cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Networks of Leadership: A Quantitative Study of SPSSI Presidents, 1936–1986

This article presents a two-part quantitative analysis of the presidents of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) during its first half century. A collective biography of the successive incumbents of SPSSI's highest office reveals centers of education and employment, and distinct demographic trends. A content analysis of available presidential addresses suggests enduring themes in the rhetoric of SPSSI leaders. The influence of significant individuals and events in fostering networks among members of the presidential cohort is explored, along with the role of SPSSI leaders in the development of social psychology. Biographical and other data are presented in tabular as well as summary form.
Outcomes and complications associated with giant retinal tear management using perfluoro-n-octane.

Abstract Objective To report visual acuity and anatomic outcomes, as well as complications, associated with giant retinal tear management using intraoperative perfluoro-n-octane and to investigate clinical features associated with anatomic and visual acuity outcomes. Design A prospective, noncomparative, observational, multicenter study. Participants Two hundred twelve patients (212 eyes) ≥15 months of age who underwent giant retinal tear management with intraoperative perfluoro-n-octane at 24 study sites between April 1994 and February 1996. Giant retinal tear was defined as a retinal tear extending ≥90°. Intervention Vitrectomy with perfluoro-n-octane intraoperative retinal tamponade. Main outcome measures Visual acuity and rates of retinal reattachment, reoperation, retained perfluoro-n-octane, corneal edema, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP > 25 mmHg), hypotony (IOP Results The study included 212 eyes of 212 patients followed a median of 3.5 months. Visual acuity ≥20/200 was measured in 56 (27%) patients preoperatively and 67 (47%) patients at 6 months. Postoperative visual acuity improved in 107 (59%) eyes, remained stable in 44 (24%) eyes, and worsened in 29 (16%) eyes (percentages are based on the number of patients for whom the data were available at these time points). Of the 124 patients with visual acuity ≤5/200 preoperatively, 94 (76%) had improved visual acuity at 6 months postoperatively. At 6 months, the retina was attached in 108 (76%) eyes, and retained perfluoro-n-octane was noted in 8 (6%) eyes. Throughout follow-up, 64 (30%) eyes underwent reoperation for recurrent retinal detachment. At 6 months, corneal edema, elevated IOP, and hypotony were noted in 5 (4%), 4 (3%), and 12 (9%) eyes, respectively. Of the 72 phakic eyes without cataract preoperatively, 61 (85%) had a cataract or underwent cataract extraction during study follow-up. Factors significantly ( P Conclusions Retinal reattachment and preserved visual acuity were achieved in most eyes that underwent giant retinal tear management with intraoperative perfluoro-n-octane. Significant risk factors for recurrent retinal detachment include size of retinal tear, age, prior vitrectomy, and female gender. After adjusting for recurrent detachment, significant predictors of postoperative vision ≥20/200 include no prior vitrectomy, better preoperative vision, and no need for relaxing retinotomy.
Accuracy of arterial pulse‐wave velocity measurement using MR

The performance of a one-dimensional MR technique for the estimation of pulse-wave velocity in the aorta was evaluated. An expression for the error in this estimate was formulated and verified both by simulation and by experiment. On the basis of this formulation, guidelines for increasing the efficiency of the acquisition were established. The technique was further validated by comparison with pulse-wave velocity measurements made with a pressure catheter. All data were acquired from a latex tube driven by a pulsatile flow system. MR measurements of pulse-wave velocity in the tube were found to be very reproducible in the presence of white noise. Measurements by other techniques were in good agreement, falling within 2 SD of the mean. Because of its sensitivity and spatial resolution, this technique shows promise for making spatially resolved estimates of vessel distensibility. This would allow assessment of diseases, such as atherosclerosis, that cause local changes in the material properties of the vasculature.
Specular reflectance photometric detection of cortical displacement

Abstract A non-contacting photometric displacement detector was described and used to measure cortical surface displacements. The variation in the proportion of a specular reflected parallel light beam incident on a photoconductive cell with vertical displacement of the reflective surface provides an accurate method of measuring small displacements of the cortical surface. Cortical surface displacements are always associated with alterations in systemic blood pressure. Pyramidal tract stimulation, barbiturate administration and Metrazol administration alter systemic blood pressure and cause concurrent cortical surface displacement. The problems caused by surface curvature, alteration in surface curvature, diffuse reflection and alteration in the spectral composition of diffuse reflected light by absorption are discussed. Advantages include probeless and inertialess operation, precise measurement of displacement of a discrete surface area and ease of calibration.
A Reinvestigation of the Reaction of Hmpa With Ketoximes

Abstract A series of ketoximes have been found to react with HMPA in the absence of acid catalysis to produce N,N-dimethyl-N′-arylamidines in reasonable yields.
Retinal cyclic-GMP phosphodiesterase γ-subunit: Identification of functional residues in the inhibitory region

