cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nerve growth factor administration protects against experimental diabetic sensory neuropathy

Abstract Small fiber sensory neuropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. Currently there is no adequate therapy to prevent this often debilitating problem. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a protein that promotes the survival and integrity of a large percentage of sensory neurons including the small fiber pain transmitting neurons which are often prominently affected in diabetic neuropathy. We report here that exogenously administered NGF is capable of preventing the behavioral and biochemical manifestations of diabetic sensory neuropathy in a streptozocin induced rat model. NGF administration prevented the elevation of tailflick threshold (a measure of the rat's response to a thermal noxious stimulus) which occured in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Further, it prevented the induced reduction in levels of the neurpeptides substance P and calcitonin gene related peptide measured from cervical dorsal root ganglia. Finally, NGF did not ameliorate the prolonged latency of the compound action potentials measured from the caudal nerve of the tail. In view of these results, a clinical trial of NGF in diabetic neuropathy has now commenced.
Incidence of familial intracranial aneurysms in 200 patients: comparison among Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic populations.

OBJECTIVE: Although the cause of cerebral aneurysms remains unclear, there is clear evidence that genetic predisposition plays a role. Ten percent of patients report an aneurysm in a first-degree family member. However, studies to date have largely involved Caucasian populations. Our goal was to characterize the familial aggregation of intracranial aneurysms in different ethnic groups. METHODS: We began a prospective, single-center study on patients treated for intracranial aneurysms. Consenting subjects completed a detailed questionnaire regarding the medical history of family members. In familles with two or more affected members, asymptomatic first-degree relatives were screened using computed tomographic or magnetic resonance angiography. RESULTS: In a 2-year period, 292 patients with intracranial aneurysms were treated and 200 were enrolled; these included 124 Caucasians (62%), 34 African-Americans (17%), 38 Hispanics (19%), and 4 Asian-Americans (2%). Forty patients had a famity history (20%). The incidence of family history among the different ethnic groups was similar; it was 19.4% in Caucasians, 20.6% in African-Americans, and 21.6% in Hispanics. One Asian-American patient had a family history. Visual inspection of the pedigrees supported autosomal-dominant inheritance with variable penetrance in all ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: This study examined the incidence of familial cerebral aneurysms in three ethnic groups common to the United States: Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic. We noted an equivalent rate of familial aneurysms, a finding that has immediate clinical implications. In families that have two or more members with cerebral aneurysms, screening of asymptomatic members should be recommended, regardless of ethnic background.
Arogenate Dehydratase Isoenzymes Profoundly and Differentially Modulate Carbon Flux into Lignins

How carbon flux differentially occurs in vascular plants following photosynthesis for protein formation, phenylpropanoid metabolism (i.e. lignins), and other metabolic processes is not well understood. Our previous discovery/deduction that a six-membered arogenate dehydratase (ADT1–6) gene family encodes the final step in Phe biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana raised the fascinating question whether individual ADT isoenzymes (or combinations thereof) differentially modulated carbon flux to lignins, proteins, etc. If so, unlike all other lignin pathway manipulations that target cell wall/cytosolic processes, this would be the first example of a plastid (chloroplast)-associated metabolic process influencing cell wall formation. Homozygous T-DNA insertion lines were thus obtained for five of the six ADTs and used to generate double, triple, and quadruple knockouts (KOs) in different combinations. The various mutants so obtained gave phenotypes with profound but distinct reductions in lignin amounts, encompassing a range spanning from near wild type levels to reductions of up to ∼68%. In the various KOs, there were also marked changes in guaiacyl:syringyl ratios ranging from ∼3:1 to 1:1, respectively; these changes were attributed to differential carbon flux into vascular bundles versus that into fiber cells. Laser microscope dissection/pyrolysis GC/MS, histochemical staining/lignin analyses, and pADT::GUS localization indicated that ADT5 preferentially affects carbon flux into the vascular bundles, whereas the adt3456 knock-out additionally greatly reduced carbon flux into fiber cells. This plastid-localized metabolic step can thus profoundly differentially affect carbon flux into lignins in distinct anatomical regions and provides incisive new insight into different factors affecting guaiacyl:syringyl ratios and lignin primary structure.
Forest dynamics and the importance of place in western Honduras

Abstract Analyses of landscape change using remotely sensed satellite imagery constitute a large component of forest transition research, allowing for assessments of large areas. In the western highlands of Honduras is an area of complex forest dynamics (∼45,000 ha) that has seen significant forest regeneration in recent years. However, analysis of the larger region (∼500,000 ha) shows net forest loss. The comparative aspects highlight the importance of site selection and scale in forest transition analysis, a process often ignored in the land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) and forest transition literature. Results also highlight the importance of analyzing human-induced fragmentation at a variety of selected sites and a range of spatial scales, and producing quality, accurate forest cover and change maps.
Defective Interplay of Activators and Repressors with TFIIH in Xeroderma Pigmentosum

