cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathological changes and immunity associated with experimental Eimeria vermiformis infections in Mus musculus

. Pathological changes and immunity induced by Eimeria vermiformis (Ernst, Chobotar & Hammond, 1971) were studied in outbred Swiss mice inoculated with 5000, 10,000, 20,000, or 40,000 oocysts. Cross immunity to E. ferrisi was also studied. In the case of E. vermiformis, mortality was dose dependent; most deaths were observed in the intermediate-dose groups. Most deaths also correlated with peak oocyst output. Histopathologic changes consisted of an early neutrophil and mononuclear cell infiltration in the small intestine. Later, villus atrophy and crypt hyperplasia caused a decrease in the villus-crypt ratio. During the acute phase (8-10 days after inoculation), villus tips were eroded and parasites with necrotic debris filled the cryptal and intestinal lumina. Vacuolar changes were observed in epithelial cells of the small intestine. Neither parasites nor significant pathological changes were observed in extra-intestinal organs. Mice were totally immune to reinfection with E. vermiformis 30 and 105 days after inoculation. Cross immunity was not observed between E. vermiformis and E. ferrisi.
The mechanics of moving vertical fluidized systems: V. Concurrent cogravity flow

An experimental investigation of the concurrent cogravity flow of particulate solids and water in a 1-in. diameter vertical column is reported. Measurements were made of the particle concentration, or holdup, existing in the column as a function of the fluid and particle flow rates for two particle sizes, 0.0184- and 0.00396-in. diameter glass spheres. The experimental results form the basis for a prediction of the generalized characteristics of concurrent cogravity fluidization. The data for each particle size are correlated in terms of the slip velocity and the holdup. The slip velocity is demonstrated to be the same unique function of the holdup for concurrent cogravity flow and for batch fluidization. Therefore the holdup and the conditions of limiting operation for concurrent cogravity flow can be accurately predicted from the batch fluidization curve.
The Victorian Marcus Aurelius: Mill, Arnold, and the Appeal of the Quasi-Christian

For John Stuart Mill, Matthew Arnold, and their later Victorian respondents, the Stoic writer and second-century CE Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius represented a test-case for the sufficiency of the ostensibly masculine practices of askesis and detachment as ethical ideals, specifically in the context of Christianity. A brief passage in Mill's On Liberty (1859) comparing Stoic ethics with Christian ethical practice provoked an extended response from Arnold in an 1863 review essay. Mill and Arnold both used comparisons with Christianity to trace the contours and to explore the limits of Marcus Aurelius's ‘lovable’ nature; in doing so, Arnold in particular enacted a peculiar kind of historical sympathy for both the Marcus Aurelius that was and for a missed rapprochement between classical and Christian ethics. For a series of later writers, including freethinkers, religious conservatives and liberal Christians, Marcus Aurelius either promised or threatened to reconcile Stoicism with Christianity. Assessing the...
Comparison of low and high dose ionising radiation using topological analysis of gene coexpression networks

The growing use of imaging procedures in medicine has raised concerns about exposure to low-dose ionising radiation (LDIR). While the disastrous effects of high dose ionising radiation (HDIR) is well documented, the detrimental effects of LDIR is not well understood and has been a topic of much debate. Since little is known about the effects of LDIR, various kinds of wet-lab and computational analyses are required to advance knowledge in this domain. In this paper we carry out an “upside-down pyramid” form of systems biology analysis of microarray data. We characterised the global genomic response following 10 cGy (low dose) and 100 cGy (high dose) doses of X-ray ionising radiation at four time points by analysing the topology of gene coexpression networks. This study includes a rich experimental design and state-of-the-art computational systems biology methods of analysis to study the differences in the transcriptional response of skin cells exposed to low and high doses of radiation. Using this method we found important genes that have been linked to immune response, cell survival and apoptosis. Furthermore, we also were able to identify genes such as BRCA1, ABCA1, TNFRSF1B, MLLT11 that have been associated with various types of cancers. We were also able to detect many genes known to be associated with various medical conditions. Our method of applying network topological differences can aid in identifying the differences among similar (eg: radiation effect) yet very different biological conditions (eg: different dose and time) to generate testable hypotheses. This is the first study where a network level analysis was performed across two different radiation doses at various time points, thereby illustrating changes in the cellular response over time.
Interspecific aggressive behavior in tropical reef stomatopods and its possible ecological significance

Aggressive behavior may play a role in resource partitioning in two Eniwetok stomatopods Gonodactylus incipiens and Haptosquilla glyptocercus. These animals inhabit cavities in coral rubble which they defend vigorously. H. glyptocercus is the more aggressive species and is more than twice as abundant as G. incipiens in the habitat studied. The latter attains larger sizes and also occurs in habitats where H. glyptocercus is rare or absent. A third rarer species, G. falcatus, is also less aggressive than H. glyptocercus and is found in a different microhabitat.
Chlorambucil and bleomycin induce mutations in the specific-locus test in female mice.

