cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of clozapine, haloperidol and thiothixene on schedule-controlled responding and schedule-induced eating and drinking of rabbits

Abstract Lever-lift responding by Dutch Belted rabbits was maintained either by the presentation of 0.25% saccharin solution or food pellets under a multiple fixed-interval 3-minute (FI), 30-response fixed-ratio (FR) schedule. Rabbits responding under the schedule of saccharin presentation were water deprived and had food available continuously. During experimental sessions these rabbits ate during the initial portion of many intervals. With rabbits responding under the food-presentation schedule, water was available continuously; these rabbits drank during the initial portion of the interval. Clozapine (0.1–1.0 mg/kg), haloperidol (0.003–0.03 mg/kg) and thiothixine (0.003–0.03 mg/kg) all increased responding under the FI schedules to a maximum of approximately 200 percent of control and generally did not affect or decreased responding under the FR schedules. These effects occurred under schedules where either food or saccharin maintained responding. Higher doses (1–3 mg/kg clozapine and 0.1 mg/kg haloperidol or thiothixine) decreased responding under all schedules. Doses of these drugs that increased responding also increased the amount of eating and drinking that occurred during the experimental session. Although clozapine, a novel antipsychotic compound, typically affects operant performances differently than other antipsychotic drugs, its effects on conditioned rabbit behavior appear similar to those of other antipsychotics. Further, although antipsychotic drugs generally decrease performances in several mammalian species, effects of these agents in the rabbit are similar to those found with humans and chimpanzees. The similarity of antipsychotic drug effects in the rabbit to those found in the human and chimpanzee, together with the comparable effects obtained even with “atypical” compounds, plus the development of schedule-induced eating and drinking suggest that the rabbit may be a very useful addition to research in behavioral pharmacology.
American Reincarnations: What the Many Lives of Past Lives Tell us about Contemporary Spiritual Practice

This paper explores how contemporary "past life" and "reincarnation" practices in the United States draw upon and reproduce visions of divine connection formed in nineteenth-century metaphysical investigations. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with spiritual seekers in Cambridge, MA, in 2002-04, I demonstrate how contemporary past life beliefs and practices resonate with older concerns, questions, and understandings of the self in history. These practices allow contemporary American spiritual seekers to augment and creatively rethink (and replace) their relations with intimate others, providing rich experiential resources for placing the self in history and relation. At the same time, these practices displace practitioners' interests in the metaphysical histories that scholars of religion have been most interested in recovering, raising new questions for historians and sociologists alike about how traditions are carried and recognized.
The effects of calcium and lanthanide ions on the activity of bovine heart nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase.

Abstract (i) The activity of purified NAD-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from bovine heart was stimulated by free Ca 2+ in the presence of ADP and subsaturating levels of magnesium isocitrate, but not in absence of ADP. However, Ca 2+ was not absolutely required for ADP activation. This was particularly apparent when free Mg 2+ was kept low (0.0024–0.020 m m ) and the substrate magnesium dl -isocitrate ranged from 0.07–0.25 m m . When kinetic constants were determined at pH 7.4 under these conditions and in the absence of ethylene glycol bis(β-aminoethyl ether) N,N′ -tetraacetate, Ca 2+ had little or no effect on K m (app) for ADP; the stimulation of rate by Ca 2+ was mainly due to increased V (app). With subsaturating ADP, there was an interdependence in the interaction of the enzyme with substrate and Ca 2+ . Thus, with ADP constant (0.30 m m ) the values of K m (app) for magnesium dl -isocitrate declined from 0.35 m m at zero Ca 2+ to 0.19 m m with saturating Ca 2+ without affecting V ; K m (app) for free Ca 2+ declined with increasing magnesium isocitrate to a limiting K m of 0.3 μ m . (ii) Ethylene glycol bis(β-aminoethyl ether)- N,N′ -tetraacetate, frequently used as a calcium buffer, inhibited enzyme activity with and without ADP. (iii) The enzyme was not inhibited by the calmodulin inhibitors trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine. Inhibition by lanthanide ions of the isocitrate dehydrogenase was competitive with magnesium isocitrate and not with respect to Ca 2+ . The values of K is (1.8 to 3.1 μ m ) for La 3+ , Yb 3+ , Gd 3+ , Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , and Er 3+ were about two orders of magnitude smaller than K m for magnesium dl -isocitrate.
Model for beam-induced deposition of thin metallic films

