cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glioma-like proliferation within tissues excised as tubers in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex

We describe diffuse glioma-like infiltrates in excised tubers in five out of forty Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) patients undergoing excision of a tuber at our institution within the last 10 years. All patients presented with refractory seizures. Resection specimens from four patients had the pathognomonic histologic features of neuroglial hamartomas (tubers) and in one case there was cortical microdysgenesis lacking cells typical of TSC. All lesions were associated with an infiltrate of atypical, mostly elongate, glioma-like small cells, which were immunoreactive for GFAP in three, and pS6 (a marker for activity of the mTOR pathway), in two cases. MAP-2 and CD34, were negative and MIB-1 (Ki67) immunostains ranged from <1–21%. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization revealed that these proliferative phenomena were associated with 21 different copy number aberrations in comparison with a tuber without atypical infiltrates. Postoperatively (follow-up period ranging from 8 to 34 months) none of the patients have any evidence of a glioma. We report that tubers resected for treatment of seizures are sometimes associated with glioma-like lesions, which are indistinguishable from infiltrating gliomas by morphology and immunohistochemistry. Genomic analysis with SNP arrays revealed copy number changes which may be associated with the pathogenesis of such infiltrates.
Turn design and the organization of participation in instructional activities

Talk in interaction is the prevailing form of instructional activity. To understand and improve second language literacy instruction, an appreciation of the interactional practices in which reading and writing are embedded is necessary. In this article I examine one aspect of these practices: speaker turn design. I focus on the uses of incomplete turn‐constructional units in structuring subsequent participation. First, I describe several ways teachers design their turns at talk and show how these furnish differing opportunities for subsequent participation by students. Next, I show how the task of producing written answers as complete stand‐alone sentences can be carried out as an utterance‐completion task in which turn design plays a key organizing part. Finally, I show how this form of sequential organization can be used as an analytic resource in diagnosing a problem one group of students encounters in writing the answer to a story question.
Structural Characterization of Thin, Low Temperature Films of GaAs on Si Substrates

The technology of heteroepitaxially growing compound semiconductors, particularly GaAs, on Si has attracted an increasing volume of attention in the past 3–5 years. In the past two years there have been few major advances in the growth recipes, which all include a high temperature Si preheat, a two-step growth temperature profile, and the use of misoriented substrates. The need for mechanistic understanding of the effect of these parameters is crucial to advancing the state of the art beyond this current practice. This work focusses on the effect of the misorientation in inducing asymmetry in early stages of the molecular beam epitaxy of GaAs on Si substrates. The strain in the films is found to have greatly different rates of relaxation in the plane of the film when measured in the two orthogonal directions. This asymmetry persists to greater than 30 nm film thickness at 400°C. The nucleation morphology was also examined as a function of substrate misorientation. At low substrate tilts, nucleation density was sparse and there was not substantial ordering of the nuclei. As the tilt was increased, a distinct habit emerged where collections of nuclei were quite coherent along the steps for several 100 nm, with dimensions of the order of 10’s of nm perpendicular to the steps. The density of steps with nuclei was also substantially less than that predicted by the widely accepted “array of double-height steps” used to explain the curious lack of anti-phase disorder in these films.
The role of dispositional mindfulness in mitigating the impact of stress and impulsivity on alcohol-related problems

Excessive alcohol use and alcohol-related problems are common concerns on college campuses across the United States. Among a sample of college students (N = 125), in this study we examined two primary hypotheses: (1) the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and alcohol-related problems would be explained, in part, by reduced impulsivity and (2) dispositional mindfulness would serve as a potential protective factor in mitigating the relationship between the risk factor stressful life events and the outcome of alcohol-related problems. As expected, impulsivity mediated the relationship between mindfulness and alcohol-related problems; however, unexpectedly, mindfulness did not moderate the relationship between stressful life events and alcohol-related problems. The implications and limitations of these findings, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed.
SUPERCONDUCTING PROPERTIES OF SUPERLATTICES

Abstract Superlattices are ideal model systems to test ideas related to the physics of lower dimensional systems. Superconducting superlattices are particularly well suited for the study of dimensional effects because the superconducting coherence length is much longer than any structural defects present. I will present a comparison of dimensional effects in proximity and Josephson coupled superlattices. The behavior of proximity and Josephson coupled superlattices can be understood in a unified way in the light of the recent theoretical work of Takahashi and Tachiki. I will also present a study on the behavior of superlattices which exhibit competing mechanisms such as superconductivity and magnetism or superconductivity and localization.
Transmission eigenvalues and non-destructive testing of anisotropic magnetic materials with voids

