cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Employee Stock Ownership and Corporate Performance among Public Companies

This study compares the corporate performance in 1990/91 of two groups of public companies: those in which employees owned more than 5% of the company's stock, and all others. The results of the analysis, which looks at profitability, productivity, and compensation, are consistent with neither negative nor highly positive views of employee ownership, but where differences are found, they are favorable to companies with employee ownership, especially among companies of small size. The circumstances in which employee ownership was used—specifically, whether it was part of a wage/benefit concession package and whether it was involved in a takeover threat—do not appear to have had a significant effect on the 1990 performance levels or 1980–90 performance growth of the firms. Although the authors caution that the data do not permit clear tests of causality, these results are broadly consistent with those of past studies.
Solvophobic approach for predicting sorption of hydrophobic organic chemicals on synthetic sorbents and soils

Abstract The application of a solvophobic approach for predicting the sorption of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC) was evaluated with data collected using synthetic sorbents and soils. The experimental data consisted of batch equilibrium sorption coefficients ( K D ), as well as soil-TLC and reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) retention factors (κ′). All data were collected using aqueous solutions and binary or ternary solvent mixtures of water, methanol, acetone, and acetonitrile. As predicted by the theory, the chromatographic retention factors and sorption coefficients for HOC decreased log-linearly with increasing fraction of organic cosolvent in binary solvents. Model parameters estimated from the binary solvent data could be used to predict sorption (or retention) from ternary solvents. Reasonable agreement was found between model parameters reported in the literature and those estimated using the data from batch sorption, soil-TLC, and RPLC studies.
Theoretical studies of brain autoregulation: Oxygen transport to tissue

The Krogh capillary-tissue cylinder arrangement has been modeled and solved to include interaction between the capillary and tissue. Sophisticated, distributed, and simple lumped parameter equations have been used to describe the system. Solutions have been investigated using digital, analog, and hybrid computer techniques. Results from the simulations have been compared with experimental tissue response data obtained with oxygen microelectrodes inserted in the brain of anesthetized, curarized cats. Comparisons indicated that autoregulatory mechanisms play an important role in determining the characteristic tissue oxygen tension response to arteriole oxygen tension upsets. Theoretical control mechanisms have been postulated and superimposed on the capillary-tissue models to explain the temporal behavior of brain oxygen tension during conditions of anoxic-anoxia. Preliminary evidence indicates an active, inhibitory (Protective) mechanism for oxygen in brain. A hybrid computer simulation of interacting regions of brain gives a possible explanation for such a mechanism.
Transmission electron microscopy study of metamorphic III-Sb VECSELs on GaAs/AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflectors

The growth of antimonide vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs) for 1.8 to 2.8 µm emission wavelength is typically based on InGaAsSb/AlGaAsSb quantum wells on GaSb/AlAsSb DBRs which are in turn grown on GaSb substrates. Thus the entire structure is lattice matched to GaSb's lattice constant of 6.09 A. The growth of such VECSELs on GaAs/AlGaAs DBRs could be of significant advantage on account of a more mature DBR technology based on GaAs substrates, better thermal conductivity of the III-As DBRs compared to the III-Sb DBRs and better etch stop recipes for arsenide semiconductors compared to antimonides. However, the growth of such a laser would involve overcoming a 7.8% mismatch between the active region and the GaAs/AlGaAs DBR. Furthermore, the vertical cavity structure requires the quantum wells to be in very close proximity to the 7.8% mismatched GaSb/GaAs interface.1 The challenge is therefore to reduce the threading dislocation density in the active region without a very thick metamorphic buffer or dislocation bending layers.
The photo-oxidation of cyclohexane on titanium dioxide: an investigation of competitive adsorption and its effects on product formation and selectivity

The photo-oxidation of cyclohexane on titanium dioxide was investigated in neat cyclohexane and in various solvents to determine the effect of the solvent media on the cyclohexane oxidation rate and reaction selectivity to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. The solvents that were used in this study include acetone, isopropanol, dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and n-hexane. It was found that the reaction rate and selectivity to the formation of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone in various solvents depend upon the relative strengths of adsorption of cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, the solvent, and the partially oxidized solvent species on the titanium dioxide particles. In non-polar solvents, cyclohexanol preferentially adsorbed onto the titanium dioxide particles and underwent deep oxidation, ultimately to carbon dioxide and water. Therefore, in non-polar solvents, the selectivity of the reaction to cyclohexanol was very low. However, in polar solvents, cyclohexanol adsorbed to the titanium dioxide particles to a lesser extent due to the competition for adsorption sites with the solvent, and the selectivity of the reaction to cyclohexanol significantly increased. Competitive adsorption, in part, determined the overall rate of cyclohexane oxidation and selectivity to the desired products, cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol. The highest product-formation rate in this study was observed in dichloromethane, whereas chloroform and isopropanol significantly inhibited the desired reactions. The ideal solvent for the photo-oxidation of cyclohexane is one that minimizes the strengths of adsorption of the desired products on titanium dioxide and either does not compete with cyclohexane and oxygen for adsorption sites or is strongly adsorbed but is non-reactive with itself upon forming a radical on the illuminated titanium dioxide surface.
Race differences in the age at diagnosis among medicaid-eligible children with autism.

