cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Emissions Control on the Long-Term Frequency Distribution of Regional Ozone Concentrations

Photochemical airshed models that simulate the pollutant transport and atmospheric chemical reaction processes leading to ozone formation now can be exercised for years at a time, permitting a thorough evaluation of the extent to which urban and regional ozone concentrations can be controlled. The Los Angeles ozone problem serves as a prototype for severe photochemical smog problems elsewhere. In southern California, the occurrence of peak 1-h average ozone concentrations above 0.12 ppm can be reduced to approximately 20 days per year through control of organic vapor and oxides of nitrogen emissions. Calculations show that the number of days per year with 1-h average O_3 concentrations above 0.12 ppm approaches zero more quickly in response to controls than is the case for the number of days with lower but more persistent ozone concentrations; as a result, more than 60 days per year will exceed the new U.S. Federal ozone standard set in 1997 at a level of 0.08 ppm over an 8-h averaging time, even at very stringent levels of emission control. The days with the highest observed ozone concentrations are not necessarily the hardest days to bring below the air quality standards.
Purification and properties of the intact P-700 and F x-containing Photosystem I core protein

The intact Photosystem I core protein, containing the psaA and psaB polypeptides, and electron transfer components P-700 through FX, was isolated from cyanobacterial and higher plant Photosystem I complexes with chaotropic agents followed by sucrose density ultracentrifugation. The concentrations of NaClO4, NaSCN, NaI, NaBr or urea required for the functional removal of the 8.9 kDa, FA/FB polypeptide was shown to be inversely related to the strength of the chaotrope. The Photosystem I core protein, which was purified to homogeniety, contains 4 mol of acid-labile sulfide and has the following properties: (i) the FX-containing core consists of the 82 and 83 kDa reaction center polypeptides but is totally devoid of the low-molecular-mass polypeptides; (ii) methyl viologen and other bipyridilium dyes have the ability to accept electrons directly from FX; (iii) the difference spectrum of FX from 400 to 900 nm is characteristic of an iron-sulfur cluster; (iv) the midpoint potential of FX, determined optically at room temperature, is 60 mV more positive than in the control; (v) there is indication by ESR spectroscopy of low-temperature heterogeneity within FX; and (vi) the heterogeneity is seen by optical spectroscopy as inefficiency in low-temperature electron flow to FX. The constraints imposed by the amount of non-heme iron and labile sulfide in the Photosystem I core protein, the cysteine content of the psaA and psaB polypeptides, and the stoichiometry of high-molecular-mass polypeptides, cause us to re-examine the possibility that FX is a [4Fe-4S] rather than a [2Fe-2S] cluster ligated by homologous cysteine residues on the psaA and psaB heterodimer.
Displaced, dispossessed, or lawless? Examining the link between ethnicity, immigration, and violence ☆

Abstract The goal of this paper is to build on the growing body of research on immigration and crime in two important ways. The first is to employ more specific measures of immigration than have been used in previous analyses. Specifically, this analysis includes measures of ethnicity, indicators that contain information about both nativity and country of origin, which have rarely been used in prior research. Using ethnic-origin as a means of classifying a neighborhood's foreign-born population will promote a more nuanced understanding of the differential impacts of immigration on levels of violent criminal offending. Additionally, this research advances current knowledge on the link between immigration and crime by using more comprehensive crime indicators, including measures of non-lethal violence, which allows for a test of the degree to which the impact of immigration on violence varies across crime types. Using data for Miami and Houston, two immigrant destination cities, the results illustrate the need for researchers to be sensitive to ethnic differences among foreign-born populations. The findings support the calls for a refinement of the disorganization theory, one that is sensitive to the differences among the foreign-born population and one that does not assume that immigration is a causally associated with levels of criminal violence.
Usability testing with screen reading technology in a Windows environment

Ever since applications with graphical user interfaces were introduced, individuals who are blind have experienced great difficulty accessing these applications. The quality of access provided through a combination of screen reading software and speech synthesizer is greatly dependent on the design of the mainstream application interface. In attempt to better understand the access strategies employed by users of screen readers, this study was designed to (a) examine the interaction between users of screen reading technology and graphical user interface (GUI) elements and (b) to identify the type and significance of obstacles encountered during these interactions. Fifty-eight unique obstacles encountered by participants were identified. These obstacles were encountered by the thirteen participants a total 534 times. Although many obstacles lead to minor delays, the cumulative effect of these obstacles was to significantly delay, and in many cases, prevent task completion.
Epithelial Sodium Channel Inhibition in Cardiovascular Disease. A Potential Role for Amiloride

