cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zenker's Diverticulum†

Symptomatic Zenker's diverticula are usually treated with diverticulectomy and myotomy. Other, more conservative open procedures consist of diverticulopexy, imbrication, and myotomy alone. These more conservative procedures do not result in a breach of esophageal mucosa and should have more rapid postoperative recovery. We performed a retrospective chart review of all open surgical procedures performed at the Marshfield Clinic and St. Joseph's Hospital between 1975 and 1996. Using Wilcoxon's rank sum test, the conservative procedures were compared with the standard diverticulectomy for duration of hospitalization and length of time to resumption of oral intake. Fifty-nine patients are reported. Statistically significant differences between the surgery groups were found for hospitalization (P < 0.001) and days to resumption of oral intake (P < 0.001). Conservative open surgical procedures for repair of Zenker's diverticula result in decreased hospitalization and earlier resumption of oral diet compared with diverticulectomy.
Centrifugal distortions in molecules: An ab initio approach with application to water

Our procedure for employing analytical gradients of ab initio potential energy hypersurfaces in the description of centrifugally distorted molecules is applied to an asymmetric top, namely water. Both single determinantal (HF/6-31G**) and configuration-interaction (CISD/6-31G**) surfaces were utilized. Quartic centrifugal spectroscopic coefficients are obtained in both cases and are in reasonable agreement with experiment. It is shown that the calculated dependence of the energy upon the rotational angular momentum is better represented by a Pade approximant than by the conventional power series.
Structure of dichromate-type lead pyrophosphate, Pb2P2O7

Abstract Lead pyrophosphate, Pb2P2O7, crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 (Z = 4) with a = 6.914(2), b = 6.966(2), c = 12.751(4) A; α = 96.82(3), β = 91.14(3), γ = 89.64(3)°; and V = 612.0(6) A3. Structural refinement data were collected using an automated diffractometer with MoKα radiation. The lead pyrophosphate structure was refined by a full matrix to an R of 0.069 (Rw = 0.067) using 2637 unique reflections. The structure has two unique diphosphate groups that are repeated by lattice translations to form sheets of diphosphate groups. The P2O7 groups, dichromate type, are eclipsed to within 9.4 and 13.5°. The Pb2+ ions are eight- and nine-coordinated to oxygen atoms with average experimental interatomic distances of 2.695 and 2.767 A, respectively.
The Kuder Skills Assessment—College and Adult Version Development and Initial Validation in a College Business Sample

This article introduces the Kuder Skills Assessment—College and Adult version (KSA-CA; Rottinghaus, 2006), a new measure incorporating advances in the measurement of self-efficacy across 16 basic o...
Self-defamation: Is a trend emerging?

The common law theory of defamation of character involves the invasion of one's interest in protecting his or her reputation. An actionable claim for defamation generally arises when false and defamatory facts about someone are communicated by the originator of the defamatory material to someone other than the person defamed. Under certain circumstances, however, the originator may be liable if the defamatory material is communicated to a third party by the defamed person himself or herself. This article examines what appears to be an emerging trend among the courts to recognize and apply the doctrine of self-defamation to the employment context. State and federal court decisions are summarized in order to identify and illustrate the relevant legal principles.
Induction of mucosal HIV-specific B and T cell responses after oral immunization with live coxsackievirus B4 recombinants

Given the limited success of clinical HIV vaccine trials, new vaccine strategies are needed for the HIV pipeline. The present study explored the novel concept that a live enteric virus, with limited disease potential, is a suitable vaccine vector to elicit HIV-specific immune responses in the gut mucosa of immunized mice. Two coxsackievirus B4 (CVB4) vaccine vectors were designed to induce HIV-specific B or T cell responses. A B cell immunogen, CVB4/gp41(2F5), was constructed by expressing an epitope from the membrane proximal external region (MPER) of gp41 as a structural peptide within a surface loop of a capsid protein of CVB4. The T cell immunogen, CVB4/p24(733), was constructed previously by expressing a gag p24 sequence as a non-structural peptide at the amino-terminus of the CVB4 polyprotein. The CVB4/gp41(2F5) recombinant was antigenic in mice and elicited anti-gp41 antibodies in both the mucosal and systemic compartments. The route of immunization affected the antibody response since oral delivery of CVB4/gp41(2F5) induced anti-gp41 antibodies in the mucosal but not in the systemic compartment while parenteral delivery induced anti-gp41 antibodies in both compartments. In contrast, oral immunization with CVB4/p24(733) elicited both mucosal and systemic gag p24-specific T cell responses. Since coxsackieviruses are ubiquitous in the human population, a key question is whether pre-existing vector immunity will inhibit the ability of a CVB4-based vaccine to induce HIV-specific immune responses. We show that pre-existing vector immunity did not preclude the development of mucosal anti-gp41 antibodies or gag p24-specific T cell responses after oral immunization with the CVB4/HIV recombinants. We suggest that the CVB4/HIV recombinants have the potential to be a viable vaccine product because of ease of delivery, safety, immunogenicity, ease of large-scale production, and storage conditions requiring cold-chain temperatures provided by refrigeration.
A Typology of Offenders Who Use Online Communications to Commit Sex Crimes Against Minors