Abstract Specific-locus studies have shown chlorambucil (CHL) and bleomycin (BLE) to be mutagenic in mouse oocytes, almost doubling the number of chemicals previously known to induce mutations in females. The overall CHL-induced mutation rate in oocytes is, however, one order of magnitude below that for male meiotic and postmeiotic stages, and only 1 50 that for early spermatids. For BLE, no specific-locus data for males are available for comparison, but the chemical had earlier been found negative for dominant-lethal induction in males. Both BLE and CHL were significantly mutagenic only in mature and maturing oocytes. In keeping with an earlier report, BLE produced a high incidence of dominant lethals in these stages. CHL failed to induce dominant lethals, indicating that for mature and maturing oocytes, in contrast with results for males, sensitivity to dominant-lethal mutations is not a prerequisite for induction of specific-locus mutations. Exposure of immature oocytes to either BLE or CHL produced neither dominant lethals nor significant induction of specific-locus mutations; however, CHL gave evidence of killing immature oocytes. By contrast, BLE, which has been considered a radiomimetic chemical, does not appear to kill immature oocytes and thus differs markedly from radiation exposures equivalent for dominant-lethal induction. Therefore, the failure to recover specific-locus mutations cannot be ascribed to cell selection resulting from oocyte killing, as has sometimes been done for radiation. Adding results on the nature of the CHL- and BLE-induced mutations to prior information, the estimated minimum proportion of large DNA lesions induced in oocytes by chemicals becomes 35.3%, significantly different from the corresponding figure (∼ 70%) for radiations. For chemical treatments, the oocyte proportion is highly significantly above the 3.6% induced in spermatogonia, but only on the borderline of statistically significant difference from that induced in postspermatogonial stages.
Progressive Loss of DNA Methylation Releases Epigenetic Gene Silencing From a Tandemly Repeated Maize Myb Gene

Maize pericarp color1 (p1) gene, which regulates phlobaphene biosynthesis in kernel pericarp and cob glumes, offers an excellent genetic system to study tissue-specific gene regulation. A multicopy p1 allele, P1-wr (white pericarp/red cob) is epigenetically regulated. Hypomethylation of P1-wr in the presence of Unstable factor for orange1 (Ufo1), leads to ectopic pigmentation of pericarp and other organs. The Ufo1-induced phenotypes show incomplete penetrance and poor expressivity: gain of pigmentation is observed only in a subset of plants carrying Ufo1 mutation, and the extent of pigmentation is highly variable. We show that Ufo1 induces progressive hypomethylation of P1-wr repeats over generations. After five generations of exposure to Ufo1, a 30–40% decrease in CG and CNG methylation was observed in an upstream enhancer and an intron region of P1-wr. Interestingly, such hypomethylation correlated with an increase in penetrance of the Ufo1-induced pigmentation phenotype from ∼27 to 61%. Expressivity of the Ufo1-induced phenotype also improved markedly as indicated by increased uniformity of pericarp pigmentation in the later generations. Furthermore, the poor expressivity of the Uo1 is associated with mosaic methylation patterns of the P1-wr upstream enhancer in individual cells and distinct P1-wr gene copies. Finally, comparison of methylation among different tissues indicated that Ufo1 induces rapid CG and CNG hypomethylation of P1-wr repeats during plant development. Together, these data indicate that the poor penetrance and expressivity of Ufo1-induced phenotypes is caused by mosaicism of methylation, and progressive mitotic hypomethylation leads to improved meiotic heritability of the mutant phenotype. In duplicated genomes like maize, loss of an epigenetic regulator may produce mosaic patterns due to redundancy of epigenetic regulators and their target sequences. We show here that multiple developmental cycles may be required for complete disruption of suppressed epigenetic states and appearance of heritable phenotypes.
Managing electronic resources in a time of shrinking budgets

Most state budgets have fallen on hard times. As a state university, Southern Oregon University has had to make significant reductions in its budget. The SOU Library took a large cut from its acquisitions budget and, for the first time, has had to cut electronic resources. This paper discusses how we acquired databases before the reductions, how we made the cuts last year when the budget was reduced, and how we could better approach future reductions using a checklist that examines cost, content, usage, interface, technical aspects, and the licensing agreement.
Age, Growth, and Diet of the Pirate Perch in a Coastal Plain Stream of North Carolina

Abstract Female pirate perch (Aphredoderus sayanus) were more numerous and grew faster in their second and third years than males. The life spans of the sexes were about equal and did not exceed 4 years. Total length (L, mm)-weight (W, g) relationships of the sexes did not differ, and the combined equation for 419 fish is W = 0.0000376L2.768. Frequent food items were Cladocera (particularly for young of the year), aquatic Diptera larvae, Isopoda, and Amphipoda.
Acoustic-phonon dispersion at incommensurate phase transitions

