cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
'But Professor, I Did it by the Book': Confronting Mindless Learning

A student writes an exam that follows your lecture notes perfectly, but misses a critical variation in the exam question causing the results to err markedly. Another student recites a formula from memory, but cannot interpret it. A third student, a technician, reliably offers numerical analysis in class, but rarely questions assumptions or recommends decisions. A fourth student usually approaches you after class to verify "the right answer" to the case discussion. A fifth student uses student notes based on your discussion of the same case last year, and considers copying a paper from the Internet for the final paper in your course. These behaviors challenge the teacher who cares about helping the student master subjects for professional life. A variety of forces drive these behaviors, but they probably have in common what social psychologist Ellen J. Langer calls mindlessness. If "professional mastery" means anything, it must include the ability to generate original work, to accommodate expected variations in problems, to reach outside of zones of familiarity (such as "the numbers"), to focus on process rather than outcomes, or to accept the possibility of no single right answer - all of this requires mindful learning. This column discusses mindless learning, recommends some readings, and suggests ways of building a more mindful learning attitude among students.
The genomic structure of the murine ICSBP gene reveals the presence of the gamma interferon-responsive element, to which an ISGF3 alpha subunit (or similar) molecule binds

ICSBP, a member of the interferon regulatory factor family, is expressed predominantly in lymphoid tissues and is induced by gamma interferon (IFN-gamma). We have studied the genomic organization of the murine ICSBP gene and its 5' upstream region. The murine ICSBP gene (Icsbp) is present as a single copy on chromosome 8 and consists of nine exons. Transcription initiates at two juxtaposed sites downstream from the TATA and CAAT boxes and produces two species of ICSBP mRNA (3.0 and 1.7 kb), presumably by differential usage of poly(A)+ signals. A sequence from -175 to -155 was identified to be an IFN response region that conferred IFN-gamma induction upon a heterologous promoter in lymphoid cell line EL4. This region includes a motif, TTCNNGGAA, designated the palindromic IFN response element (pIRE), to which an IFN-gamma-inducible, cycloheximide-sensitive factor(s) binds. A similar palindromic motif was found in the upstream region of the murine IRF-1 gene, the IFN-gamma activation site of the guanylate-binding protein gene and the IFN-gamma-responsive region of the Fc receptor type I gene, all of which competed with the pIRE for factor binding in gel mobility shift assays. We show that the pIRE binding factor reacts with the antibody against the 91-kDa subunit of ISGF3 alpha recently shown to bind to the IFN-gamma activation site. These results suggest that this factor is related to the IFN-gamma activation factor and contains the 91-kDa subunit of ISGF3 alpha. Taken together, pIRE represents an IRE that is distinct from the classical IFN-stimulated response element and that is capable of conferring IFN-gamma induction through the binding of the 91-kDa ISGF3 alpha subunit (or an antigenically similar molecule).
Accelerating solution of rough surface scattering problems by using the UV technique in conjunction with the Characteristic Basis Function Method and the Adaptive Cross Approximation

In this paper the UV technique (L. Tsang, D. Chen and P. Xu, Radio Sci., Vol.36, RS5010, 2004) is introduced to accelerate the Combined Characteristic Basis Function Method (CBFM) and the Adaptive Cross Approximation (ACA) method for the problem of scattering from rough surfaces. The application of Method of Moments (MoM), based on RWG basis and Galerkin approach, to the electric field integral equation (EFIE) leads to a dense linear system. The mutual-impedance elements can be obtained by calculating the following four scalar integrals (H. T. Chen, J. X. Luo and G. Q. Zhu, Microw.Opt.Techno.Lett., Vol.48, 1615-1618, 2006) equation
RESULTS OF PUBOVAGINAL SLING FOR STRESS INCONTINENCE: A PROSPECTIVE COMPARISON OF 4 INSTRUMENTS FOR OUTCOME ANALYSIS

Purpose: Presently to our knowledge there are no standardized techniques to assess outcomes after surgery for stress incontinence. We performed a prospective blinded study to assess the correlation among physician and patient assessments, and a validated 24-hour pad test and voiding diary. Materials and Methods: A total of 84 women were evaluated before and after pubovaginal sling for stress incontinence with a voiding diary, pad test and symptom questionnaire (patient assessment) administered by a blinded third party. The operating surgeon evaluated the patient using history, physical examination, pad test and voiding diary but was blinded to results of the outcome questionnaire. Preoperative focused neurourological examination and video urodynamics confirmed stress incontinence. Patients were assessed at least 1 year postoperatively. We compared patient assessment (cured, improved, failure) to the outcome of the pad test, voiding diary and physician assessment. The physician and questioner were blinded to each other. We considered patients with a pad test of 0 to 2 ml. as cured, 50% or more volume reduction as improved and less than 50% volume reduction as failure. Postoperative assessment did not differentiate between stress and urge incontinence. The kappa coefficient was used for statistical comparison. Results: Average patient age was 58 years and average followup for the entire group was 4 years. Agreement among the 4 instruments to assess outcome was excellent (k >0.9) with respect to cured/improved versus failure but only good for cured versus improved versus failure (k >0.5). Conclusions: Outcomes following incontinence surgery may vary depending on how the analysis was performed, patient selection, definition of success and so forth. Our results indicate that a pad test and voiding diary are reliable and should be part of the normal followup after pubovaginal sling for sphincteric incontinence. When these tests are used in conjunction with defined parameters of success, there is excellent agreement with patient feelings in regard to success or failure of surgery. Nevertheless, these instruments and methods are imperfect at best.
Skin mucous cell response to acid stress in male and female brown bullhead catfish, Ictalurus nebulosus (Lesueur)

