cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of novel irrelevant cues on brightness discrimination reversal in rats.

Summary.-Rats learned a brightness discrimination with irrelevant form cues present. Following overtraining, reinforcement contingencies were successively reversed with respect to brightness cues. Novel form cues were introduced at the first reversal and at each of two successive reversals for 20 rats; 20 experienced the same form cues throughout. The novel-cue group required significantly fewer trials to criterion than the same-cue group, over all phases. Implications of the facilitative effect of novelty along an irrelevant dimension are discussed. In evaluating some implications of continuity theory (Spence, 1936, 1937) and attention theory (Sutherland & Mackintosh, 1971 ) , Cogan and Hafer ( 1973) performed an experiment on brightness discrimination, using an optional shift paradigm. Rats exposed ro novel-shaped stimuli in the optional phase learned the discrimination reliably faster than same-cue subjects. This finding is inconsisrent with predictions based on attention models. Attention theory assumes that prior to learning a response, the subject must "switch in" an analyzer appropriate to the sensory dimension relevant to task solution (Sutherland, 1964). The theory further suggests that as a subject experiences successful trials his attention will become increasingly concentrated upon the relevant dimension, eventually to the exclusion of other stimulus dimensions (Sutherland & Mackintosh, 1971); thus, changes in cues of an irrelevant dimension should have litde effect on reversal learning. Since Mackintosh (1965) suggested that overtraining following an initial discrimination increases the probability of an animal's attending to the relevant dimension, one might argue that Cogan and Hafer's ( 1973) subjects did not experience sufficient training to fix their attention firmly on the relevant brightness dimension; they were not overtrained on the original problem. The present. study was designed to assess effects of novel cues from an irrelevant dimension on learning rate of a simultaneous discrimination in a successive reversal learning paradigm, with overtraining given on the initial problem.
Work and Anthropology in Costa Rica: An Orientation

This introduction to the study of work in Costa Rica develops a frame of reference for articles about (1) the long tradition of “pot hunting,” i.e., looting and commercializing antiquities; (2) the diverse traditions of artisan work with wood; (3) ambiguities about indigenous identity in the emergence of new livelihoods in response to cultural tourism; and (4) the attainment of “professional” status in a direct-sales network of an international company promoting products claimed to enhance health. The articles explore different settings, time periods and other dimensions of work, yet they share a sense of the importance of respecting a component of the national ethos dedicated to the enjoyment of life, pura vida, which encompasses satisfying and sustainable livelihoods. Beyond the researchers' findings, treated separately and comparatively, their underlying assumptions and approaches also reveal distinctive aspects of the “work of anthropology” in Costa Rica.
Fluctuation contribution to the far-infrared transmission of lead films

The transmission in the far infrared (2-40 cm/sup -1/) of dirty very- thin lead films has been measured in the vicinity of the transition temperature T/ sub c/. The films were evaporated onto quartz substrates at or below 40 deg K and were not warmed above this temperature between the please delete the above abstract no. 22772===================
Support from the relationship of genetic and geographic distance in human populations for a serial founder effect originating in Africa

Equilibrium models of isolation by distance predict an increase in genetic differentiation with geographic distance. Here we find a linear relationship between genetic and geographic distance in a worldwide sample of human populations, with major deviations from the fitted line explicable by admixture or extreme isolation. A close relationship is shown to exist between the correlation of geographic distance and genetic differentiation (as measured by FST) and the geographic pattern of heterozygosity across populations. Considering a worldwide set of geographic locations as possible sources of the human expansion, we find that heterozygosities in the globally distributed populations of the data set are best explained by an expansion originating in Africa and that no geographic origin outside of Africa accounts as well for the observed patterns of genetic diversity. Although the relationship between FST and geographic distance has been interpreted in the past as the result of an equilibrium model of drift and dispersal, simulation shows that the geographic pattern of heterozygosities in this data set is consistent with a model of a serial founder effect starting at a single origin. Given this serial-founder scenario, the relationship between genetic and geographic distance allows us to derive bounds for the effects of drift and natural selection on human genetic variation.
From kreatophagia to infectious aortitis

Introduction Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus has been reported to have vascular tropism. Case presentation: C. fetus subsp. fetus aortitis was found in an 82‐year‐old woman who had already undergone aortic valve replacement. The diagnosis was confirmed by positive blood cultures, transoesophageal echocardiography and a positron emission tomography scan. Conclusion: We report the first case, to the best of our knowledge, of aortitis on a native ascending aorta caused by C. fetus subsp. fetus and confirm the vascular tropism of these bacteria. The origin of the infection was supposedly raw meat ingestion (kreatophagia).
A Prototype System for on-Site Calibration of Coupling Capacitor Voltage Transformers (CCVTs)

