cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of a family-directed program on adolescent cigarette and alcohol cessation.

Programs to reduce adolescent cigarette or alcohol use by users in general populations have only recently been evaluated. Moreover, in spite of the substantial influence families have on their children, few family-directed programs designed to reduce the prevalence of adolescent smoking and drinking have been rigorously evaluated. This paper reports the findings of research designed to determine whether a family program reduced use of cigarettes or alcohol by users. The program consisted of a series of booklets mailed to families and follow-up telephone calls by health educators. A randomized experimental design involved families with children ages 12–14 throughout the United States. Data were collected by telephone at baseline and 3 and 12 months after the program was completed. No statistically significant program effects were observed for cessation or decrease in smoking and drinking by users.
The Optical and Electrical Constants of Beta-Rhombohedral Boron

Reflectivity data obtained from two samples of beta-rhombohedral boron were used to calculate the optical properties in the wavelength range 0.45–0.65 μ. One sample was composed of very small crystallites; the other was mono-crystalline. The absorption coefficients were approx. 105 cm-1 and are attributed to direct optical transitions from the valence band to the conduction band. The absorption threshold energy E T of the monocrystalline sample was calculated to be 1.26 ± 0.04 eV, which is in agreement with the value for the thermal activation energy Eg of 1.27 ± 0. 01 eV obtained by Brungs for the same sample. The index of refraction of both samples was 3 and the dielectric constant 11 in the wavelength range 0.45–0.65 μ. These data are in agreement with the values obtained by Spitzer, Morita, and Lagrenaudie. The extinction coefficient of the polycrystalline sample varies from 1 at λ = 0.45 μ to 0.6 at λ = 0.65 μ; for the monocrystalline sample, the extinction coefficient varies from 0.65 to 0.35 over the same wavelength region.
Stochastic Safety Factor by Birger and Maymon

In this chapter we will discuss, at some detail, the concept of stochastic safety factor, independently introduced by Birger (1970) and Maymon (2002). It differs for the central safety factor, extensively discussed in Chapters 3–5, and constitutes one of the four possible definitions of the safety factor in the probabilistic context, as briefly exposed in Section 3.2.
The abuse-related effects of pyrrolidine-containing cathinones are related to their potency and selectivity to inhibit the dopamine transporter.

Synthetic cathinones are common constituents of abused “bath salts” preparations and represent a large family of structurally related compounds that function as cocaine-like inhibitors or amphetamine-like substrates of dopamine (DAT), norepinephrine (NET), and serotonin (SERT) transporters. Preclinical evidence suggests that some cathinones (e.g., MDPV and α-PVP) are more effective reinforcers than prototypical stimulant drugs of abuse, such as cocaine or methamphetamine. Although the reinforcing potency of these cathinones is related to their potency to inhibit DAT, less is known about the pharmacological determinants of their unusually high reinforcing effectiveness. To this end, we tested the hypothesis that reinforcing effectiveness of cathinone stimulants is positively correlated with their selectivity for DAT relative to SERT. Uptake inhibition assays in rat brain synaptosomes were used to directly compare the potency of MDPV, MDPBP, MDPPP, α-PVP, α-PPP, and cocaine at DAT, NET, and SERT, whereas intravenous self-administration in rats was used to quantify relative reinforcing effectiveness of the drugs using progressive ratio (PR) and behavioral economic procedures. All cathinones were more potent at DAT than NET or SERT, with a rank order for selectivity at DAT over SERT of α-PVP > α-PPP > MDPV > MDPBP > MDPPP > cocaine. These synthetic cathinones were more effective reinforcers than cocaine, and the measures of reinforcing effectiveness determined by PR and demand curve analyses were highly correlated with selectivity for DAT over SERT. Together, these studies provide strong and convergent evidence that the abuse potential of stimulant drugs is mediated by uptake inhibition at DAT, with activity at SERT serving as a negative modulator of reinforcing effectiveness.
Executive age and the readability of financial reports

Abstract Concerns have been raised by regulators and investors about the increasingly complex financial reports that are becoming incomprehensible to ordinary investors. The readability literature attributes unreadable financial reports to the reporting firms' operational complexity and/or the desire to obfuscate poor performance. At the same time, upper echelons theory from the management literature posits that top managers' characteristics will impact the way the firm is managed, while business and social science research posits that individuals become more capable and ethical as they grow older. We expect older CEOs and executives to be more capable of explaining operating complexities and staying ethical in reporting, thus leading to more readable financial reports. Our results support this view.
The systemic challenge of global heating

