cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of the 3' UTR transcription factor LBP-1c/CP2/LSF polymorphism with late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder. To date, apolipoprotein E (apoE) is the only established susceptibility gene for late-onset AD. ApoE accounts for less than 50% of the risk of AD, indicating the presence of other unknown susceptibility loci. Linkage studies have indicated chromosome 12 as the most likely location for another late-onset AD locus. We examined seven polymorphisms in five candidate genes located in and around the linkage peaks on chromosome 12 in 564 cases and 523 controls. The genes included complement component 1R (C1R), vitamin D receptor (VDR), scavenger-receptor B1 (SR-B1), low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP1), and transcription factor LBP-1c/CP2/LSF. We found no association with C1R, VDR, SR-B1, and LRP1 polymorphisms. However, the frequency of the A allele of the 3′ (untranslated region) UTR LBP-1c/CP2/LSF polymorphism was higher in controls than cases (0.071 vs. 0.051; P = 0.042) with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43–0.96; P = 0.0498). Our data suggest that the LBP-1c/CP2/LSF polymorphism may have a moderate protective effect against the risk of AD. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Le Tourisme Suisse et son Rayonnement International, (XIX-XX siècles)

Le Tourisme Suisse et son Rayonnement International, (XIX-XX siecles), edited by Cedric Humair and Laurent Tissot, Lausanne, Editions Antipodes, 2011, 222 pp., €23 (paperback), ISBN 978-2-88901-057...
A tethered adhesive particle model of two-dimensional elasticity and its application to the erythrocyte membrane

A new model of two-dimensional elasticity with application to the erythrocyte membrane is proposed. The system consists of a planar array of self-adhesive particles attached to nearest neighbors with flexible tethers. Stretching from the equilibrium dimension is resisted because force is required to dissociate the particle clusters and to decrease the distribution entropy. Release of the external force is accompanied by a contraction as thermal diffusion randomizes the particles and allows interparticle attachments to form again. Analysis of membrane thermodynamics and mechanics under the two-state particle assumption results in a shear softening stress-strain relation. The shear modulus is found proportional to the square root of the surface density of particles, the interparticle adhesive energy, and is inversely proportional to the tether length. Applied to the erythrocyte membrane under the assumption that band 3 tetramer represents the particle and spectrin the tether, the shear modulus predicted corresponds to the measured value when the interparticle adhesive energy is approximately 4.0–5.9 kT, where kT is the Boltzmann constant multiplied by the temperature. This model suggests a mechanism wherein erythrocyte membrane deformability depends on integral protein homomultimeric interactions and can be modulated from the external surface.
Generation and Characterization of an Anti-CD19 Single-Chain Fv Immunotoxin Composed of C-Terminal Disulfide-Linked dgRTA†

Our laboratory utilized two methods to produce the anti-CD19 immunotoxin containing a single-chain Fv (scFv) FVS191 and a ricin A chain (RTA). The first method produced the recombinant protein FVS191CDRTA from a fusing gene containing sequences encoding FVS191, catheptsin D proteinase digestion site (CD), and RTA. FVS191CDRTA did not show CD19 antigen binding and cytotoxic activity. The second method generated a disulfide-linked FVS191cys−dgRTA from a FVS191cys, the FVS191 with an additional C-terminal cysteine, and a deglycosylated RTA (dgRTA). The formation of FVS191cys−dgRTA is efficient; up to 70% of the proteins participating in the reaction had formed FVS191cys−dgRTA when the molar ratio of FVS191cys to dgRTA was 1:1. A competitive ELISA assay indicated that FVS191cys−dgRTA and the parental monoclonal antibody B43 possessed comparable CD19 binding abilities. The protein synthesis inhibition assay revealed that FVS191cys−dgRTA was toxic to CD19 positive cell lines, but it was less potent than the int...
Photo quiz: nausea and emesis in a complicated patient.

A 47-year-old female presented with a 2-day history of nausea, emesis, increased fistula stool output, and subjective fever and chills. Her medical and surgical history included metastatic ovarian cancer, for which her status is postchemotherapy, and multiple surgeries, the most recent being an
What will be the impact on future legacy campaigns of changing demographic, economic, cultural and religious trends?

This paper discusses some key issues that will have dramatic effects on legacy/bequest income over the next 30 years. Economic, demographic, cultural and religious changes will mean that all nonprofits will have to adapt their legacy campaigns to meet emerging community and lifestyle trends. Campaigns will have to target the particular attitudes, motivations and expectations of each community if legacy income is to rise rather than fall. To date, little research has been completed in the UK to ascertain what the likely outcomes will be. This paper alerts fundraisers to some of the key issues. Copyright © 2000 Henry Stewart Publications.
Xe and Kr analyses of silicate inclusions from iron meteorites.