In recent years, the coupling capacitor voltage transformer (CCVT) has come into wide use for 0.3% accuracy extra-high voltage (EHV) revenue metering in interties between utilities. Considerable user experience raised doubts as to its adequacy for this application and suggested the need for periodic calibration. Since the CCVT is permanently installed, this calibration must be done on-site.
Thermodynamical Proof of the Gibbs Formula for Elementary Quantum Systems

An elementary derivation is given of the formula for the thermal equilibrium states of quantum systems that can be described in finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces. The three assumptions made, Passivity, Structural Stability, and Consistency, have phenomenological interpretations. Except at zero temperature, Structural Stability follows already from Passivity and a weak form of Consistency.
Chest radiographs are valuable in demonstrating clinically significant pacemaker complications that require reoperation.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the utility of chest radiography in demonstrating clinically significant pacemaker complications that required reoperation. Methods In this retrospective case-controlled series, we identified 14 consecutive adults who required pacemaker reoperation and who had chest radiographs available for review (6 men, 8 women; mean age, 71 years [range, 43–95 years]). Ten patients had pacemakers implanted at our institution, and 4 were referred for reoperation. Forty-two controls, 3 for each patient, had postoperative chest radiographs and normal device function (25 men, 17 women; mean age 76 years [range, 37–96 years]). All postoperative chest radiographs, including 1-year follow-ups, were blindly reviewed by at least 2 of 4 radiologists for lead perforation and position of right atrial and right ventricular leads. Follow-up radiographs were assessed for lead perforation, lead displacement, and lead fracture. Data were analysed by using the Fisher exact test. Results Of the patients, 1.7% (10/581) required reoperation for pacemaker dysfunction (noncapture, oversensing, abnormal atrial and ventricular thresholds, failing impedance), extracardiac stimulation, and lead perforation and/or displacement. There were no lead fractures. Chest radiographs demonstrated pacemaker complications in 57% of patients (8/14) at a median of 2 days ( P P = .0017), extracardiac stimulation in 1 of 3 patients vs 0 of 9 controls ( P = .25), and lead perforation and/or displacement in 3 of 4 patients vs 2 of 12 controls ( P = .06). Conclusions Chest radiographs are useful after pacemaker placement and demonstrate the majority of complications that require reoperation. Familiarity with the expected normal position of the leads, appearances of pacemaker complications, and comparison with prior radiographs is crucial in rendering a correct diagnosis that guides patient management.
Use of step activity monitoring for continuous physical activity assessment in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Abstract McDonald CM, Widman LM, Walsh DD, Walsh SA, Abresch RT. Use of step activity monitoring for continuous physical activity assessment in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2005;86:802–8. Objectives To evaluate the StepWatch Activity Monitor (SAM) as a quantitative measure of community ambulation, to investigate activity patterns and heart rate of ambulatory boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and to correlate the step activity with measures of body composition and strength. Design Case-control study. Setting General community and laboratory. Participants Sixteen ambulatory boys with DMD and 20 male controls (age range, 5–13y). Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Laboratory determinations of body composition, knee extension strength, and minute-by-minute step rate and heart rate during 3 days of community activity. Results During the 3 days of activity, DMD subjects, when compared with controls, (1) had significantly more inactive minutes (1096±90min/d vs 1028±85min/d), (2) took significantly fewer steps and spent fewer minutes at moderate (66±31min/d vs 94±30min/d) and high step rates (43±30min/d vs 72±38min/d), (3) had higher resting heart rate (110±12 beats/min vs 94±7 beats/min) and lower increase in heart rate with increased step rate, and (4) had lower maximum heart rates (164±24 beats/min vs 208±16 beats/min). Percentage of body fat and knee extension strength correlated with total step activity in the DMD group but not in the control group. Conclusions Step-rate monitoring with the SAM provides useful outcome measures with which to evaluate the activity of ambulatory boys with DMD. Their heart rate did not increase with activity to the same degree as observed in the control group.
A longitudinal study of students with learning disabilities in mainstream and resource programs

Abstract In a 5‐year prospective study, we assessed the cognitive, academic, and behavioral characteristics of 42 children with learning disabilities from the time of identification at 6 to 7 years of age until they reached 11½ years of age. At the study's endpoint, 14 students were fully mainstreamed, 25 students continued to receive learning‐disability resource assistance, and three students were in self‐contained programs. Patterns of grade retention showed that students who were never retained were significantly more likely to be fully mainstreamed than were students who repeated one or more grades. Analyses of cognitive and achievement measures revealed no differences between mainstreamed and resource students at the time of identification. At endpoint, however, resource students showed a significant drop in verbal IQ and lower achievement. Both at the beginning and end of the study, teachers rated students who were eventually mainstreamed higher on behavior related to academic competence.
Accumulating Knowledge: When Are Reading Intervention Results Meaningful?