This paper comprises three lectures given at the School on Acoustic Phonons in Varna, Bulgaria, from September 23 to October 2, 1982. Anomalous dispersion of sound velocities, both transverse (TA) and longitudinal (LA), is discussed for ferroelectric insulators near their incommensurate/commensurate phase-transition temperatures. In BaMnF4 the LA dispersion has characteristic time 10-10s and is attributed to amplitudons; the LA frequency behavior satisfies the defect theory of Hochli and Bruce. The TA dispersion has characteristic time 10-9s and is attributed to phasons. The anomalous temperature dependence of the pyroelectric coefficient near T1 in BaMnF4 reported by Negran is also discussed and related to specific-heat and sound-velocity behavior. Results are summarized for BaMnF4, Ba2NaNb5O15, NaNO2, SC(NH2)2, RbH3(SeO3)2, K2SeO4 and Rb2ZnCl4.
Thin film passive solar windows produced by reactive evaporation of In-Sn

The semiconductor indium tin oxide (ITO) when present as a thin film has been shown to be transparent to visible radiation while opaque to IR radiation. Sputtering, chemical vapor deposition and other coating methodologies have been used to prepare ITO thin films. Reactive evaporation is an alternative coating technique, which has as its major advantage technical simplicity. Our prepation of ITO thin films (30–90 nm) for passive solar windows included the reactive evaporation of In-Sn alloys (In-5wt.%Sn, In-10wt.%Sn and In-20wt.%Sn) onto commercial soda-lime glass held between 25 and 300 °C. The reactive evaporation atmosphere consisted of oxygen at partial pressures from 1 × 10-4 to 1 × 10-3 Torr in residual nitrogen. In selected instances ultrathin palladium nucleating layers were evaporated onto the glass substrates prior to the deposition of the ITO. This was done in order to minimize initial alloy-glass agglomeration effects, thus decreasing the final overall ITO film thickness while increasing the visible transmission properties. The film's visible and IR spectral transmission properties were examined using ratio recording spectrophotometry. The agglomeration, nucleation and growth phenomena of the films were extensively investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The agglomeration was found to be a function of the film thickness, with increasing agglomeration for thinner films. Surface analysis by scanning Auger microscopy (SAM), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays was also extensively carried out to determine our particular film properties. SAM indicated that only indium, tin and oxygen were present. No tungsten from the evaporation filament or elements from the glass were found. ESCA indicated that ITO was indeed present on the surface. Such work definitely indicated that ITO can be prepared by reactive physical vapor deposition and that the resultant films have the properties commonly found in sputtered ITO films.
The Effects of Staring and Pew Invasion in Church Settings.

Summary The agonistic effects of staring in human beings was tested in a field experiment. Confederates approached worshippers in six churches and attempted to “invade” the pew, with or without staring at the seated person at the end of the pew. The results of 98 invasions over 18 Sunday services revealed that invader staring increased the likelihood of a worshipper moving over or returning the gaze; the same worshippers rarely made both responses. Number of invaders did not influence moving or gaze return. The results are interpreted as yielding support and external validation for previous studies of the agonistic properties of the stare in Americans.
Foraging modes as suites of coadapted movement traits

The nature and evolutionary bases of foraging modes remain uncertain despite intensive study. Whether species can be assigned to one of two foraging modes, ambush and active foraging, or to multiple modes, and whether modes exist or are extremes on continua of movements variables have been highly controversial. Bimodality of avian movements per minute (MPM) was claimed to support discreteness of modes, but lizards exhibit extensive unimodal variation. I present data for 58 lizard species on average speed (AS), speed while moving (MS), MPM and per cent time moving. Correlated evolution has occurred between the frequency, duration and speed of foraging movements, suggesting that these traits represent a coadapted suite of foraging movements. Cluster analysis using AS, MPM and per cent time moving assigned species to clusters isomorphic with traditional ambush and active foraging. Large empty regions in foraging space suggest that foraging modes represent adaptive peaks of suites of coevolved traits. All variables differed across clades and modes. Variation within taxa and modes suggests that historical and ecological factors determine modes. When MS replaces AS, four species change from ambush to the active cluster. Foraging modes are not fixed, discrete traits because substantial quantitative variation occurs within modes. All single movement variables are lognormally distributed, indicating that bimodality of single variables is not required for the existence of distinct foraging modes. As data on new taxa accumulate, gaps between clusters may be reduced and/or new modes identified. Currently, the two-mode paradigm remains appealing due to its broad explanatory power and simplicity.
Potential Effects of Aggressive Decongestion During the Treatment of Decompensated Heart Failure on Renal Function and Survival

Background— Overly aggressive diuresis leading to intravascular volume depletion has been proposed as a cause for worsening renal function during the treatment of decompensated heart failure. If diuresis occurs at a rate greater than extravascular fluid can refill the intravascular space, the concentration of such intravascular substances as hemoglobin and plasma proteins increases. We hypothesized that hemoconcentration would be associated with worsening renal function and possibly would provide insight into the relationship between aggressive decongestion and outcomes. Methods and Results— Subjects in the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness trial limited data set with a baseline/discharge pair of hematocrit, albumin, or total protein values were included (336 patients). Baseline-to-discharge increases in these parameters were evaluated, and patients with ≥2 in the top tertile were considered to have evidence of hemoconcentration. The group expe...
Border Curricula and the Construction of Identity: Implications for Multicultural Theorists.