Measurements have been conducted of the amounts and isotopic composition of Xe and Kr in silicate inclusions of several iron meteorites. It is shown that the Xe and Kr contents are comparable to chondritic values. The isotopic compositions show trapped gas of both chondritic and atmospheric composition. Large spallation effects occur in some of the meteorites; the spallation spectra in some instances differ from those reported for stone meteorites. In several meteorites, very large neutron capture effects on Br and I occur. All samples have pronounced Xe129 excesses which apparently indicate differences in the formation times from chondrites of less than about 100 million years; however, the presence of trapped Xe132 in silicates which were enclosed in molten Fe-Ni and cooled slowly proves that they were not entirely outgassed, so that some of the Xe129 excess may also be trapped.
β-Adrenergic receptor activity of cerebral microvessels is reduced in aged rats

The effect of age on beta-(β) adrenergic receptor number (Bmax) and adenylate cyclase (AC) activity was determined in microvessels isolated from male F-344 rats at 3, 18, and 24 months of age. Scatchard analysis of [125I]iodocyanopindolol (ICYP) binding indicated reduced Bmax (fmol/mg) of microvessels isolated from 24 month old rats (27.2±4.9) compared with 3 month old (50.4±5.2) and 18 month old rats (p<0.01) (61.4±7.6). The basal AC activity (pmol cAMP/mg) in 24 month old rats (32.0 ±6.7) and in 18 month old rats (30.4±2.1) were significantly reduced compared to the basal activity in the young (50.1±4.2). The net isoproterenol or NaF stimulated AC activity in 24 month old rats (zero and 15.6±8.5 respectively) was also reduced compared to young rats (10.1±3.9 and 166.0±21.2 respectively). It is concluded that aging is associated with reduced isoproterenol stimulated AC activity of cerebral microvessels. This reduction is the product of reduced β-adrenergic receptor number and reduced activity of AC in aged rat cerebral microvessels.
Fatigue crack closure after overload

Abstract The fatigue crack closure after overload was measured by small foil strain gages. The effect of overload on crack closure stress and crack propagation rate was observed to extend over a range several times larger than the overload plastic zone. Analysis of experimental data showed that the extra amount of plastic deformation introduced by the overload was the controlling factor. A relationshp between crack closure stress and crack length in the affected zone was found, and the amount of plastic deformation by the overload was estimated. This estimate was further confirmed by analysis of the crack closure pictures.
Quantal calcium release by purified reconstituted inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors.

RELEASE of intracellular Ca2+ by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) occurs through specific receptor proteins1 which are ligand-activated Ca2+ channels . Changes in intracellular Ca2+ regulate many cellular functions3. This Ca2+ release is a discontinuous quantal process in which successive increments of InsP3 transiently release precise amounts of Ca2+ (refs 4–6). Possible explanations of quantal Ca2+ release have included rapid degradation of InsP3, reciprocity of Ca2+ release and sequestration, desensitization of InsP3 receptors7, or actions of InsP3 on discrete compartments of Ca2+ with variable sensitivity to InsP3 (ref. 4). We successfully reconstituted InsP3-induced Ca2+ flux in vesicles containing only purified InsP3 receptor protein2. The reconstituted vesicles retain the regulatory features of the InsP3 receptor, including phosphory-lation sites8 and modulation of Ca2+ release by adenine nucleo-tides9. Using these reconstituted vesicles, we show here that quantal flux of Ca2+ elicited by InsP3 is a fundamental property of its receptor.
Reducing the Memory Requirements of Dynamic Programming

This paper presents a decomposition procedure for extending the size of problems that can be solved using dynamic programming. It essentially consists of decomposing the tabular arrays of data into blocks of data, and then performing the dynamic programming calculations over the whole tabular array by calculating on each block separately.
Inactivation of Microbial Alkaline Phosphatase in Hispanic-Style Cheeses with the Scharer Rapid Phosphatase Test

Six Hispanic-style cheeses containing alkaline phosphatase(s) of microbial origin tested positive using the Scharer Rapid Phosphatase Test, as outlined in Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, 15th edition. Microbial alkaline phosphatase controls were prepared by pasteurization of 7.5% butanol-water extracts of each cheese as described in Standard Methods. The heat treatment should have had little effect on microbial phosphatase activity; however, rapid inactivation of the enzymes was found. However, inactivation was minimal when the cheese per se was treated. These results indicate that if the n-butanol extracts are heated according to Standard Methods, microbial phosphatases in cheese could be confused with milk phosphatase, thus subjecting these cheeses to possible regulatory action.
Negotiating Latitude: A Within- and Between-Groups Analysis of a Key Construct in the Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory of Leadership

“Negotiating Latitude” is a key indicator in the vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership. Within- and between-groups analysis is a general methodology to test rival formulations of leadership. In this paper results are presented from applying this approach on the negotiating latitude scale using the data originally reported by Dansereau, Graen, and Haga who described an effect of vertical dyad linkage in 1975. The reanalysis raises questions about the negotiating latitude scale because the results are more compatible with an inference of ambiguous data rather than with an average leadership style or a vertical dyad-linkage approach to leadership.
Toddlers' responses to the distress of their peers