This study aims to present a qualitative, empirically based typology of offenders who use online communications to commit sex crimes against minors, including offenders who met victims online and those who knew them in advance. Seventy-five reports made by law enforcement officers were analyzed using a qualitative software program, during which a typology defining 4 types of offenders was identified: the expert, the cynical, the affection-focused, and the sex-focused. Each type of offender was characterized by patterns of online communication, offline and online identity, relationship dynamics with the victim, and level of sex crime expertise. The typology reveals the heterogeneous nature of sex offenders who use online communications. This diversity must be addressed to provide satisfactory interventions for both victims and offenders.
Long-term river response to regional doming in the Price River Formation, central Utah

A profound down-basin change in alluvial architecture is coincident in time and space with the early phase of uplift of the San Rafael Swell along the Book Cliffs of central Utah. Marked thinning in the lower part of the Price River Formation (Campanian) approaching the crest of the swell demonstrates that the swell was first active as a region of reduced subsidence rate before it developed topographic relief. A comparison of total unit thickness, percentage of sandstone, and relative abundance of sheet vs. isolated sand bodies in vertical sections within the Price River Formation and laterally equivalent Farrer Formation shows changes in these measures across the swell crest. The abundance of isolated lenticular fluvial sand bodies increases in the area of reduced aggradation at the expense of sheetlike bodies. This change in alluvial architecture over the crest of the swell is found only in units laid down when the swell was active, not in overlying or underlying units. This coincidence strongly suggests a link between early growth of the swell and alluvial response. However, the sense of change—i.e., fewer connected sand bodies in the region of reduced aggradation—is opposite to that predicted by most alluvial-architecture models. After comparison to other field and experimental studies, it seems likely that different river systems may reveal different avulsion frequencies that ultimately produce varied, but not necessarily unpredictable, alluvial architectures.
Regional modeling of decadal rainfall variability over the Sahel

A regional climate model is used to investigate the mechanism of interdecadal rainfall variability, specifically the drought of the 1970s and 1980s, in the Sahel region of Africa. The model is the National Center for Environmental Prediction’s (NCEPs) Regional Spectral Model (RSM97), with a horizontal resolution of approximately equivalent to a grid spacing of 50 km, nested within the ECHAM4.5 atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM), which in turn was forced by observed sea surface temperature (SST). Simulations for the July–September season of the individual years 1955 and 1986 produced wet conditions in 1955 and dry conditions in 1986 in the Sahel, as observed. Additional July–September simulations were run forced by SSTs averaged for each month over the periods 1950–1959 and the 1978–1987. These simulations yielded wet conditions in the 1950–1959 case and dry conditions in the 1978–1987 case, confirming the role of SST forcing in decadal variability in particular. To test the hypothesis that the SST influences Sahel rainfall via stabilization of the tropospheric sounding, simulations were performed in which the temperature field from the AGCM was artificially modified before it was used to force the regional model. We modified the original 1955 ECHAM4.5 temperature profiles by adding a horizontally uniform, vertically varying temperature increase, taken from the 1986–1955 tropical mean warming in either the AGCM or the NCEP/National Center for Atmospheric Research Reanalysis. When compared to the 1955 simulations without the added tropospheric warming, these simulations show a drying in the Sahel similar to that in the 1986–1955 difference and to the decadal difference between the 1980s and 1950s. This suggests that the tropospheric warming may have been, at least in part, the agent by which the SST increases led to the Sahel drought of the 1970s and 1980s.
Global Laser Rangefinder Profilometry: Initial Test and Uncertainty Analysis

Global Laser Rangefinder Profilometry (GLRP) is a novel optical technique for instantaneous measurement of complex three-dimensional surfaces. A functional GLRP system has been constructed in the Maneuvering and Seakeeping Basin (MASK) at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD). The system is capable of measuring surface height displacements over 800 measurement points at 30 Hz. The MASK GLRP system was used to measure the surface profiles of large waves produced by wave-makers in the MASK and bow waves generated by a surface ship remote-controlled model (RCM). Several large wave measurements were performed at various wave heights and compared to sonic probe measurements. The large wave measurements were found to be consistent with sonic probe measurements to within 5%. The results from the large wave measurements and RCM model bow wave measurements are presented and discussed. Data was collected in calm water to quantify sources of error, including optical jitter. The random error of the GLRP system is estimated at approximately 1.6 mm. The purpose of this work was to test the ability of the GLRP system for use in tests commonly performed at NSWCCD.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Editorial: The Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp: From Lectern to Printing Press

