cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Internal structure of mini-CEX scores for internal medicine residents: factor analysis and generalizability

The mini-CEX is widely used to rate directly observed resident-patient encounters. Although several studies have explored the reliability of mini-CEX scores, the dimensionality of mini-CEX scores is incompletely understood. Objective: Explore the dimensionality of mini-CEX scores through factor analysis and generalizability analysis. Design: Factor analytic and generalizability study using retrospective data. Participants: Eighty five physician preceptors and 264 internal medicine residents (postgraduate years 1–3). Methods: Preceptors used the six-item mini-CEX to rate directly observed resident-patient encounters in internal medicine resident continuity clinics. We analyzed mini-CEX scores accrued over 4 years using repeated measures analysis of variance to generate a correlation matrix adjusted for multiple observations on individual residents, and then performed factor analysis on this adjusted correlation matrix. We also performed generalizability analyses. Results: Eighty-five preceptors rated 264 residents in 1,414 resident-patient encounters. Common factor analysis of these scores after adjustment for repeated measures revealed a single-factor solution. Cronbach’s alpha for this single factor (i.e. all six mini-CEX items) was ≥0.86. Sensitivity analyses using principal components and other method variations revealed a similar factor structure. Generalizability studies revealed a reproducibility coefficient of 0.23 (0.70 for 10 raters or encounters). Conclusions: The mini-CEX appears to measure a single global dimension of clinical competence. If educators desire to measure discrete clinical skills, alternative assessment methods may be required. Our approach to factor analysis overcomes the limitation of repeated observations on subjects without discarding data, and may be useful to other researchers attempting factor analysis of datasets in which individuals contribute multiple observations.
Identification of a mouse brain β-spectrin cDNA and distribution of its mRNA in adult tissues

Abstract A mouse brain β-spectrin of cDNA was identified within a λGt11 expression library using an antibody which specifically binds with the 235 kDa spectrin β-subunit. Restriction mapping and DNA sequencing analyses of the brain cDNA revealed that this clone contained 1185 bp of sequence, of which a 999 bp single open reading frame encoding 333 amino acids was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited homology with β-spectrins, demonstrating the characteristic 106 amino acid repeating unit. The homology between our mouse brain sequence and human RBC β-spectrin was ~56% beginning at the β15 repeat unit and extending to the C-terminus of sequence elucidated for human RBC sequence. An additional 62 amino acids were found at the C-terminus of the 235 kDa brain β-spectrin subunit not seen in the human RBC sequence. The ~1.2 Kb brain spectrin cDNA insert hybridized with a single 9 Kb mRNA transcript in various adult mouse tissues, with the most abundant hybridization demonstrated in RNA isolated from brain tissue. This mRNA was found to be present at high levels in heart tissue and at lower levels in spleen and skeletal muscle tissue. The 9 Kb mRNA was different in content and in size to mRNAs which hybridized with a cDNA encoding the mouse erythroid β-spectrin subunit, demonstrating that the brain spectrin cDNA is a distinct gene product and represents the first known sequence of a nonerythroid β-spectrin subunit.
Preserving integrity against colonization

Genuine reconciliation between first- and third-person methodologies and knowledge requires respect for both phenomenological and scientific epistemologies. Recent pragmatic, theoretical, and verbal attempts at reconciliation by cognitive scientists compromise phenomenological method and knowledge. The basic question is thus: how do we begin reconciling first- and third-person epistemologies? Because life is the unifying concept across phenomenological and cognitive disciplines, a concept consistently if differentially exemplified in and by the phenomenon of movement, conceptual complementarities anchored in the animate properly provide the foundation for reconciliation. Research by people in neuroscience and in dynamic systems theory substantiate this thesis, providing fundamental examples of conceptual complementarity between phenomenology and science.
A PUNCH AND DIE TEST CELL FOR DETERMINING THE TEXTURAL QUALITIES OF MEAT

. A test ceil is described that measures the response of materials to a punch-shear deformation. The cell, designed as a punch and die unit, was used with the Instron Universal Testing Instrument to determine the textural characteristics of several food products. Data are presented for beef muscles from US Choice and US Commercial grade animals. Sensory evaluation using magnitude estimation techniques showed high correlation with instrumental measurements. When all combinations of three sensory attributes and three instrumental properties were considered, correlation coefficients ranged from 0.92 to 0.98. Sensory judgments showed that the differences between muscles were 2 to 3 times greater than those found using the test cell, but the large scatter in panel results reduced sensitivity below that of the instrument. The panel judged the psoas major and the semiten-dinosus from the US Commercial grade animal to be twice as tough as the same muscles from the US Choice grade animal. The biceps femoris was judged to be 4 times tougher in the Commercial than in the Choice grade animal.
Sister chromatid differentiation and isolabeling of chromosomes