Scholars, policy makers, and classroom teachers concerned with diversity have expended tremendous effort debating multicultural curricula. However, there has been relatively little discussion about how school environments play into lessons that youth learn about ethnic diversity. This research addresses this gap by focusing on how three academically high‐achieving Latina women perceive curricula relevant to their ethnicity. It also explores the implications of ethnically‐relevant curricula for the ways in which these youth craft ethnic identity in relation to school. Case studies synthesized from interviews and field observations demonstrate that these women place particular emphasis on two aspects of the hidden curriculum often ignored in policy debates: (a) the relational curriculum — lessons about the means and possibilities of communicating with others socially different from oneself, and (b) the differentiating curriculum — lessons that teach youth about their place in the structure of society.
Large aperture nanocomposite deformable mirror technology

We report progress in the development of deformable mirrors (DM) using nanocomposite materials. For the extremely large telescopes (ELTs) currently being planned, a new generation of DMs with unprecedented performance is a critical path item. The DMs need to have large apertures (meters), continuous surfaces, and low microroughness. Most importantly, they must have excellent static optical figures and yet be sufficiently thin (1-2 mm) and flexible to function with small, low powered actuators. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) have the potential to fulfill these requirements. However, CFRP mirrors made using direct optical replication have encountered a number of problems. Firstly, it is difficult if not impossible for a CFRP mirror to maintain a good static optical figure if a small number of plies are used, but adding more plies to the laminate tends to make the substrate too thick and stiff. Secondly, direct optical replication requires precision mandrels, the costs of which become prohibitive at multi-meter apertures. We report development of a new approach. By using a combination of a novel support structure, selected fibers, and binding resins infused with nanoparticles, it is possible to make millimeter thick optical mirrors that can both maintain good static optical figures and yet still have the required flexibility for actuation. Development and refinement of a non-contact, deterministic process of fine figuring permits generation of accurate optical surfaces without the need for precision optical mandrels. We present data from tests that have been carried out to demonstrate these new processes. A number of flat DMs have been fabricated, as well as concave and convex DMs in spherical, parabolic, and other forms.
Synthesis of two new crown ethers containing selenium and the complexation of one of them with silver and lead

Two new macrocyclic crown ethers containing one or two selenium donor atoms have been prepared. Diselena-18-crown-6 (2) was found to transport silver ions through a methylene chloride bulk membrane at about the same rate as the analogous dithia- (3) and diaza-18-crown-6 (4) compounds and transported lead ions about the same as dithia-18-crown-6 but better than diaza-18-crown-6.
Relationship between child abuse history, trauma, and dissociation in Russian college students

OBJECTIVE: The research was conducted to determine the relationship between violent trauma, child abuse history, and dissociative symptoms in a Russian population. METHOD: Three hundred and one undergraduate students from Moscow State Linguistics University participated in the study and completed the Dissociation Continuum Scale, the Violence History Questionnaire, the Traumatic Events Survey (TES), and a demographic measure. RESULTS: Scores on dissociation and its subfactors were significantly higher in the Russian sample compared to the normative US group. The best predictors for dissociation were experiencing a violent trauma, child abuse history, and/or the experience of a fearful event. Those participants with a prior child abuse history were more symptomatic after adult trauma than those with no such history. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between trauma/abuse and dissociation is unlikely to be a result of suggestion by therapists or media exposure, since the correlation appears in a Russian population who are relatively unexposed to these suggestive sources. The validity, reliability, and structure of the dissociation measure were relatively similar in American and Russian samples. Language: en
Speaking of Crime: `I don't Know what Made Me do it'

This paper analyzes the autobiographical narratives of criminal acts as told by inmates in a US maximum security prison. It suggests (1) that narrations about crime involve structures that show a speaker's words can place him in a continuum of personal agency in regards to his own actions; (2) that a prisoner's personal agency shifts in relation to modes of telling throughout his discourse; and (3) that a person's autobiographical speech positions him in a multilayered participation framework (Schiffrin, 1987, 1994) that is conducive to rehabilitative thinking. Thus, in telling his story the criminal positions himself in the participation framework with an interlocutor, but also simultaneously within the framework of establishing a personal being (Harre, 1984) in the chronology of his own life and the synchrony of his current living situation in prison. Using an interactional sociolinguistic approach, I focus this paper on epistemic utterances such as, `I don't know what made me do it'; `I don't know whet...
Motivating Students to Improve Their Math Preparations.