Previously, we have domain-mapped the 87 amino acid PDE gamma inhibitory subunit of the retinal phosphodiesterase (PDE) alpha beta gamma 2 complex using synthetic peptides. The PDE gamma subunit has a binding domain for transducin-alpha (T alpha) and for PDE alpha/beta within residues # 24-45 and an inhibitory region for PDE alpha/beta within residues # 80-87. In order to establish the role of individual amino acids in the function of the PDE gamma inhibitory subunit, peptides of PDE gamma # 63-87 and mutant peptides were synthesized and utilized in PDE inhibition assays. The following peptides exhibited a decreased ability to inhibit PDE alpha/beta: All were from PDE gamma # 63-87; PDE gamma Tyr 84----Gly, PDE gamma Phe 73----Gly and PDE gamma Gln 83----Gly.
Long-term experience of patch graft failure after Ahmed Glaucoma Valve® surgery using donor dura and sclera allografts.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To report the long-term incidence, timing, and experience of patch graft failure (PGF) after Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV) (New World Medical, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, CA) surgery in a large consecutive case series using donor dura mater and sclera sequentially as the allograft materials. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical records of all AGV surgeries performed from June 1994 through December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed for cases of PGF. RESULTS: Patch graft failure occurred in 44 (6.3%) of the initial 695 procedures using dura and in 65 (5.8%) of the subsequent 1,121 procedures using sclera (P = .64). The time interval after AGV surgery until the occurrence of PGF was significantly longer for dura (5.8 ± 3.8 years) than for sclera (2.7 ± 1.9 years) (P < .001). CONCLUSION: After an average of 4 years, PGF occurred in 109 (6%) of 1,816 consecutive AGV surgeries using donor dura and sclera allografts. PGF may be the most frequent long-term complication after AGV surgery.
Negative and affirmative precepts

That negative precepts play the critical role in the generalization principle is a consequence of the relationship of negative to affirmative precepts, i.e. that the negative give the essential negative condition for observing the affirmative precept. This relationship in turn is based on the nature of: 1) the negative precept which obliges to inaction and consequently demands action in order to violate it; 2) the affirmative precept which obliges to action and can be violated by inaction. Since action requires agency, and agency involves more responsibility than does the non-agency present in violating affirmative percepts, we conclude that violating negative precepts demands more responsibility and consequently that they oblige more than do affirmative precepts. To emphasize this critical role of agency I shall conclude with an example proposed by Michael Tooley: Imagine a machine which contains two children, John and Mary. If one pushes a button, John will be killed, but Mary will emerge unharmed. If one does not push the button, John will emerge unharmed, but Mary will be killed. In the first case one kills John, while in the second case one merely lets Mary die. Does one seriously wish to say that the action of intentionally refraining from pushing the button is morally preferable to the action of pushing it, even though exactly one person will perish in either case?20
Introduction to FLASH 3.0, with application to supersonic turbulence

FLASH is a flexible, modular and parallel application code capable of simulating the compressible, reactive flows found in many astrophysical environments. It is a collection of inter-operable modules which can be combined to generate different applications. FLASH is gaining increasing recognition as a community code with a fairly wide external user base. Unlike other component-based codes that have historically met with varying degrees of success. FLASH started out as a more traditional scientific code and evolved into a modular one as insights were gained into manageability, extensibility and efficiency. As a result, the development of the code has been, and continues to be, driven by the dual goals of application requirements and modularity. In this tutorial paper, we give an overview of the FLASH code architecture and capabilities. We also include an example of a customized application adapted from the sample applications provided with the code distribution.
Benthic Algae of Lake Erie (1865-2006): A Review of Assemblage Composition, Ecology, and Causes and Consequences of Changing Abundance

Author Institution: Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University
Sidewall Dominated Characteristics on Fin-Gate AlGaN/GaN MOS-Channel-HEMTs

The fin-gate structure was fabricated onto AlGaN/GaN MOS channel-high electron mobility transistors (MOSC-HEMTs), and the fin sidewall contribution to the MOS channel characteristics was investigated. In fin-gate MOSC-HEMTs (Fin-MOSC-HEMTs) with 120-nm fin width, significant suppression of short channel effect is obtained, but the threshold voltage (Vth) becomes lower than that of conventional MOSC-HEMTs. The fin width dependence shows continuous Vth decrease by decreasing the fin width, indicating that the narrower fin-gate channel is dominated by the fin sidewalls that are depletion mode nature. The channel sheet resistance extracted from channel length dependence and device transconductance for Fin-MOSC-HEMTs are superior to those of conventional MOSC-HEMTs when they are normalized by effective gate width as the summation of fin width, indicating contribution from sidewalls to channel conduction. Temperature dependence of Vth shows clearly different behavior between the MOSC-HEMT and Fin-MOSC-HEMT. These results demonstrate sidewall-dominated characteristics of these Fin-MOSC-HEMTs.
One-way analysis of proportions for misclassified binomial data

We consider data with a nominal grouping variable and a binary response variable. The grouping variable is measured without error, but the response variable is measured using a fallible device subject to misclassification. To achieve model identifiability, we use the double-sampling scheme which requires obtaining a subsample of the original data or another independent sample. This sample is then classified by both the fallible device and another infallible device regarding the response variable. We propose two Wald tests for testing the association between the two variables and illustrate the test using traffic data. The Type-I error rate and power of the tests are examined using simulations and a modified Wald test is recommended.
Monitoring and therapy for septic shock: Foundations and fantasy—The next decade

