cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence of a role of inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase INPP5E in cilia formation in zebrafish.

Abstract Inositol phosphatases are important regulators of cell signaling and membrane trafficking. Mutations in inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase, INPP5E, have been identified in Joubert syndrome, a rare congenital disorder characterized by midbrain malformation, retinitis pigmentosa, renal cysts, and polydactyly. Previous studies have implicated primary cilia abnormalities in Joubert syndrome, yet the role of INPP5E in cilia formation is not well understood. In this study, we examined the function of INPP5E in cilia development in zebrafish. Using specific antisense morpholino oligonucleotides to knockdown Inpp5e expression, we observed phenotypes of microphthalmia, pronephros cysts, pericardial effusion, and left–right body axis asymmetry. The Inpp5e morphant zebrafish exhibited shortened and decreased cilia formation in the Kupffer’s vesicle and pronephric ducts as compared to controls. Epinephrine-stimulated melanosome trafficking was delayed in the Inpp5e zebrafish morphants. Expression of human INPP5E expression rescued the phenotypic defects in the Inpp5e morphants. Taken together, we showed that INPP5E is critical for the cilia development in zebrafish.
A facility for neutron polarization measurements and methods for the analysis of polarization data

Abstract A facility for investigation of polarization phenomena of fast neutrons using polarized beams accelerated by the 88″ cyclotron at Texas A&M University is described. Details are presented on a high-pressure cooled-gas target, a low-background experimental area, a liquid-helium polarimeter, a set of spin-precession magnets and other instrumentation. A multi-parameter method of acquiring polarization data and techniques for discriminating against background and improving resolution in the processing of such data are discussed. Formulas useful in the analysis of such data to extract polarization observables are presented.
Increasing the Literacy Behaviors of Preschool Children Through Environmental Modification and Teacher Mediation

Abstract Emergent literacy research states that young children learn about reading and writing through experiences with oral and written language. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency with which individual preschool children voluntarily engaged in literacy behaviors during free choice in the classroom. The sample consisted of nine preschool children from low-income families enrolled in three classrooms in an urban preschool program. The classroom environment was assessed using the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO; Smith, Dickinson, Sangeorge, & Anastasopoulos, 2002), which provides information on how well the classroom environment supports early literacy development. Literacy behaviors were measured during center time, a period when children are allowed to choose their activities. Intervention consisted of 1) adding literacy props to centers based on the needs identified by the ELLCO and 2) a teacher mediation intervention. Results were consistent with previous st...
Vapor Pressure of Hypostoichiometric Urania as a Function of Composition

The vapor pressure of hypostoichiometric urania was measured as a function of temperature for a series of compositions. The data were obtained by an entrainment technique in which weight loss of a specimen vaporizing at high temperatures in a stream of carrier gas is followed continuously with a recording thermobalance. Use of suitable atmospheres produced constant vaporizing compositions which vaporized pseudocongruently. Equations obtained for the vapor pressure are:
Divide and conquer: cytokinesis in plant cells.

Plant cells divide in two by constructing a new cell wall (cell plate) between daughter nuclei after mitosis. Golgi-derived vesicles are transported to the equator of a cytoskeletal structure called a phragmoplast, where they fuse together to form the cell plate. Orientation of new cell walls involves actin-dependent guidance of phragmoplasts and associated cell plates to cortical sites established prior to mitosis. Recent work has provided new insights into how actin filaments and other proteins in the phragmoplast and cell plate contribute to cytokinesis. Newly discovered mutations have identified a variety of genes required for cytokinesis or its spatial regulation.
Structure of the catfish IGH locus: analysis of the region including the single functional IGHM gene

The catfish IGH locus is large (∼1 Mb) and complex, having undergone multiple internal duplications and transpositions. To define the structure of the locus that contains the single expressed IGHM gene, two overlapping bacterial-artificial-chromosome (BAC) clones spanning the most 3' end of the channel catfish immunoglobulin heavy (IGH) chain locus have been completely sequenced. The analyses created a contig of 257,153 bp containing 55 VH, 6 D, 12 JH genes and the IGH constant region genes encoding the functional secreted and membrane forms of IgM and the membrane form of IgD. This analysis revealed three major features. First, no C-region genes were found aside from the previously described IGHM1 and IGHD1, with the latter gene being the most 3' C-region gene of the catfish IGH locus. There was no evidence in the region sequenced for genes that could encode an Ig class similar to the IgZ/IgT described in zebrafish, trout and pufferfish. Second, there are a high number of VH pseudogenes, 28 out of 55 (51%). In contrast, the entire zebrafish IGH locus has 40 functional VH genes and eight pseudogenes (17%). Third, an internal duplication of a 52.4-kb block of VH genes has occurred. These observations suggest that the IGH locus of teleost fish varies significantly from species to species in the diversity of C-region genes as well as the numbers of genes encoding V regions.
Misdiagnosis of appendicitis in nonpregnant women of childbearing age