This issue of the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology focuses on the proceedings of the Seventh Annual Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp held in conjunction with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) annual conference in Washington, DC in June, 2011. The Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp was launched for the 2005 BIO Industry Organizationâ€™s Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The Boot Camp was originally designed as a program for CSOs but is now expanded in scope and design to address a broad range of issues for entrepreneurs more generally. The Boot Camp was created in response to the growing need in the managerial, scientific and academic community to learn about the necessary elements and skills to transform technology and invention into a viable company. The insight and energy required for entrepreneurial success can be developed by anyone motivated to do the following: think strategically, select projects and plan for expeditious and cost-effective management, understand the requirements of all the involved stakeholders, and oversee the essential components of the commercialization process. The Boot Camp travels from year to year to each of the BIO Annual Meeting venues â€“ a veritable â€œmoveable feast.â€ Previously, the Boot Camp was offered at BIOâ€™s annual meetings in Chicago in 2006 and 2010, Boston in 2007, San Diego in 2008, and Atlanta in 2009. The creation of the syllabus, the recruitment of faculty, and the facultyâ€™s extensive preparation suggested that wherever possible there should be core faculty, i.e., a portion of the faculty from the Philadelphia Boot Camp who would volunteer from year to year. This approach has the added benefit of improving the presentations and the material from year to year as the faculty themselves identify what works, as well as how to teach together. Each year, additional faculty members are recruited from the host region. Over the seven years of the boot camp, over 500 entrepreneurs have attended and taken away a broad spectrum of insights from the faculty. The Boot Camp was founded and co-chaired by Professors Arthur Boni of the Tepper School of Carnegie Mellon University, Stephen Sammut of the Wharton School and Burrill & Company, and Jeffrey Libson, Partner, Pepper Hamilton LLPÂ and Lecturer atÂ Wharton School Health Care Management Program. The law firm, PepperHamilton has also served as the Boot Campâ€™s sponsor since its inception.
Review of corruption in the health sector: theory, methods and interventions

There is increasing interest among health policymakers, planners and donors in how corruption affects health care access and outcomes, and what can be done to combat corruption in the health sector. Efforts to explain the risk of abuse of entrusted power for private gain have examined the links between corruption and various aspects of management, financing and governance. Behavioural scientists and anthropologists also point to individual and social characteristics which influence the behaviour of government agents and clients. This article presents a comprehensive framework and a set of methodologies for describing and measuring how opportunities, pressures and rationalizations influence corruption in the health sector. The article discusses implications for intervention, and presents examples of how theory has been applied in research and practice. Challenges of tailoring anti-corruption strategies to particular contexts, and future directions for research, are addressed.
The Theory of Random Laser Systems

Studies of random laser systems are a new direction with promising potential applications and theoretical interest. The research is based on the theories of localization and laser physics. So far, the research shows that there are random lasing modes inside the systems which is quite different from the common laser systems. From the properties of the random lasing modes, they can understand the phenomena observed in the experiments, such as multi-peak and anisotropic spectrum, lasing mode number saturation, mode competition and dynamic processes, etc. To summarize, this dissertation has contributed the following in the study of random laser systems: (1) by comparing the Lamb theory with the Letokhov theory, the general formulas of the threshold length or gain of random laser systems were obtained; (2) they pointed out the vital weakness of previous time-independent methods in random laser research; (3) a new model which includes the FDTD method and the semi-classical laser theory. The solutions of this model provided an explanation of the experimental results of multi-peak and anisotropic emission spectra, predicted the saturation of lasing modes number and the length of localized lasing modes; (4) theoretical (Lamb theory) and numerical (FDTD and transfer-matrix calculation) studies of the origin of localized lasing modes in the random laser systems; and (5) proposal of using random lasing modes as a new path to study wave localization in random systems and prediction of the lasing threshold discontinuity at mobility edge.
Kinetic Effects of Terbium Ions on Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors of Murine Neuroblastoma Cells

: Preincubation of murine neuroblastoma cells (clone NIE-115) with terbium chloride resulted in a significant potentiation of carbachol-mediated increase in cyclic GMP formation. This effect was accompanied by a shift of the peak response from 30 s to 120 s and a 6-fold decrease in carbachol concentration producing half-maximal responses, in addition to a significant increase in the Hill coefficient. Terbium ions also caused a significant decrease in the affinity and an increase in the maximum binding of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate to muscarinic receptors, the change in affinity being mainly due to a decrease in the association rate. Preincubation of cells with 1 mM carbachol for 4 h (the desensitized state of the muscarinic receptor) resulted in a decrease in the ability of terbium to alter [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding. The effects of terbium reported here might be due to its affecting muscarinic receptor-effector coupling, which is considered to be lost upon receptor desensitization.
Refractory-element-rich inclusions in CM meteorites