S EPSIS AND SEPTIC shock create profound disturbances of the cardiovascular system. Despite the systemic nature of the disturbances and the fact that the cardiovascular manifestations of sepsis are of secondary nature in terms of the pathophysiology, the often quoted paradigm “treat the underlying cause” is frequently perceived as a secondary priority when the deteriorating cardiovascular system is in need of support. There are excellent reviews detailing the current understanding of the pathophysiology of septic shock, as well as the state-of-the-art therapeutic modalities. ‘** In this article, an attempt will be made to explore what the present state of the art suggests the monitoring and treatment of sepsis and septic shock might be in the 199Os, and in what direction research will be focused.
The Effect of Inference Training on Children's Comprehension of Expository Text.

Three procedures were used to help sixth-grade children in- crease inferential reading comprehension with expository text: a structured overview to activate background knowledge, the cloze procedure to de- velop an inferential thinking strategy, and a self-monitorin g checklist to train the subjects to use the strategy independently. There were two treatment groups. One used the cloze procedure to integrate text and background knowledge and the checklist to maintain the strategy; the other used both the structured overview and the cloze procedure with the checklist. A control group read the same materials as the other two groups, but was not trained in any strategy. Posttests periodically meas- ured the students' progress and ability to infer. Transfer and delayed trans- fer tests measured the application of inferential skills to untaught materials immediately after instruction and six weeks thereafter without further in- struction. Results indicated that students in both treatment groups in- creased their inferential comprehension skills as measured by both the immediate and delayed transfer tests. Results also indicated that below average readers benefitted most from the instruction. Recent research in reading assumes that comprehension is a construc- tive process in which meaning is derived from the text and from interac- tions between the text and the background knowledge of the reader. In this process the reader's background knowledge fulfills a vital role in at least two respects. First, as the reader interacts with the information in the text, his/her prior knowledge affects his/her interpretation of the text and deter-
POLYMORPHISMS OF HSPB7 GENE ASSOCIATE WITH IDIOPATHIC DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY SUSCEPTIBILITY IN A CHINESE POPULATION

Objectives Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterised by ventricular chamber enlargement and systolic dysfunction with normal left ventricular wall thickness. The pathogenesis of DCM has been extensively investigated for many years, but it remains uncertain. HSPB7 gene has been previously found to be associated with DCM. To assess the role of HSPB7 in DCM, we examined 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in HSPB7 and ACTA1 gene, namely, rs 525720, rs 533021, rs 589759, rs 670957, rs 1739843, rs 2070664, rs 3759834, rs 10927875, rs 1370154, rs 7523558 and rs 6660685. Methods A total of 97 DCM patients and 189 controls were included in the study, and all SNPs were genotyped by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Results showed that the genotype of SNP rs 10927875 (χ2=4.801, p=0.028; OR=0.1926, 95% CI=0.037–1.002) had association with DCM in Chinese population. Conclusions The results suggest that HSPB7 polymorphisms appear to play an important role in the susceptibility of DCM in Chinese population.
Validity of surface‐wave ray theory on a laterally heterogeneous earth

SUMMARY A necessary and sufficient condition for the validity of surface-wave ray theory is S/m << 1, where S is the root-mean-square degree of the phase-velocity perturbation 6c, and 1 is the degree of the equivalent mode ,,Sl or ,,T. This condition, which is independent of the number of orbits, is obtained by consideration of the Fresnel area along the surface-wave ray path between the source and receiver. We assess the accuracy of surface-wave ray theory by comparing the phase, arrival angle and amplitude anomalies obtained using the JWKB approximation with the corresponding quantities measured using 'ground-truth' synthetic coupled-mode seismograms on models of varying roughness. The JWKB results agree well with the coupled-mode results for model S12-WM13; on a contrived model with slightly rougher variations, however, the agreement deteriorates as the condition S/@ << 1 is less well satisfied. The misfit of the ray approximation, which is dependent upon the quantity S/@, can be attributed to diffraction and other finite-frequency effects within the Fresnel area along the ray path; these effects are ignored by the JWKB theory but are fully accounted for by the coupled-mode summation. The wavefront smoothing produced by this Fresnel-area averaging limits the resolution of surface-wave inversion studies based upon the JWKB approximation.
The scoring procedure for a competitive research competition influences the usefulness of the results in real-world applications

