cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Couple Perceptions of Their Similarities and Differences: A Dialectical Perspective

This interview study of 27 friendship and 14 romantic pairs examined the dialectical unity of two contradictions: similarity/difference and positivity/negativity. Relationship partners were able to identify phenomena upon which they were similar and upon which they were different. In addition, partners identified phenomena upon which they were both similar and different. Partners were able to identify similarities and differences that were positively valenced in addition to those that were negatively valenced; also, partners identified similarities and differences that were both positive and negative. Similarities and differences involved five kinds of phenomena: personality, leisure pursuits, attitudes and beliefs, communication style, and demographic/family background. Similarities were positive because they were perceived to facilitate communication, provide pleasure/fun, and provide assistance/support. Differences were positive because they contributed to individual growth and the facilitation of comm...
Habitat range and phenotypic variation in salt marsh plants.

Ecologists have long speculated that species with wider environmental ranges would have broader ranges in phenotype; however, most tests of this hypothesis have involved small numbers of species and/or closely related taxa. We related phenotypic variation in twelve salt marsh plant species from six families to variation in four environmental variables using multiple regression. Within species, plant phenotype was predictably related to environmental variation. Salinity was the most common predictor of plant traits, followed by organic content, water content and elevation. Across species, regressions of single plant trait CVs on range (2 × SD) of single environmental variables were not significant and did not support the hypothesis that species occupying broad environmental ranges would have broad ranges in phenotypes. However, regression of a composite phenotypic PCA1 on a composite environmental PCA1 showed a marginally significant (P = 0.054). linear relationship for 10 species. Considering the different patterns of response across species, the lack of a relationship between variation in single phenotypic traits and single environmental variables is likely because the distantly-related taxa employed fundamentally different morphological and physiological strategies to respond to environmental stress gradients. The significant relationship between composite environmental and phenotypic variables reflects the complex nature of species phenotypic response to multivariate environmental gradients. Specifically, in this system, species increase variation in the number of leaves, but decrease variation in leaf size in response to an increase in range of salinity and decrease in range of water and organic content.
Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of a spirobifluorene-linked bisanthracene: a possible simultaneous, two-electron transfer.

We report the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of 2,2′-bis(10-phenylanthracen-9-yl)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-FPA), a dichromophoric molecule composed of two phenylanthracenes linked by a spirobifluorene moiety (PA∼X∼PA). The results are compared to those for 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA), a related molecule with a single chromophore. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) of spiro-FPA shows two reversible, closely spaced, one-electron transfers on both reduction and oxidation, occurring at E°1,red = −2.02, E°2,red = −2.07 V vs SCE and E°1,ox = 1.14, E°2,ox = 1.20 V vs SCE. The potentials for each pair are close enough to appear as a single peak in CV, indicating that the spirobifluorene moiety interrupts conjugation between the redox centers. The potentials observed are similar to those of DPA, which shows E°red = −2.06 V vs SCE and E°ox = 1.15 V vs SCE. The absorbance spectrum of spiro-FPA shows λmax,abs = 377 nm, with ϵ377 = 25 700 M−1 s−1, while DPA exhibited λmax,abs = 374 nm, with ϵ374 = 13 800 M−1 s−1, ...
Interrater agreement of nasal endoscopy in patients with a prior history of endoscopic sinus surgery.

Background: Nasal endoscopy is an important part of the clinical evaluation of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. However, the objectivity and interrater agreement of the procedure related findings have not been well studied, especially in patients who have previously had sinus surgery. Methods: Patients with a history of endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis were prospectively enrolled from a tertiary rhinology practice. Fourteen endoscopic nasal examinations were recorded using digital video capture software. Each patient also underwent computed tomography (CT) and completed the Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22). Blinded review of inflammatory and anatomic findings for each video was independently performed by 5 academic rhinologists at separate institutions. Comparisons were performed using the unweighted Fleiss' kappa statistic (Kf) and the prevalence- and bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK). Results: There were no significant correlations between age, Lund-Mackay score, or SNOT-22 score. Interrater agreement was variable across the characteristics studied. Mean PABAK was excellent for the assessment of polyps (Kf = 0.886); moderate for the assessments of middle turbinate (MT) integrity (Kf = 0.543), MT position (Kf = 0.443), maxillary sinus patency (Kf = 0.593), and ethmoid sinus patency (Kf = 0.429); fair for discharge (Kf = 0.314), synechiae (Kf = 0.257), and middle meatus patency (Kf = 0.229); and poor for MT mucosal changes (Kf = 0.148) and uncinate process (Kf = 0.126). Conclusion: This study was notable for variability in the interrater agreement among the inflammatory and anatomic attributes that were examined. Further standardization of nasal endoscopy with regard to interpretation may improve the reliability of this procedure in clinical practice. ©2012 ARSAAOA, LLC.
Modeling the stretching of microporous membranes