Exposure of brown bullhead catfish Ictalurus nebulosus (Lesueur) to water made acid in pH by addition of dilute sulfuric acid, removed a sexual dimorphism observed in mucosubstance-containing cells of control epidermis. When stained by the alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff's reagent technique for acidic and neutral mucosubstances, positive cells in control males are seen primarily at the external surface. A few mucosubstance-containing cells are observed in basal regions. By contrast, skin of control female brown bullheads appears to contain far more mucosubstance. Morphometric analysis of skin reacted by the above technique for mucosubstance revealed the following: 1) mucous cells of control females are more than twice as large as those of control males; 2) 48 h after initiation of acid stress (pH 5.7-3.8) both sexes respond with hyperplasia of mucous cells; 3) more severe acid stress (pH 5.2-3.8) leads to hypertrophy of mucous cells in epidermis of males. Preliminary observations concerning development of the response indicate that an initial increase in mucosubstance occurs throughout the entire epidermis by 48 h. This increase is followed by movement of mucous cells toward the surface and eventual release of mucosubstance. After 3 or 4 days of exposure, the majority of mucous cells appear within the upper one-third of the epidermis. Endocrine factors possibly mediating mucosubstance in control and acid-stressed epidermis are discussed.
Changes in Cyclic Nucleotides, Locomotory Behavior, and Body Length Produced by Novel Endogenous Neuropeptides in the Parasitic Nematode Ascaris suum

Abstract Recent technical advances have rapidly advanced the discovery of novel peptides, as well as the transcripts that encode them, in the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum. Here we report that many of these novel peptides produce profound and varied effects on locomotory behavior and levels of cyclic nucleotides in A. suum . We investigated the effects of 31 endogenous neuropeptides encoded by transcripts afp-1 , afp-2 , afp-4 , afp-6 , afp-7 , and afp-9–14 ( afp : Ascaris FMRFamide-like Precursor protein) on cyclic nucleotide levels, body length and locomotory behavior. Worms were induced to generate anteriorly propagating waveforms, peptides were injected into the pseudocoelomic cavity, and changes in the specific activity (nmol/mg protein) of second messengers cAMP (3′5′ cyclic adenosine monophosphate) and cGMP (3′5′ cyclic guanosine monophosphate) were determined. Many of these neuropeptides changed the levels of cAMP (both increases and decreases were found), whereas few neuropeptides changed the level of cGMP. A subset of the peptides that lowered cAMP was investigated for effects on the locomotory waveform and on body length. Injection of AF19, or AF34 ( afp-13 ), AF9 ( afp-14 ), AF26 or AF41 ( afp-11 ) caused immediate paralysis and cessation of propagating body waveforms. These neuropeptides also significantly increased body length. In contrast, injection of AF15 ( afp-9 ) reduced the body length, and decreased the amplitude of waves in the body waveform. AF30 ( afp-10 ) produced worms with tight ventral coils. Although injection of neuropeptides encoded by afp-1 (AF3, AF4, AF10 or AF13) produced an increased number of exaggerated body waves, there were no effects on either cAMP or cGMP. By injecting peptides into behaving A. suum , we have provided an initial screen of the effects of novel peptides on several behavioral and biochemical parameters.
Wheat Flavor Components

SUMMARY: The volatile flavor components of a lightly milled, whole-grain soft wheat, Moro variety, were isolated and studied by gas-liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, Paper chromatography and/or chemical tests. The following 11 compounds were identified in the wheat flavor essence or in headspace vapors: acetaldehyde, isobutyraldehyde, butyraldehyde, hexanal, heptanal, octanal, crotonaldehyde, 3-methyl-2-butanone, 2,2-dimethyl-3-pentanone, diacetyl and ethyl acetate. Tentative identifications were made of seven additional compounds: butanone, valeraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde, cyclopentanone, phenylacetaldehyde, amyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol.
Spatial incentives to coordinate contiguous habitat

This paper discusses a series of economic experiments designed to explore whether a set of conservation subsidies—called the agglomeration bonus—can induce a socially optimal spatial pattern of conservation given landowner land retirement decisions are voluntary. The novelty of our approach is the use of the agglomeration bonus idea which depends on explicit topological relationships between a unit of conserved land and its neighboring conserved land; specifically, subsidies paid when one conserved land unit borders other conserved units. The agglomeration bonus approach is refined by providing a menu of subsidies and penalties that can used to encourage particular patterns of land preservation voluntarily. Our results suggest the agglomeration bonus—once our subjects gain experience with coordination—can achieve the specific contiguous land preservation pattern that was targeted.
P.11.6 Functional motor changes in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patients on long term daily glucocorticoid (GC) treatment