In the 2006 RoboCup Virtual Rescue competition, teams from different research labs developed methods for controlling teams of mobile robots in a simulated urban search and rescue scenario. This paper reviews the strategies and scores from the top six competitors. The scoring procedure used in this inaugural competition rewards participants for the number of victims found, the amount of area explored in the environment, the quality of the maps created by the robot teams and penalties participants for colliding with a victim or relying on human operators. The analysis of the strategies and scores suggests that the scoring procedure may lead teams to adopt strategies that are not consistent with the needs of a real search and rescue scenario. Individual robot contributions to the system were reviewed to account for the costs associated with adding a robot to the environment, indicating that value added per robot is an important measure that is overlooked. The analysis of the impact of human operator penalties on scoring revealed an overemphasis on fully autonomous robotic systems. The analysis also revealed substantial performance variation, depending on the behavior that was being rewarded, which may indicate a lack of focus for evaluative performance measures of robotic urban search and rescue systems. The competition has the potential to provide influential research in this area if a proper scoring procedure that reflects actual research needs is implemented. In order to ensure that research gains made as a result of the competition process are useful to the application community, it is essential that the rules be tuned to the application needs. It is likely that, as competitions and games are becoming a growing part of the research community, this sensitivity is managed along with the other political, social and interactive demands involved in setting rules for research competitions.
Stability of Critical Points with Interval Persistence

Scalar functions defined on a topological space $\Omega$ are at the core of many applications such as shape matching, visualization and physical simulations. Topological persistence is an approach to characterizing these functions. It measures how long topological structures in the sub-level sets $\{x \in \Omega\colon \ f(x) \le c\}$ persist as c changes. Recently it was shown that the critical values defining a topological structure with relatively large persistence remain almost unaffected by small perturbations. This result suggests that topological persistence is a good measure for matching and comparing scalar functions. We extend these results to critical points in the domain by redefining persistence and critical points and replacing sub-level sets $\{x \in \Omega\colon \ f(x) \le c\}$ with interval sets $\{x \in \Omega\colon \ a \le f(x) < b\}$. With these modifications we establish a stability result for critical points. This result is strengthened for maxima that can be used for matching two scalar functions.
244-nm imaging interferometric lithography test bed

The minimum half-pitch feature accessible by optical lithography is CD = λ/(4 NA ). For an imaging system, the ultimate resolution does not reach this level as a result of the need to capture the information in the pattern-dependent sidebands around the fundamental frequency; roughly a system with these capabilities should be able to print ~ λ/(3 NA ) to λ/(3.5 NA ) half-pitch patterns. Imaging interferometric lithography (IIL), combining low-σ, off-axis illumination (OAI) at the limits of the pupil with pupil-plane filters (PPF), to ensure a uniform frequency-space coverage, and multiple exposures covering different regions of spatial frequency-space, provides an approach to accessing these fundamental, linear-systemsresolution limits with simple binary chrome-on-glass masks without any requirement for either optical proximity correction (OPC) or phase shift masks (PSM). Polarization control is an advantage of IIL, as with other off-axis approaches, that is becoming more important as hyper- NA tools are introduced. Additionally, the PPFs allow for intensity adjustment in the pupil plane, which can further improve the image contrast. A test bed has been assembled at a 244-nm wavelength using a 0.9 NA optical system. For this system, the minimum half-pitch is 68 nm, and the limiting half-pitch for arbitrary features is ~ 70- to 60- nm. Demonstrations of printing arbitrary 113-, 100-, 90- and 86-nm half-pitch patterns are reported. Good imaging was achieved with simple binary chrome-on-glass masks without the use of any additional OPC or PSM. The image improvement by adjusting the contrast of the image with a simple intensity PPF mask is demonstrated. These results scale to the 45-nm half-pitch node for a 193 nm source and a 1.3 NA . The essential point is that robust imaging for a 45-nm half-pitch is available using IIL without any mask-based resolution enhancement techniques.
PREDATION BY PODISUS MACULIVENTRIS (SAY) ON MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE, EPILACHNA VARIVESTIS MULSANT, IN INDIANA SOYBEANS

Daily rates of predation by Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) on Mexican bean beetle larvae, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), were measured in soybeans, Glycine max (L.). The number of Mexican bean beetle larvae attacked per predator per day remained consistently low throughout 2 years of study. Estimates of the area searched by P. maculiventris were calculated from the number of prey attacked, number of prey available for attack, and leaf area. As leaf area increased, P. maculiventris searched more area, demonstrating a search strategy shared with other predators of canopy-inhabiting prey in soybeans.
Plano de saúde corporativo: estudo de validação de um instrumento de avaliação da qualidade em uma indústria de calçados

Usually, quality assessments of corporative health insurance plans take into account just the degree of satisfaction of the costumers. For the assessment of both the degree of costumer´s satisfaction and the firm investment returns, we carried out the construction and a validation test of an appropriate multidimensional measurement scale. For the construction of the scale we took into account the quality dimensions related to the costumer`s satisfaction and its impact on the relationship of the employee towards the firm as an aggregated quality asset. As validation test of the proposed scale we conducted an analysis of its psychometric properties based on data generated from a sample of 280 employees. The results show that the health insurance plan bring both satisfactions to the employees and gains to the firm, according to the proposed Model of Aggregated Quality. The proposed measurement scale presented acceptable total internal consistency and convergent validity. The factorial analysis suggested a set of ten factors related to the technical, functional, and aggregated qualities of the health insurance plan, which respond for about 60% of the total variance. This study stresses the importance of the assessment of the returns to the firm of its investments on health insurance plans, for which the instrument we developed in this paper can be useful.
Reconstructing ancestral genome content based on symmetrical best alignments and Dollo parsimony