Refractory-element-rich inclusions of a variety of types occur in CM meteorites. Based on detailed study of Murchison and more limited investigations of Murray, Nogoya, Cold Bokkeveld and Mighei, the most common of these inclusions are small spinel-hibonite bodies rimmed with diopside. Bulk chemical compositions are estimated to be approximately 67% Al2O3, 21% MgO, 5.5% CaO, 5.5% TiO2, and 1% SiO2. Although this chemical composition does not agree closely with current theoretically predicted compositions of early condensate assemblages, the inclusions have many features which suggest that they are indeed early condensates. These include texture, mineralogical composition, sequence of minerals and magnesium isotopic composition of hibonite. The CM refractory inclusions exhibit several differences from those observed in Allende and other CV meteorites. These probably record variations in time, place or physical conditions of origin for the two cases.
(HCN)m−Mn (M = K, Ca, Sr): Vibrational Excitation Induced Solvation and Desolvation of Dopants in and on Helium Nanodroplets

Infrared (IR) laser spectroscopy is used to probe the rotational and vibrational dynamics of the (HCN)m-Mn (M ) K, Ca, Sr) complexes, either solvated within or bound to the surface of helium nanodroplets. The IR spectra of the (HCN)m- K( m ) 1-3), HCN-Sr, and HCN-Ca complexes have the signature of a surface species, similar to the previously reported spectra of HCN- M( M) Na, K, Rb, Cs) [Douberly, G. E.; Miller, R. E. J. Phys. Chem. A 2007, 111, 7292.]. A second band in the HCN-Ca spectrum is assigned to a solVated complex. The relative intesities of the two HCN-Ca bands are droplet size dependent, with the solvated species being favored in larger droplets. IR-IR double resonance spectroscopy is used to probe the interconversion of the two distinct HCN-Ca populations. While only a surface-bound HCN-Sr species is initially produced, CH stretch vibrational excitation results in a population transfer to a solvated state. Complexes containing multiple HCN molecules and one Sr atom are surface-bound, while the ν1 (HCN)2Ca spectrum has both the solvated and surface-bound signatures. All HCN-(Ca,Sr)n (n g 2) complexes are solvated following cluster formation in the droplet. Density-functional calculations of helium nanodroplets interacting with the HCN-M show surface binding for M ) Na with a binding energy of 95 cm -1 . The calculations predict a fully solvated complex for M ) Ca. For M ) Sr, a 2.2 cm -1 barrier is predicted between nearly isoenergetic surface binding and solvated states.
Alpha1-adrenergic receptor subtype specific activation of ERK in human primary smooth muscle cells (1065.4)

Three α1-adrenergic receptor (AR) subtypes have been cloned and characterized, the α1A-,α1B-, and α1D-AR. Evidence suggests functional effects of receptor activation in various tissues is subtype s...
Local Hospital Competition in Large Metropolitan Areas

This paper uses origin-destination data to define geographic local hospital markets in large metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Results support past findings of service rather than price competition, with negative-cost Herfandahl-Hirschman indexes relationships at the market level (and sub-MSA level) and with profit margins negatively related to hospital market competition. The effects of total (direct plus indirect) market competition are unchanged between 1983 and 1988, precisely estimated, robust to estimation techniques, and unaffected by whether the number of direct competitors is included as an explanatory variable.
Carbon, water, and energy fluxes in a semiarid cold desert grassland during and following multiyear drought

compared to other ecosystems, with peak hourly net CO2 uptake in the spring of 4 mmol m −2 s −1 and springtime carbon gain in the range of 42 ± 11 g C m −2 (based on fluxes) to 72 ± 55 g C m −2 (based on carbon stocks; annual carbon gain was not quantified). Drought decreased gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and total ecosystem respiration, with a much larger GEP decrease. Monsoon rains led to respiratory pulses, lasting a few days at most, and only rarely resulted in net CO2 gain, despite the fact that C4 grasses dominated plant cover. Minor CO2 uptake was observed in fall following rain. Spring CO2 uptake was regulated by deep soil moisture, which depended on precipitation in the prior fall and winter. The lack of CO2 uptake during the monsoon and the dependence of GEP on deep soil moisture are in contrast with arid grasslands of the warm deserts. Cold desert grasslands are most likely to be impacted by future changes in winter and not summer precipitation.
Improvement of concurrency control within object-oriented database systems

The issue of concurrency control in object-oriented database systems is addressed. Two existing concurrency control methods, the optimistic approach and the granularity locking approach, are investigated. The determination of a fine transaction boundary is ignored in the optimistic approach, and the defined boundary is usually too large in the granularity locking approach. A solution, based on the role of attributes in an object-oriented database (OODB), is proposed to eliminate these shortcomings. The solution ensures that only the necessary units are concerned and that the transaction boundary is narrowed to the smallest extent. >
Functional analysis of a de novo GRIN2A missense mutation associated with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy

NMDA receptors (NMDARs), ligand-gated ion channels, play important roles in various neurological disorders, including epilepsy. Here we show the functional analysis of a de novo missense mutation (L812M) in a gene encoding NMDAR subunit GluN2A (GRIN2A). The mutation, identified in a patient with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy and profound developmental delay, is located in the linker region between the ligand-binding and transmembrane domains. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that the mutation enhances agonist potency, decreases sensitivity to negative modulators including magnesium, protons and zinc, prolongs the synaptic response time course and increases single-channel open probability. The functional changes of this amino acid apply to all other NMDAR subunits, suggesting an important role of this residue on the function of NMDARs. Taken together, these data suggest that the L812M mutation causes overactivation of NMDARs and drives neuronal hyperexcitability. We hypothesize that this mechanism underlies the patient's epileptic phenotype as well as cerebral atrophy.
Active-passive airborne ocean color measurement. 2: Applications.