Amiloride was originally described in 1967 as a potassium-sparing diuretic, the mechanism of action of which is to block the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) within the distal tubule of the kidney. In addition, higher doses of amiloride were found to be capable of inhibiting the Na + /H + exchangers (NHE) and the Na + /Ca 2+ exchangers. In time, several amiloride analogs have been synthesized to have a marked increase in their specificity to inhibit the ENaC, the NHE or the Na + /Ca 2+ exchangers. Although the NHE inhibitors have received the most recent attention, large-scale clinical trials using NHE inhibitors in ischemic cardiac states have shown them to be either ineffective or associated with an unacceptable risk profile. Aldosterone excess in animal models is known to cause cardiovascular injury, and blockade of mineralocorticoid receptors in human beings with heart disease improves outcomes. However, the exact mechanisms of aldosterone injury in animal models of hypertensive disease and protection with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in human trials of heart failure remain unknown. These effects are unexplained by changes in BP, potassium, or sodium balance. An additional possibility is that aldosterone action and mineralocorticoid receptor blockade is conferred by alterations in ENaC activity. Emerging experimental evidence suggests the possibility that systemic or central ENaC inhibition or both may be an alternative to the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular disease states. Clinical trials to evaluate further the potential beneficial cardiovascular effects of ENaC blockade are needed. This article reviews the case for ENaC inhibition as a potential target for cardiovascular and renal protection in human beings.
Effect of bile on cyclosporin absorption in liver transplant patients.

1. We quantitated the effect of biliary diversion on cyclosporin (CyA) absorption in liver transplant patients. Multiple blood samples were obtained over one dosing interval following oral CyA administration in eight liver transplant patients before and after T-tube clamping. 2. Cyclosporin concentrations were measured by a high pressure liquid chromatographic method. 3. The mean (+/- s.d.) dose-normalized area under the blood concentration vs time curve (AUC) over a dosing interval was 5.23 (+/- 3.22) ng ml-1 h during the pre clamping period and 15.79 +/- 7.92 ng ml-1 h during the post clamping period. A significant (P less than 0.05) increase (276%) in the dose normalized AUC was observed following the T-tube clamping. 4. Analysis of bile revealed less than 1 mg (less than 1% of dose) of unchanged CyA to be eliminated in bile over 12 h. Therefore the increased CyA AUC/dose following T-tube ligation cannot be explained by enterohepatic recirculation. 5. Increased bile flow secondary to clamping of the T-tube most likely increased the absorption of CyA. Increase in CyA absorption may be due to a bile mediated increase in CyA solubility or gastrointestinal membrane permeability, or increased residence time at the site of absorption. 6. Independent of the mechanism involved, our results indicate that adjustments in CyA dosage must be made whenever external bile diversion is instituted or discontinued.
Gap Winds in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Abstract Gap winds can be defined as a flow of air in a sea level channel which accelerates under the influence of a pressure gradient parallel to the axis of the channel. In February 1980 two distinct cases of gap winds were observed in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between western Washington State and British Columbia during a study that measured spatial variation of low-level marine winds and other parameters from the NOAA P-3 research aircraft and a dense network of surface stations which included eight meteorological buoys. These two cases were a high-pressure region over central British Columbia and a low-pressure system propagating northward, seaward of the Washington coast. Both cases produced strong easterly winds of 13–15 m s−1 at the western end of the Strait of Juan de Fuea. The high-pressure region provided a drainage air mass from the interior of British Columbia which flowed through the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca and eventually into the Pacific Ocean. This air mass remained nearly hom...
Neutron detection and applications using a BC454/BGO array

Neutron detection and multiplicity counting has been investigated using a boron-loaded plastic scintillator (BC454)/bismuth germanate (BGO) phoswich detector array. Boron-loaded plastic combines neutron moderation (H) and detection ({sup 10}B) at the molecular level, thereby physically coupling increasing detection efficiency and decreasing die-away time with detector volume. Separation of the phoswich response into its plastic scintillator and bismuth germanate components was accomplished on an event-by-event basis using custom integrator and timing circuits, enabling a prompt coincidence requirement between the BC454 and BGO to be used to identify neutron captures. In addition, a custom time-tag module was used to provide a time for each detector event. Time-correlation analysis was subsequently performed on the filtered event stream to obtain shift-register-type singles and doubles count rates.
Zinc pyrithione-mediated activation of voltage-gated KCNQ potassium channels rescues epileptogenic mutants

KCNQ potassium channels are activated by changes in transmembrane voltage and play an important role in controlling electrical excitability. Human mutations of KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 potassium channel genes result in reduction or loss of channel activity and cause benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNCs). Thus, small molecules capable of augmenting KCNQ currents are essential both for understanding the mechanism of channel activity and for developing therapeutics. We performed a high-throughput screen in search for agonistic compounds potentiating KCNQ potassium channels. Here we report identification of a new opener, zinc pyrithione (1), which activates both recombinant and native KCNQ M currents. Interactions with the channel protein cause an increase of single-channel open probability that could fully account for the overall conductance increase. Separate point mutations have been identified that either shift the concentration dependence or affect potentiation efficacy, thereby providing evidence for residues influencing ligand binding and downstream events. Furthermore, zinc pyrithione is capable of rescuing the mutant channels causal to BFNCs.
Pathways and mechanisms of endocytic recycling.