In this paper we consider the transmission eigenvalue problem corresponding to the scattering problem for an anisotropic magnetic materials with voids, i.e. subregions with refractive index the same as the background. Here we restrict ourselves to the scalar case of TE-polarization. Under weak assumptions on the material properties, we show that the transmission eigenvalues can be determined from the far field measurements. Then assuming that the contrast on the material properties does not change sign, we prove the existence of at least one transmission eigenvalue for sufficiently small voids. We also show that the first transmission eigenvalue can be used to determining material properties and give qualitative information about the size of the void. Some numerical examples are given to demonstrate the theoretical results.
Beyond cemetery walls: early medieval funerary topography and Christian salvation

The article examines how the topography of the Christian cemetery in Merovingian Gaul mirrored the status which the souls of individuals were believed to occupy in the sphere of the next world. In practice, moreover, the clergy's treatment of Christian corpses was often perceived as determining their fate. Drawing on both literary and material evidence, the article argues that the boundaries established between the faithful and the damned in the Christian cemetery supported the Church's claims to sacral authority in this life and the next.
Adaptive Sampling, Transmission, and Rendering of Images

The sequential sampling, transmission, and rendering of images has been studied in three related contexts: image transmission, vision, and graphics. The solutions developed in these contexts can be viewed as (different) specializations of a single adaptive sampling scheme. We present an analysis of this general scheme, and show how to specialize it. Our basic assumptions are that we can identify an original image (sometimes a model, sometimes the real world), a transmitter which can directly access the original, and a receiver interested in creating a reconstructed image. Different methods are motivated by different goals and constraints, especially the amount of knowledge that the transmitter is allowed to use (but not communicate). In the image synthesis problem, the process which evaluates the image function at a sample point can be viewed as the transmitter. The process which assembles an image from the individual point samples can be viewed as the receiver. In the progressive transmission problem, the transmitter selects or encodes values from a digital image. The receiver reconstructs increasingly accurate approximations of the image, as the samples arrive. These problems share three subproblems: selection of efficient sampling patterns, methods to adaptively control the sample rate, and filters for image reconstruction. In this paper, we explore several related methods of handling these problems, based on different constraints, and different weighting of the goals.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Biogenic calcite–phosphorus precipitation as a negative feedback to lake eutrophication

Lakes in carbonate-rich watersheds commonly precipitate calcium carbonate as calcite, and this is accelerated by photosynthetic uptake of carbon dioxide. Co-precipitation of phosphate with calcite ...
Clinical prevalence and correlates of substance use in adolescent psychiatric emergency patients.

Objectives: This study used clinical and administrative data to describe the clinical prevalence and correlates of substance use disorders (SUDs) in 622 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years who were evaluated with 1 or more psychiatric diagnoses after presenting to an urban psychiatric emergency service. Methods: Clinical and administrative data including demographics, diagnosis, psychiatric severity, suicidality, treatment history, treatment disposition, social support, and overall functioning were retrospectively obtained from patient records. These data were used to describe the prevalence and correlates of SUDs in this sample of adolescents with psychiatric disorders. Results: Twenty-eight percent of youth had an SUD. Marijuana and alcohol use disorders were the most common. The diagnosis of SUD was not associated with specific psychiatric diagnostic categories (mood, anxiety, and psychotic), psychiatric symptom severity, or suicidality, in the overall sample. There was limited evidence for a mediating/moderating effect of sex on the correlation between psychiatric measures and SUD diagnosis. Older age, SUD treatment history, and role dysfunction (ie, poor school functioning) were independently associated with any SUD diagnosis or a drug use disorder when accounting for sex. Older age and history of SUD treatment were independently correlated with alcohol use disorders. Twenty-three percent of youth with SUDs were referred for SUD treatment. Conclusions: Substance use disorders were prevalent in this population, and the rate of SUD treatment disposition was lower than anticipated. Substance use disorders were associated with lower functioning but not independently correlated with psychiatric diagnostic categories or symptom severity. This study supports the need for improved screening, intervention, and referral options for SUDs in this setting.
The extension of international credit by US banks: a disaggregated analysis, 1988–1994

Abstract We use simultaneous equation estimation techniques to analyze decisions made by 35 US banks with respect to credit extended domestically and to credit extended within 16 foreign countries, 1988–1994. Our results indicate that foreign credit extension by US banks follows the commercial expansion of US businesses abroad and is greater in countries with expanding economies. They are inconsistent with the notion that banks trade off credit activities undertaken domestically and abroad.
Protein function analysis: rapid, cell-based siRNA-mediated ablation of endogenous expression with simultaneous ectopic replacement

