatment for rejection (P = .02). Trends for an association between HHV-6 reactivation and invasive fungal disease (P = .12), bacteremia (P = .10), and graft loss (P = .12) were seen. In a multivariate analysis of risk factors for severe CMV-associated disease, HHV-6 reactivation (relative risk [RR], 3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-10.2; P = .02), CMV donor-positive-recipient-negative match (RR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.5-13.2; P<.001), and elevated serum creatinine level (P<.0001) were independent predictors. HHV-6 reactivation is associated with severe CMV-associated disease in liver transplant recipients.
Estimates of Use of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in Core Electrical or Computer Engineering Courses

Many research-based instruction strategies (RBISs) have been developed; their superior efficacy with respect to student learning has been demonstrated in many studies. Collecting and interpreting evidence about: 1) the extent to which electrical and computer engineering (ECE) faculty members are using RBISs in core, required engineering science courses, and 2) concerns that they express about using them, are important aspects of understanding how engineering education is evolving. The authors surveyed ECE faculty members, asking about their awareness and use of selected RBISs. The survey also asked what concerns ECE faculty members had about using RBISs. Respondent data showed that awareness of RBISs was very high, but estimates of use of RBISs, based on survey data, varied from 10% to 70%, depending on characteristics of the strategy. The most significant concern was the amount of class time that using an RBIS might take; efforts to increase use of RBISs must address this.
Superconducting transition temperatures of chemically vapour-deposited tungsten-rhenium alloys

Abstract Superconducting transition temperatures (T c) have been measured on a series of chemically vapour-deposited (CVD) tungsten-rhenium alloys. The samples were prepared by hydrogen reduction of tungsten and rhenium hexafluoride in the composition range 3·5 to 95 at.-% Re. The maximum T c found was 11·4 K at 42 at.-% Re which is considerably higher than the ∼5 K reported for arcmelted W-Re in this composition range. The transition temperatures of asdeposited samples were higher than those of comparable arc-melted alloys for the entire composition range regardless of crystal structure. Two reasons suggested for the enhancement of T c are: (1) the formation of a Cr3Si-type A15 structure, and (2) the presence of impurities trapped in the lattice. After high-temperature annealing the T c was decreased to that of arc-melted samples. This is attributed to the decomposition of metastable phases to the equilibrium structure and/or the precipitation of gas or gaseous compounds in the form of bubbles. Long-rang...
Management of Puberty in Growth Hormone Deficient Children

At puberty there occur marked increases in gonadotropin, gonadal steroid and GH secretion. An important physiological synergism exists between the gonadal and somatotropic axes to permit the growth spurt and adolescent development; however, epiphyseal maturation is also accelerated leading to cessation of long-bone growth. GH deficiency may be absolute, but often is not and the diagnosis may be complicated by a constellation of physical and hormonal findings that are along a spectrum from low normal GH sufficiency to absent GH secretion. Growth hormone therapy not only accelerates the growth velocity, but also promotes the redistribution of adipose tissue stores to more peripheral sites. Given the remarkable physiological alterations in the activities of the GH and gonadotropin gonadal axes during adolescence in normal children, how should the therapeutic plan for the treatment of prepubertal GH deficiency be altered at puberty? Evidence for efficacy has been reported for each of the following for the treatment of GH deficiency at adolescence: 1) GH alone at the usual dosage (approximately 0.3mg•kg-1•day-1); 2) Double or triple the amount of GH to mimic the finding of increased GH release at puberty. 3) GH at the usual or moderately increased dose and gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist analog to halt pubertal development. The latter two plans are at present hypotheses that must withstand the rigor of proper controlled trials. The end point is more than merely adult height, because of the significant psychological and skeletal system dysregulation that accompany decrements in the gonadal steroid hormones during adolescence.
Neuroethics: Considering Its Scope and Limits

The target articles in this issue are as different as chalk and cheese, yet they are both motivated by the same important questions: What is the practical value of neuroscientific knowledge? How sh...
Surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy for a large pineal hemangiopericytoma