Inherited mutations of the TFIIH helicase subunits xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) B or XPD yield overlapping DNA repair and transcription syndromes. The high risk of cancer in these patients is not fully explained by the repair defect. The transcription defect is subtle and has proven more difficult to evaluate. Here, XPB and XPD mutations are shown to block transcription activation by the FUSE Binding Protein (FBP), a regulator of c-myc expression, and repression by the FBP Interacting Repressor (FIR). Through TFIIH, FBP facilitates transcription until promoter escape, whereas after initiation, FIR uses TFIIH to delay promoter escape. Mutations in TFIIH that impair regulation by FBP and FIR affect proper regulation of c-myc expression and have implications in the development of malignancy.
L1 Interaction with Ankyrin Regulates Mediolateral Topography in the Retinocollicular Projection

Dynamic modulation of adhesion provided by anchorage of axonal receptors with the cytoskeleton contributes to attractant or repellent responses that guide axons to topographic targets in the brain. The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 engages the spectrin-actin cytoskeleton through reversible linkage of its cytoplasmic domain to ankyrin. To investigate a role for L1 association with the cytoskeleton in topographic guidance of retinal axons to the superior colliculus, a novel mouse strain was generated by genetic knock-in that expresses an L1 point mutation (Tyr1229His) abolishing ankyrin binding. Axon tracing revealed a striking mistargeting of mutant ganglion cell axons from the ventral retina, which express high levels of ephrinB receptors, to abnormally lateral sites in the contralateral superior colliculus, where they formed multiple ectopic arborizations. These axons were compromised in extending interstitial branches in the medial direction, a normal response to the high medial to low lateral SC gradient of ephrinB1. Furthermore, ventral but not dorsal L1(Y1229H) retinal cells were impaired for ephrinB1-stimulated adhesion through beta1 integrins in culture. The retinocollicular phenotype of the L1(Tyr1229His) mutant provides the first evidence that L1 regulates topographic mapping of retinal axons through adhesion mediated by linkage to the actin cytoskeleton and functional interaction with the ephrinB/EphB targeting system.
Sociology of Work in Latin America: Notes from a Dynamic Discipline

Research on work in Latin America has in many ways followed the region's struggles with economic development. As countries deal with globalization pressures, switching from import substitution state-driven development to export policies sustained by privatization, much has changed in the workplace of Latin Americans. Recently, that has translated into a growing body of literature on work in the region, with much of it reflecting the efforts of a new generation of Latin American scholars. Unfortunately, most of their work is yet to be circulated among scholarly circles in the United States. This article is an effort to provide U.S. researchers in the area with an overview of what is being done in sociology of work in Latin America, especially the research lines that have developed in the past 20 years.
Effect of Adrenalectomy and Cortisone on Eruption Rate of Incisors in Young Female Albino Rats.

SummaryAdrenalectomy in young female rats resulted in a significant reduction in rate of eruption of incisors which averaged 28% below that of unoperated controls during 6 weeks of measurement. Daily administration of cortisone produced a significant acceleration in rates of adrenalectomized rats to levels above that of nontreated intact controls. It is suggested that the severe reduction in rate of eruption of the continuously erupting incisor observed by others following hypophysectomy is due to loss of effect of both thyroid and adrenal hormones.
Pre- and post-partum plasma amine oxidase differences in the rhesus monkey ( Macaca mulatta )

Plasma amine oxidase activity increased from 23.4 nmol/ml/h during pregnancy to 49.5 nmol/ml/h during an extended post partum period in 10 rhesus monkeys. Comparison with non-pregnant control monkeys sampled at similar times indicated that the significant differences were in the extended post partum period.
Effects of bicuculline-induced epileptiform activity on development of receptive field properties in striate cortex and lateral geniculate nucleus of the rabbit

Abstract Studies have shown that normal development of receptive field properties in striate cortex and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the rabbit is severely altered in the presence of penicillin-induced disruption of cortical neuronal activity. We wished to replicate these studies using a different convulsant drug in order to rule out possible effects due to the penicillin drug itself. Aqueous bicuculline was injected twice daily into a cannula implanted over the monocular region of one striate cortex. Drug administration was initiated on postnatal day 8–9 and was discontinued either on postnatal day 19–24 or on postnatal day 24–30 for studies of the LGN and striate cortex, respectively. Coincidental with the bicuculline injections, control solutions were similarly applied to the monocular region of the contralateral striate cortex. Single-unit recordings made from LGN ipsilateral to bicuculline-treated cortex revealed normal percentages of receptive field types. However, in single-unit recordings made from bicuculline-treated striate cortex, an abnormal percentage distribution of receptive field types was found. In such cortex there was an unusually high proportion of no-response type cells and a substantially reduced proportion of oriented type cells. These developmental abnormalities are virtually the same as those found in the striate cortex of similarly reared animals treated with penicillin. Our present results lend support to our previous conclusion that in the rabbit, disruption of orderly neuronal activity in the geniculostriate system has a detrimental effect on the development of receptive fields in this system.
PICU Nurses' Pain Assessments and Intervention Choices for Virtual Human and Written Vignettes

