cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating population change with a two-category shift-share model

Shift-share analysis is an accounting procedure that identifies three separate effects for regional employment change. But the analysis is ordinarily restricted to only one category: usually, industry employment. This paper presents a new shift-share model that simultaneously addresses both occupation employment and industry employment. Community-level occupation-in-industry employment effects (both mix and competitive) occurring in the 1980s are then used to estimate population change in the 1990s. Separate estimates are given for two data sets comprised of different-sized non-metropolitan U.S. communities – small towns and micropolitan centers. This expanded two-category model is shown to generate estimates that are clearly superior to those of the traditional one-category model.
Sensory and motor function of the esophagus: Lessons from ultrasound imaging

Catheter-based high-frequency intraluminal ultrasound imaging is a powerful tool to study esophageal sensory and motor function and dysfunction in vivo in humans. It can be combined with manometry, pH, and impedance measurement techniques to determine the relationships between different physiologic parameters. High-frequency intraluminal ultrasound imaging has provided a number of important insights regarding the longitudinal muscle function of the esophagus. On the basis of the ultrasound images and intraluminal pressure recordings, it seems that there is synchrony in the timing and the amplitude of contraction between the circular and longitudinal muscle layers. A sustained contraction of the longitudinal muscle layer is temporally related to esophageal chest pain and heartburn. The biomechanics of the esophageal wall and its relationship to sensory and motor function can be studied in humans in vivo by using high-frequency intraluminal ultrasound much more precisely than has previously been possible. Achalasia, diffuse esophageal spasm, and nutcracker esophagus are associated with hypertrophy of circular and longitudinal muscle layers. Finally, high-frequency intraluminal ultrasound imaging is the only technique that can detect reflux-related distention of the esophagus and its role in esophageal symptoms. Future approaches to display and quantify ultrasound image data are discussed. The principles of high-frequency intraluminal ultrasound described here are also applicable to study of the motor and sensory function of the other regions of the gastrointestinal tract.
Is neonatal circumcision clinically beneficial? Argument against.

This second Viewpoint on the issue of neonatal circumcision discusses why this practice might not be beneficial. Van Howe refutes claims that circumcision has a protective effect from genital cancer, urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections, and highlights the many adverse events that can be experienced following circumcision.
Prognostic Value of Preoperative Positron Emission Tomography in Resected Stage I Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose Approximately 20 to 40% of patients with surgically resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will develop recurrent disease. Positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[ 18 F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) is used often in staging NSCLC. We conducted this study to determine whether the preoperative maximum tumor standardized uptake value (SUV max ) was associated with recurrence in patients with resected stage I NSCLC. Patients and Methods We identified consecutive patients who underwent curative surgical resection for stage I NSCLC between 1999 and 2003 who had preoperative FDG-PET imaging. Patients were divided into two cohorts based on SUV max above or below the median for the group. Recurrence rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and overall survival was analyzed as a secondary end point. Results Of 136 patients who met inclusion criteria, 77 (57%) had T1 and 59 (43%) had T2 tumors. The median follow-up time was 46 months and 32 patients had a disease recurrence. The median SUV max was 5.5. The 5-year estimates of recurrence rates for patients with low and high SUV max were 14% and 37%, respectively ( p = 0.002), with 5-year overall survivals of 74% and 53%, respectively ( p = 0.006). In multivariate analyses based on SUV max , T-classification, age, and histology, high SUV max was independently associated with recurrence ( p = 0.002) and mortality ( p = 0.041). Conclusion High SUV max (≥5.5) on preoperative FDG-PET is an independent predictor of relapse and death in resected stage I NSCLC. Prospective trials of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage I NSCLC and high SUV max should be considered.
High-volume sampling of airborne polychlorobiphenyls with amberlite xad-2 resin

Abstract Polyurethane foam, polyurethane foam coated with DC-200, Florisil, and Amberlite XAD-2 resin have been evaluated in a small-scale comparative study of their ability to sample airborne polychlorobiphenyls. XAD-2 resin has an excellent collection efficiency for tetrachlorobiphenyl at 1 l min -1 flow rates and is also suitable for high-volume air sampling. A high-volume air sampler was modified to sample both particulate and vapor-phase polychlorobiphenyls by incorporating the XAD-2 resin behind a glass fiber filter. When the sampling system was operated at a flow rate of 0.7 m 3 min -1 for 24 h, the collection efficiencies for tetrachlorobiphenyl and Aroclor 1221 were 96.5% and 83.0%, respectively.
Enabling type/condition-specified entity/fact retrieval using semantic knowledge extracted from wikipedia