Finite element modeling was used to predict the uni-axial deformation of microporous phase inversion membranes. Pore area, pore aspect ratio, and stress were studied as part of the modeling work. In order to adequately predict the change in pore shape due to the deformation two separate models were constructed. The models were formed in ABAQUS, a finite element solver commonly used for deformation modeling. One model predicts the initial phase of membrane deformation in which pores transition from a random alignment with respect to the direction of stretching to a uniform alignment in the direction of stretching. The second model is used to predict the deformation of the membrane pore structure after all pores have been aligned in the direction of stretching. Both models are successful in capturing the qualitative aspects of membrane deformation when compared to poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane deformation data.
Roles of Smad3 in TGF-β Signaling During Carcinogenesis

Signaling of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is mediated through a heteromeric complex of two types of transmembrane receptors and downstream intracellular proteins known as Smads. Alterations of TGF-beta signaling underlie various forms of human cancer and developmental diseases. Human genetic studies have revealed both point mutations and deletions of Smad2 or Smad4 in several types of cancers. However, the role of Smad3 in tumorigenesis is not clear. Recent data indicate that Smad3 also functions as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. In addition, Smad3 is essential for TGF-beta-mediated immune suppression, and it plays an important role in regulating transcriptional responses that are favorable to metastasis. Therefore, through regulating different transcriptional responses, Smad3 functions as both a negative and positive regulator of carcinogenesis depending on cell type and clinical stage of the tumor.
A study of automation from seed URL generation to focused web archive development: the CTRnet context

In the event of emergencies and disasters, massive amounts of web resources are generated and shared. Due to the rapidly changing nature of those resources, it is important to start archiving them as soon as a disaster occurs. This led us to develop a prototype system for constructing archives with minimum human intervention using the seed URLs extracted from tweet collections. We present the details of our prototype system. We applied it to five tweet collections that had been developed in advance, for evaluation. We also identify five categories of non- relevant files and conclude with a discussion of findings from the evaluation.
Political Democracy as a Property of Political Institutions

The paper contends that political democracy is a matter of degree, a variable property of political institutions. An index for this property, Q, measures the extent to which complex institutions approximate a generalized definition of majority-rule (e.g. that losing coalitions must be smaller than winning or blocking ones.) This index for degrees of political democracy is in turn treated as a function of simpler structural variables, such as decision-rule, the sizes of veto groups, the sizes of groups excluded from decision-making, and simple patterns of representation. Finally, it is suggested that there is no necessity that more democracy produce more satisfaction with outcomes, but that this property does set a “maxi-min” constraint on rates of satisfaction: the more democratic an institution, the larger is the smallest possible proportion of a group (or “domain”) which can be satisfied with any single (binary) outcome.
Rates of DNA-Mediated Electron Transfer Between Metallointercalators

Ultrafast emission and absorption spectroscopies were used to measure the kinetics of DNA-mediated electron transfer reactions between metal complexes intercalated into DNA. In the presence of rhodium(III) acceptor, a substantial fraction of photoexcited donor exhibits fast oxidative quenching (>3 × 10^(10) per second). Transient-absorption experiments indicate that, for a series of donors, the majority of back electron transfer is also very fast (∼10^(10) per second). This rate is independent of the loading of acceptors on the helix, but is sensitive to sequence and π stacking. The cooperative binding of donor and acceptor is considered unlikely on the basis of structural models and DNA photocleavage studies of binding. These data show that the DNA double helix differs significantly from proteins as a bridge for electron transfer.
The genetics of visual system development in Drosophila: specification, connectivity and asymmetry

Encoding visual information requires a complex neuronal network. Recently, genes regulating early tissue specification, the growth of retinal target structures, the connectivity of photoreceptor axons, and mirror-image retinal symmetry in Drosophila have been identified. The insights gained from studying visual system development in flies promise to inform our understanding of similar processes in vertebrates.
Acute Kidney Injury Is Associated With Increased Long-Term Mortality After Cardiothoracic Surgery

Background—Long-term survival after acute kidney injury (AKI) is poorly studied. We report the relationship between long-term mortality and AKI with small changes in serum creatinine during hospitalization after various cardiothoracic surgery procedures. Methods and Results—This was a retrospective study of 2973 patients with no history of chronic kidney disease who were discharged from the hospital after cardiothoracic surgery between 1992 and 2002. AKI was defined by the RIFLE classification (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, and End stage), which requires at least a 50% increase in serum creatinine and stratifies patients into 3 grades of AKI: Risk, injury, and failure. Patient survival was determined through the National Social Security Death Index. Long-term survival was analyzed with a risk-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression model. Survival was worse among patients with AKI and was proportional to its severity, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.23 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.42) for the least severe RIFLE risk class and 2.14 (95% CI 1.73 to 2.66) for the RIFLE failure class compared with patients without AKI. Survival was worse among all subgroups of cardiothoracic surgery with AKI except for valve surgery. Patients with complete renal recovery after AKI still had an increased adjusted hazard ratio for death of 1.28 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.48) compared with patients without AKI. Conclusions—The risk of death associated with AKI after cardiothoracic surgery remains high for 10 years regardless of other risk factors, even for those patients with complete renal recovery. Improved renal protection and closer postdischarge follow-up of renal function may be warranted. (Circulation. 2009;119:2444-2453.)
Distinct domains of Bcl-XL are involved in Bax and Bad antagonism and in apoptosis inhibition

