cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolism of ascarosides in the ovaries of Ascaris lumbricoides (Nematoda)

Abstract 1. 1. During formation of the ascaroside layer of the shell of fertilized Ascaris lumbricoides eggs, about 50 per cent of the ovarian ascaroside esters were deposited as free ascarosides. 2. 2. Preliminary evidence suggested that the ascaroside glycone, which is believed to be a 3,6-dideoxyhexose, was synthesized by ovary homogenates from glucose, or G-1-P, by a pathway similar to that found in Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis. 3. 3. The aglycones of ascarosides (C22 to C37) were synthesized from palmitic and other higher fatty acids. The rate of synthesis was half as great with palmitate-1-14C as with palmitate labeled in any other position. ATP, CoA and NADH or NADPH stimulated synthesis from palmitate. Acetic acid obtained by oxidation of aglycones containing an hydroxyl group at the 2-position was labeled when the aglycones were synthesized from palmitate-16-14C, but not when they were synthesized from palmitate-1-14C. Acetate was incorporated into aglycones at a lower rate than were fatty acids. 4. 4. The aglycone carbon chain was apparently synthesized by condensation and decarboxylation of 2 moles of higher fatty acids by a mechanism analogous to the malonyl CoA synthesis of fatty acids. Mechanisms by means of which the condensation products were converted to the aglycones were not determined. 5. 5. Glycones and aglycones synthesized by ovaries were efficiently converted to ascarosides.
Development of an in vitro system to assess stent-induced smooth muscle cell proliferation: a feasibility study.

Purpose To develop an in vitro system capable of rapidly evaluating how specific stent structures may stimulate smooth muscle cell proliferation in living isolated porcine carotid arteries. Materials and Methods A vascular bioreactor system was developed that housed a native porcine carotid artery under physiologic pulsatile flow and pressure conditions. The bioreactor system was designed to enable vascular stent deployment into a test section of vessel that was kept alive for 1 week. The three stents tested were a Wallstent, a Cordis Smart stent, and a balloon-expandable NIR Royal stent in three different arteries. Results Stents were successfully deployed in the native porcine arteries within the bioreactor system. Organ bath studies demonstrated that the explanted arteries maintained 40% of their contractility. Immunohistochemical staining of the stented vessel demonstrated that smooth muscle cell proliferation was related to stent design and strut location. Specifically, smooth muscle proliferation was shown to increase with stiffer (less compliant) vascular stents and in the edge region of the stents. Conclusions The system could potentially be used to assess the influence of stent design and smooth muscle cell proliferation.
Degradation of terbufos (counter ®) soil insecticide in corn fields under conservation tillage practices

Conservation tillage is a system of managing crop residue on the soil surface by using minimum or no tillage (Unger and McCalla 1980). Reduced tillage leaves crop residue on the soil surface that can lessen the impact energy of raindrops and thereby signficantly reduce soil erosion. Surface translocation of agrochemicals may also be reduced (Baker et al. 1978; Baker and Johnson 1979). In contrast, conventional tillage (i.e., plowing) leaves the soil surface bare as crop residues are completely mixed into the soil. Plowed soil is easily loosened during intense rain storms and washed downslope. Farmers throughout the midwestern corn belt have adopted various conservation tillage systems to reduce soil erosion, protect water quality, conserve soil moisture, and reduce energy use.
Expanding the comics canvas: GPS comics

Seeing thru Walls is the first location-based comic story for the GPS environment. Current digital comics (web comics or online comics) are confined to a computer screen and use the affordances of digital medium in a limited way. Our aim is to produce an environment where we can tie sensory details of the physical environment to comic frames. We are exploring the design problems and new meaning making opportunities that can arise when GPS technology is contextualized in an interactive comics storytelling environment.
The contemporary Latin American and Caribbean copper cycle: 1 year stocks and flows

Abstract Substance flow cycles can provide a picture of resource uses and losses through a geographic region, thus allowing the evaluation of approaches to regional resource management and the estimation of gross environmental impacts. This paper traces the flow of copper as it enters and leaves the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) economy over 1 year. A regional material flow model was developed to estimate patterns of copper use in the early 1990s throughout LAC. Material balance calculations were used to determine copper flows, including the amount of metal that enters use in society and in waste repositories. A database and modeling tool that records temporal and spatial boundary conditions and data quality was developed for continental substance flow analysis. The result provides a numerical accounting of copper from ore, to product, to potential secondary resource. The modeling also shows how materials are transformed and processed, recovered, and stored at each stage in the life cycle of copper. LAC is a significant global producer of primary copper through its mining, smelting, and refining operations; about three-fourths of this output is exported from the continent. The remainder is fabricated within LAC and enters the societal use reservoir in infrastructure, buildings, industry, private households, and other uses. Chile is the dominant producer and exporter of copper in the region. The majority of copper in finished products is contained in pure form (70%, 212 Gg out of 305 Gg), the remainder in alloy form. Copper from post-consumer waste is roughly 10 times smaller than tailings and slag waste. This research shows that there is a significant stock of copper both in use and hibernating in retired electronic products. There is also an informal recycling system and secondary market that is not quantified, but estimated to be up to 80% of recovered post-consumer copper.
New century: same challenges.