Longitudinal review of motor outcomes for a cohort of DMD patients on GC would offer insight into the altered natural history of DMD, provide anticipatory guidance for care management and inform the study designs of future clinical trials. To report the motor outcomes of a cohort of DMD patients on long term daily GC. Longitudinal retrospective review of timed function tests (TFT) – Timed Gower maneuver (G) (i.e. sit to stand ¨C measure of pelvic girdle weakness), 10 m walk/run (W/R), North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA); and lower extremity contractures. 110 males aged 7 to ⩽13 y were treated with daily GC for 4.8 ± 1.5 y and followed at our clinic for 4.8 ± 1.6 y. Slope changes were 9.0 y for G, 8.5 y for W/R and 8.5 y for NSAA. TFTs were highly correlated regardless of time point. Times for G and W / R were correlated at first ( r = 0.76) and most recent visit ( r = 0.83). Times for G and NSAA scores were correlated at first ( r = 0.76) and most recent visit ( r = 0.66). W / R times and NSAA scores were strongly correlated at first ( r = 0.82) and most recent visit ( r = 0.83). Knee contractures (KC) were not observed in ambulatory boys, but ankle contractures (AC) negatively impacted motor function as the disease progressed. Subjects with AC performed worse on all TFTs at most recent visit compared to those without AC. Linear regression analysis suggests motor function declines faster in subjects with AC compared to those without. Our slope changes for all three TFTs were >7 years (Mazzone, 2011). Given the strong correlation, the easily executed W / R test may be a clinical surrogate for NSAA in a busy clinic. Our results indicate that early intervention for AC may improve motor outcomes and prolong ambulation in DMD boys.
Fastfinger: a study into the use of compressed residue pair separation matrices for protein sequence comparison

Protein sequences are diverse in size and in content meaningful to researchers. They are rich in what seems to be "noise," or aspects of lesser interest that obscure clearer core features required to establish true relatedness and function. This paper represents part of a larger study that explores the possible efficient use and storage of "fingers" for protein sequence analysis, i.e., matrices of uniform size and shape that can "stand for" protein sequences by making more explicit the essential aspects of protein sequence pattern information. The essence of the study relates to data compression. Compression invokes an interesting alternative idea of pattern--the concept of "primeness" as in number theory is used to create the notion of an irreducible and potentially recurrent pattern element, and then this philosophy is mapped onto number theory by the unique factorization theorem, in order to define a novel measure of pattern difference. Other possible approaches are also discussed. Because compression and other approximations involve information loss, this is also a study of performance in the face of such loss. Because of the effects of this loss, no claims are made that encourage replacement of established sequence comparison methods, but the concept may have value in a number of applications within, and outside, molecular biology.
Insuring Banks Against Liquidity Shocks: The Role of Deposit Insurance and Lending of Last Resort

It has long been recognized that banks' simultaneous provision of monitoring and liquidity services is advantageous but leaves them susceptible to liquidity shocks that may culminate in a system failure. Because a system failure is costly, this provides a rationale for adopting arrangements, including a lender of last resort and deposit insurance (DI), to insure banks against liquidity shocks. These arrangements have proven themselves very successful, but they have also been the source of problems. Researchers have identified some of the main sources of these problems and have suggested ways to improve the design of these arrangements, but there are still many issues that remain unaddressed. This paper reviews the literature on the two arrangements that most countries have adopted to insure banks against liquidity shocks, a lender of last resort and DI, and compares the design of these arrangements across countries. The paper ends with a brief summary of the key lessons learned about the design of these arrangements and the issues related to them that remain unaddressed. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2006.
Behavior of Nitrate-Nitrogen Movement Around a Pumping High-Capacity Well: A Field Example

This study examines the near-field flow regime influencing the chemical composition of water samples collected form an irrigation well during short pumping periods. Data on the radial and vertical distribution of nitrate-nitrogen (NO{sub 3}-N) and on draw-down were collected from a closely spaced multi-level monitoring well network installed around an irrigation well. Aquifer properties were determined from grain-size analyses performed on samples collected from test holes drilled around the irrigation well and from drawdown data using the method of Neuman (1974). Grain-size characteristics were determined from cumulative distribution curves and used to construct vertical hydraulic conductivity (K) profiles based on frequently used empirical formulas applied to grain-size data for the determination of aquifer properties. Resultant vertical profiles show a general increase in K with depth. Results from the analysis of drawdown curves support the general trend of K determined form the grain-size data, drawdown-based K values, however, were 1.5 to 2 times greater than those determined form the empirical methods. Results from four pump-and-sample experiments at different times during the irrigation season indicate: (1) the distribution of NO{sub 3}-N around the irrigation well is complex and variable over time and space; (2) shapes of concentration-time curves for individual sample pointsmore » are governed by the initial contaminant distribution, and shapes of concentration-time curves for the pumping well are governed by variables such as well screen position and hydrogeologic properties; (3) irrigation well samples underestimate the highest, as well as the average NO{sub 3}-N concentrations within the aquifer; and (4) a sampling strategy based on the behavioral characteristics of the well as reflected in concentration-time curves can improve the interpretation of water quality data collected from high-capacity wells.« less
Age-related loss of distortion product otoacoustic emissions in four mouse strains.