Reported here for the first time is the use of a single airborne instrument to make concurrent measurements of oceanic chlorophyll concentration by (1) laser-induced fluorescence, (2) passive upwelling radiance, and (3) solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence. Results from field experiments conducted with the NASA airborne oceanographic lidar (AOL) in the New York Bight demonstrate the capability of a single active-passive instrument to perform new and potentially important ocean color studies related to (1) active lidar validation of passive ocean color in-water algorithms, (2) chlorophyll a in vivo fluorescence yield variability, (3) calibration of active multichannel lidar systems, (4) effect of sea state on passive and active ocean color measurements, (5) laser/solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence investigations, and (6) subsequent improvement of satellite-borne ocean color scanners. For validation and comparison purposes a separate passive ocean color sensor was also flown along with the new active-passive sensor during these initial field trials.
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Infection Alters the eIF4F Translation Initiation Complex and Causes Dephosphorylation of the eIF4E Binding Protein 4E-BP1

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) modulates protein synthesis in infected cells in a way that allows the translation of its own 5'-capped mRNA but inhibits the translation of host mRNA. Previous data have shown that inactivation of eIF2alpha is important for VSV-induced inhibition of host protein synthesis. We tested whether there is a role for eIF4F in this inhibition. The multisubunit eIF4F complex is involved in the regulation of protein synthesis via phosphorylation of cap-binding protein eIF4E, a subunit of eIF4F. Translation of host mRNA is significantly reduced under conditions in which eIF4E is dephosphorylated. To determine whether VSV infection alters the eIF4F complex, we analyzed eIF4E phosphorylation and the association of eIF4E with other translation initiation factors, such as eIF4G and the translation inhibitor 4E-BP1. VSV infection of HeLa cells resulted in the dephosphorylation of eIF4E at serine 209 between 3 and 6 h postinfection. This time course corresponded well to that of the inhibition of host protein synthesis induced by VSV infection. Cells infected with a VSV mutant that is delayed in the ability to inhibit host protein synthesis were also delayed in dephosphorylation of eIF4E. In addition to decreasing eIF4E phosphorylation, VSV infection also resulted in the dephosphorylation and activation of eIF4E-binding protein 4E-BP1 between 3 and 6 h postinfection. Analysis of cap-binding complexes showed that VSV infection reduced the association of eIF4E with the eIF4G scaffolding subunit at the same time as its association with 4E-BP1 increased and that these time courses correlated with the dephosphorylation of eIF4E. These changes in the eIF4F complex occurred over the same time period as the onset of viral protein synthesis, suggesting that activation of 4E-BP1 does not inhibit translation of viral mRNAs. In support of this idea, VSV protein synthesis was not affected by the presence of rapamycin, a drug that blocks 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. These data show that VSV infection results in modifications of the eIF4F complex that are correlated with the inhibition of host protein synthesis and that translation of VSV mRNAs occurs despite lowered concentrations of the active cap-binding eIF4F complex. This is the first noted modification of both eIF4E and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation levels among viruses that produce capped mRNA for protein translation.
Determining salt concentrations for equivalent water activity in reduced-sodium cheese by use of a model system

The range of sodium chloride (salt)-to-moisture ratio is critical in producing high-quality cheese products. The salt-to-moisture ratio has numerous effects on cheese quality, including controlling water activity (a(w)). Therefore, when attempting to decrease the sodium content of natural cheese it is important to calculate the amount of replacement salts necessary to create the same a(w) as the full-sodium target (when using the same cheese making procedure). Most attempts to decrease sodium using replacement salts have used concentrations too low to create the equivalent a(w) due to the differences in the molecular weight of the replacers compared with salt. This could be because of the desire to minimize off-flavors inherent in the replacement salts, but it complicates the ability to conclude that the replacement salts are the cause of off-flavors such as bitter. The objective of this study was to develop a model system that could be used to measure a(w) directly, without manufacturing cheese, to allow cheese makers to determine the salt and salt replacer concentrations needed to achieve the equivalent a(w) for their existing full-sodium control formulas. All-purpose flour, salt, and salt replacers (potassium chloride, modified potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride) were blended with butter and water at concentrations that approximated the solids, fat, and moisture contents of typical Cheddar cheese. Salt and salt replacers were applied to the model systems at concentrations predicted by Raoult's law. The a(w) of the model samples was measured on a water activity meter, and concentrations were adjusted using Raoult's law if they differed from those of the full-sodium model. Based on the results determined using the model system, stirred-curd pilot-scale batches of reduced- and full-sodium Cheddar cheese were manufactured in duplicate. Water activity, pH, and gross composition were measured and evaluated statistically by linear mixed model. The model system method accurately determined the concentrations of salt and salt replacer necessary to achieve the same a(w) as the full-sodium control in pilot-scale cheese using different replacement salts.
RESEARCH ON PROCESS STRUCTURE FOR DISTRIBUTED,ASYNCHRONOUS COLLABORATIVE WRITING GROUPS