Isolabeling observed during sister chromatid differentiation (SCD) was studied from human skin fibroblasts by the fluorescence-plus-Giemsa (FPG) technique. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was fed to exponentially dividing cells for 52 h to enable completion of two consecutive cycles of DNA replication. During this period, the late-replicating regions of some chromosomes were able to go through three replication cycles. These chromosome regions had evidently incorporated BrdU bifiliarly in both chromatids and hence, on staining with FPG, appeared isostained (isolabeled). Thus, incubation of exponentially dividing cells with BrdU for a period longer than that required for two cell cycles appears to be a suitable method for revealing the late-replicating regions of the genome, such as the X chromosome in a human female, as isolated.
A probable case of gabapentin-related reversible hearing loss in a patient with acute renal failure.

Abstract Background: As described in the literature, gabapentin toxicity in patients with impaired renal function can manifest as coma, myoclonus, tremulousness, or altered mental status. Gabapentin is an antiepileptic agent indicated for use as an adjunct therapy in partial seizures and postherpetic neuralgia but is also prescribed for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Case summary: A 46-year-old white woman (height, 167 cm; weight, 177 kg; body mass index, 62.8 kg/m 2 ) with a 6-year history of diabetes mellitus and previously normal renal function, presented to the emergency department of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center with anuria (a serum creatinine level of 7.4 mg/dL), hearing loss, myoclonus, and confusion with hallucinations lasting for 3 days. Her blood pressure was 110/74 mm Hg. The patient's preadmit medication list included: lisinopril (40 mg QD), hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg QD), and furosemide (80 mg QD) for hypertension; atorvastatin (10 mg QD) for hyperlipidemia; omeprazole (20 mg QD) for gastroesophageal reflux disease; salmeterol/fluticasone inhaler (100/50 μg; 1 puff BID) and albuterol metered-dose inhaler (90 μg as needed) for asthma; metformin (500 mg BID) and insulin lispro per sliding scale for type 2 diabetes mellitus; oxycodone controlled release (60 mg TID) for chronic osteoarthritis and low back pain; alprazolam (0.5 mg every 8 hours as needed) for generalized anxiety disorder; venlafaxine (150 mg BID) for depression; and gabapentin (300 mg TID) for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The patient's symptoms (hearing loss, myoclonus, and confusion) improved after 1 session of hemodialysis (~10 hours following admission) and had resolved at the time of discharge (4 days later). On admission, the gabapentin concentration was 17.6 μg/mL, and following hemodialysis, the gabapentin concentration was undetectable (by discharge/day 4). The timing of the patient's last dose of gabapentin is unknown. Normal doses for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy range from 900 to 3600 mg/d divided 3 times daily. Conclusions: We report a patient with acute renal failure who developed hearing loss, myoclonus, and confusion with hallucinations in the presence of elevated gabapentin concentrations. Due to rapid improvement after hemodialysis and discontinuation of gabapentin, we believe that these symptoms were probably due to gabapentin toxicity.
Increasing the DNA damage threshold in breast cancer cells.