Endocytic recycling is coordinated with endocytic uptake to control the composition of the plasma membrane. Although much of our understanding of endocytic recycling has come from studies on the transferrin receptor, a protein internalized through clathrin-dependent endocytosis, increased interest in clathrin-independent endocytosis has led to the discovery of new endocytic recycling systems. Recent insights into the regulatory mechanisms that control endocytic recycling have focused on recycling through tubular carriers and the return to the cell surface of cargo that enters cells through clathrin-independent mechanisms. Recent work emphasizes the importance of regulated recycling in such diverse processes as cytokinesis, cell adhesion and morphogenesis, cell fusion, and learning and memory.
Methionine sulfoximine prevents the accumulation of large neutral amino acids in brain of hyperammonemic rats.

Abstract Accumulation of neutral amino acids in the brain due to altered transport across the blood-brain barrier appears to be a consequence of portal-systemic shunting and hyperammonemia. It has been suggested that high brain concentrations of glutamine, a product of cerebral ammonia detoxification, accelerates the transport of other neutral amino acids from blood to brain. To test this hypothesis, normal rats were infused with ammonium salts with or without pretreatment with l -methionine- dl -sulfoximine (MSO), an inhibitor of glutamine synthesis. Pretreatment with MSO prevented most ammonium salt-induced changes in the concentrations of the neutral amino acids in brain, suggesting that hyperammonemia alters the transport of neutral amino acids across the blood-brain barrier by causing the brain glutamine level to rise.
In-Place Geotechnical Measurements From Submersible Alvin In Gulf Of Maine Soils

Abstract : Direct measurements of bulk density and penetration resistance, and indirect measurements of shear strength and water content in the Wilkinson and Murray Basins were made using the small submersible Alvin in July 1971. A probe consisting of a nuclear transmission densitometer and a static cone penetrometer was adapted for use on the submersible. A total of 10 test penetrations in 240-247 m water depths were made during three dives. The Alvin investigations showed that a small submersible is capable of developing the reaction force needed to penetrate a relatively large probe greater than 1 m in soft clay. (Author Modified Abstract)
Heaven in Princeton

Who Got Einstein's Office? Eccentricity and Genius at the Institute for Advanced Study. By Ed Regis. Addison-Wesley, New York: 1987. Pp.316. $17.95. To be published in Britain by Simon & Schuster on 23 April, £12.95.
Medical student in global health-just one part of a larger commitment.

Across U.S. medical schools, the interest in global health is rapidly growing. Medical schools are challenged by the sheer numbers of students requesting or independently arranging educational experiences in the developing world. The logistics, legalities, and ethical issues have led to the developm
Comparison of effects of U18666A and enantiomeric U18666A on sterol synthesis and induction of apoptosis

Treatment of animals or cells with the amphipathic tertiary amine U18666A {3β-[2-(diethylamino) ethoxy]androst-5-en-17-one} provides models for several human diseases (e.g., cataracts, Niemann-Pick disease, and epilepsy). Although U18666A can inhibit several enzymes in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, we hypothesized that induction of these varied conditions was due to physical effects of the amine rather than to inhibition of specific proteins. To test this possibility we compared the capacity of U18666A and its enantiomer, ent-U18666A, to inhibit net sterol synthesis and induce apoptosis in cultured bovine lens epithelial cells. Nonenantiospecific actions dependent on the physical properties of these mirror image molecules would be identical, but effects dependent upon enantiospecific interactions would be different for the enantiomers. At the same concentrations, both forms of the compound equally inhibited sterol synthesis and induced apoptosis. These observations supported a generalized mechanism of enzyme inhibition such as perturbation of the microenvironment of endoplasmic enzymes and alteration of membrane order, perhaps of the mitochondrial membrane, to explain induction of apoptosis.
Comparison of microstructure with mechanical properties of irradiated tungsten

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy has been used to study the microstructure of mechanically tested polycrystalline tungsten which had been irradiated to fast ( E > 1 MeV ) neutron fluences ranging from 8.5 × 10 17 to 1.5 × 10 21 n/cm 2 . A fluence threshold exists between 5.9 × 10 18 and 3.8 × 10 19 n/cm 2 ( E > 1 MeV ), above which distinct defect cluster formation occurs. These clusters appear to contribute to the hardening of the material, leading to embrittlement in tensile specimens tested at 400° C. The microstructure of irradiated tungsten that was subsequently exposed to creep-rupture testing at 1100° C showed the presence of distinct dislocation loops, thought to result from interstitial aggregation. Although the microstructural features observed in irradiated tungsten appear to be related to fast ( E > 1 MeV ) neutron fluence rather than thermal neutron fluence, the irradiation induced strengthening observed at 1100°C shows better correlation with thermal neutron fluence. The presence of rhenium and osmium atoms produced by thermal neutron transmutation reactions is believed to account for the property changes at 1100° C.
95 anos de ensino de sociologia no Ensino Médio