AbstractThe three target articles provide examples of intervention studies that are excellent models for the field. They rely on rigorous and elegant designs, the interventions are motivated by attention to underlying theoretical mechanisms, and longitudinal designs are used to examine the duration of effects of interventions that occur. When studies are carefully designed, effect sizes tend to be modest. We argue that the meaningfulness of effect sizes should not necessarily be determined with reference to Cohen's rule of thumb, and that modest effect sizes can result in major change in performance if they cumulate.
Relative Roles of the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems in the Reflex Control of Heart Rate

This study was designed to define the relative roles of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the reflex alterations of heart rate consequent to changes in arterial pressure. In 23 experiments carried out on 22 anesthetized dogs and in studies performed on four trained, unanesthetized dogs, acute changes in arterial pressure were produced by administering drugs acting on the peripheral vascular bed. The effects of acutely elevating systemic pressure were also investigated in four intact unanesthetized human subjects. Augmenting arterial pressure above control levels with graded doses of phenylephrine always slowed heart rate strikingly. Although complete sympathetic blockade with guanethidine or pronethalol did not significantly alter the degree of slowing, parasympathetic blockade with atropine or vagotomy essentially abolished this response. Conversely, lowering pressure with intravenous injections of nitroglycerin always raised heart rate in the control state, a response abolished by sympathetic blockade with guanethidine or nethalide, but not by parasympathetic blockade with vagotomy or atropine. Thus, when arterial pressure rises above control, the decrease in heart rate is mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system, withdrawal of sympathetic activity playing no detectable role; when pressure falls below control levels, the elevation of heart rate is mediated primarily by the sympathetic nervous system. These findings are not consonant with the traditional concept of control of heart rate which predicates simultaneous reciprocal changes in activity occurring in the two components of the autonomic nervous system.
Shaggy/GSK3 antagonizes Hedgehog signalling by regulating Cubitus interruptus

The Drosophila protein Shaggy (Sgg, also known as Zeste-white3, Zw3) and its vertebrate orthologue glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) are inhibitory components of the Wingless (Wg) and Wnt pathways. Here we show that Sgg is also a negative regulator in the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway. In Drosophila, Hh acts both by blocking the proteolytic processing of full-length Cubitus interruptus, Ci (Ci155), to generate a truncated repressor form (Ci75), and by stimulating the activity of accumulated Ci155 (refs 2-6). Loss of sgg gene function results in a cell-autonomous accumulation of high levels of Ci155 and the ectopic expression of Hh-responsive genes including decapentaplegic (dpp) and wg. Simultaneous removal of sgg and Suppressor of fused, Su(fu), results in wing duplications similar to those caused by ectopic Hh signalling. Ci is phosphorylated by GSK3 after a primed phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA), and mutating GSK3-phosphorylation sites in Ci blocks its processing and prevents the production of the repressor form. We propose that Sgg/GSK3 acts in conjunction with PKA to cause hyperphosphorylation of Ci, which targets it for proteolytic processing, and that Hh opposes Ci proteolysis by promoting its dephosphorylation.
Plane wave propagation in 2D and 3D monodisperse periodic granular media

Plane wave propagation in periodic ordered granular media comprising of elastic spherical particles is investigated. The spheres are under zero precompression and are assumed to interact via the Hertzian contact potential. Various two- and three-dimensional granular structures such as hexagonal packing (2D and 3D), face-centered cubic and body-centered cubic packings are considered in the present study, with the plane impact either normal or oblique to the granular system. For the normal impact case, 1D chains equivalent to the 2D and 3D structures are obtained. A universal relation between the wavefront speed and the force amplitude is derived, valid for all the granular structures studied. In the angular impact case, the shear component of the amplitude of the particle velocity is found to initially decay exponentially and further in a series of linear regimes. By employing simpler models, semi-analytical predictions are obtained for the decay of shearing effect.
Performance of a Fifteen-Centimeter Ion Thruster with Reliable Restart Capability

Experimental evaluation of a modified SERT II thruster with dished grids capable of producing a 600 ma ion beam at 2690 sec specific impulse and achieving rapid, reliable startup is described. In addition to steadystate performance curves, thruster performance is examined over the duration of rapid startup and one hr operating sequence. Rapid startup utilizing high voltage spark ignition of the main and neutralizer cathodes is described. Minimal deterioration of the cathodes and the ignition system during 1000 neutralizer cathode startups and 2000 main cathode startups is demonstrated. The need for heaters and a vaporizer control system to facilitate more rapid startup is identified.
Successful Enteral Nutritional Support in the Neurocritical Care Unit