Current methods for determining and dissecting the function of a specific protein within a cell are laborious and limiting. We have developed a method by which endogenous protein levels are rapidly ablated and simultaneous expression of a designed, inserted variant takes place in the native setting. Through optimized electroporation, siRNA oligonucleotides and codon-optimized coding sequence containing vectors can be co-transfected, leading to expression of ectopic mRNA not targeted by siRNA. Using the commonly encountered MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, we were able to reach 90% transfection efficiency. Under these conditions, siRNA oligonucleotides were transfected simultaneously with a codon-optimized, cDNA containing vector encoding the AHR protein. Thus, endogenous protein was ablated while the designed protein was fully expressed in the native environment. The codon-optimized AHR was shown to be fully functional in its ability to induce CYP1A1 transcription and to rescue a B[a]P-susceptible phenotype.
The financial burden of destination left ventricular assist device therapy: Who and when?

Heart failure continues to be an economic health care burden of profound proportion. The disease in its end stage has limited therapeutic options. Transplantation is limited by the number of available organs. Mechanical assist therapy has continued to be an increasingly feasible strategy for bridging patients to heart transplantation but is also now used in place of transplantation. The REMATCH trial was the first trial to document the failure of medical therapy in end-stage heart failure when compared with mechanical support. However, one of the primary concerns is the marked expense involved with this invasive therapy. As the cost of ventricular assist devices (VADs) for destination therapy has been appraised in the medical literature, and through examination of patients who have been implanted in the “post-REMATCH era”, a subset of patients has emerged in whom VAD implantation is futile, as well as another subset that clearly benefits both in quality of life as well as in mortality. We review the current literature on VAD feasibility for destination therapy as well as ongoing trends in careful patient selection to improve outcomes and, implicitly, cost benefit of VAD therapy.
A Note on the Social Returns to Private Research and Development

The seminal work of Schultz and Griliches (1958, 1964), along with more recent efforts by Ayer and Schuh, Evenson (1967, 1974), Peterson (1967, 1971), Schmitz and Seckler, and others, have shown that investment in agricultural research has yielded a high social return. Although private investment in agriculturally related research and development (R&D) has been taken into account in many of these studies by adding rough estimates of private research to the public expenditures, there is virtually no independent information on the social returns of private R&D relating to agriculture. (This is probably due to a lack of data on private R& D.) It is certain that the expected private rate of return to this investment is at least as great as the expected private rate of return to alternative investments, else it would not be carried out. But is the social return to private R&D high enough to justify this investment from society's point of view? I shall argue in this note that in spite of the lack of empirical evidence on the social returns to private R&D, we can be assured that, as long as R&D is privately profitable, it is also socially profitable. The key to the argument is the excess of social over private returns. This is not to say that private investment decisions will result in a socially optimum level of R&D, particularly basic research. It is recognized that because of the "public goods" nature of the information generated by basic research, most of this work has to be publicly funded. As Nelson points out, "the fact that industry laboratories do basic research at all is itself evidence that we should increase our expenditure on basic research" (p. 304). Hirshleifer takes a somewhat different view, arguing that there may be overinvestment in private information-gathering activities if the information remains private "in the sense of being purely redistributive, not leading to any improvement in productive arrangements" (p. 573). However, in the case of the farm-supply industry, it will now be argued that private R&D yields a private return only if it results in an "improvement in productive arrangements," i.e., yields a social return by increasing agricultural output. Private and Social Returns Defined
Simulation of Lattice Dendrimers by a Monte Carlo Technique with Detailed Balance

We have published extensively on a lattice dendrimer model whose properties were simulated by a Monte Carlo technique. However, it has recently been pointed out that the simulation technique violated detailed balance and that the ensuing errors, at least for dendrimers without excluded volume, were relatively large. In this contribution we show how the technique can be efficiently modified to satisfy detailed balance, and we report results on dendrimers as high as G = 11. When applied to dendrimers with excluded volume, we find that the older technique generates only relatively small errors, and we are therefore confident that our previous results are qualitatively valid. We also discuss our model in light of recent neutron scattering studies concerned with the distribution of end groups.
Hydrometrocolpos and polydactyly

Two cases of hydrometrocolpos and polydactyly in female infants with persistent urogenital sinus are reported. The importance of considering hydrometrocolpos as the cause of an abdominal mass in female infants with polydactyly is stressed. Cytologic examination of the vaginal fluid may help in early diagnosis.
The Rat’s Acceptance and Preference for Sucrose, Maltodextrin, and Saccharin Solutions and Mixtures