Global heating is happening. The opportunity to prevent it has been missed. Originating in the Industrial Revolution, the ever greater use of fossil fuels impacts the entire world – especially future generations, who contribute nothing to the problem and who have no say today. The near-universal consensus is that the accumulation in the atmosphere of greenhouse gases heats the Earth’s climate, that an increase above 2 °C imperils the basis of human life, and that one beyond 3 °C threatens its destruction. Global heating is the flipside of the phenomenal economic and demographic development of the past half century. Ever more people are enjoying, or pursuing, ever more comfortable and mobile lifestyles, the cumulative effect is to push the Earth beyond its carrying capacity. Recognizing these dangers, the 2015 Paris Agreement was a major achievement – but not good enough, because chances are slim that it will be realized and, even if it were, it would not suffice. Global heating is beyond individual or national remedial action. Organizing decarbonization at the proper scale and speed is the formidable global public policy challenge on which the survival of the human species depends. Can governments deliver? And what, if they can’t?
Stanton Heights: Intersections of Art and Science in an Era of Mass Incarceration

I have the tremendous privilege of working among a collection of artists, activists, incarcerated men, police officers, professors, students, and writers. Some of us straddle multiple categories, but we all come together as fictive kin and chosen family. Without realizing it, we have always been tied together; our connective thread stretches back to American slavery, if not further, and can most easily be observed in the ongoing calamity of mass incarceration. These links and overlaps provide a framework for bearing witness to white supremacy as it plays out through the US justice system.Finding a true starting point for these relationships is unlikely, so I began mapping the network within the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, or more specifically the local think tank that emerged from that larger program. However, this cartography quickly evolved into a story of people who are bound for powerful interactions with law enforcement, the legal system, corrections, one another, and themselves. Whether creating a strange and terrible saga or a series of smaller projects, our goal is always to share these experiences in a manner that capitalizes on the academic depth and breadth of our ranks while also conveying that this is not simply the work that we do but rather engagement with one of the most severe social problems this nation has produced. As such, it is an experience that makes it difficult for participants to remain complicit with malignant authority.This work continually changes us, and by telling our stories, I hope to push readers to consider the wider totality of lived experiences included within them. Moreover, our group is working to build solutions that address the human suffering we have observed. This article offers a perspective, comprising many different perspectives, that is the foundation for a program designed to address the disconnection between the public, the police, and men in prison.
Nonparametric inference of the neutron star equation of state from gravitational wave observations

We develop a nonparametric method for inferring the universal neutron star (NS) equation of state (EOS) from gravitational wave (GW) observations. Many different possible realizations of the EOS are generated with a Gaussian process conditioned on a set of nuclear-theoretic models. These synthetic EOSs are causal and thermodynamically stable by construction, span a broad region of the pressure-density plane, and can be selected to satisfy astrophysical constraints on the NS mass. Associating every synthetic EOS with a pair of component masses ${M}_{1,2}$ and calculating the corresponding tidal deformabilities ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1,2}$, we perform Monte Carlo integration over the GW likelihood for ${M}_{1,2}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1,2}$ to directly infer a posterior process for the NS EOS. We first demonstrate that the method can accurately recover the properties of an injected GW signal, and subsequently use it to analyze data from GW170817, finding a canonical deformability of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1.4}=16{0}_{\ensuremath{-}113}^{+448}$ and $p(2{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{nuc}})=1.3{5}_{\ensuremath{-}1.2}^{+1.8}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{34}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{dyn}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ for the pressure at twice the nuclear saturation density at 90% confidence, in agreement with previous studies, when assuming a loose EOS prior. With a prior more tightly constrained to resemble the theoretical EOS models, we recover ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1.4}=55{6}_{\ensuremath{-}172}^{+163}$ and $p(2{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{nuc}})=4.7{3}_{\ensuremath{-}2.5}^{+1.4}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{34}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{dyn}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. We further infer the maximum NS mass supported by the EOS to be ${M}_{\mathrm{max}}=2.0{9}_{\ensuremath{-}0.16}^{+0.37}$ ($2.0{4}_{\ensuremath{-}0.002}^{+0.22}$) ${M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ with the loose (tight) prior. The Bayes factor between the two priors is ${B}_{\mathcal{I}}^{\mathcal{A}}\ensuremath{\simeq}1.12$, suggesting that neither is strongly preferred by the data and that constraints on the EOS from GW170817 alone may be sensitive to the choice of prior.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce complex host responses that contribute to differential potencies of these compounds in HIV reactivation

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDACis) have been widely tested in clinical trials for their ability to reverse HIV latency but have yielded only limited success. One HDACi, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), exhibits off-target effects on host gene expression predicted to interfere with induction of HIV transcription. Romidepsin (RMD) has higher potency and specificity for class I HDACs implicated in maintaining HIV provirus in the latent state. More robust HIV reactivation has indeed been achieved with RMD use ex vivo than with SAHA; however, reduction of viral reservoir size has not been observed in clinical trials. Therefore, using RNA-Seq, we sought to compare the effects of SAHA and RMD on gene expression in primary CD4+ T cells. Among the genes whose expression was modulated by both HDACi agents, we identified genes previously implicated in HIV latency. Two genes, SMARCB1 and PARP1, whose modulation by SAHA and RMD is predicted to inhibit HIV reactivation, were evaluated in the major maturation subsets of CD4+ T cells and were consistently either up- or down-regulated by both HDACi compounds. Our results indicate that despite having different potencies and HDAC specificities, SAHA and RMD modulate an overlapping set of genes, implicated in HIV latency regulation. Some of these genes merit exploration as additional targets to improve the therapeutic outcomes of "shock and kill" strategies. The overall complexity of HDACi-induced responses among host genes with predicted stimulatory or inhibitory effects on HIV expression likely contributes to differential HDACi potencies and dictates the outcome of HIV reactivation.
Reducing computation cost by Lax-Wendroff methods with fourth-order temporal accuracy