This paper investigates using higher levels of scripted process structure (procedural explicitness) to improve outcomes of distributed, asynchronous collaborative writing (CW) teams that work on the Internet. This paper reports preliminary results of a one-and-a-half month field experiment on asynchronous collaborative writing using 550 participants. It is found that the highest levels of process structure provide the most benefits to the examined distributed work teams, which has important implications for optimizing distributed group work.
Postevent information and memory: Reply to Loftus, Schooler, and Wagenaar

In a recent article (McCloskey & Zaragoza, 1985) we presented arguments and evidence in support of the contention that misleading postevent information does not impair memory for the original event. In their comment on our article, Loftus, Schooler, & Wagenaar (1985) raise several objections to our conclusions. In this reply we consider these objections, suggesting that they present no serious challenges to our position. We also consider the implications of our arguments for forensic applications of postevent information research. In a recent article (McCloskey & Zaragoza, 1985) we made the following points in support of the contention that misleading postevent information has no effect on memory for the original event: 1. The procedures used in previous studies are inappropriate for assessing effects of misleading postevent information on memory for an event. Hence, the available data fail to demonstrate that misleading postevent information in any way impairs memory for the original event. 2. In six experiments using an appropriate procedure we found no effect of misleading postevent information on subjects' ability to remember the original event. In their commentary on our article, Loftus, Schooler, and Wagenaar (1985) take issue with both of these points. In this reply we consider their objections, arguing that they present no serious challenges to our conclusion.
Rural adolescent substance use : Community causes and cures

This chapter examines current research on adolescent substance use in a rural context. The research consisted of numerous national and international youth health surveys that not only measured substance use, but also accounted for risk and protective factors unique to the rural community. Literature focused on prevalence rates revealed that rural youth consume both illicit and prescription drugs at higher rates than metropolitan youth. Poor school bonding, idleness, poverty and decreased access to health care contribute to the rise in rural adolescent substance use. It is recommended that research on this topic continue to expand in order to identify solutions to this hidden problem
Improving the Measurement of Poverty

This study estimates 2007 national poverty rates using an approach largely conceptualized by a 1995 National Academy of Sciences panel and similar to the supplemental poverty measure that will soon be produced by the U.S. Census Bureau. The study uses poverty thresholds based on expenditures for shelter, food, clothing, and utilities, as well as a measure of family income that includes earnings, cash transfers, near-cash benefits, tax credits, and tax payments. The measure also accounts for child care, work, and out-of-pocket medical expenses; variation in regional cost of living; and mortgage-free homeownership. Under this method, the rate of poverty is estimated to be higher than the rate calculated in the traditional manner, rising from 12.4 percent in the official measure to 16 percent in the new measure; the rate of child poverty is more than 3 percentage points higher, and elderly poverty is nearly 7 points higher.
Plasma Losses by Fast Electrons in Thin Films

The angle-energy distribution of a fast electron losing energy to the conduction electrons in a thick metallic foil has been derived assuming that the conduction electrons constitute a Fermi-Dirac gas and that the fast electron undergoes only small fractional energy and momentum changes. This distribution exhibits both collective interaction characteristics and individual interaction characteristics, and is more general than the result obtained by other workers. Describing the conduction electrons by the hydro-dynamical equations of Bloch, it has been shown that for very thin idealized foils energy loss may occur at a value which is less than the plasma energy, while as the foil thickness decreases below $\ensuremath{\sim}\frac{v}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}}$ the loss at the plasma energy becomes less than that predicted by more conventional theories. The net result is an increase in the energy loss per unit thickness as the foil thickness is decreased. It is suggested that the predicted loss at subplasma energies may correspond to some of the low-lying energy losses which have been observed by experimenters using thin foils.
Serum 25-OH vitamin D levels and risk of developing prostate cancer in older men

Objective Multiple studies have shown clear evidence of vitamin D’s anti-tumor effects on prostate cancer cells in laboratory experiments, but the evidence has not been consistent in humans. We sought to examine the association between vitamin D and prostate cancer risk in a cohort of older men.
A Simple, Effective System for Automated Capture of High Dynamic Range Images