Educators in one state went to the source to combat the problem of college freshmen who are not prepared for college-level math ematics. They established a speakers bureau and sent professors into the schools to discuss the importance of a solid foundation in mathematics directly with the students.
81. Hippocampal Gene Knockdown of BACE1 by Lentiviral Gene Transfer of siRNA Reduces Amyloid Pathology and Improves Memory Performance in APP Transgenic Mice

The neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with increased |[beta]|-secretase (BACE1) activity that results in progressive accumulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) Cterminal fragments (CTFs) and amyloid-|[beta]| (A|[beta]|). Therefore, developing strategies to inactivate BACE1 might present an important approach toward the treatment of AD. To assess this possibility in vivo, APP transgenic mice that develop some aspects of AD neuropathology were treated with a lentiviral vector (LV) expressing small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting BACE1. The LV-siBACE1 vector was expressed at high levels in HEK293T cells and reduced both BACE1 expression and production of A|[beta]|1-42 in vitro. Onemonth post intra-hippocampal delivery of the LV-siBACE1 vector in APP transgenic mice, levels of BACE1 expression were significantly reduced at the site of the injection. This was accompanied by reduced deposition of A|[beta]|, reduced intracellular CTFs and amelioration of the neurodegenerative alterations (dendritic / synaptic density) in the hippocampus as evaluated by confocal microscopy. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effects of LVsiBACE1 were associated with improved spatial learning and memory, tested by a Morris water maze. Our results suggest that lentiviral vector delivery of BACE1 siRNA can specifically reduce the cleavage rate of APP and neurodegeneration in vivo and indicates the potential therapeutic value of this approach for treating AD. We will discuss the possible outcome of long-term siRNA expression on the progression of AD in APP mice.
Long-Term Orientation and Intertemporal Choice in Family Firms

A long–term orientation (LTO) is often associated with family firms, but the LTO construct is underdeveloped. This paper sets forth a framework for studying LTO in family firms including developing three dimensions—futurity, continuity, and perseverance. It identifies LTO as a higher–order heuristic that, in matters of intertemporal choice, provides a dominant logic for decisions and actions. Intertemporal choice refers to decisions with payoffs or outcomes that play out over time. Three mechanisms affecting intertemporal choices are identified—representation, self–control, and anticipation. LTO and intertemporal choice are further examined and discussed in the context of family firms.
Multiple sclerosis: Impact of physical activity on psychosocial constructs

OBJECTIVES To determine the impact of physical activity (PA) interventions and experience with PA on psychosocial constructs. METHODS PA, self-efficacy, self-identity, social support, and expected PA frequency were measured pre and post intervention in 39 persons with multiple sclerosis. RESULTS The MANOVA analysis indicated that self-efficacy and expectation decreased, whereas self-identity and PA improved (P<0.05). Regressions analyses indicated pretest self-identity (beta(2)=0.44) and social support (beta(2)=0.34) were associated with PA. Posttest self-efficacy (beta(2)=0.38) and social support (beta(2)=0.31) were associated with PA (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The interventions and experience with PA caused changes in psychosocial constructs, which subsequently affected the correlation of these constructs with PA.
Early detection and specificity analysis of human cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) colonies generated in soft agarose culture: a potential assay for definition of CTL defined (CD) determinants.

Abstract In this communication we describe an early, large-scale screening assay for the detection of colonies with varied cytolytic specificity. The colonies are generated in soft agarose culture from day 3 mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) alloactivated cells. A cell mediated lympholysis (CML) assay utilizing as few as 500 target cells has made it possible to prescreen for cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) colonies and to test for antigen specificities as early as 11 and 14 days. respectively. after MLC priming. Large numbers of colonies, from 80 to over 150. have been prescreened against a specific sensitizing target cell, and as many as 30 CTL colonies have been simultaneously tested against a panel of multiple targets carrying defined HLA-A., -B., -DR antigens to evaluate antigen specificity. All CTL colonies are lytic against the specific sensitizing target cell and do not lyse the target autologous to the responder. Some are found to be operationally specific in that they lyse only those target cells which share HLA serologically deifined (SD) antigens with the sensitizing cells, and others show cytolytoc patterns which are not correlated with known HLA-SD antigens. These observations support, at a much finer level of analysis, the possible distinction between SD and CTL defined (CD) determinants.
Performance of a Binary PPM Ultra-Wideband Communication System with Direct Sequence Spreading for Multiple Access