Adequate caloric intake is associated with improved outcome in neurocritical illness, but factors influencing the provision of enteral nutrition (EN) have not been systematically evaluated. The primary goal of the study was to determine the EN intake of neurosurgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients within the first week of illness and investigate the factors contributing to achieving caloric goals. A retrospective cohort of adult patients admitted to the neurosurgery service (NS) during August 2005–August 2006 were randomly selected and stratified into three groups based on their ICU-admission Glasgow Coma Scale Score (GCS) (GCS > 11, GCS 8–11, GCS 4–7). Daily EN intake, GCS, and other clinical data were collected. A total of 71 patients were included (GCS > 11 = 23, GCS 8–11 = 23, GCS 4–7 = 25). Admitting diagnoses included traumatic brain injury (TBI) (32%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) (32%), and intracerebral hemorrhage (17%). The overall in-hospital mortality was 23.9%. Overall, the maximum daily mean calories provided was 1,100 kcal (mean of 55% of caloric goal on hospital day 6). The median time to feeding was approximately 3 days in each group. GCS did not appear to significantly affect the mean % of caloric goal administered in patients with a minimum daily GCS ≤ 11 (P = 0.053). Multivariate analysis revealed that clinical care factors, such as time to EN orders and enteral access confirmation, were significant impediments to EN provision (P = 0.001). System-based clinical care factors appear to have great impact on the successful provision of EN in the first week of neurocritical illness.
Classification by linear and quadratic discriminant scores

This program provides two alternative Bayes solutions to problems of classifying an individual into one of K mutually exclusive populations on the basis of measurements taken on p predictor variables. It is assumed that the individual must have come from one of the K populations and must be assigned to one of them. Two simplifying assumptions are made. First, the p measurements are assumed to have a multivariate normal distribution in each of the populations.' Secondly, all misclassification errors are considered equally costly. The Bayes decision rule minimizes the total probability of misclassification. In this procedure. an individual is classified by means of "discriminant scores," one for each of the K populations, resulting in the assignment of the individual to that population for which he has the largest posterior probability. Such a Bayes procedure requires the "prior probabilities" that an individual, drawn at random, belongs to a given population. This procedure does not, however, require that the covariance matrices of the K populations be equal (homogeneous); a test of the homogeneity assumption is made by the program. If they are equal, the discriminant scores can be reduced to linear functions of the predictor variables. They are therefore called "linear discriminant scores." When the covariance matrices are unequal, the discriminant scores are quadratic functions and are called "quadratic discriminant scores." Thus, the mathematical form of the discriminant scores differentiates two types of Bayee procedures-linear and quadratic-both of which are provided by the program. For detailed discussions, see Anderson (1958), Rao (1965), and Fu1comer (1970). Method. (1) Notation. The following terms are used in this program description: K = number of populations, p = number of variables, x' = (xj , "', Xp ) = vector of predictor scores, 1Tk = prior probability of the kt h population, JJ.k = mean vector of the k t h population, ~k = covariance matrix of the kt h population, rii =cost in assigning an individual who actually belongs to the it h population to the jth, Pi(X)=probability density at Xfor the it h population, § = sample space of all potential observations, Wi = classification region for the it h popula tion. Carets (e .g., Pk) indicate the use of sample estimates for corresponding parameters. (2) Decision Rule. The expected loss in applying a decision rule for an individual from the it h population is
Successful treatment of metastatic thymic carcinoma with cisplatin, vinblastine ,bleomycin, and etoposide chemotherapy

Thymic carcinomas are rare malignant neoplasms of the thymic epithelium that are distinguished from the malignant thymomas by the presence of cytologic atypia. Thymic carcinomas may metastasize outside of the thorax and are associated with a very poor prognosis. Complete responses of thymic carcinoma to chemotherapy alone have not been reported. A 21-year-old man with metastatic undifferentiated carcinoma of probable thymic origin is presented who achieved a pathologic complete response with cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin chemotherapy. Additional consolidative chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide was administered. The patient remains disease-free 5 years after diagnosis. Cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin chemotherapy appears to have significant activity against thymic carcinoma.
A universal envelope for Gaussian processes and their kernels

The central theme in our paper deals with mathematical issues involved in the answer to the following question: How can we generate stochastic processes from their correlation data? Since Gaussian processes are determined by moment information up to order two, we focus on the Gaussian case. Two functional analytic tools are used here, in more than one variant. They are: operator factorization; and direct integral decompositions in the form of Karhunen-Loeve expansions. We define and study a new interplay between the theory of positive definition functions, and their reproducing kernels, on the one hand, and Gaussian stochastic processes, on the other. The three classes of processes we study are as follows: Processes associated with: (a) arbitrarily given sigma finite regular measures on a fixed Borel measure space; (b) with Hilbert spaces of sigma-functions; and (c) with systems of self-similar measures arising in the theory of iterated function systems. Starting with a non-degenerate positive definite function K on some fixed set S, we show that there is a choice of a universal sample space Ω, which can be realized as a “boundary” of (S,K). Its boundary-theoretic properties are analyzed, and we point out their relevance to the study of electrical networks on countable infinite graphs.
A statistical test for means of samples from skew populations