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine racial differences in the age at which Medicaid-eligible children first receive an autistic disorder (AD) diagnosis and to examine time in mental health treatment until an AD diagnosis was received. Method: Philadelphia Medicaid specialty mental health claims identified 406 children who received services in 1999 for AD. Claims from 1993–1999 were used to identify the date of first mental health visit, first receipt of AD diagnosis, and number of visits occurring between those dates. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship among race, age at first diagnosis of AD, time in mental health treatment, and number of visits until the diagnosis was made. Results: On average, white children received the AD diagnosis at 6.3 years of age, compared with 7.9 years for black children ( p p = .005); however, after adjusting for age, sex, and time eligible for Medicaid, black children required more time in treatment before receiving the diagnosis. Conclusions: Important disparities exist in the early detection and treatment of autism. These disparities may be the result of differences in help-seeking, advocacy and support, and clinician behaviors.
Continuous infraclavicular brachial plexus block in a child

Continuous regional anesthesia for both intra- and postoperative use in adults is becoming more common. As with many new anesthesia techniques, however, there is often a lag time before the same techniques are utilized in children. Our patient was a 10-year-old child requiring reoperation on her fifth digit with planned 48-h admission for range of motion exercises. We wanted to have a continuous regional blockade to control the patient's pain during the postoperative manipulations of the digit. A search of the literature from the last 10 years did not show any reports of the placements of a continuous brachial plexus block in children. In this case report, we present the successful placement and use of a continuous infraclavicular catheter in a child undergoing upper extremity surgery.
Working memory and the memory distortion component of hindsight bias.

One component of hindsight bias is memory distortion: Individuals' recollections of their predictions are biased towards known outcomes. The present study examined the role of working memory in the memory distortion component of hindsight bias. Participants answered almanac-like questions, completed a measure of working memory capacity, were provided with the correct answers, and attempted to recollect their original judgements in two conditions: with and without a concurrent working memory load. Participants' recalled judgements were more biased by feedback when they recalled these judgements with a concurrent memory load and working memory capacity was negatively correlated with memory distortion. These findings are consistent with reconstruction accounts of the memory distortion component of hindsight bias and, more generally, with dual process theories of cognition. These results also relate the memory distortion component of hindsight bias with other cognitive errors, such as source monitoring errors...
Preoperative treatment with doxycycline reduces aortic wall expression and activation of matrix metalloproteinases in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Abstract Purpose: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are considered to play a central role in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Doxycycline (Dox) has direct MMP-inhibiting properties in vitro, and it effectively suppresses the development of elastase-induced AAAs in rodents. The purpose of this study was to determine if treatment with Dox suppresses MMPs within human aneurysm tissue and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect. Methods: Aneurysm tissues were obtained from 15 patients with an AAA, eight of whom had been treated with Dox before surgery (100 mg orally twice a day for 7 days). Protein extracts were examined by means of gelatin zymography and immunoblot analysis, and RNA was examined by means of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The effects of Dox on MMP production were further examined in human THP-1 mononuclear phagocytes in vitro. Results: No detectable difference was found between groups by using substrate zymography as a means of assessing total MMP activity, but Dox treatment was associated with a slight (24.4%) reduction in the activated fraction of 72-kDa gelatinase (MMP-2; P P P Conclusion: In addition to its recognized effects as a direct MMP antagonist, Dox may influence connective tissue degradation within human aneurysm tissue by reducing monocyte/macrophage expression of MMP-9 mRNA and by suppressing the post-translational processing (activation) of proMMP-2. Through this complementary combination of mechanisms, treatment with Dox may be a particularly effective strategy for achieving MMP inhibition in patients with an AAA. (J Vasc Surg 2000;31:325-42.)
Completion gastrectomy for refractory gastroparesis following surgery for peptic ulcer disease. Long-term follow-up with subjective and objective parameters.