ABSTRACTExplicit time-marching finite-difference stencils have been extensively used for simulating seismic wave propagation, and they are the most computationally intensive part of seismic forward...
Our Skill in Modeling Mountain Rain and Snow is Bypassing the Skill of Our Observational Networks

AbstractIn mountain terrain, well-configured high-resolution atmospheric models are able to simulate total annual rain and snowfall better than spatial estimates derived from in situ observational ...
Abstract #5268: TRADD expression is critical for the down-regulation of androgen receptor induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha

Accumulated evidence suggests that elevated tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-\#945;) expression and NF-\#954;B activity contribute to prostate cancer progression. To determine whether TNF-\#945; signaling pathway is altered during prostate cancer progression, we investigated the expression of TNF-\#945; receptor and other key modulators in the TNF-\#945; signaling pathway in androgen-dependent LNCaP, androgen-independent C4 and C4-2 cells. Interestingly, we observed that the expression of TNF receptor-associated death domain (TRADD), an important adaptor protein for TNF-\#945;-induced signaling, is much higher in LNCaP cells compared to that in C4 or C4-2 cells. Knocking-down TRADD expression in LNCaP cells greatly reduce NF-\#954;B activation induced by TNF-\#945;. Consistent with earlier reports, we found TNF-\#945; inhibits the expression and activity of the androgen receptor (AR) in LNCaP cells. Surprisingly, treatment of TNF-\#945; did not reduce AR expression in C4-2 cells. Furthermore, ectopic expression of TRADD in C4-2 cells restored the TNF-\#945;-induced AR reduction, suggesting TRADD is critical for TNF-\#945;-induced AR reduction. Thus, our data suggest that TRADD is critical for both TNF-\#945;-induced NF-\#954;B activation and AR signaling in prostate cancer cells. Since AR has been demonstrated to be a key player in prostate cancer initiation and progression, we speculate that differential expression of TRADD may contribute to prostate cancer progression. This research was supported, in part, by grants from the NCI (CA125747, CA121277, CA091956 and the T.J. Martell Foundation). Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 5268.
Tests for differential Gaussian Bayesian networks based on quadratic inference functions

Abstract Hypotheses testing procedures based on quadratic inference functions are proposed to test whether two Gaussian Bayesian networks are differential in structure, strength of associations between nodes, or both. Bootstrap procedures are developed to estimate p -values to quantify the statistical significance of the tests. Operating characteristics of these testing procedures are investigated using synthetic data in simulation experiments. Additionally, the proposed methods are applied to flow cytometry data from a designed experiment, and data of bile acids from an observational study in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
Single-Stage Deep Brain Stimulator Placement for Movement Disorders: A Case Series.

With more than two decades of experience and thousands of patients treated worldwide, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has established itself as an efficacious and common surgical treatment for movement disorders. However, a substantial majority of patients in the United States still undergo multiple, “staged” surgeries to implant a DBS system. Despite several reports suggesting no significant difference in complications or efficacy between staged and non-staged approaches, the continued use of staging implies surgeons harbor continued reservations about placing all portions of a system during the index procedure. In an effort to eliminate multiple surgeries and simplify patient care, DBS implantations at our institution have been routinely performed in a single surgery over the past four years. Patients who underwent placement of new DBS systems at our institution from January 2016 to June 2019 were identified and their records were reviewed. Revision surgeries were excluded. Total operative time, length of stay and rates of surgical site infections, lead fracture or migration, and other complications were evaluated. This series expands the body of evidence suggesting placement of a complete DBS system during a single procedure appears to be an efficacious and well-tolerated option.
Note on response of various Stylosanthes hamata accessions to two levels of nitrogen

Four accessions of Stylosanthes hamata (L.) Taub. collected from the southeast coast of Florida and one from Australia were inoculated with a specific Rhizobium strain and grown in virgin Oldsmar fine sand soil with and without added nitrogen. Added N (equivalent to about 180 kg N/ha) significantly reduced the total yields in some cases. The best growth without added nitrogen was shown by plants collected from near Riviera Beach. The differential response of S. hamata to added nitrogen suggests the need for care in the use of nitrogen in grassland when S. hamata is present.
Missing the Forest for the Trees.

