cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suppression of Serum Prolactin Levels after Sports Concussion with Prompt Resolution Upon Independent Clinical Assessment To Permit Return-to-Play

Abstract A significant outflow of neurotransmitters and metabolites with associated enhanced cortical excitation occurs after concussive head trauma. Cellular changes in the acute post-injury period cannot be observed directly in humans, and as such, require indirect evidence from systems sufficiently sensitive to central neuronal cellular excitation. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter with numerous targets in the central and peripheral nervous system. Changes to central dopaminergic tone result in reciprocal responses to the level of serum prolactin (PRL). Thus, a concussion may lead to abnormal dopaminergic tone, resulting in dynamic perturbations in the serum PRL concentration. To determine the effect of concussion on serum PRL concentrations, venipuncture was performed in the morning in four male intercollegiate athletes (age, 20 ± 1 years; height, 71 ± 5 inches; weight, 174 ± 21 pounds) within 48 h of concussion and again at 7 and 14 days post-injury. Serum PRL concentrations for each visit were categori...
Confidence interval procedures for system reliability and applications to competing risks models

System reliability depends on the reliability of the system’s components and the structure of the system. For example, in a competing risks model, the system fails when the weakest component fails. The reliability function and the quantile function of a complicated system are two important metrics for characterizing the system’s reliability. When there are data available at the component level, the system reliability can be estimated by using the component level information. Confidence intervals (CIs) are needed to quantify the statistical uncertainty in the estimation. Obtaining system reliability CI procedures with good properties is not straightforward, especially when the system structure is complicated. In this paper, we develop a general procedure for constructing a CI for the system failure-time quantile function by using the implicit delta method. We also develop general procedures for constructing a CI for the cumulative distribution function (cdf) of the system. We show that the recommended procedures are asymptotically valid and have good statistical properties. We conduct simulations to study the finite-sample coverage properties of the proposed procedures and compare them with existing procedures. We apply the proposed procedures to three applications; two applications in competing risks models and an application with a \(k\text{-out-of-}s\) system. The paper concludes with some discussion and an outline of areas for future research.
Mechanically flexible thin-film transistors that use ultrathin ribbons of silicon derived from bulk wafers

This letter introduces a type of thin-film transistor that uses aligned arrays of thin (submicron) ribbons of single-crystal silicon created by lithographic patterning and anisotropic etching of bulk silicon (111) wafers. Devices that incorporate such ribbons printed onto thin plastic substrates show good electrical properties and mechanical flexibility. Effective device mobilities, as evaluated in the linear regime, were as high as 360cm2V−1s−1, and on/off ratios were >103. These results may represent important steps toward a low-cost approach to large-area, high-performance, mechanically flexible electronic systems for structural health monitors, sensors, displays, and other applications.
Photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerization of a cyclosiloxane

Hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane was found to undergo photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerization in solution and bulk, upon exposure to UV radiation, in the presence of either sulfonium or iodonium salts or an iminosulfonate derivative. Glass transition temperatures were below −100 °C. Molecular weights, determined by size exclusion chromatography relative to polystyrene standards, increased with photolysis lamp intensity. Use of an iodonium photoinitiator afforded poly(dimethylsiloxane) with Mn=172,000. Polymerization of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane was accompanied by a small increase in volume (3–4%).
Delayed heart block after temporary balloon occlusion of a secundum atrial septal defect.

Although the association between atrial arrhythmias and atrial septal defects (ASD) has been well described, abnormalities of AV nodal conduction, typically in the setting of ASD device closure, have been infrequently reported.1–4 We report a case of transient complete heart block several hours after temporary balloon occlusion of a secundum ASD. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing delayed complete heart block with temporary balloon occlusion of an ASD. A 35-year-old woman with Eisenmenger’s syndrome secondary to a secundum ASD and anomalous pulmonary venous drainage was …
Vapor pressure prediction for alkenoic and aromatic organic compounds by a UNIFAC-based group contribution method