We recently have shown that 50% of patients with preoperative gastric outlet obstruction go on to develop chronic nonmechanical gastric stasis after surgery and require further operations in attempts to relieve their symptoms. In the present study we report our experience with completion gastrectomy (CG), offered to a subgroup of this population who failed to respond to both available and experimental medical therapy with prokinetic agents. Manometric studies of the small bowel were performed on three of these patients using a semiconductor solid recording probe to assess the motility of efferent jejunal limbs. There were seven females and one male (N=8) with a mean age of 45 years. All had persistent symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, early satiety, decreased appetite, and weight loss dating back to the time of surgery. Gastric stasis was documented by delayed gastric emptying of a radionuclide solid meal (chicken liver labeled with technetium-99m sulfur colloid) with a mean retention of 86±6.2% ( 45 cm if needed. The mean duration of follow-up after CG is 30±20.8 months (range 7–60). No patient has required any additional operations or promotility agents. Based on global evaluation, all patients reported a satisfactory quality of life. Manometric data showed normal small bowel motility in their jejunal limb. All three patients had normal MMC frequency and propagation velocity. The fasting pattern converted to fed motility pattern in all. Our study demonstrated that: (1) CG, although seemingly radical, is indicated and successful therapy for a subgroup of patients with refractory chronic gastroparesis following gastric surgery; (2) assessment of the gastric emptying of an isotope-labeled solid meal is crucial in identifying gastroparesis as the etiology of the patients' symptoms in the postgastric surgery setting; and (3) surgery involving stomal revisions or a Roux-en-Y procedure will not resolve the symptoms of chronic gastric atony, since these patients have an underlying gastric motility impairment without diffuse small bowel involvement.
Validation and Implementation of an Algorithm for Reporting the Automated Absolute Neutrophil Count From Selected Flagged Specimens

Samples that are flagged by automated cell counters and, therefore, require a time-consuming microscopic review cause unacceptable wait times for patients in hematology/oncology clinics. We used a set of 518 samples to validate that 5 flags on Sysmex XE/XT instruments (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) could safely be ignored when the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) was the primary clinical question. The R 2 between automated and manual ANCs was 96.9% for samples triggering non-ANC flags, with 1 clinically significant discrepant sample out of 296 (0.3%). A new test code allowing clinicians to specify “ANC-only” was implemented, and these non-ANC specific flags were disregarded. The new order set was used in 16.3% of patients. Automated reporting of the ANC in selected flagged samples reduced the review rate by 60% and decreased the turnaround time by 100 minutes. This approach to automatically report the ANC in selected flagged specimens in which the ANC is the primary clinical interest safely decreases the turnaround time for many ANC samples.
Sustainability and performance of the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program.

Abstract Introduction The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) contributes one third of NCI treatment trial enrollment (“accrual”) and most cancer prevention and control (CP/C) trial enrollment. Prior research indicated that the local clinical environment influenced CCOP accrual performance during the 1990s. As the NCI seeks to improve the operations of the clinical trials system following critical reports by the Institute of Medicine and the NCI Operational Efficiency Working Group, the current relevance of the local environmental context on accrual performance is unknown. Materials and methods This longitudinal quasi-experimental study used panel data on 45 CCOPs nationally for years 2000–2007. Multivariable models examine organizational, research network, and environmental factors associated with accrual to treatment trials, CP/C trials, and trials overall. Results For total trial accrual and treatment trial accrual, the number of active CCOP physicians and the number of trials were associated with CCOP performance. Factors differ for CP/C trials. CCOPs in areas with fewer medical school-affiliated hospitals had greater treatment trial accrual. Conclusions Findings suggest a shift in the relevance of the clinical environment since the 1990s, as well as changes in CCOP structure associated with accrual performance. Rather than a limited number of physicians being responsible for the preponderance of trial accrual, there is a trend toward accrual among a larger number of physicians each accruing relatively fewer patients to trial. Understanding this dynamic in the context of CCOP efficiency may inform and strengthen CCOP organization and physician practice.
The temperature dependence of collision-induced intersystem crossing in S 2 glyoxal vapor

Abstract The temperature dependence of collision-induced S 1 → T intersystem crossing from the zero-point level of S 1 glyoxal has been studied over the range 225–357 K for each of 12 collision partners whose 300 K collision efficiencies range from ≈0.03 to 0.13. The collision cross section generally drift to larger values as temperature rises, but the increase over the temperature range is in every case small (ca. 10%). The relative insensitivity of cross sections to temperature precludes characterizing the functional form of the temperature dependence. The data at each temperature are consistent with a theoretical correlation relating collision cross sections with the intermolecular potential well depth for S 1 glyoxal—collision partner pairs. The data do not fit, however, the temperature dependence predicted by the theory.
Measuring Judicial Performance in Latin America

An increasing number of development scholars and policymakers are recognizing the importance of Latin American judicial reforms in shaping the ultimate outcome of the region's “dual transition.” We can hardly begin to assess the conditions in which judicial systems are likely to improve, however, unless we have a means to measure judicial performance systematically across countries. This article offers just such a comprehensive cross-national measure of judicial performance for Latin America. Drawing from a survey of Latin American legal scholars and practitioners from 17 countries in the region, it seeks to establish a more valid, and therefore more useful, assessment of the performance of Latin American judiciaries than existing measures, in order to advance efforts to understand the causes and consequences of effective judicial reforms in the region.
A comparison of X-ray fluorescence and wet chemical analysis for lead on air filters from different personal samplers used in a bronze foundry.

Portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology may provide faster turn-around without compromising accuracy when assessing personal exposures to metals such as lead, but it has only been tested in limited field environments. This study is part of a series, where different sampler types are used to collect airborne lead in different environments for presentation to a portable XRF analyzer. In this case personal samples were taken at a bronze foundry where lead is added to an alloy of copper, zinc and iron to improve casting, using the closed-face 37 mm cassette, the 37 mm GSP or “cone” sampler, the 25 mm Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) inhalable sampler, the 25 mm Button sampler, and the open-face 25 mm cassette. Mixed cellulose-ester filters were used in all samplers. Following XRF analysis the samples were extracted with acid and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP). For lead, all five samplers gave correlations (r2) greater than 0.9 between the two analytical methods over the entire range of found lead mass, which encompassed both the action level and the permissible exposure limit enforced in the USA by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). However, a correction was required to adjust linear regression trendlines to give a 1 ∶ 1 correlation for the average of three readings across the GSP sampler, and a similar correction was required for the single readings from the IOM sampler and the 25 mm filter cassette. The bias possibly is due to interference from other metals, possibly copper which can absorb the fluorescent radiation of lead. In the case of the Button sampler, the bias is larger, indicating a further source of error, perhaps due to the thickness of the deposit. However, in all cases, correction of the lead results did not greatly affect the overall percentage of samples where the XRF result was within 25% of the ICP result, although it did improve the overall accuracy of the results. The GSP, IOM and Button samplers are suitable candidates for further evaluation as compatible with on-site XRF analysis for lead and other metals. It is important to check carefully factory pre-set instrument calibrations, as a bias in the calibration for copper was observed.
The Hill cryptographic system with unknown cipher alphabet but known plaintext

The cryptographic equations relating plaintext, ciphertext, and key-matrix elements in the Hill system are nonlinear equations if the cipher alphabet is unknown. In the case where plaintext is known it is possible to reduce these equations to linear equations by the introduction of a larger set of unknowns. These latter equations are analyzed by a method of successive eliminations of unknowns from a series of related row-reduced echelon forms.
Hysterosalpingographic evaluation of tubal patency after ectopic pregnancy

In the period 1983 to 1985, hysterosalpingography was performed in 76 women after laparotomy to manage ectopic gestations. Clinical characteristics of these women, including their operative findings, were then correlated with the follow-up hysterosalpingography. Study participants were classified into five groups according to surgical management of the ectopic gestation. In each of the five groups, a substantial percentage of those women with a nonpatent fallopian tube (contralateral to the tube bearing the ectopic gestation) on hysterosalpingography had a normal-appearing fallopian tube at laparotomy. Approximately 50% of women with a history of previous pelvic inflammatory disease were found to have nonpatent contralateral fallopian tubes on follow-up hysterosalpingography.
Improved calculation of vibrational mode lifetimes in anharmonic solids – Part III: Extension to fourth moment

Abstract A recent scheme for calculating approximate vibrational mode lifetimes in solids (Dickel and Daw, 2010) [1,2] is extended to the next level (fourth-moment). The extension is tested in two cases: (1) simple, low-dimensional anharmonic systems, and (2) on a simple lattice model of vibrations. We show that, for systems where the mode-resolved density of states is well-approximated by a single broadened peak, the fourth-moment approximation works well over a wide range of temperatures.
The use of randomization in repeated measurements

is shown that randomization applies in repeated measurements whenever the F-test applies in the analysis. Contrary to common practice, randomization otherwise invalidates the use of Hotelling’s T* and Box’s approximate test, and it presents difficulties in testing that dispersion matrices have the structure 3. AMS 1980 Subject Classifications: 62E10, 62H15. Keywords: Repeated measurements, the structure Z, randomization, Hotelling’s T2, Box’s test, validation.
A SIMPLIFIED METHOD FOR SUSTAINED PURE CULTURES OF HUMAN PERITONEAL MACROPHAGES (HPM)

Peritoneal fluid is a readily available source of human macrophages and monocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). We describe a simple means of developing pure macrophage cultures, utilizing dialysate from patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis as a source of both macrophages and M-CSF. Sterile saline was infused and allowed to dwell intraperitoneally for 45 minutes. The fluid was drained and centrifuged at 400G for 20 minutes; the cellular fraction was resuspended in McCoy's modified medium (MMM) with 10% FCS and incubated at 37°C in 5% CO2 for 2 hours. Adherent cells were rinsed with Hanks buffer and overlayed with MMM containing 5% of the supernatant dialysate fluid. Half of the culture medium was replaced twice a week. Cells reached near confluence by 14 days in culture and were characterized histologically and immunologically. The cells stained uniformly for nonspecific esterase and were >98% positive for the monoclonal macrophage markers DR and LeuM5. Active phagocytosis was demonstrated with opsonized fluorescent latex beads. A hemolytic complement assay revealed significant C2 production by cells cultured over 7 days. Arachidonate (AA) metabolism was evaluated following incubation of macrophages with 14C-AA (20μM) and separation by TLC and HPLC. Adherent cells produced the AA metabolites PGD2, TXB2, PGE2, PGF2 α and 6KPGF1 α in the approximate ratio of 4:4:4:4:1. Cells also produced HHT and 15-HETE in small amounts. Macrophage cultures remained viable for >60 days. This method describes a readily available source of cells and M-CSF for developing pure, differentiated, and functional long term cultures of HPM in serum-free medium.
Application of Reference Guidelines for Assessing the Quality of the Internet Public Library's Virtual Reference Services