Abstract Changes in cochlear function in four inbred strains of mice, CBA/CaJ (CBA), C57BL/6J (C57), BALB/cByJ (BALB), and WB/ReJ (WB), previously used to study age-related hearing loss, were evaluated serially as a function of age with 2 f 1 − f 2 distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). DPOAE levels in response to equilevel primary tones for geometric-mean (GM) frequencies from 5.6 to 48.5 kHz were recorded systematically as DP-grams and response/growth or input/output (I/O) functions at monthly intervals from about 2 to 15 months of age. Over the approximate 13-month measurement period, CBAs showed robust and unchanged DPOAEs for all tested frequencies, while BALBs, C57s, and WBs showed strain-specific, age-related decreases in DPOAEs that progressed systematically from the high to low frequencies. Specifically, for the youngest WBs at 2 months of age, no DPOAEs were recordable for GM frequencies ≥32 kHz, while C57s and BALBs reached the identical stage of cochlear dysfunction by 5 and 8 months, respectively. The differential decline in DPOAE activity shown for WB, C57, and BALB mice supports the notion that they represent unique animal models of age-related changes in cochlear function. In contrast, the unchanging DPOAEs for CBAs over the same time period indicate that this strain makes an effective control for normal cochlear function in the mouse, at least, up to 15 months of age.
Global Deep Ocean Sensor Network on Submarine Cables

This paper describes the implementation and analysis of a deep ocean sensor network that utilizes existing, retired, or new telecommunication submarine cables as hosts to sensor nodes. Due to telecom sub-cable high installation costs, quality of service, and 25-year lifetime requirements, addition of instrumentation nodes must have essentially no impact on system reliability, capacity or availability. A sensor node on a sub-cable system offers several distinguishing advantages over regional cabled observatories and buoys because of its ability to collect real time data over a long period of time in regions of the ocean previously not instrumented, while using the cable as a source of power and a path for communication. The system can potentially provide a source of additional revenue to the telecom provider or additional functionality to cabled oil platforms.
Measurement of wall charge and capacitance variation for a single cell in the AC plasma display panel

Real-time dynamic measurements are performed on a single cell in a standard commercially available large plasma panel. The measurements determine cell response to variations in address pulses, sustain waveforms, or priming from neighboring cells. The wall-charge measurement indicates the internal dielectric surface charge and the capacitance measurement indicates the existence of a plasma in the gas volume. These measurements have shown that neighboring on cells can cause a large wall-charge transfer in off cells that results in reduced write and sustain voltage margins. Direct wall-charge measurements allows use of a simple technique for determination of the voltage transfer curve of the plasma cell which greatly aids device characterization. The capacitance measurement has shown that a plasma exists in commercial MgO panels for 10-15 µs after the discharge-current peak. The capacitance and wall-charge measurements can be combined to give simultaneous real-time results.
TorsinA and torsion dystonia: Unraveling the architecture of the nuclear envelope.

The nuclear envelope (NE) is the membrane structure that forms the boundary of the nucleus in eukaryotes (1). Not only does the NE control the trafficking of macromolecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm (2), but it also provides an anchoring site for chromosomes at the nuclear periphery (3). During the past several years, mutations in certain NE proteins have been shown to cause a diversity of human diseases, including muscular dystrophy, neuropathy, lipodystrophy, and the premature aging condition progeria (1, 4, 5). The list continues to expand, and recent work from Goodchild and Dauer (6) and work from Naismith et al. (7), which was published in a recent issue of PNAS, have indicated that torsinA, the product of the DYT1 gene that is mutated in early-onset torsion dystonia, functions in the NE, where it may cause this disease. Moreover, these papers raise the provocative possibility that torsinA may be involved in connecting the NE to the cytoplasmic cytoskeleton. The NE is a specialized subdomain of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (Fig. 1 A ). It consists of inner and outer nuclear membranes that are joined at the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), the channels for molecular transport across the NE (2). The outer nuclear membrane is morphologically continuous with the more peripheral ER, providing continuity between the perinuclear luminal space and the lumen of the peripheral ER (Fig. 1 A ). The inner nuclear membrane is lined by the nuclear lamina, a filamentous protein meshwork that consists mainly of a polymer of lamins, proteins of the intermediate filament family (4). The lamina also contains a number of less abundant components, including peripheral and integral membrane proteins of the inner nuclear membrane that are anchored at the lamina (8, 9). Lamins A, B1, B2, and C are the four major isotypes expressed in …
Cooperation between the human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 p30(II) protein and host cellular factors during oncogenic transformation and retroviral carcinogenesis