Abstract Sclafani, A., B. Thompson, and J. C. Smith. The rat’s acceptance and preference for sucrose, maltodextrin, and saccharin solutions and mixtures. Physiol Behav 63(4) 499–503, 1998. Prior work indicates that rats prefer a mixture of sucrose and maltodextrin to either carbohydrate alone. The present experiment examined whether a sucrose + maltodextrin (S + M) mixture also increases total fluid intake as does saccharin + carbohydrate mixtures. In 23 h/day, one-bottle tests male rats consumed more of a 1% sucrose + 1% maltodextrin mixture than they did of either 2% sucrose or 2% maltodextrin. Adding 0.2% saccharin to the S + M mixture further stimulated consumption. The rats overconsumed the mixture solutions primarily by increasing bout size. In two-bottle choice tests the rats strongly preferred the S + M mixture to the 2% sucrose and 2% maltodextrin solutions and showed a nonreliable preference for the S + M + saccharin mixture to the S + M mixture. The palatability of the S + M mixture is thought to be related to the activation of separate “sweet” and “maltodextrin” tastes.
Kinetic inductance microstrip delay lines

Microstrip delay lines employing the phenomenon of Kinetic inductance have several potential advantages for analog signal processing. These properties will be discussed and contrasted with other delay line technologies. Several kinetic inductance microstrip delay lines have been fabricated using niobium, niobium nitride and various dielectrics. These devices have been measured with both transient and time harmonic signals. The results of these tests are compared to theoretical predictions and some estimation of expected device performance is made.
Added weights lead to reduced flight behavior and mating success in polyandrous honey bee queens (Apis mellifera)

Honey bee queens are exceptionally promiscuous. Early in life, queens perform one to five nuptial flights, mating with up to 44 drones. Many studies have documented potential benefits of multiple mating. In contrast, potential costs of polyandry and the sensitivity of queens to such costs have largely been ignored because they are difficult to address experimentally. To consider one aspect of mating costs to queens, the difficulty of flight, we compared flight behavior and success among a group of control queens and two experimental groups of queens that carried lead weights of two different sizes. For each queen, we assessed the number and duration of all flights and, after egg-laying commenced, the amount of stored sperm and the number of mates in terms of the offspring’s patrilineal genetic diversity. Added weights quantitatively decreased the number of flights, the mean duration of flights and consequently the total time spent flying. Mating success in terms of sperm quantity and patrilines detected among the queens’ offspring was also negatively impacted by the experimental manipulation. Thus, it can be concluded that the flight effort of honey bee queens during their mating period is adjusted in response to an experimentally increased cost of flying with multiple consequences for their mating success. Our results suggest that queen behavior is flexible and mating costs deserve more attention to explain the extreme polyandry in honey bees.
International foreign exchange agreements and nominal exchange rate volatility: a GARCH application

Abstract For eight major national currencies, this study estimates, and tests several hypotheses with, a t-distribution GARCH model of daily spot nominal exchange rate changes. The sample period covered is June 1, 1982 through September 30, 1992. By using likelihood ratio and parameter stability tests, it finds that for most of the currencies considered, both the conditional means and variances of unexpected exchange rate changes experienced statistically significant structural breaks across the five subperiods that are associated with four episodes of international foreign-exchange policy coordination. The study also finds that the orderings of the GARCH-estimated unconditional standard deviations roughly match the orderings of the sample standard deviations across the five subperiods. An explanation is provided for what underlying factors contributed to these structural shifts.
Valanginian to Aptian calcareous nannofossil stratigraphy and correlation with the upper M-sequence magnetic anomalies

Abstract Calcareous nannofossil stratigraphy has been investigated in Lower Cretaceous Italian sections at Gorgo a Cerbara, Presale and Frontale (all in the Umbrian Apennines) and at Cismon (Southern Alps). A modified sample preparation technique has allowed a thorough stratigraphic study of the well-lithified Maiolica limestone and although nannofossil preservation is generally quite poor, the major Valanginian to Aptian marker species can be detected. Nine nannofossil events can be determined and correlated to magnetic stratigraphies previously established in these sections. Nannofossil stratigraphy confirms most magnetostratigraphic correlations made between sections and allows a more precise correlation of magnetic Chrons M-0 to M-11 with the Valanginian, Hauterivian, Barremian and Aptian stages. The results obtained differ considerably from previous timescales. Nannofossil events recorded in the various sections may be time-transgressive by as much as one magnetic chron, probably due to differential preservation.
Absolute Molecular Orientational Distribution of the Polystyrene Surface