A retrospective case series was conducted at a teaching hospital with an emergency department (ED) census of 100,000 patients per year to identify the incidence of, and factors associated with, the misdiagnosis of appendicitis in nonpregnant women aged 15 to 45 years. There were 174 nonpregnant women identified with a pathologic diagnosis of appendicitis. Clinical features were then compared between patients misdiagnosed (seen in prior 10 days and given an incorrect diagnosis) and those who were initially diagnosed correctly. The results showed that 33% of the women with appendicitis were initially misdiagnosed. The most common misdiagnoses included pelvic inflammatory disease, gastroenteritis, and urinary infections. Misdiagnosed women more frequently exhibited diffuse and bilateral lower abdominal pain and tenderness, cervical motion, and right adnexal tenderness. Misdiagnosed women also had a lower incidence of right lower quadrant pain and tenderness, and peritoneal signs. In addition, misdiagnosis was associated with an increased incidence of perforation, abscess formation, and an increase in the total length of hospitalization. In conclusion, the incidence of misdiagnosis of appendicitis in women of childbearing age is high. Women who are misdiagnosed have less typical symptoms and physical findings and more frequent abnormal pelvic findings than those who are diagnosed correctly. Emergency physicians should be aware that atypical signs and symptoms are associated with misdiagnosed appendicitis in nonpregnant women of childbearing age.
One-loop corrections and unitarity effects in gauge boson scattering

Abstract We examine the effects of including one-loop corrections in the K matrix unitarization of the two-channel system consisting of the states WL+WL− and ZL0ZL0. For a Higgs-boson mass (mH) of 0.5 TeV, inclusion of the one-loop correcti ons produces a very small change in both the perturbative and unitarized amplitudes. At mH = 1.0 TeV, the one-loop corrections to the Born amplitudes are substantial: 20 – 30%. The corresponding unitarized amplitudes are very similar to their unitarized Born term counterparts. In general, the one-loop corrections to the unitarized amplitudes becomes important for values of √s which are large compared to mH.
Use of electronic health record-based tools to improve appropriate use of the human papillomavirus test in adult women.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether compliance with guidelines for cervical cancer screening, particularly use of the human papillomavirus (HPV) test in adult (aged ≥21 y) women, improves with the implementation of educational prompts in the electronic health record (EHR). MATERIALS AND METHODS Two EHR-based interventions aimed at reducing unindicated HPV tests were implemented in the EHR in late June 2010. The Pap order form was revised with a descriptor next to the cotest (Pap plus HPV test) option advising that this is not for screening in women younger than 30 years, and a link to the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology Web site was made available on the EHR home page. Charts of adult women with HPV results from January to December 2010 were reviewed. Appropriateness of HPV test ordering before (period A: from January to June) and after (period B: from July to December) the interventions were compared using the χ(2) test of association. RESULTS A total of 3,564 HPV tests were performed on adult women at Loyola University Medical Center in 2010. During period A, 1,709 tests were ordered compared with 1,855 tests ordered during period B (p = .014). The proportion of HPV tests without an appropriate indication decreased significantly after the EHR changes (20% for period A vs 13% for period B, p < .0005). This significant decrease was seen in both primary care (22% in period A vs 12% in period B, p < .0005) and obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn) (19% vs 13%, p < .0005). CONCLUSIONS Electronic health record-based tools improve compliance with cervical cancer screening guidelines.
The sex ratio inAsparagus officinalis L. and its artificial modification

1. The data show that a lower percentage of staminate plants is due to the lack of a proper amount of volatile oils left in the pollen before pollination. 2. By the use of pollen sprayed with volatile oil the percentage of staminate plants was increased by about 26·1±1. 3. The data show that it is the presence or absence or abundance of volatile oil in the pollen which modifies the normal ratio of staminate and pistillate plants, and not the increase or decrease of water content. If water has any significance in the ratio, it is very small (±4 per cent.). 4. It is possible by this method to increase the percentage of staminate plants over that of pistillate ones, at least in the Mary Washington strain of asparagus.
Permethylation and mass spectrometry of intact ether glucuronides at the low nanomolar level

Abstract A group of steroid glucuronides and one drug glucuronide were permethylated with the dimethylsulfinylmethide anion and methyl iodide. All permethylated products were easily recognized as glucuronides from their mass spectra. Overmethylation was observed in those steroid samples which contained isolated or α , β -unsaturated ketones, but this did not hinder the interpretation of the spectra. The technique has further application for the study of drug metabolism.
Gastric bypass surgery and measured and estimated GFR in women.

