cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-Cultural Differences and Social Influences in Social Support and Cardiovascular Disease

Disease has been a continuous feature of life throughout human biological and cultural evolution. It has served as a selective pressure, influencing the relative reproductive success of individuals, and it has shaped the development of behaviors to reduce disease risks. The types of disease prevalent within a population have in turn been influenced by a variety of ecological, social, and cultural parameters of human systems. For most of human biocultural evolution, infectious and parasitic diseases have contributed disproportionately to morbidity and mortality patterns within populations; chronic and degenerative diseases have either been unimportant or have been limited to specific kinds of ecological systems. Within this century, however, disease patterns have changed substantially throughout the world. Technological advances (especially in what we generally think of as public health, but also in terms of medical means for preventing and treating diseases) have meant that mortality from specific infectious and parasitic diseases has been substantially reduced. Concomitantly, the prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases—especially cardiovascular diseases—have increased markedly. Some have been moved to refer to these as “diseases of civilization” (Burkitt, 1973), ignoring the fact that civilization long antedates the contemporary study of cardiovascular disease.
Differential Analysis of the Angle of Incidence Response of Utility-Grade PV Modules

Anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) are commonly applied to commercial modules to reduce reflection losses and improve energy harvest. Relative performance at low incidence angle is often indistinguishable between different modules and it is only at high incidence angle that performance becomes differentiated. It is also precisely in this range that accurate measurements are the most difficult to obtain, complicating efforts to compare the benefits of different coatings. In this study, the performance of multiple commercial modules with different coatings were compared. A differential approach was employed, facilitating relative comparisons between test devices and a common reference. Using this method, performance differences at high incidence angles could be visualized and quantified. Differential analysis was extended to multiple system performance models in order to predict and quantify potential improvements in annual energy harvest. Improvements were observed upwards of 1% seasonally and 0.5% annually for the best performing coatings. 10° fixed tilt systems were seen to potentially benefit the most from ARCs, while single axis trackers benefitted the least.
A Size-Reduced, 15-Element, Planar Yagi Antenna

A size-reduced, 15-element Yagi antenna is presented in a planar shape. T-shaped, top loadings are implemented to reduce the lengths of the individual antenna elements. The Yagi antenna achieves a 45% reduction in the element lengths compared with a traditional, $\lambda $ /2 full-sized Yagi antenna. The proposed antenna is simulated, and a prototype is built for measurement validation. The −10 dB impedance bandwidth is 70.0 MHz (4.6%), and the measured realized gain is 13.3 dBi. Compared with the full-sized Yagi antenna, the bandwidth of the proposed, size-reduced Yagi antenna is similar. In addition, a minor difference in realized gain in comparison to the full-sized Yagi is observed when more than two parasitic elements are added. This difference in realized gain between the full-sized Yagi and the size-reduced Yagi is then explained by an approximate contribution of 0.2 dB per each added parasitic element. The measurements and simulations are in good agreement.
Undergraduate chemistry instructors’ perspectives on their students’ metacognitive development

Metacognition is an important skill for undergraduate chemistry students, but there has been scant research investigating chemistry instructors’ perspectives of metacognition and the development of their students’ metacognition. Since undergraduate instructors have a wide influence over what happens in their courses, it is crucial to investigate their understanding of metacognition, and discern whether they value metacognitive development for their students. This qualitative interview study explored the perspectives of seventeen chemistry instructors who taught chemistry at the college level from six different institutions across Colorado. The interviews were coded deductively according to Zohar and Dori's definitions of metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive skills, and inductively for themes through reflexive thematic analysis. These interviews provided a window into these instructors’ personal pedagogical content knowledge (pPCK) and how it influenced their enacted pedagogical content knowledge (ePCK) in relation to their students’ metacognition development. The results include a discussion of how these chemistry instructors valued their students’ metacognition, how they currently develop their students’ metacognition, and their suggestions for improving the development of metacognition in undergraduate chemistry education. Based on the results of this analysis, activities that indirectly target students’ metacognition may be more easily adopted by instructors, and more explicit awareness may be beneficial.
Dynamic Data-Driven Formal Progress Envelopes for Distributed Algorithms.

This work presents formal progress envelopes applied to flight systems for distinctly classifying a system’s state space into regions where a formal proof of progress for a distributed algorithm holds or does not hold. It also presents an approach for runtime integration of formal methods in the dynamic data-driven applications systems (DDDAS) architecture using parameterized proofs. Finally, it showcases the development of reusable parameterized proof libraries for high-level statistical and stochastic reasoning in the Athena proof assistant and demonstrates their use with a progress proof for the Paxos distributed consensus protocol.
Dose-response effect of dietary nitrate on muscle contractility and blood pressure in older subjects: a pilot study