This study aims to assess and evaluate the overall quality and effectiveness of the Internet Public Library's (IPL) virtual reference services. Toward this end, IPL's guidelines for answering user questions are used to assess the quality of reference service; a total of 528 IPL transcripts are examined to determine how well they conform to the IPL guidelines. The results of the study evince high compliance with IPL guidelines regarding responses to user questions. All six mandatory elements were used more than 90% of the time. This indicates that the IPL guidelines are effectively employed to ensure that IPL librarians adhere to reference procedures for providing quality service to users. The study results also indicate that librarians can effectively increase the socio-emotional content of the message while maintaining a high level of professionalism, thereby improving the overall experience for the user.
Factors impacting human telomere homeostasis and age-related disease

Loss of telomere length homeostasis has been linked to age-related disease especially cancer. In this review, we discuss two major causes of telomere dysfunction that potentially lead to tumorigenesis: replicative aging and environmental assaults. Aging has long been recognized as a source for telomere dysfunction through increasing numbers of cell divisions in the absence of sufficient telomerase activity. However, environmental assaults that cause telomere dysfunction are only beginning to be identified and recognized. Environmental stressors that influence telomere length may be physical or induced by psychological situations like stress. Knowledge of all factors, including genetic and environmental forces, that moderate telomere length will be critical for understanding basic mechanisms of human telomere maintenance during development and aging as well as for disease prevention and treatment strategies.
Structural Identity Theory and the Post-Recruitment Activism of Irish Republicans: Persistence, Disengagement, Splits, and Dissidents in Social Movement Organizations

This research adopts a structural identity theory framework to examine post-recruitment activism in the Irish Republican Movement. The data are from members of Provisional Sinn Fein who were first interviewed in the mid-1980s and subsequently reinterviewed in the mid-1990s and the late 2000s. Ten and 20 years after their initial interviews, some respondents were still involved in Provisional Sinn Fein while others had: helped create a rival organization, Republican Sinn Fein, in 1986; helped create another rival organization, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, in 1997; withdrawn from activism; and withdrawn from and then reentered activism. The interviews show that the decision to exit from activism was primarily motivated by changes in the respondents' personal lives and not for political reasons. For some respondents, life changes brought with them new relationships and new identities that limited their availability for activism and also forced respondents to choose between competing identities. The decision to remain an activist but to create a rival organization was influenced by interaction among subgroups of activists in Provisional Sinn Fein and by the respondents' perception of what is important for Irish Republicanism.
Simulation in optimization and optimization in simulation: a markov chain perspective on adaptive Monte Carlo algorithms

This paper discusses some connections between adaptive Monte Carlo algorithms and general state space Markov chains. Adaptive algorithms are iterative methods in which previously generated samples are used to construct a more efficient sampling distribution at the current iteration. In this paper, we describe two such adaptive algorithms, one arising in a finite-horizon computation of expected reward and the other arising in the context of solving eigenvalue problems. We then discuss the connection between these adaptive algorithms and general state space Markov chain theory, and offer some insights into some of the technical difficulties that arise in trying to apply the known theory for general state space chains to such adaptive algorithms.
THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF SKIN PROTEIN KINASE C ISOFORMS ALPHA AND DELTA IN MOUSE HAIR GROWTH INDUCED BY DIPHENCYPRONE-ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS

The levels of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms alpha and delta in mouse hair growth induced by diphencyprone (DPCP)-allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) were studied. BALB/c mice were sensitized by 2% DPCP in acetone on one side of their shaved backs and rechallenged with 0.1% DPCP on the same side weekly for 2 weeks. The opposite side treated with acetone served as a control. Before each elicitation, mice were shaved again in order to observe the hair growth that followed. Enhancement of hair growth on DPCP treated skin was observed in 94% of mice after first elicitation and significant hair growth was shown in all mice after second elicitation. No remarkable hair growth was seen on the control side. Western immunoblot analysis revealed that the level of skin PKC alpha on the DPCP treated side was decreased at 2 and 4 days after sensitization and returned to the control level after first elicitation. At 5 days after the second elicitation, a higher level of PKC alpha was detected. The level of PKC delta remained at the control level and increased at 5 days after second elicitation. These results suggest that: 1) In the first week after sensitization, PKC alpha was down-regulated. This down-regulation may play a role in DPCP-ACD induced hair growth; 2) after the elicitation, PKC alpha was over-expressed and this over-expression was roughly correlated with the enhancement of mouse hair growth, suggesting that over-expression of PKC alpha may also play a part in the proliferation of hair follicle cells; and 3) overexpression of PKC delta after second elicitation may have an inhibitory effect on hair growth that keeps hair growth in balance.
Mechanical properties of silica coatings