This paper presents a test for determining significance of differences between means of samples which are drawn from positively skewed populations, more specifically, those having a Pearson Type III distribution function. The quantity 2npx g /x p (wherep equals the mean squared divided by the variance andn is the number of cases in the sample), which distributes itself as Chi Square for 2np degrees of freedom, may be referred to the tables of Chi Square for testing hypotheses about the value of the true mean. For two independent samples, the larger mean divided by the smaller mean, which distributes itself asF for 2n 1 p 1 and 2n 2 p 2 degrees of freedom, may be referred to theF distribution tables for testing significance of difference between means. The test assumes that the range of possible scores is from zero to infinity. When a lower theoretical score limit (c) exists which is not zero, the quantity (Mean —c) should be used instead of the mean in all calculations.
Validation and error estimation of computational models

This paper develops a Bayesian methodology for assessing the confidence in model prediction by comparing the model output with experimental data when both are stochastic. The prior distribution of the response is first computed, which is then updated based on experimental observation using Bayesian analysis to compute a validation metric. A model error estimation methodology is then developed to include model form error, discretization error, stochastic analysis error (UQ error), input data error and output measurement error. Sensitivity of the validation metric to various error components and model parameters is discussed. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the proposed methodology.
Gleaning Processual Data from Materials Analysis of Museum Collections: The Harvard University Peabody Museulm's Mecklenburg Collection and Social Evolution in Late Rehistoric Europe

In recent years the research potential of museum collections has come to be more widely recognized by anthropologists [1]. There are a number of factors that account for a turn from collecting “primary” data towards an approach based on reevaluating material remains collected by another. Prehistoric archaeologists have often led the way in artifactual analysis because the physical artifact is our only means of reconstructing past lifeways. Although sane have argued that this limitation in our range of data does not limit the possibilities of ultimate reconstruction [2], nevertheless it is with the artifact that we must begin.
Reconstitution of modular PDK1 functions on trans-splicing of the regulatory PH and catalytic kinase domains.

The serine-threonine protein kinases PDK1 and PKB each contain a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain that binds the membrane-bound phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] second messenger and is required for PDK1-catalyzed phosphorylation and activation of PKB. While X-ray structures have been reported for the individual regulatory PH and catalytic kinase domain constructs of both PDK1 and PKB, diffraction quality crystals of full length constructs have yet to be obtained, likely due to conformational heterogeneity. In developing alternative approaches to understanding the potential role of conformational dynamics in regulating PKB phosphorylation by PDK1, an efficient in vitro method for protein trans-splicing was developed, which utilizes the N- and C-terminal split inteins of the gene dnaE from Nostoc punctiforme [(N)NpuDnaE] and Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 [(C)SspDnaE], respectively. For conjugating the regulatory PH domain to the catalytic kinase domain of PDK1, the recombinant trans-splicing fusion constructs KINASE(AEY)-(N)NpuDnaE-His6 and GST-His6-(C)SspDnaE-(CMN)PH were designed, PCR assembled, overexpressed, and affinity purified. The cross-reacting (N)NpuDnaE and (C)SspDnaE inteins generated full length spliced-PDK1 with kobs = (2.8 +/- 0.3) x 10(-5) s(-1) and with or =95% homogeneity from the reaction mixture by subsequent His6 affinity and ion exchange chromatography steps. In vitro kinase assays and phosphopeptide mapping studies confirmed that spliced-PDK1 retained the ability to colocalize and selectively phosphorylate Thr-309 of PKBbeta in a PI(3,4,5)P3-dependent manner. The high-level production and reconstitution of functional spliced-PDK1 establishes the feasibility of incorporating domain-specific biophysical probes for spectroscopic studies of regulatory PH domain mediated catalytic specificity.
Tyrosine nitration as mediator of cell death

Nitrotyrosine is used as a marker for the production of peroxynitrite and other reactive nitrogen species. For over 20 years the presence of nitrotyrosine was associated with cell death in multiple pathologies. Filling the gap between correlation and causality has proven to be a difficult task. Here, we discuss the evidence supporting tyrosine nitration as a specific posttranslational modification participating in the induction of cell death signaling pathways.
Changes in nucleic acid and protein content of the human brain during growth.

Extract: In order to establish the pattern of cellular growth, nucleic acid and protein content were serially determined in 31 human brains. The eraliest-material was obtained from a fetus with a gestational age of 13 weeks; the latest from a 13-month-old infant. Weight, protein, and RNA content increased linearly during this period. Weight increased from 5 g to 970 g, protein from 193 mg to 53 g, and RNA from 18.5 to 1384 mg. In contrast, increase in DNA content began to level off at about the time of birth and reached a maximum (approximately 900 mg) by five months of age. These data indicate that very little cell division occurs in the human brain after five months of age and that further growth occurs by increase in protein, RNA and, perhaps, lipid content of cells.
Abstract ED05-03: Global tobacco control: Preventing 10 million cancer deaths by 2030