We have recently demonstrated that dietary nitrate, a source of nitric oxide (NO) via the nitrate → nitrite → NO enterosalivary pathway, can improve muscle contractility in healthy older men and women. Nitrate ingestion has also been shown to reduce blood pressure in some, but not all, studies of older individuals. However, the optimal dose for eliciting these beneficial effects is unknown. A pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study was therefore performed to determine the effects of ingesting 3.3 mL/kg of concentrated beetroot juice containing 0, 200, or 400 µmol/kg of nitrate in 9 healthy older subjects (mean age 70 ± 1 years). Maximal knee extensor power (Pmax) and speed (Vmax) were measured ~2.5 hours after nitrate ingestion using isokinetic dynamometry. Blood pressure was monitored periodically throughout each study. Pmax (in W/kg) was higher (p < .05) after the lower dose (3.9 ± 0.4) compared to the placebo (3.7 ± 0.4) or higher dose (3.7 ± 0.4). Vmax (in rad/s) also tended to be higher (p = .08) after the lower dose (11.9 ± 0.7) compared to the placebo (10.8 ± 0.8) or higher dose (11.2 ± 0.8). Eight out of 9 subjects achieved a higher Pmax and Vmax after the lower versus the higher dose. These dose-related changes in muscle contractility generally paralleled changes in breath NO levels. No significant changes were found in systolic, diastolic, or mean arterial blood pressure. A lower dose of nitrate increases muscle speed and power in healthy older individuals, but these improvements are lost at a higher dose. Blood pressure, on the other hand, is not reduced even with a higher dose.
Dispatches from life's blurry boundaries

Carl Zimmer9s Life9s Edge is a departure from his previous work in that it is a book that is as much about what scientists have so far failed to understand as what they have come to understand. As its subtitle suggests, this book is about how life is defined, how life arose, and how we tell life from nonlife.
Exploring the SenseMaking Process through Interactions and fNIRS in Immersive Visualization

Theories of cognition inform our decisions when designing human-computer interfaces, and immersive systems enable us to examine these theories. This work explores the sensemaking process in an immersive environment through studying both internal and external user behaviors with a classical visualization problem: a visual comparison and clustering task. We developed an immersive system to perform a user study, collecting user behavior data from different channels: AR HMD for capturing external user interactions, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) for capturing internal neural sequences, and video for references. To examine sensemaking, we assessed how the layout of the interface (planar 2D vs. cylindrical 3D layout) and the challenge level of the task (low vs. high cognitive load) influenced the users' interactions, how these interactions changed over time, and how they influenced task performance. We also developed a visualization system to explore joint patterns among all the data channels. We found that increased interactions and cerebral hemodynamic responses were associated with more accurate performance, especially on cognitively demanding trials. The layout types did not reliably influence interactions or task performance. We discuss how these findings inform the design and evaluation of immersive systems, predict user performance and interaction, and offer theoretical insights about sensemaking from the perspective of embodied and distributed cognition.
Transversus Abdominis Plane Block

The abdominal wall and peritoneum are innervated by thoracolumbar nerves T6 to L1. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block provides analgesic benefits by blocking the transmission of pain from these nerves. Ultrasound landmarks include the external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominis muscles. TAP blocks should be considered for patients in which neuraxial technique is contraindicated for abdominal surgical procedures including cesarean delivery. There are multiple benefits to TAP blocks when performed for the appropriate patient and correctly. Risks associated with the procedure include infection, hematoma, peritoneal perforation, bowel puncture, and local anesthetic toxicity.
Stability and Differences in Empathy Between Men and Women Medical Students: a Panel Design Study

Empathy is central to the physician–patient relationship, and affects clinical outcomes. There is uncertainty about the stability of empathy in medical students over the course of medical school, as well as differences in empathy between men and women. A panel study design was used to follow first year through fourth year medical students (MS1–4) during the 2018–2019 school year. Empathy was measured using the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI), a self-report scale that separates empathy into a cognitive perspective taking (PT) and affective empathic concern (EC) component. A total of 631 (359 women and 272 men) from 970 students (65% response rate) responded to a baseline survey, and a total of 536 students (300 women and 236 men) from 970 students (55% response rate) responded to surveys throughout the year. At baseline, women had significantly higher EC scores than men (p 0.05). These differences were stable for all MS cohorts. Women had self-reported higher affective empathy (EC component) than men, while there were no differences in cognitive empathy (PT component). We discuss these data in the context of defining gender vs. sex, socialized gender stereotypes, and implications for future research.
Misadventures of a Law School Misfit