Abstract Recent advances in focused ion beam (FIB) technology have expanded the applications of beam-induced deposition (BID) of thin metallic films in microcircuit fabrication. This paper provides a model for the BID process by examining the effects on film growth and morphology of various deposition parameters including the incident ion flux, adsorbate coverage of the substrate and residue, residue sputtering, and energy deposition by incident ions. Residue nucleation is examined, and a significant difference between adsorbate coverage of the substrate and residue is found to introduce large thickness variations in the film. Adsorbate depletion which is caused by an increase in the ion beam current density or target temperature results in a larger energy deposition per residue molecule and is proposed as a mechanism for enhancement of the metallic purity and electrical conductivity of the residue. By investigating the film growth rate during periodic ion bombardment characteristic of focused ion beams, the model demonstrates that the maximum film growth rate is obtained by maximizing the scanning frequency. The model is found to quantitatively agree with published experimental results.
Function and Characterization of Metal Oxide−Nafion Composite Membranes for Elevated-Temperature H2/O2 PEM Fuel Cells

Metal-oxide-recast Nafion composite membranes were studied for operation in hydrogen/oxygen proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) from 80 to 130 °C and at relative humidities ranging from 75 to 100%. Membranes of nominal 125 μm thickness were prepared by suspending a variety of metal oxide particles (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, and ZrO2) in solubilized Nafion. The composite membranes were characterized using electrochemical, X-ray scattering, spectroscopic, mechanical, and thermal analysis techniques. Membrane characteristics were compared to fuel cell performance. These studies indicated a specific chemical interaction between polymer sulfonate groups and the metal oxide surface for systems that provide a good elevated-temperature (i.e., fuel-cell operation above 120 °C) performance. Composite systems that incorporate either a TiO2 or a SiO2 phase produced superior elevated-temperature, low-humidity behavior compared to that of a simple Nafion-based fuel cell. Improved temperature tolerance permits the intr...
Protein and RNA syntheses and precursor uptake with isolated nerve and glial cells.

Protein and RNA syntheses were investigated with bulk isolated nerve and glial cells from rabbit brain. For polypeptide synthesis, ‘intact’ cells were incubated with [3H]leucine under various conditions and the results were compared with those of polyribosomal polypeptide synthesis. For RNA synthesis ‘intact’ cells were incubated with [3H]uridine or [3H]guanosine and the results were compared with those of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase assay. The bulk isolated ‘intact’ nerve cells were more active in protein synthesis than the ‘intact’ glial cells, while the latter synthesized RNA more actively than the former, although both polyribosomal polypeptide synthesis and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity were higher with the nerve cells, indicating a higher potential for the nerve cells. The observed discrepancy of RNA synthesis was explained by the significantly less active uptake of nucleosides with the nerve cells. Both protein and RNA syntheses with ‘intact’ cells were sensitive to hypoxic or glucose-deficient conditions. While both the nerve and glial cells were sensitive to hypoxia to a similar extent, the nerve cells were more sensitive to glucose deficiency. It was suggested that the bulk isolated nerve and glial cells still retain certain integral cell functions as viable cells, and can be utilized for various physiological and pharmacological investigations provided caution is exercised in their application and in the interpretation of the results.
Integrating a radiology curriculum into clinical clerkships using case oriented radiology education.

Rationale and Objectives In an effort to expose all medical students to a standardized radiology curriculum, the authors developed and used an online case-based teaching tool called Case Oriented Radiology Education (CORE) to teach medical students radiology during clinical clerkships. This paper discusses the authors' experience with the development and use of CORE as an educational tool. Methods The Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology medical student curriculum was used as the foundation for CORE cases. CORE cases were published using the CASUS authoring system, incorporating text, interactive questions, hyperlinks, and multimedia in a Web-based format. CORE cases are presented as clinical scenarios introducing students to simulated patients who undergo various radiologic imaging procedures during the course of their diseases and complications. Results Since 2005, 14 cases have been published. CORE incorporates more than 75% of the Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology curriculum, with cases covering chest imaging, pediatric radiology, abdominal imaging, women's imaging, neuroradiology, and musculoskeletal imaging. CORE cases are taken during medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and neurology clerkships by third-year and fourth-year medical students. The majority of students surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that CORE cases made good use of their self-directed study time (84%), provided useful resources (73%), were appropriate for their level of training (86%), and expanded their knowledge and understanding of radiology (88%). Conclusions The integration of CORE cases into clinical clerkships provides medical students with the opportunity to learn a standardized radiology curriculum in an interactive, online, and case-based format tailored specifically for medical students. To date, 14 cases have been published and are used by students on clinical clerkships in their third and fourth years of medical school.
How and Why Does the Immunological Synapse Form? Physical Chemistry Meets Cell Biology

During T lymphocyte (T cell) recognition of an antigen, a highly organized and specific pattern of membrane proteins forms in the junction between the T cell and the antigen-presenting cell (APC). This specialized cell-cell junction is called the immunological synapse. It is several micrometers large and forms over many minutes. A plethora of experiments are being performed to study the mechanisms that underlie synapse formation and the way in which information transfer occurs across the synapse. The wealth of experimental data that is beginning to emerge must be understood within a mechanistic framework if it is to prove useful in developing modalities to control the immune response. Quantitative models can complement experiments in the quest for such a mechanistic understanding by suggesting experimentally testable hypotheses. Here, a quantitative synapse assembly model is described. The model uses concepts developed in physical chemistry and cell biology and is able to predict the spatiotemporal evolution of cell shape and receptor protein patterns observed during synapse formation. Attention is directed to how the juxtaposition of model predictions and experimental data has led to intriguing hypotheses regarding the role of null and self peptides during synapse assembly, as well as correlations between T cell effector functions and the robustness of synapse assembly. We remark on some ways in which synergistic experiments and modeling studies can improve current models, and we take steps toward a better understanding of information transfer across the T cell-APC junction.
The relation of simple response time to brain-wave frequency and the effects of age.