Vibrationally resonant sum frequency generation (VR-SFG) has been used to study the absolute molecular orientational distribution of the pendant phenyl groups at the free surface of polystyrene (PS) thin films on oxidized Si substrates. Characterization of the dependence of the VR-SFG on film thickness allows unique identification of the origin of the signal, e.g., free surface, bulk, or buried interface. For films <400 nm thick, the dominant source of vibrationally resonant signal is the PS/air interface, while the dominant source of the nonresonant background is the Si/SiO2 interface. VR-SFG of a self-assembled phenylsiloxane layer is used to calibrate the relative phase between the vibrationally resonant phenyl ring hyperpolarizability and the Si/SiO2 interface nonresonant hyperpolarizability. It is found that the phenyl groups are ordered at the PS/air interface and are oriented away from the polymer film. Quantitative analyses of the orientational distribution for both the PS free interface and the p...
The massive transformation in titanium aluminides: Initial stages of nucleation and growth

Rapid solidification by twin-anvil splat quenching captures the initial nucleation and growth of the α → γm massive transformation in titanium aluminides. Splat quenching Ti52Al48 and Ti50Al48Cr2 from the liquid at slightly below the melting point produces an equiaxed α solidification structure. Solid-state cooling rates that approach 106 K/s arrest the α → γm massive transformation with 1- to 5-µm-sized γm nuclei, especially in the Ti50Al48Cr2 alloy. Classical massive-transformation heterogenous nucleation occurs at α:α grain boundaries with an orientation relationship of [111]γ//[0001]α and \(\{ 110\} _\gamma //\{ 11\bar 20\} _\alpha \). The γm nucleus then grows into the adjacent α grain without the orientation relationship by forming an incoherent α:γ interface with {111}γ facets. Orthogonal variants of the tetragonal c-axis in the γm product suggest that the massive transformation initially produces an fcc structure which subsequently orders into the L10 phase. Nucleation of γm is not only observed at α:α grain boundaries and triple points, but also within the α grains. The intragranular γm nucleation, which is believed to be heterogeneous, occurs with the same orientation relationship as for the intergranular nuclei. However, the intragrain nuclei do not form {111}γ facets and retain a curved α:γm interface. Although analysis of the {111}γ faceted growth using weak-beam dark-field (WBDF) imaging shows no evidence for any type of misfit-compensating dislocations, lattice imaging of the {111}γ facets with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) reveals that the planar interface exhibits a slight curvature, produced by atomic steps of (111) planes. These experimental data have been used to estimate a ratio of ledge spacing (λ) to ledge height (h) for the {111}γ facets as λ/h=41, which is similar to calculated values for a ledge growth mechanism of massive transformations in Cu-Zn and Ag-Cd alloys.
Evaluation of Salmonella typhimurium, Yersinia enterocolitica and Staphylococcus aureus counts in apple juice with cinnamon, by conventional media and thin agar layer method

Abstract Pasteurized apple juice (pH 3.64) with cinnamon (0% and 0.3%) was inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium , Yersinia enterocolitica or enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus at 10 4 cfu ml −1 , and stored at 5°C and 20°C. Counts on tryptic soy agar (TSA), selective medium and thin agar layer (TAL) were determined at 1 h and 1, 3, 7 and 14 days. The TAL method (selective medium overlaid with TSA) was for recovery of injured cells. In general, the sensitivity of pathogens to cinnamon in descending order was Staph. aureus , Y. enterocolitica and S. typhimurium . Staph. aureus (1.2 log cfu ml −1 at 3 days) and Y. enterocolitica (0.3 log cfu ml −1 at 1 day) were the most acid-sensitive at 5°C and 20°C, respectively. At some points of storage, the killing effect was significantly ( P c . 4 log cfu ml −1 reductions in 1 day in Y. enterocolitica -inoculated samples with and without cinnamon, and in Staph. aureus -inoculated samples with cinnamon. Counts on TSA and TAL did not differ significantly ( P >0.05) in any case. So, both media showed similar effectiveness in recovering damaged cells of the three pathogens. Cinnamon inactivates important foodborne pathogens in apple juice and thus enhances the safety of this product.
Modified Dwyer Osteotomy with Rotation and Reinsertion of Autograft Bone Wedge for Residual Heel Deformity Despite Previous Delayed Subtalar Joint Arthrodesis After Calcaneal Fracture