‘If public health is to be more successful in the 21st century, it must comprehend the magnitude of the forces against it and the strategies used to engineer its defeat' (McKinlay and Marceau, 2000b). Nowhere is this more apparent than the field of tobacco control where the transnational tobacco industry's enormous wealth and political clout are fuelling a global public health tragedy. Responsible for over 5 million premature deaths a year, tobacco-related diseases are forecasted to kill over 10 million people by 2020, 70% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (Tobacco Free Initiative, 2004). Based on current trends, tobacco will kill 1 billion people in this century alone. Despite these sobering statistics, tobacco use continues to be promoted by a powerful industry, subsidised by governments, and seen as a normal social activity by the public. Some may argue that the tobacco epidemic's insidiously slow onset and ‘silence' in comparison with dramatic outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as AIDS and SARS, results in tobacco control not being given sufficient priority, prestige, or resources in public health planning and programmes. This may seem to be an explanation for why many countries have not been able or willing to take the necessary steps to control tobacco use, tobacco control capacity is inadequate, and tobacco control programmes are not adequately funded by either governments or international aid agencies. However, this is only one of many reasons. Another more important reason that explains the woefully inadequate global response to the tobacco epidemic is directly related to the aggressive activities of the transnational tobacco industry, which values corporate profits over the unimaginable damage being caused to the health and welfare of individuals and countries. The tobacco industry's past poor behaviour is well known. However, recent industry initiatives aimed at remaking its corporate image from pariah statues into a responsible corporate citizen camouflages its continued efforts to resist restrictive legislation that could lead to regulation and reduction in consumption. The industry continues to attempt to realign national and international laws so as to enlarge its corporate rights and reduce its corporate responsibilities, and undermine existing regulations.
Routine childhood immunizations

The immunizations recommended in the 2001 Childhood Immunization Schedule are safe and effective. Newly approved vaccines, like the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, hold the promise of eliminating or dramatically reducing persistent causes of childhood morbidity and mortality in the United States.
Molecular Defects in the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Several abnormalities in collagen biosynthesis have been described in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Examples of collagen structural mutations as well as post-translational enzymatic defects have been detected. Patients with hydroxylysine-deficient collagen disease (Ehlers-Danlos type VI) have diminished lysyl hydroxylase activity. One mutant enzyme has been characterized which is thermally labile and had an altered affinity for ascorbate. Another mutant enzyme had a normal requirement for cofactors but activity was diminished. Type VII Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is associated with altered processing of procollagen to collagen. Most often the disorder is associated with deficient procollagen aminoprotease activity. One patient appears to represent a structural mutation of pro α2 (I) resulting in incomplete cleavage of the amino terminal propeptide. One family with x-linked Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (type V) has been described with altered lysyl oxidase activity. Other patients with this disorder have had normal lysyl oxidase activity. The ecchymotic form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (type IV) has defective type III collagen synthesis. Patients have been described with absent synthesis, diminished synthesis and diminished secretion.
An Awkward Unit

THERE has lately been introduced on the Daily Weather Report a small map showing barometric tendency. The barometric change from 4h. to 7h. is given as “a multiple of the half-millibar, that unit having been found convenient for reading the baro-grams and adopted for telegraphic reporting” (Meteor. Mag., August, 1920, p. 150).
Jupiter: An inhomogeneous atmospheric model analysis of spatial variations of the H2 4-0 S(1) line

Abstract An analysis of the structure of the Jovian atmosphere, primarily based on center-to-limb variations (CTLV) of the equivalent width of the hydrogen quadrupole 4-0 S (1) line, is presented. These data require that the atmosphere have regions of both long- and short- scattering mean free paths. Two alternative cloud structures which fit the data are developed. The first is a two-cloud model (TCM) consisting of a thin upper cloud and a lower semi-infinite cloud, with absorbing gas between the clouds and above the upper cloud. The second model is a reflecting-scattering model (RSM), in which a gas layer lies above a haze consisting of scattering particles and absorbing gas. The cloud-scattering phase function in both models must have a strong forward peak. The CTLV data require, however, the presence of a backscattering lobe on the phase function, with the backscattering intensity about 4% of the forward scattering. The decrease in reflectivity of all regions from the visible to the ultraviolet is explained by the presence of dust particles mixed with the gas. Most of the ultraviolet absorption in the atmosphere must occur above the upper cloud layer. Particles with a uniform distribution of radii from 0.0 to 0.1 μm with a complex index of refraction varying as λ −2.5 are used. The contrast in reflectivity between belts and zones may be explained by the larger concentration of dust in the belts than in the zones. Spatially resolved ultraviolet limb-darkening curves will help to determine the dust distribution of the Jovian atmosphere. The visible methane bands at λλ 6190, 5430, and 4860 A are analyzed in terms of these models. We derive a methane-to-hydrogen mixing ratio of 2.8 × 10 −3 , which is about 4.5 times the value for solar composition.
Hepatitis C virus and the threshold of natural killer cell inhibition