Abstract An experiment was performed to verify a previous finding of a positive correlation (0.81) between response time and period of the EEG. Details of this relationship, with reference to age and to a hypothesis concerning the function of the brain-wave cycle in simple behavior, were investigated. Reaction times and average period of the EEG, recorded in the interval of time between stimulus and response, were determined for 100 subjects ranging in age from 28–99 years. The major results were: 1. 1. The previous finding was confirmed. In the present study a correlation coefficient of 0.72 was obtained between average reaction time and the average period of the EEG. 2. 2. Excluding age from this relationship through the use of partial correlation, scarcely altered this coefficient. Age as a factor in the observed correlation was, therefore, ruled out. 3. 3. A highly significant positive correlation was obtained between age of the subjects and the average period of their brain waves. 4. 4. A low but statistically significant positive correlation was found relating average reaction time and age. This positive coefficient vanished and became negative when brain-wave period was “partialled out”. It was inferred, therefore, that EEG frequency is the central nervous system factor behind age-associated slowing in response time. 5. 5. Evidence derived from data of each subject taken singly showed the presence of a positive correlation between brain-wave period and reaction time in individual subjects . 6. 6. Taken as a whole, the data support the hypothesis that the brain-wave cycle is the basic unit of time in terms of which a response is programmed by the central nervous system.
Lateral ankle radiographs: do we really understand what we are seeing?

Objectives:To evaluate the validity of using lateral intraoperative fluoroscopic imaging to assess the reduction of the tibial plafond articular surface, two hypotheses were tested: 1) the distal tibial subchondral shadow on the lateral ankle radiograph is created equally by the medial, central, and
Physical and Programmatic Accessibility of British Alcohol/Other Drug Treatment Centers

Recent research from Canada and the United States has found that physical and programmatic access barriers are common in substance abuse treatment facilities and that such barriers directly lead to service denials to select groups of persons with disabilities (PWDs). This pilot study sought to examine such issues in a sample of substance abuse treatment providers in Great Britain. Barriers to both physical and programmatic access were common and were found at rates that generally exceeded those of earlier Canadian and U.S. studies. The vast majority of centers failed to have staff capable of using sign language, nor did they have written materials in Braille or alternate formats for persons with varying cognitive ability. Likewise, physical accessibility was lacking, with most failing to have accessible restrooms and bathing facilities and large numbers did not have accessible entrances and parking. Such extensive barriers to access could effectively prohibit the ability of select PWDs from entering treat...
The effects of negative chronotropic interventions on sinus node recovery time.

The effects of multiple increases in sinus cycle length on sinus node recovery time (SNRT) were examined in 5 dogs. Pacing was performed from the left atrial appendage for 30 and 60 seconds using at least 4 different pacing cycle lengths selected between 230 and 620 msec. Each dog received propranolol (1 mg/kg, IV) prior to any measurements. The effects of increases in sinus cycle length on SNRT were first assessed during 2 levels (4 and 8 Hz) of continuous vagal stimulation. From a control cycle length of 439±28 msec (mean±SE), the vagal stimulations lengthened the sinus cycle lengths to 604±10 msec and 758±16 msec respectively. Sinus cycle length was then prolonged by combined muscarinic and beta-receptor blockade resulting in a sinus cycle length of 549±9 msec. Autonomic blockade plus verapamil (3–10 mg IV) resulted in sinus cycle lengths of 612±14 and 721±18 msec respectively, which were not significantly different from those obtained with vagal stimulation. Data relating SNRT to the sinus cycle length, pacing cycle length, duration of pacing and the negative chronotropic interventions used to achieve the changes in the sinus cycle length were analyzed via covariance analysis. The results demonstrate that the single most important determinant of SNRT is the sinus cycle length. Furthermore, equivalent increases in sinus cycle length whether obtained by vagal stimulation, autonomic blockade or intravenous verapamil results in SNRTs that are not significantly different. Therefore, in the sinus node, changes in the rate of pacemaker activity, regardless of how they are achieved, will largely determine the changes in SNRT.
Numerical divergence of a tensor

It is shown that a Cartesian basis for the uncontructed components of a tensor yields a six-point instead of a seven-point function. (AIP)
Intestinal versus hepatic contribution to circulating triglyceride levels