Hemangiopericytoma of the pineal region is exceedingly rare. We describe a patient with a large pineal region hemangiopericytoma who underwent a third ventriculostomy followed by a gross total resection by a unilateral interhemispheric approach with adjuvant radiotherapy. The patient remains recurrence free 4 years after treatment.
Dynamical greenhouse-plus feedback and polar warming amplification. Part II: meridional and vertical asymmetries of the global warming

This paper examines several prominent thermodynamic and dynamic factors responsible for the meridional and vertical warming asymmetries using a moist coupled atmosphere–surface radiative transportive four-box climate model. A coupled atmosphere–surface feedback analysis is formulated to isolate the direct response to an anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing from individual local feedbacks (water vapor, evaporation, surface sensible heat flux, and ice-albedo), and from the non-local dynamical feedback. Both the direct response and response to water vapor feedback are stronger in low latitudes. The joint effect of the ice-albedo and dynamical greenhouse-plus feedbacks acts to amplify the high latitude surface warming whereas both the evaporation and dynamical greenhouse-minus feedbacks cause a reduction of the surface warming in low latitudes. The enhancement (reduction) of local feedbacks in high (low) latitudes in response to the non-local dynamic feedback further strengthens the polar amplification of the surface warming. Both the direct response and response to water vapor feedback lead to an increase of lapse rate in both low and high latitudes. The stronger total dynamic heating in the mean state in high latitudes is responsible for a larger increase of lapse rate in high latitudes in the direct response and response to water vapor feedback. The local evaporation and surface sensible heat flux feedbacks reduce the lapse rate both in low and high latitudes through cooling the surface and warming the atmosphere. The much stronger evaporation feedback leads to a final warming in low latitudes that is stronger in the atmosphere than the surface.
Chasing Vygotsky’s Dogs: Retrieving Lev Vygotsky’s Philosophy for a Workers’ Paradise

In an article published in 1930, Lev Vygotsky refers explicitly to the seventeenth century Dutch philosopher Benedictus de Spinoza. From a close reading of Vygotsky’s remarkable piece, ‘The socialist transformation of man,’ the extraordinary parallels in the lives and philosophies of Vygotsky and Spinoza are revealed. Then the strengths and weaknesses are assessed of the analytical approach Vygotsky may have inherited from Spinoza. It is suggested that there are analytical ramifications arising from Vygotsky’s possible reliance on Spinoza’s nuanced but essentially dualistic philosophy. The conclusion is that the key limitation of this methodology is the elision of radical doubting with radical unknowability.
The effect of estrogen on the activity of glucose phosphorylating enzymes in the rat uterus

Abstract Immature rat uterus contains a higher concentration of hexokinase (low km enzyme) than immature rat liver. Unlike liver, uterine tissue does not have a high km enzyme (glucokinase). Uterine hexokinase activity shows a significant and steady increase from 8–24 hours after estradiol treatment This increased activity is evident when expressed in terms of tissue wet weight, mg. of protein, or on a per uterus basis. These different bases are necessary for activity measurements since estradiol also stimulates growth, water inhibition, and protein synthesis. Concurrent measurements of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in uterine homogenates indicate that this enzyme also increases in activity with a time course nearly identical to hexokinase. The increased activity of these two enzymes occurs simultaneously with a general increase in total uterine protein during this time period. Perhaps de novo synthesis of these enzymes is part of the physiological response to estradiol. However, the delayed appearance of increased activity would seem to exclude these enzymes as being responsible for early increase in uterine glucose metabolism which occur within 1–2 hours after estradiol treatment.
Pulmonary synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine in isolated perfused rabbit and rat lung preparations.

The present investigation was designed to determine the pulmonary biosynthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) from L-tryptophan. Artificially ventilated, isolated rabbit and rat lungs were perfused with a constituted medium. Tryptophan and its metabolites were detected by high pressure liquid chromatography using an electrochemical detector. 14C-tryptophan uptake by the rabbit lung was 5.6% and 3.9% in the rat lung after 1 hr of perfusion. The perfusate (100 ml) concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptamine increased significantly (1.1 to 1.8 μg 5-HT and 4.4 to 6.5 μg 5-HTP) during rabbit lung perfusion. However, no metabolites were detected in the perfusate during rat lung perfusion. 5-Hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels were greater in both rabbit and rat lungs when they were perfused with 0.4 mM tryptophan, compared to their levels in lungs perfused without tryptophan. The increase of 5-HT content in rat lung alone was statistically significant. 5-Hydroxytryptophan wa...
Understanding Compensation Practice Variations Across Firms: The Impact of National Culture