How had this been missed in months of close ophthalmology follow-up? I felt shocked and betrayed.
A Review of Tribomaterial Technology for Space Nuclear Power Systems

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently proposed a nuclear closed-cycle electric power conversion system for generation of 100-kW of electrical power for space exploration missions. A critical issue is the tribological performance of sliding components within the power conversion unit that will be exposed to neutron radiation. This paper presents a review of the main considerations that have been made in the selection of solid lubricants for similar applications in the past as well as a recommendations for continuing development of the technology.
Ten-year experience of intrapartum fetal monitoring in Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center

During the 10-year period from 1970 to 1979, a total of 115,096 deliveries occurred at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center. Of these, 47,567 patients (41.3%) were monitored during labor and delivery. The intrapartum monitoring technique was initially introduced in late 1969. The monitoring rate increased gradually from 18% in 1970 to 74% in 1979. The perinatal mortality rate during this 10-year period was 24.4/1,000. The perinatal mortality rate decreased in an inverse proportion to the monitoring rate. The main portions of the decrease in perinatal mortality rate were in the intrapartum and neonatal death rates. Both the fetal death rate and the neonatal death rate were significantly lower in the monitored patients than in those who were not monitored. This was irrespective of the fact that most high-risk patients were included in the monitored group. The cesarean section rate during this period increased slightly from 9.3% in 1970 to 12.3% in 1979. The primary cesarean section rate increased from 6.4% in 1970 to 8.7% in 1979. These findings suggest the beneficial role of intrapartum fetal monitoring and its association with diminished perinatal losses.
Log normal distribution of gonadotropins and ovarian steroid values in the normal menstrual cycle

In the statistical analysis of the values of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and progesterone obtained from normal menstrual cycles, a depature from normality was noted. Chi square, W test, and linear transformation were used to check the normality of the distributions. The results of this investigation showed that the distributions were not normal (Gaussian) but log-normal. By plotting the probit of the percentages of cumulative frequency on a log scale (probit-log), linearity of the data was obtained. This resulted in direct graphical estimations of values with a useful clinical range, which included the mean and the 95 per cent confidence interval.
Factors affecting the stability of tobacco mosaic virus: I. Ribonuclease-induced protection of virus from alkaline degradation

Abstract Addition of pancreatic ribonuclease, β-lactoglobulin, trypsin, or Pronase, but not of ovalbumin, lysozyme, or bovine albumin, protected purified tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) from degradation when the TMV-protein mixtures were exposed to 0.005 M borate buffer, pH 9.8, for 1 hour at 25 °C. Sucrose gradient centrifugation of alkaliexposed TMV-ribonuclease mixtures revealed that as little as one ribonuclease molecule/TMV particle was sufficient to prevent loss of physical integrity of the virus particles. Ribonuclease did not protect from loss of infectivity when TMV was exposed to alkali. High speed centrifugation of TMV-ribonuclease mixtures (made either in 0.02 M phosphate buffer, pH 7, or in 0.005 M borate buffer, pH 9.8) followed by assays for ribonuclease activity showed that most of the ribonuclease remained in the supernatants; but the resuspended virus was still protected when subsequently exposed to alkali. Protection could not be removed by passage of resuspended TMV through an agarose column. Under different conditions of alkaline treatment (pH values up to 10.2; incubation up to 48 hours at 25 °C or for 16 hours at 4 °C), the protective action of ribonuclease was equally effective.
Noninvasive ultrasound imaging for bone quality assessment using scanning confocal acoustic diagnosis, µCT, DXA measurements, and mechanical testing

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by decreased bone mass and progressive deterioration of the microstructure, affecting both mineral density and bone's fragility. Current diagnoses are only measuring apparent bone mineral density (AppBMD). Using our newly developed scanning confocal acoustic diagnostic (SCAD) system, we evaluated the ability of quantitative ultrasound in noninvasively predicting bone's quantity and quality on 19 human cadaver calcanei. Results show that ultrasound attenuation image on intact calcaneus represents bone mass distribution. High correlation (R=0.82) exists between SCAD determined broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and DXA determined AppBMD at the calcaneus, as well as in the AppBMD result at femoral neck (R=0.81). SCAD determined BUA and ultrasound velocity (UV) are highly correlated with the micro-CT and mechanical testing determined bone quantity and quality parameters. These results suggest that image-based quantitative ultrasound is able to identify ROI and predict both bone mass and strength.
The Reinterpretation Debate and Constitutional Law

I wish to raise two issues with respect to Professor Koplow's article. The first is whether it is proper for the American Society of International Law to undertake the report which served as the basis for the Koplow piece. I believe that it is improper for the Society to issue a collective public statement endorsing one side of a partisan political controversy. Secondly, with respect to the substance of Koplow's argument, I disagree with parts of his analysis and find his proposed solution for the dilemma of treaty interpretation unsatisfactory in principle and unworkable in practice.
The influence of maternal psychological stress on the fetus

Abstract The effects of maternal agitation, induced by exposure to bright light, upon fetal well-being were studied in pregnant rhesus monkeys at 139 to 148 days of gestation. Fetuses were classified as “healthy” or “asphyxiated” according to their initial acid-base state. Following variable periods of maternal excitement, a decrease in heart rate and arterial oxygenation was seen in all fetuses. Recovery occurred more rapidly in the healthy group, after maternal sedation was achieved, either by removing the stimulus or by additional administration of pentobarbital, 5 to 20 mg. intravenously. The beneficial effects of maternal sedation on the fetus have thus been demonstrated.
Delayed activation of the left atrial appendage following catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation: a cause for concern?