O centenario da Associacao Americana de Sociologia, em 2005, oferece uma oportunidade para os sociologos refletirem sobre o ensino de sociologia, em qualquer lugar e em todos os lugares que isso acontece. No espirito de contribuir para a historia do ensino de sociologia nos Estados Unidos, este trabalho descreve a historia de cerca de 95 anos do ensino de sociologia no Ensino Medio. Eu invoco descricoes de cursos publicados escritos por professores de sociologia do Ensino Medio e estudos empiricos realizados por sociologos academicos. Eles demonstram que cursos de sociologia do passado do Ensino Medio tem focado principalmente na analise dos problemas sociais e os eventos atuais, e sobre a promocao da educacao para a cidadania.
Nitric oxide-mediated erectile effects of galantide but not galanin in vivo.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo effects of intracavernosal injections of galanin and galantide (a specific galanin receptor antagonist) on penile erection in the anesthetized cat. Erectile responses to galanin and galantide were compared with responses to a standard triple drug combination [1.65 mg papaverine, 25 microg phentolamine, and 0.5 microg prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1))]. Intracavernosal injections of galanin (3-100 nmol) and galantide (0. 1-3 nmol) induced penile erection in a dose-dependent manner. In terms of relative potency, galantide was approximately 100-fold more potent than galanin at increasing cavernosal pressure. The maximal increases in intracavernosal pressure in response to galanin and galantide were 83 and 95%, respectively, of the control triple drug combination. The total durations of erectile response caused by these peptides were significantly shorter (P<0.05) than those by the triple drug combination. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME (20 mg) significantly decreased the erectile response in the cat to galantide but not to galanin, while the K(+)(ATP) channel antagonist U-37883A (3 mg) had no effect on the erectile response to galanin nor galantide. The results of the present study demonstrate that galantide, a putative antagonist for the galanin receptor, has more potent agonist activity than galanin in increasing intracavernosal pressure in the cat. Moreover, these data suggest that galantide, but not galanin, causes penile erection by an NO/cGMP-dependent mechanism. This is the first study to demonstrate that galanin may play a role in the physiology of penile erection.
Reaction of Ti and Ti-Al alloys with alumina

The reaction of single-crystal Al2O3 with pure Ti and Ti-Al alloys with different Al concentrations was examined in the temperature range of 1173 to 1573 K. Significant reaction occurred between A12O3 and the Ti-Al alloys with Al concentrations lower than that corresponding to the γ-TiAl phase. The reaction mechanism was determined to be simultaneous diffusion of Al and atomic oxygen from A12O3 into Ti and the Ti-Al alloys.
Sexually violent predator laws and the liberal state: an ominous threat to individual liberty

Abstract No other country has taken the idea of the liberal state – a government that relies on the rule of law to limit state power and maximize individual liberty – as seriously as the United States. But now many states are manipulating the government's civil commitment authority to indefinitely confine sex offenders who have served their criminal sentences and are entitled to their freedom in the community. This new system of preventive detention masquerading as civil commitment poses an ominous threat to individual liberty and to the continued vitality of the liberal state.
Insect venom allergy: Diagnosis and treatment

Allergy to insect venom is IgE mediated. Untreated, it occasionally terminates fatally and often causes temporary illness. Medical intervention with venom immunotherapy in patients with prior systemic reactions presents reactions to stings by inducing IgG-antibody formation, although in some groups of patients this results in little real benefit. Emergency self-treatment kits (Epi-Pen and Epi-Pen Jr., Center Laboratories, Port Washington, N.Y.; Ana Kit, Hollister-Stier, Spokane, Wash.), if promptly and intelligently used, may reverse most moderate sting reactions. Some severe reactions require aggressive therapy. Until better treatment criteria are available, the most certain way of reducing the risk of systemic reactions to stings is with venom immunotherapy.
Statistical methods for astronomical data with upper limits. II - Correlation and regression

Statistical methods for calculating correlations and regressions in bivariate censored data where the dependent variable can have upper or lower limits are presented. Cox's regression and the generalization of Kendall's rank correlation coefficient provide significant levels of correlations, and the EM algorithm, under the assumption of normally distributed errors, and its nonparametric analog using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, give estimates for the slope of a regression line. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that survival analysis is reliable in determining correlations between luminosities at different bands. Survival analysis is applied to CO emission in infrared galaxies, X-ray emission in radio galaxies, H-alpha emission in cooling cluster cores, and radio emission in Seyfert galaxies.
The nonlinear Schro¨dinger equation: asymmetric perturbations traveling waves and chaotic structures

Abstract It is well known that for certain parameter regimes the periodic focusing Non-linear Schrodinger (NLS) equation exhibits a chaotic response when the system is perturbed. When even symmetry is imposed the mechanism for chaotic behavior is due to the symmetric subspace being separated by homoclinic manifolds into disjoint invariant regions. For the even case the transition to chaotic behavior has been correlated with the crossings of critical level sets of the constants of motion (homoclinic crossings). Using inverse spectral theory, it is shown here that in the symmetric case the homoclinic manifolds do not separate the full NLS phase space. Consequently the mechanism of homoclinic chaos due to homoclinic crossings is lost. Near integrable dynamics, when no symmetry constraints are imposed, are examined and an example of a temporal irregular solution that exhibits random flipping between left and right traveling waves is provided.
Mechanisms of estrogen carcinogenesis: The role of E2/E1-quinone metabolites suggests new approaches to preventive intervention--A review.