The human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) pX-encoded accessory factors, p30II and Hbz, suppress proviral gene expression and help to maintain latency as a prerequisite for the development of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Our laboratory is studying how these viral proteins influence host cellular gene expression and signaling which may contribute to hematological disease progression. There are five clinically-defined stages of HTLV-1-associated disease (pre-ATLL, smoldering T-cell leukemia, chronic T-cell leukemia, acute T-cell leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s T-cell lymphoma) and the transitional molecular events which lead to acute/lymphoma-stage disease are not well understood. We have previously shown that p30II interacts with the c-MYC oncoprotein and enhances c-MYC-dependent transactivation and oncogenic potential by stabilizing recruitment of the TIP60 acetyltransferase to p30II/c-MYC/TIP60 transcription complexes. We now extend these findings by demonstrating that p30II induces acetylation of the c-MYC protein. Acetylation-defective Lys --> Arg substitution mutants of c-MYC (R5, K323R/K417R) are impaired for oncogenic foci-formation by p30II/c-MYC. Acute/lymphoma-stage ATLL clinical isolates frequently exhibit overexpression of c-MYC, due to 8q24 chromosomal translocations and/or c-myc gene amplification, and the HTLV-1-transformed T-cell-lines HuT-102 and MJG11 display significant acetylation of c-MYC. The p53 tumor suppressor is a downstream target of c-MYC and, coincidentally, most ATLL leukemic lymphocytes contain high intracellular levels of wildtype p53. Our recent studies demonstrate that p30II activates p53 and induces the expression of p53-dependent anti-apoptotic genes which could promote oncogene-activation and contribute to ATLL tumorigenesis. These findings as well as a novel role for p30II in the long-term proliferation of lentiviral-p30II-transduced primary human T-lymphocytes will be discussed.
A new Phragmipedium from Colombia

A new species from Colombia in Phragmipedium section Micropetalum is described: Phragmipedium manzurii .
A proof of the non-existence of a bounded-derivative continuous model for a discrete chaotic system

Abstract Takens' theorem states that for any dynamical system there exists a dimension in which the system can be embedded as a sampling of a continuous function. This paper presents a result which shows that a non-constant continuous model with a bounded time derivative does not exist when the system to be embedded is a discrete chaotic process. The result presented here does not contradict Takens' theorem which has no requirement of a bounded time derivative. The assumption of a bounded derivative is an important one since recurrent neural network learning rules usually implicitly assume that a bounded time derivative exists for the network dynamics equations which define the system model.
INTERACTION AND GRAMMAR. Elinor Ochs, Emanuel A. Schegloff, & Sandra A. Thompson (Eds.). New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Pp. xii + 468. $74.95 cloth, $29.95 paper.

Interaction and grammar is a valuable addition to the Cambridge “Studies in Interactional Sociolinguistics” series. The book is a collection of papers that all, in one way or another, and within the frameworks of linguistic anthropology, functional grammar, or conversation analysis, investigate the interface, or rather the essential interrelatedness, of language and real-time social interaction. The value of the book for the L2 researcher or practitioner is perhaps not direct; however, because much of L2 research focuses on interaction and draws its data from naturally occurring discourse, the indirect contribution is notable. In particular, the chapter by Fox, Hayashi, and Jasperson beautifully underscores those typological differences between English and Japanese that lead to different interactional strategies—an issue of direct relevance to L2 studies.
Improved drought tolerance of transgenic Zea mays plants that express the glutamate dehydrogenase gene ( gdhA ) of E. coli

Genetic modification of nitrogen metabolism via bacterial NADPH- dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH; E.C.4.1.2.1) favorably alters growth and metabolism of C3 plants. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of expression of GDH in the cytoplasmic compartment of Zea mays cells. The gdhA gene from Escherichia coli , that encoded a NADPH-GDH, was ligated to the ubiquitin promoter that incorporated the first intron enhancer and used to transform Z. mays cv. ‘H99’ embryo cultures by biolistics. R0–R3 generations included selfed inbreds, back-crossed inbreds, and hybrids with B73 derivatives. The lines with the highest GDH specific activity produced infertile R0 plants. The highest specific activity of GDH from the fertile Z. mays plants was sufficient to alter phenotypes. Plant damage caused by the phosphinothricin in gluphosinate-type herbicides, glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.1.3.2) inhibitors, was less pronounced in Z. mays plants with gdhA pat than in gusA pat plants. Germination and grain biomass production were increased in gdhA transgenic plants in the field during seasons with significant water deficits but not over all locations. Water deficit tolerance under controlled conditions was increased. Crops modified with gdhA may have value in semi-arid locations.
Performing Identifications, Queering Autobiography: Reading Mark Dendy's Dream Analysis

This article examines Mark Dendy's dance theater work, Dream Analysis, as a queered act of autobiography. Closely reading the choreographic and performance strategies of staging the narrative, I argue that the work re-imagines the autobiographical project through theatrical play with identification and representation.
The American College of Rheumatology preliminary core set of disease activity measures for rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials. The Committee on Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials.