Wikipedia has recently become an important semantic knowledge resource, thanks to its semi-structured semantic features and the huge amount of user-generated content covering a wide range of topics. The mode of information retrieval on Wikipedia, as on the Web in general, however, remains that of conventional keyword-based page/document retrieval. The project presented in this paper, entitled PanAnthropon FilmWorld, aims at demonstrating direct, sophisticated entity/fact retrieval by extracting/deriving semantic knowledge from Wikipedia and by representing facts using domain-relevant classes, entities, attributes, and categories. To this end, a semantic knowledge base containing the extracted data and a semantic search interface demonstrating the proposed retrieval capability have been constructed. The focus of this paper is on the details concerning semantic knowledge extraction and derivation. However, the interface is fully functional. The results of evaluation confirm both the quality of knowledge extraction and the effectiveness of entity/fact retrieval using the interface.
Acoustic Characteristics of a High-Subsonic Jet

Acoustic characteristics of high subsonic model cold jet using imaging technique and measurements of energy flux of flow, calculating energy flux from flowfield measurements
Fast nitrate immobilization in N saturated temperate forest soils

Abstract Recent application of 15N pool dilution techniques has suggested that gross nitrate immobilization rates in temperate forest soils with low N deposition may be significantly greater than previously thought. In contrast, there are some data that suggest forest soils, which have received high N-deposition, may not immobilize NO3−. Such studies do not include quantification of the relative importance of fast and slow immobilization of NO3−. We have examined the kinetics of NO3− immobilization in two temperate forest soils exposed to a range of experimental N deposition. We found that the greatest potential for NO3− immobilization in these soils was by a fast process of immobilization and only the hardwood forest with low (ambient) N deposition showed any significant slow NO3− immobilization (typically equated with microbial immobilization). High N additions have resulted in the loss of the slow immobilization process and a reduction in the amount of fast immobilization. The patterns of NO3− immobilization we report are important for two reasons. First, they demonstrate that immobilization of N, which exhibits rapid kinetics, may play an important part in regulating the N retention capacity of forests in response to N deposition. Second, they suggest that current models which include only the slower phase of N immobilization may be inaccurate representations of N immobilization processes in soils.
Regulation of MET by FOXP2, Genes Implicated in Higher Cognitive Dysfunction and Autism Risk

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable, behaviorally defined, heterogeneous disorder of unknown pathogenesis. Several genetic risk genes have been identified, including the gene encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase MET, which regulates neuronal differentiation and growth. An ASD-associated polymorphism disrupts MET gene transcription, and there are reduced levels of MET protein expression in the mature temporal cortex of subjects with ASD. To address the possible neurodevelopmental contribution of MET to ASD pathogenesis, we examined the expression and transcriptional regulation of MET by a transcription factor, FOXP2, which is implicated in regulation of cognition and language, two functions altered in ASD. MET mRNA expression in the midgestation human fetal cerebral cortex is strikingly restricted, localized to portions of the temporal and occipital lobes. Within the cortical plate of the temporal lobe, the pattern of MET expression is highly complementary to the expression pattern of FOXP2, suggesting the latter may play a role in repression of gene expression. Consistent with this, MET and FOXP2 also are reciprocally expressed by differentiating normal human neuronal progenitor cells (NHNPs) in vitro , leading us to assess whether FOXP2 transcriptionally regulates MET . Indeed, FOXP2 binds directly to the 5′ regulatory region of MET , and overexpression of FOXP2 results in transcriptional repression of MET . The expression of MET in restricted human neocortical regions, and its regulation in part by FOXP2, is consistent with genetic evidence for MET contributing to ASD risk.
Increased serum d-lactate associated with diabetic ketoacidosis

Abstract We hypothesized that serum d -lactate may be increased in vivo in diabetes mellitus as a result of increased glucose flux through the glyoxalase pathway and/or via hepatic ketone metabolism. Levels of d -lactate and related metabolic intermediates were measured in 30 cats with spontaneous diabetes mellitus and in one ketoacidotic nondiabetic cat. Serum d -lactate was significantly (P = .0051) elevated in cats with ketoacidosis (337.2 ± 70.2 μmol/L) as compared with nonketoacidotic diabetic (140.3 ± 58.8) and control (25.0 + 6.5) cats. Two nonketoacidotic cats also had high levels of d -lactate. There was a significant linear correlation (r = .684, P = .0001) between d -lactate and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. Serum d -lactate did not correlate with serum glucose (r = .078, P = .6825), and in vitro erythrocyte d -lactate formation did not increase in the presence of hyperglycemia. These data suggest that hepatic ketone metabolism, rather than hyperglycemia, may be a major source of serum d -lactate in diabetics.
Coping with the imprecision of the real world