Tobacco use is responsible for one in three cancer‐related deaths. Thanks to 50 years of aggressive public education efforts, tobacco use is declining in most industrialized countries. However, worldwide, tobacco consumption is actually increasing, driven in part by population growth and economic development in China, India, Indonesia, and parts of Africa and the Middle East. There are now approximately 1.3 billion smokers in the world, and 84% of them reside in the developing world. Tobacco use is the world9s leading cause of preventable death, directly causing 30% of the 11.5 million annual cancer predicted by 2030 deaths. In recognition of this enormous threat, the member countries of the WHO adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [FCTC], the first international treaty devoted to health. The FCTC has been ratified by over 160 countries, but some large countries such as the United States and Russia have yet to ratify the treaty. Ratification obligates countries to implement a comprehensive set of common sense policies intended to reduce the demand for tobacco use. These policies include measures to: keep the price of tobacco high; protect nonsmokers from exposure to tobacco smoke; regulate products; control packaging and labeling of tobacco products; ban tobacco product marketing; educate the public; promote and assist tobacco cessation and prevention; prevent sales to minors; and promote alternative uses for tobacco croplands. Estimates indicate that aggressive implementation of FCTC policies could prevent 10 million excess cancer deaths anticipated over the next 20 years. The policies included in the FCTC were selected on the basis of scientific evidence. However, as the FCTC continues with its critical implementation phase in the next 5 years, and as nations that have ratified the treaty decide what specific policies will be implemented to meet their treaty obligations, it will become increasingly important that scientific evidence continue to guide the adoption of policies that will work effectively. There is already evidence that the tobacco industry is working to undermine the FCTC by encouraging countries to adopt policies that, although compliant with the FCTC, are suboptimal. As in clinical medicine, good public health practice demands that rigorously evaluated evidence guide the adoption of new tobacco control interventions. Thus, in the next few years, amassing a strong body of evidence from a methodologically sound evaluation of FCTC policies will be critical. This can then be used to guide governmental policymakers in the future. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):ED05-03.
A novel technique for characterizing thermal expansion in minerals

When a crystalline solid is subjected to a temperature increase, its constituent polyhedra may change in size and shape and rotate relative to one another. If the deformation can be approximated by a linear transformation of atomic coordinates, these changes can be quantitatively described in terms of second rank tensors. An iterative least-squares method is used to calculate strain and rotation tensors given the positions of the coordinating atoms of a polyhedron at two temperatures. The method is applied to polyhedral thermal expansions in silicate and oxide minerals.
A review of mass-dependent fractionation of selenium isotopes and implications for other heavy stable isotopes

Abstract Measurements of selenium (Se) isotope fractionation began about 1960, with work by Roy Krouse and Harry Thode on Se reduction. Se isotope research to date has confirmed these measurements, developed new measurement techniques, and investigated Se isotope fractionation during several other critical processes. As the geochemistry of Se is complex, current understanding of Se isotope systematics involves studies of many reactions, and synthesis of these results. Fractionation during dissimilatory Se reduction by pure bacterial cultures varies according to experimental conditions, but bacterial reduction in sediment slurries from three wetlands induces consistent 80 Se/ 76 Se fractionations of about 2.8‰ and 5.6‰ for Se(VI) reduction and Se(IV) reduction, respectively. Assimilation by higher plants, Se(IV) oxidation, sorption, and biological volatilization induce little or no isotopic fractionation. Preliminary experiments suggest that fractionation of about 1.0‰ accompanies assimilation of Se by algae. Thus, significant fractionation occurs in only a few reactions and if fractionation is observed in nature, it provides evidence that those reactions occur. Understanding of the systematics of other “heavy stable isotopes”, including those of calcium, iron, copper, molybdenum, chromium, and zinc, is currently being developed. Mass-dependent fractionation of these and other elements should provide a new set of tools for low-temperature biogeochemical applications, such as detecting redox reactions or distinguishing between potential contaminant sources. Some general conclusions from the Se isotopes work can be extended to the other heavy stable isotopes to aid in developing them and assessing their likely geochemical applicability.
EO-1: NASA's first new millennium earth orbiting mission

One of the key charges to NASA's Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) is to ensure the continuity of future Landsat data. The New Millennium Program's (NMP) first Earth orbiting flight will validate technologies contributing to the reduction in cost of Landsat follow-on missions. The centerpiece is an advanced land imager (ALI) instrument. The EO-1 imaging system will also incorporate alternative and innovative approaches to future land imaging, including two different hyperspectral imaging techniques. One of these is a hyperspectral wedge spectrometer and the other is a miniature hyperspectral grating spectrometer.
Getting to the stem of chronic myeloid leukaemia