Obesity causes hyperfiltration. Patients lose a substantial amount of weight after bariatric surgery. This weight loss includes a decrease in muscle mass, as evidenced by a decrease in creatinine excretion. Hyperfiltration also improves but is not detected by changes in serum creatinine due to concurrent decreases in creatinine generation.
Analysis of the equation-of-motion theory of electron affinities and ionization potentials

Abstract An analysis of the equation-of-motion (EOM) method for computing molecular electron affinities and ionization potentials is presented. The method is compared with the Dyson equation approach of Green function theory. Particular emphasis is devoted to clarifying the similarities between these two theories when carried out to second and to third order. The Epstein—Nesbet hamiltonian and the notion of diagonal scattering renormalization have been used to systematize this comparison.
Toward a Framework for the Study of Political Change in the Iberic-Latin Tradition: The Corporative Model

IN the early 1960's a great deal of “scare” literature was produced concerning Latin America. The titles and subtitles of many of the books and articles written during the period help bear this contention out: “The Eleventh Hour,” “Reform or Revolution,” “Evolution or Chaos.” The concern of scholars and public officials, stemming principally from the Cuban revolution, was that Latin America was about to explode in violent upheaval, that unless democratic reforms were quick in forthcoming, the Latin American nations would soon be the victims of Castro-Communist takeovers. The “one-minute-to-midnight” mentality shaped not only a great deal of official thinking and policy with regard to Latin America during the 1960's, but also permeated, in varying degrees of sophistication, the large body of development literature dealing with the area.
Differential responses of amphibians and reptiles in riparian and stream habitats to land use disturbances in western Georgia, USA

Urban and agricultural land uses have caused documented declines in diversity of many organisms. However, responses of stream- and riparian-dwelling amphibians and reptiles to anthropogenic land development are collectively understudied and, when studied, are often grouped together as though these two taxa respond in a similar fashion. We surveyed watersheds in four land use categories (reference, pasture, developing, and urban) for amphibian and reptile species richness over a two-year period in the southeastern United States. Total herpetofauna species richness was equivalent among all watershed types, but amphibians and reptiles responded differently to urbanization when analyzed separately. Urban watersheds had significantly fewer amphibian species than all other watershed types, but these losses were counterbalanced by significant increases in reptile species richness in these same watersheds. We also found that local, riparian-scale, habitat differences were strongly correlated with species composition differences between pasture and developing watersheds. While the difference in species composition between pasture and developing sites may have multiple, species-specific explanations, the dramatic differences between amphibian and reptile species richness in urban watersheds suggest broad trends that may be important to conservation planning. Specifically, our observations suggest that urbanization in the studied watersheds alters small streams from closed-canopy, shallow-water features of the forested landscape likely present before settlement by Europeans and favored by many salamanders and frogs to features associated with open vegetation and deeper, warmer waters favored by riverine turtles and snakes. We conclude that amphibians and reptiles, despite some physiological similarities, are not equivalent for monitoring purposes. Additionally, if future development in the Piedmont mirrors current urbanization, then significant faunal shifts seem assured.
The Axon–Dendrite Targeting of Kv3 (Shaw) Channels Is Determined by a Targeting Motif That Associates with the T1 Domain and Ankyrin G

Kv3 (Shaw) channels regulate rapid spiking, transmitter release and dendritic integration of many central neurons. Crucial to functional diversity are the complex targeting patterns of channel proteins. However, the targeting mechanisms are not known. Here we report that the axon-dendrite targeting of Kv3.1 is controlled by a conditional interaction of a C-terminal axonal targeting motif (ATM) with the N-terminal T1 domain and adaptor protein ankyrin G. In cultured hippocampal neurons, although the two splice variants of Kv3.1, Kv3.1a and Kv3.1b, are differentially targeted to the somatodendritic and axonal membrane, respectively, the lysine-rich ATM is surprisingly common for both splice variants. The ATM not only directly binds to the T1 domain in a Zn2+-dependent manner, but also associates with the ankyrin-repeat domain of ankyrin G. However, the full-length channel proteins of Kv3.1b display stronger association to ankyrin G than those of Kv3.1a, suggesting that the unique splice domain at Kv3.1b C terminus influences ATM binding to T1 and ankyrin G. Because ankyrin G mainly resides at the axon initial segment, we propose that it may function as a barrier for axon-dendrite targeting of Kv3.1 channels. In support of this idea, disrupting ankyrin G function either by over-expressing a dominant-negative mutant or by siRNA knockdown decreases polarized axon-dendrite targeting of both Kv3.1a and Kv3.1b. We conclude that the conditional ATM masked by the T1 domain in Kv3.1a is exposed by the splice domain in Kv3.1b, and is subsequently recognized by ankyrin G to target Kv3.1b into the axon.
Probe to Measure Direction and Strength of Moving Shocks or Blast Waves

A new probe, capable of detecting the local direction of blast or moving shock waves and their strength, has been designed, fabricated, and tested. The performance of the probe has been assessed and validated in shock-tube tests, as well as in field measurements. The data obtained were also compared with computational fluid dynamics calculations with satisfactory results. The probe is sensitive to the incoming shock and flow direction. Its directional response is, to a certain extent, similar to that of a single pressure transducer. However, the ability to determine the shock wave direction provides better estimates of the pressure measurements behind the shock. In that respect, the present probe maybe characterized as omnidirectional. Evaluation tests of the algorithm developed to detect the direction and strength of blast waves indicated that the direction could be estimated within 5 deg of the true direction
Effects of concomitant amiodarone and haloperidol on Q-Tc interval prolongation.