Q. Professor Zadeh, in this interview today, you agreed to talk mainly about the limits of traditional logic in dealing with many of the problems in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and your approach toward helping to overcome those difficulties. Before getting into those issues, though, could you first give our readers a brief overview of what you see as the major areas for computer applications in the years ahead? ZADEH. In the years ahead, there will be three major areas of computer applications. One, in the traditional vein, is the use of computers for purposes of numerical analysis. Numerical analysis will be very important in a number of fields--particularly in scientific computations and simulation of large-scale systems. For such purposes, there will be a need for larger and larger computers. This is especially true for applications in meteorology, in nuclear physics, in modeling of large-scale economic systems, in the solution of partial differential equations, and in the simulation of complex phenomena like turbuldnce, fluid flow, etc. Area number two will be concerned with masses of data--large databases. This is the sort of thing that is playing and will be playing an important role in banking, insurance, records processing, information retrieval, etc. What will be important in these areas is not so much number-crunching capabilities as the capability to store massive amounts of data and to access whatever data are needed rapidly and at a reasonably low cost. Furthermore, in these areas, computer networking, of course, will be playing an essential role. For you will have to have access not just to a single database but to a collection of interconnected databases. In response to this need, we will see many advances in computer networking during the next several years. The third major area for computer applications is what has come to be known as knowledge engineering. This area has received considerable publicity during the past few years, particularly since the Japanese have
Exact particle flow for nonlinear filters

We have invented a new theory of exact particle flow for nonlinear filters. This generalizes our theory of particle flow that is already many orders of magnitude faster than standard particle filters and which is several orders of magnitude more accurate than the extended Kalman filter for difficult nonlinear problems. The new theory generalizes our recent log-homotopy particle flow filters in three ways: (1) the particle flow corresponds to the exact flow of the conditional probability density; (2) roughly speaking, the old theory was based on incompressible flow (like subsonic flight in air), whereas the new theory allows compressible flow (like supersonic flight in air); (3) the old theory suffers from obstruction of particle flow as well as singularities in the equations for flow, whereas the new theory has no obstructions and no singularities. Moreover, our basic filter theory is a radical departure from all other particle filters in three ways: (a) we do not use any proposal density; (b) we never resample; and (c) we compute Bayes' rule by particle flow rather than as a point wise multiplication.
Hippocampal spike-slow wave phase relations after midbrain transection in rabbits

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the phase relations of action potentials of single cells in CA1 to the rhythmical slow waves induced by eserine in the rabbit. All animals had an intercollicular decerebration so only structures rostral to the cut contributed to the results obtained. Spike-slow wave phase patterns were compared with a random model using the χ3 test. Nonrandom patterns (P < 0.01) characterized 22 of 47 cells tested. With use of digital filters, consistent phase patterns were observed even if the slow wave duration varied by as much as 100 msec. Comparing unit firings with nonconcurrent slow wave cycles showed the patterns were phase related, not occurring by chance or coincidence. Apparently clusters of CA1 pyramidal cells fire phase-related spikes.
The Legal Environment of Small Business: A New Emphasis

(1987). The Legal Environment of Small Business: A New Emphasis. Journal of Education for Business: Vol. 63, No. 2, pp. 64-67.
Metabolic consequences of phosphotransferase (PTS) mutation in a phenylalanine-producing recombinant Escherichia coli

E. coli strain PPA305, which has a wild-type PTS system, and PPA316, which utilizes a proton-galactose symport system for glucose uptake, were used as host strains to harbor a phenylalanine overprodn. plasmid pSY130-14 and to study the effects of using different glucose uptake systems on phenylalanine prodn. The non-PTS strain (PPA316/pSY130-14) produced much less phenylalanine, ranging from 0 to 67% of that produced by the PTS strain (PPA305/pSY130-14), depending on cultivation conditions used. The non-PTS strain PPA316/pSY130-14 had an intracellular PEP concn. only one-sixth that of the PTS strain, PPA305/pSY130-14. Addnl., PPA316/pSY130-14 had a substantially lower energy state in terms of the size of the pool of high-energy phosphate compds. and the magnitude of the pH difference across the cytoplasmic membrane. The non-PTS strain consumed oxygen at a higher rate, attained lower biomass concn., and produced no acetate and phenylalanine during fermn., suggesting more carbon was oxidized to CO2, most likely through the TCA cycle. Anal. of intracellular fluxes through the central carbon pathways was performed for each strain utilizing exponential phase data on extracellular components and assuming quasi-steady state for intermediate metabolites. The non-PTS strain had a higher flux through pyruvate kinase (PYK) and TCA cycle which, in agreement with the obsd. higher oxygen uptake rate, suggests that more carbon was oxidized to CO2 through the TCA cycle. Further anal. using rate expression data for PYK and NMR data for the intracellular metabolites identified the regulatory properties of PYK as the probable cause for lower intracellular PEP levels in PPA316/pSY130-14. [on SciFinder (R)]
Kinetics of lipid phase changes.