In this paper, we present an analysis of the BER performance of an ultra-wideband (UWB) system with pulse position modulation (PPM) for data modulation and direct sequence (DS) spreading for multiple access over indoor lognormal fading channels. A rake receiver is used to combine a subset of the resolvable multipath components using the maximal ratio combining technique. Inter-path and multiple-access interferences are modeled and incorporated into the bit-error-rate expressions. The analytical and simulation results allow one to quantify many critical aspects of a DS-PPM UWB system such as the gain of the optimally spaced signaling scheme over the orthogonal signaling scheme, the potential error floor given a specific channel multipath delay spread and the number of interfering users, tolerance of the system to timing jitter, and impact of user codes.
Compensating effects on the cytotoxicity of ribonuclease A variants

Abstract Ribonuclease (RNase) A can be endowed with cytotoxic activity by enabling it to evade the cytosolic ribonuclease inhibitor protein (RI). Enhancing its conformational stability can increase further its cytotoxicity. Herein, the A4C/K41R/G88R/V118C variant of RNase A was created to integrate four individual changes that greatly decrease RI affinity (K41R/G88R) and increase conformational stability (A4C/V118C). Yet, the variant suffers a decrease in ribonucleolytic activity and is only as potent a cytotoxin as its precursors. Thus, individual changes that increase cytotoxicity can have offsetting consequences. Overall, cytotoxicity correlates well with the maintenance of ribonucleolytic activity in the presence of RI. The parameter ( k cat / K m ) cyto , which reports on the ability of a ribonuclease to manifest its ribonucleolytic activity in the cytosol, is especially useful in predicting the cytotoxicity of an RNase A variant.
Trends in Prenatal Discussion and HIV Testing, 1996–2001: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System

Objective: To assess trends in prenatal discussions about HIV testing and prenatal HIV testing during the period 1996–2001. Methods: Using data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a population-based postpartum survey of women, we calculated the self-reported prevalences of discussion of prenatal HIV testing and testing. Data were analyzed using SUDAAN; trends were calculated by logistic regression for states having ≥3 years of data. Results: From 1996 to 2001, significant increases in prenatal discussions about HIV testing were seen in 15 of 17 states. During the period 1996–2001, the prevalence of testing increased significantly in 7 of 8 states. In all states, there was a significant, positive relationship between having a prenatal discussion about testing and having an HIV test (odds ratios ranged from 1.7 to 4.9). Conclusions: We found statistically significant increases in discussions and testing from 1996 through 2001, consistent with guidelines emphasizing routine prenatal testing. Health care providers may have a strong influence on women’s decisions to be tested. Because current guidelines call for simplified strategies to reduce barriers to universal prenatal HIV screening, trends in prenatal HIV testing should continue to be monitored to assess the impact of these changes.
On the marginal effects of variables in the log-transformed sample selection models

Abstract We derive the conditional mean of the limited dependent variable for a general class of sample selection models with a logarithmically transformed dependent variable. An application to household charity donation suggests use of the correct conditional mean is important.
Searching for an answer: Faculty strategies to ensure advanced practice nursing student ability to select quality reference sources to guide clinical decision making

Objective: Nursing faculty in advanced practice programs are challenged in providing guidance to their students on the appropriate use of a vast array of resources to inform practice decisions. The purposes of this exploratory pilot study were to 1) identify reference sources faculty consider essential for use in clinical practice, 2) describe faculty strategies for assisting students in the selection of quality reference sources for answering clinical questions, and 3) evaluate if strategies or resources utilized vary according to type of course taught, years of teaching experience, years in clinical practice, and type of advanced nursing preparation of the faculty member. Methods: Graduate faculty (N = 33) from a distance education university completed an investigator created survey in a cross-sectional descriptive pilot study. Results: Findings indicate that faculty acknowledge their students require guidance in the selection of quality references, however, there is lack of consensus for those reference sources that are considered of high quality. Conclusions: Consensus building among faculty as to what constitutes quality reference sources which will guide practice decisions is essential before a consistent message regarding quality evidence-based sources can be provided to students throughout the curriculum.
California's Structural Deficit Crisis

California's 1991–92 budget is suffering from the cyclical effects of the current recession and from structural pressures that could keep the state's budget in the red for the rest of the decade. This article outlines the causes of California's deficit crisis, and briefly examines some of the potential solutions that are being considered to resolve the state's short- and long-term fiscal difficulties.
The urban region: natural systems in our place, our nourishment, our home range, our future