Natural killer (NK) cells provide a central defense against viral infection by using inhibitory and activation receptors for major histocompatibility complex class I molecules as a means of controlling their activity. We show that genes encoding the inhibitory NK cell receptor KIR2DL3 and its human leukocyte antigen C group 1 (HLA-C1) ligand directly influence resolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This effect was observed in Caucasians and African Americans with expected low infectious doses of HCV but not in those with high-dose exposure, in whom the innate immune response is likely overwhelmed. The data strongly suggest that inhibitory NK cell interactions are important in determining antiviral immunity and that diminished inhibitory responses confer protection against HCV.
The Effects of Agricultural Growth on Agricultural Imports in Developing Countries

International phenomena are having increased influence on U.S. agriculture (Schuh). One dimension of this increased interdependence is the rapid increase in the value of U.S. agricultural exports and imports, 349% and 209%, respectively, since 1970 (Kellogg). The value of U.S. agricultural exports has increased at a rate over twice as fast as total farm gross cash income since 1970-349% versus 155% (USDA, Economic Indicators). Not only have exports increased in importance, but their destination has changed. The percentage of U.S. agricultural exports going to developing countries has increased from 34.6 in 1974-76 to 41.3 in 1983-85 (table 1). Another dimension of this interdependence is agricultural development assistance which has received varying emphases during the past three decades in the U.S. development assistance program. In 1975, Congress passed Title XII of the Foreign Assistance Act, which provided a congressional mandate for the involvement of U.S. land grant and other similar universities in U.S. foreign aid programs (York). One area of emphasis in Title XII is agricultural development, and most land-grant universities have been involved in projects designed to increase agricultural production in developing countries. Recently, the U.S. farm sector has faced a number of conditions that have adversely affected farmers' net income and net worth positions. The 29% decline in value of agricultural exports since 1981 has contributed to the severity of these problems (table 1). Some believe that increased agricultural production in developing countries has been substantially responsible for the decline in U.S. agricultural exports (Avery). In this situation of increased international interdependence, declining export sales and other farm problems, and increased visibility of land grant university involvement in agricultural assistance to developing countries, U.S. agricultural leaders have become concerned about the relationship between increasing agricultural production in developing countries and those countries' agricultural imports. The purpose of this inquiry is to provide a preliminary examination of the relationship between imports of agricultural products into developing countries and changes in domestic agricultural production in these countries. The specific question is: What have been the effects of increased per capita production in developing countries on agricultural imports into these countries?
Origin of hematite carrying a Late Paleozoic remagnetization in a quartz sandstone bed from the Silurian Rose Hill Formation, Virginia, USA

Abstract Paleomagnetic and petrographic studies of a quartz sandstone bed from the Silurian Rose Hill Formation of the Central Appalachians show that hematite carrying a Late Paleozoic remagnetization is authigenic. Comparison of paleopole positions from the Rose Hill Formation with Late Paleozoic poles for North America suggests a synfolding remagnetization. The sandstone cement is characterized by pore-lining hematite, pore-filling berthierine and intergrowths of hematite, berthierine and quartz. These cements postdate pressure solution of detrital quartz grains. Late Paleozoic cementation is a consequence of diagenesis associated with Alleghanian deformation. Detrital FeMg silicate grains are believed to have been a local source of Fe for some authigenic hematite and berthierine, although mass balance calculations suggest that an external source is also required. Some berthierine aggregates are pseudomorphic after detrital Fe-bearing silicate grains. Trace amounts of detrital tourmaline are the only remnants of the detrital FeMg silicates.
Proximodorsal first phalanx osteochondral chip fragmentation in 336 horses

Summary The results of arthroscopic surgery in the treatment of osteochondral fragmentation of the proximodorsal aspect of the first phalanx and the influence of other fetlock joint lesions on prognosis were evaluated in 336 horses. Horses were classified as: 1) returning to previous use at the same or higher class of performance; 2) returning to previous use (regardless of class of performance); or 3) failing to return to previous use. Ninety-six horses (29%) had fragmentation alone; 140 horses (42%) had fragmentation and additional fetlock lesions, and 100 horses (29%) underwent concurrent carpal arthroscopy. Of the 100 horses that underwent carpal arthroscopy, 63 had proximodorsal first phalanx fragmentation alone and 37 had other fetlock lesions associated with the fragment. There was significant association between lesion type and return to previous use for the Thoroughbred racehorse group. There was also a significant association between lesion type and return to the same or higher class of racing for the Thoroughbred racehorse group. No significant association in return to previous use existed for racehorses vs. non-racehorses, Thoroughbred racehorses vs. Quarter Horse racehorses, single vs. multiple joint involvement, and single vs multiple fragmentation per joint. The Thoroughbred racehorses in this study were sensitive to additional fetlock or carpal lesions, as was exemplified by the significant effect lesion type had on outcome.
Influence of a Perfusing Bath on the Foot of the Cardiac Action Potential