Purpose. The effects of concomitant amiodarone and haloperidol on Q-Tc interval prolongation were studied. Methods. All adult patients admitted to a 618-bed tertiary referral teaching hospital between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2006, who received amiodarone and haloperidol concomitantly were included in this retrospective descriptive analysis. Data collected to assess patients’ risk of developing Q-T interval prolongation included age, sex, past medical history, and number of days of concomitant exposure. Data relevant for the assessment of cardiac effects were collected for the time period between 24 hours before and after the administration of haloperidol and included laboratory test values, use of other Q-T interval-prolonging drugs, heart rate, Q-Tc intervals, and clinical documentation of arrhythmia. To determine change in the Q-Tc interval, Q-T and R-R values were recorded using cardiac rhythm strips or electrocardiogram. Nurses’ and physicians’ records were reviewed to determine if an arrhythmia occurred. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze baseline patient information and Q-Tc interval data. Results. A total of 49 patients met inclusion criteria, yielding 381 distinct amiodarone–haloperidol exposures. During 138 (36.2%) of 381 haloperidol–amiodarone exposures, patients received at least one additional Q-T interval-prolonging drug. When amiodarone–haloperidol exposures were grouped by the number of concomitant Q-T prolonging drugs, no apparent association was detected between longer Q-Tc intervals and an increased number of concomitant Q-T interval-prolonging drugs. Conclusion. A small, potentially significant Q-Tc interval prolongation, but not ventricular arrhythmia, was observed in adult patients who received a concomitant administration of amiodarone and haloperidol at a tertiary referral teaching hospital.
Some Thoughts about the Stigma Notion

Goffman (1963) believes that the stigma notion can provide a unifying perspective in the field of intergroup relations. But except for his treatment, the term stigma has never been examined as a social psychological concept. In this paper a preliminary explication is attempted. Following a brief review of Goffman's contribution, three causal models of the stigmatization process are presented: attribute-as-cause, labeling, and scapegoat. Implications for research are discussed. Next described are some important dimensions of stimulus variation among different types of stigma: visibility, threat, potential for sympathy and pity arousal, and apparent responsibility of the possessor. Attitudes of observers toward a range of stigmas appear to be ambivalent, and an ambivalence-response amplification theory of social reactions to stigmatized individuals is mentioned, along with some empirical evidence.
O2 in Y2K: not an airtight case.

During a bitterly cold Minnesota weekend, I holed up at home with two dogs and hot tea while reading and rereading the paper that “everyone is talking about.” The findings of Grief and coworkers now have received world-wide exposure. In consequence, anesthesiologists, surgeons, and infection control workers may be pondering how soon to start “putting everybody on 80% oxygen in the OR and recovery room.” The article is not perfect—it has some warts—yet it may stimulate timely reconsideration of four intertwined topics: the difficulty of detecting an incremental infection prevention effect in a clinical trial; the importance of designing such a trial so that the control-group treatment represents current best practice; the bittersweet vagaries of inductive inference that are inescapable whenever we generalize to our practices (non-research conditions) techniques reported from clinical trials (research conditions); and the absence of logical rules of engagement to follow at our own hospitals when a new infection control gimmick or gadget arrives on the scene. Of course, I have already submitted my e-mail letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine . What I could not cover within the 400-word limit of that forum inspired this essay. The apparent effect of only a few hours' supplemental oxygen administration for colorectal surgical-incision infection prevention was astounding. The 50% reduction in infection risk seems almost too good to be true. There is a seductive charm when a single, simple, relatively cheap and safe process change gives that much outcome improvement.
Temporal Dynamics of the Human Vaginal Microbiota

Elucidating the factors that impinge on the stability of bacterial communities in the vagina may help in predicting the risk of diseases that affect women’s health. Here, we describe the temporal dynamics of the composition of vaginal bacterial communities in 32 reproductive-age women over a 16-week period. The analysis revealed the dynamics of five major classes of bacterial communities and showed that some communities change markedly over short time periods, whereas others are relatively stable. Modeling community stability using new quantitative measures indicates that deviation from stability correlates with time in the menstrual cycle, bacterial community composition, and sexual activity. The women studied are healthy; thus, it appears that neither variation in community composition per se nor higher levels of observed diversity (co-dominance) are necessarily indicative of dysbiosis.
Gains in life expectancies if heart disease and stroke were eliminated among Caucasians Filipinos and Japanese in Hawaii