Calcaneal fracture patterns vary widely, and many factors determine the type and timing of the treatment rendered. Severe calcaneus fractures involving joint damage, loss of heel height, and varus deformity of the tuberosity are ideally treated with open reduction and internal fixation to repair the joint surface and re-establish anatomic structure. This is not always possible owing to delayed presentation, soft tissue compromise, unrelated injuries, unstable medical condition, or lack of expertise by the treating physician. We present the case of a patient who had residual forefoot and rearfoot deformity despite undergoing delayed subtalar joint arthrodesis at an outside hospital 10 years before for a calcaneal fracture that was initially treated nonoperatively. At 4 years of follow-up after modified Dwyer calcaneal osteotomy with rotation and reinsertion of the autograft bone wedge and Cotton midfoot osteotomy, the postoperative gait was relatively normal, other than the expected lack of hindfoot mobility. The lateral column pain was resolved. The patient remained highly satisfied with the outcome at long-term follow-up of 48 months, with improved heel alignment, lack of a wide stance gait, a functional medial column, and a relatively normal gait. This case demonstrates the value of periarticular calcaneal osteotomies without the need to revise the subtalar joint arthrodesis for this challenging clinical situation.
Comments on "There's a Policy for That": Interdisciplinary Analyses of Hostile Work Environments

The article “There’s a Policy for That: A Comparison of the Organizational Culture of Workplaces Reporting Incidents of Sexual Harassment” (Hertzog, Wright, & Beat, 2008, this volume) explores organizational variables related to reports of sexual harassment and other negative behaviors in organizations. The paper considers relatively new ground for behavior analysts in terms of broad organizational assessment and exploratory analyses of work contexts. Extending and integrating these analyses of organizational contexts with behavior analyses would be interesting, challenging, and provocative. Behavior analysis rests on accurate measurement of individual’s behavior and experimental analysis of environmental variables that determine functional relationships between behavior and environments. A few key concepts such as reinforcement and stimulus control are elaborated to explain a great deal of behavior. Behavior analysis has shown in multiple replications that all sorts of targeted behaviors in organizations can be altered by practical adjustments of reinforcement contingencies and contextual variables (Daniels & Daniels, 2006). A general observation is that behavior is as complex as the contexts that generate and maintain it. A methodology for very large scale organizational assessment is under-developed in behavior analysis and the complexities of organizational environments are perhaps limited in scope to evaluations of features of the individual’s local environment and learning history. Possible connections across levels of inquiry from broad surveys of organizational climate and the types of more molecular organizational behavior analyses conducted within behavior analysis may show interplay and enhance both methodologies. Exploration of the National Organization Survey (NOS) provides an interesting high altitude window into organizational settings, and Hertzog and colleagues provide and describe a molar level perspective on organizational climate that might influence behaviors such as sexual harassment and incivility. These are important topics not often addressed by behavior analysts although work is beginning in this area. No direct observations of organizational variables or dependent variables are reported so the extent to which the reported measures match actual events is undetermined. Correspondence between what people say
Interaction as learning process: incorporating domain knowledge into system use

While users increasingly need to obtain more knowledge for operating systems, knowledge of the domain of concern has been hidden behind system operation which may not reflect the reality of practice in the domain. As users' experience in system use is limited to system operation procedures, they may not be able to learn how to manipulate domain knowledge in order to achieve satisfactory output using the system. This research aims to propose a methodology for supporting system designers in developing a system that can help users more actively expand and manipulate their domain knowledge through interaction. In this paper, first, the models of users' learning process in interaction are proposed. Then, the effects of users' operation and domain knowledge on their learning process are investigated through observational case studies. Finally, a methodological concept for manipulating users' learning process in system design is proposed and discussed in order to enhance the quality of interaction.
Calorimetry as a quality tool in hyperthermia

As hyperthermia becomes more widely accepted as an effective adjuvant therapy in the treatment of cancer, standardized quality assurance in the hyperthermia clinic becomes essential for reliable system performance and clinical results. The authors found that calorimetry provides a simple way of performing total system checks immediately before treatment and also allows the applicator's efficiency to be determined. Thus, they are able to determine the net power deposited into the target as a function of indicated power at the generator. The authors have used this technique with microwave, intracavitary ultrasound, focused ultrasound, and regional electromagnetic heating systems and applicators. They describe their measurement techniques, present plots of efficiency versus applied power for the two applicators, and discussed their results. >
Studying biobehavioral aspects of health disparities among older adult minorities

Current projections suggest that by 2050, the total number of non-Hispanic Whites aged 65 and over will double, the number of Blacks aged 65 and over will more than triple, and the number of Hispanics will increase 11-fold. These significant increases in older minority adults in the United States are in direct contrast to the current limited knowledge about health behaviors like smoking, drinking, and drug use among older Americans. This represents a major area of opportunity for researchers to advance science on the long-term effects of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. The provision of appropriate public health information for these populations depends, in part, on increased basic and social/behavioral research and particularly on integrative biobehavioral approaches in these understudied older groups. This article provides a brief overview of some of the challenges faced in studying older ethnic minority adults. These include issues such as recruitment, conceptualization, and methodology. Some potential areas for future research are offered.
Epigenetic Mechanism in Regulation of Endothelial Function by Disturbed Flow: Induction of DNA Hypermethylation by DNMT1