Despite advances in catheter ablation of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), the ideal ablation strategy still is in evolution. It is known, however, that these patients fare poorly with pulmonary vein (PV) isolation alone.1 In an effort to improve outcomes, potential mechanisms of AF beyond the PVs have been targeted by left atrial linear ablation,2,3 ablation of complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs),4 ablation of ganglionated plexi, and a combination thereof. Recently, “stepwise ablation,” consisting of PV isolation, ablation of CFAEs, and linear ablation in an effort to terminate AF, has been reported to be highly effective in patients with persistent AF.5 However, extensive ablation may be associated with impairment of left atrial (LA) contractility. Although sinus rhythm may have been attained, altered LA activation and mechanical function may lead to AV dyssynchrony and an ongoing risk of thromboembolic complications. In this issue of PACE, Jiang et al. present their experience with extensive LA ablation in patients with persistent AF and resultant conduction delay into the left atrial appendage (LAA).6 Among 201 patients with persistent AF, LAA delay, defined as the activation of the LAA after the onset of the QRS complex on the surface electrocardiogram, was observed in 23 patients (11%) after the first ablation procedure. The ablation strategy included PV isolation followed by linear ablation along the roof, LA septum (from the mitral annulus to the rightsided PVs or the roof line), mitral, and cavotricuspid isthmi. Delay in LAA activation developed in nine of the first 26 patients (35%). Therefore, linear septal ablation was abandoned in favor of ablation of septal CFAEs in the remaining 175 patients. As a result, delay in LAA activation occurred in only five of these patients (3%). LAA activation delay also developed in nine of 45 patients (20%)
DETERMINATION OF RADIOACTIVITY IN AGAR BLOCKS BY LIQUID SCINTILLATION TECHNIQUES

Two methods have been developed for liquid seintillation counting of radioactivity in aqueous solutions prepared in agar. One method involves breaking down the structure of the agar while the second involves extraction of the sample. Both methods employ absolute ethanol as a cosolvent in order to achieve miscibility between the aqueous-agar sample and the toluene-based scintillator solution. A 1:7 absolute ethanol: toluene solution was found to be most efficient in extracting three different types of 14C-containing solutes from aqueously prepared agar blocks. These techniques yield greater sensitivity and better counting efficiency than has previously been possible because a liquid scintillation spectrometer can be employed for the assay.
Evaluating the controls of shear stress, sediment supply, alluvial cover, and channel morphology on experimental bedrock incision rate

[1] We explored the dependence of experimental bedrock erosion rate on shear stress, bed load sediment flux, alluvial bed cover, and evolving channel morphology. We isolated these variables experimentally by systematically varying gravel sediment flux Qs and water discharge Qw in a laboratory flume, gradually abrading weak concrete “bedrock.” All else held constant, we found that (1) erosion rate was insensitive to flume-averaged shear stress, (2) erosion rate increased linearly with sediment flux, (3) erosion rate decreased linearly with the extent of alluvial bed cover, and (4) the spatial distribution of bed cover was sensitive to local bed topography, but the extent of cover increased with Qs/Qt (where Qt is flume-averaged transport capacity) once critical values of bed roughness and sediment flux were exceeded. Starting from a planar geometry, erosion increased bed roughness due to feedbacks between preferential sediment transport through interconnected topographic lows, focused erosion along these zones of preferential bed load transport, and local shear stresses that depended on the evolving bed morphology. Finally, continued growth of bed roughness was inhibited by imposed variability in discharge and sediment flux, due to changes in spatial patterns of alluvial deposition and impact wear. Erosion was preferentially focused at lower bed elevations when the bed was cover-free, but was focused at higher bed elevations when static alluvial cover filled topographic lows. Natural variations in discharge and sediment flux may thus stabilize and limit the growth of roughness in bedrock channels due to the effects of partial bed cover.
Electrical and mechanical effects of strontium in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres.

The electrical and mechanical effects of strontium were studied in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres perfused in vitro. In a nominally calcium free solution, strontium (1.35-10.8 mmol.litre-1): (1) caused a time, rate and concentration dependent shift of the plateau to more positive potentials, prolonged the action potential and decreased the maximum diastolic potential; (2) increased the time to peak and amplitude of the twitch and caused a tonic force which relaxed only on repolarisation; (3) was rapidly overcome in its effects by calcium (1.35-2.7 mmol.litre-1); (4) was antagonised by manganese (1 mmol.litre-1) and cadmium (0.1-0.2 mmol.litre-1); (5) was potentiated by noradrenaline (0.1 mumol.litre-1); (6) could induce action potentials in 27 mmol.litre-1 [K]o; (7) induced a tail following the action potential when the pacemaker potential had been blocked by caesium; (8) could induce a tail in 8 mmol.litre-1 [K]o which sustained force development and was reduced by calcium antagonists; (9) if applied to a quiescent fibre, induced a prolongation of the first resumed action potential and tonic force but a small twitch, and these effects were antagonised by calcium and manganese; and (10) induced a strong twitch after a period of quiescence in low [Na]o. It is concluded that the pronounced and progressive electrical and mechanical effects of strontium in cardiac Purkinje fibres are due to an enhanced strontium influx (due to inability of strontium to substitute for calcium in the inactivation of Isi) and to strontium extrusion through an electrogenic Na-Sr exchange.
Low‐temperature thermal expansivities of polyethylene, polypropylene, mixtures of polyethylene and polypropylene, and polystyrene