Abstract Toddlers' spontaneous prosocial responses to their peer's crying distress were examined in this study. Forty-three children ranging in age from 16 to 33 months were observed as they interacted with their peers in day-care centers. Each child was observed for 16, 5-min periods. If a child cried, the response of the peer and the response of the teacher were recorded. Teachers independently identified peer friendships. Ninety-three percent of peer responses to cries were prosocial in nature. Children who responded more often prosocially to crying peers were the children who more often cried themselves. The response of the teacher to the child's own cry was related to that child's response to a peer. Children were more likely to respond to friends' cries than to cries of acquaintances.
Conditions for balance between survival and ruin

Let ξ t be a classic risk process or a risk process with stochastic premiums. We establish conditions for balance between ruin and survival in the case of zero initial capital u = 0 (ruin probability q + = ψ(0) = 1/2, survival probability p + = 1 - q + = 1/2) and determine premium estimates under these conditions.
We don’t monitor enough

The choice of which intraoperative monitors to use for routine cases is difficult, because a multitude of monitors is available today. Monitoring is deemed necessary to avoid problems, although there is little hard evidence that a specific monitor will improve outcome. The risk associated with modern noninvasive monitors, however, is negligible, and they should be considered for routine use in all patients. Although errors in the variables displayed or misuse of correct information can cause difficulties, these result from a lack of education and are not a valid reason to abandon a particular monitoring modality. Regular use of such monitoring tools as the electroencephalogram would allow clinicians to become familiar with how to interpret it in normal and crisis situations. The cost of a disaster during anesthesia (such as unrecognized hypoxia) is high. The dollars spent to cover a single major malpractice award could buy a tremendous number of monitors. The state of the art in the mid-1980s demands traditional anesthesia monitors plus continuous capnography and measurement of peripheral oxygenation. Other negligible-risk monitors should also be used when feasible. Improvement in monitoring design, particularly in output formats and in integration of monitored data, will be essential in the next few years, as will training in the proper use of monitors.
Determination of the optimal rotation age: a theoretical analysis

Abstract This paper systematically analyzes the problem of the determination of the optimal rotation age. Using the land expectation value model, it shows that at the optimal rotation age t ∗ , the marginal revenue product (MRP) of letting the stand grow one more year must equal the marginal input cost (MIC) of doing so. The relationships between regeneration cost (C), interest rate (r), stumpage price level P(t) and the optimal rotation age are then analyzed graphically. The relationships between the land expectation value model, the present net worth model, the forest rent model and the traditional biological model are also examined. It is shown that the last three models are special cases of the land expectation value model.
Precision at the low picogram level in the analysis of derivatized iodothyronine standards by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

Abstract Previously an acceptable precision (coefficient of variation less than 10%) could be obtained only part of the time for the peak areas of derivatized iodothyronine standards, even relative to that of a structurally close internal standard, 3,4-diiodo-3′,5′-dibromothyronine, when these compounds were analyzed at the low picogram level by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. This problem has now been ovecome, primarily by introducing a new design, material and conditioning of a direct vapor-injector insert. An extensive analysis under practical operating conditions of derivatized 3,5-di-, 3,5,3′-tri and 3,5,3′,5′-tetraiodothyronine at the 5-10-pg level, involving several changes in the injection equipment and several days of injections, now gives within-day coefficients of variation ranging from 2.7 to 7.7%, 1.5 to 5.3% and 1.8 to 5.2%, respectively, for the relative peak areas of these compounds.
Tone at the top: CEO environmental rhetoric and environmental performance

Abstract In this study we attempted to ascertain the environmental leadership and commitment of the CEO as evidence of “tone at the top” in the belief that this would lead to enhanced environmental performance. We measure “tone at the top” by the environmental disclosure score which is collected from a content analysis of CEO letters to shareholders. We adopt the two environmental performance measures: (1) Environmental Impact Score (EIS) from Newsweek Green Ranking and (2) Modeled Hazard Population Results (MHPR) based on Risk-Screening Environmental Indicator (RSEI) models built by EPA. The results indicate that the environmental disclosure score from the CEO letter is inversely correlated with environmental performance. The overall findings support legitimacy theory in that CEOs essentially “spin” firms' environmental performance so it looks better than it actually is.
Geriatric assessment: methods for clinical decision making.

A RECENT National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference statement 1 has concluded that comprehensive geriatric assessment is effective in improving important health outcomes when performed under certain circumstances. The report appears in full in the April 1988 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society . This commentary interprets the conference panel's findings in the light of everyday practice and emphasizes the extent and limits of present knowledge regarding applicability of comprehensive assessment methods to the care of older persons. The panel that prepared this report was made up of five geriatricians, five other physicians, and five individuals from nonmedical fields. In concluding that "comprehensive geriatric assessment is effective when coupled with ongoing implementation of the resulting care plan," the panel has given credence, perhaps for the first time, to the emerging new principles of care of older persons and to the renascent field of geriatrics. This is a
The impact of dry matter loss during herbaceous biomass storage on net greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels production

