cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
"Liquidless" cell staining by dye diffusion from gels and analysis by laser scanning cytometry: potential application at microgravity conditions in space.

Background Conventional staining of cells or tissue sections on microscope slides involves immersing the slides into solutions of dyes then rinsing to remove the unbound dye. There are instances, however, when use of stain solutions is undesirable—e.g., at microgravity conditions in space, where the possibility of accidental spill (many dyes are known carcinogens) introduces health hazard. Likewise, transporting bulk of liquid stains and rinses may be burdensome in certain situations such as field expeditions or combat. Methods The “liquidless” staining procedure is proposed in which the dyes are contained in thin strips of hydrated polyacrylamide or gelatin gels that have been presoaked in the stain solutions. Fluorochromes that have affinity to DNA (propidium iodide, PI; 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, DAPI, Hoechst 33342) or to protein (sulforhodamine 101) were used to saturate the gels. The gel strips were placed over the prefixed cells or tissue sections deposited on microscope slides and relatively low (20 g/cm2) pressure was applied to ensure the contact. The cells were also stained by using commercially available mounting media into which DAPI or PI were admixed. Intensity of fluorescence of the PI stained cells was measured by laser scanning cytometry (LSC). Results Satisfactory cell and tissue staining, with minimal background, was achieved after 10–20 min contact between the cells and gels. Optimal concentrations of the dyes in the solutions used to presoak the gels was found to be 2–4-fold higher than the concentrations used routinely in cytometry. The measurements of intensity of cellular fluorescence by LSC revealed that the staining of DNA was stoichiometric as reflected by the characteristic cellular DNA content frequency histograms with distinct G1, S, and G2/M cell populations and 2:1 ratio of G2/M to G1 peak fluorescence. Individual gels can be saturated with more than a single dye—e.g., to obtain differential DNA and protein staining. Cell staining with DAPI or PI in the gelatin-based mounting media led to high fluorescence background while staining with DAPI in “aqueous” medium was satisfactory. Conclusions Relatively fast staining of cells or tissue sections on microscope slides can be achieved by nonconvective dye diffusion using hydrated gels permeated with the dyes, applied to cells at low pressure. The quality of the staining provided by this methodology is comparable to conventional cell staining in dye solutions. Cytometry 44:355–360, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Organophosphate Nerve Agent Sensor Based on Polystyrene Core and Zirconium Shell Colloidal Crystal Array

A simple method has been developed for the preparation of colloidal crystal arrays (CCA) based on a polystyrene (PS) core and a zirconia (ZrO2) shell sensing microgel that detects the organophospho...
Emotional dissonance in organizations: a conceptualization of consequences, mediators and moderators

Presents a model conceptualizing the role of emotional dissonance in organizational behavior. Emotional dissonance is a form of person‐role conflict originating from the conflict between expressed and experienced emotions. Viewed within a contingency framework, the effect of emotional dissonance on its direct consequences of job dissatisfaction and emotional exhaustion may vary in their intensity depending on the existence (or lack thereof) of moderators and mediators. The study presents nine propositions hypothesizing the impact of these variables to guide future empirical research. As moderators, high levels of self‐monitoring, social support and trait self‐esteem may reduce the deleterious impact of emotional dissonance on job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Alternatively, emotional dissonance may induce job tension and state negative affectivity, and reduce state self‐esteem, which in turn, lead to job dissatisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Theoretical and a few practical implications are discussed.
Initiation of DNA Interstrand Cross-link Repair in Mammalian Cells

Interstrand cross-links (ICLs) are among the most cytotoxic DNA lesions to cells because they prevent the two DNA strands from separating, thereby precluding replication and transcription. Even though chemotherapeutic cross-linking agents are well established in clinical use, and numerous repair proteins have been implicated in the initial events of mammalian ICL repair, the precise mechanistic details of these events remain to be elucidated. This review will summarize our current understanding of how ICL repair is initiated with an emphasis on the context (replicating, transcribed or quiescent DNA) in which the ICL is recognized, and how the chemical and physical properties of ICLs influence repair. Although most studies have focused on replication-dependent repair because of the relation to highly replicative tumor cells, replication-independent ICL repair is likely to be important in the circumvention of cross-link cytotoxicity in nondividing, terminally differentiated cells that may be challenged with exogenous or endogenous sources of ICLs. Consequently, the ICL repair pathway that should be considered "dominant" appears to depend on the cell type and the DNA context in which the ICL is encountered. The ability to define and inhibit distinct pathways of ICL repair in different cell cycle phases may help in developing methods that increase cytotoxicity to cancer cells while reducing side-effects in nondividing normal cells. This may also lead to a better understanding of pathways that protect against malignancy and aging.
Eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix of tetrahedral graphs