Abstract Life tables were constructed based on all deaths in Hawaii occurring between 1968–1972 for Caucasians, Filipinos and Japanese. Gains in life expectancies to be attained if coronary heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) were eliminated were presented by sex and ethnic group. The expectation of life at birth for both males and females is greatest for Japanese, followed by Filipinos and then Caucasians. The gain in life expectancy by eliminating CHD would most benefit Caucasians while Filipinos would benefit the most from the elimination of CVA. For all ethnic groups and both sexes, the gain in expectation of life due to the elimination of CHD is more than were CVA eliminated as a cause of death.
What Happens in a Hindi Film

AbstractThis paper looks at the popular Hindi film and its treatment in film and media studies. It criticises the assumption that “entertainment” is a simple universal, arguing that it needs to be seen rather as a problematic, historic institution. The author attempts a preliminary reconstruction of Indian discourse on film and entertainment, a discourse marginalised or ignored by Eurocentric scholarship on film in South Asia. Central to the Indian discourse are historically situated notions of extravaganza, of spectacle (tamasha) in a paradise setting, and a focus on emotional experiences, those of wonder and of ecstasy and despair. The articulation of these elements has changed but continue to be constitutive of the popular Hindi film.
Observation of cold nuclear fusion in condensed matter

When a current is passed through palladium or titanium electrodes immersed in an electrolyte of deuterated water and various metal salts, a small but significant flux of neutrons is detected. Fusion of deuterons within the metal lattice may be the explanation.
Analysis of minocycline by high-performance liquid chromatography in tissue and serum

Abstract A sensitive and rapid reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay can be used to accurately determine serum and tissue minocycline concentrations. Minocycline is a broad spectrum tetracycline derivative with many applications. Tissue and serum samples were obtained from guinea pigs that had received either topical or intravenous minocycline. Samples were extracted using a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge and were injected into a μBondapak C18 column with an isocratic methanol mobile phase. Samples were analyzed using UV detection and produced sharp peaks with a retention time of 2.5 min. The lower limit of detection was 100 ng and drug recovery was 61%. This method greatly facilitated the analysis of minocycline while allowing for sensitivity.
They’re Cool: Social Status and Peer Group Supports for Aggressive Boys and Girls

This study examined who among the 526 fourth to sixth graders are nominated as among the coolest kids in their class. There were two questions: (1) Are popular-aggressive (tough) children nominated as cool by a broad spectrum of their peers, or only by a select few? (2) Does variability in children’s cool nominations more closely follow their individual characteristics or group affiliations? Three-level hierarchical linear modeling (nominators in groups in classrooms) tested the study hypotheses. The main finding was that children in aggressive groups nominated tough peers as cool and children in nonaggressive groups nominated popular-nonaggressive (model) peers, regardless of nominators’ individual characteristics or the prominence of their groups across diverse classroom contexts. Girls were proportionately more likely to nominate tough than model boys, but only a minority (less than 25 percent) of relatively aggressive girls nominated any boys as cool. Findings indicate that normative boy and girl peer cultures give broad reputational support to some aggressive children.
BEHAVIOR AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS AMONG JAMAICAN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF PARENT, TEACHER, AND SELF-REPORTS FOR AGES 6±18 YEARS

The study compared general population samples of Jamaican chil- dren ages 6-18 years, via Jamaican versions of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) parent-, teacher-, and self-report forms. Repeated measures ANOVAs with informant as a repeated measures factor, assessed base-rate problem score diAerences according to children's area of residence (i.e., urban vs rural), gender, and age. No between subjects residence eAects emerged for total problem score. However, adolescents self-reported higher total problem scores compared to the ratings they received from their parents and teachers. No gender total problem score eAects emerged for any of the three informants, but girls received higher internalizing, and Somatic Complaints scores. Similar total problem scores across genders, and the high ratio of boys to girls in clinic samples suggest that Jamaican girls may not be receiving adequate services. Age X within subjects interactions revealed higher teacher reported problem scores for young adolescents, reflecting possible developmental changes within the classroom context and teachers' low thresholds toward these problems. The d statistic revealed base rate syndrome, internalizing, externalizing, and total problem score diAerences in most Jamaican vs US sub-samples. In addition to the non-CBCL problems observed in earlier stu- dies, these findings clearly indicate a need to ascertain syndrome structure and other psychometric properties of the Jamaican instruments. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Dynamic cardiomyoplasty: expectations and results