The purpose of this concurrent mixed-methods study was to 1) examine the factors pediatric intensive care unit nurses consider when assessing and intervening for children who report severe pain and to 2) determine the effect of child behavior and diagnosis on the nurses' pain ratings and intervention choices for written and virtual human vignettes. Quantitative and qualitative results substantiated that despite recommendations to use self-report, many PICU nurses use behavior as the primary indicator to assess and treat pain, even when a child is old enough to articulate pain intensity and there is sufficient cause for pain to be present.
A new weighted-sum-of-gray-gases model for CO2–H2O gas mixtures

Decoupled radiative transfer calculations of Sandia Flame D are performed employing experimental measurements of temperature and gas compositions and the discrete ordinates method. Turbulence radiation interactions are accounted for employing temperature variance measurements. The spatial variations in the mean H2O/CO2 ratios within the flame are seen to vary widely and sometimes fall outside the range of the weighted-sum-of-gray-gases model (WSGGM) parameters reported in the literature. Therefore, parameters for a new WSGGM are computed from total emissivity correlations encompassing the range of the H2O/CO2 ratios encountered within the flame. Predictions from the new model compare favorably against the spectral-line-based WSGGM and existing benchmarks.
Retroperitoneal haemorrhage with abscess formation complicating Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia.

The complications of bleeding in patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia (WM) are relatively well described. The pathophysiology of such a haemorrhagic diathesis is complex and involves the inhibition and depression of coagulation factors as well as qualitative and quantitative platelet abnormalities. Treatment of WM must be targeted at the underlying lymphocellular malignancy, but amelioration of the hyperviscous state and component transfusion(s) to correct abnormal coagulation parameters will decrease the incidence of bleeding. A case of WM withE. coli urinary tract infection and subsequent retroperitoneal haemorrhage with abscess formation and sepsis is presented. The pathophysiology and management of such patients is described.
Comparison of noise parameters of diffused and ion-implanted microwave transistors

Two types of implanted microwave transistor structures are outlined, and their behaviour is compared with a totally diffused device. Minimum noise figures for the implanted transistors have been obtained in the range 3.6–4.5 dB at a frequency of 4 GHz.
Ethics training and decision-making: do computer science programs need help?

A national web-based survey using SurveyMonkey.com was administered to 700 undergraduate computer science programs in the United States as part of a stratified random sample of 797 undergraduate computer science programs. The 251 program responses (36% response rate) regarding social and professional issues (computer ethics) are presented. This article describes the demographics of the respondents, presents results concerning whether programs teach social and professional issues, who teaches, the role of training in these programs, the decision making process as it relates to computer ethics and why some programs are not teaching computer ethics. Additionally, we provide suggestions for computer science programs regarding ethics training and decision-making and we share reasons why schools are not teaching computer ethics.
Use of photodynamic therapy for the management of pleural malignancies.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a surface oriented, locally cytotoxic intervention being investigated for oncologic therapy. Surfaces such as the pleura or the peritoneum are frequently involved with primary or metastatic cancer, and the chance for cure in such situations is low due to the inability to eradicate all the disease. A series of investigations have been performed at the National Cancer Institute since 1985 studying the possible use of PDT for large cavity treatment. This report details evolution of the methodology, toxicity, and overall feasibility of the delivery of intrapleural PDT to patients after debulking of primary and malignant chest neoplasms, with an emphasis on malignant pleural mesothelioma. These investigations have culminated in an ongoing Phase III trial to define the efficacy of intrapleural PDT. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.1
New method for the theory of hadron scattering

A new method is suggested for analyzing the scattering of particles whose interaction is mediated by the exchange of field quanta. The conventional approach uses the Lehmann, Symanzik, and Zimmerman (LSZ) method for formulating the asymptotic boundary condition constraints. Then after making the appropriate renormalization subtractions one finds Bethe-Salpeter (BS) equations for the transition amplitudes. The covariant form of the BS equations makes the construction of solutions arduous. Approximate reductions to noncovariant form are generally employed. Our method is based on an alternative to the LSZ technique and leads directly to a set of coupled noncovariant integral equations for the transition operators. No approximation is required to achieve this result. Our equations are similar to the Lippmann-Schwinger equations for many-body scattering. The complexity of these equations is governed by the maximum number of field quanta permitted to be present at any instant.
Design in a Global Context: Envisioning Postcolonial and Transnational Possibilities

