cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of platelet-contained growth factors (PDGF, EGF, IGF-I, and TGF-β) on DNA synthesis in porcine aortic smooth muscle cells in culture

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) are potent mitogens present in human platelets. Since they are likely to be released simultaneously at the site of vessel injury, their combined effects on vascular smooth muscle cells are more relevant physiologically than their individual actions. Therefore, we added various concentrations of growth factors to quiescent porcine aortic smooth muscle cells cultured in low-serum (0.5%) medium and measured the amount of [3H]thymidine incorporated into DNA. Effect of TGF-beta alone was concentration-dependent: stimulatory (1.5-fold increase over the basal) at 0.025 ng/ml and inhibitory at greater than or equal to 0.1 ng/ml. Effects of the other three growth factors on DNA synthesis were only stimulatory; their maximally effective concentrations were 20 ng/ml for PDGF (eightfold over the basal), 40 ng/ml for EGF (six-fold increase), and 20 ng/ml for IGF-I (fourfold increase). When PDGF, EGF, and IGF-I were added at submaximally effective concentrations, their effects were additive. TGF-beta at 1 ng/ml inhibited at least 50% of the effects of 20 ng/ml EGF and of 10 ng/ml IGF-I, whereas inhibition of the effect of 10 ng/ml PDGF required 10 ng/ml of TGF-beta. The concentration of TGF-beta needed to inhibit 50% of the combined effect of EGF, IGF-1, and PDGF was 5 ng/ml. These results show complex interrelationships between the growth factors contained in the alpha-granules of human platelets in their effects on porcine aortic smooth muscle cells.
Trends in knee magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE. To assess trends in knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) use and accompanying management changes to determine whether indications for this test have changed over time. DATA SOURCES. Large administrative database containing health care information for 587,010 people living in 1 state who were enrolled in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. They all had used health services during 3 consecutive years between 1991 to 1995. METHODS. We performed a retrospective cohort study examining the rates of lower extremity MRI in successive years and calculated the proportion of patients who were seen by a knee specialist or underwent knee surgery subsequent to the MRI. RESULTS. The annual rate of knee MRI was 1.4 per 1000 person-years in 1991 and increased by 140% to 3.4 per 1000 person-years by 1995 (P = 0.001). Approximately half of patients who underwent a knee MRI in 1991 had a diagnosis of internal derangement of the knee in the prior year; this figure dropped to 35% in 1995 (P < 0.001). The percentage of patients undergoing a knee MRI who had no record of any knee diagnosis in the prior year grew from 13% in 1991 to 33% in 1995 (P < 0.001). Over the 5 years of the study, the percentage of patients whose knee MRI was followed by specialist care or knee surgery decreased from 68% to 58%, a relative change of 15% (P < 0.005). CONCLUSION. Knee MRI use increased sharply during the study period, but the proportion of such patients who had a prior diagnosis of internal derangement or subsequently saw a knee specialist or underwent knee surgery decreased. This finding indicates that the criteria for knee MRI appear to have broadened substantially during this period.
High-grade isthmic dysplastic spondylolisthesis: monosegmental surgical treatment.

STUDY DESIGN A prospective single arm cohort. OBJECTIVE.: To study the results of distraction reduction of high-grade isthmic dysplastic spondylolisthesis with posterior lumbar interbody fusion and posterior compression in a consecutive, prospectively collected series of adolescent patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA High-grade isthmic dysplastic spondylolisthesis has been associated with a high complication and failure rate regardless of the method of surgical treatment, including in situ fusion, cast correction and fusion, anterior fusion, posterior instrumented fusion, and combination procedures. METHODS A total of 18 adolescents with the diagnosis and a minimum 50% slip underwent the procedure of Gill decompression, temporary distraction with reduction of the deformity, complete lumbosacral discectomy, posterior lumbar interbody fusion with Harm's cage and autogenous iliac graft, and posterior monosegmental compression instrumentation with pedicular fixation. RESULTS Follow-up ranged from 2.3 to 5 years. Slip improved from 77% to 13% and slip angle from 35 degrees to 3.8 degrees initially and 4.3 degrees at final follow-up. One patient had loss of 16 degrees of slip angle but achieved arthrodesis. Sacral inclination improved from 28 degrees to 39 degrees . There were no neurologic or infectious complications. There were no overt instrumentation failures. Arthrodesis was achieved in every instance. Two patients had structural complications, neither of which underwent reoperation. CONCLUSIONS The index procedure provided near-anatomic correction of high-grade spondylolisthesis, which is maintained at a minimum 2-year follow-up without significant complications. There were two structural complications. Anterior column structural support and posterior compressive instrumentation help restore the necessary biomechanics to allow clinical fusion and success. This series has led the senior author to evolve his technique too ften include caudad fixation to the pelvis and/or cephalad fixation to L4.
Empiricism, Symbolic Realism, and the Mystique of the Extreme