Using intravenous injected [2-3H] glycerol, measurements wee made of the kinetics of appearance and disappearance of circulating [3H] labeled triglyceride in rats fed a fat free diet containing either no orotic acid (controls) or 2% orotic acid. Following injection of [3H] glycerol, more time is required for the initial appearance of [3H] triglyceride in the circulation of orotic acid treated rats than controls. The sustained entry of triglyceride into the circulation of orotic acid fed rats was only one-half times as rapid as that seen for control rats. Ca. 10% as much [3H] triglyceride entered the circulation of the orotic acid treated rats as compared with controls. However, the clearance of [3H] triglyceride from the circulation of the orotic acid fed rat was only ca. one-half times as rapid as that of the control rat. This apparently is due to differences between the lipoproteins produced by the intestines and liver, rather than to changes in the ability of the orotic acid fed animal to clear lipoprotein-triglyceride from the circulation. Labeled lipoproteins taken from controls and injected into orotic acid treated rats were cleared from the circulation more than twice as rapidly as those taken from orotic acid fed rats and injected into controls. Considering the measured levels of plasma triglyceride synthesis and the slower turnover of the triglycerides produced by the orotic acid fed rat, the findings of this study indicate that the intestines supply 20% or more of the total plasma triglyceride in the absence of dietary fat.
Human Rights, Universality and Sovereignty: The Irrelevance and Relevance of Sharia

In this article I argue that the paradoxes of universality and self-regulation by the state are inherent to the human rights paradigm itself in its application to every cultural, religious and ideological context. By the paradox of universality I refer to the expectation of global agreement on universal human rights norms among peoples of radically different cultural (including religious and ideological) traditions around the world. The paradox of self-regulation by the state is in expecting any state to adopt human rights norms to limit its own powers, and then to effectively enforce those limitations against the officials of the same state. This article focuses on the internal dimension of this process in relation to Islamic societies. The case of Sharia is examined here to illustrate how the paradoxes of universality and self-regulation can be mediated through an internal discourse within Islamic societies. I examine the prospects of Islamic reform in light of the cultural relevance and the legal irrelevance of Sharia norms and the possibility of their internal transformation from an Islamic point of view.
A thermodynamic and mutational analysis of an RNA purine loop as a protein binding site.

Abstract The thermal stability and protein binding of a 36 nucleotide RNA hairpin containing an internal loop were studied under various solution conditions. Yeast ribosomal protein L32 binds to its transcript and small RNAs which reproduce the L32 transcript's secondary structure have been examined. Replacement of the internal loop with canonical base pairs did not affect the salt dependence of the melting temperature suggesting that both molecules adopt a linear shape. Several electrostatic contacts are formed on binding to a ribosomal fusion protein, but Mg+2 is not required for binding. The RNA protein complex is stable up to 50°C. Two internal loop deletion mutants have similar thermodynamic stabilities and chemical and enzymatic reactivities, but fail to bind the fusion protein. However, several of the internal loop bases of the deletion mutants are moderately reactive to chemical agents whereas the wild type loop sequence displayed a mixed pattern of protection and hyperreactivity (Li et al., J. Mo...
The Value of Atorvastatin Over the Product Life Cycle in the United States

Abstract Background US health care reform mandates the reduction of wasteful health care spending while maintaining quality of care. Introducing new drugs into crowded therapeutic classes may be viewed as offering “me-too” (new drugs with a similar mechanism of action compared to existing drugs) drugs without incremental benefit. This article presents an analysis of the incremental costs and benefits of atorvastatin, a lipid-lowering agent. Objective This analysis models the cost-effectiveness of atorvastatin over the product life cycle. Methods The yearly cost-effectiveness of atorvastatin compared to simvastatin was modeled from 1997 to 2030 from the point of view of a US third-party payer. Estimates for incremental costs (in US $) and effects (in quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]) for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events were taken from previously published literature and adjusted for changes in drug prices over time. Estimates of total statin use were derived using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine variations in study parameters, including drug prices, indications, and discount rates. Results Assuming increasing statin use over time (with a mean of 1.07 million new users per year) and a 3% discount rate, the cumulative incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of atorvastatin versus simvastatin ranged from cost-savings at release to a maximum of $45,066/QALY after 6 years of generic simvastatin use in 2012. Over the full modeled life cycle (1997–2030), the cumulative ICER of atorvastatin was $20,331/QALY. The incremental value of atorvastatin to US payers (after subtracting costs) was estimated at $44.57 to $194.78 billion, depending on willingness to pay. Findings from the sensitivity analyses were similar. A hypothetical situation in which atorvastatin did not exist was associated with a reduction in total expenditures but also a loss of QALYs gained. Conclusion The cumulative ICER of atorvastatin varied across the product life cycle, increasing during the period between generic simvastatin entry and generic atorvastatin entry, and decreasing thereafter.
Signing an organ donation letter: The prediction of behavior from behavioral intentions