Abstract A UNIFAC-based group contribution method is developed for predicting liquid vapor pressure ( p L o ) values of organic compounds, including molecules containing C C bonds. The method is an extension of UNIFAC- p L o .1 as developed by Asher et al. [2002. Estimating the vapor pressures of multi-functional oxygen-containing organic compounds using group contribution methods, Atmospheric Environment 36, 1483–1498] in which C O is the only type of sp2-bonded carbon considered. The current work is important due to the widespread interest in the physical behavior of organic compounds with sp2 carbon–carbon bonds, e.g., alkenes and aromatics. In the context of particulate matter (PM) formation in the atmosphere, condensable molecules of interest that contain sp2 bonds include initial oxidation products such as 4-oxo-but-2-enoic acid and 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid. UNIFAC- p L o .2 as developed here was based on experimentally determined, temperature-dependent p L o data for 39 alkene compounds, 26 aromatic compounds, and 81 saturated compounds. In order to check the method, an independent set of 22 alkene and 40 aromatic compounds with known volatilities was assembled. Vapor pressures for these compounds were estimated using UNIFAC- p L o .2 and the results compared to known values. The UNIFAC- p L o .2 method was found to predict vapor pressure within a factor of 1.8 and this accuracy was equal across the volatility range of the basis set (3×10−10 – 3×10−1 atm). The SPARC method [Hilal, S.H., Carreira, L.A., Karickhoff, S.W., 1994. Estimation of chemical reactivity parameters and physical properties of organic molecules using SPARC. In: Murray, P.P.A.J.S. (Ed.), Quantitative Treatments of Solute/Solvent Interactions. Elsevier, Amsterdam] was also used to estimate p L o for the 22 alkene and 40 aromatic compounds in the test set. Comparing the results of SPARC with UNIFAC- p L o .2 shows that the UNIFAC- p L o .2 method was on average 50% more accurate than the SPARC. The combined basis and test sets totaled 81 saturated, 61 alkene, and 66 aromatic compounds which were then used to generate an overall set of UNIFAC- p L o .2 method coefficients.
Body Practices and Consciousness: A Neglected Link

The dominant notions of consciousness in the West are anchored in a peculiar matrix of dissociated sensibility held in place by unthematized body practices. It is misleading to evaluate spiritual and philosophical notions of consciousness simply from the point of view of verbal, logical analysis, when they are expressions of these deeply rooted experiential sensibilities, deliberately cultivated over long years of habituation. There is a dramatic difference between how the West thinks of body practices as irrelevant to analyzing states of consciousness and how other cultures make direct links between these practices and the shaping of consciousness. For at least the last 150 years in Europe and the United States a number of teachers have developed body practices in deliberate resistance to the dualistic structurings of mentalities and physicality. They constitute a cultural movement of resistance shaped by the recognition of the mistaken notions embodied in Western dualism. An example is given of the work of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, the creator of the School of Body-Mind Centering. Key Words: Embodiment, Somatics, Cultivation, Practices, Dualism
Catholic education: from and for faith

Catholic education arises from the deep structures and earliest traditions of Christian faith. Its commitments throughout the centuries have been to educate both from and for faith. It educates from a faith perspective by drawing upon the universal values of Catholicism to provide a distinctive philosophy, perhaps even more so a spirituality, for its curriculum, purpose and ethos. It educates for faith by proposing Christian faith in ways that all students, regardless of their traditions, can learn from it for their lives. These symbiotic purposes face new challenges in our ‘secular age’ (Taylor, 2007. A Secular Age. Harvard University Press). However, by drawing upon its deepest faith-based convictions, Catholic education can continue to educate effectively from and for faith, and is all the more needed ‘for the life of the world’ (John 6:51).
Structure biodistribution relationship of radiolabeled ergolines: Search for brain imaging radiopharmaceuticals

A series of ergoline derivatives, analogues of Pergolide 1 and Lysergol 6, were synthesized, radiolabeled with 125I or 75Se, and evaluated for their ability to cross the Blood Brain Barrier of rats, for potential use as radiopharmaceuticals for imaging the brain. Introduction of the radiolabel was either at the 17- position (attached to the 8β-methylene) or at the 2- position of the indole portion of the ergoline moiety. Of the 8 radiolabeled compounds tested, two pergolide analogues, 8β-(methyl-75Seseleno)-methyl-6-propyl ergoline 5 and 8β−[125I]-iodomethyl-6-propyl ergoline 2f showed the highest uptake in the brain, adrenal and heart with good organ to blood ratios. This work has shown that analogues of pergolide, a dopamine agonist, if labeled with 123I may yield a clinically useful brain imaging radiopharmaceutical.
Diphenyltin dinitrate and sym-tetraphenyldinitrato-distannoxane

Abstract Diphenyltin dinitrate has been previously reported to be an intermediate in the thermal decomposition of triphenyltin nitrate. However, in agreement with Simpson's recent report, we could not detect diphenyltin dinitrate as a product of the decomposition of triphenyltin nitrate. In the present work, diphenyltin dinitrate was prepared unequivocally by the metathetical reaction between diphenyltin dichloride or diiodide and silver nitrate and characterized by elemental analysis, molecular weight determination, infrared spectrum, and preparation and analysis of its 1,10-phenanthroline derivative. Diphenyltin dinitrate is sensitive to moisture, equivalent quantities of water converting it to sym-tetraphenyldinitratodistannoxane. Triphenyl-tin nitrate also yields sym-tetraphenyldinitratodistannoxane when warmed in chloroform with access to air. Exploratory experiments suggest that oxygen is probably necessary for the conversion.
INTESHNFTL ABSORPTIVE SURFACE AREA IS DETERMINED BY MICROVILLUS NUMBER/CELL, NOT BY MICROVILLUS HEIGHT