Consider dividing the land into two parts...urbanized areas and rural/remote areas. Urban planning sometimes achieves heroic successes both small and large where people are concentrated, but has little interest in the much-larger rural/remote land areas with dispersed people. Meanwhile conservation and other resource planners also achieve large and small miracles, but generally only where people are few. To sustainably mesh both nature and us on land requires seriously linking the two broad approaches, and later the emergence of a new integrated expertise. The concept of an urban region looks especially promising. Indeed, ‘‘Natural systems in our place, our nourishment, our home range, and our future,’’ serves as the philosophic framework for the ideas here. Humans have just crossed a threshold. We’ve entered the urban century: worldwide more of us live in urban areas than in rural areas. Steward Pickett points out that Homo sapiens is now an urban species. The city and its interdependent peri-urban/suburban area is our address, our place. Certainly the region provides nourishment. Daily benefits from cultural institutions, clean water supply, diverse recreational spots, local market-gardened food, employment opportunity, shopping galore, and our ever-diverse communities and neighbors are pervasive. The urban region is also our yearly home range. Repeated routes provide spatial integrity and attachment, strengthening our sense of place. Yet the other big story is where we are in the steep part of the J-shaped exponential urban-population curve. In a mere generation, by 2030, UNPD data indicate that today’s three billion urban people will become five billion. Lest we dismiss that as simply a problem of the two dozen megacities, the numerous dispersed smaller cities of 250–500 thousand neighbors have the really rapid growth rates. Moreover the urban poor are the fastest growing. Today’s billion low-income urban inhabitants are expected to double to two billion in a generation. Among the cascade of implications, poverty is really bad for the environment. In whatever form, these urban regions are increasingly our life, and our future. Some urban regions display greatness, from engineering marvel to cultural center, urban agriculture, economic engine, or greenspace system. Imagine the environmental degradation and societal ramifications if people were evenly distributed across the land rather than aggregated in urban regions. Yet rapidly we have created for civilization one of the great challenges of history. A huge city population depends daily and fundamentally on resources which are out of sight, out of the city. Natural Many of the specific ideas here are explored in: Forman, R. T. T. Urban Regions: Ecology and Planning Beyond the City. Cambridge University Press, New York (in press).
Generalized resolution for 0–1 linear inequalities

We show how the resolution method of theorem proving can be extended to obtain a procedure for solving a fundamental problem of integer programming, that of finding all valid cuts of a set of linear inequalities in 0-1 variables. Resolution generalizes to two cutting plane operations that, when applied repeatedly, generate all strongest possible or “prime” cuts (analogous to prime implications in logic). Every valid cut is then dominated by at least one of the prime cuts. The algorithm is practical when restricted to classes of inequalities within which one can easily tell when one inequality dominates another. We specialize the algorithm to several such classes, including inequalities representing logical clauses, for which it reduces to classical resolution.
Effects of age on various aspects of glucose and insulin metabolism

Age is known to be associated with the development of glucose intolerance. In this review an effort has been made to differentiate between the effects of age per se on glucose tolerance, as distinguished from those of such age-related variables as obesity, diet, development of frank diabetes, etc. At the same time, an attempt was made to evaluate the evidence implicating abnormalities of insulin secretaion and/or insulin action in the development of glucose intolerance with age. It is concluded that the questions being asked are far from simple, and that available data do not provide unequivocal answers.
Plasticity of the Chemoreceptor Repertoire in Drosophila melanogaster

For most organisms, chemosensation is critical for survival and is mediated by large families of chemoreceptor proteins, whose expression must be tuned appropriately to changes in the chemical environment. We asked whether expression of chemoreceptor genes that are clustered in the genome would be regulated independently; whether expression of certain chemoreceptor genes would be especially sensitive to environmental changes; whether groups of chemoreceptor genes undergo coordinated rexpression; and how plastic the expression of chemoreceptor genes is with regard to sex, development, reproductive state, and social context. To answer these questions we used Drosophila melanogaster, because its chemosensory systems are well characterized and both the genotype and environment can be controlled precisely. Using customized cDNA microarrays, we showed that chemoreceptor genes that are clustered in the genome undergo independent transcriptional regulation at different developmental stages and between sexes. Expression of distinct subgroups of chemoreceptor genes is sensitive to reproductive state and social interactions. Furthermore, exposure of flies only to odor of the opposite sex results in altered transcript abundance of chemoreceptor genes. These genes are distinct from those that show transcriptional plasticity when flies are allowed physical contact with same or opposite sex members. We analyzed covariance in transcript abundance of chemosensory genes across all environmental conditions and found that they segregated into 20 relatively small, biologically relevant modules of highly correlated transcripts. This finely pixilated modular organization of the chemosensory subgenome enables fine tuning of the expression of the chemoreceptor repertoire in response to ecologically relevant environmental and physiological conditions.
Tunneling real-space transfer induced by wave function hybridization in modulation-doped heterostructures

We report a new tunneling mechanism in modulation‐doped heterostructures based on wave function hybridization. We show that hybrid wave functions can be formed across the heterojunction by growing highly doped n‐p layers below the undoped GaAs layer. The hybridization creates the condition for hot electrons to transfer by tunneling from the high‐mobility GaAs channel through the heterojunction to the low‐mobility AlGaAs layer and results in a negative differential resistance. The hybrid nature of the wave functions and the smaller energies needed to achieve the transfer across the heterojunction suggest that this effect will occur at lower applied fields than for thermionic emission or tunneling between localized states in adjacent quantum wells.
Mechanical Strength of Durable Press Finished Cotton Fabric Part II: Comparison of Crosslinking Agents with Different Molecular Structures and Reactivity