The empiricist/symbolic realist debate in the sociology of religion, as well as the broader objectivist/subjectivist controversy in social science, suffers from the mystique of the extreme. Emphasis has been placed on the two approaches as opposing alternatives, an either-or choice. This paper suggests that the mystique of the extreme prohibits perception of the necessary, dialectical complementarity of the two approaches. Neither alone can succeed in understanding religion scientifically. Research efforts must bring together the two perspectives by using what social anthropologists refer to as the emic and etic levels of analysis.
Chord Distributions In Pattern Recognition: Distortion Invariance And Parameter Estimation

The use of chord distributions in pattern recognition is discussed and efficient ways to compute such distributions are noted. New methods to achieve scale and in-plane rotational distortion-invariant multi-class recognition and estimates of the distortion parameters are described. 3-D out-of-plane rotational distortion-invariant methods are reviewed.
Olfactory impairment in older adults: five-year incidence and risk factors.

Objectives/Hypothesis: The objective of this study was to determine the five-year incidence of olfactory impairment and associated risk factors in a general population of older adults. Study Design: Longitudinal population-based study. Methods: Participants (n = 1,556) in the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study had olfaction measured at the 5- and 10-year examinations (1998–2000 and 2003–2005, respectively). Olfactory ability was measured by the San Diego Odor Identification Test. Results: The five-year incidence of olfactory impairment was 12.5%. Incidence rates increased with age for men and women. In a multivariate model, age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79, 95% CI, 1.61–2.00; for every five-year increase), a history of nasal polyps (OR = 2.33, 95% CI, 1.13–4.59), a history of deviated septum (OR = 2.05, 95% CI, 1.14–3.56), and a history of heavy alcohol use (OR = 1.84, 95% CI, 1.13–2.93) were associated with an increased risk of olfactory impairment, whereas use of lipid-lowering agents (OR = 0.68, 95% CI, 0.46–0.99; yes vs. no), exercising at least once a week (OR = 0.69, 95% CI, 0.48–0.98), and oral steroid use (OR = 0.37, 95% CI, 0.11–0.94) were associated with a decreased risk. Conclusions: The five-year incidence of olfactory impairment is high in this population of older adults. Modifiable risk factors associated with impairment suggest some impairment could be amenable to prevention or treatment. Laryngoscope, 2011
Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and mirror electron microscopy (MEM) of biological specimens: preliminary results with a novel beam separating system.

SUMMARY Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and mirror electron microscopy (MEM) utilize a parallel beam of slow-moving electrons backscattered from the specimen surface to form an image. If the electrons strike the surface an LEEM image is produced and if they are turned back just before reaching the surface an MEM image results. The applications thus far have been in surface physics. In the present study, applications of LEEM and MEM in the biological sciences are discussed. The preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of forming images of uncoated cultured cells and cellular components using electrons in the threshold region (i.e. 0–10 V). The results also constitute a successful test of a novel beam-separating system for LEEM and MEM.
Occurrence and Quality of Ground Water in Crystalline Rocks of the Llano Area, Texas

Median yield of wells in crystalline rocks of the Llano area is 14 gpm. Near the Highland Lakes the median yield is somewhat higher (17 gpm) owing to continuous recharge from the lakes. Domestic wells near the lakes are not as deep (median depth = 66 feet) as in the rest of the area (median depth = 76 feet). The major ground-water supplies occur in granite grus and fractured granite. The yield per saturated foot of aquifer decreases with depth, owing to (1) the decreasing degree of weathering and hence of porosity and permeability with depth, and (2) the closing of fractures with depth. The decrease with depth of incremental yield is more marked in the Llano region than in the Sierra Nevada and in the eastern United States. Optimum depth of wells in the area is considered to be 75 to 100 feet. It is commonly more economical from the standpoint of well yield to drill several shallow wells rather than one deep well. Quality of ground water is generally good, but erratic, with median concentrations (in mg/l) of Si, 49; SO4, 61; Cl, 83; NO3, 21; Fe, 0.07; and total hardness (as CaCO3), 302. Schist generally yields water with higher total hardness and sulfate concentrations than other rock types. The water samples with high nitrate concentrations typically are from wells near septic systems or livestock pens. Even in ground water away from pollution sources the dissolved solids content tends to be higher than in water within crystalline rocks of other geographic areas.
The influence of a mini-magnetopause on the magnetic pileup boundary at Mars

[1] 3D single fluid non-ideal MHD simulations are used to predict positions for the bow shock and magnetic pileup boundary (MPB). The positions are in agreement with those calculated from Mars Global Surveyor data. The simulations were run with the strong southern magnetic anomalies facing into the solar wind, and the IMF in either the northward or southward direction. The simulations show that the strong southern magnetic anomalies create a magnetopause-like structure (i.e., a mini-magnetopause) in place of an MPB but plasma signatures for both types of boundaries are similar. Distinguishing characteristics include the magnetic field orientation, pressure, and the current. The current regions associated with a mini-magnetopause are larger in scale and greater in magnitude than those at the MPB. The simulations also show that including non-ideal MHD physics is important in resolving both the magnetic pileup boundary and the mini-magnetopause.
[(Salcen)CrIII + Lewis base]-catalyzed synthesis of N-aryl-substituted oxazolidinones from epoxides and aryl isocyanates