Objective. To develop a set of disease activity measures for use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical trials, as well as to recommend specific methods for assessing each outcome measure. This is not intended to be a restrictive list, but rather, a core set of measures that should be included in all trials. Methods. We evaluated disease activity measures commonly used in RA trials, to determine which measures best met each of 5 types of validity: construct, face, content, criterion, and discriminant. The evaluation consisted of an initial structured review of the literature on the validity of measures, with an analysis of data obtained from clinical trials to fill in gaps in this literature. A committee of experts in clinical trials, health services research, and biostatistics reviewed the validity data. A nominal group process method was used to reach consensus on a core set of disease activity measures. This set was then reviewed and finalized at an international conference on outcome measures for RA clinical trials. The committee also selected specific ways to assess each outcome. Results. The core set of disease activity measures consists of a tender joint count, swollen joint count, patient's assessment of pain, patient's and physician's global assessments of disease activity, patient's assessment of physical function, and laboratory evaluation of 1 acute-phase reactant. Together, these measures sample the broad range of improvement in RA (have content validity), and all are at least moderately sensitive to change (have discriminant validity). Many of them predict other important long-term outcomes in RA, including physical disability, radiographic damage, and death. Other disease activity measures frequently used in clinical trials were not chosen for any one of several reasons, including insensitivity to change or duplication of information provided by one of the core measures (e.g., tender joint score and tender joint count) The committee also proposes specific ways of measuring each outcome. Conclusion. We propose a core set of outcome measures for RA clinical trials. We hope this will decrease the number of outcomes assessed and standardize outcomes assessments. Further, we hope that these measures will be found useful in long-term studies.
Quantitative two-dimensional instantaneous Raman concentration measurements in a laminar methane jet

We have achieved quantitative two-dimensional Raman measurements of the concentration of methane in a laminar methane jet into nitrogen without multipassing the incident laser sheet with a coaxial flash-lamp-pumped dye laser. The measurements are compared with the results of direct numerical simulation for the particular flow field. We conclude that the accuracy of the technique is determined by limitations in the dynamic range and in the spatial resolution of the data acquired with an intensified camera.
Stratocumulus cloud deepening through entrainment

It is shown that under a fairly wide range of realistic conditions, stratocumulus cloud-top entrainment actually tends to deepen an existing cloud layer, or tends to produce clouds in an unsaturated mixed layer, even though the entrained air is warmer and drier than the mixedlayer air. These results do not depend on any particular theory of what determines the entrainment rate; they imply that the cloud-top entrainment instability discussed by Randall and Deardorff does not necessarily tend to destroy a layer cloud; it sometimes only makes the cloud deepen. Examples are presented, using the representative soundings of McClatchey et al., the marine-layer data of Neiburger et al., and results from a simulation produced with the UCLA general circulation model.
Pathologic correlates of false positive breast magnetic resonance imaging findings: which lesions warrant biopsy?

Abstract Background Contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is highly sensitive for breast cancer. However, adoption of breast MRI is hampered by frequent false positive (FP) findings. Though ultimately proven benign, these suspicious findings require biopsy due to abnormal morphology and/or kinetic enhancement curves that simulate malignancy on MRI. We hypothesized that analysis of a series of FP MRI findings could reveal a pattern of association between certain “suspicious” lesions and benign disease that might help avoid unnecessary biopsy of such lesions in the future. Methods A retrospective chart review identified women undergoing breast MRI between June 1995 and March 2002 with FP findings identified by MRI alone. Lesions were retrospectively characterized according to an MRI Breast Imaging–Reporting and Data System lexicon and matched to pathology. Results Twenty-two women were identified with 29 FP lesions. Morphology revealed 1 focus (3.5%), 5 masses less than 5 mm (17%), 11 masses greater than 5 mm (38%), 1 (3.5%) linear enhancement, and 11 (38%) non–mass-like enhancement. Kinetic curves were suspicious in 15 (52%). Histology demonstrated 20 (69%) variants of normal tissue and 9 (31%) benign masses. MRI lesions less than 5 mm (n = 6, 20.5%) were small, well-delineated nodules of benign breast tissue. Conclusion Suspicious MRI lesions less than 5 mm often represent benign breast tissue and could potentially undergo surveillance instead of biopsy.
The Role of Human Resource Development Competencies in Facilitating Effective Crisis Communication

The problem and the solution. Effective crisis communication is one of the key components of effective crisis management, and this article describes key human resource development (HRD) competencie...
Homocysteine Disrupts Outgrowth of Microvascular Endothelium by an iNOS-Dependent Mechanism