If the brilliant, legendary playwright Rod Serling were still with us, he might have described a law school graduate’s credentials something like this - consider if you will, the law school graduate’s perfect resume: graduated first in his class from 'Ivy League University'; graduated first in his class from 'Ivy League Law School'; law review editor; and elevation to Big-Firm partnership. Well, that ain’t me. I was never a law review editor. I did not graduate in the top ten percent of my class. I did not go to an Ivy League college or law school. I never even finished high school. In fact, the closest I ever came to going to Columbia Law School as a native New Yorker was riding past the 116th Street subway station on the D train. When I lived in Massachusetts, the closest I ever came to attending Harvard aw School (in Cambridge) was driving by there after getting lost trying to find Fenway Park in Boston. That said, it was not as if I scraped by at the bottom of the bar-rel, either. Actually, I did fairly well in law school and graduated with a B average. Thus, I was not exactly overmatched by law school, either. For all of the horror stories about law school - and they are legion - this piece will hopefully advance the position that law school is not the absolutely unspeakable horror that some people make it out to be. Believe it or not, law school can be a positive undertaking. I enjoyed the experience and came out of it (reasonably) sane. Others can do the same.
Metastatic BRAF V600E-Mutated Adenocarcinoma of the Lung Presenting as Extreme Neutrophilia and Eosinophilia.

Hematologic paraneoplastic syndromes with extreme neutrophilia and eosinophilia are very rarely associated with adenocarcinoma of the lung. We describe a case of a 57-year-old female who presented with neutrophil- and eosinophil-predominant hyperleukocytosis and hypoxic respiratory insufficiency. Bone marrow biopsy confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma, similar to the biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the lung. She was administered one dose of cytotoxic chemotherapy with carboplatin and pemetrexed and started on leukoreductive therapy with hydroxyurea. Molecular testing revealed a BRAF V600E mutation and she was started on dabrafenib and trametinib with significant clinical improvement. This is the first reported case of metastatic BRAF V600E mutated non-small cell lung cancer presenting with extreme neutrophilia and eosinophilia treated with a combination BRAF and mitogen-activated extracellular kinase (MEK) inhibitor.
Internal null-controllability for a structurally damped beam equation

In this paper we study the null-controllability of a beam equation with hinged ends and structural damping, the damping depending on a positive parameter. We prove that this system is exactly null controllable in arbitrarily small time. This result is proven using a combination of Ingham-type inequalities, adapted for complex frequencies, and exponential decay on various frequency bands. We then let the damping parameter tend to zero and we recover an earlier null-controllability result for the undamped beam equation.
Hospitality Management Curricula for the 21st Century

(1996). Hospitality Management Curricula for the 21st Century. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 57-60.
MIGRA! A History of the U.S. Border Patrol – By Kelly Lytle Hernandez

This author has produced a meticulously researched, interesting, and enjoyable book. She provides challenging and thoughtful analyses of the study of immigration agencies as well as policy players....
MRSA virulence and spread.

Summary Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most frequent causes of hospital- and community-associated infections. Resistance to the entire class of β-lactam antibiotics, such as methicillin and penicillin, makes MRSA infections difficult to treat. Hospital-associated MRSA strains are often multi-drug-resistant, leaving only lower efficiency drugs such as vancomycin as treatments options. Like many other S. aureus strains, MRSA strains produce a series of virulence factors, such as toxins and adhesion proteins. Recent findings have shed some new light on the molecular events that underlie MRSA epidemic waves. Newly emerging MRSA clones appear to have acquired phenotypic traits that render them more virulent or able to colonize better, either via mobile genetic elements or via adaptation of gene expression. Acquisition of Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes and increased expression of core genome-encoded toxins are being discussed as potentially contributing to the success of the recently emerged community-associated MRSA strains. However, the molecular factors underlying the spread of hospital- and community-associated MRSA strains are still far from being completely understood, a situation calling for enhanced research efforts in that area.
Mechanisms of lymphocyte “deletion” by high concentrations of ligand: I. Cyclic AMP levels and cell death in T-lymphocytes exposed to high concentrations of concanavalin A☆☆☆

Abstract DNA synthesis, cell survival, and cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels were compared in whole and purified lymph node cells (LNC) cultured with optimal (5 μg/ml) and excess (200 μg/ml) concentrations of native (N) or succinyl (S) concanavalin A (Con A) as possible models for antigen-induced lymphocyte activation and “high-dose” tolerance. Whole LNC cultured with optimal N-Con A or S-Con A showed continuing DNA synthesis and cell viability between 30 and 50% at 48 hr. In contrast, with excess N-Con A, they showed virtually no [3H]TdR uptake at this time and there was progressive loss of cell viability beginning at 8 hr; by 48 hr almost no viable cells remained. Excess S-Con A induced little cell death up to 24 hr, but by 48 hr only 20% of the cells initially placed in culture remained alive and sythesized DNA. Intracellular cAMP showed a transient rise in cultures stimulated with optimal N-Con A, peaking at 15 min, then returning to normal levels, to rise again between 24 and 48 hr. With excess N-Con A, cAMP rose within 15 min and continued to increase to a peak at 24 hr. cAMP levels in the presence of excess S-Con A remained at control levels for the first 24 hr and increased between 24 and 48 hr. LNC depleted of macrophages and B cells, when cultured in excess N-Con A, had an inhibition of DNA synthesis, elevated cAMP levels, and cell death comparable to whole LNC. It seems unlikely, however, that the increase in cAMP mediates cell killing since cAMP was not elevated yet cell death occurred in nylon wool-purified T cells exposed to excess N-Con A. Dibutyryl cAMP, and prostaglandin E1, which markedly increase cAMP levels, failed to kill LNC at doses which totally inhibited DNA synthesis, and cells of the mouse T-lymphoma S49 and its cAMP-dependent protein kinase-deficient variant were killed equally by excess N-Con A. It is suggested that a sustained elevation of either cAMP or Ca2+ after early commitment may provide a significant mechanism of tolerogenesis.
Science, society, and technology-three cultures and multiple visions