Abstract Pro-survival factor Bcl-X L can antagonize the pro-apoptotic functions of Bax and Bad via two distinct mechanisms. It can block Bax-mediated cell death by preventing Bax translocation from the cytosol to mitochondria. On the other hand, Bcl-X L can neutralize Bad by sequestering it to mitochondria. In order to map the domains of Bcl-X L involved in inhibiting Bax and Bad, we have carried out mutational analyses of this protein. This was done by deleting the key domains of Bcl-X L , including its BH1-4 domains, the flexible loop, the C-terminal hydrophobic domain, and segments of the α5–α6 hairpin. The resulting Bcl-X L mutant constructs were then co-transfected with either GFP-Bax or GFP-Bad. We found that the BH1-4 domains and the C-terminal segment of Bcl-X L were essential for blocking Bax localization to mitochondria. On the other hand, only its BH1 and BH3 domains and the C-terminal hydrophobic segment were necessary for sequestering Bad to mitochondria. In addition, by immunoprecipitation analyses, we found that these deletions differentially affected the ability of the Bcl-X L mutant proteins to bind Bax and Bad. Finally, cell viability assays indicated that the BH1-4 domains of Bcl-X L were the primary domains required for inhibiting staurosporine-induced apoptosis, suggesting that distinct domains of Bcl-X L are involved in antagonizing Bax and Bad and in apoptosis inhibition.
Dermatologic Complications of Chronic Venous Disease: Medical Management and Beyond

Patients with venous insufficiency commonly develop complications which can result in significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Venous leg ulcers, the most prevalent type of lower extremity ulcer, are the most frequent sequela of venous insufficiency and negatively affect quality of life for the patient. Most have focused on venous ulceration, but other complications may arise including dermatitis, atrophie blanche, lipodermatosclerosis, and malignancy. Contact dermatitis is a common complication seen in the treatment of venous disease. Patients with venous insufficiency have a disrupted epidermal barrier, making them more susceptible than the general population to contact sensitization and subsequent dermatitis. Venous dermatitis is often the first manifestation of venous insufficiency and needs to be addressed promptly. Atrophie blanche, an end point of a variety of conditions, appears as atrophic plaques of ivory white skin with telangiectasias. Lipodermatosclerosis is an indurated plaque in the medial malleolus which can, at times, be quite tender and painful. Malignant degeneration is a rare but important complication of venous disease since tumors which develop in the setting of an ulcer tend to be more aggressive. Pain is a feature of venous disease often overlooked and commonly undertreated. Finally, psychosocial issues such as anxiety and depression are more common in patients with venous disease and should be adequately addressed. Recognizing these complications of chronic venous insufficiency is important as early intervention is the key to preventing unnecessary patient suffering and discomfort.
Looking at Favorable and Unfavorable Superior-Subordinate Relationships Through Dominance and Affiliation Lenses

Subordinates’ perceptions of the quality of their superiors are considered. Relational framing theory and leader-member exchange theory are utilized to understand forces that influence subordinates...
Imperial Japan at its Zenith

Kenneth Ruoff, Imperial Japan at its Zenith (2010), 288 (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, $39.95). Through his carefully researched and provocative study of Japan's 2600th anniversary celebration,...
Structure and magnetic anisotropy of amorphous Gd-Co films

It is found that the structure of amorphous Gd-Co films, as revealed by x-ray diffraction, is correlated with the magnitude of bias voltage present during the sputter deposition. Films sputter deposited with zero bias voltage typically show one broad peak in an x-ray diffraction spectrum, and films sputter deposited with -100 volts bias show two broad peaks with a shoulder between them. These structural differences appear to be related to the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in these films.
The 3' stem loop of the West Nile virus genomic RNA can suppress translation of chimeric mRNAs.

Cis-acting elements that regulate translation have been identified in the 3' noncoding regions (NCRs) of cellular and viral mRNAs. As one means of analyzing the effect on translation of the conserved 3' terminal RNA structure of the West Nile virus (WNV) genome, the translation efficiencies of chimeric mRNAs composed of a CAT reporter gene flanked by viral or nonviral 5' and 3' terminal sequences were compared. In vitro, the WNV 3'(+) stem loop (SL) RNA reduced the translation efficiencies of chimeric mRNAs with either viral or nonviral 5' NCRs, suggesting that a specific 3'-5' RNA-RNA interaction was not involved. In contrast, the 3' terminal sequence of a togavirus, rubella virus, enhanced translation efficiency. The WNV 3'(+)SL reduced translation efficiency both in cis and in trans and of both capped and uncapped chimeric mRNAs. We have previously reported that three cellular proteins bind specifically to the WNV 3'(+)SL RNA. Competition between the WNV 3'(+)SL and the 5' terminus of the chimeric mRNAs for proteins involved in translation initiation could explain the translation inhibition observed.
Buchnera Plasmid-Associated trpEG Probably Originated from a Chromosomal Location Between hsIU and fpr