With operations spread worldwide, firms that find themselves competing in a global marketplace are looking at the implications of the admonition, “When in Rome.…” This raises the question: “Do cultures of countries have an impact on the generally accepted methods of managing human resources?” The answer to this question is the focus of this article. By developing culture-specific propositions for four categories of compensation practices based on status, performance, social benefits and programs, and employee ownership plans, we seek to determine the extent to which Hofstede's four dimensions of culture are associated with specific compensation practices. Support is found for most of the propositions. The implications of the finding for the management of human resources by multinational firms are discussed.
Who talks how to their kids about TV: A clarification of demographic correlates of parental mediation patterns

A random telephone survey (N = 255) of Washington state parents of children between the ages of 2 and 17 assesses parents’ reported patterns of interaction with their children regarding television, along with parental viewing habits and perceptions of television content. Demographic differences in mediation and coviewing patterns, as well as parental attitudes toward television, are explored, and explanations for these differences are considered. It is concluded that education is a weak predictor of mediation levels, single parents do not differ from dual parents in attitudes about television, and that the negative relationship of income to positive mediation and use of television as a babysitter is related more to overall viewing patterns and environmental constraints, rather than to attitudinal differences. It is suggested that demographics hold little value jar explaining why and how parents hold particular attitudes or engage in particular behaviors relevant to television and parenting.
ALCOHOLISM IN GHANA: A SOCIO-CULTURAL EXPLORATION

A vast literature has accumulated in recent years, examining the disease concept of alcoholism, and analyzing the interaction of biomedicine with indigenous healing systems in colonial and post-colonial societies. Social scientists have consistently emphasized the social context of alcoholism, although their works have been largely ignored. This article engages the literature on the social history of medicine in Africa, and works on alcohol use in non-Western societies, in an attempt to offer an understanding of alcoholism in Ghana rooted in Ghanaian cultures and history. It explores how alcohol's established ties with spirituality influences Ghanaian perceptions of alcoholism. Based on interviews, highlife music, popular literature, and the few written works on alcohol use in Ghana, the article examines the social construction of the alcoholic in independent Ghana.
Coordinate Control of the Locus of Enterocyte Effacement and Enterohemolysin Genes by Multiple Common Virulence Regulators in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

The locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island is required for the intimate adhesion of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) to the intestinal epithelial cells. GrlR and GrlA are LEE-encoded negative and positive regulators, respectively. The interaction of these two regulators is important for controlling the transcription of LEE genes through Ler, a LEE-encoded central activator for the LEE. The GrlR-GrlA regulatory system controls not only LEE but also the expression of the flagellar and enterohemolysin (Ehx) genes in EHEC. Since Ehx levels were markedly induced in a grlR mutant but not in a grlR grlA double mutant and significantly increased by overexpression of GrlA in a ler mutant, GrlA is responsible for this regulation (T. Saitoh et al., J. Bacteriol. 190:4822-4830, 2008). In this study, additional investigations of the regulation of ehx gene expression determined that Ler also acts as an activator for Ehx expression without requiring GrlA function. We recently reported that the LysR-type regulator LrhA positively controls LEE expression (N. Honda et al., Mol. Microbiol. 74:1393-1411, 2009). The hemolytic activity of the lrhA mutant strain of EHEC was lower than that of the wild-type strain, and LrhA markedly induced ehx transcription in an E. coli K-12 strain, suggesting that LrhA also activates the transcription of ehx without GrlA and Ler. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrated that Ler and LrhA directly bind to the regulatory region of ehxC. Together, these results indicate that transcription of ehx is positively regulated by Ler, GrlA, and LrhA, which all act as positive regulators for LEE expression.
Phthalonitrile-carbon fiber composites