Recently, Spach et al (Circ Res. 1998;83:1144-1164) measured the transmembrane action potential 150 to 200 microm below the tissue surface during longitudinal and transverse propagation. They found that "during longitudinal propagation there was initial slowing of V(m) [action potential] foot that resulted in deviations from a simple exponential. " (p 1144). They attributed this behavior to the effects of capillaries on propagation. The purpose of this commentary is to show that the perfusing bath plays an important role in determining the time course of the action potential foot, even when the transmembrane potential is measured 150 microm below the tissue surface. Using numerical simulations based on the bidomain model, we find that the action potential foot for transverse propagation is nearly exponential (tau(foot)=314 micros). For longitudinal propagation, the action potential foot is not exponential because of an initial slowing (best-fit tau(foot)=483 micros). We conclude that the perfusing bath must be taken into account when interpreting data showing differences in the shape of the action potential foot with propagation direction, even if the transmembrane potential is measured 150 microm below the tissue surface.
Terahertz spectroscopy of l-proline in reverse aqueous micelles

Abstract A new method for obtaining room-temperature terahertz (THz) absorption spectra of aqueous-phase biomolecules in the frequency range 1–21 THz (35 cm −1 –700 cm −1 ) is reported. The spectrum for l -proline was acquired by solvating the amino acid within the nanometer-sized interior water pool of reverse micelles dispersed in transparent n -heptane. Terahertz spectra of H 2 O, D 2 O and the effect of l -proline concentration and micelle size are discussed, and the results are compared to spectra of solid-phase l -proline and Gaussian calculations.
A prospective study of the effects of age of initiation of alcohol and drug use on young adult substance dependence.

Objective: Previous cross-sectional research has disagreed about whether an adolescent's age of onset of alcohol use is a unique predictor of later alcohol dependence or whether it is merely a correlate of those factors that produce alcohol dependence. The current study tests this question in a longitudinal sample, and extends the literature by testing whether age of onset of alcohol and drug use predicts alcohol and drug dependence. Method: Data from an ongoing study of children of alcoholics and matched controls (n = 395) were collected during three annual interviews during adolescence and two 5-year follow-ups in young adulthood. Results: Taking a first drink of alcohol at or before age 13 was unrelated to the odds of alcohol and drug dependence when the adolescent did not also participate in early drug use or when correlated risk factors were taken into account. On the other hand, early drug use elevated the odds of drug dependence by young adulthood, even while controlling for shared risk factors. Co...
Impact of channel doping on the device and NBTI performance in FinFETs for low power applications

We present device-level characterization of digital, analog and NBTI parameters for p-FinFETs with different channel doping. We show that using channel doping we can trade-off device and NBTI performance. In p-FinFETs, Arsenic doped channel has better digital and analog performance and Boron doped channel has superior NBTI performance. Forward body bias reduces NBTI degradation in p-FinFETs.
Former Latchkey Children: Personality and Academic Correlates

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates (demographic, personality, and academic) of former latchkey status (children unsupervised by an adult after school during their elementary or middle school years) in a college student sample (N = 188). A clear operational definition of latchkey status was provided. Students were surveyed and administered a personality questionnaire, and their academic aptitude test scores were verified through university records. Twenty-five percent of the male and 14% of the female participants were identified as former latchkey children, resulting in an 18% latchkey prevalence rate. The mean age of onset of latchkey status was 8.7 years for the male and 10.0 years for the female subjects. Having been a latchkey child was positively associated with being male and Caucasian, coming from a one-parent family, and having had a mother who worked outside the home. Multivariate analyses of the personality and academic measures revealed no significan...
Cosmological baryon density derived from the deuterium abundance at redshift z = 3.57