The biochemical role of estrogens in the development of estrogen-dependent breast cancer remains to be elucidated, and the involvement of estrogens in tumor initiation remains controversial. Reports regarding estrogen-mediated DNA damage include the induction of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in vitro and in vivo, indicating a role for oxidative stress in tumor initiation and/or progression. However, DNA isolation, cellular DNA repair, and high antioxidant status have made the measurement of 8-oxo-dG in vivo and in cell culture somewhat challenging. In this regard, a potentiation in DNA damage can be achieved by depleting cellular stores of glutathione. We chose to deplete glutathione in the estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cell line with a gamma-glutamylcysteine transpeptidase enzyme inhibitor buthionine sulphoximine (BSO) for the purpose of studying estrogen-induced DNA damage. Treatment of GSH-depleted MCF-7 cells with 10 microM 2-OH-E2 or 4-OH-E2 for 30 min resulted in a statistically significant increase in 8-oxo-dG/10(5) dG of 127 and 160%, respectively. A potentiation in catechol estrogen-induced DNA damage was observed with the addition of copper(II) chloride for both 2-OH-E2 and 4-OH-E2 by 165 and 200%, respectively. In addition, 100 nM and 1.0 microM estradiol increased DNA damage in a dose-response-like fashion by 145 and 189%, respectively. The depletion of GSH by BSO may prove to be an advantageous technique for the study of DNA damage in cells otherwise resistant to oxidative stress and/or alkylating agents and has proven useful in the study of estrogen-induced oxidative DNA damage in a highly reproducible and sensitive manner.
Increased Expression Levels of WAVE3 Are Associated with the Progression and Metastasis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Background Breast Cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease comprised of at least five genetically distinct subtypes, which together form the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States. Within BC subtypes, those classified as Triple Negative BCs (TNBCs) exhibit dismal survival rates due to their propensity to develop distant metastases. We have identified the WAVE3 protein, which is a critical regulator of actin cytoskeleton dynamics that are required for the motility and invasion of cancer cells through its activation of the Arp2/3 complex, as a key regulator of the different steps of the invasion-metastasis cascade in BC, especially in the more aggressive TNBCs. Our published studies have also shown that elevated expression levels of WAVE3 in the TNBC cell lines directly contribute to their increased invasion and metastasis potentials both in vitro and in vivo in murine models of BC metastasis. Methodology/Principal Findings Herein, we utilized both immunohistochemistry (IHC) of primary human BC tumors as well as quantitative real-time RT-PCR of WAVE3 in the peripheral blood of BC patients to clearly establish that WAVE3 is a predictive marker of overall BC patients’ survival. High levels of WAVE3 were predictive for reduced distant recurrence-free survival as well as for decreased disease-specific mortality. Our analysis of WAVE3 expression levels in the peripheral blood of BC patients showed that WAVE3 is highly expressed in the blood of patients who developed metastatic breast cancer compared to those who did not. WAVE3 expression was also highly upregulated in the blood of BC patients with the more aggressive TNBC subtype. Conclusions Together, these findings establish WAVE3 as a novel marker for increased risk of breast-cancer-specific mortality and for the metastatic potential of the TNBCs, and also identify WAVE3 as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic BC.
Measuring the performance of industrial salespersons

Abstract Sales force performance is a critical concern of most industrial firms, yet in this area of research there are difficulties in measuring salespersons performance. Issues relevant to measuring the performance of industrial salespersons are reviewed. A self-report performance scale developed and evaluated based on the responses of 200 salespersons and 42 managers from five major industrial firms is presented.
Frozen Section of the Optic Nerve in Retlnoblastoma Surgery

The usefulness of the frozen section examination to determine the extension of retinoblastoma into the optic nerve is discussed. Frozen sections performed at the time of surgery in seven retinoblastoma patients revealed the presence of tumor at the resection margin of the optic nerve in two cases.
Neutrophil Function in Preterm and Term Infants

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. List the primary cell functions of circulating neutrophils in response to microbial invasion and inflammation. 2. Describe the interaction between neutrophils and endothelial cells and how these interactions differ between neonatal and adult cells. 3. Describe differences in adhesion of phagocytes between neonatal and adult neutrophils. 4. Describe the phagocytosis-associated respiratory burst and deficiencies seen in neonatal neutrophils. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) constitute the primary line of defense in the cellular immune system. Inborn defects in the generation of neutrophils or in neutrophil function are predisposing risk factors for life-threatening infections in infants and children. In general, newborns have an increased risk for systemic infections, and very immature preterm infants are especially prone to developing nosocomial bloodstream infections that clearly have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In this review, we attempt to identify possible quantitative and qualitative deficiencies observed in neonatal neutrophils and try to define, whenever possible, the underlying mechanisms of neutrophil dysfunctions in term and preterm infants. (1) ### Bone Marrow Storage Pool and Circulating Pool Neutrophils and cells of the mononuclear-phagocyte system originate in the bone marrow as a common committed progenitor cell for the granulocyte and the monocyte-macrophage pathways: the colony-forming unit-granulocyte monocyte (CFU-GM). Glycoprotein hormones termed colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF/GM-CSF) induce proliferation, maturation, and differentiation into neutrophils and monocytes. (1) The sequential development of neutrophilic granulocytes proceeds from pluripotent progenitor cell to committed stem cell to myeloblast to promyelocyte to myelocyte to metamyelocyte to band to segmented neutrophil. This sequence occurs within the bone marrow and possibly is regulated by the interaction of the hematopoietic inductive environment, CSF, and specific inhibitors of granulopoiesis. (2) Myeloblasts, promyelocytes, myelocytes, and other cells of the CFU-GM possess the possibility of cell division and form, by definition, the proliferative pool. Rodent studies have shown clearly that the total …
Circulating current control of double-star chopper-cell modular multilevel converter for HVDC system