Motivation: Gene duplications and losses (GDLs) are important events in genome evolution. They result in expansion or contraction of gene families, with a likely role in phenotypic evolution. As more genomes become available and their annotations are improved, software programs capable of rapidly and accurately identifying the content of ancestral genomes and the timings of GDLs become necessary to understand the unique evolution of each lineage. Results: We report EvolMAP, a new algorithm and software that utilizes a species tree-based gene clustering method to join all-to-all symmetrical similarity comparisons of multiple gene sets in order to infer the gene composition of multiple ancestral genomes. The algorithm further uses Dollo parsimony-based comparison of the inferred ancestral genes to pinpoint the timings of GDLs onto evolutionary intervals marked by speciation events. Using EvolMAP, first we analyzed the expansion of four families of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) within animal lineages. Additional to demonstrating the unique expansion tree for each family, results also show that the ancestral eumetazoan genome contained many fewer GPCRs than modern animals, and these families expanded through concurrent lineage-specific duplications. Second, we analyzed the history of GDLs in mammalian genomes by comparing seven proteomes. In agreement with previous studies, we report that the mammalian gene family sizes have changed drastically through their evolution. Interestingly, although we identified a potential source of duplication for 75% of the gained genes, remaining 25% did not have clear-cut sources, revealing thousands of genes that have likely gained their distinct sequence identities within the descent of mammals. Availability: Query server, source code and executable are available at http://kosik-web.mcdb.ucsb.edu/evolmap/index.htm Contact:kosik@lifesci.ucsb.edu, oakley@lifesci.ucsb.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Purchasing power parity revisited: null of cointegration approach

This paper undertakes a study of the Purchasing Power Parity doctrine as a long run equilibrium condition among a highly economically integrated set of nations, namely members of the European Monetary System (EMS). Here we examine the bivariate cointegration properties of the intra-EMS spot exchange rate series and their price ratios, using the modern null of cointegration approach. Our results support the parity hypothesis within the union.
Preliminary results: humans find emotive non-anthropomorphic robots more calming

This paper describes preliminary results of a large-scale, complex human study in HRI in which results show that participants were calmer interacting with non-anthropomorphic robots operated in an emotive mode versus a standard, non-emotive mode.
Allosteric mechanism of water-channel gating by Ca2+–calmodulin

Calmodulin (CaM) is a universal regulatory protein that communicates the presence of calcium to its molecular targets and correspondingly modulates their function. This key signaling protein is important for controlling the activity of hundreds of membrane channels and transporters. However, understanding of the structural mechanisms driving CaM regulation of full-length membrane proteins has remained elusive. In this study, we determined the pseudoatomic structure of full-length mammalian aquaporin-0 (AQP0, Bos taurus) in complex with CaM, using EM to elucidate how this signaling protein modulates water-channel function. Molecular dynamics and functional mutation studies reveal how CaM binding inhibits AQP0 water permeability by allosterically closing the cytoplasmic gate of AQP0. Our mechanistic model provides new insight, only possible in the context of the fully assembled channel, into how CaM regulates multimeric channels by facilitating cooperativity between adjacent subunits.
Isolation of full-length transcript promoter from the Strawberry vein banding virus (SVBV) and expression analysis by protoplasts transient assays and in transgenic plants

A full-length transcript (FLt) promoter was isolated from a genomic clone of Strawberry vein banding virus(SVBV), a double-stranded DNA plant pararetrovirus belonging to the Caulimoviridae family, and its activity was analyzed both in protoplasts and transgenic plants. The 5 � –3 � -boundaries required for maximal promoter activity were determined by 5 � - and 3 � -end deletion analysis of the SVBV promoter fused to a -glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. A 371-bp promoter fragment (−352 to +19 from the transcription start site; TSS) was found sufficient for maximal promoter activity in a transient protoplast expression assay, and this was chosen for further analysis. Finer deletion analysis of a 90-bp sequence (coordinates −392 to −302 from TSS) of the SVBV FLt promoter revealed the presence of a negative and a positive regulatory element in this region. In gain-of-function experiment, the fusion of the putative positive regulatory elements with minimal promoter showed very little increment in promoter activity, suggesting that a combinatorial action of various cis-sequences is involved in promoter function. The transcription start site of the full-length transcript promoter was mapped to an A-residue that is located 25-bp downstream of the TATA-box. In protoplast transient expression analysis, the SVBV FLt promoter showed about six-fold higher activity in tobacco compared to maize. A quantitative GUS activity assay showed that in transgenic tobacco plants the average promoter activity was about three-fold higher in roots than in leaves, and this higher activity was due to the accumulation of more GUS specific mRNA in roots. Real-time qRT-PCR analysis and quantitative GUS activity assay showed that the relative strength of the SVBV FLt promoter was greater than the CaMV35S promoter in transgenic tobacco plants. The SVBV FLt promoter is a strong, constitutive promoter and has great application potential in expression of foreign genes in plants. © 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Comparison of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Pediatric Patients with Metabolic Syndrome, Heterozygous Familial Hyperlipidemia and Normals