Buchnera are prokaryotic endosymbionts found in most aphids. One of their functions is the synthesis of the essential amino acid tryptophan for the aphid host. In Buchnera from some aphids that have a long development time, trpEG, which encodes the first enzyme of the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway (anthranilate synthase), is found as one copy on the endosymbiont chromosome and is located between hsIU and fpr. In Buchnera from Schizaphis graminum, which has a short development time, trpEG is amplified on plasmids. We have cloned and sequenced a 4.1-kb DNA fragment from Buchnera of S. graminum and have found the gene order hsIU-ibp-fpr-yjeA-kdtB. The proximity of hsIU and fpr is consistent with the excision, in an endosymbiont ancestor, of trpEG from a location between these two genes, with the excision either followed or preceded by acquisition of ibp.
Ontogenetic changes in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase activity in soybean leaves

Abstract Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase and oxygenase (EC 4.1.1.39) activities were measured during ontogenesis of soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. ‘Amsoy 71’] leaves. Separate carboxylase and oxygenase assays indicated that the carboxylase activity peaked, whereas the oxygenase activity varied very little over the life of a leaf. The carboxylase to oxygenase ratio was slightly upwardly linear with time. However, simultaneous assays, in which carboxylase activity was estimated radioisotopically while oxygenase activity was estimated polarographically, revealed that the carboxylase to oxygenase ratio increased rapidly during leaf expansion, then remained constant for most of the leaf's functional lifetime before declining as the leaf senesced. The change in the carboxylase to oxygenase ratio seemed to be caused by a greater fluctuation in the carboxylase activity rather than in the oxygenase activity.
48-h Hypoxic exposure results in endothelium-dependent systemic vascular smooth muscle cell hyperpolarization

Chronic hypoxia (CH) results in reduced sensitivity to vasoconstrictors in conscious rats that persists upon restoration of normoxia. We hypothesized that this effect is due to endothelium-dependen...
Measuring the Health of The School Climate: A Conceptual Framework

Is your school a good place to work? Is it a good place to be a student? A teacher? A principal? It may be time to evaluate the climate of your school.
Full-building radiation shielding for climate control in desert regions

The efficacy of full-building radiation barriers for use in climate control has been analyzed both analytically and experimentally. The mutually reinforcing results suggest that heat transfer through corrugated metal roofs can be dramatically reduced through the use of inexpensive, highly reflective sheets. The experiments were performed on two types of structures, one with a single metal roof and the other fabricated with a dual-roof system. In both cases, it was found that the radiative barriers provide excellent insulation. The reduction of heat transfer from the roof to the building proper was determined both analytically and through experiment. The excellent agreement between the two solution methods suggest that either technique is sufficient for future use.
Creativity and Masculinity-Femininity in Ninth Graders

656 urban ninth-grade boys and girls were categorized by sex and as high- or low-creatives on the basis of their scores on the Revised Art Scale (RA) of the Welsh Figure Preference Tests (WFPT). Ms and SDs were calculated for all four groups on the following masculinity-femininity (mf) scales: WFPT Female-Male (FM), MMPI Mf, CPI Fe, and Nichols' Subtle and Obvious. (High scores on all mf scales are feminine.) Significance of the differences between the mf means of high- and low-creative boys and of high- and low-creative girls were calculated. On FM, both the high-creative boys and girls scored significantly higher (p < .001) than the low-creatives. There were no significant differences between high- and low-creative boys on other mf scales. High-creative girls had lower Ms than low-creatives on Subtle (p < .001), Obvious (p < .05), and Mf (p < .01), although absolute differences were small.
Wiener kernel analysis of responses from anteroventral cochlear nucleus neurons

Abstract Responses to pseudo-random Gaussian white noise, tones and clicks were recorded from neurons in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) of barbiturate anesthetized cats. The responses to white noise were used to calculate estimates of the zero-, first- and second-order Wiener kernels for these neurons. The Wiener kernels did contain useful information on the fundamental, DC and second harmonic components of the responses of AVCN neurons to tones, clicks and noise. However, they generally did not provide predictions of the difference tone distortion products found in the peripheral auditory system. Overall, the addition of the second kernel improved a prediction based on the zero- and first-order kernels, but not by very much. If the estimates of the Wiener kernels were not very good, then a second-order prediction could be worse than a first-order one. To produce good estimates of the Wiener kernels, many repetitions of very long Gaussian white noise stimuli are necessary. Therefore the technique does not permit rapid data collection. Further, exposure to long duration high intensity noise can result in acoustic trauma. This damage affects the mechanism that generates the difference tone distortion products, and it can also affect the tuning of the auditory neurons. Thus Wiener's nonlinear system identification theory has only limited usefulness in the analysis of the peripheral auditory system.
Full service access networks: experimental realization and performance