The signing of an organ donation letter was examined among 149 unmarried university students. The letter was developed for the purpose of conveying one's wishes regarding posthumous donation to one's next of kin. Predictors of letter signing were examined that explain hypothesized inconsistencies between the behavioral intention to sign and actual letter-signing behavior. Respondents were offered the opportunity to sign and send the donation letter to their parents. As predicted, reported willingness to sign the letter was only moderately related to actual behavior. Decision confidence, organ donation knowledge, and perceived decision importance positively influenced signing, independent of willingness. Unfavorability toward defending one's donation decision to one's parents inhibited signing, even among those expressing a high initial willingness to sign.
Comment on: Determining magma flow in sills, dykes and laccoliths and their implications for sill emplacement mechanisms by Ken Thomson [Bulletin of Volcanology 70: 183–210]

Thomson (2007) “demonstrate[d] that...upwards and outwards branching magma flow networks are common to all doleritic sills intruded into sedimentary sequences”. This statement stemmed from interpretation and visualisation of 3D seismic data to constrain magma flow patterns in sills, dykes and laccoliths in the Flett Basin, part of the UK sector of the Faroe-Shetland Basin. The data quality is excellent, and seismic reflector geometries are compelling: radiating sill branches and lobes, and clear spatial relationships between dykes, sills and contemporaneous surface fissures. The resulting model proposed for the emplacement of radially symmetric sills starts with the spreading of the inner saucer from a central feeder, then climbing of magma tubes which may subsequently merge into an inclined sheet, followed by development of a relatively concordant outer rim. Thomson (2007) also discussed the preferential intrusion of magma into shale-prone host rock, the “properties [of which are] the dominant control that permits magma intrusion along such horizons regardless of their proximity to the level of neutral buoyancy”. His observations from the Flett Basin area, together with those from the northeast Rockall Trough (Thomson and Hutton 2004), exemplified the sill intrusion process to the point that allowed the generalisation “the basic features of laccolith emplacement also apply to all doleritic sills in such settings”. While the interpretation of the Flett Basin dataset seems unequivocal, I would suggest that the generality of both the proposed intrusion emplacement mechanism and preferred lithology is open to debate, and additional factors such as local porosity and stress regime may play additional important roles in controlling intrusion emplacement mechanism. Thomson’s vision for this field of research was the defining of tools and techniques, and the publishing of striking case studies. He thereby set the stage for further work into a developing understanding of igneous intrusion processes via interrogation of 3D seismic datasets.
Relativistic eikonal expansion

A fully relativistic eikonal expansion is discussed. The connection with the high-energy behavior of elastic scattering, especially for quantum electrodynamics, is examined, and the relevance of the results for Regge asymptotic behavior is investigated.
Optimal Linear Discriminant Functions

A new class of discriminant filter functions for use in a matched filter correlator for multi-class distortion-invariant pattern recognition is described. Three variations of these optimal linear discriminant functions (OLDFs) that optimize different performance measures are described and initial performance results are presented.
Corticosterone-responsive mRNAs in primary rat astrocytes

Glucocorticoids are important in neuronal development, regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, adaptive behavior, and neuronal survival. Glia have receptors for glucocorticoid hormones and thus represent targets for hormone action in the brain. To identify mRNAs that are regulated by corticosterone in primary type 1 rat astrocytes, we have utilized ultra-high resolution giant two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of in vitro translated proteins. Our results reveal 12 in vitro translation products likely representing 10 mRNA species that are regulated by corticosterone. Eleven products are significantly increased and one decreased, most within 3 h of hormone treatment. Inclusion of cycloheximide does not prevent these changes, suggesting that they represent alterations in transcription; however, other mechanisms, such as changes in mRNA stability, cannot be excluded. Two corticosterone-regulated proteins were identified as glucocortin and glutamine synthetase. These two proteins are glucocorticoid-regulated in a variety of cell types, whereas the others appear to be astrocyte-specific. Future identification of these hormone-responsive mRNAs and proteins will help elucidate the molecular basis for glucocorticoid action in the CNS.
The Polyadenylation Factor CPSF-73 Is Involved in Histone-Pre-mRNA Processing

Summary During 3′ end processing, histone pre-mRNAs are cleaved 5 nucleotides after a conserved stem loop by an endonuclease dependent on the U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP). The upstream cleavage product corresponds to the mature histone mRNA, while the downstream product is degraded by a 5′-3′ exonuclease, also dependent on the U7 snRNP. To identify the two nuclease activities, we carried out UV-crosslinking studies using both the complete RNA substrate and the downstream cleavage product, each containing a single radioactive phosphate and a phosphorothioate modification at the cleavage site. We detected a protein migrating at 85 kDa that crosslinked to each substrate in a U7-dependent manner. Immunoprecipitation experiments identified this protein as CPSF-73, a known component of the cleavage/polyadenylation machinery. These studies suggest that CPSF-73 is both the endonuclease and 5′-3′ exonuclease in histone-pre-mRNA processing and reveal an evolutionary link between 3′ end formation of histone mRNAs and polyadenylated mRNAs.
Marriage and Money The Effect of Marital Status on Attitudes Toward Pay and Finances

Research has shown that marital status affects wages and work behaviors that influence wages, but little attention has been paid to the impact of marital status on attitudes toward pay and finances...
Integrating Multi-Tiered Measurement Outcomes for Special Education Eligibility with Sequential Decision-Making Methodology.