Abstract Background Cardiac transplantation is an option for only a small minority of patients with severe, chronic congestive heart failure. Transformed skeletal muscle has the potential to provide a durable form of fatigue-resistant muscle power to assist the cardiovascular system. Methods Since the first dynamic cardiomyoplasty performed by Carpentier and colleagues in 1985, the techniques to make this operative procedure an effective assist to the failed myocardium have been refined. Much has been learned about optimum patient selection so that perioperative morbidity and mortality is minimized. The cardiomyostimulator developed by Medtronic has undergone several revisions, primarily so that the stimulation of the muscle wrap is adaptive to variations in cardiac performance, such as those that occur with arrhythmia or during exercise. Results A review of the data to date suggest a substantial number of patients who undergo the procedure experience an enhanced quality of life, and an alleviation of their heart failure symptoms. Details of patient selection underscore that cardiomyoplasty is not an alternative to transplant. Seriously compromised patients with low peak oxygen uptake and very low ejection fractions have the highest short term mortality. Conclusions Dynamic cardiomyoplasty remains a promising surgical option for patients with moderately-severe congestive heart failure (i.e. NYHA Class III patients). The ongoing randomized trial comparing cardiomyoplasty to standard medical therapy is expected to provide more detailed information about the benefits of this procedure.
Caspase-9 activation in hypoxic human corneal epithelial cells.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hypoxia on caspase-8 and -9 gene and protein expression and activity in corneal epithelium. Non-transformed human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) were cultured in 2% oxygen. A cDNA expression array coupled with densitometric analysis was used to compare relative mRNA expression levels of 96 apoptosis-related genes in hypoxic and normoxic HCEC. Caspase-8, caspase-9, FLIP, Fas, FasL, and TNFα protein expression was assessed further using Western blot analysis and ELISA. Caspase-8 and -9 activities were measured using a fluorometric activity assay. Hypoxia did not affect caspase-8 or -9 gene or protein expression in HCEC, however caspase-9 activity was significantly increased. Hypoxia significantly suppressed the activity of caspase-8. FLIP and Fas gene and protein expression were not significantly altered in hypoxic cells compared to normoxic controls. mRNA and protein levels of TNFα and TNFR-1 were significantly decreased, while FasL mRNA and proteins levels were significantly increased in hypoxic HCEC. In corneal epithelium stressed by hypoxia caspase-9 activity is upregulated, suggesting that apoptosis proceeds via the mitochondrial pathway. Caspase-8 activity may be suppressed because the loss of TNFα and TNFR-1 gene and protein expression inhibits the initial formation of a death signaling complex.
Suppression of in vitro lymphocyte response by ‘burn toxin’-isolates from thermally injured skin

Abstract We have previously shown that sera, drawn from patients with critical thermal injuries, often have strong immunosuppressive properties, expressed clinically as prolonged allograft survival and in vitro as the suppression of MLC- and PHA-induced blastogenesis of normal lymphocytes through the generation of suppressor T-cells. Schoenenberger et al. have also described immunosuppression as a consequence of thermal injury as well as the immunosuppressive potential of a skin-derived lipid—protein complex (burn toxin) produced as burn sequela. We, therefore, initiated these studies to determine the relationship between our two suppressor systems. We have determined that burn toxin is suppressive to both MLC- and PHA-induced blastogenesis of normal lymphocytes at concentrations of less than 1.0 μg/ml. It appears that the suppressive activity of burn toxin can be blocked by the addition of rabbit anti-burn globulin and, occasionally, addition of post-recovery serum globulin from burn patients to in vitro lymphocyte cultures. We are continuing this work in an attempt to determine the role (if any) of bacterial endotoxin in the immunologic activity of burn toxin.
The Singularity at the Apex of a Rigid Wedge After Partial Separation

Etude de la singularite a l'extremite d'un coin carre et rigide dans un materiau non lineaire soumis a des deformations planes
BAM-18: Analgesia, hyperalgesia and locomotor effects

BAM-18, a proenkephalin A-derived opioid peptide, is widely distributed throughout rat CNS and displays high affinity for both mu and kappa opioid receptors. In the present study, BAM-18 was tested in two analgesia paradigms, tail-flick and hot-plate. Injections were centrally administered through a chronically implanted unilateral cannula in the lateral ventricle. In the tail-flick, low doses of BAM-18 (5 micrograms) produced a hyperalgesia while high doses of BAM-18 (50 micrograms) produced an analgesic response. Naloxone (10 mg/kg, s.c.) reversed the BAM-18-induced analgesia and unmasked a persistent hyperalgesia. Morphine-induced (1 microgram) analgesia was completely reversed by 5 micrograms BAM-18. In the hot-plate test, high doses of BAM-18 produced analgesia, with no hyperalgesia observed at any dose. Naloxone reversed the BAM-18-induced analgesia. The locomotor effects of BAM-18 did not differ from those of morphine except in effective dose (50 micrograms vs. 5 micrograms, respectively). Opioid and non-opioid effects of BAM-18 are discussed and compared with other endogenous peptides.
The prediction of recall patterns in simple active sentences