Abstract In the past two years, the kinetics of transitions involving the assorted lamellar and inverted hexagonal and cubic phases in bulk hydrated lipid systems have been established using a variety of physical techniques. In several cases, the kinetic data have lead to a transition mechanism being deciphered.
Ideal elastic, anelastic and viscoelastic deformation of a metallic glass

The elastic, viscoelastic and anelastic components of the homogeneous strain response of the metallic glass Pd82Si18 to an applied stress have been examined. The elastic response is fully reversible, instantaneous and linear. The measured elastic modulus, E, and temperature dependence, d(ln E)/dT, are 84±8 GPa and (−3.2±0.6) × 10−4 C−1, respectively. The viscoelastic flow is non-recoverable and, if the configuration remains constant, is characterized by a constant strain rate. This strain rate varies linearly with the stress, gtr, in the low stress regime (τ < 300 MPa), becoming non-linear for higher stresses. For isoconfigurational flow, the strain rate has an Arrhenius-type temperature dependence with an activation energy of - 200 ± 15 kJ mol−1, independent of stress and thermal history. The magnitude of the strain rate is strongly dependent on the degree of structural relaxation and therefore on thermal history. During isothermal annealing the viscoelastic strain rate varies inversely with time. The anelastic response is a transient that, at 500 K, contributes to the flow for approximately fifty hours after a stress increase and is fully recovered upon stress reduction. A spectrum of exponential decays is required to model this flow component. The anelastic strain, τA, varies linearly with the magnitude of the stress change, Δτ, over the entire stress range tested: γA/gDAτ=(8.0±0.8)× 10−6 MPa−1.
A model-based diagnostic study of the rapid development phase of the Presidents' Day cyclone

A model simulation of the rapid development phaser of the Presidents' Day cyclone on February 19, 1979, is studied. Model trajectories and Eulerian analyses show that, during this phase, three airstreams converge into the cyclogenetic region. The evolution of the PJ-trough system and its associated tropopause fold is described, including the simulated surface low and the vertical profile of mass divergence which contributes to the decreasing sea-level pressure. The various terms of the vorticity equation are evaluated to identify the processes contributing to the increase in absolute vorticity. The nature and origin of airstreams entering the low-level circulation associated with rapid cyclogenesis are examined from a Lagrangian perspective.
Properties of insulated gate field-effect transistors with a polyaniline gate electrode

On a p-type silicon wafer with n+ source and drain contacts, covered by a SiO2Si3N4 dielectric insulating layer, field-effect transistors were made by spin coating with a polyaniline gate electrode layer. For comparison conventional IGFETs were also made on the same chip. Preparation and characterization of devices that change their threshold voltage due to modulation of work function of the gate electrode are described. Such devices can in principle be used for gas sensing. The steady-state and transient behavior of the devices was investigated: the work function of polyaniline has been determined by comparing the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor threshold voltage to the polyaniline gate field effect transistor (PANi-FET) threshold voltage. The response of the PANi-FETs to a step function potential input has been determined. The device behavior was modeled with a simulation in which the gate and pre-gate area are represented by a distributed resistance-capacitance network, under the assumption that the resistivity of the polyaniline film and its contact resistance to platinum is not frequency dependent. The behavior is well described by the model.
“Thinking ahead” in rat discrimination learning

If rats chose S+ in a brightness discrimination in a T-maze, they experienced, on that run and over four forced runs to S+ which followed, a pattern of reinforcement in which quantity of reward in the goalbox increased from 0 to 14 food pellets, decreased from 14 to 0 food pellets, or varied randomly. If the rats erred and chose S−, reinforcement was withheld, and they were forced a second time to 0 reward in the S− goalbox. The results indicate that rats readily learn the brightness discrimination under these conditions, the animals exposed to the sequentially increasing pattern learning somewhat slower than the others. This was true in spite of substantial delay of reward. Theoretical accounts based on perseverative inhibitory or facilitatory tendencies, or upon frustration, fail to describe the data accurately. Instead, analysis of the data shows that the animals were accurately anticipating the quantity of reward to be obtained on each run, running fast for large quantities and slowly for small.
Patterns of management of urethral stricture disease in the Veterans Affairs system.

Objectives To describe the number of urethral dilations, urethrotomies, and urethroplasties performed on men with a diagnosis of urethral stricture disease seeking care in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system in southern California and southern Nevada over a 5-year period. To date, few health services research studies have evaluated patterns of care for urethral stricture disease using national datasets. Methods We analyzed stricture treatment for male veterans with an ICD-9 diagnosis code for urethral stricture in the National Patient Care Database (NPCD). Encounters for urethral stricture procedures performed were identified based on the presence of Physicians Current Procedural Terminology Coding System (4th edition, CPT-4) codes for treatments performed during the fiscal years 2002-2006. Results A total of 1457 men carried a diagnosis of urethral stricture disease during the index time period. Of these, 333 men (23%) underwent 431 procedures. Of the 216 men who underwent urethral dilations, 170 (79%) underwent only 1 procedure and 26 (12%) underwent 2 procedures. Of the 79 men who underwent urethrotomy, 76 (96%) underwent 1 procedure. Sixteen men (5%) underwent a urethroplasty, 8 of whom underwent a perineal urethrostomy. Conclusions The vast majority of men treated for stricture disease underwent only 1 such procedure over a 5-year time period. Further research is required to investigate whether this is a quality-of-care issue or patients refusing intervention. It is possible that some patients may be temporized for a significant period with dilation/urethrotomy, whereas those with rapid recurrence require early urethroplasty.
Assessment of the adverse event reports associated with Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) from April 2004 to October 2009