A tetrahedral graph is defined to be a graphG, whose vertices are identified with the\(\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} n \\ 3 \\ \end{array} } \right)\) unordered triplets onn symbols, such that vertices are adjacent if and only if the corresponding triplets have two symbols in common. Ifn2(x) denotes the number of verticesy, which are at distance 2 fromx andA(G) denotes the adjacency matrix ofG, thenG has the following properties: P1) the number of vertices is\(\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} n \\ 3 \\ \end{array} } \right)\). P2)G is connected and regular. P3)n2(x) = 3/2(n−3)(n−4) for allx inG. P4) the distinct eigenvalues ofA(G) are −3, 2n−9,n−7, 3(n−3). We show that, ifn > 16, then any graphG (with no loops and multiple edges) having the properties P1)–P4) must be a tetrahedral graph. An alternative characterization of tetrahedral graphs has been given by the authors in [1].
In vitro and in vivo studies of subcutaneous hydromorphone implants designed for the treatment of cancer pain

Unrelieved cancer pain remains a significant problem worldwide. Patients receive inadequate analgesia for a variety of complex and multifactorial reasons. Limited availability of opioids secondary to concerns about potential diversion of these medications for illicit use and poor compliance with oral regimens are significant factors in many countries. This study was designed to develop and test an implantable opioid delivery device capable of releasing a potent opioid subcutaneously at a continuous rate for 4 weeks. A low temperature solvent casting technique was used to formulate ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer disks containing 50% hydromorphone by weight. The release characteristics of disks of different height and diameter, coated and uncoated, and with and without a central uncoated channel were studied. The effect of temperature and pH were also evaluated. In vitro assessments were conducted in phosphate buffer using UV spectrophotometry. In vivo studies employed New Zealand White Rabbits and a radioimmunoassay. Plasma levels following hydromorphone delivery by polymer, osmotic pump, and intravenous administration were compared. In vitro, uncoated EVA polymer disks measuring 1.05 cm in diameter and 0.27 cm in height released an initial large burst of hydromorphone. Coating the disks with 100-200 microM of poly(methyl-methacrylate) prevented drug egress from the polymer. A central uncoated channel measuring 1.25 mm in diameter in an otherwise coated polymer virtually eliminated the initial burst of drug release and provided near zero-order hydromorphone release at an average rate of 164 micrograms per hour for 4 weeks. Doubling the height of the polymer approximately doubled the release rate while doubling the diameter of the polymer extended the duration of drug release to over 8 weeks. In rabbits, stable plasma hydromorphone concentrations (23-37 ng/ml) were sustained for 4 weeks following implantation of 2 polymers with an uncoated central channel. No initial burst of hydromorphone release was noted. Increasing the number of polymers produced sustained and predictable increases in plasma hydromorphone concentrations. Plasma levels were similar with subcutaneous hydromorphone delivered by polymer and osmotic pump and much less variable than with intravenous bolus hydromorphone. A uniquely configured implantable drug delivery device has been developed using materials which are approved for human use. It safely and reproducibly releases hydromorphone for weeks in vitro and in vivo without an initial burst of drug release. Varying the thickness, diameter, and number of implants provides flexibility in the release rate and duration of release. This implantable opioid delivery device could provide a sustained subcutaneous infusion of hydromorphone to patient with cancer pain in developed and developing nations without pumps, catheters, or extensive outpatient support services. In addition, it should improve compliance and reduce concern regarding illicit diversion of opioids.
Memory for musical surface.

This study of memory for music presented listeners with the first half of a short piano piece, O. Messiaen's Mode de valeurs et d'intensites. The piece is written according to a unique compositional principle that rigidly couples values of pitch (chroma and octave), duration, and dynamics. Listeners heard test excerpts, which were judged in terms of whether or not they might have come from the piece (either from the part they had heard or from the remainder of the piece). Even in the first block of trials, listeners were able to recognize segments from the part of the piece they had heard, suggesting surprisingly accurate memory for surface characteristics. Listeners were also able to generalize to the rest of the piece, accurately judging segments from the part of the piece they had not heard. However, performance on four kinds of transformed segments showed that the abstraction of a piece's surface characteristics adopts rather loose criteria. Even highly trained professional musicians informed of the compositional constraints before the experiment were not sensitive to the specific couplings between musical parameters. Rather, listeners appeared to be sensitive to contour (the pattern of increasing and decreasing pitch) and global correlations between pitch height and duration, dynamics, and interval size. Performance did not change with repeated hearings of the music.
Zebrafish rhabdomyosarcoma reflects the developmental stage of oncogene expression during myogenesis