Background. Our goal was to compare the carotid intimal-medial thickness (CIMT) of untreated pediatric patients with metabolic syndrome (MS), heterozygous familial hyperlipidemia (heFH), and MS
Steroids XXV: Synthesis of Some 4-Azapregnanes

The reaction of 3,5-seco-4-norpregnane-5,20-dion-3-oic acid (I) with methylamine yielded 4-methyl-4-aza-5-pregnene-3,20-dione (V) and 4-methyl-20-methylimino-4-aza-5-pregnen-3-one (VII). VII was hydrolyzed by hydrochloric acid to V. The reaction of I with ethanolamine gave 4-( β -hydroxyethyl)-4-aza-5-pregnene-3,20-dione. 5ξ-Hydroxy-4-methyl-4-azapregnane-3,20-dione (VI) was formed by the reaction of 4-oxa-5-pregnene-3,20-dione and methylamine at room temperature. VI was dehydrated to V by heating above 100 or by the use of an acid catalyst. Reduction of 4-aza-5-pregnene-3,20-dione (II), V, and VII with lithium aluminum hydride yielded 4-aza-4-pregnen-20 β -ol, 4-methyl-4-aza-5-pregnen-20 β -ol, and 4-methyl-20 β -methylamino-4-aza-5-pregnene, respectively. By the following sequence of reactions, 4-methyl-4-aza-5-pregnen-20-one was prepared from V: ketal formation, lithium aluminum hydride reduction, and acid hydrolysis.
Effect of the (α2→8)-Linked Polysialic Acid Capsule on Adherence of Neisseria meningitidis to Human Mucosal Cells

The effect of (alpha 2-->8)-linked polysialic acid on the adherence of Neisseria meningitidis to human mucosal cells was examined using a serogroup B-encapsulated strain and a capsule-defective (Cap-) mutant of this strain. The Cap- mutant contains a single truncated insert of Tn916 in a 3.8-kb HaeIII chromosomal fragment. The Tn916 insert was shown to be responsible for the phenotype by linkage studies and by demonstration that loss of the insert restored encapsulation. The Cap- mutant consistently adhered to human buccal epithelial cell in greater numbers than the encapsulated parent, but the increase in adherence was less than twofold. Adherence of the Cap- mutant during infection of human nasopharyngeal organ cultures was 1.3- to 6.5-fold greater than that of the encapsulated parent. However, specificity of adherence of meningococci for nonciliated nasopharyngeal epithelial cells and the ability to be internalized by these cells was not due to the (alpha 2-->8)-linked polysialic acid capsule.
Cross-sectional study of gross and fine motor development. Birth to 6 years of age

A total of 187 healthy children between birth and six years of age were administered a comprehensive gross and fine motor development assessment. The assessment device was a hybrid instrument consisting of 192 items derived from 15 commonly used instruments. The purpose of the study was to 1) define motor behavior relative to a performance distribution expressed in age ranges, 2) identify patterns of performance across a range from birth to 6 years of age, and 3) assess the stability of performance by comparing select tasks with norms available in the literature. Emergence and achievement levels of successful performance were defined for 37 items relative to 68 percent and 95 percent of the children across the range from birth to 6 years of age. These results were compared with eight assessment devices. Emergence comparisons were found to be fairly similar to published norms; achievement comparisons showed a higher frequency of discrepancies with published norms. Performance patterns were displayed graphically to illustrate symmetry and asymmetry in normal development milestones.
Childrearing practices and developmental expectations for Mexican-American mothers and the developmental status of their infants.

Background and Purpose . The impact of parent education programs on early intervention programs is not thought to be uniform among children from majority and minority populations. This study examined the relationship between maternal childrearing practices and behaviors and the developmental status of Mexican-American infants. Subjects . Participants were 62 Mexican-American mother-infant pairs. The infants' mean adjusted age was 12 months (SD=1.7, range=9–14). A third of the children were diagnosed with developmental delays and referred for early intervention by physicians or therapists when the children received their medical follow-up. The group was stratified according to socioeconomic status and acculturation using the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Hispanics. This scale uses cutoff points to classify individuals into 3 levels of acculturation. Methods . Information on childrearing practices and behaviors was gathered using the Parent Behavior Checklist (PBC), the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory, and the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS). Infants' developmental status was assessed by use of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID II). The Pearson product moment correlation, partial correlations, Fisher z transformation, and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between childrearing practices and parenting behaviors, demographic factors, and infants' developmental status. Results . Maternal nurturing behaviors, parent-child interaction, and quality of the home environment were positively correlated with the infants' cognitive development. Maternal years of education modified the observed relationship between PBC and BSID II scores but not the observed relationship between HOME Inventory and NCATS scores. The childrearing practices, maternal socioeconomic status (SES) and age, and infants' gestational age at birth (GA) explained 45% of the variance in infants' cognitive scores. The infants' GA, maternal SES and age, and NCATS scores accounted for 32% of the motor scores on the BSID II. Discussion and Conclusion . The findings partially support a link between aspects of the mothers' childrearing behaviors and their infants' cognitive developmental status. For motor developmental status, the association appeared stronger with the infants' characteristics than with maternal childrearing practices and behaviors tested in this study.
Ice-Draft Profiling from Bottom-Mounted ADCP Data