From April 2004 through October 2009, the FDA received 22 adverse event reports (AERs) involving products that were reported to contain Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) extract (BOE). During this same time, 10 clinical cases reports were published involving adverse events associated with products that contained BOE (C. aurantium) or its predominant alkaloid p-synephrine. A review and assessment of these reports was made. All products involved in these reports were poly-herbal and poly-alkaloidal in composition. The conclusion that BOE and p-synephrine are responsible for adverse events presented in these reports is unjustified, based on the presence of confounding factors, the paucity of detailed information in many reports, current knowledge of the pharmacokinetic and adrenoreceptor binding properties of p-synephrine, the high probability of concurrent but independent events, knowledge of dose–response relationships, and the widespread use of BOE containing supplements and p-synephrine containing juice and food products.
Are Eulemur species pair‐bonded? Social organization and mating strategies in Eulemur fulvus rufus from 1988–1995 in Southeast Madagascar

Strong social relationships have been reported between adult male and female prosimian primates in the genera Eulemur and Varecia and have been referred to as “pair-bonding.” It has been hypothesized that females benefit from these affiliative relationships with an adult male by having protection against infanticidal males, implying that the male member of the dyad also is the father of her offspring. I evaluated this hypothesis and whether or not the term pair-bond was appropriate by using field data collected on two groups of Eulemur fulvus rufus in southeastern Madagascar. Four predictions were tested: 1) male–female dyads will be stable throughout the year, 2) male–female dyads will be more prevalent during the mating season, and/or the birth season when infants would be most vulnerable to infanticide, 3) females should copulate either exclusively or most often with their male dyad partner than with other males during the mating and/or birth season, and 4) rates of aggression will be higher between males or between females and males who are not their dyad partner. Predictions 1, 2, and 3 were not supported and Prediction 4 was only partially supported. Adult male–female dyads however, were more prominent in feeding contexts during the mating season and food scarcity periods. Most aggression occurred during feeding between males and nondyad group members. Since female feeding rates were often higher when feeding near male dyad partners, adult male–female dyads may serve as a way of increasing foraging efficiency for the female, which in turn may influence reproductive success. All males who were dyad partners also copulated first and more frequently with all females. It is suggested that “dyad” is a better descriptive term than pair-bonding for the social patterns observed since dyads were comprised of same-sex individuals, were temporary, and did not exclusively serve a reproductive function. Am J Phys Anthropol 105:153–166, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Studies on the specificity of the enzymic synthesis of polyribonucleotides.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether enzymes having the same function (in this case, polynucleotide phosphorylase), but isolated from two very distant cell types, differed in their synthetic capacities. The enzymes were isolated from B. cereus, an organism possessing a DNA of a marked AT-type (dissymmetry ratio of 1.70), and from M. lysodeikticus, whose DNA is of a pronounced GC-type (dissymmetry ratio, 0.39). The approximate molecular weight of the B. cereus enzyme was found to be 210,000. In both instances, and with several independent enzyme preparations from either source, the mixed polynucleotides synthesized from CDP and ADP as the precursors were investigated. Three conditions of the proportions of the precursor pool were imposed, with the input ratio of CDP/ADP as 2, 1 or 0.5. Several criteria were employed for the study and the comparison of the synthetic polymers. The analysis of the base composition showed that, under equal conditions, the M. lysodeikticus enzyme incorporated a considerably higher proportion of CDP into the polynucleotides than did the B. cereus enzyme. The existence of concrete differences between polynucleotides synthesized by the two enzymes was emphasized by the study of the distribution of oligonucleotide fragments produced by the action of ribonuclease. The statistical treatment of the frequency of adenylic acid runs of different length in the various polymers demonstrated that both enzymes produced heteropolymers composed of randomly arranged nucleotide sequences. It is suggested that polynucleotide phosphorylase is species-specific with respect to discrimination between precursors, but unspecific in its mode of action: the incorporated nucleotides are aligned in a random arrangement.
Study of Losses in a Leakage Flow Through the Passage of Shrouded Turbine Blades With Swirl Velocity

In this paper the study of the flows over shrouded turbine blades with staggered-seals is presented by computing the three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations along with a compressible non-linear k-e turbulence model. The swirl of the blade is coupled into the calculation. A multi-zone technique is used to generate the grids in the complex flow channel. The calculation results show that the leakage flow rate in the seal-channel is dominated by the pressure difference. It was also observed that the circumferential momentum transfer in the channel is very slow in the region in front of the seal tooth. The major effect of the rotating blade is the increase of local pressure distribution along the shrouded tip clearance path. However, the swirl motion of the blade tip does not significantly change the flow pattern in the axial-radial plane.Copyright © 2001 by ASME
Observation of a Large Atomic Parity Violation Effect in Ytterbium

Atomic parity violation has been observed in the $6{s}^{2}\text{ }^{1}S_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5d6s\text{ }^{3}D_{1}$ 408-nm forbidden transition of ytterbium. The parity-violating amplitude is found to be 2 orders of magnitude larger than in cesium, where the most precise experiments to date have been performed. This is in accordance with theoretical predictions and constitutes the largest atomic parity-violating amplitude yet observed. This also opens the way to future measurements of neutron distributions and anapole moments by comparing parity-violating amplitudes for various isotopes and hyperfine components of the transition.
Generalizing the Equal Area Zones Property of the Sphere