In the small intestine, microvillus (MV) height is usually thought to be directly related to apical absorptive surface area. To evaluate whether MV height or other MV structural features were real indicators of absorptive surface area, we evaluated, by computerized morphometric analysis, the correlation between apical absorptive surface area/cell (AASA) and key MV structural features. These included, MV height, MV No./cell, and the non-MV amplified flat cell surface of rat jejunal (J) and ileal (I) absorptive epithelial cells. We studied 240 cells/region from defined mid and tip villus loci. AASA was defined as flat surface/cell x No. MV/cell x mean MV surface, MV No./cell as MV/u2 x flat surface/cell and MV surface as u2/MV. In J, AASA increases from 679 ± 15 u2/cell to 1085 ± 30 u2/cell (p<.01), between villus mid and tip, and similarly in I. There was a strong positive correlation between AASA and MV No./cell in J and I (J, r=+.870, p<.01; I, r= +.889, p<.01), but no correlation between MV height and cell surface area (J, r=+.290). And, MV height was indistinguishable at villus mid and tip loci (mid; 1.4 ±.3, tip; 1.6 ±.3 u), despite the increase in AASA. Our data indicate that AASA is dependent on MV No./cell and that MV height is not a measure of AASA, except in cases of severe MV damage. These observations hint that apparently normal sites, in patchy intestinal lesions, may also be compromised.
Consciousness, crosstalk, and the mereological fallacy: an evolutionary perspective.

Abstract The cross-sectional decontextualization afflicting contemporary neuroscience – attributing to ‘the brain’ what is the province of the whole organism – is mirrored by an evolutionary decontextualization exceptionalizing consciousness. The living state is characterized by cognitive processes at all scales and levels of organization. Many can be associated with dual information sources that ‘speak’ a ‘language’ of behavior-in-context. Shifting global broadcasts analogous to consciousness, albeit far slower – wound healing, tumor control, immune function, gene expression, etc. – have emerged through repeated evolutionary exaptation of the crosstalk and noise inherent to all information transmission. These recruit ‘unconscious’ cognitive modules into tunable arrays as needed to meet threats and opportunities across multiple frames of reference. The development is straightforward, based on the powerful necessary conditions imposed by the asymptotic limit theorems of communication theory, in the same sense that the Central Limit Theorem constrains sums of stochastic variates. Recognition of information as a form of free energy instantiated by physical processes that consume free energy permits analogs to phase transition and nonequilibrium thermodynamic arguments, leading to ‘dynamic regression models’ useful for data analysis.
Computation of Steady-State Probabilities for M/M/1 Priority Queues

Recursive computational formulas for the steady-state distributions of exponential single-server preemptive and nonpreemptive priority queues with two classes of customers are derived using Neuts' theory of matrix-geometric invariant probability vectors.
Testing a model of caffeinated alcohol-specific expectancies

Introduction The present study sought to further understand the association between caffeinated alcoholic beverage (CAB) use and alcohol-related risks. In particular, we focused on the role of two identified expectancies specific to CAB use: intoxication enhancement and avoidance of negative consequences. Although outcome expectancies are consistent predictors of substance use, limited research has examined expectancies related to CAB use and their association with alcohol-related behaviors, such as protecting themselves from alcohol-related harms. Consequently, the present study examined CAB-specific expectancies and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) as mediators of CAB use and negative consequences.
Computer controlled cw laser spectrometer

A computer controlled cw UV–visible dye laser source for spectroscopic use has been developed. Computer control facilitates both continuous single-frequency scanning and data acquisition. With 4 W of Ar-ion laser pump power, such a spectrometer can generate in excess of 1 W of cw single-frequency power in the visible and up to 1 mW in the UV by using extracavity nonlinear optical mixing. The laser spectrometer has been tested by performing high-resolution measurements of the fluorescence spectrum of I2 in the visible and of the absorption spectrum of SO2 in the UV.
Determining composition of grain mixtures using texture energy operators

Images of texture may be convolved with a set of small operators to produce texture energy features for classification or for image segmentation. These operators are usually picked from a standard set, such as Laws' texture energy operators or the variations discussed by other researchers. In this paper, texture energy features are used to determine the percentage composition of mixtures of rice and barley. The grains of white rice and pearled barley are similar in size and reflectivity, and hundreds of overlapping grains appear in each image. This problem is representative of many visual inspection tasks. Two approaches are used: multi- linear regression, and linear classification into discrete composition classes. The texture energy features used are standard Laws' operators in two sizes, and operators found through a stochastic optimization procedure.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Effects of Computational Method, Data Modeling, and TR on Effective Connectivity Results