Abstract Life cycle inventory models of greenhouse gas emissions from biofuel production have become tightly integrated into government mandates and other policies to encourage biofuel production. Current models do not include life cycle impacts of biomass storage or reflect current literature on emissions from soil and biomass decomposition. In this study, the GREET model framework was used to determine net greenhouse gas emissions during ethanol production from corn and switchgrass via three biomass storage systems: wet ensiling of whole corn, and indoor and outdoor dry bale storage of corn stover and switchgrass. Dry matter losses during storage were estimated from the literature and used to modify GREET inventory analysis. Results showed that biomass stability is a key parameter affecting fuel production per farmed hectare and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. Corn silage may generate 5358 L/ha of ethanol at 26.5 g CO2 eq/MJ, relative to 5654 L/ha at 52.3 g CO2 eq/MJ from combined corn stover and conventional grain corn ethanol production, or 3919 L/ha at 21.3 g CO2 eq/MJ from switchgrass. Dry matter losses can increase net emissions by 3–25% (ensiling), 5–53% (bales outdoors), or 1–12% (bales indoors), decreasing the net GHG reduction of ethanol over gasoline by up to 10.9%. Greater understanding of biomass storage losses and greenhouse gas fluxes during storage is necessary to accurately assess biomass storage options to ensure that the design of biomass supply logistics systems meet GHG reduction mandates for biofuel production.
Preparation of cobalt—molybdenum hydrotreating catalysts usinghydrogen peroxide stabilization

Abstract The solubility of molybdates in water increases upon the addition of a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. This is due to the formation of highly stable peroxymolybdates. However, upon adding cobalt nitrate to a solution of ammonium heptamolybdate and hydrogen peroxide, 6-molybdocobaltate is formed, which has a much lower solubility than the peroxymolybdate. The 6-molybdocobaltate adsorbs on the alumina by ion-exchange. The rise in pH causes the degradation of the 6-molybdocobaltate to 5-molybdocobaltate. The strong adsorption of the 5-molybdocobaltate causes both the molybdenum and the cobalt distributions in the final catalyst to be non-uniform, being more concentrated in the edge. The profile of molybdenum on the catalyst appears to be governed by a shell-progressive adsorption mechanism, and a simple mathematical model is used to fit this profile.
Damage threshold of platinum coating used for optics for self-seeding of soft x-ray free electron laser

We investigated the experimental damage threshold of platinum coating on a silicon substrate illuminated by soft x-ray radiation at grazing incidence angle of 2 degrees. The coating was the same as the blazed grating used for the soft X-ray self-seeding optics of the Linac Coherent Light Source free electron laser. The irradiation condition was chosen such that the absorbed dose was similar to the maximum dose expected for the grating. The expected dose was simulated by solving the Helmholtz equation in non-homogenous media. The experiment was performed at 900 eV photon energy for both single pulse and multi-shot conditions. We have not observed single shot damage. This corresponds to a single shot damage threshold being higher than 3 J/cm(2). The multiple shot damage threshold measured for 10 shots and about 600 shots was determined to be 0.95 J/cm(2) and 0.75 J/cm(2) respectively. The damage threshold occurred at an instantaneous dose which is higher that the melt dose of platinum.
Sister chromatid exchange analysis in nurses handling antineoplastic drugs.

AbstractSister chromatid exchange (SCE) analyses were carried out in hospital nurses to determine whether an increased frequency of SCE may be used as an indicator of occupational exposure to potentially harmful antineoplastic drugs. In our study of 18 oncology nurses who handled these agents for an average of three days per week, we found no increase in mean SCE frequency (9.3 ± 1.7 SCEs/cell) and no difference in the distribution of individual mean SCE frequencies compared to a group of 18 nurses who did not handle these drugs (9.5 ± 1.5 SCEs/cell). There was a great deal of individual variation in mean SCE frequency as well as in SCE values in individual cells. No relationship with SCE frequency was found in terms of a subject's age, or the number of days of exposure to the drugs. Since conflicting results have been reported in persons handling antineoplastic drugs, SCE analysis alone is probably not a reliable indicator of exposure to possible mutagenic/carcinogenic effects of these drugs. SCE analysi...
The importance of screening for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis operation (LASIK) before prescribing isotretinoin.

I n an age where isotretinoin (Accutane, Roche Laboratories Inc., Nutley, NJ) has revolutionized the treatment of nodulocystic and refractory acne, the number of prescriptions each year has increased from approximately 800,000 in 1992 to more than 2 million in 2000. Although an effective drug if used under the proper guidelines, these guidelines do not warn dermatologists or patients of the potential dangers if prescribed before or after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eye operation. LASIK is an ophthalmologic corneal operation that has soared in popularity since its initial approval in 1992. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that 500,000 Americans had LASIK operations in 1999 and it is estimated that more than 1.1 million LASIK cases were performed in the United States in 2003. Although the average age of patients undergoing LASIK is 40 years, many are between the ages of 18 and 30, which overlaps with the population of patients with acne, whose average age is 24 years. LASIK is a revolutionary procedure allowing for vision correction by use of an excimer laser to ablate the corneal stroma. A well-known and documented complication of LASIK operation is dry eye. Given that isotretinoin can also cause dry eye, it is a contraindication to perform LASIK operation on a patient taking isotretinoin. The complications of severe acute and chronic dry eye can be serious including structural corneal damage and ulceration, infection, decreased vision, and loss of vision. The general consensus from a survey of 50 ophthalmologists
Absolute stability in delay equations