We construct and study n-dimensional hypersurfaces in (n + 1)-dimensional Euclidean space that satisfy a higher dimensional generalization of the equal area zones property of the sphere (that the surface area of a zone between two parallel planes depends only on the distance between the planes). These new hypersurfaces are hypersurfaces of revolution. The relative simplicity of their construction allows us to describe them in great detail, revealing some interesting curiosities and motivating further questions.
Kinetics of chromate reduction by ferrous iron

Reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) is environmentally favorable as the latter species is not toxic to most living organisms and also has a low mobility and bioavailability. Ferrous iron is one possible reductant implicated as a major contributor to the removal of Cr(VI) from suboxic and anoxic waters and soils. Despite the importance of this redox reaction, no mechanistic or kinetic information are available, which are needed to determine the rate of Cr(VI) reduction and to assess the role of oxygen in limiting this reaction. In this study we used a stopped-flow kinetic technique monitored by UV−VIS spectroscopy and an initial rate method to ascertain the rate constant and the rate dependence of each reactant. We observed that the rate of Cr(VI) removal conformed to −d[Cr(VI)]/dt = kcr[Fe(II)]0.6[Cr(VI)]1 where kcr = 56.3 (±3.7) mmol-0.6 min-1 L0.6. Based on this rate expression and that for the oxygenation of Fe(II), Cr(VI) reduction should be unaffected by oxygen except at pH values in excess of 8 even at m...
Effects of transforming growth factor-β on human fetal adrenal steroid production

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) was found to inhibit basal and ACTH-stimulated steroid production by cultured human fetal adrenal cells. The inhibitory effects of TGF-beta were both time and dose-dependent. Inhibition of basal dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) production usually was noted only after 3 or more days of treatment with > or = 0.1 ng TGF-beta/ml. The inhibitory effects of 1 ng/ml TGF-beta on ACTH-stimulated DS production were more striking than those on cortisol production by both fetal zone and neocortical cells. TGF-beta also was found to interfere with DS and cortisol production by fetal zone cells in response to forskolin and dibutyryl cAMP. TGF-beta interfered with ACTH stimulation of cytochrome P450(17) alpha mRNA in fetal zone and neocortex cells. These results are suggestive that TGF-beta differentially inhibits DS and cortisol production by human fetal adrenal cells and that the site of TGF-beta action on steroidogenesis may be distal to the generation of cAMP. Such results, along with those of others, are suggestive that TGF-beta may play an autocrine/paracrine role in the human adrenal.
The Hebrew Walden and translated renewal

L'article est base sur les apercus de Eugene Nida (1974) selon lesquels il existe une difference nette entre "equivalence dynamique" et "correspondance formelle" en matiere de traduction. L'auteur de l'article, suivant Nida, prefere le dynamisme, mais il n'est pas d'accord avec lui (1976) que les expressions figees sont toujours a eviter. En hebreu, par exemple, ces expressions font partie d'une tradition culturelle riche qui comprend et la traduction de Thoreau et toute l'entreprise israelienne et sioniste qui visait a traduire la litterature du monde en hebreu pour faire entrer le nouvel Etat Juif dans la culture mondiale tout en maintenant son identite linguistique, religieuse et historique. Donc, le but de cette entreprise, comme le montre l'article, a toujours ete la traduction non seulement de mots mais aussi de valeurs telles que celles de la tradition biblique et de l'experience pionniere et sioniste (surtout representee par A.D. Gordon) pour resulter en ce que Martin Buber a appele "l'humanisme hebreu" et d'autres ont nomme un "gout pour l'independance."
Preliminary Investigation of the [3+2] Cycloaddition Reactions of 2-Alkylidenephosphiranes

The 2-alkylidenephosphirane complex 1 reacts with norbornene and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate at 100 °C in toluene to give the corresponding [3+2] cycloadducts. With norbornene, only the P−C distal bond is involved, whereas with acetylenedicarboxylate, both the P−C distal and proximal bonds react.
The retinal depression sign in diabetic retinopathy.