The article reviews the strikingly divergent viewpoints of intellectuals—scientists and non-scientists—about “Science” and “Technology.” It shows that while scientists implicitly accept the difference between “Science” and “Technology,” to non-scientists that difference is irrelevant. The most important differences between “Science” and “Technology” that lie in their relative scales, outputs and accuracy of predictions are highlighted. The complexity of and difficulty in trying to quantify the contribution of science and technology to economic growth are discussed. Views of science and technology that include their societal perceptions are recommended.
Regulation and Expression of Progesterone Receptor mRNA Isoforms A and B in the Male and Female Rat Hypothalamus and Pituitary Following Oestrogen Treatment

Progesterone receptors play a central role in neuroendocrine and behavioural regulation. To gain insight into the sex- and tissue-specific regulation of progesterone receptors, protein binding on a progesterone receptor-oestrogen response element and mRNA levels for progesterone receptor (PR)-A and PR-B were compared between female and male rats following oestradiol benzoate replacement treatment in hypothalamic and pituitary tissue. Both male and female pituitary protein extracts demonstrated an increase in nuclear protein binding activity to a progesterone receptor-oestrogen response element following oestradiol benzoate treatment. However, there was a greater difference in total binding activity seen in the female pituitary extracts compared to male pituitary protein extracts. In both cases, reflecting the binding data, oestradiol benzoate pretreatment led to an increase in pituitary PR-B messenger RNA, although this increase was significantly larger in females than in males. Oestradiol benzoate treatment also led to a significant increase in specific binding of hypothalamic nuclear proteins to the progesterone receptor oestrogen response element from both females and male hypothalamic extracts. In addition, PR-B messenger RNA was induced by oestradiol benzoate treatment in the female rat hypothalamus, under circumstances where no PR-A could be detected. The male also demonstrated an increase in PR-B messenger RNA following oestradiol benzoate treatment, with undetectable levels of PR-A, although to a lesser degree than that seen in the female. The predominance of PR-B over PR-A messenger RNA in rat hypothalamus and pituitary, and the quantitative differences between female and male rats, could both contribute to the greater responsiveness of female rats to progesterone with respect to control over luteinizing hormone release from the pituitary, and lordosis behaviour regulated by hypothalamic neurones.
Rapid learning in visual cortical networks

Although changes in brain activity during learning have been extensively examined at the single neuron level, the coding strategies employed by cell populations remain mysterious. We examined cell populations in macaque area V4 during a rapid form of perceptual learning that emerges within tens of minutes. Multiple single units and LFP responses were recorded as monkeys improved their performance in an image discrimination task. We show that the increase in behavioral performance during learning is predicted by a tight coordination of spike timing with local population activity. More spike-LFP theta synchronization is correlated with higher learning performance, while high-frequency synchronization is unrelated with changes in performance, but these changes were absent once learning had stabilized and stimuli became familiar, or in the absence of learning. These findings reveal a novel mechanism of plasticity in visual cortex by which elevated low-frequency synchronization between individual neurons and local population activity accompanies the improvement in performance during learning.
Milk Flow Rates From Bottle Nipples Used for Feeding Infants Who Are Hospitalized

Purpose This study tested the milk flow rates and variability in flow of currently available nipples used for bottle-feeding infants who are hospitalized. Method Clinicians in 3 countries were surveyed regarding nipples available to them for feeding infants who are hospitalized. Twenty-nine nipple types were identified, and 10 nipples of each type were tested by measuring the amount of infant formula expressed in 1 min using a breast pump. Mean milk flow rate (mL/min) and coefficient of variation were used to compare nipples within brand and within category (i.e., Slow, Standard, Premature). Results Flow rates varied widely between nipples, ranging from 2.10 mL/min for the Enfamil Cross-Cut to 85.34 mL/min for the Dr. Brown's Y-Cut Standard Neck. Variability of flow rates among nipples of the same type ranged from a coefficient of variation of 0.05 for Dr. Brown's Level 1 Standard- and Wide-Neck to 0.42 for the Enfamil Cross-Cut. Mean coefficient of variation by brand ranged from 0.08 for Dr. Brown's to 0...
SCF wave functions for (CuO2)n lamella in crystal field of T'-Nd2CuO4