In our previous research, we investigated the strength loss of durable press cotton fabric caused by acid-catalyzed depolymenzation. In this paper, we study the relationship between the tensile str...
The Effect of Adsorption on the Acid Production of Caries and Noncaries-Producing Streptococci

Eighteen different Streptococcus strains including S mutans, sanguis, mitis, salivarius, bovis, and 2F2, were assayed for their relative adsorption to synthetic hydroxyapatite and for quantities of lactic acid produced while in the adsorbed state. The results indicated that all S mutans and some S sanguis have an enhanced metabolic activity while adsorbed to hydroxapatite as compared to control suspensions without hydroxyapatite.
RZ pulse source for optical time division multiplexing based on self-phase modulation and four wave mixing

We present an RF-driven two-stage 40 GHz RZ pulse source based on self-phase modulation and a fiber optic parametric amplifier, for generation of 1.1 ps pulses, and demonstrate generation of OTDM data up to 320 Gb/s.
Killing with kindness: Veterinary euthanasia and the social construction of personhood

Euthanizing companion animals is a common feature of veterinary practice. Based on data collected during participant observation in a large general veterinary clinic in the Northeast, this discussion focuses on how veterinarians evaluate euthanasia cases, orchestrate euthanasia encounters, and experience the occupational activity of routinely dispensing death. The description of the ambivalence that surrounds euthanasia in veterinary practice is used to ground a general analysis of “personhood” as a constructed social designation and the conflicts focused around the implemented deaths of those beings defined as existing in the contested realm between person/subject and nonperson/object.
Mechanisms of chlorpyrifos and diazinon induced neurotoxicity in cortical culture

The main action of organophosphorous insecticides is generally believed to be the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). However, these compounds also inhibit many other enzymes, any of which may play a role in their toxicity. We tested the neurotoxic mechanism of two organophosphorous insecticides, chlorpyrifos and diazinon in primary cortical cultures. Exposure to the insecticides caused a concentration-dependent toxicity that could not be directly attributed to the oxon forms of the compounds which caused little toxicity but strongly inhibited AChE. Addition of 1 mM acetylcholine or carbachol actually attenuated the toxicity of chlorpyrifos and diazinon, and the muscarinic receptor antagonist, atropine, and the nicotinic receptor antagonist, mecamylamine, did not attenuate the toxicity of either insecticide. These results strongly suggest that the organophosphorous toxicity observed in this culture system is not mediated by buildup of extracellular acetylcholine resulting from inhibition of AChE. The toxicity of chlorpyrifos was attenuated by antagonists of either the NMDA or AMPA/kainate-type glutamate receptors, but the cell death was potentiated by the caspase inhibitor ZVAD. Diazinon toxicity was not affected by glutamate receptor antagonists, but was attenuated by ZVAD. Chlorpyrifos induced diffuse nuclear staining characteristic of necrosis, while diazinon induced chromatin condensation characteristic of apoptosis. Also, chlorpyrifos exposure increased the levels of extracellular glutamate, while diazinon did not. The results suggest two different mechanisms of neurotoxicity of the insecticides, neither one of which involved acetylcholine. Chlorpyrifos induced a glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, while diazinon induced apoptotic neuronal death.
Effect of e-prescribing systems on patient safety

E-prescribing systems enable electronic transmissions of prescriptions to pharmacies from the provider's office. The promise of e-prescribing in regard to patient safety is reduction in the time gap between point of care and point of service, reduction in medication errors, and improved quality of care. This article will give a brief overview of e-prescribing systems, what is known about these systems and their impact on patient safety, and what challenges remain. For purposes of this article, the term "patient safety" will be used interchangeably with medication errors and adverse drug events. Although there is some evidence that e-prescribing alone and e-prescribing with medication decision support can reduce medication errors, there is also evidence that e-prescribing can be a source of medication errors. The need for more study is particularly relevant and timely, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is strongly incentivizing providers to use e-prescribing with medication decision support. Despite concerns about efficiency and dissatisfaction, the majority of providers believe e-prescribing provides for improved patient safety. Limited evidence suggests that e-prescribing with medication decision support can improve patient safety.
III-V devices featuring Si transistor-like process and its heterogeneous integration on Si substrate

High mobility III-V compound semiconductors are the most attractive candidates who could provide enhanced performance for future logic applications. Even so, people still hesitate to accelerate III-V materials entering into Si CMOS world. To relieve people's concerns, the integration of thin III-V on Si and Si transistor-like technique or architecture should be demonstrated.