Studies in hamsters, mice and rats have demonstrated that estradiol (E2), its interconvertible metabolite estrone (E1) and their catechol metabolites, in particular 4-hydroxy E2/E1, are carcinogenic in the kidney, uterus and mammary gland. Observational studies and clinical trials consistently show that sustained exposure to E2/E1 is associated with the development of sporadic breast cancer. The weight of evidence supports the contribution of two complementary pathways in the initiation, promotion and progression of breast cancer. One pathway involves activation of nuclear and cytoplasmic signaling pathways through the binding of estrogen to nuclear and membrane-bound estrogen receptors leading to increased cell proliferation. The other pathway involves the oxidative metabolism of E2/E1 to catechols and then reactive quinones that can contribute to oxidative DNA damage and form specific, mutagenic depurinating adducts with adenine and guanine which then in turn can serve as biomarkers for the occurrence of these processes. Both pathways can serve as portals to preventive intervention. Antiestrogens are used clinically to block receptor-mediated signaling to block tumor growth. Various chemopreventive agents such as sulforaphane (SFN) and resveratrol have been shown in cell culture to block oxidative metabolism of E2/E1 and thus prevent DNA damage. Pretreatment of MCF-7 and MCF-10F cells with and inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) followed by treatment with E2 or 4-OH E2 caused increased oxidative DNA damage (8-oxo-dG) and depurinating DNA adducts showing the importance of E2-catechol O-methylation by COMT as a protective pathway. E2 treatment of MCF-10A cells with E2 or 4-OH E2 caused an increase in E2-adenine and guanine adducts. Treatment with sulforaphane increased NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and glutathione-S-transferase A1 (GSTA1) expression without affecting expression of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) or cytochrome P450 1B1. Pretreatment with SFN decreased depurinating DNA adducts while increasing levels of 4-OCH3E1/2 and 4-OHE1/2-glutathione conjugates. Treatment of MCF-10F cells with E2 or 4-OH-E2 also caused increased depurinating DNA adducts and neoplastic transformation while pretreatment with resveratrol caused a reduction in adduct levels and neoplastic transformation. Increased levels of estrogen–quinone conjugates and DNA adducts have also been detected in urine of women at increased risk for and with breast cancer. These observations support the notion that targeting the estrogen/estrone metabolism pathway may be another way to reduce breast cancer risk.
Applying a systems perspective to marketing motivation

Discusses how behavioural scientists have produced a multitude of data on complexities of consumer motivation – but states the sheer diversity of approach is making it difficult for decision‐makers to draw meaningful conclusions. Submits that the correct line of advance lies with a systems perspective. Examines Newton's Law of Motion to demonstrate how physics may be used to draw generalisation about activity in consumer systems. Purports that the important point here is that physics is not being applied to social systems, but rather it is parallel principles of cause and effect, which may be utilised, to facilitate the comprehension of these forces affecting behaviour in social systems. Concludes that what is needed to analyse available knowledge applicable to consumer motivation is a conceptual scheme which can serve as a frame of reference for marketing decision makers.
The reaction of SiH2 with no in the IR laser photochemistry of SiH4 - no mixtures

Abstract The effect of nitric oxide on the IR laser photochemistry of silane at 944.19 cm −1 has been studied in the pressure range 20 – 44 Torr and at ambient temperature. At nitric oxide concentration of less than 11% of the silane, there is a clear inhibition of disilane and trisilane formation because of reaction of silylene with the nitric oxide. A kinetic analysis of the retardation indicates that the rate constant for reaction of silylene with nitric oxide is comparable with that for reaction with silane. At nitric oxide concentrations in excess of 15% of silane, the reaction becomes explosively rapid, yielding as products only hydrogen and a brown powder.
A Web-based telemedicine system for diabetic retinopathy screening using digital fundus photography.