Changes to federal guidelines for the identification of children with disabilities have supported the use of multi-tiered models of service delivery. This study investigated the impact of measurement methodology as used across numerous tiers in determining special education eligibility. Four studies were completed using a sample of inner-city children (N = 150) who were administered a reading screener twice and a reading measure adapted from the state high-stakes reading test. A sub-sample of children identified as At-Risk were administered a comprehensive reading assessment and compared with a randomly selected control group, who were also administered a comprehensive reading assessment (n = 14). A model was developed to estimate the likelihood of special education eligibility based on both theoretical and empirical measurement parameters. Depending on the measurement assumptions of the multi-tiered model, special education eligibility outcomes varied from a low of 0.2% to as high as 11%, depending on the type of measure used, decision-making criteria used at each tier, and the number of tiers in the model. This study highlights the importance of measurement specification, explicit decision-making criteria, and empirical investigation to fully understand outcomes associated with the implementation of multi-tiered models. Implications for special education eligibility policy and practical implications for implementing comprehensive measurement practice in multi-tiered systems at the school level are discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The He II lines in the spectrum of Zeta Puppis.

Equivalents widths of He II lines in the series n=2,3,4 and 5 are compiled and compared with predictions from plane-parallel, static model atmospheres using a non-LTE theory of line formation. The agreement between observation and prediction for a (50,000,4.0) model atmosphere is good for the upper members of the n=3 and the n=5 series, but the two lines of the n=2 series which are observed and the upper members of the n=4 series (4$Yields$15,4$Yields$17, etc.) are stronger than predicted. Well-determined profiles of lines from the n=3 series indicate v sin i=200 km s$sup -1$. Profiles of the higher members of the n=4 series, however, do not match the predictions, the observed line cores being deeper than predicted. The n=4 level appears to be more overpopulated at moderate depths in the atmosphere than the non-LTE calculations with plane-parallel layers indicate. This may be due to an overlap of the H and He II lines in the even-even series caused by macroturbulent velocities of the hydrogen atoms and helium atoms. (AIP)
Origin of deoxycorticosterone and deoxycorticosterone sulfate in human pregnancy: absence of steroid 21-sulfatase activity in sulfatase-deficient placenta.

Abstract The activity of steroid 21-sulfatase, the enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of deoxycorticosterone sulfate (DOC-SO4) is demonstrable in human placenta. Thus, it is possible that this placental enzyme, by way of the hydrolysis of either DOC-SO4 or 21-hydroxypregnenolone mono- or di-sulfate of fetal origin, may be important in the biosynthesis of DOC, which is present in the plasma of pregnant women in high concentration. To investigate this issue further, we evaluated steroid 21-sulfatase activity in microsomal preparations of a sulfatase-deficient placenta. Immediately after delivery, at term, of a living male fetus with sulfatase deficiency, a microsomeenriched fraction of placental tissue was prepared; sulfatase activity was evaluated by use of three substrates, viz. dehydroisoandrosterone sulfate (DS), estrone sulfate (E1-SO4), and DOC-SO4, in various concentrations. Similar incubations were conducted with aliquots of a microsome-enriched fraction prepared from placental tissue of a normal fetus that was delivered, at term, within minutes of the time of delivery of the infant with sulfatase deficiency. In microsomal fractions from the normal placenta, each of the steroid sulfates was hydrolyzed. In the absence of microsomes, and in the presence of microsomal fractions from the sulfatase-deficient placenta, the hydrolysis of DOC-SO4 and DS was not detected. Moreover, in microsomes prepared from the sulfatase-deficient placenta, E1-SO4 was hydrolyzed at a rate that was only 10% of that in incubations with microsomal preparations of the normal placenta. We conclude that with sulfatase deficiency, the placenta is deficient not only in sulfatase activity for steroid-3-sulfates but for steroid 21-sulfates e.g. DOC-SO4, as well.
Critical phenomena in the ultracentrifuge: Some new experimental evidence

Abstract In 1954 Hildebrand et al. reported that when a hydrocarbon + fluorocarbon mixture was spun in an ultracentrifuge, its critical solution temperature T c was raised by an amount appreciably in excess of that attributable to the hydrostatic pressure. Two alternative explanations for this anomaly have been offered: a density inversion leading to turbulence mistaken for phase separation, and a “stretching” of the correlation length by the field gradient. We have made ultracentrifuge studies of three critical mixtures, including a hydrocarbon + fluorocarbon one, and find no anomalous rise in T c .
Annealing of metastable defects in hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