Silica coatings with as-deposited densities ranging from approximately 50-100% were deposited on sapphire substrates by electron beam evaporation and sol-gel techniques. The shrinkage, hardness, and etch rates of the coatings were measured after various heat treatments. Differences in shrinkage indicated that hardness was not controlled by bulk porosity alone. Most films exhibited a surface “crust” that was significantly harder, and etched more slowly than the interior of the sample. We propose that the differences in mechanical and chemical behavior are caused by Si-O network reorganization starting at the film/air interface.
Recall of A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels among community pharmacy patients with diabetes

Abstract Objectives To determine the proportion of patients with diabetes mellitus who knew their personal and target glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C), blood pressure, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (ABC) levels and the proportion of patients whose recalled ABC levels were below targets set by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting 35 community and clinic pharmacies in May 2003 through May 2004. Participants 132 student pharmacists in Ambulatory Pharmaceutical Care Clerkship who recruited a convenience sample of 816 evaluable patients with diabetes. Intervention Student-administered questionnaires. Main outcome measures Patients' self-reported and target ABC values and comparison of these with recommended ADA guidelines. Results The greatest number of patients were able to recall their personal blood pressure level (68%), followed by A1C (53%) and LDL-C (23%). Of those who knew their levels, one-half or fewer were within ADA targets for one or more ABCs. Only 1% of patients who were able to provide ABC levels were below all three ADA target values. Patients were most likely to provide an A1C target (43%), followed by blood pressure (35%) and LDL-C (21%). Conclusions While almost three-quarters of the patients identified in community pharmacies knew their blood pressure levels, one-half or fewer knew their A1C or LDL-C levels. Fewer than 50% of patients reported even one ABC target number. Pharmacists should take advantage of this educational opportunity by working with patients with diabetes to increase their knowledge of these ABCs.
Space shuttle based microgravity smoldering combustion experiments

Results from four microgravity smoldering combustion experiments conducted aboard the NASA Space Shuttle are presented in this work. The experiments are part of the NASA funded Microgravity Smoldering Combustion (MSC) research program, aimed to study the smolder characteristics of porous combustible materials in a microgravity environment. The objective of the study is to provide a better understanding of the controlling mechanisms of smolder for the purpose of control and prevention, both in normal- and microgravity. The microgravity smolder experiments reported here have been conducted to investigate the propagation of smolder through a polyurethane foam sample under both diffusion driven and opposed forced flow driven smoldering. The present experiments, although limited, are unique in that they provide the only available information about smolder combustion in microgravity in sample sizes large enough to allow the self-propagation of the smolder reaction throughout the sample length. Two quiescent tests at ambient oxygen concentrations of 35% and 40% and two opposed forced flow tests with air as oxidizer, were conducted aboard the NASA Space Shuttle (STS-69 and STS-77 missions). The MSC data are compared with normal-gravity data to determine the effect of gravity on smolder, and are used to verify present theoretical models of smolder combustion. It is found that for the present test conditions, the microgravity opposed flow smolder reaction temperatures, propagation velocities, toxic compound production and reaction extent lie between those of normal-gravity upward and downward tests. Thermogravimetric analysis shows little effect of gravity on the kinetics of the smolder process in these cases. Neither of the two quiescent, microgravity cases resulted in self-sustained smolder propagation, whereas the normal-gravity downward cases propagated vigorously. The difference in these results shows that gravity has a significant effect on smolder combustion, at least for the sample size tested. Correlation of the forced flow smolder velocity data with a heat transfer based model, indicates that simplified heat transfer models of smolder propagation can effectively describe vigorous smolder, away from limiting conditions such as extinction and flaming.
Preparation and Characterization of Thin Films of Alumina by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Abstract A simple novel horizontal reactor was used to prepare 2000 A films of alumina on silicon substrates by the thermal decomposition of aluminum tri-isopropoxide at temperatures between 350° and 500°C. The films were annealed in oxygen to test stability towards shrinkage and were characterized as to porosity, the presence of OH absorption bands in the infrared transmittance spectra and breakdown voltage.
High-performance optical receivers in CMOS using Ge-on-SOI detectors

We have produced a family of high-speed, high-sensitivity hybrid optical receivers consisting of Ge-on-SOI photodiodes paired with CMOS ICs that illustrate the potential offered by future monolithically-integrated, silicon-based receivers.
Whigs, prigs and historians of science