Abstract The feasibility of ice-draft profiling using an upward-looking bottom-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) is demonstrated. Ice draft is determined as the difference between the instrument depth, derived from high-accuracy pressure data, and the distance to the lower ice surface, determined by the ADCP echo travel time. Algorithms for the surface range estimate from the water-track echo intensity profiles, data quality control, and correction procedures have been developed. Sources of error in using an ADCP as an ice profiler were investigated using the models of sound signal propagation and reflection. The effects of atmospheric pressure changes, sound speed variation, finite instrument beamwidth, hardware signal processing, instrument tilt, beam misalignment, and vertical sensor offset are quantified. The developed algorithms are tested using the data from the winter-long ADCP deployment on the northwestern shelf of the Okhotsk Sea.
Effects of Growth Regulators and Glutamine on In Vitro Development of Zygotic Embryos of Taro (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum)

Zygotic embryos of taro, Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum cultured on Linsmaier-Skoog (LS) medium without the addition of hormones develop into mature plants only in the presence of endosperm tissue. Growth is usually evident within the first week of culture when embryos swell and become green. Embryos excised from endosperm and cultured on LS containing 0-01 mg 1−1 naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 0–01 mg 1−1 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) grow at a rate comparable with controls for the first week of culture. During the second week, growth rates are higher than controls primarily because embryos form elongated hypocotyl regions which often produce swollen tissues and/or callus. In the presence of 200 mg 1−1 glutamine and a range of concentrations of 6-dimethylaminopurine, benzyladenine, or NAA, elongation of the hypocotyl axis is inhibited, and a compact callus may develop. Embryos grown on LS containing 200 mg 1−1 glutamine and 2.0 mg 1−1 2, 4, 5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid form friable callus which was used to generate short-lived suspension cultures.
Glaciers and Snowcover in Central Asia as Indicators of Climate Change in the Earth-Ocean-Atmosphere System

We propose a scheme of natural interactions in the earth-ocean-atmosphere system, where the seasonal snowcover of Eurasia serves as a possible regulator of circulation, and glaciers serve as indicators of global climate change. Standard hydrometeorological, expedition and satellite data collected since the 1890s are used to obtain quantitative estimates of presentday deviations of circulation indices, area covered by seasonal snow, and global air temperature. We estimate deviations of the mass-balance components for five mountainglacier systems in remote areas of central Asia.
A PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE FOR PRESERVING SURGICAL AND ANATOMICAL DISSECTIONS

A technique is presented whereby surgical and anatomical dissections may be preserved in dry, odorless, permanent preparations, demonstrating the most minute detail in sharp contrast. It includes: 1. Careful, clean dissection; 2. Painting with water colors; 3. Preservation of tissues by infiltration with absolute alcohol, amyl acetate, and lacquer.
WW-781, a potent reversible inhibitor of red cell Cl- flux, binds to band 3 by a two-step mechanism

WW-781 ([3-methyl-1-p-sulfophenyl-5-pyrazolone-(4)]-[1,3-dibutylbarbit uric acid]-pentamethine oxonol), a fluorescent dye that has been used for measuring membrane potentials by optical methods, inhibits human red blood cell Cl- exchange, which is mediated by the membrane protein known as band 3 or capnophorin. The inhibition is slowly reversible upon removal of WW-781 from the medium, with a half time of approximately 4.7 min in 150 mM Cl- medium at 0 degrees C. The mechanism of inhibition by WW-781 involves a two-step binding reaction. WW-781 binds rapidly to band 3 to form an initial complex, which can also rapidly dissociate. Formation of this initial complex is followed by the much slower formation of a second complex (with a rate constant of approximately 1.1 min-1), probably involving a protein conformational change, through which WW-781 is more tightly bound to band 3. At low concentrations, WW-781 inhibits Cl- exchange with a stoichiometry of 1 WW-781 molecule per band 3 monomer, suggesting that under these conditions the binding of WW-781 is highly selective for the band 3 protein.
Hydrogenated Amorphous Germanium/Silicon Superlattices

We report the fabrication and structural and optical properties of semiconductor superlattices composed of alternately deposited amorphous hydrogenated germanium and silicon. An increase in optical band gap with decreasing layer spacing is found which can be quantitatively described by a quantum mechanical periodic square well model.
The Derivation of the Brianchon Configuration from Two Spatial Point-Triads

(1903). The Derivation of the Brianchon Configuration from Two Spatial Point-Triads. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 36-41.
Sociocultural and Social-Psychological Factors in the Genesis of Mental Disorders*