As the use of effective connectivity has become more popular, it is important to understand how the results from different analyses compare with each other, as the results from studies employing differing methods for determining connectivity may not reach the same conclusion. Simulated fMRI time series data were used to compare the results from four of the more commonly used computational methods, structural equation modeling, autoregressive analysis, Granger causality, and dynamic causal modeling to determine which may be better suited to the task. The results show that all three methods are able to detect changes in system dynamics. Structural equation modeling appeared to be the least sensitive to changes in TR or source of variance, and Granger causality the most sensitive. The results also suggest that improved reporting on data analyses is necessary, and employing an effect statistic to depict results may remove some of the ambiguity in comparing results across studies using differing methods to determine connectivity.
Accelerating multidimensional NMR and MRI experiments using iterated maps

Techniques that accelerate data acquisition without sacrificing the advantages of fast Fourier transform (FFT) reconstruction could benefit a wide variety of magnetic resonance experiments. Here we discuss an approach for reconstructing multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra and MR images from sparsely-sampled time domain data, by way of iterated maps. This method exploits the computational speed of the FFT algorithm and is done in a deterministic way, by reformulating any a priori knowledge or constraints into projections, and then iterating. In this paper we explain the motivation behind this approach, the formulation of the specific projections, the benefits of using a ‘QUasi-Even Sampling, plus jiTter’ (QUEST) sampling schedule, and various methods for handling noise. Applying the iterated maps method to real 2D NMR and 3D MRI of solids data, we show that it is flexible and robust enough to handle large data sets with significant noise and artifacts.
Cocaine fatalities increased by restraint stress.

Laboratory rats injected daily with a moderate dose of cocaine hydrochloride (30 mg/kg, i.p.) showed increased fatalities when cocaine injections were followed by 30 min of restraint stress. The 5-day mortality rate was 58% for the cocaine-plus-stress group, while 17% of the animals receiving cocaine without restraint stress died. This finding suggests that stress can augment the toxic effect of cocaine and that minimizing stress may be an important consideration in the clinical management of cocaine overdose.
Complexity issues in learning by neural nets

We consider the computational complexity of learning by neural nets. We are interested in how hard it is to design appropriate neural net architectures and to train neural nets for general and specialized learning tasks. We introduce a neural net learning model and classify several neural net design and optimization problems within the polynomial-time hierarchy. We also investigate how much easier the problems become if the class of concepts to be learned is known {\em a priori} and the net architecture is allowed to be sufficiently non-optimal. We show that the problem of finding an optimal perceptron (in terms of the number of non-zero weights) consistent with a set of training examples is {\em NP}-complete. Our main result shows that the training problem for 2-cascade neural nets (which have only one hidden unit) is {\em NP}-complete, which implies that finding an optimal net (in terms of the number of non-input units) to load a set of examples is also {\em NP}-complete. Since the perceptron training problem can be solved in polynomial time by linear programming techniques, this result also demonstrates a surprising gap between the computational complexities of one-node and two-node neural net training problems. We conjecture that training a {\em k}-cascade neural net, which is a classical threshold network training problem, is also {\em NP}-complete, for each fixed $ k \geq 2 $.
Electrical properties of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films are useful in light control applications because they can be switched electrically between light scattering and transparent states. PDLC films are also being considered for solar heat load reduction because they can be made to backscatter the solar radiation. Since the size of the PDLC film required for such applications could be as large as one or more square meters, special consideration must be given to the electrical power required to activate those (mostly capacitive) films. We measured the electrical response of PDLC films to applied voltages of amplitude and frequency in the range of those typically used in most applications. A voltage-dependent and materials-based RC circuit was developed to model the PDLC film and its circuit parameters were adjusted to fit the data. We found that the model and the fitted values of the circuit parameters are useful for understanding the electrical properties of PDLC films and identifying sources of power consumption. In addition, the values obtained for the circuit parameters allowed us to estimate several previously unknown PDLC material parameters.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cellular basis for tentacle adherence in the Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia physalis)

The fishing tentacles of Physalia physalis (Portuguese man-of-war) adhere to prey and human victims by the penetration of a barbed tubule connected to an intracellular nematocyst. The nematocyst is surrounded by a fibrillar system of microtubules and microfilaments that terminate in hemidesmosomal processes which anchor the nematocyst to the acellular mesoglea of the tentacle.
Purification and characterization of three non-allelic alcohol dehydrogenase isozymes in Maize

Abstract Three non-allelic alcohol dehydrogenase (alcohol:NAD + oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.1) isozymes have been purified to homogeneity from maize scutellum. The three isozymes, numbered 1, 2 and 3, have similar subunit molecular weights ( M r 35 000) as judged by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and similar holoenzyme molecular weights ( M r 70 000) as judged by gel filtration chromatography and sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation. Each isozyme exhibits a pH optimum at pH 10 although they are not stable at this pH. Isozyme 1 is more thermolabile than isozyme 2 or isozyme 3. All three isozymes share similar substrate specificities and Michaelis constants. However, isozyme 1 can better utilize primary alcohols with longer carbon chains and has a lower Michaelis constant for acetaldehyde.
Effect of vaginal pH on efficacy of misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction

Abstract Objective: We sought to evaluate whether vaginal pH has an effect on the relative efficacy of misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction. Study Design: Thirty-seven gravid women with an unfavorable cervix and indication for labor induction were enrolled in this prospective, double-blind, observational study. Baseline assessments of cervicovaginal pH and Bishop score were made at the time of enrollment by an independent examiner. All patients received 50 μg misoprostol intravaginally every 6 hours for 12 hours. After the initial 12 hours of preinduction, a repeat Bishop score assessment was made by the same initial examiner. Patients not in active labor at 12 hours were placed on a standardized oxytocin induction regimen. Labor was managed by the on-call obstetric team, who remained blinded to pH assessment. Clinical outcomes were evaluated. Statistical analyses were made by the Student t test, the Fisher exact test, and linear regression analysis. Results: Average initial vaginal pH was 4.8 ± 0.5 (range, 3.5-7.0) for the study cohort. No significant differences were noted between those patients with low vaginal pH (≤4.5) compared with those with high pH vaginal (>4.5) with respect to maternal age, parity, gestational age, or initial Bishop score. Similarly, Bishop score change over preinduction interval (5.6 vs 4.9), time to active labor (16.3 vs 17.1 hours), time to complete dilatation (20.0 vs 19.9 hours), and time to delivery (21.0 vs 21.6 hours) were not significantly different between the low and high pH groups, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed no significant association between vaginal pH and Bishop score change during preinduction interval, time to active labor, time to complete dilatation, or time to delivery. Conclusion: Vaginal pH does not appear to influence the efficacy of intravaginally administered misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1616-9.)
Velo: riding the knowledge management wave for simulation and modeling

Modern scientific enterprises are inherently knowledge-intensive. In general, scientific studies in domains such as geosciences, climate, and biology require the acquisition and manipulation of large amounts of experimental and field data in order to create inputs for large-scale computational simulations. The results of these simulations must then be analyzed, leading to refinements of inputs and models and additional simulations. Further, these results must be managed and archived to provide justifications for regulatory decisions and publications that are based on these models. In this paper we introduce our Velo framework that is designed as a reusable, domain independent knowledge management infrastructure for modeling and simulation. Velo leverages, integrates, and extends open source collaborative and content management technologies to create a scalable and flexible core platform that can be tailored to specific scientific domains. We describe the architecture of Velo for managing and associating the various types of data that are used and created in modeling and simulation projects, as well as the framework for integrating domain-specific tools. To demonstrate a realization of Velo, we describe the Geologic Sequestration Software Suite (GS3) that has been developed to support geologic sequestration modeling. This provides a concrete example of the inherent extensibility and utility of our approach.
The use of acetone as a substitute for acetonitrile in analysis of peptides by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

The recent worldwide shortage of acetonitrile has prompted interest in alternative solvents for liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). In this work, acetone was substituted for acetonitrile in the separation of a peptide mixture by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and in the positive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) of individual peptides. On both C12 and C18 stationary phases, the substitution of acetone for acetonitrile as the organic component of the mobile phase did not alter the gradient elution order of a five-peptide retention standard, but did increase peak width, shorten retention times, and increase peak tailing. Positive ESI mass spectra were obtained for angiotensin I, bradykinin, [Leu5]-enkephalin, and somatostatin 14 dissolved in both acetonitrile/water/formic acid (25%/75%/0.1%) and acetone/water/formic acid (25%/75%/0.1%). Under optimized ESI-MS conditions, the mass spectral response of [Leu5]-enkephalin was increased two-fold when the solvent contained acetone. The substitution of acetone for acetonitrile resulted in only slight changes in the responses of the remaining peptides. A higher capillary voltage was required for optimum response when acetone was used. Compared with acetonitrile/water/formic acid (50/50/0.1%), more interfering species below m/z = 140 were found in the ESI-MS spectra of acetone/water/formic acid (50/50/0.1%). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel nonlinear inductance modeling of permanent magnet motor

Power management has become a significant concern that must be addressed before the realization of an all-electric aircraft. Electromechanical actuators (EMAs) for flight control surfaces are of special concern. They demand high power with highly variable duty cycles and are extremely flight-critical. Dynamic, nonlinear, lumped-element modeling of permanent magnet motors provides the means to simulate with high fidelity and speed the behavior of EMAs over any given mission profile. This paper focuses on a successful technique of dynamic, nonlinear inductance modeling which is at the heart of modeling the whole EMA.
Characterization of a TGFβ-responsive human trophoblast-derived cell line