This paper describes how an experimental full services access network has been constructed at BT Labs and presents views on how its performance could be improved to meet the reliability and traffic loading requirements expected in real applications such as fiber to the business and fiber to the cabinet. The experimental network included: asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch, an ATM passive optical network (PON), very high speed digital subscriber loop (VDSL) customer drop and ATM forum 25 Mbit/s customer network. The design and realization of the VDSL customer drop, the signaling system and the interfaces between the system elements formed a major part of the design and construction work at BT Labs. The ability to cope with varying service demand and achieving the necessary quality of service are important requirements for roll-out systems. This paper describes how these requirements could be met in the design of future proprietary equipment.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Cause of Discoloration of Hard Cooked Egg Rolls

SUMMARY: The brownish discoloration of coagulated albumen in hard cooked egg rolls by ultraviolet (UV) radiation involves the splitting and conformation changes of the peptide chain as suggested by an increase in the amount of nonprotein nitrogen and aromatic amino acids. The presence of water was essential in the development of discoloration, indicating that hydroperoxides and/or peroxides produced from water by the action of UV radiation could cause oxidation of tryptophan. The oxidative type of reaction was confirmed by the development of a similar brown color when coagulated albumen was heated in the presence of oxidizing agents. The discoloration could be prevented by reducing agents, however, once the color has been developed the agents become ineffective. Therefore, a two step mechanism was suggested for the UV discoloration of coagulated albumen: first, the peptide chain is hydrolyzed resulting in an increase in the amount of tryptophan available; second, the tryptophan molecule is oxidized producing a brown color.
Monosaccharide acceptor substrate specificity of dextransucrase

Abstract The acceptor substrate specificity of dextransucrase from Streptococcus sanguis 10558 was examined utilizing analogs of methyl-α- d -glucopyranoside. The analogs include a series of α-methyl glycosides of several epimers, derivatives blocked at position 6, 6 blocked epimers, several β-methyl derivatives, and L-sugars. The products formed during reactions between the analogs, the enzyme and radiolabeled sucrose were separated by paper chromatography. This analysis permitted the simultaneous evaluation of transfer as well as polymerization reaction. All analogs examined served as acceptors with varying degrees of effectiveness. From the data obtained, a rough model for interaction of the enzyme with acceptors is proposed. Structural modifications at C2 and C4 produced the most significant alteration in the ability to serve as acceptors, and also inhibited the total catalytic activity of the enzyme. The enzyme is capable of using sugars in either 4 C 1 or 1 C 4 conformations. In addition, sugars blocked at C6, the normal site of glucose addition, can serve as good acceptors and therefore probably bind to the enzyme in a different orientation. The broad spectrum of analogs that can serve as acceptor suggests that the acceptor site has some flexibility.
Approximate percentiles for ratios of f-variates

The need for percentiles of ratios of independent F-variates arises in many types of applications. Some tabulated values are available mostly for equal or nearly equal degrees-of-freedom cases, but it is not possible to provide comprehensive tables for the numerous combinations of possible degrees-of-freedom and probability levels. A simple approximation for the percentiles based on the Cornish-Fisher expansion technique is provided which is adequate for larger degrees-of-freedom and a more complicated approximation is provided which is suitable for all cases. The accuracy of the approximation is shown over a wide range of typical cases
Geo-informational simulation of possible changes in Central Asian water resources

Abstract This study simulates water resources in the Tien Shan alpine basins to forecast how global and regional climate changes would affect river runoff. The model employed annual mean values for the major characteristics of the water cycle: annual air temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration and river runoff. The simulation was based on 304 hydro-meteorological stations, 23 precipitation sites, 328 high altitudinal points with glaciological measurements, 123 stream-gauges, and 54 evaporation sites, and it took into account topography. The findings were simulated over Tien Shan relief using a 1:500,000 scale 100 m grid resolution Digital Elevation Model. An applicable GIS-based distributed River Runoff Model was implemented in regional conditions and tested in the Tien Shan basins. The annual evapotranspiration exceeds the river runoff in the Tien Shan watersheds particularly up to 3700 m. Hypothetical climate-change scenarios in the Tien Shan predict that by 2100 river runoff will increase by 1.047 times with an increase in air temperature averaging 3 °C and an increase in precipitation averaging 1.2 times the current levels. Change in precipitation, rather than temperature, is the main parameter determining river runoff in the Tien Shan. The maximum ratio for predicted river runoff could reach up to 2.2 and the minimum is predicted to be 0.55 times current levels. This possibly dramatic change in river runoff indicates on non-linear system response caused mainly by the non-linear response of evapotranspiration from air temperature and precipitation changes. In the frame of forecasted possible climate change scenarios the probability of river runoff growth amounts 83–87% and probability of this decline is 17–13% by 2100 in the Tien Shan River basins.
Synovial osteochondromatosis. A brief review