An SCF analysis has been carried for ensembles that simulate the CuO2 conduction layer in the tetragonal layer crystal T′—Nd2CuO4 (Fig. 1). In this work, the CuO2 layer is described by a planar macromolecule, (CuO2)n, subject to the crystal field produced by the point charges in the ionic layers of D4h symmetry The computations were carried out using the KGNMOL, HONDO, and KGNGRAF codes in MOTECC -91. The computations were carried out with different oxygen and copper basis sets and energy convergence to less than 10−8 Hartrees. The purpose of the SCF computation was to estimate the cohesive energy of the ensembles, the electron density for the individual molecular orbitals, and the excess correlation energy, to ascertain the nature of the CuO bond in the conduction layer. The results indicate the following: (1) The cohesive energy of the ensembles (measured by the SCF energy plus the correlation energy, above the atomic values): ΔUc ≡ ΔESCF + ΔEC = −4.35 to −4.17 Hartrees per CuO bond as n increases from 4 to 9. Further insight was obtained by considering the electrostatic energy contributions to ΔUc; Eelectrostatic (ensemble) → EModeling (infinite lattice) were evaluated by replacing the oxygen and copper atoms by point charges determined by a Mullion population analysis. The larger oxygen basis set (13, 8/5,3) gave consistent results for the different ensembles of ΔEcovalent ≡ ΔUc − Eelectrostatic = −1.1 Hartrees per CuO bond. (ii) The electron density indicates that covalent bonds are formed and that the oxygen atoms play an important role in the structure stability. The covalent bonds formed indicate that nominal ionic valences do not apply. Mulliken population analyses gave valences of the order of one at the copper and oxygen atoms. The CuO bond orders are 0.47 between neighboring atoms and 0.048 for those separated by two atoms. (iv) The covalent nature of the CuO bonds in (CuO2)n was compared to that for the H2 molecule using as a measure the electron density and the excess correlation energy. The excess correlation energy per CuO bond above the atomic values is one order of magnitude lower that that for the H2 molecule and that for the CC bond in alternant hydrocarbons. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Engaging Youth in Lifelong Outdoor Adventure Activities through a Nontraditional Public School Physical Education Program.

Engaging youth in traditional physical education exercises or ball sports can be a challenging task, especially when they prefer novelty, entertainment, or excitement in their leisure-time activities. In addition, many youth are unaware of the opportunities that exist to exercise or recreate in nature, often preferring to spend time indoors connected to screens and virtual realities rather than in the real world outside. This article describes how one public school physical educator addressed this problem by creating an outdoor recreation program as his charter school's physical education curriculum. He engages youth in novel experiences they are intrinsically motivated to try, such as kayaking, bicycling, indoor climbing, and overnight camping. By participating in these activities, students learn not only lifelong leisure activities, but also about safety, risk, decision making, problem solving, leadership, and communication skills while participating in physically demanding activities.
Visual-haptic form recognition with task delay and sequenced bimodal input.

Abstract One hundred and fifty college students were given a randomized sequence of twenty 3-dimensional geometric forms of various sizes and shapes. Ten experimental groups performed a recognition task in which the forms were presented in visual, haptic, joint bimodal, or sequenced bimodal conditions. Half the S s in the five Modality conditions were tested concurrent with exposure to the form (Simultaneous Scan condition—SS) and the remaining S s were tested following a 10-second delay interval (Memory condition—M). Recognition testing was done in the visual modality. The results indicated that the S s performed significantly worse in the (M) conditions than in the (SS) conditions. Significant performance differences occuring as a function of Modality reflected mainly the superior of visual performance as compared to haptic performance. No differences were found between the sequenced bimodal condition and the other conditions.
Angular distributions and cross-section ratios for the reactions 2H(d, n)3He and 2H(d, p)3H below 500 keV

Abstract The competing reactions 2H(d, n)3He and 2H(d, p)3H were remeasured over the bombarding energy range of 20 keV to 350 keV with a magnetically analysed beam incident on a gas target. The angular distributions of the charged reactions products were observed with surface barrier detectors at 10° intervals from 20° to 160° in the laboratory system. Energy dependent asymmetry coefficients from the expansion of the centre-of-mass angular distributions in terms of even powers of cos θ and Legendre polynomials are obtained showing greater asymmetry in the neutron producing reaction. Branching ratios between the two reaction modes monotonically increase over this energy range with the neutron reaction favoured above a bombarding energy of 30 keV. A theoretical analysis of these branching ratios and asymmetry coefficients indicate the mass radius of the 3H nucleus is at least 8.5% smaller than that of the 3He nucleus.
Heterogeneous nucleation and epitaxial growth of Au on the Co decorated Au(111) surface investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract The growth of Au on the Co decorated Au(111) surface has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. The decoration causes an increased sticking probability of the Au atoms to the Co covered elbows of the herringbone reconstruction until they are totally covered with Au. It is concluded that the attraction of the Co islands is strong enough to prevent the Au atoms from diffusing into subsurface layers (random growth mode) at room temperature, eventhough the Au layer is also far from growing in a layer-by-layer growth mode. The decoration of the substrate steps with Co islands enables the observation of the detailed changes in the morphology of the growing Au steps.
Calibration of [123I]iodine-labeled tissue standards for autoradiographic studies.