[(Salcen)CrIII + Lewis base] was found to be a highly active and selective catalyst system in the [2+3] cycloaddition between epoxides and isocyanates to form 5-oxazolidinones. The reaction proceeds to high yield under mild reaction conditions and is applicable to a variety of terminal epoxides and aryl isocyanates.
Kallmann syndrome associated with choanal atresia

Kallmann syndrome is defined by the association of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia. A previously unreported association of Kallmann syndrome and choanal atresia in a family is reported. The mechanism of the embryopathic association of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, anosmia, and choanal atresia is though to be due to a single developmental field defect in the region of the median forebrain and associated structures. An irregular autosomal dominant mode of inheritance is suspected.
ALLERGY IN RELATION TO OROFACIAL DENTAL DEFORMITIES IN CHILDREN: A REVIEW.

Abstract Mouth breathing in the infant and child is frequently secondary to chronic nasal allergy. Malocclusion and V-shaped dental arch are commonly found in children who are decided mouth breathers. The anatomic, pathogenctic, prophylactic, and prognostic considerations are discussed. It is hoped that further investigations will be conducted through the cooperative efforts of the orthodontist, the pediatrician, and the allergist.
Abstract 1022: Development and preclinical testing of AMG 780, a fully human antibody targeting angiopoietin 1 (Ang1) and angiopoietin 2 (Ang2)

Targeting the angiopoietins with trebananib (a peptibody that inhibits the interaction between the endothelial cell-selective Tie2 receptor and its ligands Ang1 and Ang2) in combination with paclitaxel was associated with clinical benefit in a phase 3 ovarian cancer clinical trial (TRINOVA 1). Herein, we describe the generation of AMG 780, a fully human IgG2 antibody targeting Ang1 and Ang2. We compared AMG 780 to trebananib in affinity/neutralization ELISA assays and in vivo studies assessing inhibition of tumor growth and endothelial cell proliferation. AMG 780 is a derivative of an Ang2-binding antibody (Ab X). Ab X was generated by panning a human phage display Fab library (Dyax Corporation) against recombinant Ang2. The Ab X Fab was affinity matured by individually substituting every possible amino acid at every position in the light and heavy chain complementarity determining regions (CDRs). Resulting phage clones were interrogated for improved Ang1- and Ang2-binding activity. Clones with improved potency were converted to full antibodies. The most improved heavy chain clones were paired with the most improved light chain clones. The resulting IgGs were tested for neutralization of the interaction between the angiopoietins and their receptor, Tie2, as measured by homogenous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF). Three resulting fully human IgG2 antibodies (AMG 780, Ab Y, and Ab Z) and the parental clone (Ab X) with potent Ang2 inhibitory activities (IC50 [nM], 0.05-0.10) and a range of Ang1 inhibitory activities (IC50 [nM], 0.31-547.00) were selected for xenograft studies. Mice were implanted with 5x106 Colo205 (human colon carcinoma) cells. When tumors were approximately 200 mm3, 300 µg of each of the four antibodies intraperitoneally or 14 µg of trebananib subcutaneously were administered twice weekly. For viable tumor fraction analyses, treated tumors at the end of the xenograft study were harvested and processed for paraffin histology. To examine endothelial cell proliferation, treated tumors were enzyme digested and stained with anti-CD31, anti-CD45, and anti-BrdU antibodies. The percentage of BrdU-positive tumor-associated endothelial cells (CD31high/CD45neg) was determined by flow cytometry. Relative to an isotope control antibody, all four IgG2 antibodies and trebananib inhibited tumor growth (P Citation Format: James V. Bready, Kyung Lee, Rick Jacobsen, Kevin Graham, Juan Estrada, Stephen A. Kaufman, Dongyin Yu, Angela Coxon, Jon Oliner. Development and preclinical testing of AMG 780, a fully human antibody targeting angiopoietin 1 (Ang1) and angiopoietin 2 (Ang2). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1022. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1022
Characterization of substrate specificity of plant FatA and FatB acyl-ACP thioesterases

The specificity of plant acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterases is the major determinant of the chain length and level of saturated fatty acids found in most plant tissues. Although these enzymes have been previously characterized from a number of sources, information on kinetic parameters for a wide range of substrates with cloned enzymes is lacking. In the present study the substrate specificity of recombinant FatA thioesterase isoforms from Arabidopsis (AtFatA) and coriander (CsFatA) and FatB from Arabidopsis (AtFatB) have been re-examined with a comprehensive range of substrates including 14:1-ACP and 16:1-ACP. AtFatA displayed the highest catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) towards oleoyl-ACP with activities at least 20-fold lower for all other tested substrates and 75-fold lower with palmitoyl-ACP. Both chain length and double bond presence strongly influenced kcat of FatA with minor influence on Km. Arabidopsis FatB substrate specificity was found to differ from previous reports and this difference could be attributed to the influence of ACP structure. FatB activity with palmitoyl-ACP was 2.5-fold higher and the ratio of 16:0-ACP/14:0-ACP hydrolysis was 6.4-fold higher with spinach ACP compared to E. coli ACP. Additionally, the influence of amino acid domains from both AtFatA and AtFatB on their substrate specificity was studied by utilizing a domain-swapping approach. The characterization of the resulting chimeric enzymes pointed to the N-terminus as a determinant of the substrate specificity for both FatA and FatB acyl-ACP thioesterases.
New advances in quantitative echocardiography