An unusual clinical finding is presented with a brief review of the literature. Synovial osteochondromatosis is typically a benign process involving metaplasia of the synovial intima and the formation of cartilaginous nodules that may eventually become ossified. Synovial osteochondromatosis should always be considered as a differential diagnosis whenever a patient presents with pain, swelling, and loss of function at or around a joint. Chondrosarcoma has been misdiagnosed, leading to radical and unnecessary amputation, because synovial osteochondromatosis has not been considered. Alternatively, synovial osteochondromatosis may degenerate to or be associated with a malignant process. When radiographs or more sophisticated investigative procedures, such as magnetic resonance imaging, fail to provide a conclusive answer, histologic findings provide the definitive diagnosis.
Seeing What They Want to See: Racism and Leadership Development in Urban Schools

This critical race theory (CRT)-framed qualitative study (n = 9) examined racism within a context of urban teacher leadership development. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with three White principals, who each identified one White and one African American teacher as “most promising” leadership potential. These teachers were interviewed, leading to analysis of principal support and teacher perceptions of being supported. The findings clarify principals who adopted a language of equity, while simultaneously arguing that their White teachers were more effective (based erroneously on the belief that the White teachers’ students had higher test scores). The African American teachers, on the other hand, were framed as experts in culturally responsive approaches, given increased teaching responsibilities, and not provided similar leadership opportunities. This difference in opportunities and expectations had lasting impacts on the African American teachers, who internalized the lack of resources and negative messages they received from their principals. The paper concludes with CRT implications for inclusive leadership development processes.
Two-dimensional echocardiography for evaluation of metastatic cardiac tumors in pediatric patients

We have studied five patients with metastatic cancer in whom two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) demonstrated cardiac or pericardial involvement. Echo studies may guide the clinician in instituting and/or modifying cardiac and cancer therapy in such patients.
Anionic Polysaccharide Sorption by Clay Minerals

An influence of clay mineral composition on C turnover in surface soils is widely assumed but poorly documented. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of various clay minerals on polysaccharide sorption under different environmental conditions, including pH, ionic strength, and cation type. Xanthan, an anionic polysaccharide produced by Xanthomonas campestris, was used to represent soil microbial exopolysaccharides. Highly significant effects (P > F < 0.0001) were observed for type of clay mineral, pH, xanthan concentration, and electrolyte concentration. Sorption decreased with increase in pH from 3 to 8, consistent with an increase in the negative charge of both the clay surface and xanthan molecules. The presence of 10 mmol L -1 Ca(NO 3 ) 2 made sorption possible at pH values above the pKa of xanthan. Divalent cations (Sr 2+ , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ ) enhanced sorption to a greater degree than monovalent cations (K + , Na + , and Li + ) at the same ionic strength, indicating that cations participated in the binding of xanthan to clay surfaces. Generally, sorption was smallest with kaolinite and greatest with a low-charge (0.62 e layer charge per unit cell) smectite where layer charge originated mostly in the tetrahedral positions. Average sorption was two times greater for smectite than for kaolinite, indicating that clay mineral composition influenced polysaccharide sorption; however, contributions may not be significant on a field scale.
Returns to returning

We examine the labor market performance of return migrants using the Hungarian Household Panel Survey. Two distinct selection issues are considered in the estimation of the earnings equation; we implement a natural method using MLE. The result that there is a “premium” to work experience abroad for women is robust across the models we considered. For men, the return to working abroad is not generally significant.
Medical negligence lawsuits relating to labor and delivery

Most allegations in obstetric lawsuits against obstetrician-gynecologists relate in some manner to the management of labor and delivery; few solely involve perceived flaws in prenatal or postpartum care. Although many of these cases accuse the defendant of not having properly monitored the fetus during labor for signs of oxygen deprivation, there is in most cases an underlying allegation regarding proper decision making about the timing and route of delivery. A perspective on accusations relating to the failure to identify or to act on intrapartum asphyxia has been presented elsewhere in this issue. This article focuses on legal allegations that arise from the conduct of labor and the timing of delivery, independent of those related to fetal monitoring.
Influences of urban land use on the frequency of scorpion stings in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area

Abstract Between 3000 and 4000 people report being stung by scorpions each year in the Phoenix, AZ, metropolitan area, but the frequency of stings is not distributed evenly across the metropolitan area: certain areas consistently exhibit higher numbers of scorpion stings than the other parts of the city. I overlaid data from the Phoenix Samaritan Regional Poison Center about the number of scorpion stings per ZIP Code onto a Geographic Information System coverage of land use in the Phoenix metropolitan area. I then compared the types and amounts of land use among ZIP Codes that differed in the number of scorpion stings. The number and geographic location of scorpion stings in the Phoenix metropolitan area were reflected in the presence and abundance of some forms of urban land use. In particular, density of single-family homes and proximity to undeveloped open space were good predictors of the frequency of scorpion stings. These results may be useful to potential home-buyers by making them aware of areas that are at higher risk of scorpion encounters. This information may also be helpful to land use planners and developers in the cost-benefit analysis of deciding how and where future development in Phoenix should occur. One recommendation for future urban development is to consider how high-density housing (≥6 dwellings per acre) may minimize human–scorpion encounters.
Levels-of-processing effect on word recognition in schizophrenia