The annealing process of light-induced metastable dangling-bond states in hydrogenated amorphous silicon is studied using the analysis presented in the preceding paper for electron-spin-resonance transients. The annealing kinetics are monomolecular, with a thermally activated decay rate R=${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$exp(-${E}_{a}$/${\mathrm{kT}}_{A}$). The decay curves of the metastable defects in pure, UHV-deposited a-Si:H and in a-Si:N,H a-Si:C,H and a-Si:O,H with impurity contents between 1 and 20 at.?are analyzed in terms of a well-defined prefactor, ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$, and a broad distribution of thermal activation energies, N(${E}_{a}$). Both ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$ and N(${E}_{a}$), depend in a characteristic way on the density and the chemical nature of the impurities present in a sample. Moreover, a strong correlation between ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$ and N(${E}_{a}$) similar to the Meyer-Neldel rule for the conductivity in a-Si:H is observed. Implications of the experimental results for the intrinsic or extrinsic nature of the metastable defects and possible annealing mechanisms are discussed.
In the grey zone

If behaviour arises from interactions between genes and the environment, in what sense is it hardwired? In his book Hardwired Behavior, Laurence Tancredi probes the interactive nature of genes and environment, nature and nurture. As a lawyer and psychiatrist, he makes the case that the more we understand the neurobiology of extremes of human behaviour, the less we should believe that individuals are as free to choose as judges and moralists sometimes assume.
Community Effects on Youth Sexual Activity

Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Children we examined the impact of community socioeconomic status on four dimensions of adolescent and young adult premarital sexual activity— the timing of first intercourse the frequency of intercourse the number of different sex partners and the likelihood of engaging in unprotected intercourse. We found significant positive effects of a multi-item index of community socioeconomic disadvantage on all but the timing of first premarital intercourse net of controls for the socioeconomic and demographic status of adolescents and their families. None of the most commonly cited explanations for neighborhood effects on adolescent behavior can fully explain these associations. Only the attitudes and behaviors of peers account for even a small portion of the observed impact of community disadvantage on youth sexual behavior. Adolescents’ acceptance of premarital childbearing educational aspirations and attachment to school and parental supervision although frequently associated with youth sexual behavior do little to mediate the impact of community disadvantage on sexual activity. (authors)
Conditional Statistics for Passive-Scalar Mixing in Confined Turbulent Shear Flows

A combined particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) system was employed to investigate turbulent mixing in a confined rectangular jet. The Reynolds number based on bulk velocity and hydraulic diameter was 50,000. The Schmidt number for the passive scalar was 1,250. Velocities conditioned on the scalar were evaluated. Since the joint PDF was not jointly Gaussian in this flow, the conditional mean velocity agreed with a linear model only when the mixture fraction is close to the local mean mixture fraction. A gradient PDF model for the conditional velocity was also tested against the experimental data. The model predicted the crossstream conditional velocity very well, but gave poor predictions for the streamwise conditional velocity. Finally, the scalar fluctuations conditioned on velocity were presented and analyzed against a linear model.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Transforming Administration in Academic Libraries.

Abstract The traditional hierarchical administrative structure in academic libraries is in internal conflict with its own culture and is ineffective in dealing with a rapidly changing environment. This structure must become a more balanced type, a proposal for which is made here, based upon the literature in organizational behavior and leadership.
Medical students' cognitive appraisal of stressful life events as related to personality, physical well-being, and academic performance: a longitudinal study ☆

Abstract This longitudinal study was designed to test three hypotheses that medical students who can cope better with adversity would: (1) have a more positive personality profile, (2) report less physical illnesses, (3) perform better academically. Total participants were 2114 medical students at Jefferson Medical College who completed a set of psychosocial questionnaires, and were prospectively followed up during medical school education and beyond. Participants reported on a five-point scale their appraisal of five stressors (death or health deterioration of a family member, personal illness, financial, and academic problems). Students who experienced the stressors (n=1446, 68% of total participants) were divided into three groups (Resilient, Intermediate, Frail) based on their appraisal of the stressors. The three groups were compared on a set of personality scales (e.g. general anxiety, depression, test anxiety, neuroticism, loneliness, self-esteem and extraversion), physical well-being factors (e.g. chronic health, eating/drinking/smoking, agitation symptoms, somatic symptoms, and global sickness), and academic performance indicators in medical school (e.g. grade point averages, class rank, and medical licensing examinations), and ratings of clinical competence in postgraduate medical training. Hypotheses 1 and 2 were confirmed, and hypothesis 3 was partially confirmed. Implications for developing coping skills, stress management strategies, and student counseling are discussed.
Femtosecond laser photodisruption of porcine anterior chamber angle: an ex vivo study.