The present experiment proposed to show that information about the recall properties of a stimulus sentence is contained in the sentence-associations it elicits. Eighty-seven Ss were presented 20 stimulus sentences, all grammatically equivalent to The small boy hit the ball, and were asked to give a grammatically identical sentence-association—the first sentence that comes to mind—for each. Another 40 Ss were asked to recall the same 20 stimulus sentences. The recall probability of the modifier, actor, verb, or object in each stimulus sentence was inversely related to the variability, measured by informational uncertainty U, of the words used as the corresponding sentence part in the sentence-associations to each stimulus sentence. In general, the actor was best recalled and had the least variability in the sentence-associations; the modifier and object were intermediate in these respects; the verb was least recalled and had the most variability. In addition, individual differences of the stimulus sentences in recall were predicted from the Us. Evidence of immediate constituents in the stimulus sentences was found in contingency measures among the modifier, actor, verb, and object both in recall and in the sentence-associations.
Proton-catalyzed Hydrogenation of a d 8 Ir(I) Complex Yields a trans Ir(III) Dihydride

Hydrogenation of the (PONOP)Ir(I)CH3 complex [PONOP = 2,6-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinito)pyridine] yields the unexpected trans-dihydride species (PONOP)IrCH3(H)2. Mechanistic investigations have revealed that this reaction proceeds via proton-catalyzed H2 cleavage, a pathway that circumvents the intermediacy of the typically invoked cis-dihydride isomer. Protonation yields the cationic (PONOP)Ir(CH3)(H)+ complex, which is then trapped by H2 to yield an η2-H2 complex. Deprotonation of this species yields the trans-dihydride. Intermediates in the proposed pathway have been confirmed by independent low-temperature syntheses and spectroscopic observations.
Children's sensitivity to syllables, onsets, rimes, and phonemes

It has been argued that children's performance on phonological awareness tasks varies with the linguistic level that is tapped by the task. For example, tasks that involve syllables are thought to be easier than tasks that involve lower-level linguistic units, and tasks that tap the level of onsets are thought to be easier than tasks that require access to single phonemes. In previous research, however, the linguistic status of a unit has often been confounded with its size. Five experiments were carried out in an attempt to disentangle these variables and so to provide a better test of the linguistic status hypothesis. In the first study, preschoolers and kindergartners more readily judged that two stimuli shared a beginning sound when that sound was an onset on its own than when it was part of a cluster onset. In two additional experiments, there was an advantage for syllables over rimes in kindergarten and first-grade children when the shared units occurred in the middle syllables of trisyllabic stimuli. The superiority for syllables was largely masked in two other studies in which the stimuli that shared a unit rhymed. This latter result suggests that children's familiarity with rhyme can override the syllable advantage. Overall, the results support the linguistic status hypothesis by indicating that effects of linguistic level on phonological sensitivity cannot always be reduced to effects of unit size.
Spin and isospin effects in high-energy proton-nucleus elastic scattering and nuclear correlations

Abstract The two coupled channel description of nuclear high-energy scattering is extended to include spin and isospin effects. Calculations are presented for the angular distribution of 1 GeV protons scattered by 4 He. Sensitivity to dynamical two-body correlations postulated phenomenologically or developed using many-body theory is demonstrated.
Force and Impulse Production during the Use of a Touch Screen by Individuals with Motor Control Disabilities

People are increasingly required to interact with touch screens at places ranging from grocery stores to airport kiosks. To date, most of the usability research related to touch screens has included young, healthy subjects. Using novel instrumentation consisting of a force plate and a touch screen, a number entry study examined finger-touch screen interaction by participants with Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, and non-disabled controls. Timing data as well as peak forces and impulses in three dimensions were collected for each touch. The results indicate that, although average peak force vector magnitudes, impulses, and dwell times are similar between the groups, there are significant differences within the same three variables by button size. Average peak force vector magnitude increased by 11 percent while the average vector impulse decreased by 29 percent from the smallest to the largest button size. The average dwell time also decreased 23 percent from the smallest to the largest button size.
Direct observation of trapping motion in elongated fourier-transform mass spectrometry trapped ion cells

Measurements by Fourier-transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) have been used to measure trapping oscillation profiles in elongated trapped ion cells of length 10–43 cm. Trapping periods extracted from these profiles are found to vary linearly with cell length for elongated cells. This is in contrast with the prediction based on a quadrupolar approximation of the electric field that trapping period should increase exponentially with increased cell length. An alternate analytical expression for trapping motion is derived that better accounts for the motion of ions with sufficient energy to approach the trap plates. Calculated trapping frequencies are within a few percent of values determined from ion trajectory simulations for any combination of cell length, trap potential, ion mass, and ion kinetic energy. The new expression also explains the experimentally determined trapping data obtained in elongated cells. This expression predicts an average axial energy near 0.6 eV for the ions that are preferentially detected by FTMS with the specific pulse sequence employed. Department of Chemistry,
Independence of lexical access in bilingual word recognition