In recent years, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) has become a topic of intense research interest in the fields of computer vision, computer graphics, and commercial visualization. Yet, despite the inherent limitations of traditional low dynamic range imaging (LDRI) and the emerging need for HDRI in many applications, existing systems for HDR image capture still remain proprietary, expensive, or manually-guided. All of these factors limit the availability of effective HDRI tools, thereby restricting studies which could otherwise benefit from this technology. To help alleviate this problem, we introduce a system and method for automated capture of high-quality, high-range images using commercially-available digital cameras. We report results comparing acquisition time, image resolution, and dynamic range and show these factors to compare very favorably both to traditional manual capture methods and to specialized HDRI systems developed commercially.
Pregnancy alters cerebrovascular adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia

We have previously shown alterations in cerebrovascular composition, contractility, and endothelial function in normoxic pregnant (P) and chronically hypoxic nonpregnant (HNP) adult sheep compared with nonpregnant normoxic controls (NP). This study focuses on a fourth group, pregnant sheep exposed to chronic high-altitude hypoxia (HP) (110 days at 3,820 m). The combined challenges of pregnancy and high-altitude hypoxia resulted in significant alterations in cerebrovascular function that were not simply the summation of the responses seen in the P and HNP animals. Compared with NP, HP arteries had increased protein content and increased intracranial arterial wall thickness. Both P and HP arteries showed increased contractility, while HNP artery maximum tensions were depressed. Endothelial function was depressed in the P common carotid and was enhanced in all HNP arteries. In contrast, an increased endothelial response was shown only in the HP common carotid. Thus, for contractility, the effects of pregnancy predominated in the HP arteries. For endothelial function, hypoxia effects were dominant in the common carotid but not in the intracranial arteries. Clearly, cerebrovascular characteristics are dynamic in nature, with artery-specific responses to both pregnancy and hypoxia.
Engineering self-efficacy, interactions with faculty, and other forms of capital for underrepresented engineering students

To address the chronic issues of underrepresentation in engineering education, a small but growing body of research has examined social and cultural explanations for engineering persistence among women, racial/ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, and other underrepresented groups. In this exploratory study, we examine the extent to which relationships with engineering faculty and other forms of engineering-related capital (e.g., aspirational, navigational) are related to engineering self-efficacy among underrepresented engineering students. The findings of the study have implications for future research and practice to increase access to engineering education and persistence of underrepresented students in engineering.
The Seventh Amendment and the CISG: Functional Factors in the Search for a Jury Trial Right

The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (“CISG”) governs the sale of goods between merchants in countries that are parties to the CISG.1 When the United States became a party to the CISG in 1988, its provisions “became part of the ‘law of the [American] Land’” under the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.2 This Article will discuss whether the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial applies to actions that arise under the CISG. This Article traces the background of the relationship between treaties and Constitutional provisions. Next, this Article will discuss the history and development of Seventh Amendment jurisprudence, focusing on the Court’s decisions in Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc.3 and City of Monterey v. Del Monte Dunes at Monterey, Ltd.4 In both cases, the Supreme Court held that functional factors were determinative in deciding whether or not a jury trial right existed.5 This Article will examine the applicability of the Court’s analysis in Markman6 and Del Monte Dunes7 to actions that arise under the CISG. The Article concludes that regardless of the determination of any historical tests, there are strong legal and policy reasons to attach the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.
How Vanzetti Said Goodbye

The most enduring literary legacy of the trial that dominated the 1920s is Bartolomeo Vanzetti's famous statement beginning "If it had not been for these thing . . ." As an eloquent and powerful summation of the meaning of the Sacco-Vanzetti case it became almost at once a piece of lapidary iconography in American cultural history. Featured as the climax of Upton Sinclair's 1928 novel Boston and reprinted in The Big Money by John Dos Passos eight years later, the statement reached a peak in popular awareness and at least passive acceptability when the 1941 hit play by James Thurber and Elliot Nugent, The Male Animal, was turned into a movie starring Henry Fonda.' Fonda played the role of a college English professor who was determined to read Vanzetti's words to his class despite threats from the administration that he would be fired. Fonda had earlier scored a success as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath and was identified in the public mind with a type of appealing social rebelliousness. Yet, John Steinbeck's epic was assimilable to an indigenous, grass-roots radicalism that went back to the Populists and even to Thomas Jefferson, while Nicola Sacco and Vanzetti were foreign revolutionaries. Given Hollywood's known instinct for the innocuous, probably the fact that The Male Animal was unquestionably a comedy was important, but the willingness to risk such a theme was also a sign that a change of political atmosphere had taken place which made Professor Fonda's temerity not very perilous anymore.2 About such things Hollywood was not likely to be mistaken. Already in 1941 Vanzetti's "these thing" statement was being incorporated into the
Study of Resource Constraints and Environmental Performance Objectives in Pareto-Optimal Aircraft Technology Portfolios

In previous work, the technology portfolio problem was formulated and used in conjunction with environmental goals for the 2020-2025 timeframe to identify a Pareto frontier of solutions using multi-objective genetic algorithms. Continuation of this work includes decoupling environmental goals from regulatory standards by introducing absolute valued analogues to isolate metric performance and identify the Pareto frontier in the absolute valued objective space. The Pareto-optimal technology combinations are characterized in terms of its corners, underlying performance tradeoffs, and salient features. Favorable regions within the Pareto frontier are also examined by quantifying the gap to prescribed environmental goals while identifying pervasive technologies. In addition, a technology maturation resource constraint based on Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is formulated and used to study the tradeoff between resource burden and solution performance. Also, Pareto frontier evolution is studied as the resource constraint is made more stringent, and a critical value of is identified corresponding to the onset of a rapid performance degradation and regression of the Pareto frontier.
Laboratory and clinical observations on mecamylamine as a hypotensive agent.