Abstract The placenta is formed by developing trophoblast cells to facilitate fluid, gas and nutrient exchange with the mother. Inappropriate trophoblast responsiveness can lead to life threatening complications during pregnancy including intrauterine growth retardation, pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortion and malignancy that could lead to fetal loss. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is a multifunctional cytokine required for embryonic development and is an important regulator of human trophoblast function. Although TGFβ is critical for placental and embryonic development, there are currently no established TGFβ-responsive human trophoblast-derived cell lines available to study the mechanisms by which TGFβ regulates trophoblast function. Our studies have examined the transformed human trophoblast-derived cell line, ED 27 , to determine if it is responsive to TGFβ. Our data indicate that TGFβ dose responsively and reversibly inhibits cell growth in ED 27 cells and induces classic TGFβ response genes, fibronectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1). TGFβ also induces an inhibitor of trophoblast invasion, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in ED 27 cells. Our studies have identified a human trophoblast-derived cell line that parallels isolated primary human trophoblasts in their responses to TGFβ. This cell line may provide us with the opportunity to determine TGFβ-mediated responses on human trophoblast functions not previously possible.
MODIFYING THE PERSONAL ATTRIBUTE INVENTORY: AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO ASSESS SELF-CONCEPTS'

-Since choosing 30 words that best describe a target from 50 positive and 50 negative words on the Personal Attribute Inventory may have been artificially restrictive, in the presenr study 58 college students chose as many adjectives as appropriate; the score was proportionally adjusted according to the number of adjectives checked. Subjects' positive and negative scores were significantly correlated with scores on the favorable subscale (.31) and the unfavorable subscale (.59), respectively, of the parent scale, the Gough (1952) Adjective Check List. Test-retest correlations on the revised version for positive (.65) and negative (.65) scores were significant. Lower test-retest correlations were obtained for the favorable subscale (.35) and the unfavorable subscale ( .43) of Gough's check list. Implications are discussed.
EXTENSION OF POST‐HARVEST STORAGE LIFE OF SLICED CELERY

Precooled, ascorbic acid treatcd, and control fresh sliced celery samples of varying maturities were evaluated for physical and sensory quality attributes after 6 days post-harvest refrigerated storage and subsequent canning. Sensory evaluations indicated that early harvested celery was of lower quality than optimum or late harvested celery. Shear-press firmness measurements were similar for celery samples of different maturities. Pre-storage cooling of sliced celery, either by vacuum or hydrocooling, improved celery quality. Ascorbic acid additions decreased the rate of browning development on cut surfaces, and was effective in extending the refrigerated shelf life of celery when combined with vacuum or hydrocooling. Drained weight and firmness of canned celery from all treatments increased with post-harvest refrigerated storage time prior to canning.
Ca2+-Translocating ATPase of the Plant Plasma Membrane

For Ca2+ to function as a second messenger in signal transduction, it is essential that plant cells maintain low cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels relative to internal organelles and the apoplast. At the plasma membrane, Ca2+ is actively transported out of the cytoplasm and current evidence supports the involvement of a primary Ca2+-translocating ATPase in mediating this energy-dependent process. This review examines the preliminary biochemical characterization of this transport enzyme.
Application of integral equations to the flexural vibration of a wedge with rotary inertia and shear

Abstract This analysis extends the results of a previous paper by H. C. Lee (1) in which a generalized minimum principle is applied to a wedge. Similar results are obtained by the use of integral equations. Two types of integral equations are shown, one in a pair of equations and the other in a single equation with eigenvalues appearing in first and second powers. Galerkin's method is applied to the second type of integral equation and extensive numerical results for a wedge are shown. A comparison is made with previously obtained results.
Identification of Fugitive Dust Generation, Transport, and Deposition Areas Using Remote Sensing

Fugitive (or airborne) dust is a primary cause of decreased air quality, as well as being a potential health hazard. Urban and agricultural areas are of particular interest as fugitive dust sources because of their potential for releases during soil disturbance, ongoing industrial and commercial processes, and agricultural activities. Typical strategies for assessing and monitoring fugitive dust source areas include numerical modeling of atmospheric circulation patterns, field assessments, and collection of dust samples using various methods. Analysis of remotely sensed multi-spectral data provides another alternative for identifying fugitive dust source, transport, and sink areas. Multi-spectral (visible to shortwave infrared) data acquired by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument on board the Landsat 7 satellite is used to perform land-cover classifications for the Nogales, AZ, region. Data acquired during the winter of 2000 and the summer of 2001 are used to assess seasonal variations and detect land-cover changes of significance to dust-transport processes. An expert system approach using spectral, textural, and vegetation abundance data is used to classify the ETM+ data into land-cover types important to dust-transport models. The determined overall accuracy of the land-cover classifications is 74 percent. These results can be used to identify (and calculate areal percentages of) fugitive dust source, transport, and sink regions. This spatially explicit, digital data product is useful both as an input into dust-transport models and as a check on the results of such models.
Age as a moderator of attitude towards technology in the workplace: work motivation and overall job satisfaction