The purpose was to design and implement a Web-based telemedicine system for diabetic retinopathy screening using digital fundus cameras and to make the software publicly available through Open Sour...
Relationships between Locus of Control and Instrumentality Theory Predictor of Academic Performance

Relationships between locus of control and components of an equation of instrumentality theory for predicting academic performance were examined. It was demonstrated that: (a) locus of control significantly correlated only with the Expectancy component, such that internals tended to perceive a stronger relationship between individual effort and academic performance; (b) locus of control moderated the relationship of instrumentality predictor and performance, with significant prediction being achieved for internals but not externals; and, (c) internals evidenced somewhat less fluctuation in perceptions of Expectancy over time.
Social Goals, Academic Goals, and Avoiding Seeking Help in the Classroom

Why do some students avoid seeking help with their class work when it is needed? Investigated in this study were the relations between early adolescents' academic and social goals and reports of avoiding help-seeking and perceiving that help-seeking is a threat to self-worth. Surveys were administered to 443 fifth graders in 12 elementary schools. Being oriented to demonstrating ability (relative ability goals) and wanting to be associated with the popular group (social status goals) were related positively to perceiving threat and avoiding help-seeking. Being oriented to developing ability (task-focused goals) was related negatively to perceiving threat and avoiding help-seeking. Wanting to form positive relationships with peers (intimacy goals) was related negatively to avoiding help-seeking. There was a significant Grade Point Average x Relative Ability Goals interaction, indicating that lower-achieving students with relative ability goals were more likely to avoid help-seeking than were higher-achievi...
On field adsorption, ionization rates and gas supply

Abstract The field ionization of a helium-neon mixture is analyzed to gain information about the imaging process in a field ion microscope. Quantitative measurements are performed on ionization rates, the number of jumps a helium atom performs before ionization and the fraction of helium atoms that escape ionization.
Leading and Learning in the Psychotherapy Supervision Seminar: Some Thoughts on the Beginnings of Supervisor Development

Supervisor development theories typically give focus to growth of the supervisor via practice. But in what ways does the foundational psychotherapy supervision seminar stimulate and first set in motion the supervisor development process? That question is subsequently considered. Based on personal experience in training supervisors via seminars and ongoing reflection about that learning process, five seminar-induced themes that potentially reflect beginning tensions of supervisor development are proposed, and their seeming evolution over the course of the supervision seminar is considered. Points that are raised include the following: (a) the supervision seminar is the first, primary stimulus of supervisor development and sets the stage for later growth via practice; (b) early themes that are identified in supervisor development theories also make appearance in the supervision seminar experience; (c) to best understand the full arc of supervisor development, the seminar as both developmental initiator and intervention preparedness foundation merits more careful scrutiny; and (d) through more completely understanding the seminar as instigator of supervisor development, supervisor educators might be better positioned to develop seminars that most constructively affect the very beginnings of the supervisor development process.
Organisms in nature as a central focus for biology.

Theories summarize science, tell us what to measure when we test hypotheses, and help us study nature better. Nevertheless, organisms themselves embody genetics, development, morphology, physiology and behavior, and they are the units of populations, communities and ecosystems. Biologists seek to understand organisms, their diversification and environmental relationships – not theories and experiments per se – and discoveries of new organisms and new facts about organisms reset the research cycles of hypothesis testing that underlie conceptually progressive science. I argue here that recent disagreements about the fate of natural history are thus more apparent than real and should not distract us from addressing important issues. The conservation of biodiversity requires factual knowledge of particular organisms, yet we know little or nothing about most species, and organismal diversity is often poorly represented in biological education. Accordingly, I urge those who are especially concerned with teaching and conservation to seek increased financial and curricular support for descriptive natural history, which is so fundamental to many of the applied facets of biology.
Bottom-up regulation of a pelagic community through spatial aggregations.

The importance of spatial pattern in ecosystems has long been recognized. However, incorporating patchiness into our understanding of forces regulating ecosystems has proved challenging. We used a ...
Anxiety-Related Attentional Biases and Their Regulation by Attentional Control

This study examined the role of self-reported attentional control in regulating attentional biases related to trait anxiety. Simple detection targets were preceded by cues labeling potential target locations as threatening (likely to result in negative feedback) or safe (likely to result in positive feedback). Trait anxious participants showed an early attentional bias favoring the threatening location 250 ms after the cue and a late bias favoring the safe location 500 ms after the cue. The anxiety-related threat bias was moderated by attentional control at the 500-ms delay: Anxious participants with poor attentional control still showed the threat bias, whereas those with good control were better able to shift from the threatening location. Thus, skilled control of voluntary attention may allow anxious persons to limit the impact of threatening information.
A pharmacoeconomic appraisal of therapies for hepatitis B and C

In the recent years, advances in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and C have shown that newer, more expensive therapy may result in higher sustained viral response rates. In light of this, the pertinent question for healthcare decision-makers centres around whether this increase in efficacy ‘justifies’ the additional cost. Pharmacoeconomics is dedicated to helping answer these types of questions. In this article, we will discuss the clinical aspects of hepatitis B and C, recent advances in treatment and studies of the cost-effectiveness of these treatments.
Vaccines Against Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer: Promises and Challenges