Background and objective The femtosecond laser is a promising tool for the micromachining of biological tissues. The current study investigated the feasibility of noninvasive glaucoma therapy by femtosecond laser ablation in enucleated porcine eyes by delivering the laser energy through a gonioscopic lens. Materials and methods Freshly enucleated porcine eyes were kept in Optisol GS solution (Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY) at 4 degrees C for up to 48 hours. Photodisruption was attempted at the peripheral inner surface of the cornea using a gonioscopic lens and a custom femtosecond laser ablation system. Femtosecond laser ablation was performed using a Ti:Sapphire laser (800-nm wavelength) focused with a 0.15 numerical aperture lens. The laser treatment process was recorded by real time video and the lesions were examined histologically. Results During laser surgery, bubble formation was observed and appeared to be positively related to laser energy and exposure time. When examined histologically, areas of ablation were consistently observed at the peripheral inner surface of the cornea. The extent of the lesion increased nonlinearly with both pulse energy and exposure time, showing saturation at high energy and long times. For a given energy dose, fewer pulses of high energy were more effective than many low energy pulses. Conclusion The current study demonstrates that laser ablation at the anterior chamber angle is feasible by a femtosecond laser ablation system using a gonioscopic lens in ex vivo eyes. The results indicate the potential of a novel noninvasive glaucoma laser therapy.
The watch as cultural icon

Purpose – To explore the evolution and function of the wristwatch as a contemporary cultural icon.Design/methodology/approach – To apply the concepts of iconography and of postmodern cultural theory to the general history of watches and to examine the meaning watches in contemporary culture.Findings – Because the watch oscillates between use and signal values, the watch enjoys a distinct iconic status in contemporary American culture, evoking a host of often conflicting associations: those allied to work, productivity, enterprise and success, on the one hand, and those related to self‐indulgence, status luxury and excess, on the other hand. The development of cheap electronic movements ought to have spelled disaster for the watch both as a business and as a cultural icon, but beginning in the 1980s the watch aggressively fought back within the signal economy to represent a postmodern sense of the concept of time and culture.Research limitations/implications – Wrist watches have a much fuller history, tech...
Electron Diffraction of Molecules in Specific Quantum States: A Theoretical Study of Vibronically Excited s-Tetrazine

The electron diffraction patterns of s-tetrazine (C2N4H2) in specific electronic and vibrational states have been calculated for isotropic samples, for molecules that are aligned in high-intensity laser fields, and for orientationally clamped molecules. Using structures and normal mode displacement coordinates from a coupled-cluster ab initio calculation, we evaluate diffraction patterns of the molecule in the vibrationless level of S0, and the 00, 12, 6a3, and 16a8 vibrational levels of the S1 state. It was found that both the electronic and the vibrational excitations lead to changes in the diffraction patterns of isotropic samples in the range of ±1%. Effects of the respective orientation of the excitation laser polarization and the detector direction are clearly observed. Alignment of the molecule in intense laser fields, with intensities ranging from 1.06 to 9.56 TW/cm2, provides for an increase in the modulation depths of all diffraction patterns and can be used to further enhance the observability ...
Characterization of the macronuclear DNA of different species ofTetrahymena

The macronuclear DNAs from 20 different species ofTetrahymena were characterized using alternating Orthogonal Field (AOF) gel electrophoresis. Each species has approximately 300 different macronuclear DNA molecules that range in size from about 100–2000 kb pairs. Although the individual macronuclear DNA molecules are not well resolved on an AOF gel, most species have a unique profile of macronuclear DNA. The sequences that hybridize with histone H4 (Tetrahymena) and ubiquitin (yeast) genes were identified on the separated macronuclear DNA molecules of the different species. All species have 2 histone H4 genes located on macronuclear DNA molecules of different sizes. This is consistent with the duplication of the histone H4 gene prior to the speciation events leading to the various species ofTetrahymena. The number and sizes of the macronuclear DNA molecules that hybridize with the ubiquitin probe vary from species to species. A grouping of the different species ofTetrahymena based on this hybridization pattern paralels groupings of the species based on ribosomal RNA sequences and isoenzymes. Some intraspecific variation among different strains ofTetrahymena thermophila was detected using ubiquitin and 5S ribosomal RNA as probes.
THE EFFECT OF BRONCHODILATORS ON DIURNAL RHYTHMS IN AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION

A previous study suggested that bronchodilators were more effective in preventing diurnal variation of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) in patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis than asthma (Connolly 1979). In a further investigation of 100 patients there was an association between characteristic patterns and the size of the morning dip. After the use of bronchodilators there was a residual morning dip which was large enough to produce a regular pattern in most asthmatics but few bronchitics. Response to bronchodilators during the middle of the day was a poor predictor of both the presence and size of diurnal variation of PEFR and of the efficacy of regular bronchodilator therapy. Regular assessment of PEFR and its response to bronchodilator therapy over a few days is required to assess the extent of potential variation in airway obstruction.