THE primordial ratio of deuterium to hydrogen nuclei (D/H), created as a result of the Big Bang, provides the most sensitive measure of the cosmological density of baryons1–5. Measurements of the D/H ratio in the interstellar medium of our Galaxy place a strict lower limit on the primordial ratio6, because processing of gas by stars reduces the abundance of deuterium relative to hydrogen. Absorption of radiation from distant quasars by intervening clouds of gas offers a means of probing D/H ratios at large redshifts, where the effects of stellar processing should be negligible. Measurements7,8 on one absorption system have indicated an extremely high primordial abundance ratio of 24 × 10–5. Here we report a measurement of the D/H ratio in another high-redshift absorption system, and obtain a value that is an order of magnitude lower than that reported previously7,8. The measured ratio of 2.3 × 10–5 is consistent with that in the interstellar medium (after allowing for Galactic chemical evolution9,10), and indicates that the absorption spectra on which the earlier estimates are based may have been subject to strong contamination. We calculate a baryon density that is 5% of the critical density required to close the Universe.
Vascular damage: a persisting pathology common to Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are both significant clinical problems characterized by debilitating symptoms with limited available treatments. Interestingly, both neurological diseases are characterized by neurovascular damage. This impaired brain vasculature correlates with the onset of dementia, a symptom associated with hippocampal degeneration seen in both diseases. We posit that vascular damage is a major pathological link between TBI and AD, in that TBI victims are predisposed to AD symptoms due to altered brain vasculature; vice versa, the progression of AD pathology may be accelerated by TBI especially when the brain insult worsens hippocampal degeneration. Our hypothesis is supported by recent data reporting expedited AD pathology in presymptomatic transgenic AD mice subjected to TBI. If our hypothesis is correct, treatments targeted at repairing the vasculature may prove effective at treating both diseases and preventing the evolution of AD symptoms in TBI victims.
The Role of Kinship in the Transmission of National Culture to Rural Villages in Mainland Greece1

like. The stress here was on analysis of the selectivity with which rural populations took over and adapted culture traits encountered in the cities (Redfield 1930:218-223; Beals 1951:5). In a recent article Eric Wolf emphasizes the contrast between economically isolated rural communities producing primarily for subsistence and those which, because they produce cash crops, must maintain credit and market connections outside the local communities. Wolf stresses the cultural and social
Intimate Strangers? Social Networks in HIV-Prevention Groups for Drug Users

Group substance abuse treatment relies for its effectiveness on relationships formed within group sessions, but few studies have explored the importance of these relationships for group HIV-prevention interventions for drug users. We surveyed the literature on group HIV-prevention interventions, particularly for men of color, and analyzed qualitative data from a pilot intervention for out-of-treatment, drug-using men who have sex with men. We found that many participants were acquainted prior to the intervention and formed relationships that they attempted (often unsuccessfully) to maintain after the intervention was over.
First integrals for difference equations

Summary A first integral for a difference equation is a function H for which 1196-1. The geometric interpretation of a first integral is that the trace of H is an invariant submanifold lying on the manifold M generated by z = ƒ(x,…, y). The partition of the forward orbit is confined to the trace of H. We conjecture that if a first integral exists, then M is foliated by the trace of H. Various properties of first integrals are given by examples and counterexamples. Specifically, first integrals are not unique in their representation, are not always closed curves, are not always symmetric and are not necessarily a geodesic on M. Difference equations that have nonperiodic solutions can have first integrals. Furthermore, first integrals form an algebra. It is shown that if a first integral exists, then it satisfies a system of functional partial differential equations. This system can also be obtained by a certain calculus of variations problem. Finally, a first integral can sometimes be constructed by assuming it can be written as a truncated Laurent series.
Specific storage from sparse records of groundwater response to seismic waves

Summary Rayleigh waves from moderately large earthquakes produce, at all epicentral distances, significant groundwater fluctuations. The direct comparison of seismic Rayleigh waves and associated groundwater oscillations has previously been shown to be useful for evaluating the specific storage of aquifers. However, such methods require measuring water levels on a scale of seconds rather than the more typical scale of minutes employed in most well recorders. A new computation procedure is needed to deal with this sparse amount of water level data provided by the most data loggers relative to seismological data. We show that, given the transmissivity of a confined uniformly porous aquifer, a single water level deflection measurement, if normalized to an appropriately filtered power spectrum of the associated Rayleigh wave motion, can provide a rough but unbiased estimate of specific storage. Given a sufficient number of such discrete observations, specific storage can be computed to the same accuracy as can be found from continuous well records. The precision of the algorithm is strongly dependent on the number of water level measurements available during the passage of Rayleigh waves. However, because each water level measurement is treated independently, data from multiple earthquakes can be combined to ensure a low computational error. Of course, the overall accuracy of the method depends not only on the computation procedure but also on the fit of the aquifer to the initial assumptions and on the extent to which the aquifer transmissivity is known.
Outbreak of pertussis among healthcare workers in a hospital surgical unit.