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a pediatric malignancy thought to arise from the uncontrolled proliferation of myogenic cells. Here, we have generated models of rhabdomyosarcoma in the zebrafish by inducing oncogenic KRASG12D expression at different stages during muscle development. Several zebrafish promoters were used, including the cdh15 and rag2 promoters, which drive gene expression in early muscle progenitors, and the mylz2 promoter, which is expressed in differentiating myoblasts. The tumors that developed differed in their ability to recapitulate normal myogenesis. cdh15:KRASG12D and rag2:KRASG12D fish developed tumors that displayed an inability to complete muscle differentiation as determined by histological appearance and gene expression analyses. By contrast, mylz2:KRASG12D tumors more closely resembled mature skeletal muscle and were most similar to well-differentiated human rhabdomyosarcoma in terms of gene expression. mylz2:KRASG12D fish showed significantly improved survival compared with cdh15:KRASG12D and rag2:KRASG12D fish. Tumor-propagating activity was enriched in myf5-expressing cell populations within all of the tumor types. Our results demonstrate that oncogenic KRASG12D expression at different stages during muscle development has profound effects on the ability of tumor cells to recapitulate normal myogenesis, altering the tumorigenic capability of these cells.
Composition and Rheological Properties of β-Lactoglobulin/Pectin Coacervates: Effects of Salt Concentration and Initial Protein/Polysaccharide Ratio

The composition and rheological properties of β-lactoglobulin/pectin coacervates have shown significant correlations with sodium chloride concentration (CNaCl) and initial protein/polysaccharide ratio (r). An increase of CNaCl from 0.01 to 0.21 M at r = 5:1 leads to the increase in both β-lactoglobulin and pectin contents in the coacervates, which can be explained in terms of salt-enhanced effect at lower salt concentrations. Further increase of CNaCl from 0.21 to 0.41 M decreases the proportions of these two biopolymers in the coacervates, exhibiting salt-reduced effect at higher salt concentrations. Moreover, the stronger self-aggregation of β-lactoglobulin with increasing salt concentration gives rise to a decreasing actual protein/polysaccharide ratio in the coacervates at 0.01−0.21 M CNaCl and r = 5:1. An increase of r from 5:1 to 40:1 often increases the actual amount of pectin chains in β-lactoglobulin/pectin coacervates, but it exhibits a maximum in β-lactoglobulin content at r = 20:1. A much high...
Borderline Disaster: The Case for Escrow in Reducing Human Vulnerability

This article argues that the territorial trap and the social amplification of risks associated with a porous border have led to an increased vulnerability for unauthorised migrants along the US-Mexico boundary. A contradiction of globalisation is discussed examining how goods and capital are given more guarantees and social protections than certain people. The concept of escrow is introduced as a mitigation measure to reduce human vulnerability. Examples of other comparable and contentious programs are discussed to support the need for such measures. The discussions and methods outlined in this article, attempt to bring about an increased awareness of the territorial trap and the role it plays in producing the hazardous conditions along the US-Mexico boundary.
Hypermutable DNA chronicles the evolution of human colon cancer

Intratumor genetic heterogeneity reflects the evolutionary history of a cancer and is thought to influence treatment outcomes. Here we report that a simple PCR-based assay interrogating somatic variation in hypermutable polyguanine (poly-G) repeats can provide a rapid and reliable assessment of mitotic history and clonal architecture in human cancer. We use poly-G repeat genotyping to study the evolution of colon carcinoma. In a cohort of 22 patients, we detect poly-G variants in 91% of tumors. Patient age is positively correlated with somatic mutation frequency, suggesting that some poly-G variants accumulate before the onset of carcinogenesis during normal division in colonic stem cells. Poorly differentiated tumors have fewer mutations than well-differentiated tumors, possibly indicating a shorter mitotic history of the founder cell in these cancers. We generate poly-G mutation profiles of spatially separated samples from primary carcinomas and matched metastases to build well-supported phylogenetic trees that illuminate individual patients’ path of metastatic progression. Our results show varying degrees of intratumor heterogeneity among patients. Finally, we show that poly-G mutations can be found in other cancers than colon carcinoma. Our approach can generate reliable maps of intratumor heterogeneity in large numbers of patients with minimal time and cost expenditure.
Avian community structure in two modified Malaysian habitats

A study was made to determine the impact of a plantation of rubber trees Hevea brasiliensis and an adjacent suburban environment on birds inhabiting the western lowlands of peninsular Malaysia. Results from six consecutive censuses in January 1980 showed that the plantation exceeded the suburban area in bird species richness (3119) and diversity (H′ = 2·796&|;2·070, P < 0·01). Over a three-year period a total of 84 bird species was recorded in the plantation but only 25 species were found in the suburban area. Distribution of several bird species appeared to be influenced by local variation in tree density. Rubber tree plantations, and especially suburban areas, cause a drastic reduction in bird species richness where they replace lowland rainforest.
Hypotheses Tests of Strain-specific Vaccine Efficacy Adjusted for Covariate Effects

Abstract In the evaluation of efficacy of a vaccine to protect against disease caused by finitely many diverse infectious pathogens, it is often important to assess if vaccine protection depends on variations of the exposing pathogen. This problem can be formulated under a competing risks model where the endpoint event is the infection and the cause of failure is the infecting strain type determined after the infection is diagnosed. The strain-specific vaccine efficacy is defined as one minus the cause-specific hazard ratio (vaccine/placebo). This paper develops some simple procedures for testing if the vaccine affords protection against various strains and if and how the strain-specific vaccine efficacy depends on the type of exposing strain, adjusting for covariate effects. The Cox proportional hazards model is used to relate the cause-specific outcomes to explanatory variables. The finite sample properties of proposed tests are studied through simulations and are shown to have good performances. The te...
Demography of the Red Form of Myzus nicotianae (Homoptera: Aphididae) on Burley Tobacco