Abstract An equilibrium of a delay equation is said to be absolutely stable if it is asymptotically stable for all delays. This is equivalent to a certain characteristic equation's having all its roots in the left half-plane for all delays. We obtain a simple necessary and sufficient condition for absolute stability of a class of delay equations.
Effect of substrate effcut angle on AlGaInP and GaInP solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We have studied characteristics of ∼2.0 eV AlGaInP and ∼1.9 eV GaInP solar cells on misoriented GaAs substrates grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Lattice-matched AlGaInP solar cells are of interest for space and concentrator photovoltaics, but there have been relatively few reports on such cells grown by MBE. Open circuit voltages for GaInP cells ranged from 1.29–1.30 V, while AlGaInP cells ranged from 1.35–1.37 V. The bandgap-voltage offset (W oc ) of GaInP cells decreased from ∼575 mV to ∼565 mV as misorientation angle increased from 0° to 10°, while W oc for AlGaInP cells remained nearly constant at 620 mV. Internal quantum efficiency (IQE) measurements show that current collection for AlGaInP cells is lower than in GaInP and indicates the need for a thinner emitter with good surface passivation; no trend in IQE was observed as a function of offcut. Although W oc for AlGaInP was slightly higher than in GaInP, we believe that further optimization will allow MBE-grown AlGaInP to be a promising candidate for future top cell applications.
The Expectation-Threshold Model of Reproductive Decision Making

It is proposed that as expectations about parenting become increasingly high, couples have an increasing tendency to decide to have a(or another) child. Similarly, as parenting expectations become increasingly low, couples have an increasing tendency to decide on sterilization. Couples without extremely high or low expectations continue to use contraceptives. Expectations are defined as Subjective Expected Utilities (SEUs) for having or not having a child. Preliminary results support the model and suggest that the threshold for making these decisions is not at neutral, but is conservative so that couples must have fairly high or low expectations before making such binding decisions are parenting or sterilization. The fact that data reveal that this exists supports the Expectancy-Threshold model, but it also requires a change in SEU Theory's maximization rule for some kinds of decisions.
Prediction of Infant Birth Weight by GDM Screening Tests: Importance of plasma triglyceride

OBJECTIVE We measured plasma glucose, GHb, GPro, IRI and TG at 24–28-wk gestation to determine the extent of elevations in GDM and relationships to glucose intolerance and infant macrosomia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Plasma samples were obtained 1 h after ingestion of 50 g glucose after an overnight fast in 521 randomly selected negative screenees, 264 positive screenees with GTT − , and 96 positive screenees with GTT + (GDM). RESULTS Screening test values in GDM subjects exceeded the GTT − group, whose values exceeded those of negative screenees: glucose, 9.6*, 8.7*, 6.3 mM; GHb, 5.2*, 4.9*, 4.7%; GPro, 3.1*, 3.0*, 2.8%; IRI, 791*, 662*, 410 pM; and TG, 2.3*, 1.9, 1.9 mM, (*P − groups. Screening test values correlated with GTT values in the following order (strongest to weakest): glucose* > TG* > GHb* > IRI > GPro (*statistical significance). Plasma TG was the only screening test significantly associated with birth weight corrected for gestational age (birth-weight ratio) ( r = 0.09–0.16) ( P r = 0.13 and 0.14, respectively) ( P − subjects. GDM subjects followed this trend but with more variation. Above the 90th percentile for TGs, birth-weight ratio trended lower, significantly so when the groups were combined ( P P CONCLUSIONS Of the five screening tests evaluated, all were elevated in GDM, but TG is the best discriminator of GDM from the GTT − group, and it is the only test significantly related to birth-weight ratio—and to glucose intolerance besides glucose itself. The TG association with birth weight is not explained fully by maternal weight. The results suggest that plasma TG may be a physiological contributor to infant birth weight. Further evaluation of plasma TG in GDM screening is justified, but GHb, GPro, and IRI appear to hold less promise.
Reducing Inequities Among Worker-Owned Cooperatives: A Proposal

When worker-owned cooperatives trade goods and services at market prices they tend to reproduce differences in payments to members of more advantaged co-ops compared to members of less advantaged co-ops. Members of worker-owned cooperatives who believe this violates “cooperative principles” requiring that co-op members be compensated fairly could reduce inequities among co-ops by forming a cooperative mutual aid association which adopts redistributive pricing rules. This article proposes redistributive pricing rules that (1) reduce inequities among co-ops and (2) leave members of more advantaged co-ops absolutely better off, but (3) do not introduce inefficiencies in the distribution of capital among co-ops.
Microflotation: Coagulation and foam separation of aerobacter aerogenes

The foam separation technique of microflotation was studied using A. aerogenes as the test organisms. Gas flow rate, collector and alum (when used) concentrations, and frother dose were held constant. In contrast to E. coli, previously reported, A. aerogenes are removed using both lauric acid and laurylamine as the collectors without prior coagulation with alum. The removals are improved after coagulation, with laurylamine being the more efficient collector. In all cases the removals decrease upon increasing the pH above about 8.
Revisiting optimal anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin during coronary stent implantation.