Background.In September 1999, a pertussis outbreak was detected among surgical staff of a 138-bed community hospital. Patients were exposed to Bordetella pertussis during the 3-month outbreak period.Objective.To describe the outbreak among surgical staff, to evaluate implemented control measures, and to determine whether nosocomial transmission occurred.Methods.Clinical pertussis was defined as acute cough illness with a duration of 14 days or more without another apparent cause; persons with positive culture, PCR, or serologic test results were defined as having laboratory-confirmed pertussis. Surgical healthcare workers (HCWs) were interviewed regarding pertussis symptoms, and specimens were obtained for laboratory analysis. Patients exposed to B. pertussis during an ill staff member's 3-week infectious period were interviewed by phone to determine the extent of nosocomial spread.Participants.A total of 53 HCWs assigned to the surgical unit and 146 exposed patients. HCWs with pertussis were defined as case subjects; HCWs without pertussis were defined as non-case subjects.Results.Twelve (23%) of 53 HCWs had clinical pertussis; 6 cases were laboratory confirmed. The median cough duration in the 12 case subjects was 27 days (range, 20-120 days); 10 (83%) had paroxysms. Eleven (92%) of 12 case subjects and 28 (86%) of 41 non-case subjects received antibiotic treatment or prophylaxis. Seven case subjects (58%) reported they always wore a mask when near patients. Of 146 patients potentially exposed to pertussis from the 12 case subjects, 120 (82%) were interviewed; none reported a pertussis-like illness.Conclusions.Surgical staff transmitted B. pertussis among themselves; self-reported data suggests that these HCWs did not transmit B. pertussis to their patients, likely because of mask use, cough etiquette, and limited face-to-face contact. Control measures might have helped limit the outbreak once pertussis was recognized.
Effect of grain shape and texture on equi-biaxial creep of stress relieved and recrystallized zircaloy-4

Abstract Biaxial creep behaviors of stress relieved and recrystallized thin-walled tubing of Zircaloy-4 are considered under equal hoop and axial stresses by internal pressurization superimposed with axial load. Both hoop and axial strains were monitored and the ratio of the strain rates along the hoop to axial directions is considered to represent the degree of anisotropy. The slightly stronger hoop direction of the recrystallized material became weaker compared to the axial direction following cold work and a stress-relief anneal. Crystallographic texture was considered in terms of X-ray pole figures from which the c rystallite o rientation d istribution f unctions (CODF) were derived. A crystal plasticity model based on slip on representative systems was combined with the CODF to predict the creep anisotropy. It was found that the textural differences between the recrystallized and stress-relieved materials do not account for the observed variations. Rather, the columnar grain shape of the stress-relieved material is believed to invoke anisotropic grain boundary sliding leading to stress enhancement in the hoop direction. This stress enhancement is shown to account for the observed differences in creep behavior between the present equiaxed and columnar grain structures.
An experimental apparatus for evaluating kinetics of available phosphorus release from aquatic particulates

Abstract An experimental apparatus, referred to herein as a Dual Culture Diffusion Apparatus (DCDA), has been developed and operated to permit the extraction of process kinetic data for several types of particle-water interactions. The DCDA is constructed of two culture vessels separated only by a thin membrane filter, thus facilitating the separation of two particulate suspensions while at the same time permitting their interaction by diffusion of dissolved substances through the membrane. This manuscript describes how the apparatus has been calibrated and applied to measure the rate at which available phosphorus is released from various types of particulates suspended in lake water media.
Beginning with Literacy Needs: Community College Program Development that Considers Individual Students' Contexts

As community college enrollments continue to rise, the role of the college in the community expands to keep pace. Yet, academic programs designed to meet the needs of an ever more diverse population often lag behind. Traditionally, college has been a place for students to open doors to diverse ideas; here, students bring diversity with them, along with a rich mix of cultures and experiences, to the mutual advantage of fellow students and teachers. Despite the challenge of addressing individual student needs, a focus on a strong literacy component can lead to a successful overall college experience, particularly if individual literacy needs are considered in program design.
Effect of New York State's do-not-resuscitate legislation on in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation practice.

Abstract purpose: On April 1, 1988, New York State enacted legislation governing the withholding of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Suggestions that the mandated protocol for withholding CPR is too cumbersome and will result in an increase in CPR attempts led us to study the effect of the new law on in-hospital resuscitation practice. patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 245 adult in-patients at a county teaching hospital who died during three-month periods before and after the law took effect. results: There was a statistically nonsignificant decline in the frequency of CPR attempts at the time of death, from 59 (50%) of 119 patients in 1987 to 57 (45%) of 126 patients in 1988. Use of explicit written "do-not-resuscitate" (DNR) orders increased significantly from 13 (22%) of 60 patients who died without CPR in 1987 to 64 (93%) of 69 patients in 1988. Patient and family involvement in decisions to withhold CPR was common before the law and did not change significantly. conclusion: Although changing the way DNR decisions are documented, the legislation resulted in no significant change either in the frequency of CPR or in the degree to which patients are involved in these decisions.
The leadership styles of police managers

Abstract Leadership involves both the activity and behavior of managers. There are at least six leadership theories, one of which, the personal-situational, has resulted in the development of a number of contingency models of managerial style. The one created by Hershey and Blanchard is used to assess the styles of 155 police managers. Findings of this research indicate that police managers use two or three styles, are as effective as nonpolice managers, and tend to avoid “risky” styles, particularly delegating.
Resistance and functional training reduces knee extensor position fluctuations in functionally limited older adults