Life tables were constructed for the tobacco aphid, Myzus nicotianae Blackman, in the laboratory using three varieties of burley tobacco commercially available in Kentucky. Daily mortality and fecundity schedules were established to estimate net reproductive rate and instantaneous rate of population increase on each variety. The number of days to first reproduction, longevity, mortality, and fecundity were similar on each variety. Net reproductive rate, instantaneous rate of population increase, mean generation time, and doubling time of the populations were the same for each variety, indicating that population growth of the aphid on the three varieties did not differ significantly.
Global variation of column droplet concentration in low-level clouds

Cloud droplet concentration is a very important parameter in model studies. However, no global observation is available because it is hard to retrieve by current satellite remote sensing techniques. This study introduces another parameter, column droplet concentration, which can be retrieved by satellite data and used in models. The column droplet concentration (Nc) is the product of cloud geometrical thickness and droplet volume number concentration. This paper presents a method and the results of retrieving column droplet concentration for low-level clouds. The first near-global survey (50°S to 50°N) of Nc reveals more clearly the effect of aerosol concentration variations on clouds. The survey shows the expected increase of column droplet concentrations between ocean and continental clouds and in tropical areas during dry seasons where biomass burning is prevalent. Therefore, column droplet concentration is demonstrated as a good indication of available CCN populations in certain areas.
Cervical cancer survival for patients referred to a tertiary care center in Kentucky

Abstract Objectives To identify prognostic factors influencing cervical cancer survival for patients referred to a tertiary care center in Kentucky. Methods A cohort study was performed to assess predictive survival factors of cervical cancer patients referred to the University of Kentucky from January 2001 to May 2010. Eligibility criteria included those at least 18years-old, cervical cancer history, and no prior malignancy. Descriptive statistics were compiled and univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis were performed. Results 381 patients met entry criteria. 95% were Caucasian (N=347) and 66% (N=243) lived in Appalachian Kentucky. The following covariates showed no evidence of a statistical association with survival: race, body mass index, residence, insurance status, months between last normal cervical cytology and diagnosis, histology, tumor grade, and location of primary radiation treatment. After controlling for identified significant variables, stage of disease was a significant predictor of overall survival, with estimated relative hazards comparing stages II, III, and IV to stage I of 3.09 (95% CI: 1.30, 7.33), 18.11 (95% CI: 7.44, 44.06), and 53.03(95% CI: 18.16, 154.87), respectively. The presence of more than two comorbid risk factors and unemployment was also correlated with overall survival [HR 4.25 (95% CI: 1.00, 18.13); HR 2.64 (95% CI 1.29, 5.42), respectively]. Conclusions Residence and location of treatment center are not an important factor in cervical cancer survival when a tertiary cancer center can oversee and coordinate care; however, comorbid risk factors influence survival and further exploration of disease comorbidity related to cervical cancer survival is warranted.
Proton NMR studies of syn‐ and anti‐tricyclo [5.1.0.03,5]octanes and their dichloromethyl derivatives

The carbon and proton NMR spectra of syn- and anti-tricyclo[5.1.0.0 3.5 ]octanes and their dichlorocarbene C-H bond insertion products mere determined by conventional 1D and 2D method. Partially relaxed proton spectroscopy was carried out in some instances to aid in the separation of badly overlapped multiplets. A detailed analysis of the spectra was carried out with the aid of a new equation relating both the torsion angles and the C-C-H angles to the vicinal proton coupling constants. These values were combined with molecular modeling to draw conclusions regarding the conformational preferences for these molecules
Photoactivation of CO in Ti Silicalite Molecular Sieve

Irradiation at 266 nm of Ti silicalite (TS-1) molecular sieve loaded with CO and CH3OH gas at 173 K gave methyl formate as the main product. The photoreaction was monitored in situ by FT-IR spectro...
Laser spectroscopy using beam-overlap modulation

A new Doppler-free laser spectroscopy method is demonstrated that employs modulation of the position of a laser beam rather than the commonly used intensity or polarization modulation. The technique is applicable in saturated absorption as well as fluorescence measurements, as is illustrated in experiments on sodium and iodine lines. A particular feature of the method is that Doppler- and background-free fluorescence spectra can be recorded without using intermodulation techniques.
Genetic strategies to determine the mode of 2n egg formation in diploid potatoes