Abstract Background Individuals with schizophrenia have difficulty organizing words semantically to facilitate encoding. This is commonly attributed to organizational rather than semantic processing limitations. By requiring participants to classify and encode words on either a shallow (e.g., uppercase/lowercase) or deep level (e.g., concrete/abstract), the levels-of-processing paradigm eliminates the need to generate organizational strategies. Methods This paradigm was administered to 30 patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy comparison subjects to test whether providing a strategy would improve patient performance. Results Word classification during shallow and deep encoding was slower and less accurate in patients. Patients also responded slowly during recognition testing and maintained a more conservative response bias following deep encoding; however, both groups showed a robust levels-of-processing effect on recognition accuracy, with unimpaired patient performance following both shallow and deep encoding. Conclusions This normal levels-of-processing effect in the patient sample suggests that semantic processing is sufficiently intact for patients to benefit from organizational cues. Memory remediation efforts may therefore be most successful if they focus on teaching patients to form organizational strategies during initial encoding.
Characterization of horse cytochrome c expressed in Escherichia coli.

We have expressed horse cytochrome c in Escherichia coli. The gene was designed with E. coli codon bias and assembled by using a recursive polymerase chain reaction method. The far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet/Soret circular dichroism (CD) spectra show that the structure of recombinant horse cytochrome c is the same as that of the authentic protein. CD-detected thermal denaturation studies were used to measure the thermodynamic parameters associated with two-state denaturation. The free energy of denaturation for the recombinant protein is 10.0 +/- 2.3 kcal mol(-1) at pH 4.6 and 25 degrees C, which agrees with the value for the authentic protein. The expression system will help advance our understanding of the roles of cytochrome c in electron transfer, oxidative stress, and apoptosis by allowing the production of protein variants.
The Development of an Oil-Immersed Surge Arrester for Distribution Transformers

The recent development of an oil- immersed, zinc oxide surge arrester meets a need for distribution transformer protection that is immune to environmental factors that frequently cause premature failure of conventional external arresters. This paper describes the design philosophy used to determine the requirements for this device and the tests performed to assure that they were satisfactory. Also discussed are benefits that this unique arrester provides in the form of improved reliability and cost effective surge protection of overhead and underground power distribution systems.
E6AP and calmodulin reciprocally regulate estrogen receptor stability.

Estrogen promotes the proliferation of human breast epithelial cells by interacting with the estrogen receptor (ER). Physiological responses of cells to estrogen are regulated in part by degradation of the ER. Previous studies revealed that calmodulin binds directly to the ER, thereby enhancing its stability. Consistent with these findings, cell-permeable calmodulin antagonists dramatically reduced the number of ER in MCF-7 human breast epithelial cells. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism by which calmodulin attenuates ER degradation. MG132 and lactacystin, inhibitors of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, prevented the calmodulin antagonist CGS9343B from reducing the amount of ER in MCF-7 cells. In contrast, protease inhibitors afforded no protection. Moreover, CGS9343B enhanced ER ubiquitination. A point mutant ER construct that is unable to bind calmodulin, termed ERΔCaM, is ubiquitinated to a greater extent than wild type ER. The ubiquitin-protein isopeptide ligase E6-associated protein (E6AP) associated with and promoted the degradation of ER. The possible convergence of calmodulin and E6AP on ER degradation was examined. ERΔCaM bound E6AP with higher affinity than that of wild type ER. Moreover, calmodulin attenuated the in vitro interaction between ER and E6AP in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Collectively, our data reveal that E6AP is a component of ER degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and that Ca2+/calmodulin modulates this degradation mechanism. These results have potential implications for the development of selectively targeted therapeutic agents for breast cancer.
Mcl-1 promotes survival of thymocytes by inhibition of Bak in a pathway separate from Bcl-2

The antiapoptotic proteins Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 have been shown to be critical in T-cell development and homeostasis, but the precise mechanism by which these proteins function in T cells and other cells of the body is unclear. Potential mechanisms have allowed both for overlapping and unique roles for these proteins because of their abilities to bind different proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members, but it is unclear which of these mechanisms are important in an in vivo context. By generation of various genetic mouse models, we found that Mcl-1-deficient thymocytes die largely by a Bak-specific mechanism. In vivo deletion of Bak rescued the survival and developmental blocks of Mcl-1-deficient thymocytes at the double-negative and single-positive stages. Transgenic overexpression of Bcl-2 and in vivo deletion of Bax or Bim were unable to rescue Mcl-1-deficient thymocytes. Thus, Mcl-1 functions in a unique pathway from Bcl-2 in T lymphocytes, likely because of its specific ability to bind and sequester proapoptotic Bak. Together, these data provide an in vivo model for Mcl-1 activity and present us with a greater understanding of the pathways that promote thymocyte survival.
Crushing an elastic-perfectly plastic ring between two point loads