• Background: The retinal depression sign, an abnormal light reflex due to ischemia-induced focal inner retinal atrophy, was initially described in patients with sickle cell retinopathy. We undertook this study to characterize the finding in diabetic retinopathy. •Methods: The fundus photographs of 97 consecutive patients with diabetic retinopathy seen in the Penn State University Ophthalmology Department were reviewed. We recorded age, sex, type of retinopathy, visual acuity and photographic details, including the presence or absence of the retinal depression halo. • Results: The retinal depression sign was present in 9 of 22 patients age 45 years or under, versus 1 of 75 patients age 46 or older (P<0.0001, two-tailed Fisher's exact test). The presence or absence of retinal depression sign did not predict the type of retinopathy in a given patient. Eleven (70%) of the affected eyes had visual acuity ≥20/40. •Conclusion: The retinal depression sign is common in younger patients with diabetes and should be distinguished from other macular lesions associated with diabetic retinopathy.
Sequelae to smoking cessation: A review

Abstract In 1979, the Surgeon General's report on smoking drew attention to the lack of scientific information on the sequelae to cessation of cigarette smoking. Although withdrawal symptoms are frequently cited as reasons for relapse, it is difficult to assess their true impact without this information. In addition, the research that is available is widely scattered in the literature of many professional disciplines. This paper is a consolidation of the available research on the sequelae to smoking cessation with critique and directions for further investigations. It appears that the weight of the evidence does not support a view that unpleasant physical and psychological effects necessarily follow abstinence from smoking. The occurrence of weight gain, craving for cigarettes, and other physical and psychological sequelae to smoking cessation is highly idiosyncratic with little known about the causal mechanisms.
A sensitive method for the quantification of acrolein and other volatile carbonyls in ambient air.

Acrolein, an unsaturated aldehyde found in both indoor and outdoor air, is considered one of the greatest noncancer health risks of all organic air pollutants. Current methods for determining acrolein often employ sorbent-filled cartridges containing a carbonyl derivatizing agent (e.g., dinitrophenylhydrazine). These methods are of limited use for unsaturated compounds due to the formation of unstable derivatives, coelution of similar compounds, long sample collection times, and ozone interferences that result in poor sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility. The goal of this research was to develop an analytical method for determining ppt concentrations of acrolein and other carbonyls in air with short sampling times (10 min). The method uses a mist chamber to collect carbonyls by forming water-soluble carbonyl−bisulfite adducts. The carbonyls are then liberated from the bisulfite, derivatized, and quantified by gas chromatography/electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry. The method wa...
The distribution of plasma fatty acid transferase-like activity in rat tissues

Abstract Rat tissues were assayed for cholesterol-esterifying activity employing a previously developed method for the determination of cholesterol-esterifying activity in plasma. To reduce contamination of the tissues by plasma the rats were first exsanguinated then perfused with isotonic sucrose. To aid in evaluating possible extraneous effects of the tissue homogenates on the assay, controls were included in which a known amount of plasma enzyme was homogenized with each tissue the recovery of added enzyme subsequently determined. The tissues were found to contain relatively low concentrations of activity compared to the plasma. The results are consistent with the concept that the cholesterol-esterifying activity of rat plasma is due to an enzyme which is primarily extracellular both in location in function.
Non-viral vector delivery from PEG-hyaluronic acid hydrogels

Hydrogels have been widely used in tissue engineering as a support for tissue formation or to deliver non-viral gene therapy vectors locally. Hydrogels that combine these functionalities can provide a fundamental tool to promote specific cellular processes leading to tissue formation. This report investigates controlled release of gene therapy vectors from hydrogels as a function of the physical properties for both the hydrogel and the vector. Hydrogels were formed by photocrosslinking acryl-modified hyaluronic acid (HA) with a 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) acryl. The polymer content, and relative composition of HA and PEG modulated the swelling ratio, water content, and degradation, which can influence transport of the vector through the hydrogel. All hydrogels had a water content of 94% or higher, though the water content and swelling ratio increased with a decrease in the PEG:HA ratio. Plasmids were stably incorporated into the hydrogel, with a majority of the release occurring during the initial 2 days. For incubation in buffer, the cumulative release increased with a decreasing PEG or increasing HA content, with approximately 20% to 80% released during the first week depending on the hydrogel composition. Hydrogels incubated in hyaluronidase, an enzyme that degrades HA, significantly increased plasmid release for hydrogels containing 4% PEG and 4% HA-Acryl. The encapsulation of plasmid complexed with polyethylenimine had less than 14% of the complexes released from the hydrogel both in the presence and absence of hyaluronidase. The limited release of the complexes likely results from the complex size and interactions between the vector and hydrogel. These studies demonstrate the dependence of non-viral vector release on the physical properties of the hydrogel and the vector, suggesting vector and hydrogel designs for maximizing localized delivery of non-viral vectors.
DC arc vaporization as a sample introduction technique for analysis of solids by ICP-OES.