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of task-specificity on knee extensor steadiness adaptations in functionally limited older adults. Twenty-four functionally limited older adults (74.6+/-7.6 years: 22 women, 2 men) completed a 10-week control period followed by 10 weeks (2 days/week) of resistance (RT), functional (FT) (practicing everyday tasks, i.e., chair rises) or functional + resistance (FRT) training, which featured both shortening and lengthening movements. During testing, subjects performed a steady isometric [10, 25, 50% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)] and shortening/lengthening (5, 30, 65% of MVC) knee extensor contractions. There were no steadiness (isometric, shortening or lengthening contractions) changes in the control period and no adaptations in isometric steadiness due to training. RT induced a 37% reduction in shortening fluctuations at 5% of MVC and 35% reduction in lengthening fluctuations at both 30% and 65% of MVC. FRT induced a 60% reduction in shortening fluctuations at 30% of MVC. No adaptations in dynamic steadiness were observed in the FT group. Further analysis indicated that those who were the least steady at baseline showed the greatest training effects during isometric (RT: R (2)=0.25, FRT: R (2)=0.49, FT: R (2)=0.38), shortening (RT: R (2)=0.36, FRT: R (2)=0.36, FT: R (2)=0.35) and lengthening (RT: r (2)=0.29, FRT: r (2)=0.44) contractions. In conclusion, steadiness improvements in groups performing resistance exercise, without a concomitant improvement in the FT group, supports a role for task-specificity in explaining steadiness adaptations, particularly for unsteady older adults.
On the concept of limited polygyny: A reply to Frost

Abstract The main thrust of Frost's comment on my article (MacDonald 1990) is that polygyny is "limited" or nonexistent among human societies with the exception of those in Subsaharan Africa and New Guinea. The issue raised is an important one for an evolutionary account of human societies. Resource polygyny follows naturally from the evolutionary theory of sex. Roughly, males are expected to benefit much more than females by having multiple mates, so that under certain ecological conditions, males are expected to compete for females as a limiting resource. I argue here that an evolutionary/ ecological approach is not incompatible with supposing that there are ecological circumtances in which polygyny is absent or highly limited. The point is that these conditions did not occur in the populations of Western Europe, so that there is no ecological reason to suppose that the polygyny which did occur was limited in any interesting sense. There are, however, non-ecological reasons which might have limited polygyny, and these will be considered as well.
The electrical resistivity of Au4V

Abstract A resistivity anomaly has been observed near the Curie temperature in ordered Au 4 V. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of Au 4 V is qualitatively discussed in terms of the two-band model of s-d scattering; similarity between Au 4 V and Ni is moted. Results of resistivity measurements on the disordered alloy 20 at.% V, Au are also presented.
Synthesis of (-)-pinolidoxin: divergent synthetic strategy exploiting a common silacyclic precursor.

We describe a highly convergent and efficient synthesis of (−)-pinolidoxin, a potent modulator of plant pathogenesis, providing unambiguous determination of the relative and absolute stereostructure of this highly oxygenated fungal metabolite. Our unique strategy highlights the applications of novel silacyclic precursors for stereocontrolled polyol synthesis and features the finding of the reversible ring-closing metathesis.
Massive Bilateral Upper Lobe Fibrosis Secondary to Asbestos Exposure

Three patients with massive bilateral upper lobe fibrosis due to asbestos exposure are presented. This pattern of involvement is unusual in asbestosis. Asbestosis should be considered as a possible cause of such roentgenographic changes, especially if the etiology of the upper lobe fibrosis is otherwise unclear.
Comparisons of quadrature and single-phase fourier transform NMR

Abstract Reflections of lines in time-averaged Fourier transform NMR spectra obtained by imperfect quadrature detection can be removed either by 90° rf phase shifting of the excitation pulse together with simple data routing, or by phase and amplitude manipulations of the two imperfect free induction decays after completion of data accumulation. The sensitivity of the resulting reflection-free spectra is comparable to that of spectra obtained by single-phase detection using a rf crystal filter to remove aliased noise. However, since the quadrature experiment involves data sampling rates half as fast as the comparable single-phase experiment, distortions associated with the finiterecovery time of the spectrometer areless severe. Even for fast-recovery spectrometers, asymmetric spectral distortions in Fourier transform experiments involving moderately broad lines can occur. In quadrature detection schemes, these distortions are less severe since they are not folded through the entire spectral width as occurs in single-phase experiments.
Influence of Previous Cooling of Rat Pituitaries on the Release of GH, LH and Prolactin in vitro