Imatinib has been an extremely successful treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia. However, we need to know about the stem cells involved in the disease to understand why relapse is so common when imatinib is stopped. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is the consummate success story for targeted therapy, yet relapse is a nearly inevitable consequence of cessation or interruption of therapy. Primitive TKI-refractory CML stem cells are the likely source of these relapses, as they provide sanctuary for the Philadelphia chromosome. In advanced disease, their progressively anaplastic progeny ultimately maintain CML independently of the CML haematopoietic stem cell (HSC). Interestingly, there are at least two distinct cell types capable of self-renewal in different phases of CML: first, a primitive HSC with BCR–ABL mutation, which maintains the more indolent chronic-phase disease and, second, a coexisting mutated progenitor cell which acquires stem cell characteristics responsible for rapid cell expansion in advanced disease.
Structural effects on the recoilless fraction in iron silicides and borides

Abstract The recoilless fraction in FeSi, FeSi2, FeB and Fe2B has been determined using our recently developed dual absorber method [Mater. Lett. 54 (2002) 256]. A good correlation between the recoilless fraction values and the number and distances of Fe nearest-neighbors (NN) was obtained for iron borides only. These results tend to suggest that other factors, such as the strength of the chemical bond, may play a role in determining the values of the recoilless fraction.
Aeration alone versus chlorpyrifos-methyl treatment followed by aeration for wheat stored in Georgia : simulated field test

Wheat treated on 7 July with 6 ppm chlorpyrifos-methyl was artificially infested with lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), and rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), and subsequently aerated when temperatures cooled, was compared with untreated wheat infested and aerated at the same conditions. Temperatures were monitored from 7 July to 5 April inside the bins and populations of the introduced species and a natural infestation of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), were assessed using probe traps and a grain trier. Average daily temperatures at 7 sample positions in untreated wheat were from 17.01 ± 0.53 to 21.46 ± 0.52°C, and were not significantly different from average temperatures at corresponding positions in treated wheat, which were from 16.00 ± 0.63 to 18.98 ± 0.60°C. Initial chlorpyrifos-methyl residue on treated wheat was 5.75 ± 0.51 ppm, but after 6 wk residues declined by 67.2-52.7%. Lesser grain borers collected from probe traps and trier samples were significantly more numerous in untreated wheat than in treated wheat on the 1st sample date (20 August) ; however, populations were larger in treated wheat on 2 later sample dates (12 November and 29 March). Few rice weevils or red flour beetles were collected from treated wheat. There was significantly more dockage (ground flour and insect frass) in untreated wheat than in treated wheat on 4 of 6 sample dates, while the percentage of insect-damaged kernels was significantly greater in untreated wheat than in treated wheat on all sample dates.
The Rhetorical Criticism of Literature in Early Italian Humanism from Boccaccio to Landino

n spite of the trouble modern scholars have had in agreeing on a definition for humanism in the Italian Renaissance, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that rhetoric played a central role in the new learning. The writings of the early generations of humanist scholarship are dominated by the figure of the orator, by the Ciceronian union of wisdom and eloquence that teaches, delights, and moves men to virtuous living. Petrarch, who determined the
Human Organization: A Three-Year Review (1967-69)

The purpose of this study is to review the 1967, 1968 and 1969 issues (Volumes 26, 27, 28) of Human Organization, the official journal of the Society for Applied Anthropology, in order to determine the nature of: (1) the journal itself; (2) the authors (their disciplines and places of employment); (3) the articles (methodology, subject matter and setting); and (4) to present some general reactions to the journal's style, content and format.
Challenge and Changes to Tinto's Persistence Theory: A Historical Review

In an effort to demonstrate the complexities of accountability issues and institutional effectiveness, a 30-year review of persistence literature provides evidence of the numerous studies and emerg...
Mechanisms of Regulation of Phospholipase D1 by Protein Kinase Cα

It has been suggested that protein-protein interaction is important for protein kinase C (PKC) α to activate phospholipase D1 (PLD1). To determine the one or more sites on PKCα that are involved in binding to PLD1, fragments containing the regulatory domain, catalytic domain, and C1–C3 domain of PKCα were constructed and shown to be functional, but they all failed to bind and activate PLD1 in vivo and in vitro. A C-terminal 23-amino acid (aa) deletion mutant of PKCα was also found to be inactive. To define the binding/activation site(s) in the C terminus of PKCα, 1- to 11-aa deletion mutants were made in this terminus. Deletion of up to 9 aa did not alter the ability of PKCα to bind and activate PLDl, whereas a 10-aa deletion was inactive. The residue at position 10 was Phe663. Mutations of this residue (F663D and F663A) caused loss of binding, activation, and phosphorylation of PLD1, indicating that Phe663 is essential for these activities. Time course experiments showed that the activation of PLD1 by PMA was much faster than its phosphorylation, and its activity decreased as phosphorylation increased with time. Staurosporine, a PKC inhibitor, completely inhibited PLD1 phosphorylation in response to 4β-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate PMA and blocked the later decrease in PLD activity. The same results were found with the D481E mutant of PKCα, which is unable to phosphorylate PLD1. These results indicate that neither the regulatory nor catalytic domains of PKCα alone can bind to or activate PLD1 and that a residue in the C terminus of PKCα (Phe663) is required for these effects. The initial activation of PLD1 by PMA is highly correlated with the binding of PKCα. Although PKCα can phosphorylate PLD1, this is a relatively slow process and is associated with inactivation of the enzyme.
Review of clinical criteria of brain death.