There is increasing evidence that epigenetic mechanisms such as changes in DNA methylation and histone modification play an important role in regulating cellular functions in physiological and pathophysiological states. We investigated the effects of hemodynamic force disturbance, one of the risk factors for atherogenesis, on DNA methylation in HUVECs and rat carotid arteries. Our results demonstrated that athero-prone oscillatory shear flow (OS) without a clear direction induces DNA hypermethylation in comparison to the athero-protective pulsatile shear flow (PS) with a definite direction. Furthermore, OS increases the expression and nuclear translocation of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), which is a major maintenance DNA methyltransferase that adds methyl groups to hemi-methylated DNA to repress gene expression. Pharmacological inhibition of DNMT1 by 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine abolished the OS-induced DNA hypermethylation. In vivo experiments also showed increases of DNMT1 expression and DNA methylation in the partially-ligated rat carotid arteries where the shear flow is disturbed. These in vitro and in vivo findings have provided novel evidence of the differential regulation of DNA methylation by different hemodynamic forces acting on vascular endothelium and identified DNMT1 as a key protein that governs the epigenetic changes in response to the pathophysiological stimuli due to disturbed flow.
Tantalum–tungsten oxide thermite composites prepared by sol–gel synthesis and spark plasma sintering

Abstract Energetic composite powders consisting of sol–gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide were produced with various amounts of micrometer-scale tantalum fuel metal. Such energetic composite powders were ignition-tested and the results show that the powders are not sensitive to friction, spark and/or impact ignition. Initial consolidation experiments, using the High-Pressure Spark Plasma Sintering (HPSPS) technique, on the sol–gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide produced samples with higher relative density than can be achieved with commercially available tungsten oxide. The sol–gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide with immobilized tantalum fuel metal (Ta–WO 3 ) energetic composite was consolidated to a density of 9.17 g cm −3 or 93% relative density. In addition, those samples were consolidated without significant pre-reaction of the constituents, thus retaining their stored chemical energy.
Implausibility of Hydrostatic Funnels Constituting the Sun’s Upper Transition Region

Over the past thirty years, two bodies of literature have developed in parallel presenting mutually exclusive views of the Sun’s upper transition region. One model holds that the Sun’s upper-transition-region plasmas are confined primarily in hydrostatic funnels with a substantial backheating component. The other model holds that discrete structures, which are effectively isolated from the corona, predominate in the Sun’s upper transition region. Purveyors of the latter position have recently begun to present near-resolved observations of discrete structures. The funnel scenario, in contrast, has only been addressed by modeling unresolved upper transition region emission. To address this paradox we have constructed hydrostatic funnel models and tested them against a wider set of solar observations than previously performed. We reproduce the results of the previous analyses, yet find that the hydrostatic funnels are unable to self-consistently match the wider set of observations against which we test the models. We show that it is not possible for a class of funnels having peak temperatures in the transition region or in the corona to match the observations. We conclude that it is implausible that a class of hydrostatic funnels constitutes the dominant emitting component of the Sun’s upper-transition-region plasmas as has been suggested.
Regioselectivity and memory effects in palladium catalyzed allylic alkylations with bidentate P^PS donor ligands

Abstract A series of complexes, [Pd(η3-C3H5)(P^P S)][SbF6], where P^P S are bidentate bisphosphine monosulfide ligands, were found to catalyze allylic alkylation reactions with high branched:linear selectivity with some ligands. Some of these catalysts also display a regiochemical memory effect, in which the hemilability and rigidity of the P^P S ligands affect the reaction rate and the degree to which a memory effect is observed.
Intake of fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, folate, and vitamins A, C, E and risk of bladder cancer among women (United States).

Objective: To examine the relation between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, folate, and vitamins A, C, E and the risk of bladder cancer in a prospective study of women Methods: A total of 237 incident bladder cancer cases were documented during 20 years of follow-up among 88,796 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. Dietary intake was assessed by food-frequency questionnaires every two to four years and incident diagnosis of bladder cancer was ascertained every two years. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for bladder cancer risk, adjusting for age, pack-years of smoking, current smoking, and total caloric intake. Results: Consumption of total fruits and vegetables was not associated with bladder cancer risk (RR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.70–1.65, for > 5.5 compared to < 2.5 servings per day). Similarly, dietary intakes of carotenoids, folate, and vitamins A, C, E, were not related to bladder cancer risk. No association was observed between supplemental intake of multivitamins, vitamins A, C, E and bladder cancer risk. Conclusions: We did not observe any association for fruit and vegetable consumption or vitamin intake and bladder cancer risk among women.
Probing phosphorylation by non-mammalian isoprenoid biosynthetic enzymes using 1H–31P–31P correlation NMR spectroscopy