Fifty years after the inception of echocardiography, its clinical applications continue to expand. Just as progression from M-mode to 2D echocardiography revolutionized the assessment of cardiac function and physiology. 3D echocardiography, DTI, and speckle tracking will undoubtedly lead to better understanding of cardiac disease and facilitate the diagnosis of complex conditions as they become routinely incorporated into clinical practice.
Quantitative analysis of spirality in elliptical galaxies

Abstract We use an automated galaxy morphology analysis method to quantitatively measure the spirality of galaxies classified manually as elliptical. The data set used for the analysis consists of 60,518 galaxy images with redshift obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and classified manually by Galaxy Zoo , as well as the RC3 and NA10 catalogues. We measure the spirality of the galaxies by using the Ganalyzer method, which transforms the galaxy image to its radial intensity plot to detect galaxy spirality that is in many cases difficult to notice by manual observation of the raw galaxy image. Experimental results using manually classified elliptical and S0 galaxies with redshift
Second thoughts on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) neurotoxicity.

In Reply.— Grob et al raise some valid points regarding the methodological limitations of our findings, which we ourselves had attempted to acknowledge, both in the "Comment" section and in our characterization of our results as "preliminary observations." There are, however, several other issues raised by Grob et al on which we offer the following comments: 1. Urine toxicology by enzyme immunoassay (EMIT) was obtained on all subjects on the morning of the intravenous L-tryptophan test, immediately prior to beginning the test. Although inadvertently omitted from the final draft of the article, these screens revealed no evidence of recent use of psychoactive drugs. However, most of our subjects did have a past history of use of illicit psychoactive drugs; as Grob et al imply, we cannot state with certainty that use of these other drugs did not account for or contribute to the altered responses to L-tryptophan. The fact is,
The method of fundamental solutions for transmission and scattering of elastic waves

Abstract The method of fundamental solutions (MFS) is applied to study the scattering/transmission of time-harmonic waves by an elastic obstacle embedded in a three-dimensional infinite elastic medium. The MFS is a numerical method in which the approximate solution is a linear combination of fundamental solutions with singularities placed outside the domain of the problem. The singularities, which can be either moving or fixed, are kept fixed for the present class of problems. Here, two sets of singularities are used to approximate the field in the two regions and are coupled by the continuity of displacement and stress across the interface. Numerical examples are presented to verify the formulation. Numerical results also indicate that this method does not suffer from the nonuniqueness difficulty encountered with the BEM.
Chorea associated with antiphospholipid antibodies in a patient with Kabuki syndrome.

Kabuki syndrome, OMIM 147920 (KS) is a disorder characterized by multi-system abnormalities. These include physical, neurological, endocrine, and autoimmune abnormalities. Multiple autoimmune abnormalities are described in KS such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), vitiligo, thyroiditis, hemolytic anemia, and hypogammaglobulinemia. In this report, we describe a patient with KS with sudden onset chorea associated with the presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPLs) in the serum. Chorea in the presence of aPLs has been well described in the literature both in the presence and absence of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This report of APL in a patient with KS adds to the list of autoimmune disorders seen in patients with KS and also strengthens the hypothesis that patients with this syndrome have an increased incidence of immune dysregulation. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Current issues in handheld augmented reality

Equipped with powerful processors, cameras for capturing still images and video, and a range of sensors capable of tracking location, orientation and motion of the user, modern smartphones offer a sophisticated platform for implementing handheld augmented reality (AR) applications. Despite the advances in research and development, implementing AR applications for the smartphone platform remains a challenge due to many open problems related to navigation, contextawareness, visualization, usability and interaction design, as well as content creation and sharing. This paper surveys a number of open challenges and issues, trade-offs and possible solutions in implementing handheld AR applications.
Turkey hen fertility and egg production after artificial insemination and multiple oviduct eversion during the pre-laying period