In this study, nineteen diploid potato clones (Solanum spp. 2n=2x=24) were identified as 2n egg producers on the basis of fruit set in 2x–4x crosses. The segregation of three genes mapped close to the centromere, Got-1 (1.1 cM), Pgm-2 (2.0 cM), and Sdh-1 (8.3 cM), were analyzed in the tetraploid offspring in these 2x–4x crosses to discriminate between First Division Restitution (FDR) and Second Division Restitution (SDR) modes of 2n egg formation. The co-dominant nature of these markers lead to more precise estimates of the recombinational frequencies as a result of completely classifying the segregating progenies. 2x–4x data revealed a predominance of SDR mechanisms occurring in 20 of the 21 families analyzed. With a SDR mode established, half-tetrad analysis (HTA) of four distal loci, 6-Pgdh-3, Mdh-1, Pgi-1, and Aps-1, revealed two SDR segregation patterns in some of the families. One pattern fit the expectations for the distal arm position. The gene-centromere map distances based upon SDR modes in the families following this pattern, were generally close to 4x−2x (FDR) estimates suggesting similar recombination rates between micro- and mega-sporogenesis. Heterozygosity transmission, on average, was 39.1%. In the other segregation pattern, in which the diploid parents were derived from S. chacoense PI 230580, higher than expected homozygosity levels were found in the female 2n gametophyte populations. A post-meiotic doubling of the reduced megaspore, which generates homozygous 2n eggs, is suggested to operate in three families. The common genetic background of the diploid clones suggested a heritable nature of this mechanism. Pooled data from these three deviant families calculated that 1.8% of the heterozygosity was transmitted to the tetraploid progeny.
Characteristics of single-channels activated by quisqualate and kainate in teleost retinal horizontal cells.

Abstract There is increasing evidence in the teleost retina that the excitatory amino acid glutamate is the neurotransmitter used by some photoreceptors. Single kainate and quisqualate channels were recorded on isolated white bass horizontal cells using patch-clamp techniques. Two categories of channels were observed. The first, labelled a slow-channel, exhibited conductance and open time averages for channels activated by quisqualate of 8.5 pS and 8.8 msec, and for kainate 8.5 pS and 4.5 msec. The closed times of these channels could be described by two time constants. The second channel category was termed a fast-channel. Quisqualate and kainate activated channels in this category with two prominent conductances in the range of about 10 pS and 20–30 pS and open times of 1–2 msec. These channels demonstrated closed times with only a single time constant. Openings of slow-channels elicited by the agonists tended to occur in bursts. Activity of the fast-channels was noisy and no bursting behavior could be seen. Both channels exhibited multiple conductance states.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide indirectly inhibits IL-7 responses in pre-B cells by induction of IL-6 and TNF-α in bone marrow

Abstract Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. CGRP directly inhibits IL-7 induced proliferation in developing B cells and also induces soluble factors that inhibit IL-7 responses. We identified 2 cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-α, induced by CGRP, that inhibit IL-7 pre-B cell responses. CGRP induction of IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA in long-term bone marrow cultures is transient and IL-6 or TNF-α inhibit IL-7 induced colony formation by 60%. When added with CGRP, colony formation is completely inhibited. TNF-α directly inhibits IL-7 responses in B220 + /IgM − cells whereas IL-6 inhibits only colony formation with whole bone marrow. This suggests that the effect of IL-6 is mediated by other cells in the bone marrow. These results suggest that the indirect effect of CGRP on IL-7 depends in part on induction of IL-6 and TNF-α.
Luminescence lifetime standards for the nanosecond to microsecond range and oxygen quenching of ruthenium(II) complexes.

A rapid and reproducible method for determining the temperature dependence of luminescence lifetimes has been developed. With the use of this method, a set of standards for the excited-state lifetime oxygen quenching of several ruthenium(II) transition metal complexes was established. With the use of three solvents of different viscosities and two metal complexes with widely different lifetimes, an overlapping range of ca. 100 ns to 6 μs was obtained. The decays are pure single exponentials, which means that they can be used reliably with both phase and pulsed lifetime instruments. For a pure single-exponential decay, a properly operating phase shift instrument will give the same lifetime as a time domain instrument. With the use of a thermal deactivation model and a three-parameter temperature-dependent oxygen quenching constant, the lifetime temperature-dependent data was well fit by a simple six-parameter equation that covers the temperature range of 10−50 °C and oxygen pressures from 0 to 1 atm of oxy...
Problem-Solving in Schizophrenics as a Function of Motivation:

This study sought to establish a method which would show quantitative differences in the integrative abiliry or abstract attitude of normals, schizophrenics, and organics, if such differences exist. If there are differences in this integrative ability, is it a lack of motivation which differentiates the schizophrenic from the normal and the brain-damaged individual? An answer to this would result from testing all three groups under various degrees of stress; the stress in this case being "white noise" which Pascal (1952, 1953) has found to be an effective source of motivation. If the schizophrenics are not different from the normals and organics in this integrative ability when no stress is present and improve when under high stress, while the organics drop off or stay at the same level, then these data will support the theory of Cameron ( 1944), Hunt and Cofer ( 1944 ) , and Pascal ( 195 1 ) . In other words, if the schizophrenics improve under stress, and the normals and the organics do not, then the loss of abstract attitude it: the schizophrenics is a secondary phenomenon and motivation is the primary deficit. Also, an attempt was made to clarify the conuoversies resulting from studies of schizophrenics under stress. Most of these studies have dealt with relatively simple tasks. Ir, this study the complexity of the task was varied 1-0 see if the improvement under stress holds for more complex tasks. This is important since many stress studies show results contrary to those of Pascal and Shakow (1950). Lzarus, et ul. (1952) cite many studies that show negative performance changes under stress. This study sought to evaluate whether there were statistically significant differences between normals, schizophrenics, and organics in their integrative ability or "abstract attitude," or differences in performance among the groups as a result of variations in stress (motivation) or of variation in task complexity.
Thermally controlled vanadium dioxide thin film microwave devices

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films have unique insulator to metal transition above the critical temperature of 68 °C. In this study, VO2 thin films were deposited on a sapphire substrate for thermally controllable RF/microwave devices such as switches, limiters and resonators. The selectively deposited VO2 thin film based devices showed ~2 kΩ at room temperature and less than 2 Ω at 70 °C. These thermally controlled varistors were utilized in shunt as well as series configurations for microwave switching and in resonant structures. Switching devices designed using a VO2 shunt varistor showed good isolation (>20 dB) and low insertion loss (<;1 dB) up to 20 GHz. This paper presents two types of shunt varistor devices designed and fabricated on sapphire substrates.
“You make me sick”: Moral dyspepsia as a reaction to third-party sibling incest

A pilot study and two main studies lent support to the hypothesis that appraisals of consensual sibling incest as immoral may directly engender the phenomenological state of oral inhibition (OI), comprised of nausea, gagging, and diminished appetite. More specifically, the findings indicate that (a) OI is a central component of a third-party reaction to sibling incest (significantly more so than anger or fear), (b) that it is produced specifically by the morally proscribed aspect of the incestuous relationship (sex between two individuals with common ancestry), and that (c) it is produced so directly rather than as a by-product of a more immediate emotional response (say, intense anger or fear). Furthermore, Study 2 found equal levels of OI for individuals with and without opposite-sex siblings, indicating that third-party aversion to consensual incest is, most likely, a function of the culturally transmitted information regarding the inherent wrongness of such acts.
Design pattern implementations in Eos

In earlier work, we showed that the AspectJ notions of aspect and class can be unified in a new module construct that we called the classpect, and that this new model is simpler and able to accommodate a broader set of requirements for modular solutions to complex integration problems. We embodied our unified model in the Eos language design. The main contribution of this paper is a case study, which considers the implementation of the Gang-of-Four (GOF) design patterns [3] in Eos to analyze the effect of new programming language constructs on these implementations. We also compare these implementations with the AspectJ's implementation. Our result shows that the Eos implementation showed improvement in 7 out of 23 design patterns, and are no worse in case of other 16 patterns. These improvements were mainly manifested in being able to realize the intent of the design patterns more clearly. The design structures realized in the Eos implementation provide supporting evidence for the potential benefits of the unified model.
Gersten-Witt Complex of Hirzebruch Surfaces

The Witt group is classically an abelian group whose elements are represented by isometry classes of anisotropic symmetric bilinear forms over a field. It can be generalized to Witt group of a ring or a scheme X, hence to the Witt sheaf of X. The Gersten-Witt complex of a scheme X is a cochain complex of Witt groups of residue class fields at all points of X, where the p-th term is the direct sum of Witt groups of residue class field at all codimension p points in X. Pardon constructed the Gersten-Witt complex of a Gorenstein scheme X, and showed that it is exact when X is the spectrum of a regular local ring which is essentially of finite type over a field of characteristic diffierent from 2. Using this, he defined a flasque resolution of a Witt sheaf. Although the Witt group of a complex surface is a birational invariant, we show that higher cohomologies of the Witt sheaf can distinguish diffierent birational schemes. Specifically, we show that the cohomologies of the Hirzebruch surface Hn are diffierent depending on whether n is even or odd. Computing cohomologies of the Gersten-Witt complex of a scheme is difficult in practice, because it involves Witt groups of residue fields at all (possibly infinitely many) points of the scheme. However, if the scheme is a complex toric variety, we show that one can construct a quasi-isomorphic cochain complex which has only a finite number of Witt groups of tori, which are orbits of the torus action. Moreover, the Witt group of a complex torus is a vector space of finite dimension. Hence, the new cochain complex is much simpler than the original Gersten-Witt complex, and its cohomologies can be more easily computed. Using this quasi-isomorphism, we compute cohomologies of the Witt sheaf on the Hirzebruch surfaces Hn. The Hirzebruch surfaces Hn are projective line bundles over a projective line, one for each integer n. We show that the first and second cohomologies depend on the parity of n.
Monitoring Progress in Spelling Improvement