Given the prevalence of technology in the workplace, an understanding of employees' attitudes towards technology is essential. Such attitudes have been linked to such important issues as the successful implementation of new technologies in the workplace, employee intent to use technology, and the actual usage of technology by employees. As a result of the rapidly aging workforce, and because age has been linked to computer use and comfort, it is important to examine the relationship that may exist between age and attitudes towards technology. This study examines age as a moderator of 612 employees' attitudes towards technology in relation to work motivation intrinsic and extrinsic and overall job satisfaction. Further, given the technological socialisation of the Generation X Gen X versus the Baby Boomers, our sample comprised these two demographics. Hierarchical moderated multiple regression indicates age moderates the relationship between attitude towards technology and intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and to a lesser extent, overall job satisfaction. In each instance, older employees exhibit the strongest relationships with the outcome variables when possessing a high attitude towards technology. In contrast, older employees exhibit the weakest relationships when possessing a low attitude towards technology. These results are supportive of the moderating effect of age on attitude towards technology. Lastly, implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Dry Deposition of Atmospheric Contaminants: The Relative Importance of Aerodynamic, Boundary Layer, and Surface Resistances

Measurements of dry deposition were conducted to potted plants at Claremont, CA, during the Southern California Air Quality Study and to patches on an equestrian statue at Gettysburg National Military Park, PA. Simultaneous dry deposition measurements were also conducted on aerodynamically designed surrogate surfaces (symmetric airfoils) with predictable boundary layer characteristics at both locations. Species of interest include gaseous SO2 and particulate SO2− 4, NO3−, Ca, and Pb. The importance of each transport step in the deposition process was evaluated by combining the data from several types of surfaces with different surface characteristics. The significance of particle resuspension was determined by simultaneous sampling with different exposure times. The results suggest that the relative importance of aerodynamic, boundary layer, and surface resistances can vary greatly, depending on the depositing chemical species and the surface characteristics. Of particular interest is the highly variable ...
The scientific study of clinical judgment in psychology and medicine.

Abstract The current scientific interest in clinical reasoning originates in human judgment research among psychologists, statisticians, physicians, and computer scientists. The present state of this research is described and traced to its 1950s beginnings. Although the pivotal importance of the computer is emphasized, its impact on clinical information management is recognized as not having been as great as in some other spheres of intelligent reasoning. But its future important role in the study of clinical judgment is optimistically anticipated.
The electrocardiogram in certain anomalies of the coronary arteries

Abstract The electrocardiogram in selected congenital anomalies of the coronary circulation has been reviewed. The electrocardiographic characteristics of anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery are fairly diagnostic. Furthermore, correlation of the electrocardiogram with the necropsy findings in this defect lends further support to the concept of localized myocardial hypertrophy previously presented from this laboratory. The electrocardiogram of patients with single coronary artery was not considered to be diagnostic. However, the diagnostic possibilities of electrocardiographic signs of right atrial and right ventricular myocardial infarction were mentioned. It is remarkable how many detailed studies of the heart and coronary circulation of patients with anomalous coronary arteries have been published in which no electrocardiograms have been reported. More extensive electrocardiographic studies in patients with anomalies of the coronary circulation are needed if the accuracy of antemortem diagnosis is to be improved.
Modules Whose Endomorphism Rings are Von Neumann Regular

Abelian groups whose endomorphism rings are von Neumann regular have been extensively investigated in the literature. In this paper, we study modules whose endomorphism rings are von Neumann regular, which we call endoregular modules. We provide characterizations of endoregular modules and investigate their properties. Some classes of rings R are characterized in terms of endoregular R-modules. It is shown that a direct summand of an endoregular module inherits the property, while a direct sum of endoregular modules does not. Necessary and sufficient conditions for a finite direct sum of endoregular modules to be an endoregular module are provided. As a special case, modules whose endomorphism rings are semisimple artinian are characterized. We provide a precise description of an indecomposable endoregular module over an arbitrary commutative ring. A structure theorem for extending an endoregular abelian group is also provided.
Palliative care: Aprepitant and control of emesis induced by 5-day chemotherapy.