Using univariate and multivariate analyses, we evaluated the relation between ischemic and bleeding complications and peak procedural activated clotting time (ACT) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention whose coronary narrowings were treated with stent implantation. Of the 2,280 patients who qualified for the study, 29% had diabetes mellitus, and 91% received glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. The median for ACT was 276 seconds (interquartile range 243 to 317). The incidence of ischemic events by ACT quartiles was 6.3%, 7.5%, 8.1%, and 7.1%, respectively (p = 0.71). The incidence of bleeding complications was 6.6%, 5.9%, 6.9%, and 7.3%, respectively (p = 0.81). ACT did not independently predict either ischemic or hemorrhagic complications.
El Niño fades without westerly wind bursts

The warm and wet winter of 1997 brought California floods, Florida tornadoes, and an ice storm in the American northeast, prompting climatologists to dub it the El Nino of the century. Earlier this year, climate scientists thought the coming winter might bring similar extremes, as equatorial Pacific Ocean conditions resembled those seen in early 1997. However, the signals weakened by summer, and the El Nino predictions were downgraded. Menkes et al. used simulations to examine the differences between the two years.
Growth factor requirement of Thiobacillus novellus

Thiobacillus novellus cannot be grown in mineral salts media unless supplied with yeast extract. The requirement is only for miniscule amounts of yeast extract and is not fully expressed unless cells grown in a complex medium are allowed to multiply in a mineral salts medium for four to five generations. Individual sulfur-containing organic compounds, namely biotin, coenzyme A, and lipoic acid, but not reduced inorganic sulfur compounds, can substitute for the yeast extract requirement. Biotin can fully satisfy this requirement at a concentration insufficient to fulfill the biosynthetic sulfur needs; further, the organisms continue to incorporate 35SO4 into cellular protein in the presence of yeast extract or biotin. It is concluded that biotin is required as a growth factor and not owing to an inability to obtain sulfur from sulfate; the reasons why coenzyme A and thiamine pyrophosphate can substitute for biotin are discussed.
Validating cortical surface analysis of medial prefrontal cortex.

This paper describes cortical analysis of 19 high resolution MRI subvolumes of medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), a region that has been implicated in major depressive disorder. An automated Bayesian segmentation is used to delineate the MRI subvolumes into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and partial volumes of either CSF/GM or GM/WM. The intensity value at which there is equal probability of GM and GM/WM partial volume is used to reconstruct MPFC cortical surfaces based on a 3-D isocontouring algorithm. The segmented data and the generated surfaces are validated by comparison with hand segmented data and semiautomated contours, respectively. The L(1) distances between Bayesian and hand segmented data are 0.05-0.10 (n = 5). Fifty percent of the voxels of the reconstructed surface lie within 0.12-0.28 mm (n = 14) from the semiautomated contours. Cortical thickness metrics are generated in the form of frequency of occurrence histograms for GM and WM labelled voxels as a function of their position from the cortical surface. An algorithm to compute the surface area of the GM/WM interface of the MPFC subvolume is described. These methods represent a novel approach to morphometric chacterization of regional cortex features which may be important in the study of psychiatric disorders such as major depression.
CUE SENSITIVITY, INDUCIBLE DEFENSE, AND TRADE-OFFS IN A MARINE SNAIL

Despite considerable progress in the study of inducible defenses, our un- derstanding of the role of cues and costs to their ecology and evolution remains limited. This study focused on inducible defenses in the intertidal snail, Littorina obtusata, in response to the invasive green crab, Carcinus maenas, in the Gulf of Maine. We used widely separated (-400 km) snail populations from northern Maine and Massachusetts because they differ in their extent of historical and present-day contact with C. maenas. Crabs are presently more abundant in the southern Gulf and have been there for twice as long (- 100 yr). We examined whether these geographic differences in contact history and abundance may contribute to geographic differences in risk cue sensitivity, the amount of induced defense, and the scaling of trade-offs accompanying the induced defense. Risk cues from both crabs and damaged conspecifics induced the greatest increases in snail shell thickness, whereas exposure to just crab cues induced intermediate levels of thickening. Interestingly, our results suggest that the effects of risk cues are additive and that geographic differentiation in cue sensitivity only occurs in response to crab cues. While northern snails showed greater shell thickness plasticity in response to crab cues, there was no geographic differentiation in sensitivity to cues from damaged conspecifics. We also found that the scaling of trade-offs in body size vs. shell thickness was similar for both regions. This result contrasts with theory because one would expect the more intense selection regime caused by increased crab predation in the southern Gulf to diminish the impact of trade-offs on southern snails. However, this result is consistent with the hypotheses that (1) trade-offs in body size are likely mediated by architectural constraints imposed by the shell and (2) circumventing these constraints via changes in shell shape would likely result in a shell that is more vulnerable to crab predation. Analysis of aperture area and spire height for field populations revealed no geographic differentiation in aperture area, but taller spires in northern snails. Hence, more intense selection via crab predation in the southern Gulf may prevent changes in shell shape that reduce the impact of trade-offs. Finally, despite the large trade-offs accompanying increases in shell thickness, our study suggests that the functional value of increased shell strength in reducing vulnerability to crab predation outweighs these costs.
Concentration-dependent effects on fully hydrated DNA at terahertz frequencies