In this paper, we discuss the Spelling Sensitivity System (SSS), an accuracy metric basedon the level of linguistic knowledge evidenced by student spellings. The procedure can beused by SLPs to bas...
Cancer as a metabolic disease: implications for novel therapeutics

Emerging evidence indicates that cancer is primarily a metabolic disease involving disturbances in energy production through respiration and fermentation. The genomic instability observed in tumor cells and all other recognized hallmarks of cancer are considered downstream epiphenomena of the initial disturbance of cellular energy metabolism. The disturbances in tumor cell energy metabolism can be linked to abnormalities in the structure and function of the mitochondria. When viewed as a mitochondrial metabolic disease, the evolutionary theory of Lamarck can better explain cancer progression than can the evolutionary theory of Darwin. Cancer growth and progression can be managed following a whole body transition from fermentable metabolites, primarily glucose and glutamine, to respiratory metabolites, primarily ketone bodies. As each individual is a unique metabolic entity, personalization of metabolic therapy as a broad-based cancer treatment strategy will require fine-tuning to match the therapy to an individual’s unique physiology.
Chemical Effects at the Reaction Front in Corroding Spent Nuclear Fuel

Performance assessment models of the U. S. repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada suggest that neptunium from spent nuclear fuel is a potentially important dose contributor. A scientific understanding of how the UO{sub 2} matrix of spent nuclear fuel impacts the oxidative dissolution and reductive precipitation of Np is needed to predict the behavior of Np at the fuel surface during aqueous corrosion. Neptunium would most likely be transported as aqueous Np(V) species, but for this to occur it must first be oxidized from the Np(IV) state found within the parent spent nuclear fuel. In this paper we present synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy and microscopy findings that illuminate the resultant local chemistry of neptunium and plutonium within uranium oxide spent nuclear fuel before and after corrosive alteration in an air-saturated aqueous environment. We find the Pu and Np in unaltered spent fuel to have a +4 oxidation state and an environment consistent with solid-solution in the UO{sub 2} matrix. During corrosion in an air-saturated aqueous environment, the uranium matrix is converted to uranyl (UO{sub 2}{sup 2+}) mineral assemblage that is depleted in Np and Pu relative to the parent fuel. The transition from U(IV) in the fuel to a fully U(VI)more » character across the corrosion front is not sharp, but occurs over a transition zone of {approx} 50 micrometers. We find evidence of a thin ({approx} 20 micrometer) layer that is enriched in Pu and Np within a predominantly U(IV) environment on the fuel side of the transition zone. These experimental observations are consistent with available data for the standard reduction potentials for NpO{sub 2}{sup +}/Np{sup 4+} and UO{sub 2}{sup 2+}/U{sup 4+} couples, which indicate that Np(IV) may not be effectively oxidized to Np(V) at the corrosion potential of uranium dioxide spent nuclear fuel in air-saturated aqueous solutions. (authors)« less
Scanning tunneling microscopy observation of single dangling bonds on the Si(100)2×1:H surface

The electrical properties of single dangling bonds on the Si(100)2×1:H surface are investigated by ultra high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy. On the N-type Si(100)2×1:H surface, single dangling bonds created by feedback controlled lithography and natural dangling bonds have a fixed negative charge. On the other hand, they are observed as neutral on the P-type Si(100)2×1:H surface. Current image tunneling spectroscopy is used to characterize both types of dangling bonds. The dangling bonds with fixed negative charge display a dramatic voltage dependence with Friedel oscillations observed in the empty state images. The neutral dangling bonds appear as protrusions in both the empty and filled state images.
Admission base excess as a predictor of transfusion requirement and mortality in dogs with blunt trauma: 52 cases (2007–2009)

Objective To evaluate the ability of admission base excess (ABE) to predict blood transfusion requirement and mortality in dogs following blunt trauma. Design Retrospective study 2007–2009. Setting University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Animals Fifty-two dogs admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment following blunt trauma. Measurements and main results Animals requiring red blood cell transfusion (N = 8) had significantly lower ABE than those not requiring transfusion (N = 44; median base excess [BE] = −8.4 versus −4.7, P = .0034), while there was no difference in admission packed cell volume (PCV) or age. Animals that died or were euthanized due to progression of signs (N = 5) had lower median ABE than those that survived (N = 47; median BE = −7.3 versus −4.9, P = 0.018). Admission PCV and age were not significantly different between survivors and nonsurvivors. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed an ABE cutoff of −6.6 was 88% sensitive and 73% specific for transfusion requirement (P < 0.001), and a cutoff of −7.3 was 81% sensitive and 80% specific for survival (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that ABE was a predictor of transfusion requirement that was independent of overall severity of injury as measured by the Animal Triage Trauma (ATT) score, but a similar analysis showed that only ATT was an independent predictor of survival. Conclusions The ABE in dogs with blunt trauma was a predictor of mortality and blood transfusion requirement within 24 hours.
Call Centers in Health Care: Effect on Patient Satisfaction