The purpose of this paper is to assess the etiological implications of sociocultural and social-psychologicalfactors in the occurrence and distribution offunctional psychiatric disorders. Three bodies of evidence are analyzed: Thefirst consists of epidemiological studies of the "true" prevalence of psychiatric disorders; the second, of the literature on individual reactions to extreme situations; and the third, of investigations of relations between psychopathology and more ordinary stressful life events. The major issues raised by this research are examined and a report of progress in resolving one of them centering on social class differences is presented. Suggestions are made about the development of quat.si-experimental strategies, adoption of unusual sampling plans, and use of prospective rather than crosssectional research designs/for purposes of increasing our understanding of the role of sociocultural and socialpsychological factors in the genesis of mental disorders.
Resource-based economies and deindustrialisation: an Indonesian perspective on sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACTThis article compares recent development in sub-Saharan Africa to other regions, particularly Southeast Asia. Structural change in the former resulted in deindustrialisation, whereas structural change in the latter involved rapid expansion in labour intensive manufacturing. Though this contrasting experience is related to how resource dependent these economies are, this article argues that the critical factor in the lack of manufacturing growth in sub-Saharan Africa is the lack of growth in food productivity. The experience of Indonesia is used to illustrate how a resource abundant nation can industrialise, as rapid growth in staple food production resulted in economically cheap labour.
P166 Role of Bronchoscopy in Patients with Haemoptysis and a Normal CT Scan

Aims and Objectives To investigate the merits of conducting bronchoscopies in patients with haemoptysis and normal or non-diagnostic CT scan. Methods Using the in-hospital bronchoscopy reporting tool, a retrospective analysis was carried out of the bronchoscopies performed on patients with haemoptysis but non-diagnostic CT scan. Results Between September 2008 and December 2011, a total of 450 bronchoscopies were performed. After excluding the patients with CT scan abnormalities which could explain the haemoptysis, medical notes of the remaining 99 patients were analysed. Out of these, 74 patients had a significant smoking history. 79 bronchoscopes were normal with the remaining 20 examinations revealing benign pathologies. These included generalised erythema, inflammation, purulent secretions and cartilagenous nodules. No new diagnosis of malignancy was made. Conclusions Results of our study suggest that a normal CT scan examination has a high negative predictive value for lung cancer. Further studies would be beneficial to ascertain the role of bronchoscopy in the investigative pathway of lung cancer in patients with normal CT scan.
Time evolution of the population inversion between (A 3 Sigma u+, v") and (B 3 Pi g, v') states in the positive column of a nitrogen pulsed discharge

Time transients of population difference between A 3 Sigma u+ (v"=0) and B 3 Pi g (v'=2) states were measured in a positive column of moderate-current nitrogen pulsed discharge. The population difference was evaluated from integrated high-resolution laser absorption/gain profiles. Optical gain, due to the population inversion, was present during the first 3-6 mu s of the discharge pulse. The population difference was 0.3*1012 at the peak current of 1 A. Experiments were done at 0.5 Torr pressure and current densities in the range from 0.6-16 A cm-2. The simple kinetic model, which includes collisions with electrons and molecular nitrogen, and takes into account vibrational excitation of N2(X), reproduces surprisingly accurately the measured time transients of population difference.
Osmolar changes regulate the paracellular permeability of cultured human cervical epithelium

Extracellular nucleotides induce a biphasic change in the transepithelial electrical conductance (GT) of human cervical cells grown on filters: a rapid increase (phase I) followed by a sustained decrease (phase II). To probe the involvement of the intercellular space, its magnitude was varied by manipulating cell volume through changes in extracellular osmolarity. Under baseline conditions [GT = 115 mS/cm2 (approximately 9 omega.cm2)] and during phase II, hypertonic challenges resulted in an increase in GT (0.98% .mosmol-1.l-1 and 0.73%.mosmol-1.l-1, respectively). However, a hypertonic challenge during phase I decreased GT (-0.16%.mosmol-1.l-1). Hypotonic challenges decreased GT during baseline, phase I, and phase II conditions by -1%.mosmol-1.l-1. Similar trends were observed with regard to pyranine permeability. Reduction of extracellular calcium increased GT, abrogated the phase II effect of extracellular ATP, and reversed the effect of a hypertonic challenge. The additive nature of the permeability changes in response to osmotic challenges and to ATP during phase II suggests that different sites are involved in each response, i.e., the resistance of the intercellular space changes with osmolarity and that of the tight junction during phase II.
AANA Journal course: update for nurse anesthetists--thoracic trauma

The lungs are remarkably resilient organs and injuries to the lungs, whether from blunt or penetrating trauma, are not often the source of mortality. Instead, associated injuries to the heart, great vessels, chest wall, and other critical structures account for most morbidity and mortality associated with thoracic trauma. Hypovolemic shock, impending cardiac failure, neurological injury, and compromised respiratory function may all be present in a single individual with thoracic trauma whose injuries require immediate surgery. Anesthesia care for the thoracic trauma patient often involves continued resuscitation to combat shock, as well as the careful administration of anesthetic agents. The choice of anesthetic agents must consider the patient's hemodynamic status, the potential for airway problems, associated injuries, and medical history.