Abstract Autoradiographic images can be analyzed with computer-assisted microdensitometry relative to radioactive reference standards to provide quantitative measurements of regional radioactivity concentrations. [123I]Iodine containing sections of brain paste have been calibrated relative to plastic-embedded tritium (3H) and 125Iodine standards. For exposure times of 8, 12 and 24 h, plastic-embedded standards covered a range concentrations of [123I]iodine from 1000 to 100,000 dpm/mg wet weight. Iodine-123 radioactivity was linear with section thickness from 5 to 30 μm. These studies confirmed the feasibility of using commercially available longer-lived reference standards to provide [123I]iodine equivalent values in absolute units of dpm (or μCi) per mg tissue.
When early crime prevention goes to scale: a new look at the evidence.

It is a widely held view—in both research and policy communities—that desirable effects on delinquency and later offending from early prevention trials will attenuate once they are “scaled-up” or “rolled-out” for wider public use. Some of the main reasons for this include a reduced level of risk, a more heterogeneous population, insufficient service infrastructure, and loss of program fidelity. If attenuation of program effects is not only possible but is highly probable, then the issue for researchers and policymakers should be how to preserve or even enhance effects in moving from efficacy trials to community effectiveness trials to broad-scale dissemination. This paper surveys the knowledge base in an effort to contribute to an improved understanding of the theoretical and empirical dimensions for successfully taking early crime prevention programs to scale. It also outlines some proposals for how future research can make progress on this critical policy issue.
A diagnostic aid for determining peripheral arteriosclerosis obliterans.

An objective technique for the evaluation of the peripheral circulation has been described. The method has a degree of sensitivity and specificity which is adequate for routine analysis of therapeutic measures influencing arteriosclerosis and for the preliminary investigation into the factors which define the arteriosclerotic peripheral vascular disease prone individual. Factors which correlate best with peripheral arteriosclerosis are excessive smoking, high blood sugars, high blood cholesterols, calcium deposition in the aorta, and high systolic blood pressures. Diastolic pressures and body weight correlated poorly.
Identification of the heparin binding site on adeno-associated virus serotype 3B (AAV-3B)

Adeno-associated virus is a promising vector for gene therapy. In the current study, the binding site on AAV serotype 3B for the heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) receptor has been characterized. X-ray diffraction identified a disaccharide binding site at the most positively charged region on the virus surface. The contributions of basic amino acids at this and other sites were characterized using site-directed mutagenesis. Both heparin and cell binding are correlated to positive charge at the disaccharide binding site, and transduction is significantly decreased in AAV-3B vectors mutated at this site to reduce heparin binding. While the receptor attachment sites of AAV-3B and AAV-2 are both in the general vicinity of the viral spikes, the exact amino acids that participate in electrostatic interactions are distinct. Diversity in the mechanisms of cell attachment by AAV serotypes will be an important consideration for the rational design of improved gene therapy vectors.
Factors affecting the flotation recovery of molybdenite from porphyry copper ores

Abstract Investigations have been conducted to characterize the surface chemical and flotation properties of molybdenite in aqueous environments typical of those that exist in the copper circuits of plants which process porphyry copper ores. These investigations have revealed that molybdenite and quartz particles are negatively charged at the pH commonly used for bulk sulfide flotation, namely 11. While the adsorption of calcium ions reduces the magnitude of negative charge on molybdenite, the adsorption can reverse the surface charge on quartz particles when the calcium concentration in solution exceeds 1 × 10 −3 M . Heterocoagulation of molybdenite and quartz particles will thus be inevitable in solutions containing large amounts of lime and will impair the floatability of molybdenite. The deleterious effects of heterocoagulation can be somewhat overcome by an ultrasonic conditioning prior to flotation. Besides heterocoagulation, particle size is very critical for optimum molybdenite flotation. Coarse molybdenite particles (120 × 200 mesh) float extremely rapidly and completely without being influenced by heterocoagulation. The flotation of fine molybdenite particles (minus 200 mesh) is sensitive to particle size and heterocoagulation. Results of tests conducted to assess the effects of overgrinding of molybdenite have indicated that while there is no change in the crystal structure due to prolonged grinding, the floatability is significantly reduced due to the creation of very rough surfaces.
A more permanent homeland: land tenure in Guthlac A