Length-temperature measurements for several polymers and mixtures for detection of transitions and determination of location and magnitude of expansion coefficient changes
Order of fusions between bacterial and mammalian proteins can determine solubility in Escherichia coli.

We made fusions betweenEscherichia colimaltose-binding protein (MBP) and the mammalian aspartic proteinases pepsinogen or procathepsin D. When MBP was at the N-terminus, the fusions were soluble inE. coli.When the order was reversed, the chimeric proteins formed inclusion bodies. The data suggest that the solubility of fusion proteins is controlled by whether the protein domains emerging first from the ribosome normally fold into soluble or insoluble states. The soluble MBP-aspartic proteinase fusions were stable but proteolytically inactive. MBP-pepsinogen, however, was efficiently renatured from 8 M ureain vitro,suggesting that theE. colicytoplasm does not support folding of the mammalian partner protein to the native state. Thus, inclusion body formation may be the consequence, rather than the cause, of non-native foldingin vivo,and inE. colisoluble proteins may fold into states different from those reachedin vitro.
Selected problems in the management of emphysema complicated by heart disease in addition to cor pulmonale.

Abstract Emphysema is frequently complicated by the presence of heart disease other than cor pulmonale. This association raises many problems in diagnosis and treatment. One is frequently confronted with a patient complaining of dyspnea who is noted to have a barrel chest, distended neck veins, palpable liver, hyperresonant percussion note, pulmonary râles, loud pulmonic second sound, and ankle edema. These findings might be due either to diffuse obstructive pulmonary emphysema or to left ventricular failure with simple, coincident, nonsymptomatic senile emphysema. The differentiation is obviously important. In this discussion, clinical guide lines are presented which are helpful in making this distinction. Pertinent points in the history include orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, exposure to respiratory irritants, and the duration and course of the symptomatology. Helpful physical findings include diaphragmatic excursion, retraction of rib margins, type and location of the cardiac impulse, gallop rhythms, pulsus alternans, characteristic râles, mechanismal disturbances, and type of neckvein distention. Laboratory data of importance are the electrocardiogram, chest x-ray film, circulation time, blood-gas determinations, and pulmonary function studies. When emphysema and heart disease coexist, problems in treatment are compounded. Problem areas noted in this discussion include the use of: sedatives, analgesics, and tranquilizers; bronchodilators; antibiotics and anticoagulants; oxygen therapy; phlebotomy; cough suppressants; diuretics; adrenal steroids; fluid and electrolyte therapy; compression belts; antihypertensive agents and digitalis.
Constraints on interpretation of ecological niche models by limited environmental ranges on calibration areas

Abstract Correlational models of species’ ecological niches are commonly used to transfer model rules onto other sets of conditions to evaluate species’ distributional potential. As with any model fitting exercise, however, interpretation of model predictions outside the range of the independent variables on which models were calibrated is perilous, herein denoted as strict extrapolation to distinguish from extrapolation onto novel combinations of variables. We use novel visualization techniques to characterize model response surfaces for several niche modeling algorithms for a virtual species (wherein the truth is known) and for two transfer-based studies published by one of our group. All modeling algorithms for each species showed strict extrapolation, such that biologically unrealistic response surfaces were reconstructed. We discuss the implications of these results for calibration and interpretation of niche models and analysis of ecological niche evolution. We present Mobility-Oriented Parity (MOP), a modification and extension of the Multivariate Environmental Similarity Surface (MESS) metric currently in use, as a means of both quantifying environmental similarity between calibration and transfer regions and highlighting regions in geographic space where strict extrapolation occurs.
Elaboration et photoconduction des films de Bi2O3-MO3 (M = Mo OU W) obtenus par hypertrempe

Abstract The Bi2O3-MO3 films (M = Mo or W) were prepared by a rapid quenching technique using a twin-roller type equipment. The quenched films containing from 2.5 to 5 mol% MoO3 or WO3 precipitated only a tetragonal phase. By further increase of these oxide additives, a cubic phase (δ-phase) was formed coexisting with the tetragonal one. The lowest content of the additives to form singly the δ-phase was 12.5% for MoO3 and 10% for WO3 respectively. The lattice parameters of the tetragonal phase tended to increase with increasing amount of additives. The quenched films, although consisting either of the tetragonal phase, the cubic phase or their mixture, decomposed to form both α-Bi2O3 and tetragonal phase, on annealing at a temperature between 350 and 550°C. As a result of the determination of IR absorption spectra, it was suggested that a certain amount of pentavalent Bi ions was contained in the quenched phase. The quenched films were also characterized by a high photoconductivity. The highest photoconductivity appeared when a beam of about 500 nm in wavelength was irradiated on the film. The photoconduction was observed in all films containing less than 12.5% additives.
Protein Dynamics in the Bacteriorhodopsin Photocycle: A Nanosecond Step-Scan FTIR Investigation of the KL to L Transition