This paper presents a method for analysis of solid samples. It is applied to determination of magnesium in geological samples by DC-ICP optical emission spectroscopy
Artificial Neural Network Model of Survival in Patients Treated With Irradiation With and Without Concurrent Chemotherapy for Advanced Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the feasibility of predicting survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with an artificial neural network (ANN), and to compare ANN performance with conventional models. Methods and Materials: Data were analyzed from a Phase III trial in which patients with locally advanced SCCHN received hyperfractionated irradiation with or without concurrent cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. Of the 116 randomized patients, 95 who had 2-year follow-up and all required data were evaluated. ANN and logistic regression (LR) models were constructed to predict 2-year total survival using round-robin cross-validation. A modified staging model was also examined. Results: The best LR model used tumor size, nodal stage, and race to predict survival. The best ANN used nodal stage, tumor size, stage, and resectability, and hemoglobin. Treatment type did not predict 2-year survival and was not included in either model. Using the respective best feature sets, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az) for the ANN was 0.78 ± 0.05, showing more accurate overall performance than LR (Az = 0.67 ± 0.05, p = 0.07). At 70% sensitivity, the ANN was 72% specific, while LR was 54% specific (p = 0.08). At 70% specificity, the ANN was 72% sensitive, while LR was 54% sensitive (p = 0.07). When both models used the five predictive variables best for an ANN, Az for LR decreased [Az = 0.61 ± 0.06, p < 0.01 (ANN)]. The models performed equivalently when using the three variables best for LR. The best ANN also compared favorably with staging [Az = 0.60 ± 0.07, p = 0.02 (ANN)]. Conclusions: An ANN modeled 2-year survival in this data set more accurately than LR or staging models and employed predictive variables that could not be used by LR. Further work is planned to confirm these results on larger patient samples, examining longer follow-up to incorporate treatment type into the model.
Reliability of the sleep cycle as a scoring unit.

A fundamental characteristic of sleep is the alternation between non-REM sleep periods (NREMPs) and REM sleep periods (REMPs), together forming the NREM sleep cycle (measured from NREM onset to the end of the succeeding REMP). It is proposed that analysis of sleep stage data should reflect this fundamental unit of sleep by basing comparisons between nights on an equivalent number of completed NREM cycles. The night-to-night stability of sleep stages based on 4 completed NREM cycles was compared with an analysis in which sleep time was fixed at 6 hrs (thus including partially completed NREMPs or REMPs). Total sleep time in 4 cycles was highly reliable within subjects. Both approaches resulted in significant reliability coefficients for all sleep stages. However, reliability did not differ significantly between the two approaches. Analysis of individual NREMPs and REMPs indicated significant stability for REMPs 1 and 2 and NREMP 1 only, with intra-individual variability increasing in later cycles. By contrast, SWS content displayed greatest reliability in cycles 2, 3, and 4. The results suggest that when subjects' sleep is compared on an equivalent-cycles basis, intra-individual stability of sleep patterns is as reliable as standard approaches whether stages are expressed in absolute duration or as a percent of TST. Advantages of such an approach are discussed.
KN-93, an inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV, promotes generation and function of Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells in MRL/lpr mice.

AbstractObjective: Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) are pivotal for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance and prevent development of autoimmune diseases. We have reported that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMK4) deficient MRL/lpr mice display less disease activity by promoting IL-2 production and increasing the activity of Treg cells. To further define the mechanism of CaMK4 on Treg cells in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we used the Foxp3-GFP reporter mice and treated them with KN-93, an inhibitor of CaMK4. Methods: We generated MRL/lpr Foxp3-GFP mice to record Treg cells; stimulated naive CD4+ T cells from MRL/lpr Foxp3-GFP mice under Treg polarizing conditions in the absence or presence of KN-93; evaluated the number of GFP positive cells in lymphoid organs and examined skin and kidney pathology at 16 weeks of age. We also examined the infiltration of cells and recruitment of Treg cells in the kidney. Results: We show that culture of MRL/lpr Foxp3-GFP T cells in the presence o...
Light absorbance changes in the mouse carotid body during hypoxia and cyanide poisoning.

Abstract The isolated carotid body (CB) of the mouse was bathed with modified Tyrode's solution (pO2, 170 Torr) and transilluminated at different wave-lengths (500–620 nm). Difference spectra (normoxia vs hypoxia — pO2, 10 Torr) showed peaks of increased light transmittance (LT) at 500 and especially at 540 and 580 nm. There were troughs of transmittance decrease at 560 and 600 nm. Similar spectra (normoxia vs NaCN 10 mM) revealed increased LT at 500 and 590 nm, whereas there was decreased LT at 550 nm. Therefore, absorbance changes induced by hypoxia and cyanide were different. As as control for residual hemoglobin (Hb) in the tissues, a segment of carotid artery was filled with blood and the same light scanning was performed. The differential signals evoked by hypoxia were much larger. There was some LT increase at 500 and 540 nm, but this effect was especially marked at 570 and 590 nm. NaCN showed the same absorbance pattern, but peaks were of lower amplitude. Thus, the CB-produced signals were not elicited by residual Hb. A stepwise decrease in the medium pO2 (from 170 to 10 Torr) surrounding the CB produced a progressive increase in LT at 540 and 580 nm starting at 120 Torr. A different pattern was evoked by 550 (cytochrome c) and 600 (cytochrome aa3) nm. With 550 nm, transmittance began to increase at about 70 Torr. LT decreased with 600 nm starting at about 120 Torr. Thus, the main peaks of transmittance changes in the CB (540 and 580 nm) are probably elicited by pigments other than cytochromes c or aa3 and may represent activity of a special chromophore(s) very sensitive to pO2 changes, although contributions by other cytochromes have not been excluded.