The essays in this volume of Design Issues examine contemporary developments in fashion, architecture, and industrial and graphic design in light of the evolving pressures of globalization. Taking as their starting point diverse examples from Africa, Greece, Barcelona, Shanghai, and British-era Hong Kong, the authors analyze the myriad ways that design cultures negotiate the space between the local and the global. They examine how design can exploit or subvert the commercial allure of the “exotic,” and how it is called upon to reference national identity or recast the vernacular. They address the branding of place as a means of reinforcing cultural identity and expanding opportunities in international trade and tourism. And, finally, they highlight the political and social significance of the varying forms of cultural hybridity that have emerged out of our postcolonial and internationalized capitalist condition, suggesting that local design cultures are both challenged and enabled by the increasing globalization of the marketplace. Ever since Marshall McLuhan published his vision of the “global village” in the 1960s, social and political theorists—mostly coming from a Marxist perspective—have associated globalization with the acceleration of time, the “annihilation” of space, and the expansion of authoritarian control. The priorities of transnational capital, driven by consumerism and neoliberal economic policies, have made the nation-state increasingly irrelevant and state-based democracy more vulnerable. This discourse of cultural imperialism further asserts that the rapidly expanding reach of technology and capitalism is producing a homogenous world culture primarily dominated by America and the West. Indeed, one of the major divides in studies of globalization today is whether increased international trade is imposing cultural homogenization or, in fact, working to enrich and preserve culture through expanded access to the Internet and increased cross-cultural contact. From the perspective of a free-market optimist such as Tyler Cohen, the sharp rise in global trade creates more entrepreneurial opportunities for producers of art and culture by “liberating difference from geography,” making culture less about identifying with a particular region or location. This view entrusts that the consumer-citizen and not the multinational corporation ultimately succeeds in driving
The G → A transition in ICl

Abstract The G[1( 3 P 1 )] → A 3 Π 1 band system of ICl (3250–3400 A) is photographed at high resolution from tesla discharge sources containing the individual isotopomers, I 35 Cl and I 37 Cl. The rotational analysis of 24 v ′- v ″ bands includes ∼1700 assigned lines spanning v ′ = 0–2 and v ″ = 8–15. Most of the data involve the previously unreported v ′ = 0 level of the G state, for which higher v levels have been studied before but not in this emission spectrum. The analysis generally corroborates the previous descriptions of both states.
Peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastrointestinal origin: natural history and treatment options

Background: Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is a challenging consequence of certain malignancies, associated with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Generally, PC has been treated similarly to metastatic cancers of the primary tumor, but associated with worse outcomes when compared to other sites of metastatic disease from the same primary tumor site. With supportive care alone, the median survival with PC is 3 – 6 months. More recently, a limited number of centers have reported success with cytoreductive surgery (CS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in a subset of patients with PC, resulting in improved survival compared with historical controls. Objectives: This paper outlines the natural history of PC, and surgical, chemotherapeutic, and combined modality treatment options, with a focus on PC of colorectal (CRC) and appendiceal origin. Results: At this time, the ‘standard’ treatment for PC remains incompletely defined. As such, the optimal management strategies for both...
Review: Long-term β-blocker use reduces mortality after myocardial infarction

Source Citation Freemantle N, Cleland J, Young P, Mason J, Harrison J. beta Blockade after myocardial infarction: systematic review and meta regression analysis. BMJ. 1999;318:1730-7. 10381708
State Mandated Accreditation of Texas Crime Laboratories: A Look Back and a Look to the Future

Abstract In 2003, Texas became the first state to require crime laboratory accreditation by law. Since then, several other states have instituted similar laws, including Oklahoma, Missouri, and New York. Accreditation under the auspices of The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) has been the accepted standard for both state-mandated accreditation and voluntary accreditation. The recent introduction of the Federal Crime Laboratory Reform Bill presents additional potential challenges to crime laboratory management. If passed, the bill would require all crime laboratories to not only be accredited, but to also be monitored by a federal board within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This study was undertaken to evaluate the current perception of mandated accreditation held by Texas crime laboratory managers after eight years of operation under it, and to survey opinions regarding some of the changes that federal monitoring might bring.
Refined Crystal Structure and Mutagenesis of Human Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor

The crystal structure of re- combinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) has been refined against data extending to a resolution of -2.4 A along a* and -1.9 A along b* and c*. Anisotropic scale factors of B,, = -20.8 A', B,, = 7.4 A', B, = 13.3 A' corrected for the more rapid fall of diffraction in the a* direction. The anisotropy correlates with the weak crystal packing interactions along the a axis. In addi- tion to apolar side chains in the protein core, there are 10 buried hydrogen bonding residues. Those residues involved in intramolecular hy- drogen bonding to main chain atoms are better conserved than those hydrogen bonding to other side chain atoms; 24 solvation sites are observed at equivalent positions in the two mol- ecules in the asymmetric unit, and the strongest among these are located in clefts between sec- ondary structural elements. No buried water sites are seen. Two surface clusters of hydro- phobic side chains are located near the ex- pected receptor binding regions. Mutagenesis of 11 residues on the helix Nhelix C face con- firms the importance of Glu-21 and shows that Gly-75 and Gln-86, located on helix C, each cause a greater than fourfold drop in activity. Glu-21 and Gly-75, but not Gln-86, are structur- ally equivalent to residues involved in the growth hormone binding to its receptor. 0 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Characterization of a Staphylococcus aureus Bacteriocin

The bacteriocin produced by a strain of Staphylococcus aureus has been isolated and designated staphylococcin (414), and a study was made of its chemical, physical, and biological properties. The staphylococcin is released in appreciable quantities after breakage of the cells and can be purified through differential centrifugation and column chromatography. In the native state, it appears to be a lipoprotein-carbohydrate complex with a molecular weight in excess of 200,000. The complex can be dissociated by sodium dodecyl sulfate into smaller subunits which retain activity. The gross chemical and physical properties of the bacteriocin closely resemble those ascribed to certain preparations of cell membranes. Staphylococcin (414) is not a lytic enzyme like lysostaphin and does not have the same spectrum of activity. Like other bacteriocins from gram-positive microorganisms, it does not inhibit any gram-negative bacteria, but does inhibit several other genera.
Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

Numerous epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and various cancers. This paper briefly reviews the e...
Wisconsin stillbirth services program: a multifocal approach to stillbirth analysis.

Stillbirth accounts for about 26,000 deaths annually in the US. In most previous studies, discrete causes are identified in less than half of all stillbirths. In order to identify causes and non-causal but potentially contributing abnormalities, we analyzed 416 of the most recent (2004–2010) Wisconsin Stillbirth Service Program (WiSSP) cases from a multifocal approach. In 70% of cases a cause sufficient to independently explain the demise was identified including 40% placental, 21.5% fetal, and 12.7% maternal. Results for stillbirths and second trimester miscarriages did not differ significantly. In 95% of cases at least one cause or non-causal abnormality was recognizable, and in two-thirds of cases, more than one cause or non-causal abnormality was identified. In cases with maternal cause, the placenta was virtually always abnormal. Both placentas (59%) and fetuses (38%) were frequently smaller than expected for gestational age. Previous miscarriage and/or stillbirth were risk factors for second and third trimester losses, with 35% of previous pregnancies ending in fetal demise. Recommendations include complete evaluation of all second and third trimester losses with special attention to placental pathology and thorough investigation for multiple causes or abnormalities whether or not a primary cause is initially recognized. Improved understanding of the causes of late miscarriage and stillbirth may contribute to recognition and management of pregnancies at risk and eventually to prevention of stillbirth. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Interactions of ascorbate and H2O2: implications for in vitro studies of lens and cornea

The interaction of ascorbate, hydrogen peroxide and oxygen has been examined in order to understand the equilibrium between these compounds that exists in the aqueous humor of the eye and their influence on function of the corneal endothelium. Ascorbate was found to promote corneal swelling when isolated corneas were perfused with a medium lacking glucose. This was found to be due to the rapid oxidation of ascorbate in the medium, yielding H2O2 which is toxic to the endothelial cells. In the absence of oxygen, or if EDTA was added to the medium, no H2O2 was produced from ascorbate, but ascorbate reacted with any pre-existing H2O2Oxidation of ascorbate in the aqueous humor is limited by the presence of glutathione (and, possibly, other compounds) and no significant increase in H2O2 concentration occurs on standing in air. Nevertheless, the concentration of H2O2 in the aqueous is directly dependent on the concentration of ascorbate secreted in the aqueous humor. Therefore, there must be a dynamic equilibriu...
How Does Grounded Theory Explain

This article argues that the concept of grounded theory, widely used in research in the human sciences, has not been adequately analyzed as to its structure as a theory. Analyzing grounded theory from predictionist and accommodationist views, as well as focusing on the issue of inference to the best explanation, it is concluded that this form of theorizing is basically accommodationist. Moreover, grounded theory, in terms of providing explanations, is simply a different version of a standard inductive argument. However, grounded theory’s strength lies in its potential to articulate a unique context and logic of discovery.
Transcriptional analysis of a region of the Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pCF10 involved in positive regulation of conjugative transfer functions.