A time-resolved step-scan FTIR spectrometer with a time resolution of 20 ns was developed and used to investigate the KL to L transition in the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin in the time range from −60 to 940 ns. Broadband FTIR absorbance difference spectra with a spectral range of 850−2050 cm-1 and a spectral resolution of 4 cm-1 have been obtained. Our data show that there are two sets of BR photoproduct difference bands exhibiting different kinetics. The intensity changes of bands attributed to structural changes of the carboxyl groups Asp-96 and Asp-115 as well as of bands assigned to CC and CC stretching modes of the chromophore show single exponential behavior with a time constant of about 400 ns, implying that these two processes are coupled. The time-dependent intensity changes of bands attributed to structural changes of the chromophore region near the Schiff base exhibit slower kinetics with a time constant of about 2 μs. We interpret our data in terms of a process during the KL to L transition...
Coupled-cluster study of isomers of H2SO2.

A theoretical study has been made on six isomers of H2SO2 using coupled-cluster singles and doubles with noniterative triple excitations (CCSD(T)). The isomers studied are sulfoxylic acid (S(OH)2; C2 and Cs conformers), sulfinic acid (HS(O)OH; 2 C1 conformers), dihydrogen sulfone (H2SO2; C2v), sulfhydryl hydroperoxide (HSOOH; C1), thiadioxirane (Cs), and dihydrogen persulfoxide (H2SOO; Cs). Molecular geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and infrared intensities of all species were obtained using the CCSD(T) method and the 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis set. All aforementioned species were found to be local minima, with the exception of thiadioxirane, which has one imaginary frequency. A prior possible infrared observation of sulfinic acid was reassessed on the basis of the present data. In agreement with previous MP2 results, the present CCSD(T) data provide support for at most 4 of the 8 observed frequencies. The CCSD(T) frequencies and intensities should be of assistance in future identification of H2SO...
C-axis conductivity of graphite intercalation compounds

Abstract A simple model of band overlap is presented which can explain the large variation of c-axis conductivity observed in graphite intercalation compounds. The c-axis bandwidth for acceptor compounds is shown to be small enough to treat these compounds as two-dimensional for all practical purposes.
q dependence of self-energy effects of the plane oxygen vibration in YBa2Cu3O7.

We have measured the temperature dependence of the peak position and linewidth of the 42.5 meV phonon branch in a twinned single crystal of YBa 2Cu 3O 7 as a function of wave vector q. In the s100dys010d direction in the Brillouin zone, considerable softening and broadening occur below the superconducting transition temperature Tc at some values of q. We observe an order of magnitude smaller softening and no linewidth broadening for q in the s110dy ° 110 ¢ direction. Possible implications of these findings for the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter are discussed.
Rural Development in an Urban Age

URAL DEVELOPMENT is not a new topic for this profession. However, it has increased in importance during recent years and has received a great deal of national attention. There are many facets of rural development and I shall not attempt to treat all dimensions of the subject. Many of the major issues are economic-and agricultural economists must accept a major responsibility in resolving them. Of course, other disciplines can and must make important contributions to the issues facing rural people [3]. I recognize the inherent limitations of taking only an economic approach to rural development problems, but this is where agricultural economists should be able to make their greatest contributions. Also, agricultural economists, by the integrative nature of the discipline, must work closely with other agricultural scientists and other social scientists.
Three Myths About the Balance Sheet: The Changing Financial Structure of Farming

D ON PAARLBERG [4] has written of the feeling in every man's breast of knowing about economics. He describes a series of myths which permeate the common man's concept of economics. Agricultural commentators, economists included, seem to have a similar feeling of knowing about the financial structure of the farming industry. My thesis is that they commonly subscribe to at least three myths. Each myth centers around the USDA Balance Sheet of Agriculture [6], probably the almost universal starting point in discussing financial structure. Webster defines myth as a "belief held uncritically, esp. by an interested group." Myths may have historical basis in fact. They may also be embellished with the passing of time, and their historical context may be lost. Thus, a changing setting and institutional context may be the process that converts facts into myths. Yet they remain in the mass mind as reality. So it is with the Balance Sheet.
High-Grade Gliomas: Diagnosis and Treatment