Phthalonitrile polymers offer promise as matrix materials for advanced composite applications. The phthalonitrile monomer is readily converted to a highly crosslinked thermosetting polymer in the presence of thermally stable organic amine catalysts. Rheometric studies were conducted to elucidate the optimum amine concentration for composite formulations. High quality composite panels were processed in an autoclave using unsized IM7 carbon fibers. Mechanical properties of the phthalonitrile/carbon composite are either better than or comparable to the state-of-the-art PMR-15 composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis reveal that samples postcured at elevated temperatures (375°C) do not exhibit a glass transition temperature up to 450°C and also retain ∼90% of their initial modulus at 450°C. Flame resistance of phthalonitrile/carbon composites, evaluated by cone calorimetric studies, excels over that of other polymeric composites for marine applications. The composites also show low water uptake, <1% after exposure to water for 16 months.
Species’ traits predict the effects of disturbance and productivity on diversity

Disturbance is an important factor influencing diversity patterns. Ecological theory predicts that diversity peaks at intermediate levels of disturbance, but this pattern is not present in a majority of empirical tests and can be influenced by the level of ecosystem productivity. We experimentally tested the effects of disturbance on diversity and show that species autecological traits and community relations predicted species loss. We found that ‐ alone or in concert ‐ increasing disturbance intensity or frequency, or decreasing productivity, reduced diversity. Our species did not exhibit a clear competition-colonization trade-off, and intrinsic growth rate was a more important predictor of response to disturbance and productivity than measures of competitive ability. Furthermore, competitive ability was more important in predicting responses when, in addition to killing individuals, disturbance returned nutrients to the ecosystem. Our results demonstrate that species traits can help resolve conflicting patterns in the response of diversity to disturbance and productivity.
Many-objective reconfiguration of operational satellite constellations with the Large-Cluster Epsilon Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II

A general framework for the reconfiguration of satellite constellations is developed for the operational scenario when a loss of capacity has occurred and the future configuration must be constructed from the remaining assets. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, e-NSGA-2, adapted for use on large heterogeneous clusters, facilitated the exploration of a six-dimensional fitness landscape for several loss scenarios involving the Global Positioning System Constellation. An a posteriori decision support process was used to characterize and evaluate non-traditional but innovative constellation designs identified. The framework has enhanced design discovery and innovation for extremely complex space domain problems that have traditionally been considered computationally intractable.
Estimation of the Quantile Function of an IFRA Distribution

Let F and G be lifetime distributions and consider the problem of estimating F'1 when it is known that G-'F is star-shaped. Estimators of F-' are considered here which are shown to be uniformly strongly consistent. The case of censored data is also presented. Asymptotic confidence intervals and bands for F-1 are provided. The result are applicable, for example, to the estimation of quantile functions of k-out-of-n systems in reliability. The special case of an IFRA distribution follows immediately from the more general case presented here.
A heterodyne-scan phased-array antenna

A new phased-array antenna system concept for narrow-band frequency beam steering is introduced. The phase shift between neighboring antennas in the array is controlled by changing the frequency of the signal traveling along fixed delay lines in a series feed network. Diode mixers are added before each antenna to convert the frequency of the control signal to a constant radiating frequency. A complete transmit system, using microstrip patch antennas, was built on a 4/spl times/6 in/sup 2/ printed circuit board for an X-band demonstration. As the control frequency was swept from 15.1 to 18.4 GHz, the beam was steered from -52 to +46 degrees with the peak power density variation of 5 dB, mainly due to nonuniform mixer conversion loss at different control frequencies.
Nontrivial solutions to a checkerboard problem

The squares of an m n checkerboard are alternately colored black and red. It has been shown that for every pair m;n of positive integers, it is possible to place coins on some of the squares of the checkerboard (at most one coin per square) in such a way that for every two squares of the same color the numbers of coins on neighboring squares are of the same parity, while for every two squares of different colors the numbers of coins on neighboring squares are of opposite parity. All solutions to this problem have been what is referred to as trivial solutions, namely, for either black or red, no coins are placed on any square of that color. A nontrivial solution then requires at least one coin to be placed on a square of each color. For some pairs m;n of positive integers, however, nontrivial solutions do not exist. All pairs m;n of positive integers are determined for which there is a nontrivial solution.