Spanish—English bilinguals were tested in two lexical decision, word recognition experiments. In one experiment, practice on words from one language speeded later recognition of those same words, but did not affect recognition of translations of those words. In a second experiment, subjects told to respond positively to words of one language responded to real words from the nontarget language as if they were nonwords. These experiments show that bilinguals in a word recognition task are able to process the words of a language in a language-specific manner without any influence of their knowledge of the surface (e.g., spelling) or conceptual representations of words in the other language.
Perceived risk and e-banking services: An analysis from the perspective of the consumer

This research investigates the premise that purchasing e-banking services is perceived to be riskier than purchasing traditional banking services. Unlike previous studies on perceived risk that typically focused on the relationship of perceived risk and information search, this exploratory study examines the dynamics of perceived risk throughout the various stages of the consumer buying process. A survey of 159 respondents reveals a risk premium for e-banking services that follows a systematic pattern throughout the consumer buying process. When viewed as a dynamic process, perceived risk for e-banking services shows more radical changes in risk levels than traditional banking services. The analyses indicate that financial risk drives the risk premium while psychological, physical and time risk play ancillary roles as risk drivers at certain stages of the consumer buying process. A major implication of this study is that there is a risk premium for e-banking services and the risk premium permeates all stages of the consumer buying process. Risk mitigation strategies are addressed.
Characterization and Developmental Regulation of Avian Corneal β-1,4-galactosyltransferase mRNA

Abstract Corneal development involves the synthesis and assembly of a number of specialized extracellular matrices. These matrices have distinctive properties derived from a unique assembly of collagens, proteoglycans and glycoproteins. The synthesis of each of these requires a number of enzymes. By probing a corneal cDNA library for genes that appeared to be up-regulated in cornea we have isolated a cDNA that represents an mRNA encoding the enzyme β- 1,4-galactosyltransferase. In cornea, a major function for this enzyme is likely to be in the synthesis of the keratan sulfate proteoglycan, lumican. Employing quantitative reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction, we have observed that the steady-state level of mRNA for the molecule is elevated during certain stages of corneal development. It is also elevated in corneal fibroblasts in culture that have a greatly decreased synthesis of the mature lumican molecule. These data are consistent with, and complement, studies by others that show a corresponding regulation of the lumican core protein during development and in corneal fibroblast cultures.
Spontaneous and induced micronuclei and UDS in peripheral lymphocytes

Abstract We have examined the distributions both of spontaneous and X-ray-induced micronuclei (MN) and of spontaneous and UV-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (autoradiographic grains; UDS) in cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal, healthy human volunters. While the spontaneous MN and UDS do not differ significantly from the expected Poisson distributions, both the induced MN and UDS are strongly overdistributed (i.e., variance much greater than mean). This not only must be allowed for in statistical tests used for population monitoring, but offers suggestive evidence that there are large differences in radiation response from sample to sample, some of which may reflect true differences among normal, healthy subjects.
An empirical model for hot isostatic pressing of metal powders

A new mathematical model is proposed to describe time dependent pressurization and densification of metal powders at constant temperature. It is a first order ordinary differential equation in the pressure and a densification measure, which incorporates instantaneous response, equilibrium response, and creep response. The model is based, to some extent, on micromechanical (hollow sphere) analysis. However, the development is mostly empirical, based on previously published experimental data on hot isostatic pressing of lead and tin powders. These data show that an initial rapid change in pressure (30 seconds rise time) is accompanied by equally rapid change in relative density. This suggests that a creep law may not be adequate to describe the response to rapid change of pressure. Accordingly, the pressure rate is included in the proposed model. The data support the assumed linear instantaneous and equilibrium response laws and the exponential creep response law. Agreement between theoretical creep curves and experimental data is very good.
New SCED Based on Minimum Bias Objective for Large-Scale Wind Integrated Power Systems

Abstract The necessity of minimum bias control is discussed in this paper, especially for the power system with large-scale wind power integration. Three minimum bias SCED (Security Constrained Economic Dispatch) models: sum-bias, minmax-bias and sum-penalty bias, are presented, and the linear programming algorithm is proposed to solve the optimization problem. Based on actual power system simulation, the proposed models are analyzed and compared. The result shows the efficiency sum-penalty bias model. This model can equably distribute load deviation into available generators even considering the power network constraints. As a result, the proposed sum-penalty bias model has been applied in actual power scheduling in a province power system in China.
Sensitive Apparatus For Measurement of Electric Charges on Precipitation

Abstract An inductor ring device capable of measuring weak electric charges on precipitation was developed. The electronics of the transducer employs a virtual ground configuration for stability in operation and increased sensitivity and is housed in a case designed for effective field operation. Field experience in nonthunderstorm precipitation has shown the instrument to be capable of measuring charges as low as 2 femtocoulombs (2 × 10−15C). Charge distributions for raindrops were determined for precipitation characteristic of the Pacific Northwest and found to be primarily positive in polarity.