Abstract A thin ring with elastic-perfectly plastic moment curvature relation is crushed by two point loads. The non-linear governing equations are solved by perturbations and numerical integrations. It is found that the ring may have none, one or two pairs of plastic hinges depending on the normalized force and λ a non-dimensional parameter characterizing plasticity. Sudden collapse of the ring is possible. Partial spring-back due to irreversibility is determined.
Crustal Extension between the Tonga and Lau Ridges: Petrologic and Geophysical Evidence

The Lau Basin, which lies between the Tonga and Lau Ridges, is characterized by an absence of sediment, high but variable heat flow, and a confused magnetic anomaly pattern. A ridge 300 km long and 40 km wide runs northwest-southeast through the western part of the basin. This ridge is composed of fresh tholeiitic basalt and is associated with a linear band of shallow-focus earthquakes ( The geophysical and geological data are interpreted within the framework of the theory of plate tectonics. It is suggested that the ridge and related earthquake epicenters mark the boundary between the India plate and a much smaller plate, the Tonga plate, which lies between the India plate and the Tonga Trench. The boundary is a transform fault marking the direction of motion of the two plates. A revised crustal consumption rate of 11 cm/yr for the Tonga Trench is required if the Tonga-India plate separation is added to the India-Pacific plate convergence. Continued NW-SE dilation and basalt intrusion during the past 10 m.y. has separated the Tonga and Lau Ridges and can explain the fresh basalt, the absence of sediment, and the high heat flow in the Lau Basin. This basin, although lying below the ridges on either side, has an average elevation more than 3,000 m above that of the deep Pacific. Intrusion of hot material at the center of the basin can account for this increase in elevation. The classic concept of the “andesite line,” separating oceanic and continental crust, clearly has no meaning as an indication of crustal type, as oceanic crust can be generated behind island arcs.
Correlates of Controlled Hypertension in Indigent, Inner-City Hypertensive Patients

To identify correlates of controlled hypertension in a largely minority population of treated hypertensive patients. Case-control study. Urban, public hospital. Control subjects had a mean blood pressure (BP) of 130/80 mm Hg and case subjects had a mean BP of 193/106 mm Hg. Baseline demographic characteristics between the 88 case and the 133 control subjects were not significantly different. In a logistic regression model, after adjusting for age, gender, race, education, owning a telephone, and family income, controlled hypertension was associated with having a regular source of care (odds ratio [OR] 7.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.86, 16.29), having been to a doctor in the previous 6 months (OR 4.81; 1.14, 20.31), reporting that cost was not a deterrent to buying their antihypertensive medication (OR 3.63; 1.59, 8.28), and having insurance (OR 2.15; 1.02, 4.52). Being compliant with antihypertensive medication regimens was of borderline significance (OR 1.96; 0.99, 3.88). A secondary analysis found that patients with Medicaid coverage were significantly less likely than the uninsured to report cost as a barrier to purchasing antihypertensive medications and seeing a physician. The absence of out-of-pocket expenditures under Medicaid for medications and physician care may contribute significantly to BP control. Improved access to a regular source of care and increased sensitivity to medication costs for all patients may lead to improved BP control in an indigent, inner-city population.
A model for the simulation of coupled flow-bed form evolution in turbulent flows

[1] We develop a three-dimensional numerical model to simulate bed form dynamics in a turbulent boundary layer. In the numerical model, hydrodynamics is solved in a moving generalized boundary-fitted curvilinear coordinate system, such that the domain boundary exactly follows complex time-dependent bed form geometry. The resolved turbulent features are computed via large-eddy simulation, while the subgrid scale turbulent motions are modeled with a dynamic mixed model. A second-order accurate arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian method is used to guarantee conservation of sediment mass, while the grid moves arbitrarily due to the motion of the bed. Transport of suspended load is modeled using the Eulerian approach with a pickup function as the bottom boundary condition for sediment entrainment at the bed. Transport of bed load and suspended load are combined in a mass balance equation for the bed, which evolves due to the spatiotemporally varying bed stress induced by the turbulent flow field above the bed and gravity (gravity-induced avalanche flow). Motion of the bed in turn affects the flow field in a coupled hydrodynamic moving bed simulation, in which bed features evolve due to resolved details of the turbulent flow. We compare different bed elevation models and demonstrate the capability of the present model through simulation of sand ripple formation and evolution induced by turbulence in an oscillatory flow. A resolution study demonstrates the need for fine grid resolution to resolve a bulk of the near-wall turbulence, which is essential for bed form initiation.