Objective: To test the hypothesis that Hcy impairs angiogenic outgrowth through an iNOS-dependent mechanism. Methods: Adult C57Bl/6 mouse choroid explants were used in angiogenic outgrowth assays. Mouse microvascular endothelial cells were studied in culture during scrape-induced migration and dispersed cell locomotion experiments. Activity of iNOS was manipulated with pharmacology (1400W), siRNA, and by use of choroid explants from iNOS knockout mice (iNOS / ). Results: Hcy (20 lM) significantly decreased the area of endothelial outgrowth without altering the number of cells in the choroid explant angiogenic assay, resulting in more densely packed outgrowth. Hcy prevented the outward orientation of actin filaments and decreased the number of actin projections along the leading edge of outgrowth. Hcy also slowed outgrowth from the edge of a scraped endothelial monolayer and in cultures of dispersed cells, Hcy impaired cell locomotion without affecting proliferation. Inhibition of iNOS activity rescued the effect of Hcy on area of explant outgrowth, cell density, number of projections, cell locomotion, and rate of outgrowth following scraping. Conclusions: Hcy impairs microvascular endothelial outgrowth, but not proliferation, by disrupting cell locomotion through an iNOS-dependent mechanism. Abbreviations used: 1400W, N-[[3-(aminomethyl) phenyl] methyl]-ethanimidamide dihydrochloride; 3-NT, 3-nitrotyrosine; ANOVA, analysis of variance; DIC, differential interference contrast; DMEM-H, Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium high glucose; ELISA, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase; F-actin, filamentous actin; Hcy, homocysteine; HHcy, hyperhomocysteinemia; iNOS, inducible nitric oxide synthase; PFA, paraformaldehyde; ROS, reactive oxygen species; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.
Spectral responses of gyrotropic chiral sculptured thin films to obliquely incident plane waves

Summary Gyrotropic chiral sculptured thin films (STFs) exhibit optical activity due to their structural chirality, local anisotropy, and magneto-optic gyrotropy. We adapted two algorithms for nongyrotopic chiral STFs to investigate the circular-polarization-sensitivity of gyrotropic chiral STFs to incident plane waves. The impacts of gyrotropy and oblique angles of incidence on the reflectances and the transmittances were examined, and several conclusions drawn. In particular, we found that the incorporation of gyrotropy results in a blueshift of the Bragg regime.
Spatial frequency channels and perceptual grouping in texture segregation

The literature suggests that both spatial frequency components and grouping processes affect texture segregation. The experiments we report investigated texture segregation in a three-part (tripartite) pattern in which each part contains equal numbers of two different squares that are arranged in vertical stripes in the top and bottom parts and in a checkerboard in the center part. We found: (1) A difference in sign of contrast yields strong texture segregation. (2) Texture segregation is a negatively accelerated function of the ratio of the Rayleigh contrasts of the low-luminance and high-luminance squares. (3) Size and contrast are not independent attributes but can cancel each other. High spatial frequency differences are not sufficient to cause segregation in the presence of contradictory information from the low spatial frequency channels. (4) Hue is a weak feature relative to contrast. Hue differences are not sufficient to cause texture segregation in the presence of contradictory contrast information. The results of the experiments support the argument that the higher order processes in texture segregation have access to information corresponding to the outputs of the spatial frequency channels. They are qualitatively consistent with the hypothesis that tripartite segregation is primarily a function of spatial frequency components and not of grouping processes.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Program

The statistics of the Cataloging in Publication (CIP) program indicate improvements in the accuracy of classification and the speed of cataloging in libraries and databases around the world.
Super-intense quasi-neutral proton beams interacting with plasma: a numerical investigation

Due to the unique properties of the recently discovered sheath laser-ion source the investigation of super-intense, quasi-neutral ion beams interacting with plasma has become of substantial interest. Novel experiments in parameter regimes that bear relevance for future ion based fast ignition concepts can be envisioned. Simulations in three spatial dimensions of protons, charge and current neutralized by co-moving electrons, interacting with a low density plasma are presented. Quasi-neutral beam propagation and normalized proton beam momentum growth are discussed.
Protective effect of SN-protoporphyrin against doxorubicin-induced perturbations of heme metabolism

Abstract The administration of doxorubicin, an anti-tumor antibiotic, to rodents resulted in an increase in heme oxygenase activity and a decrease in δ-aminolevulinate (ALA) synthase activity and in cellular heme and cytochrome P450 content in liver. Sn-protoporphyrin, a potent inhibitor of heme degradation both in vitro and in vivo , when administered to rodents prior to doxorubicin, mitigates the drug-induced toxic actions which are reflected by the drug-induced decreases of both cellular heme and cytochrome P450 content. Sn-protoporphyrin thus provides a pharmacological means of protecting against the toxic effects of doxorubicin and other drugs which enhance heme oxygenase activity and thus decrease cellular heme and cytochrome P450 content in vivo .
Abnormal fluctuations and thermodynamic phase transitions in dynamical systems

Phase transitions in the thermodynamic description of the intermittent systems of Manneville are studied in connection to the non-Gaussian fluctuations. The universal critical behavior is derived exactly, with the critical exponent depending only on the characteristic exponent z of the map. Two types of behavior are classified according to z ( 2 or z ~ 2.
The reliability of electrocardiographic criteria of chronic obstructive lung disease.