The onset of egg production (mean 18.3 days after the onset of photostimulation) and the rate of egg production (flock averaged 4.9 eggs per bird per week for the first 8 weeks of egg production) were not affected by 5 days of twice daily oviduct eversion ('venting') in the pre-laying period when compared to unvented controls. After the onset of photostimulation, pre-laying hens were inseminated twice daily on Days 12 to 16 with 3 microliter semen containing 15 x 10(6) spermatozoa, and compared with groups of hens inseminated once daily on Days 15 and 16 with 15 microliters semen containing 75 x 10(6) spermatozoa or 41 microliter semen containing 200 x 10(6) spermatozoa. Fertility remained high for the first 5 weeks of egg production. However, by Week 6 the fertility of the hens receiving frequent low doses of semen dropped significantly below that of the others, which suggests that multiple inseminations with a low semen volume containing relatively low numbers of spermatozoa does not lead to an increase in the efficacy of sperm transport and storage in the oviduct.
Future developments in transportation

Abstract Nearly all prognostigators, from the fellow who buys a $2 ticket on Blue Boy to the financial policy-makers of government and business, base their final conclusions upon past experience. Properly tempered (and herein lies the success or failure of the prophet), this is a completely logical procedure, and is especially applicable to engineering trends, for most of our technical progress has been achieved through a process of evolution. Thus, one of the best ways to gain an insight as to the direction in which we're going is to note our present position and to review how we reached it.In the preceding discussion, I have tried to cover a few specific phases of our transportation future in just this fashion, in order to emphasize that we can expect tomorrow further applications and extensions of the things we are working with today.
Crystal Structure of C-terminal Truncated Apolipoprotein A-I Reveals the Assembly of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) by Dimerization

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) plays important structural and functional roles in plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) that is responsible for reverse cholesterol transport. However, a molecular understanding of HDL assembly and function remains enigmatic. The 2.2-A crystal structure of Δ(185-243)apoA-I reported here shows that it forms a half-circle dimer. The backbone of the dimer consists of two elongated antiparallel proline-kinked helices (five AB tandem repeats). The N-terminal domain of each molecule forms a four-helix bundle with the helical C-terminal region of the symmetry-related partner. The central region forms a flexible domain with two antiparallel helices connecting the bundles at each end. The two-domain dimer structure based on helical repeats suggests the role of apoA-I in the formation of discoidal HDL particles. Furthermore, the structure suggests the possible interaction with lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and may shed light on the molecular details of the effect of the Milano, Paris, and Fin mutations.
The measurement of glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow in man by iothalamate 125-I and iodopyracet 131-I.

In 21 patients, 90 simultaneous renal clearances of inulin and sodium iothalamate 125I, and para-amino-hippuric acid (PAH) and iodopyracet 131I were determined by a constant infusion technique. The activities of iothalamate 125I and iodopyracet 131I were determined simultaneously in a dual-channel scintillation counter. The concentrations of inulin and PAH were determined by standard chemical techniques. The ratio of iothalamate 125I to inulin clearance ranged from 0.93 to 1.09 with a mean of 1.00. The ratio of iodopyracet 131I to PAH clearance varied from 0.86 to 1.04 with a mean of 0.96. The chemical determination of PAH and inulin required approximately 8 hours of technician time as compared with 30 minutes by the radioactive technique. The determination of the renal clearances of iothalamate 125I and iodopyracet 131I is an accurate and time-saving technique for the measurement of glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow.
An E-Valuation Framework for Developing Net-Enabled Business Metrics Through Functionality Interaction

Managers engaged in net-enabled business planning seek metrics to help them analyze the success of their e-business investments. Likewise, researchers require metrics to build analytical models and conduct empirical research on the impact of e-business strategies on firm performance. In this article, the authors develop a comprehensive E-Valuation Framework for identifying net-enabled applications and their resulting user-based functionalities for activities across the value chain. The authors propose that the real value from net-enabled applications can be found in functionality interactions, where one application enables or enhances functionality in another application. The comprehensive framework can be used to generate three types of metrics managers can use to evaluate their net-enabled strategic initiatives. Further, a classification of net-enabled organizations provides the basis for selecting applications critical to a firm's strategic thrusts. We make use of the resource-based view of the firm an...
On the Distribution of a Difference of Two Scaled Chi-Square Random Variables

by tending to make the animals remain in the protected area, the number of surviving animals is increased from 263 to 784. It can be noted that since the death rate, is between P21 and P31, i.e. 0.1 < death rate, <0.5 and the birth rate is bounded by M22 and M33, i.e. birth rate equals 0.1, extinction is inevitable. Any efforts to reduce the death rate or to increase the birth rate would change the transition matrix. Further reduction in death rates may be feasible by increased enforcement or patrols, increased hunting license fees, etc. By way of further example, another transition matrix P could be defined as P = .5 .2 .3
The triarchic model applied to identifying, teaching, and assessing gifted children 1

This article presents a unified model, the triarchic one, for the identification, instruction, and assessment of gifted children. The article considers why a unified model of identification, instruction, and assessment is important, and why this model should be broader than most of the models currently in use. Following a discussion regarding the use of the triarchic model as a potential one for such use, a program of identification, instruction, and assessment for gifted high school students learning psychology is described based upon the triarchic model. Data from an initial application of this program are introduced as well as claims demonstrating how the triarchic model can be applied in fields beyond psychology. Finally, conclusions are drawn to confirm that a broad unified model such as the triarchic one can be useful in the identification, instruction, and assessment of gifted children.
Radiation Balance of a Soil-Straw Surface Modified by Straw Color