Using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), the frequency-dependent dielectric constant of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in solution was measured. The response of the buffer solution is dominated by two Debye modes in this frequency range, and, from an analysis of the concentration dependence, the presence of the DNA increases the main relaxation time and dielectric constant. This reflects the fact that the water in the hydration layer is more tightly bound under the influence of the DNA molecule in comparison to bulk water. This dynamical slowing down with increasing DNA concentration is similar to what is observed with purine nucleotides, but opposite to the behavior of pyrimidine nucleotides. In addition, a suspension model was used with the concentration-dependent data to isolate the dielectric response of the hydrated DNA molecule. The data for the hydrated DNA molecule is still dominated by a Debye response. It is also possible to determine the thickness of the hydration layer, and the DNA molecule influences the surrounding water out to 16 or 17 A, which corresponds to about six effective hydration layers.
EXECUTIVE JOB DEMANDS: SUGGESTIONS FROM A STRESS AND DECISION-MAKING PERSPECTIVE

Hambrick, Finkelstein, and Mooney advance propositions concerning the effects of job demands on executive leadership and decision-making behaviors. I aim to encourage further thinking in this area, with comments flowing from a consideration of the stress and decision-making literature and the positive affect and problem-solving behavior literature. This perspective suggests both a finer-grained conceptualization of the executive job demands construct informed by specific characteristics of decision problems and a finer-grained conceptualization of executive decision behaviors focused on elements reflecting correspondence and coherence outcomes of decisions.
Crop Breeding in the Twenty-First Century

SUMMARY One can predict a future in which professional plant breeding, especially in the private sector, will be significantly scaled back, and advanced biotechnologies (e.g., genetic engineering) will be forbidden for use in plant breeding. Alternatively, one can predict a future in which commercialism will rule all sectors. But a more optimistic outlook predicts that the current tripartite division of responsibilities will prevail: Private Sector, Public Sector, and Participatory (i.e., farmer-breeder partnerships). The global plant breeding system is composed of separate organs, each essential for the survival of the whole but each with a different function. All parts work together for the good of the whole.
Thallium-201: non-invasive determination of the regional distribution of cardiac output.

Sapirstein employed cationic radiopotassium to determine the fractional distribution of cardiac output to several organs. Thallium-201 can substitute for radiopotassium in myocardial imaging, and was evaluated in the present studies to determine the distribution of cardiac output in the anesthetized dog in comparison with tracer microspheres, both under control circumstances and following the infusion of norepinephrine in a dose sufficient to raise the blood pressure 20 mm Hg above control levels. The concentrations of thallium-201 and microspheres were similar in the heart, thyroid, and skeletal muscle in both control and norepinephrine-treated animals (r = 0.93). Thallium concentration in the liver and lung exceeded that of microspheres, however, and probably is not related solely to the regional distribution of arterial perfusion. These data suggest that in the heart, kidney, thyroid, and skeletal muscle, thallium-201 distribution reflects the fractional distribution of cardiac output.
Trends in Diseases Reported on US Death Certificates That Mentioned HIV Infection, 1996-2006.

Objective: We examined trends during 1996-2006 in diseases reported on death certificates that mentioned HIV infection. Methods: We analyzed multiple-cause mortality data compiled from all US death certificates with any mention of HIV to determine the annual percentages of deaths with various diseases. Results: Deaths reported with HIV during 1996-2006 decreased from 35 340 to 13 750. Standardized percentages of death certificates reporting AIDS-defining opportunistic infections also decreased: pneumocytosis (6.3% to 5.1%), nontuberculous mycobacteriosis (5.5% to 1.8%), cytomegalovirus (5.7% to 1.2%). Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma rose from 4.8% in 1996 to 6.4% in 1997 and declined to 5.0% in 2001, while Kaposi’s sarcoma declined from 3.7% in 1996 to 1.7% in 2001; these AIDS-defining cancers had stable percentages after 2001. All other cancers increased during 1996-2006 (2.7% to 7.3%). The percentage of deaths with diseases not specifically attributable to HIV increased: liver disease (5.8% to 13.0%), kidney dis...
Transport Systems for High Intensity Beams

High intensities pose new problems in the design of transport systems. Induced radioactivity, radiation damage to materials, radiation induced chemical reactions, and heating problems are discussed. Proposed solutions to these problems for the Stanford Linear Accelerator transport systems in the beam switchyard are outlined.
Phase-only monopulse pattern notching via Semidefinite Programming

A phase-only method of generating notches in the difference beam pattern of a phased array antenna is described. Numerical results are presented for a 32 element uniform linear array utilizing a Bayliss weighting.
For a Careful Reading: The Conservativism of Gender Constructivism