Abstract The specificity and sensitivity of the commonly used electrocardiographic criteria for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) was evaluated in 135 patients in a prospective study. One hundred and three patients met one or more of the criteria, and 32 subjects were used as controls. Clinical information and various pulmonary function tests were obtained from each individual and the clinical diagnosis of COLD was derived without any knowledge of the electrocardiographic findings. Forty-seven of the 103 patients who met one or more of the ECG criteria and 6 of the 32 control subjects were found to have COLD. Though the predictive value of presence of criteria in reliably diagnosing COLD was not high (45.6 per cent), the probability of false negative diagnoses was low (11.3 per cent). Many false positive diagnoses were made in patients with arteriosclerotic, hypertensive, or congenital heart disease, but the number of such diagnoses could be reduced when the criteria were used in combination. There was a significant difference in the severity of the lung disease in patients who met different individual ECG criteria, and the disease was more severe with increasing numbers of criteria present. Of the 11 patients who met 4 or 5 criteria, all but one had COLD. In some subjects considerable change occurred when a second electrocardiogram was obtained. Most of the differences from the initial tracings consisted of normalization of the electrocardiograms in patients without COLD.
Modification of polyuridylic acid by bisulfite: effect on double helix formation and coding properties.

Abstract Polyuridylic acid was allowed to react with 1M sodium bisulfite at 37°C, pH 7, to produce modified polymers in which up to 95% of the uracil residues were converted to 5,6-dihydrouracil-6-sulfonate residues. Partial saturation of polyuridylic acid by bisulfite sharply reduced its ability to form a helical complex with polyadenylic acid, as measured by melting transition and hypochromicity studies. A 31% saturated polyuridylic acid sample did not interact with polyadenylic acid. The ability of polyuridylic acid to code for phenylalanine incorporation in the E. coli cell free protein synthesis system was very markedly diminished by small degrees of bisulfite modification. Reaction to the extent of 2.6% abolished 46% of the phenylalanine coding ability, for example. This indicates that inactivation of messenger RNA may be one pathway by which bisulfite inflicts biological damage.
A pilot study of endoscopic injection chemo/sclerotherapy of esophageal carcinoma

In a pilot study of five patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, a solution of 5 fluorouracil (25 mg/ml) and sodium morrhuate (2.5%) was injected endoscopically with a sclerotherapy catheter directly into the tumor to determine whether tumor debulking could be achieved. Tissue necrosis was apparent in three patients who had not had prior radiation or chemotherapy, but the effect lasted less than 1 month despite injections at 3- to 7-day intervals. Patients who had prior radiation treatment had tumors too firm and fibrotic to inject effectively.
Ependyma formation in adult rat spinal cord after transplantation of fetal cerebral cortex homografts

The ependymal cells in rat host spinal cord were studied after transplantation of fetal cerebral cortex homografts. Adult Sprague-Dawley male rats had pieces of E14 fetal rat cortex pressure-injected into the spinal cord at T6. The tissue was prepared for light and electron microscopy and studied for over 2 months postimplantation. At 7 and 14 days postimplantation (DPI), there were dividing ventricular-ependymal cells lining cysts in the host spinal cord. After 21 days, cell division was no longer observed in these cells, and only mature ependymal cells lined these cysts. Mature ependymal cells were either: columnar, pseudocolumnar, cuboidal, squamous, or pseudomorphic; had cilia and villi on only one surface of the cell and shared tight junctions when contiguous. These data show that ependymal cells were mature cellular components of adult spinal cord after transplantation of fetal CNS grafts. In addition, ventricular-ependymal cells continued to divide within the parenchyma of the graft, indicating continued growth of transplanted fetal cerebral cortex in host spinal cord.
Development of mutinous adenocarcinoma in chronic Crohn's disease fistulae without luminal involvement

Summary: A patient with Crohn’s disease who developed mucinous adenocarcinoma in chronic fistulae is reported. Malignancy may complicate chronic nonhealing Crohn’s sinus tracts and fistulae, even with no mucosal involvement by carcinoma. Persistent non-remitting perianal induration and pain should alert the physician to the possibility of underlying malignancy. Prompt examination under anesthesia and biopsy or fine-needle aspiration may facilitate diagnosis and therapy of the carcinoma at an early stage. Key Words: Carcinoma-Crohn’s diseaseFistulae. Crohn’s disease is associated with an increased incidence of colorectal cancer (1-13). Anorectal cancer may arise in chronic nonhealing perianal Crohn’s disease. However, to our knowledge, no prior report has documented cancer in fistulae in the absence of mucosal involvement. We present a case of a mucinous adenocarcinoma complicating chronic perianal Crohn’s disease, which did not involve the bowel lumen, suggesting that cancer may arise de novo in Crohn’s disease fistulae or sinus tracts.
Perpetuation of Cherry Leaf Spot Disease in Ornamental Cherry

Cherry leaf spot disease, caused by Blumeriella jaapii (Rehm) Arx., is an increasing concern to nursery producers of ornamental cherry in the south-eastern United States. Spores were trapped starting in late March before symptoms were observed in the field, which indicates that leaf debris from diseased trees are an important source of primary inoculum. Previously infected trees of six cultivars (‘Kwanzan’, ‘Yoshino’, ‘Okami’, ‘Snowgoose’, ‘Autumnalis’ and ‘Akebono’), which were overwintered in a controlled environment protected from airborne spores, developed disease symptoms in late spring, indicating that dormant buds may also be a source of primary inoculum. Because ornamental cherry trees are propagated by budding and cuttings, disease management should incorporate cultural practices that focus on propagation from disease-free trees and fungicide applications beginning at petal drop to protect emerging leaves.