The whig interpretation of history, which evaluates the past in terms of the present, is derided by the new historians of science. But their own anti-whig interpretation is priggish and fails to appreciate the temporal depth of scientific research.
Polarization enhanced production in a membrane reactor

Abstract The membrane-based catalytic reactor with “free” catalyst has been modeled simply and studied by the authors on a theoretical basis. The hypothesis supporting an advantage of the membrane reactor is twofold: a) perfect rejection by the membrane and small reject fraction concentrates the catalyst highly in a steady-state continuous flow reactor (SSCFR) and b) the membrane reactor produces a filtered, high quality product. Of further advantage is the potential for concentrating the catalyst highly near the membrane in a thin diffusion dependent zone wherein the reacting substrate is also concentrated. The conjunction of concentrated catalyst and substrate leads to less inhibition of the reaction. The model involves conventional diffusional theory, simple membrane characterization of uniform flux, and Michaelis-Menten kinetics.
Going 'global,' (re)locating privilege: a journey into the borders of whiteness, foreignness, and performativity

In this article I draw on my personal experience of partially forced repositioning as a way to advance our understanding of the theoretical and practical contours of whiteness, foreignness, and performativity. In particular, I consider how specific aspects of our identities can get strategically redefined depending on the context where they operate, thus placing the transposed body at a constant risk of being excluded from certain privileges. I also bring foreignness to light as an organizing principle that (re)creates places for belonging and marginalization as it interacts with other dimensions of identity. From here, I propose to emphasize the incontrollable aspects of experience and thus expose the strategic attempts to protect privilege and also, and maybe more importantly, the limitations of such strategies. At a broader level, with this contribution I hope to turn a self-reflexive eye on the politics of language and/as method, and how different assumptions and expectations for particular kinds of w...
Potassium exchange and afterpotentials in frog sartorius muscles treated with glycerol.

The potassium exchange properties of glycerol-treated sartorius muscles of the frog were determined. Potassium (42K) uptake, efflux, and net flux were measured in the presence of glycerol and at various times after exposure to glycerol and return to isotonic Ringer solution. Potassium uptake was not altered by the presence of glycerol but was reduced on the average 53% after glycerol treatment. Efflux transiently increased in the presence of glycerol and was reduced 37% after glycerol removal. Consequently, there was a net loss of intracellular potassium as well as a gain of sodium. In contrast to the irreversible alterations of potassium exchange induced by glycerol treatment, action potentials with normal negative afterpotentials (N.A.P.) were elicited 4–5 hr after glycerol removal. The reappearance of the N.A.P. was associated with a return of the membrane potential to normal values (90 ± 2 mv). However, the response of these muscles to reduced extracellular potassium was anomalous. In K+-free Ringer solution the average resting membrane potential was 74 ± 3 mv and a positive afterpotential of 11 ± 3 mv was associated with the action potential.
Looking a gift horse in the mouth: Oprah Winfrey and the politics of philanthropy

Writing in the Nation, Patricia Williams (2007) described Oprah Winfrey as ‘the black, female, Horatio Alger, rags-to-riches story of our day – a woman who reinvented herself by sheer will and rose...
Profile of women 45 years of age and younger with endometrial cancer

Objective: The clinical characteristics and outcomes of endometrial cancer patients 45 years of age and younger were compared with those of patients older than 45 years of age. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 301 consecutive endometrial cancer patients referred to our center from 1989 to 1994. Of the 289 patients eligible for study, 40 were 45 years of age or younger (group A) and 249 were older than 45 years of age (group B). Results: The majority of patients in both groups presented with stage I disease. Of the women with stage I disease, patients in group A were more likely than those in group B to have low-grade disease localized to the endometrium (P < .001; relative prevalence 3.39; confidence interval [CI] 1.88, 6.12). However, the distribution of stages I to IV overall was the same for the two groups (P = .269). Although univariate analysis revealed that 11% of the patients in group A and 2% in group B had synchronous ovarian malignancies (P = .007; relative prevalence 5.42; CI 1.39, 21.14), multivariate logistic regression found that nulliparity, not age, was an independent risk factor for synchronous ovarian malignancy (P = .017; relative prevalence 6.15; CI 1.52, 25.61). There were no statistically significant differences by age in the prevalence of high-risk endometrial histology (serous and clear cell carcinoma) or in survival. Conclusion: The overall distribution of tumor stage and survival were the same for the younger and older women; this finding contradicts previous reports that suggest that young women with endometrial cancer are at lower risk. Additionally, nulliparity, which occurs with a higher prevalence in younger women who develop endometrial cancer, is associated statistically with the development of synchronous ovarian malignancies.
Mutagenesis of glutamine 290 in Escherichia coli and mitochondrial elongation factor Tu affects interactions with mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNAs and GTPase activity.

Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) is responsible for the delivery of the aminoacyl-tRNAs (aa-tRNA) to the ribosome during protein synthesis. The primary sequence of domain II of EF-Tu is highly conserved. However, several residues thought to be important for aa-tRNA binding in this domain are not conserved between the mammalian mitochondrial and bacterial factors. One of these residues is located at position 290 (Escherichia coli numbering). Residue 290 is Gln in most of the prokaryotic factors but is conserved as Leu (L338) in the mammalian mitochondrial factors. This residue is in a loop contacting the switch II region of domain I in the GTP-bound structure. It also helps to form the binding pocket for the 5‘ end of the aa-tRNA in the ternary complex. In the present work, Leu338 was mutated to Gln (L338Q) in EF-Tumt. The complementary mutation was created at the equivalent position in E. coli EF-Tu (Q290L). EF-Tumt L338Q functions as effectively as wild-type EF-Tumt in poly(U)-directed polymerization with bo...
Extracellular proteases and embryonic pattern formation

At least three genes that play crucial roles in dorsal-ventral patterning of the Drosophila embryo appear to encode extracellular proteases. These proteases are involved in the generation of localized extracellular ligands for membrane receptors. Because the sequences of these gene products closely resemble those of mammalian enzymes that have been studied in detail biochemically, it is possible to draw on the wealth of information on the biochemical mechanisms that regulate protease activity to make inferences about how proteases can be used to generate spatial asymmetries within fields of cells.
TU-C-213CD-02: Improving Respiration-Gated IMRT Delivery Efficiency by Dual-Gating at Inhale and Exhale: Treatment Planning Formalism

Purpose: Dual‐gating is a novel method proposed to enhance the delivery efficiency of respiratory‐gated IMRT by delivering the beam at both inhale and exhale. Here, we develop a treatment planning framework for dual‐gated IMRT (DG‐IMRT) without compromising tumor coverage or normal tissue sparing. We produce a DG‐IMRT plan for a lungtumor case with ∼1.5 cm motion and compare to a conventional IMRT plan gated at exhale. Methods: Implementation of DG‐IMRT requires individual inhale and exhale fluences during each of the gating windows. Rather than optimizing the inhale and exhale plans separately, the inverse treatment planning problem is formulated to optimize over both plans simultaneously, producing inhale and exhale fluences that achieve the ideal total dose. To achieve dose accumulation of the inhale and exhale doses, deformable image registration is used to register the inhale dose to the exhale geometry. The treatment planning framework is evaluated on a lung patient case with ∼1.5 cm tumor motion. Results: Comparison of the dual‐gated and single‐gated plans demonstrate that dual gating enables improved PTV dose homogeneity, with a 2.7 Gy increase in minimum dose to the PTV, and a 4.6Gy decrease in maximum dose to the PTV. The DG‐IMRT plan also exhibits lower maximum doses to the ispilateral lung, but slightly higher maximum doses to the contralateral lung,heart, and spinal cord. Conclusions: The treatment planning results demonstrate that the proposed framework can produce IMRT plans equivalent to or better than conventional IMRT plans gated at exhale. In the presence of free breathing, dual‐gating can improve respiration‐delivery efficiency by up to a factor of two and perhaps even greater when combined with coaching to encourage brief breath‐holds at inhale and exhale. This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute (T32 CA09695 ‐ Glazer) and the National Institutes of Health (1RO1 CA 133474 ‐ Xing).
Differentiating instruction for gifted students in regular education social studies classes

Educational reform movements are transforming the shape of schools. Classroom populations are becoming more diverse as the number of students with disparate learning needs increases. Revised standards and performance expectations in the area of social studies are requiring teachers to make major shifts in teaching practices and strategies. Differentiation of instruction is necessary to meet the varied learning needs of diverse learners in social studies classes, especially gifted students. Curriculum compacting provides time for enrichment and/or acceleration for gifted learners. Conceptual thematic units, questioning strategies, interest development centers, independent study programs, and mentor‐ships are enrichment opportunities which can be implemented in regular education social studies classes to meet the learning needs of gifted students.
Non-isothermal extension of the Scharfetter-Gummel technique for hot carrier transport in heterostructure simulations

Points out that the Scharfetter-Gummel technique is widely used in algorithms for the simulation of isothermal semiconductor devices. Recent interest in the modeling of ultrasmall devices requires a nonisothermal analysis, i.e., a hydrodynamic model. Several nonisothermal extensions to the Scharfetter-Gummel technique for carrier flux have been proposed for homostructure devices. An extension is presented which is suitable for the simulation of both the carrier flux and carrier energy flux equations in heterostructure devices, with the capability of using Fermi-Dirac statistics. Comparison with the extensions of other authors provides verification of the discretization formulation developed here. Limiting cases are discussed with suitable approximations. Calculated values of fluxes are presented for selected nonisothermal and degenerate cases to highlight the need for inclusion of the Fermi-Dirac statistics in the flux formulations. >