To a greater extent than other saints' lives, Guthlac A is a poem about a land dispute. Through contextualizing the central ‘battle for the beorg’ within Anglo-Saxon practices of land tenure, this article shows that Guthlac A represents the spiritual conflict between Guthlac and the devils as a land dispute between unworthy tenants who have been given temporary tenure of the land and a warrior of God who is granted permanent tenure as his reward for faithful service. By portraying the devils' loss of the beorg and Guthlac's acquisition of it through the framework of Anglo-Saxon customs of land-holding, the poem dramatizes replacement doctrine, the teaching that the number of the saved would equal the number of fallen angels and replace them in the heavenly kingdom.
Temporal factors in the discrimination of tonal sequences

Human observers were asked to judge whether or not two sequences of eight or more tones had the same serial pattern of frequencies. The temporal envelopes of the sequences were manipulated by randomly varying the tone durations or intertone gaps. In the correlated condition, the temporal envelopes of the sequences were varied across trials; the two sequences within each trial had the same temporal envelope. In the uncorrelated condition, the temporal envelopes were varied both across and within trials; every sequence had a unique temporal pattern. Performance in the uncorrelated condition decreased with increased variability in the temporal envelope. Performance in the correlated condition was independent of temporal variability, but decreased with increases in the time interval between the onsets of the two sequences. This pattern of results is consistent with an extension of a model of auditory discrimination developed by Durlach and Braida [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 46, 372-383 (1969)], in which two processing modes are postulated: a trace mode and a context mode. When the tonal sequences had unique temporal patterns, context mode processing was dominant; when the sequences had identical temporal patterns, trace mode processing was preferred. The effect of variables such as the number of tones, the tone duration, the time gap between tones, and the time interval between sequences was consistent with the predictions of the discrimination model.
Corporate restructuring and product market behaviour

This article investigates the relationship between product market behaviour and corporate restructuring policies. We focus on two types of corporate restructuring events: acquisitions and divestitures. We find that 1 year after acquisition, acquiring firms on average experience long-term deteriorating product market performance. In addition, acquiring firms in industries with less competition have worse performance in subsequent years. In comparison, divesting firms experience no significant change in the performance after divestitures. Last, we document that a sustainable product market improvement is related to higher stock market valuation while a temporary improvement have negative effects. Therefore, we show that corporate restructuring has an important firm-value implication through the channel of product market effects.
Curve-of-growth function for a random array of voigt lines☆

Abstract The accuracy of two approximations to the curve-of-growth function V ( a, x ) for a random array of Voigt lines with exponential line strength distribution is examined. A heuristic extension of the Rodgers and Williams approximation for isolated Voigt lines is accurate to better than 9% for all x and a . A modified version of the approximation used in the NASA plume radiation code is accurate to better than 4% for all x and a .
Effect of the number of high-fat and low-fat cues on food choice.

This study examined the effects on food choice of increasing the number of healthy items available (fruit) and decreasing the number of unhealthy items available (candy bars). A similar choice, involving nonfood items, was also examined. Two hundred eighty-nine men and women were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental groups: (a) control group, (b) increased number of fruits, fc) decreased number of candy bars, and (d) combination. Between 30% and 40% of participants chose fruit regardless of the amount of fruit and candy presented: there was no effect of increasing fruit or decreasing candy bars. However, restrained participants and current dieters were more likely to choose fruit. In contrast, both stimulus control techniques were effective in increasing the percentage of participants choosing a nonfood item. These results suggest that stimulus control may not be sufficient to modify food choice; other powerful factors affect eating behavior, and these must be considered.
Cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding a mRNA rapidly-induced by ABA in barley aleurone layers.

Abscisic acid (ABA) inhibits the gibberellic acid induced synthesis of α-amylase in barley aleurone layers, yet ABA itself induces more than a dozen polypeptides (Lin & Ho, Plant Physiol 82: 289–297, 1986). As part of our effort to elucidate the molecular action of ABA in barley aleurone layers, we have isolated and characterized an ABA-induced cDNA clone, pHV A1. This cDNA clone hybridizes to an RNA species of approximately 1.1 kb from ABA-treated barley aleurone layers. The level of this mRNA is tripled within 40 minutes after ABA treatment, reaches a peak at 8–12 h, and is present up to 48 h. The induction of this mRNA responds to concentrations of ABA as low as 10-9 M, but higher ABA concentrations induce higher expression of this mRNA. The products of hybrid-select translation and in vitro transcription/translation with pHV A1 comigrate on SDS gel as a 27 kDa polypeptide. However, the sequence of pHV A1 indicates that it has an open reading frame encoding a 22 kDa protein. This size discrepancy is probably due to the high content of the basic amino acid, lysine. This notion has been confirmed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showing that this polypeptide is one of the most basic proteins in ABA-treated barley aleurone layers. The deduced amino acid sequence of pHV A1 contains nine imperfect repeats 11 amino acids long which share homology with cotton Lea 7 protein (Baker, Steele & Dure, Plant Mol Biol, in press). The identity and function of the encoded product of pHV A1 is under investigation.
Corporate failure as a means to corporate responsibility