Straw color may alter the net radiative flux at the soil-straw surface and, consequently, the availability of energy for soil, biological, and atmospheric processes. This study ascertained the radiation balance of a soil-straw surface as modified by the color of the straw on the surface. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) stubble and loose straw on 36-m 2 plots near Fairbanks, AK, was painted black, white, or remained unpainted (natural) in a randomized block experimental design. Reflected global radiation was measured in the spring of 1988-1990 and net radiation was monitored in the spring of 1990. Midday reflected global radiation and soil-straw surface temperatures were measured on clear days in 1989 [...]
Investigations into the etiology of neural tube defects

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious malformations affecting approximately 1 per 1000 births, yet the mechanisms by which they arise are unknown. There have been consistent efforts in many fields of research to elucidate the etiology of this multifactorial condition. While no single gene has been identified as a major independent risk factor for NTDs, candidate genes have been proposed that may modify the effects of maternal and/or embryonic exposures. Folate supplementation effectively reduces the occurrence of NTDs and, consequently, has focused much research on metabolism of folate-related pathways during pregnancy and development. Further understanding of normal development and how teratogens can perturb these orchestrated processes also remains at the fore of modern scientific endeavors. The composite of these factors remains fragmented; the aim of this review is to provide the reader with a summary of sentinel and current works in the body of literature addressing NTD disease etiology. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 72:330–344, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Dilemmas of Racial Redistricting

Etude du debat sur le remaniement des circonscriptions electorales aux Etats-Unis, qui permet de garantir la representation politique des minorites raciales. Au-dela du conflit d'interets communautaires, l'A. mesure l'importance de l'identification individuelle au groupe sur les choix electoraux, d'une part, et evalue la proposition de L. Guinier en faveur d'une extension geographique des districts, d'autre part.
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE ANALYSIS OF HEME-NITROSYL AND REDUCED IRON-SULFUR CENTERED COMPLEXES IN ALLOGENEIC, HETEROTOPIC CARDIAC TRANSPLANTS : EFFECTS OF TREATMENT WITH PYRROLIDINE DITHIOCARBAMATE

Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) prolongs allograft survival suggesting a role for nitric oxide (.NO) in allograft rejection. Induction of iNOS is regulated by the oxidant-sensitive, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) in many cell types. In the present study using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, we evaluated whether pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a metal chelator and antioxidant, might limit .NO production during the development of rejection in cardiac allografts. We performed either isogeneic (Lewis to Lewis) or allogeneic (Wistar-Furth to Lewis) heterotopic abdominal cardiac transplantation. Allograft recipients received daily injections of PDTC or aminoguanidine (a known inhibitor of iNOS). At postoperative days 4 or 6, grafted and native hearts of transplant recipients were flushed with cardioplegic solution to remove blood contamination. ESR data of allografts revealed a triplet nitrogen signal (aN=17.5 G) and centered at g=2.012 and an additional broad signal at g=2.08. This signal was not seen in either isografts or native hearts of either isograft or allograft recipients. Based upon these parameters, these signals are attributed to nitrosomyoglobin. This signal was inhibited by treatment with aminoguanidine or PDTC. Under these conditions, PDTC also prolonged graft survival from 6.6+/-0.2 to 11.7+/-0.3 days. Thus, it is conceivable that nitrosylmyoglobin formation precedes rejection in cardiac allografts and inhibition of nitrosomyoglobin with agents such as PDTC contribute to improved graft survival.
Bound-preserving discontinuous Galerkin methods for conservative phase space advection in curvilinear coordinates

We extend the positivity-preserving method of Zhang and Shu 49 to simulate the advection of neutral particles in phase space using curvilinear coordinates. The ability to utilize these coordinates is important for non-equilibrium transport problems in general relativity and also in science and engineering applications with specific geometries. The method achieves high-order accuracy using Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretization of phase space and strong stability-preserving, Runge-Kutta (SSP-RK) time integration. Special care is taken to ensure that the method preserves strict bounds for the phase space distribution function f; i.e., f ? 0 , 1 . The combination of suitable CFL conditions and the use of the high-order limiter proposed in 49 is sufficient to ensure positivity of the distribution function. However, to ensure that the distribution function satisfies the upper bound, the discretization must, in addition, preserve the divergence-free property of the phase space flow. Proofs that highlight the necessary conditions are presented for general curvilinear coordinates, and the details of these conditions are worked out for some commonly used coordinate systems (i.e., spherical polar spatial coordinates in spherical symmetry and cylindrical spatial coordinates in axial symmetry, both with spherical momentum coordinates). Results from numerical experiments - including one example in spherical symmetry adopting the Schwarzschild metric - demonstrate that the method achieves high-order accuracy and that the distribution function satisfies the maximum principle.
A forty-year old man with advanced acquired immune deficiency syndrome and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates

This report describes a 40-year old man with a history of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) diagnosed with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) twice prior to this admission, who presented with 3 days of fever, non-productive cough and shortness of breath. The patient was treated empirically for PJP, but his condition deteriorated rapidly and he expired despite resuscitative efforts. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and blood cultures grew Cryptococcus neoformans. Very few cases of disseminated cryptococcosis presenting as acute respiratory failure have been reported. Cryptococcosis is a common opportunistic infection that should be considered in patients with AIDS presenting with bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and fever.
The Role of the Staphylococcal VraTSR Regulatory System on Vancomycin Resistance and vanA Operon Expression in Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Vancomycin is often the preferred treatment for invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. With the increase in incidence of MRSA infections, the use of vancomycin has increased and, as feared, isolates of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) have emerged. VRSA isolates have acquired the entercoccal vanA operon contained on transposon (Tn) 1546 residing on a conjugal plasmid. VraTSR is a vancomycin and β-lactam-inducible three-component regulatory system encoded on the S. aureus chromosome that modulates the cell-wall stress response to cell-wall acting antibiotics. Mutation in vraTSR has shown to increase susceptibility to β-lactams and vancomycin in clinical VISA strains and in recombinant strain COLVA-200 which expresses a plasmid borne vanA operon. To date, the role of VraTSR in vanA operon expression in VRSA has not been demonstrated. In this study, the vraTSR operon was deleted from the first clinical VRSA strain (VRS1) by transduction with phage harvested from a USA300 vraTSR operon deletion strain. The absence of the vraTSR operon and presence of the vanA operon were confirmed in the transductant (VRS1Δvra) by PCR. Broth MIC determinations, demonstrated that the vancomycin MIC of VRS1Δvra (64 µg/ml) decreased by 16-fold compared with VRS1 (1024 µg/ml). The effect of the vraTSR operon deletion on expression of the van gene cluster (vanA, vanX and vanR) was examined by quantitative RT-PCR using relative quantification. A 2–5-fold decreased expression of the vanA operon genes occured in strain VRS1Δvra at stationary growth phase compared with the parent strain, VRS1. Both vancomycin resistance and vancomycin-induced expression of vanA and vanR were restored by complementation with a plasmid harboring the vraTSR operon. These findings demonstrate that expression in S. aureus of the horizontally acquired enterococcal vanA gene cluster is enhanced by the staphylococcal three-component cell wall stress regulatory system VraTSR, that is present in all S. aureus strains.
Fight or Flight? Factors Influencing Child Welfare Workers' Propensity to Seek Positive Change or Disengage from Their Jobs

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study tests a theory-driven, conceptual model examining factors supporting or hindering child welfare workers' (n = 359) efforts to speak up (voice) or disengage psychologically (neglect) or physically (exit) from their jobs. Based on path analysis results, key findings indicate that workers who feel included in decision-making are more likely to exercise voice and less likely to engage in neglect. In contrast, workers who experienced supervisory and organizational support are less inclined to exit. The findings should be instructive to scholars and practitioners interested in capturing how employees' responses to stressful and complex work environments are expressed.
Perfusion-decellularized pancreas as a natural 3D scaffold for pancreatic tissue and whole organ engineering

Approximately 285 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, with insulin supplementation as the most common treatment measure. Regenerative medicine approaches such as a bioengineered pancreas has been proposed as potential therapeutic alternatives. A bioengineered pancreas will benefit from the development of a bioscaffold that supports and enhances cellular function and tissue development. Perfusion-decellularized organs are a likely candidate for use in such scaffolds since they mimic compositional, architectural and biomechanical nature of a native organ. In this study, we investigate perfusion-decellularization of whole pancreas and the feasibility to recellularize the whole pancreas scaffold with pancreatic cell types. Our result demonstrates that perfusion-decellularization of whole pancreas effectively removes cellular and nuclear material while retaining intricate three-dimensional microarchitecture with perfusable vasculature and ductal network and crucial extracellular matrix (ECM) components. To mimic pancreatic cell composition, we recellularized the whole pancreas scaffold with acinar and beta cell lines and cultured up to 5 days. Our result shows successful cellular engraftment within the decellularized pancreas, and the resulting graft gave rise to strong up-regulation of insulin gene expression. These findings support biological utility of whole pancreas ECM as a biomaterials scaffold for supporting and enhancing pancreatic cell functionality and represent a step toward bioengineered pancreas using regenerative medicine approaches.
Uncertainties of estimates of climatic change: A review

While climate modeling gives substantial information about the future climate, there are still many uncertainties. This review addresses the question of the response of the climate system to forcing by increasing atmospheric trace gases. The uncertainties of greatest concern are: the transient adjustment controlled by ocean heat uptake; the cover of snow and ice in high latitudes; the change in cloud radiative properties; and shifts in regional patterns connected to the ocean and land surfaces and to the internal dynamics of the atmosphere.
A 55K transistor NMOS microgrammable microprocessor

A 16b silicon gate 7.2mm2chip, using 80b micro instructions, which simulates various computers at up to 900K instructions per second, will be described.
Chronic [D-Ala2, D-Leu5]enkephalin treatment increases the nerve growth factor in adult mouse brain.