The pituitary glands of mature male rats were removed and either exposed to ice cold buffer solution or kept at room temperature for 5–15 min, and then incubated at 37°C. The levels of GH, LH and prolactin, released into the medium, were measured by specific radioimmunoassays. The pre-cooling of the pituitary glands augmented the basal release of these pituitary hormones during the first 1-hour period of incubation. Purified pig hypothalamic fractions were tested for GH-releasing hormone (GH-RH) and prolactin release-inhibiting factor (PIF) activity under the cooling or non-cooling conditions. PIF activity was demonstrated only when pituitaries were not exposed to cooling. GH-RH activity was not demonstrated under either condition in the fraction containing PIF.
Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering and Resonance Elastic Scattering from Capped Single Ag Nanoparticles

Capped Ag nanoparticles with the novel silver core−molecule−silver cap structure were synthesized and demonstrated to produce strong SERS. Plasmon-induced electronic coupling was concluded to be the major Raman enhancement mechanism. The capped nanoparticles also exhibited polarization-dependent elastic light scattering that was attributed to the particle anisotropy, which resulted from the addition of the silver cap. These particles can potentially be used as optical labels.
Dramatic Ligand Effects on Gas-Phase Transition-Metal Reactivity and Selectivity: Studies of Fe+, Fe+(H2O), and Fe+(CO) with Propane

The kinetic energy dependent reactions of ligated iron ions (FeL+) with propane are examined using a guided ion beam mass spectrometer. In analogy with previous observations for atomic iron ions, propane reacts with both Fe+(H2O) and Fe+(CO) by dehydrogenation to form LFe+(C3H6) and by demethanation to form LFe+(C2H4) in exothermic processes. These processes are barrierless in all cases except demethanation by Fe+(CO). Dramatic changes in the overall reactivity and selectivity are observed upon ligation. Fe+(H2O) has a reactivity at thermal energies comparable to that of Fe+(6D) and about two orders of magnitude larger than that of Fe+(CO). Atomic iron ions form Fe+(C2H4) three times more efficiently than Fe+(C3H6), while demethanation is favored by a factor of about 25 for reaction of Fe+(H2O), and for Fe+(CO) dehydrogenation is preferred by over an order of magnitude. Although a definitive explanation of these interesting results is not yet available, several factors that play influential roles are disc...
Adiabatic switching approach to multidimensional supersymmetric quantum mechanics for several excited states

We present a time-dependent method for determining several approximate excited-state energies and wave functions using a vectorial approach to multidimensional supersymmetric quantum mechanics. First, a vectorial approach is used to generate the tensor sector two Hamiltonian, which is isospectral with the original scalar sector one Hamiltonian above the ground state of the sector one Hamiltonian. We construct a time-dependent Hamiltonian interpolating between the scalar sector one Hamiltonian and the tensor sector two Hamiltonian. Then, we can adiabatically switch from the ground state of the sector one Hamiltonian to the ground state of the sector two Hamiltonian by solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. In addition, by employing an initial wave packet orthogonal to that leading to the ground state of sector two, we also obtain the first-excited state of sector two. Construction of the orthogonal sector one states is trivial due to the tensor nature of sector two. The ground and first-excited s...
Articulation training of profoundly hearing-impaired children: A distinctive feature approach

Three profoundly hearing-impaired children were trained to articulate stop consonants /b,p,d,t,g,k/ in words. As training progressed, generalization of correct production across positional and phonemic boundaries was assessed. Results indicate that hearing-impaired children can use distinctive feature similarities to improve their articulation.
Microtubule-mediated transport of organelles and localization of β-catenin to the future dorsal side of Xenopus eggs

The dorsal–ventral axis in frog embryos is specified during the first cell cycle, when the cortex rotates relative to the cytoplasmic core along parallel microtubules associated with the core. Cytoplasmic transfer experiments suggest that dorsal determinants are transported 90° from the vegetal pole to the dorsal equator, even though the cortex rotates only 30°. Here we show that, during rotation, small endogenous organelles are rapidly propelled along the subcortical microtubules toward the future dorsal side and that fluorescent carboxylated beads injected into the vegetal pole are transported at least 60° toward the equator. We also show that deuterium oxide, which broadens the zone of dorsalization even though it reduces the extent of rotation and is known to randomize the microtubules, also randomizes the direction of organelle transport. Moreover, β-catenin, a component of the Wnt signaling pathway that possesses dorsalizing activity in Xenopus, colocalizes with subcortical microtubules at the dorsal side of the egg at the end of rotation. We propose that cortical rotation functions to align subcortical microtubules, which then mediate the transport of dorsal determinants toward their plus ends on one side of the egg.
Matrix density estimation

The accuracy of orthogonal series types of density estimators can be conveniently measured in terms of their Mean Integrated Squared Error, or MISE. Further reduction In MISE is achieved by introducing certain weighting factors into the estimators. In this paper we consider optimal weighting matrices, and the result is a new class of density estimators, the collection of matrix density estimators.