Cervical cancer and precancerous lesions of the genital tract are major threats to the health of women worldwide. The introduction of screening tests to detect cervical cancer precursor lesions has reduced cervical cancer rates in the developed world, but not in developing countries. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary etiologic agent of cervical cancer and dysplasia. Thus, cervical cancer and other HPV-associated malignancies might be prevented or treated by HPV vaccines. Two vaccine strategies have been developed. First, prevention of HPV infection through induction of capsid-specific neutralizing antibodies has been studied in clinical trials. However, because the capsid proteins are not expressed at detectable levels by infected basal keratinocytes or in HPV-transformed cells, a second approach of developing therapeutic vaccines by targeting nonstructural early viral antigens has also been developed. Because two HPV oncogenic
Induction and Immunohistology of Autoimmune Ovarian Disease in Cynomolgus Macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Autoimmune ovarian disease (AOD) is a probable cause of human premature ovarian failure, and a potential complication of contraceptive vaccines based on ovarian antigens. The diagnosis depends on detection of noninfectious ovarian inflammation (oophoritis) and serum antibody to ovarian and placental antigens. Mechanisms underlying AOD have been investigated in mice but not in primates. Herein, we report induction of AOD in primates, and compare the immunopathology between monkey and murine AOD. Four cynomolgus macaques immunized with monkey or human zona pellucida 3 peptide (pZP3) in adjuvant, developed T-cell responses to the immunizing peptide and produced antibody that bound to native zona pellucida in vivo. Immunostaining of ovaries from pZP3-immunized macaques showed numerous clusters of T cells co-localized with major histocompatibility complex II-positive macrophages in the ovarian interstitium. Such foci were not detected in untreated or adjuvant-treated control monkeys. This finding is comparable to murine pZP3-induced AOD. However, unlike murine AOD in which numerous granulomatous lesions are detected, severe granulomatous inflammation was detected in only one of three monkeys with abnormal immunohistology. Similar to mice with pZP3-induced AOD, the immunized monkeys retained normal ovarian function. The results are discussed in the context of complications of ZP-based human immunocontraceptive vaccines and case reports of human autoimmune oophoritis.
Fighting Fat with Muscle: Bulking Up to Slim Down

Akt1 is a well-characterized mediator of muscle hypertrophy. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Izumiya et al. (2008) reveal a striking link between Akt1 signaling, fast muscle fiber size, and whole-body metabolism. These results provide new insights into the ability of muscle to combat diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
Different Regulatory Mechanisms Underlie Similar Transposable Element Profiles in Pufferfish and Fruitflies

Comparative analysis of recently sequenced eukaryotic genomes has uncovered extensive variation in transposable element (TE) abundance, diversity, and distribution. The TE profile in the sequenced pufferfish genomes is more similar to that of Drosophila melanogaster than to human or mouse, in that pufferfish TEs exhibit low overall abundance, high family diversity, and localization in the heterochromatin. It has been suggested that selection against the deleterious effects of ectopic recombination between TEs has structured the TE profile in Drosophila and pufferfish but not in humans. We test this hypothesis by measuring the sample frequency of 48 euchromatic TE insertions in the genome of the green spotted pufferfish (Tetraodon nigroviridis). We estimate the strength of selection acting on recent insertions by analyzing the site frequency spectrum using a maximum-likelihood approach. We show that in contrast to Drosophila, euchromatic TE insertions in Tetraodon are selectively neutral and that the low copy number and compartmentalized distribution of TEs in the Tetraodon genome must be caused by regulation by means other than purifying selection acting on recent insertions. Inference of regulatory processes governing TE profiles should take into account factors such as effective population size, incidence of inbreeding/outcrossing, and other species-specific traits.
Mutational evidence that the VPg is involved in the replication and not the movement of Pea enation mosaic virus-1.

Pea enation mosaic disease is caused by an obligatory association between the enamovirus Pea enation mosaic virus-1 (PEMV-1) and the umbravirus Pea enation mosaic virus-2(PEMV-2). Encapsidated RNAs 1 and 2 are covalently linked to a 3138 Da VPg encoded by the RNA of PEMV-1. To determine the role of the VPg in the pathogenicity of PEMV (PEMV-1+PEMV-2), the infectivity of clones with mutations in key amino acids in the VPg was evaluated in protoplasts and in plants. Using quantitative, real-time RT–PCR, we concluded that the inability of certain mutants to infect plants was due to their replicative (and not their movement) incompetence. Mutant clones that produced delayed and less severe infections accumulated 10- to 100-fold less RNA-1 compared to WT-RNA-1 both in plants and in protoplasts. The RNAs of clones that produced WT-like infections accumulated to levels similar to those of WT-PEMV. Also, we demonstrate that the severity of symptoms produced by WT-PEMV is proportional to the amount of RNA-1 that accumulates in infected plants and seems to be independent of the amount of RNA-2. A dual role for the VPg in the pathogenicity of PEMV is proposed.
Closing immunization gaps in the U.S: how a little collusion could go a long way.