Call centers in health care services provide a variety of communication challenges. This case study of a call center for a health care plan in Central Florida correlates survey results on customer satisfaction with employees' self-reported customer-oriented behaviors, and management ratings of employee attitudes.
Tracking of Maneuvering Reentry Vehicles and Optimal Control Concepts

This paper introduces a new nonlinear filter that is used for the real-time estimation of the trajectory of a maneuvering reentry vehicle (NARV) from its radar observations. The performance, as measured by the point error, is compared to that of the conventional extended Kalman filter (EKF). The proposed nonlinear filter is based on optimal control concepts, specifically, Pontryagin minimum principle. Using these concepts, the unknown maneuvering forces are treated as controllers that drive the MARV dynamics to follow or track the noisy observed path. This treatment is different from the approach used with EKF, where the unknown forces are considered as Wiener processes and new states are augmented to the MARV states. The computational time for the proposed nonlinear filter, for the cases studied, is about 20% that of EKF, which is a substational improvement. The relationship between EKF and the proposed nonlinear filter is also discussed.
Correlation among 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D Assays

Context: Measurement of circulating 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D]) is the accepted clinical indicator of vitamin D status. However, between-laboratory differences in measurement of this analyte exist, which may confound clinical care. Objectives: We investigated the current agreement of 25(OH)D measurement in clinical laboratories and explored the possibility that simple calibration would improve between-laboratory agreement. Design and Participants: Serum obtained from healthy volunteers (age 20–60 yr) and one “calibrator,” selected to have a 25(OH)D value near 30 ng/ml, were sent for 25(OH)D measurement in four clinical laboratories (laboratories A–D) using HPLC, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy, and RIA methodologies. Main Outcome Measures: Serum 25(OH)D. Based upon self-report, the laboratory with the lowest interassay percent coefficient of variation was assigned as the reference to which the others were compared using linear regression and Bland-Altman analyses (Analyse-it; Analyse-it...
Efficient learning of sparse, distributed, convolutional feature representations for object recognition

Informative image representations are important in achieving state-of-the-art performance in object recognition tasks. Among feature learning algorithms that are used to develop image representations, restricted Boltzmann machines (RBMs) have good expressive power and build effective representations. However, the difficulty of training RBMs has been a barrier to their wide use. To address this difficulty, we show the connections between mixture models and RBMs and present an efficient training method for RBMs that utilize these connections. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work showing that RBMs can be trained with almost no hyperparameter tuning to provide classification performance similar to or significantly better than mixture models (e.g., Gaussian mixture models). Along with this efficient training, we evaluate the importance of convolutional training that can capture a larger spatial context with less redundancy, as compared to non-convolutional training. Overall, our method achieves state-of-the-art performance on both Caltech 101 / 256 datasets using a single type of feature.
Knee osteoarthritis and high-heeled shoes

Summary Background Little is known about the effects of walking in high heels on joints in the legs. Since osteoarthritis of the knee is twice as common in women as in men, we investigated torques (forces applied about the leg joints) of women who wore high-heeled shoes. Methods We studied 20 healthy women who were comfortable wearing high-heeled shoes. The women walked with their own high-heeled shoes and barefoot. Data were plotted and qualitatively compared; major peak values for high-heeled and barefoot walking were statistically compared. Bonerroni adjustment was made for multiple comparisons. Findings Measurement showed increased force across the patellofemoral joint and a greater compressive force on the medial compartment of the knee (average 23% greater forces) during walking in high heels than barefoot. Interpretation The altered forces at the knee caused by walking in high heels may predispose to degenerative changes in the joint.
Torque on a Spinning Hollow Sphere in a Uniform Alternating Magnetic Field

The calculation of torque acting on a spinning spherical shell in a uniform stationary magnetic field first presented by Halverson and Cohen1 is extended to include the alternating magnetic field case. The torque is found under certain conditions to be positive and will increase the sphere's angular velocity up to a stable equilibrium condition at which point the torque changes sign. Differential equations are solved in terms of the magnetic vector potential which is used to calculate the induced eddy currents and resultant magnetic field. A complete solution is given for the solid sphere while approximations are used to obtain a thin shell solution.
Assessments and Accountability

Use of tests and assessments as key elements in five waves of educational reform during the past 50 years are reviewed. These waves include the role of tests in tracking and selection emphasized in the 1950s, the use of tests for program accountability in the 1960s, minimum competency testing programs of the 1970s, school and district accountability of the 1980s, and the standards-based accountability systems of the 1990s. Questions regarding the impact, validity, and generalizability of reported gains, and the credibility of results in high-stakes accountability uses are discussed. Emphasis is given to three issues regarding currently popular accountability systems. These are (a) the role of content standards, (b) the dual goals of high performance standards and common standards for all students, and (c) the validity of accountability models. Some suggestions for dealing with the most severe limitations of accountability are provided.