The primary debate within feminist theorizing during the last decade has been whether it is possible or desirable to posit a category such as “woman” upon which feminism is predicated and to which it responds (see Elam and Wiegman 1995). These debates, diverse and contentious, draw within their ambit questions of sex, sexuality, masculinity, femininity, identity, power, class, race, ethnicity, and the inevitable “and so on.” The impulse to categorize this range of feminist theorizing to a simple substantive claim that there is an essential subject (woman) and a primary goal (ending oppression) reduces a productive cacophonous counterpoint to a single note. Indeed, the ultimate irony may be that if feminist theorizing can be characterized, it would result from its very preoccupation with the question of what, exactly, is the “crucial conceptual coordinate” of its claims (Dietz 2003). Evidence for this statement is visible, for example, within the work of international relations scholars who focus on the intersectionality among the above markers in the production of political identities and political practices (see, for example, Towns 2002; Berman 2003; Peterson 2003). Whether one can identify specific authors in the discipline as undertaking this work is not necessarily the point as Adam Jones (1998) mistakes in his reply to Terrell Carver and his associates (1998). Rather, the point is that the subjects and goals of feminism are already in dispute and, correspondingly, so are the concepts that inform them. Therefore, the meaning and designation of all three—subject, goals, and concepts—is intrinsically political and historically fluid. It becomes difficult to acknowledge the previous statement if one insists upon, as Marysia Zalewski notes in this forum, establishing the proper parameters of feminism. What, then, would happen if we did recognize the intrinsic temporality and historicity of the subjects, goals, and, in …
ARF Impedes NPM/B23 Shuttling in an Mdm2-Sensitive Tumor Suppressor Pathway

The ARF tumor suppressor is widely regarded as an upstream activator of p53-dependent growth arrest and apoptosis. However, recent findings indicate that ARF can also regulate the cell cycle in the absence of p53. In search of p53-independent ARF targets, we isolated nucleophosmin (NPM/B23), a protein we show is required for proliferation, as a novel ARF binding protein. In response to hyperproliferative signals, ARF is upregulated, resulting in the nucleolar retention of NPM and concomitant cell cycle arrest. The Mdm2 oncogene outcompetes NPM/B23 for ARF binding, and introduction of Mdm2 reverses ARF's p53-independent properties: in vitro, NPM is released from ARF-containing protein complexes, and in vivo S phase progression ensues. ARF induction by oncogenes or replicative senescence does not alter NPM/B23 protein levels but rather prevents its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling without inhibiting rRNA processing. By actively sequestering NPM in the nucleolus, ARF utilizes an additional mechanism of tumor suppression, one that is readily antagonized by Mdm2.
Prognostic Factors for Thymic Epithelial Neoplasms, with Emphasis on Tumor Staging

The prognosis of thymic epithelial tumors depends on their separation into thymoma and thymic carcinoma, as well as the extent to which they involve adjacent tissues and organs. To formalize evaluations of the latter attribute, several staging systems have been developed over the past 30 years. These include the Masaoka, Bergh, Wilkins-Castleman, Groupe d'Etudes des Tumeurs Thymiques, and tumor-nodal-metastasis schemes. The first of those formulations is most commonly employed in clinical practice, at least in the United States. The author believes that surgical-pathologic staging is the most powerful and reliable prognosticator for thymoma, as compared with histologic subtype-related prediction of behavior for that tumor type. Those topics, as well as affiliated issues concerning tissue sampling and staging techniques, are discussed in this article.
Importance of Achieving Stringent Complete Response After Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma

Purpose To study the impact of achieving stringent complete response (sCR), an increasingly attainable goal, after autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients and methods Maximal response rates were determined in 445 consecutive patients who underwent ASCT within 12 months of diagnosis of MM. The patients achieving varying degrees of complete response (CR) are the focus of our study. Results One hundred and nine patients (25%) achieved sCR after ASCT. The median overall survival (OS) rate from the time of transplantation for patients attaining sCR was not reached (NR), in contrast to those patients achieving conventional complete response (CR; n = 37; OS, 81 months) or near CR (nCR; n = 91; OS, 60 months; P Conclusion Improved long-term outcome is seen after ASCT with achievement of sCR when compared with lesser degrees of responses. Myeloma trials reporting the response rates should identify patients achieving sCR and CR separately, owing to markedly disparate outcomes of the two categories.
Population aging and economic growth: political economy and open economy effects

Abstract This paper addresses population aging in the context of both open economy and endogenous fiscal policy response. The analysis explores the role of these modeling features and discusses how this framework differs from closed economy and other open economy models.
Single-layer graphene on Al2O3/Si substrate: better contrast and higher performance of graphene transistors

The fact that single-layer graphene can be visualized on 300 nm SiO2/Si substrate using optical microscope has enabled the facile fabrication of single-layer graphene devices for fundamental studies and potential applications. Here we report an Al2O3/Si substrate for the fabrication of graphene devices with better contrast and higher performance. Our studies show that the contrast of single-layer graphene on 72 nm Al2O3/Si substrate is much better than that of single-layer graphene on 300 nm SiO2/Si substrate. Moreover, the transconductance of single-layer graphene transistors on Al2O3/Si substrate shows a more than 7-fold increase, due to the smaller dielectric thickness and higher dielectric constant in 72 nm Al2O3 film. These studies demonstrate a new and superior substrate for the fabrication of graphene transistors, and are of significance for both fundamental studies and technological applications.