Summary A spectrum of descriptive definitions of death has been formulated based on a variety of observations using currently available clinical methods. These definitions vary widely in objectivity and some fail to distinguish the inevitability of death or irreversible coma from the fact of death. A hopeless prognosis may be an adequate criterion for termination of artificial resuscitation, but the bioethical issue involved is one of “passive” euthanasia and not brain death. A hopeless prognosis without a pronouncement of death itself would seem inadequate grounds to remove viable organs for transplantation. When organ donation is contemplated, the declaration of death as a past event must be based on cerebral rather than on cardiovascular criteria. At this point in the history of the art and science of medicine, the highest degree of assurance that the brain is dead may be achieved in the shortest possible time, only by using multiple independently measured variables including clinical criteria, electrophysiologic criteria (the EEG), and assessment of cerebral circulation determined either directly or indirectly. As science and technology improve, the degree of objectivity and facility in obtaining objective criteria will also improve.
Triple Resonance Isotope-Edited (TRIED) : A powerful new NMR technique for studying metabolism

A powerful new technique for studying metabolism, Triple-Resonance Isotope-Edited (TRIED) NMR, is described and demonstrated experimentally. The experiment uses through-bond (scalar) coupling between spins to select NMR signals from molecules having 1 H- 13 C- 15 N labeled triples. Natural-abundance background signal from molecules not containing such labeled triples (e.g., signal from 1 H- 12 C and 1 H- 13 C fragments) is effectively suppressed, with a suppression ratio of approximately 10 4 :1. This effective filtering of signal from labeled molecules allows these species and their metabolites to be detected and characterized without requiring extensive, time-consuming sample purification. Results are presented for 13 C, 15 N-aminomethylphosphonate (AMPA) in soybean and pigweed plant matrices. The potential use of TRIED for studying the pharmacokinetics of drugs and extension of the experiment to include the use of magnetic-field gradients for selecting signal from labeled fragments are also described.
Generation of a stable, aminotyrosyl radical-induced α2β2 complex of Escherichia coli class Ia ribonucleotide reductase.

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the conversion of nucleoside diphosphates to deoxynucleoside diphosphates (dNDPs). The Escherichia coli class Ia RNR uses a mechanism of radical propagation by which a cysteine in the active site of the RNR large (α2) subunit is transiently oxidized by a stable tyrosyl radical (Y•) in the RNR small (β2) subunit over a 35-A pathway of redox-active amino acids: Y122• ↔ [W48?] ↔ Y356 in β2 to Y731 ↔ Y730 ↔ C439 in α2. When 3-aminotyrosine (NH2Y) is incorporated in place of Y730, a long-lived NH2Y730• is generated in α2 in the presence of wild-type (wt)-β2, substrate, and effector. This radical intermediate is chemically and kinetically competent to generate dNDPs. Herein, evidence is presented that NH2Y730• induces formation of a kinetically stable α2β2 complex. Under conditions that generate NH2Y730•, binding between Y730NH2Y-α2 and wt-β2 is 25-fold tighter (Kd = 7 nM) than for wt-α2|wt-β2 and is cooperative. Stopped-flow fluorescence experiments establish that the dissociation rate constant for the Y730NH2Y-α2|wt-β2 interaction is ∼104-fold slower than for the wt subunits (∼60 s−1). EM and small-angle X-ray scattering studies indicate that the stabilized species is a compact globular α2β2, consistent with the structure predicted by Uhlin and Eklund’s docking model [Uhlin U, Eklund H (1994) Nature 370(6490):533–539]. These results present a structural and biochemical characterization of the active RNR complex “trapped” during turnover, and suggest that stabilization of the α2β2 state may be a regulatory mechanism for protecting the catalytic radical and ensuring the fidelity of its reactivity.
Types of nerve terminals in fetal and neonatal rabbit myocardium

With the use of electron microscopy 4 types of axonal profiles were observed in the developing myocardium of rabbits: 1) adrenergic axons which contained mainly small dense-core vesicles and which presumably can store 5-hydroxy-dopamine; 2) cholinergic axons which contained small clear synaptic vesicles and which were acetylcholinesterase-positive; 3) axons which contained large vesicles filled with moderately electron-dense material and which resembled purinergic axons; and 4) profiles filled with mitochondria, vesicles of various sizes, lysosome-like bodies, and microtubules and which resembled sensory terminals.