The biogenesis of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) is accomplished by the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway in plants, bacteria and parasites, making it a potential target for the development of anti-infective agents and herbicides. The biosynthetic enzymes comprising this pathway catalyze intriguing chemical transformations on diphosphate scaffolds, offering an opportunity to generate novel analogs in this synthetically challenging compound class. Such a biosynthetic approach to generating new diphosphate analogs may involve transformation through discrete diphosphate species, presenting unique challenges in structure determination and characterization of unnatural enzyme-generated diphosphate products produced in tandem. We have developed 1H–31P–31P correlation NMR spectroscopy techniques for the direct characterization of crude MEP pathway enzyme products at low concentrations (200 μM to 5 mM) on a room temperature (non-cryogenic) NMR probe. Coupling the 100% natural abundance of the 31P nucleus with the high intrinsic sensitivity of proton NMR, 1H–31P–31P correlation spectroscopy is particularly useful for characterization of unnatural diphosphate enzyme products in the MEP pathway. As proof of principle, we demonstrate the rapid characterization of natural enzyme products of the enzymes IspD, E and F in tandem enzyme incubations. In addition, we have characterized several unnatural enzyme products using this technique, including new products of cytidyltransferase IspD bearing erythritol, glycerol and ribose components. The results of this study indicate that IspD may be a useful biocatalyst and highlight 1H–31P–31P correlation spectroscopy as a valuable tool for the characterization of other unnatural products in non-mammalian isoprenoid biosynthesis.
Kinetics Model for the Self-Encapsulation of Ag/Al Bilayers

A model is proposed to describe the temperature dependence of the aluminum oxynitride (AlxOyNz) diffusion barrier formation during a silver self-encapsulation process. These barrier layers form in the temperature range of 500–725 °C during anneals of the Ag/Al bilayers on oxidized Si substrates in an ammonia ambient. Experimental results show that temperature has a significant effect on the kinetics of this process. In this investigation, the diffusion of Al atoms through the Ag layers during self-encapsulation process is modeled using an analytical solution to a modified diffusion equation. This model shows that higher anneal temperatures will minimize the retardation effect by i) reducing the chemical affinity between Al and Ag atoms, and ii) allowing more Al atoms to surmount the interfacial energy barrier between the metal layer (Ag) and the newly formed AlxOyNz diffusion barriers. The theoretical predictions on the amount of segregated Al atom correlate well with experimental results from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. This model in addition confirms the self-passivation characteristics of AlxOyNz diffusion barriers formed by Ag/Al bilayers annealed between 500∼725 °C.
Optimal configuration of tetrahedral spacecraft formations

The problem of determining minimum-fuel maneuver sequences for a four-spacecraft formation is considered. The objective of this paper is to find fuel-optimal spacecraft trajectories that transfer four spacecraft from an initial parking orbit to a desired terminal reference orbit while satisfying a set of constraints on the formation at the terminal time. Trajectories involving both one and two allowable maneuvers per spacecraft are considered. The resulting nonlinear optimal control problem is solved numerically using a recently developed direct transcription method called the Gauss pseudospectral method. The results presented in this paper highlight interesting features of the fuel-optimal formation and control. Furthermore, by showing that the discretized first-order optimality conditions from an indirect formulation are satisfied, a post-optimality analysis of the results demonstrates the accuracy and usefulness of the Gauss pseudospectral method.
Tethering Chemistry and K+ Channels

Voltage-gated K+ channels are dynamic macromolecular machines that open and close in response to changes in membrane potential. These multisubunit membrane-embedded proteins are responsible for governing neuronal excitability, maintaining cardiac rhythmicity, and regulating epithelial electrolyte homeostasis. High resolution crystal structures have provided snapshots of K+ channels caught in different states with incriminating molecular detail. Nonetheless, the connection between these static images and the specific trajectories of K+ channel movements is still being resolved by biochemical experimentation. Electrophysiological recordings in the presence of chemical modifying reagents have been a staple in ion channel structure/function studies during both the pre- and post-crystal structure eras. Small molecule tethering agents (chemoselective electrophiles linked to ligands) have proven to be particularly useful tools for defining the architecture and motions of K+ channels. This Minireview examines the synthesis and utilization of chemical tethering agents to probe and manipulate the assembly, structure, function, and molecular movements of voltage-gated K+ channel protein complexes.