The prgB gene encodes the surface protein Asc10, which mediates cell aggregation resulting in high-frequency conjugative transfer of the pheromone-inducible tetracycline resistance plasmid pCF10 in Enterococcus faecalis. Previous Tn5 insertional mutagenesis and sequencing analysis of a 12-kb fragment of pCF10 indicated that a region containing prgX, -Q, -R, -S, and -T, located 3 to 6 kb upstream of prgB, is required to activate the expression of prgB. Complementation studies showed that the positive regulatory region functions in cis in an orientation-dependent manner (J. W. Chung and G. M. Dunny, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:9020-9024, 1992). In order to determine the involvement of each gene in the activation of prgB, Tn5 insertional mutagenesis and exonuclease III deletion analyses of the regulatory region were carried out. The results indicate that prgQ and -S are required for the expression of prgB, while prgX, -R, and -T are not required. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of these mutants shows that prgQ is also essential for the expression of prgA (encoding the surface exclusion protein Sec10), which is located between prgB and the positive-control region. Complementation analysis demonstrates that a cis-acting regulatory element is located in the prgQ region and that pCF10 sequences in an untranslated region 3' from prgQ are an essential component of the positive-control system. Analyses of various Tn5 insertions in pCF10 genes suggest that transcription reading into this transposon is terminated in E. faecalis but that outward-reading transcripts may initiate from within the ends of Tn5 or from the junction sequences.
Distribution of volatile organic compounds in a New Jersey coastal plain aquifer system

Samples for analysis of volatile organic compounds were collected from 315 wells in the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in southwestern New Jersey and a small adjacent area in Pennsylvania during 1980–82. Volatile organic compounds were detected in all three aquifer units of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the study area. Most of the contamination appears to be confined to the outcrop area at present. Low levels of contamination, however, were found downdip of the outcrop area in the upper and middle aquifers. Trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and benzene were the most frequently detected compounds. Differences in the areal distributions of light chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, and aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene, were noted and are probably due to differences in the uses of the compounds and the distribution patterns of potential contamination sources. The distribution patterns of volatile organic compounds differed greatly among the three aquifer units. The upper aquifer, which crops out mostly in less-developed areas, had the lowest percentage of wells with volatile organic compounds detected (10 percent of wells sampled). The concentrations in most wells in the upper aquifer which had detectable levels were less than 10 /μg/1. In the middle aquifer, which crops out beneath much of the urban and industrial area adjacent to the Delaware River, detectable levels of volatile organic compounds were found in 22 percent of wells sampled, and several wells contained concentrations above 100 μ/1. The lower aquifer, which is confined beneath much of the outcrop area of the aquifer system, had the highest percentage of wells (28 percent) with detectable levels. This is probably due to (1) vertical leakage of contamination from the middle aquifer, and (2) the high percentage of wells tapping the lower aquifer in the most heavily developed areas of the outcrop.
Spectrum Sensing With Small-Sized Data Sets in Cognitive Radio: Algorithms and Analysis

Spectrum sensing is a fundamental component of cognitive radio (CR). How to promptly sense the presence of primary users (PUs) is a key issue to a CR network. The time requirement is critical in that violating it will cause harmful interference to the PU, leading to a system-wide failure. The motivation of this paper is to provide an effective spectrum sensing method to detect PUs as soon as possible. In the language of streaming-based real-time data processing, short time means small data. In this paper, we propose a cumulative spectrum sensing method dealing with limited sized data. A novel method of covariance matrix estimation is utilized to approximate the true covariance matrix. The theoretical analysis is derived based on McDiarmid's concentration inequalities and random matrix theory to support the claims of detection performance. Comparisons between the proposed method and other traditional approaches, judged by the simulation using a captured digital TV (DTV) signal, show that this proposed method can operate either using smaller data or working under a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environment.
Mediating among GeoSciML resources

Abstract Integration of data across multiple independently developed data sources can be challenging due to a variety of heterogeneities that exist across such systems. Data mediation technologies provide approaches for overcoming these heterogeneities. Standards such as Geoscience Markup Language can address some of the heterogeneity issues by providing schema standards which sources can adhere to. This article addresses the issue of semantic heterogeneity across information resources by using domain ontologies and registering schema elements and data values to such ontologies. Registering data to ontologies provides a powerful search and data integration capability across disparate geoscience information resources.
Examining the sublineage structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains with multiple-biomarker tensors

Strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) can be classified into coherent lineages of similar traits based on their genotype. We present a tensor clustering framework to group MTBC strains into sublineages of the known major lineages based on two biomarkers: spacer oligonucleotide type (spoligotype) and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU). We represent genotype information of MTBC strains in a high-dimensional array in order to include information about spoligotype, MIRU, and their coexistence using multiple-biomarker tensors. We use multiway models to transform this multidimensional data about the MTBC strains into two-dimensional arrays and use the resulting score vectors in a stable partitive clustering algorithm to classify MTBC strains into sublineages. We validate clusterings using cluster stability and accuracy measures, and find stabilities of each cluster. Based on validated clustering results, we present a sublineage structure of MTBC strains and compare it to the sublineage structures of SpolDB4 and MIRU-VNTRplus.
Extralinguistic control of language comprehension and production in the nonfluent child