Summary and ConclusionsMecamylamine produced the same cardiovascular and renal hemodynamic effects on dogs as have been previously observed with such autonomic blocking agents as hexamethonium and pento-linium. When given to patients with hypertension, it produced a consistent reduction in blood pressure which was most marked in the upright position. The effect was about equivalent when given orally as when given parenteral^ the average daily dose being approximately 19 mg. The onset of action ranged from 1/2 to 2 hours, and lasted 12 to 48 hours. The response was quite variable from patient to patient, but within the same patient, it was reproducible, thus minimizing one of the chief objections to ganglionic blocking agents for the treatment of hypertension.
Are We Overdiagnosing Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Patients Following Cardiac Surgery

Background The use of two diagnostic criteria in the current literature has led to some degree of ambiguity in the precise diagnosis of acute kidney injury in pediatric patients undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. This study aims to determine which criteria is the most accurate diagnostic indicator of acute kidney injury and determine whether the incidence is being overestimated based on the current criteria. Methods This retrospective study consisted of 389 patients with congenital heart disease from birth to 18 years, who underwent cardiac surgery. The statistical tests conducted were the student t test and chi-square test. Outcomes measured included hospital length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality. Results The incidence rate of acute kidney injury diagnosed by the pediatric Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, and End-Stage Renal Disease (RIFLE) criterion was 56% compared to 24.4% for the Acute Kidney Injury Network criterion. The pediatric RIFLE criterion consists of the following subsets: risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage renal disease. Patients classified in the "risk" subset of the pediatric RIFLE criterion who failed to meet Acute Kidney Injury Network criterion were compared to patients without acute kidney injury. Comparison of intensive care unit outcomes between these groups lacked statistical significance for all variables except the duration of mechanical ventilation postoperatively. Conclusion Although recent research in this field identified the pediatric RIFLE criterion as the most sensitive indicator of acute kidney injury, the results of this study suggest the pediatric RIFLE criterion overestimates acute kidney injury incidence and that the Acute Kidney Injury Network criterion is the more accurate diagnostic indicator.
Geochemical characteristics of the shale hydrocarbon in Gonghe Basin

Hydrocarbon seeps were discovered in 50.40 m thick calcareous mudstones and 233.03 m thick siltstones of the Lower Cretaceous in Wanxiusi outcrop,Gonghe Basin.forty-six calcareous mudstone and siltstone samples were collected and the tests including pyrolysis,the group composition of chloroform asphalt "A",the gas chromatogram of saturated hydrocarbon,the gas chromatography-mass spectrormetry of saturated hydrocarbon and isotope were carried out,and oil-source correlation was researched.The results show that the hydrocarbons in the form of absorption and free state in the calcareous mudstones of the Lower Cretaceous are generated and retained in the calcareous mudstones.And the hydrocarbons in the siltstones are related to the black mudstones and the calcareous mudstones of the Lower Cretaceous.The hydrocarbons generated by the source rocks migrate into the siltstones and accumulate nearby.The hydrocarbons both in the calcareous mudstones and in the siltstones are mature oil.Gonghe Basin is rich in oil and gas resources in the Lower Cretaceous with total hydrocarbon content of 0.42 kg·t-1 in siltstone and total hydrocarbon content of 1.44 kg·t-1 in calcareous mudstone,which shows a great exploration potential of shale gas and oil in the basin.
Effect of Nanometer Nickel on the Morphology and Texture of High-speed Galvanized Coatings

Objective The effect of nanometer nickel technique modification on continuous industrial electro-galvanized line was analyzed,in order to further improve the surface quality of the zinc coating. Methods Simulated gravity high-speed electro-galvanized equipment was applied in the nanometer nickel test on the surface of IF steel( interstitial-free steel),to discuss the repairing effect and mechanism of nanometer nickel for the scratch defects of the steel panel,and analyze the influence of nanometer nickel electroplating time on the morphology and texture of the zinc coatings. Results Nanometer nickel was preferentially deposited at the defect positions of the substrate,and had good filling effect on the scratches of the substrate. The nickel coating was well bonded with the substrate. With the increase of nanometer nickel electroplating time,the crystalline size of the zinc coating decreased,the crystalline state became dense and intensity of the( 002) texture was significantly enhanced. Conclusion Embedding nanometer nickel in continuous electro-galvanizing line had benefit for repairing substrate defects and optimizing crystalline of zinc coatings.