Both public health agencies and vaccine companies have a stake in promulgating good information about vaccines: where the government sees gaps in immunization coverage, vaccine manufacturers see gaps in market coverage. Why shouldn't they work together to close them?
Acute and preventive treatment of migraine headache

Abstract Migraine is a widespread primary headache disorder which requires a broad and an inclusive approach. This requires the use of appropriate pharmacological agents along with the integration of non-pharmacological therapies. There are 2 main categories of medication that are utilized for the treatment of migraine. Acute medications aim to relieve the pain and other symptoms associated with individual attacks and halt progression. Preventive therapies are used to reduce attack frequency, severity, and duration. There are a variety of medications available for both acute and preventive therapies. Some of them are specific for migraine while others are nonspecific headache or pain medications. Specific acute treatment for migraine includes triptans and ergots, which by definition are effective in migraine but not other non-headache pain disorders. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, neuroleptics/antiemetics, barbiturates, antihistamines, and opioids are some of the nonspecific medications that can be utilized for acute treatment. Preventive options for the treatment include beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, antidepressants, and antiepileptic medications. With preventive and acute therapy, many patients are able to find relief from the debilitating effects of migraine.
Constrained non-rigid registration using Lagrange multipliers for application in prostate radiotherapy

This paper presents a novel free-form deformation registration algorithm with non-rigid constraints to capture the transformation between the planning day and treatment day CT images used for external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer. The non-rigid registration is constrained to the predetermined motion of segmented soft tissues, and the constrained optimization problem is solved by the method of Lagrange multipliers. The ultimate goal is for the nonrigid transformation to be used to update the radiotherapy plan to take into account soft tissue deformation. The performance of this hard-constrained nonrigid registration (H-CNRR) algorithm has been compared to those achieved using rigid, fully non-rigid, and soft-constrained nonrigid registration (S-CNRR). The results clearly indicate that this Lagrange multipliers based hard-constrained nonrigid registration algorithm presented in this paper performed better at capturing the motion of the constrained organs.1
A digital beamforming processor for the joint DoD/NASA space based radar mission

The space based radar (SBR) program includes a joint technology demonstration between NASA and the Air Force to design a low-earth orbiting, 2/spl times/50 m L-band (1.26 GHz) radar system for both Earth science and intelligence-related observations. A key subsystem aboard SBR is the electronically-steerable digital beamformer (DBF) network that interfaces between 32 smaller sub-antenna panels in the array and the on-board processing electronics for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and moving target indication (MTI). In this paper, we describe the development of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based DBF processor for handling the algorithmically simple yet computationally intensive inner-product operations for wideband, coherent beamforming across the 50 m length of the array. Tests with an antenna array simulator demonstrate that the beamformer performance metrics (0.07/spl deg/ rms phase precision per channel, -39.0 dB peak sidelobe level) will meet the system-level requirements for SAR and MTI operating modes.
Lethal and nonlethal predator effects on an herbivore guild mediated by system productivity.

Indirect effects propagated through intervening species in a food web have important effects on community properties. Traditionally, these indirect effects have been conceptualized as mediated through density changes of the intervening species, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that those mediated through trait (phenotypic) responses also can be very important. Because density- and trait-mediated indirect effects have dif- ferent properties, it is critical that we understand the mechanisms of transmission in order to predict how they will interact, and when or where they will be important. In this study, we examined the mechanisms and consequences of the lethal (density- mediated) and nonlethal (trait-mediated) effects of a larval odonate predator on a guild of four herbivore species (a larval anuran and three species of snails) and their resources. We also manipulated system productivity in order to explore the effects of environmental context on the transmission of these two types of indirect effects. We show that trait- mediated effects arising from the predator can be very strong relative to density-mediated effects on both the competing herbivores and the species composition and production of their resources. A number of these indirect effects are shown to be contingent on productivity of the system. We further present evidence that trait- and density-mediated indirect effects originating from a predator may be transmitted independently through different routes in a food web, particularly when spatial responses of the transmitting prey are involved. Finally, effects on prey growth due to trait responses to the predator varied from negative to positive in predictable ways as a function of time and indirect effects on the larger food web. These results indicate the important role that trait-mediated indirect effects can play in trophic cascades and keystone predator interactions, and we discuss how the mechanisms involved can be incorporated in theory.
Implementing tree-based multicast routing for write invalidation messages in networks-on-chip

Common distributed shared memory systems using a directory-based protocol operate with unicast messages for write invalidations. The unicast messages serialize the write invalidation transactions, which leads to increased network traffic and latency. This paper proposes an efficient multicast router for a single-flit write invalidation message in on-chip networks. A tree-based routing scheme is followed for multicast routing with a bit-string multidestination encoding. We implemented the tree-based write invalidation router targeting IBM 90nm technology. In network simulation, the proposed design demonstrated 10.5% reduced latency and 3.2% less energy consumption than the unicast and dual-path router.
A factor price and public input equalization theorem

Abstract We elaborate on the remark that free international trade equalizes factor returns as well as the quantities of public inputs.
Recovery of grasp versus reach in people with hemiparesis poststroke.

Background and Objective. The authors recently found that grasping was not relatively more disrupted than reaching in people with acute hemiparesis. They now extend this work to the recovery of rea...