The study investigated (1) the developmental progression postulated to exist between comprehension and production of sentences having the same grammatical form, and (2) the effects of syntactic, semantic, and extralinguistic variables on comprehension and production in nursery-school children. Comprehension trials required choices among four puzzle piece alternatives for which (a) both subject and object pieces differed (Phase I) or (b) only grammatical subject pictures differed (Phase II). During production trials children were asked to label preconstructed puzzles. Results indicated the comprehension-production relationship to vary as a function of age, sentence prepositions, and phases. Differential effects of semantic and extralinguistic variables during comprehension were found primarily for the youngest children, suggesting that logical relations among agent-actor-object were not sole controllers of language comprehension. Nonsyntactic control of production responses was not found.
Advancing the Conceptualization and Operationalization of Novelty in Organizational Research

The construct of novelty is an important primitive for theories of organization learning, strategic change, and innovation. The organizational pursuit of novelty is generally theorized as necessary for long-term organizational adaptation and survival yet variance increasing in the short term. We argue that the recent explosion of studies of exploration and exploitation tend to conceptualize and operationalize novelty quite narrowly. In contrast, we treat novelty as a multidimensional construct and discuss implications of this approach for future research.
Exonic variants affecting pre-mRNA splicing add to genetic burden in chronic pancreatitis

We read with great interest the recent paper by Rosendahl et al 1 describing the incidence of variants in CFTR , SPINK1 , CTRC and PRSS1 in a German cohort of chronic pancreatitis cases. The authors conclude that chronic pancreatitis is a complex genetic disease and the net effect of mutations in multiple susceptibility genes underlies increased disease risk. Indeed, in the studied cohort, at least one genetic risk factor was identified in 36.7% of patients. Surprisingly, however, only 6.5% of cases carried multiple risk factors, which seems to contradict the complex genetics theory of chronic pancreatitis. While it is likely that more susceptibility genes are yet to be discovered, we submit that known risk genes may have been incompletely characterised resulting in underestimation of the true genetic burden in chronic pancreatitis. Discovery studies tend to focus on exons and exon-intron boundaries and may thus miss many intronic variants. Replication studies often target previously identified variants only. Even if identified, intronic variants other than splice site mutations are often ignored due to inherent …
Treatment of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy

Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) due to traumatic brain injury is a diagnosis with multifactorial causes, diverse clinical presentations, and an evolving concept of management. Due to sports injuries, work-related injuries, vehicular accidents, and wartime combat, there is rising demand to understand the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of PTE. PTE could occur at any time after injury and up to decades post-injury. The frontal and temporal lobes are the most commonly affected regions, and the resulting epilepsy syndrome is typically localization related. PTE should be actively considered as a diagnosis in any patient with a history of head trauma and episodic neurologic compromise regardless of how temporally remote the trauma occurred. The standard work-up includes a thorough history, neurological examination, neuroimaging, and electroencephalogram. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures have a high comorbidity with seizures and need to be carefully excluded. PTE can spontaneously remit. For patients who do not go into remission, treatment for confirmed PTE includes antiepileptics, vagal nerve stimulator, and, when appropriate, surgical resection of an epileptogenic lesion. Lifestyle modification and counseling are critical for patients with PTE and should be routinely included in clinical management. The published evidence on the efficacy of various treatment modalities specific to PTE consists largely of retrospective studies and case reports. Despite a unique pathogenesis, the majority of current care parameters for PTE parallel those of standard care for localization-related epilepsy. The potential and need for rigorous clinical research in PTE continue to be in great demand.
Web-based Disclosures and Their Determinants: Evidence from Listed Commercial Banks in Nepal

What is the extent of disclosure, using the Internet, by commercial banks listed on Nepal Stock Exchange? What are the determinants of varying levels of web-based disclosure by those companies? These were the research questions addressed in this paper. All 23 commercial banking companies were found to have maintained their own websites and annual reports were made available in compliance with directive number 4 of Nepal Rastra Bank. A 50 items disclosure index, based on existing literature modified for Nepal specific items, was applied to company websites to assess the disclosure levels. At an average, 49.58 % of items in the index were disclosed by the commercial banks in Nepal. With regards to determinants, foreign ownership, board independence, and bank size were found to be significantly associated with web-based disclosure. The model with six independent variables considered for analysis explained 51% of the variations in web-based disclosure by commercial banks in Nepal. The study makes significant contributions to understand the extent of disclosures made by commercial banks and their determinants in a developing country like Nepal.
Chapter 2: Traditional and Behavioral Finance