Addition of aprepitant, an NK-1 receptor antagonist, to dexamethasone and a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist contributes substantially to emetic control in patients receiving 5-day cisplatin-containing chemotherapy, a new trial shows. Some needs in antiemetic therapy remain unmet, including control of emesis with multiple-day chemotherapy and control of nausea.
Targeted Lung Expression of Interleukin-11 Enhances Murine Tolerance of 100% Oxygen and Diminishes Hyperoxia-Induced DNA Fragmentation

Acute lung injury is a frequent and treatment-limiting consequence of therapy with hyperoxic gas mixtures. To determine if IL-11 is protective in oxygen toxicity, we compared the effects of 100% O 2 on transgenic mice that overexpress IL-11 in the lung and transgene ( 2 ) controls. IL-11 markedly enhanced survival in 100% O 2 with 100% of transgene ( 2 ) animals dying within 72–96 h and . 90% of transgene ( 1 ) animals surviving for more than 10 d. This protection was associated with markedly diminished alveolar-capillary protein leak, endothelial and epithelial membrane injury, lipid peroxidation, and pulmonary neutrophil recruitment. Significant differences in copper zinc superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were not noted and the levels of total, reduced and oxidized glutathione were similar in transgene ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) animals. Glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and manganese superoxide dismutase activities were slightly higher in transgene ( 1 ) as versus ( 2 ) mice after 100% O 2 exposure, and IL-11 diminished hyperoxiainduced expression of IL-1 and TNF. Hyperoxia also caused cell death with DNA fragmentation in the lungs of transgene ( 2 ) animals and IL-11 markedly diminished this cell death response. These studies demonstrate that IL-11 markedly diminishes hyperoxic lung injury. They also demonstrate this protection is associated with small changes in lung antioxidants, diminished hyperoxia-induced IL-1 and TNF production, and markedly suppressed hyperoxia-induced DNA fragmentation. ( J. Clin. Invest. 1998. 101:1970–1982.)
A more powerful test for incomplete block designs

We studied the behavior of a statistic that tests for treatment effects in incomplete block designs, Simulation was used to estimate the first four moments of a test statistic that combines intra- and inter-block estimates of treatment contrasts. For a wide range of alternative hypotheses, the moments are remarkably close to those of an F distribution with one degree of freedom in the numerator, and the denominator degrees of freedom equal to that of the mean square error in the usual intra-block analysis, The noncentrality parameter depends upon the block and unit variances and the eigenvalues of the incidence matrix of the design, The power of the test statistic can be estimated from standard power function charts.
Explaining Participation in Congressional Oversight Hearings

Scholarship on congressional oversight has documented an increase in the amount of time committees have devoted to oversight hearings since the post-1970s reform period that decentralized power in the House. Unknown thus far, though, is the extent to which members avail themselves of their opportunities to use hearings to monitor executive branch activities or what concerns might motivate such participation. Building on prior research on participation in other congressional activities, this study measures participation by House members in reauthorization and appropriations hearings for programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1978 to 1986. On the whole, participation in the hearings by rank-and-file committee members was low, but factors such as district and party interests, the timing of the hearings on the electoral cycle, and the presence of the department secretary at the witness table all served to increase participation.
Bad company: the addition of sugar, fat, or salt reduces the perceived vitamin and mineral content of foods

The addition of disreputable ingredients (e.g., fat) can cause foods to take on perceived negative qualities (e.g., as promoters of obesity and disease) and according to recent findings, these foods can also be perceived to lack positive components (e.g., vitamins and minerals). In the present study, middle-aged and older adults were asked to rate the vitamin and mineral levels of a group of primary foods (e.g., strawberries) as well as their counterparts, i.e., a second group of similar foods (e.g., strawberries with sugar on top) that contained disreputable ingredients. The results indicate that many Americans (regardless of whether or not they have tendencies toward eating restraint) believe that fat, sugar, and salt deplete foods of vitamins and minerals. Apparently, the vilification of certain nutrients in foods (e.g., fat) by health media and the food industry influences our perceptions of the amounts of other nutrients in those same foods. These results suggest that more care and caution should be used when disseminating nutritional information.
Pyruvate metabolism in Haliotis (ormer/abalone): Lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase and opine dehydrogenase activities

Abstract 1. 1. Pyruvate kinase is inhibited sigmoidally by ATP in H. cracherodii with a h = −3.9; however, l -Phe inhibits only with a h = −1.2. 2. 2. d -Lactate shows minimal, if any, inhibition of pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. 3. 3. Pyruvate inhibits lactate dehydrogenase above 0.8 mM at pH 6.4, 6.7 and 7.4 in H. cracherodii . H. fulgens, H. corrugata , and H. rufescens enzymes were also inhibited. 4. 4. Depending on pH, lysopine dehydrogenase and octopine dehydrogenase are moderately active in H. cracherodii .
Algebraic-eikonal approach to electron-molecule scattering. II. Rotational and vibrational excitation of LiF and KI.

The algebraic-eikonal approach to electron-molecule scattering is further developed. A simple perturbation method is used to illustrate the coupling of vibrational bands. Furthermore, it is shown explicitly that the differential cross section summed over the final rotational states and averaged over the initial magnetic substates does not depend on the initial angular momentum. Finally this approach is applied to calculate the differential cross section for scattering electrons from the diatomic molecules LiF and KI.