Milton Friedman has argued that corporations have no responsibility to society beyond that of obeying the law and maximizing profits for shareholders. Individuals may have social responsibilities according to Friedman, but not corporations. When executives make contributions to address social problems in the name of the corporation, they are doing so with other people's (shareholders') money. The responsibility of corporate executives is a fiduciary one, to serve as an agent for the corporation's shareholders, and to uphold shareholders' trust, which requires executives to maximize the return to their shareholders, who can then, if they choose, contribute their own money to worthy causes. Of course, shareholders face the decision problems inherent in the classic “prisoners' dilemma,” where the choices that are collectively sensible are individually unreasonable. Given their dilemma, shareholders should not expect to be able to control executives sufficiently to make them perfect agents, dutifully seeking to maximize shareholder profits in every decision. But, at least as an ideal, Friedman would argue that executivesshould serve as perfect agents andshould not reduce corporate profits by contributing to social causes. Friedman's critics have focused on the assumptions implicit in Friedman's conceptual framework, one of the more important of which is that executives have no other fiduciary responsibility other that the one they have with their shareholders. The purpose of this paper is to stay within Friedman's conceptual framework and, at the same time, the question Friedman's view on the social responsibility of business, even as an ideal. We do this by focusing directly on how managers will behave, given their status as agents and the extant costs shareholders must incur to closely monitor their executives, and then drawing on important conceptual insights regarding the inefficient provision of community or public goods, best articulated by Friedman himself. Friedman has argued that contributions to many social problems generate positive neighborhood, or spillover, effects. Because of these positive spillovers, a prisoners' dilemma exists with collective rationality calling for everyone to contribute to the solution of a social problem, but with it being irrational from the perspective of each individual to make such a contribution. Once this prisoners' dilemma is recognized, the possibility exists that all shareholders would be worse off if the shareholders of each corporation had the ability to exert perfect control over their corporate agents, thereby preventing them from violating Friedman's prescription for social responsibility by making corporate contributions in excess of profit maximizing levels.
CRISIS OF THE FISCAL CRISIS

Book reviewed in this articles: A Review of James O'Connor's The Fiscal Crisis of the State and its Urban Implications
Is There An Immunogenetic Basis for Peyronie's Disease?

ABSTRACTPurpose: Despite numerous studies, there has been no definitive HLA association with Peyronie's disease. Results of available studies have been reviewed and compared to determine if the cumulative evidence supports any immunogenetic, HLA association with Peyronie's disease.Materials and Methods: Data from reports of HLA associations with Peyronie's disease were reanalyzed by categories of reported HLA class I or class II antigens in comparison with recently available large population analysis of the frequencies of these antigens in the normal population. Data were also considered by whether they were derived from population or family analyses.Results: The results of 4 series of patients testing an association of Peyronie's disease with the HLA class I antigens, in particular the B7 related antigens, were contradictory. A B7 association was not confirmed in 2 larger series and, in fact, the B7 related antigens were observed in frequencies expected in a normal population, suggesting that the associa...
Photomorphogenesis: Light receptor kinases in plants!

Plants must adapt to a capricious light environment, but the mechanism by which light signals are transmitted to cause changes in development has long eluded us. The search might be over, however, as two photoreceptors, phytochrome and NPH1, have been shown to autophosphorylate in a light-dependent fashion.
Molecular cloning of an enhancer binding protein:Isolation by screening of an expression library with a recognition site DNA

Summary A novel strategy has been used to isolate a CDNA clone that encodes a DNA binding domain whose recognition properties overlap those of the mammalian transcription factors H2TF1 and NF-κB. These two factors are distinguished by their cell type distributions and their relative affinities for related sequence elements in the enhancers of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class 1 and immunoglobulin κ chain genes. The human cDNA clone was detected by screening a λ phage expression library with a binding site probe derived from the MHC enhancer. The phage encoded fusion protein binds specifically to both the MHC and κ gene enhancers. The cDNA hybridizes to a single copy gene that is expressed as a 10 kb mRNA in both B and non-B cells. The strategy used in this study may prove generally useful in the cloning and analysis of sequence-specific DNA binding proteins.
The influence of viscosity on dilution methods. Its problems in the determination of serum sodium.

Dilution with a roller-pump is a well known procedure in clinical chemistry. This method may be influenced by viscosity. A higher viscosity of the sample yields a lower sample output and consequently a larger dilution. If the substance to be determined in the diluted sample can be measured accurately, the influence of viscosity may be analysed easily. This was performed for serum sodium. It was shown that with extreme pathological viscosities (as are found e.g. in multiple myeloma and Waldenstrom's macroglobinemia) underestimations of more than 15% may occur. Especially for serum sodium, the physiological range of which is fairly small, this may provoke serious diagnostic and therapeutic problems. We propose to use viscosity independent dilution systems.