The purpose of this chapter is to compare and contrast traditional and behavioral finance. In traditional finance, which has been the dominant paradigm for several decades, investors make rational choices leading to maximizing expected utility. The fundamental issues of traditional finance are classical decision theory, rationality, risk aversion, model portfolio theory (MPT), the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), and the efficient market hypothesis (EMH). However, evidence shows that many of the assumptions and findings associated with traditional finance are invalid. Thus, behavioral finance researchers turned to observed behaviors to develop models that describe how investors actually reach their decisions. Behavioral finance uses insights from the social sciences to better understand the investor behavior of individuals, groups, and markets. Among the foundation topics in behavioral finance are behavioral decision theory, bounded rationality, prospect theory, framing, heuristics, overconfidence, regret theory, and mental accounting. The emerging areas of research are behavioral portfolio theory, the behavioral asset pricing model (BAPM), and the adaptive markets hypothesis.
Microfoundations of an Organizational Sensing Capability: A Literature Review and a Conceptual Framework

In this article, I develop the Dynamic Capabilities View (DCV) by reviewing and analyzing literature that speaks to a key component sub-capability: Organizational sensing. Building upon existing DCV literature, I define organizational sensing as an information-processing capacity that allows organizations to scan, create, interpret, and learn; I then offer a reconceptualization of the organizational sensing construct, and derive a resultant framework from existent empirical research. The framework offered in this article contributes towards theoretical development of the dynamic capabilities research stream by identifying key microfoundations of organizational sensing. I also discuss options and possibilities for further theoretical development of microfoundations of organizational sensing by drawing on existing organizational science research.
Structural Evolution of Top-Junction a-Si:C:H:B and Mixed-Phase (Microcrystalline Si)-(a-Sil-xCx:H) p-Layers in a-Si:H n-i-p Solar Cells

We have applied real time spectroellipsometry (RTSE) to study hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells fabricated in the Cr/n-i-p configuration using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) in a single-chamber system. The microstructural evolution of the n-, i-, and p-layers of the devices has been determined, including the thicknesses of the bulk, interface, and surface roughness layers versus time. The optical properties of the individual layers, including the dielectric functions and optical gaps, have also been obtained in the same analysis. In this study, we have focused on i/p interface formation and, in particular, on the nucleation process for differently-prepared a-Si:C:H and mixed-phase u.c-Si:H/a-Si1-xCx:H p-layers on the a-Si:H i-layer. From the thickness dependence of the p-layer void volume fraction, we can obtain an estimate of the thickness at which nuclei make contact to form a continuous film. For the mixed-phase p-layers, the nuclei contact thickness can be reduced by exposing the i-layer to a H2-plasma prior to p-layer deposition. We have found that for similarly-prepared p-layers this reduction in contact thickness leads to an increase in open-circuit voltage of the solar cell.
Response to the Work of Professor Steiker

This brief response to Carol Steiker’s essay asks questions about the kind of contribution Christian theologians and ethicists can make to large pluralistic debates about criminal justice, and highlights several insights that it discerns in Steiker’s argument—insights that, it argues, require a theological register and idiom to be identified, and articulated, in their proper fullness.
Attentional effects on reaching in hemispace.

St,mmary.-Previo~~s evidence notes that attentional information in the form of visually yided stimuli can override motor dominance when programming reaching-tograsp movements in contralateral hemispace. The present experiment verified these effects for 135 university students, using an auditory stimulus, and the pattern of behavior in the nvo modalities was quite similar. In a recent report we indicated that in a visually guided reach-to-grasp task, object proximity in hemispace modified hand dominance (Gabbard, Iteya, & Rabb, 1997). Although most subjects used the dominant limb at the midline and in ipsilateral (same side) hemispace positions as predicted, participants consistently switched to using the nondominant hbs in the contralateral field. This report s~rp~ested that programming reaching movements for contralateral space was based on attentional information associated with object's proximity in which visuospatial reasoning intervened with motor dominance. The present experiment examined the m,lpn~rude of the attentional effect using a nonvisual (auditory) paradigm. While seated, 135 strong right-handed university students were asked to - reach-and-grasp a 1-in. cube placed systematicdy on a table top at one of nine positions in right-, mid-, and left-hemispace. In the auditory condition, blindfolded subjects responded to a simple tone, delivered at a rate of 2 per second at a frequency of 2,484 kHz, with sound levels ranging from 87-91 dB (A scale). For the visual presentation (identical to Gabbard, et al., 1997), subjects began blmdfolded while the cube was positioned, then were directed to move the blind upward with both hands, return the limbs to the resting position and keep eyes closed until directed to open their eyes to complete the task. Speed of response was not emphasized and order of stimulus presentation was counterbalanced across subjects. Results for the visually guided condition were remarkably similar to those reported from our previous work; frequency of nondominant hb use in contralateral hemispace increased as the stimulus moved away from the midline. When comparing the response profile in the auditory condition with these data, analysis for each hemispace position gave no significant dif