Abstract The δ opioid peptide [ d -Ala 2 , d -Leu 5 ]enkephalin (DADLE) has been shown to enhance the survival of dopaminergic neurons. Here, we found that chronic treatment with DADLE caused a significant increase in nerve growth factor (NGF) in the hippocampus and the midbrain of adult albino Swiss (CD-1) mice, but not in the striatum or frontal cortex. Glia-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was not significantly affected. Thus, the neuroprotective action of DADLE may be mediated in part by NGF.
Three-dimensional elasticity solution for buckling of composite laminates

Three-dimensional elasticity solutions are presented for the buckling of simply supported orthotropic and laminated composite plates. A uniform prebuckling stress assumption is made for composite laminates, which is equivalent to the membrane assumption used in plate theories. The closed-form expressions for the displacements and stresses are derived and a nonlinear eigenvalue problem is constructed which is used to solve for the critical load. The results obtained from the elasticity solution are compared with the critical loads furnished by the classical laminate theory and the refined third-order shear deformation theory. The solution provides a means of accurate assessment of existing two-dimensional plate theories.
Association kinetics from single molecule force spectroscopy measurements.

Single molecule force spectroscopy is often used to study the dissociation of single molecules by applying mechanical force to the intermolecular bond. These measurements provide the kinetic parameters of dissociation. We present what to our knowledge is a new atomic force microscopy-based approach to obtain the activation energy of the association reaction and approximate grafting density of reactive receptors using the dependence of the probability to form molecular bonds on probe velocity when one of the interacting molecules is tethered by a flexible polymeric linker to the atomic force microscopy probe. Possible errors in the activation energy measured with this approach are considered and resulting corrections are included in the data analysis. This new approach uses the same experimental setup as traditional force spectroscopy measurements that quantify dissociation kinetics. We apply the developed methodology to measure the activation energy of biotin-streptavidin association (including a contribution from the steric factor) and obtain a value of 8 ± 1 kT. This value is consistent with the association rate measured previously in solution. Comparison with the solution-derived activation energy indicates that kinetics of biotin-streptavidin binding is mainly controlled by the reaction step.
The Way We Program

Code lacking comments, meaningful identifiers, and correct indentation is a nightmare. By studying 30 programs of various sizes to measure what percentage of their source code consisted of comments, meaningful identifiers, and whitespace, the author found that more than half of the code served developers rather than the compiler. The relative composition of the three elements was equally distributed and didn't appear to vary with project size. This finding substantiates the view of programming as an art form and the importance of source code in the software development process. Therefore we need to focus management's attention on code and its developers.
Nuclear data sheets for A = 123

Nuclear structure data for the A = 123 isobars are tabulated, and adopted level properties and decay schemes are presented. The information is presented in the following order: level schemes and ladder diagrams for all nuclei in the mass chain showing essentially all adopted level properties, followed by tabulated data, adopted level properties, and adopted gamma-ray properties, where available, for each isobar. All data available through January 1972 are included in the compilation. Additional results for 123Te which were recently received have been added in proof but were not included in the adopted level properties for this nucleus.
Defining and Theorizing Terrorism: A Global Actor-Centered Approach

Arriving at a consensual definition of the phenomenon of terrorism has been a particularly difficult undertaking. Some definitions are either too specific or too vague, concentrating on some essential terrorist aspect of the actions, strategies, or types of non-state organizations that engage in terrorism. In this paper I draw on global approaches from international relations and world systems theories to propose a definition of terrorism that skirts these issues by concentrating on terrorist actors rather than terrorist behavior. I argue that this approach has several advantages, including the dissolution of several empirical and analytical problems produced by more essentialist definitions, and the location of terrorism within a two dimensional continuum of collective-violence phenomena in the international system which discloses important theoretical insights. I proceed to examine the characteristics of terrorism by comparing it with other forms of violence in the international system. I propose that terrorism may be part of the cycles and trends of unrest in the world system, responding to the same broad families of global dynamics as other forms of system-level conflict.
Judgmental aggregation strategies depend on whether the self is involved

Abstract We report the results of a novel experiment that addresses two unresolved questions in the judgmental forecasting literature. First, how does combining the estimates of others differ from revising one’s own estimate based on the judgment of another? The experiment found that participants often ignored advice when revising an estimate but averaged estimates when combining. This was true despite receiving identical feedback about the accuracy of past judgments. Second, why do people consistently tend to overweight their own opinions at the expense of profitable advice? We compared two prominent explanations for this, differential access to reasons and egocentric beliefs, and found that neither adequately accounts for the overweighting of the self. Finally, echoing past research, we find that averaging opinions is often advantageous, but that choosing a single judge can perform well in certain predictable situations.