High-Grade Gliomas: Diagnosis and Treatment is part of the Humana Press Current Clinical Oncology series. This edited work is composed of five parts: classification of high-grade gliomas, clinical characteristics, diagnostic tools, management, and contemporary investigational treatments. The 27 chapters were written by 60 contributing authors. The book comes with a CD-ROM of figures, tables, and photomicrographs from the book. High-Grade Gliomas is concise and inclusive, but by no means an exhaustive textbook on this subject. The book gives the reader a broad sampling of the diagnostic tools used in the setting of high-grade gliomas, including chapters on computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, imaging tumor biology, nuclear imaging of gliomas, and magnetoencephalography. The tumor classification section is well done, with photomicrographs in black and white, undoubtedly to save publication costs. The tumor classification section, while short, is concise and inclusive with respect to some of the areas of current debate in tumor classification. The management section is reasonably complete, although some of the chapters do not reference controversial articles on the side effects of radiation therapy and chemoradiation. The coverage of radiation therapy is, nonetheless, broader than in other textbooks. There is a general section that covers radiation therapy and individual chapters on brachytherapy and radiosurgery. There is also a nice chapter on nursing considerations. The contemporary investigational treatments section contains chapters on convection-enhanced delivery, immunotoxins for glioma therapy, small-molecule agents, cytokine immuno-gene therapy, monoclonal antibodies, oncolytic viruses, biologic response modifiers, gene therapy, boron neutron capture therapy, and photodynamic therapy. While not overly detailed, these chapters give the reader a good overview of each of these areas. In summary, this book is not a “must have” book for everyone’s library. It does, however, fit a need for the clinician who sees patients with gliomas but who is not working in a neuro-oncology center and for residents and fellows early in their careers. It quite nicely presents the spectrum of therapies under investigation, as well as outcomes of the most recent large cooperative trials. The book conveys the fact that much is going on to improve our understanding of gliomas and to improve the outcome for our patients.
Teaching business ethics: Integrity

This article offers a background of ethical theory and practice that has led the authors to develop a new game as an aid to teaching business ethics. The literature on teaching business ethics points out the dearth of work on integrity in business. This article argues that it is integrity that is at the heart of business ethics and that there is a clear need for a game that helps instructors reach that very slippery concept.
Calculations of Stable and Metastable Equilibrium Diagrams of the Ag-Cu and Cd-Zn Systems

Gibbs energies have been modeled for the binary alloy systems Ag-Cu and Cd-Zn, simple eutectic systems of interest in the area of rapid solidification. Parameters of the thermodynamic functions are derived from phase diagram and thermochemical data. Metastable phase equilibria have then been calculated, as well as the chemical spinodals and the locus of compositions and temperatures where liquid and solid have equal Gibbs energies (T 0).
Localization of interleukin‐8 in human gingival tissues

Periodontitis and gingivitis are chronic inflammatory diseases of the periodontium and adjacent tissues. This site-specific inflammation is characterized by a local infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and T lymphocytes. Interleukin-8 is a low molecular-weight cytokine that is thought to be responsible for the induction and maintenance of localized inflammation. We hypothesized that locally produced interleukin-8 plays a central role in chronic inflammation of periodontitis by regulating the recruitment and activation of leukocytes in the gingival tissues. To test this hypothesis, we determined whether the interleukin-8 antigen is present locally and is cell-associated. Inflamed and control tissues were analyzed: 1) for the interleukin-8 antigen; 2) by molecular weight; 3) for location; and 4) for the messenger RNA (mRNA) of interleukin-8. The conclusions from these data were that: 1) interleukin-8 antigen and mRNA was elevated in chronically inflamed gingiva; and 2) the major interleukin-8 antigen was detected only in the epithelial cell layer. These results support that interleukin-8 may play a crucial role in the recruitment and activation of neutrophils and T lymphocytes in periodontitis.
ANISOTROPY IN A TURBULENT JET NEAR A FREE SURFACE

Laboratory measurements of the turbulent flow in a plane jet issuing at the free surface are reported and analysed. Single point hot-film data were obtained for mean velocities and turbulent fluctuations of velocity and shear stress in the developing jet to x1/b0=240 with an emphasis on the near surface turbulent behaviour. Anisotropy distributions indicate two layers within the jet. In a surface-influenced layer of thickness comparable to 1.5 times the local jet half-width, the vertical anisotropy is constant and the primary net energy transfer is from the streamwise component of turbulent kinetic energy to the spanwise component. In a near-surface layer of about 1/4 the local half-width, the vertical fluctuations decrease rapidly with a concomitant redistribution of energy to the horizontal components. Analysis of one-dimensional spectra reveal integral scales that are consistent with the anisotropy data and in qualitative agreement with analyses and experiments for isotropic turbulence near moving walls and free surfaces but differs by exhibiting a wider range of surface-influenced turbulent length scales.
Dynamic pricing and asymmetries in retail gasoline markets: What can they tell us about price stickiness?

Theoretical explanations for price stickiness used in businesses cycle models are diverse (e.g., information processing delays, rational inattention and fair pricing), with each theory resulting in a different implication for inflation dynamics. Using an autoregressive conditional binomial model and a data set consisting of daily observations of price and cost for 15 Philadelphia retail gasoline stations, we test which of these theories is most consistent with the observed pattern of price adjustment. Our findings of time dependence, asymmetry and the role of cost volatility are consistent with a combination of fairness considerations and rational inattention by producers.