Modular multilevel converter is regarded as a promising technology in high voltage application, such as off-shore wind farm system. This paper proposes control technique for modular multilevel converters, aiming at suppressing the AC components in the circulating current. Specifically, an additional proportional-resonant control loop is designed to regulate the AC component of the circulating current to zero. The proposed method can effectively suppress the AC circulating current even in the unbalanced/fault condition. Simulation results for a 10MVA, 25KV DC system are provided to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.
Density functional theory study of benzene oxidation over Fe-ZSM-5

In the presence of nitrous oxide, Fe-ZSM-5 is known to catalyze the partial oxidation of benzene to phenol with high selectivity. The active site for this reaction is thought to be a surface iron–oxo species generated upon dissociation of nitrous oxide and release of nitrogen. In this study, density functional theory calculations were used to explore possible pathways for benzene oxidation at an isolated Fe center in ZSM-5. Z − [FeO2] + and Z − [FeO] + were considered as candidate active centers. The most favorable pathway involves the direct oxidation of benzene via the reaction Z − [FeO2] + (C6H6) → Z − [FeO] + (C6H5OH). Consistent with experimental observations, we predict that the kinetic isotope effect for the oxidation of 1,3,5- d3-benzene is near unity at 298 K. An overall mechanism for N2O oxidation of benzene to phenol is proposed on the basis of an analysis of relative rates of N 2O decomposition and benzene oxidation. In the case of the isolated active center Z − [FeO2] + , the system shows a clear preference for benzene oxidation, whereas nitrous oxide dissociation is favored over Z − [FeO] + . This mechanism is then used to derive an expression for the overall rate of benzene oxidation. The apparent activation energy deduced from this rate expression ranges from 37 to 27 kcal/mol over the temperature range 600 to 800 K. At 673 K, the predicted turnover frequency compares well with that measured experimentally.
Scaling back survey scales: How short is too short?

To understand children's development, one must examine an array of constructs. Yet the time and budget constraints of large-scale survey research create a dilemma: how to cut scales to the fewest possible items while still retaining their predictive properties. In this article, the authors compare the predictive validity of several shortened versions of the Behavior Problems Index and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment-Short Form with their full scales within the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 cohort. They use the scales to predict delinquency, reading recognition scores, parent-child activities, and smoking behavior of children at ages 13 or 14 from data gathered 2, 4, and 6 years prior. Analyses leave the authors cautiously optimistic that short scales, especially scales composed of items gathered at different time points and repeated regularly, may enjoy substantial predictive power. However, two-item scales may be too short, and psychometric study on additional scales ...
Talking and Thinking about Nature Roots, Evolution, and Future Prospects

Summary The topic of this symposium gives rise to questions like these: How do we come to talk about nature in the way we do in science? In particular, what, precisely, are the relations between the “technical” language of science and the language we use in our everyday talk about the world and its contents? How, if at all, does the language of everyday life influence the language of science? In order to confront them, it is necessary first to clarify the conception of what “science” and “language” are. In the first section of this paper, I will be concerned with the question of what science is; in the second section, I will more briefly discuss what I take language to be, and will offer an interpretation of the relations between language and science. In the third section I will briefly discuss some consequences of the view I have presented for philosophy.
Dopaminergic neurotoxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine in mice

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,5,6- tetrahydropyri dine ( MPTP ) is known to cause an irreversible destruction of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway and symptoms of parkinsonism in humans and in monkeys. However, MPTP has been reported to act only minimally or not at all in several other animal species. When MPTP (30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) was administered parenterally to mice, a decrease in concentrations of neostriatal dopamine and its metabolites, a decrease in the capacity of neostriatal synaptosomal preparations to accumulate [3H]dopamine, and a disappearance of nerve cells in the zona compacta of the substantia nigra were observed. In contrast, MPTP administration had no effect on neostriatal concentrations of serotonin and its metabolites. MPTP administration thus results in biochemical and histological changes in mice similar to those reported in humans and monkeys and similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease in humans. The mouse should prove to be a useful small animal with which to study the mode of action of MPTP .
Features of the metabolic syndrome predict higher risk of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance: a prospective study in Mauritius.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the independent and joint effects of the components of the metabolic syndrome, including leptin, which is a recently proposed addition to this syndrome, in predicting the cumulative incidence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetes among individuals with normal glucose tolerance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This prospective study involved 2,605 residents of Mauritius with normal glucose tolerance who were followed for 5 years for IGT or diabetes onset in relation to total and regional adiposity (BMI, waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]), fasting and 2-h 75-g oral glucose load glucose and insulin, total and HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, serum uric acid, triglyceride, and leptin levels. RESULTS: A multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and diabetes family history showed a significantly higher linear increase in risk of IGT and diabetes in association with the following variables only: fasting glucose (odds ratio 1.89 [95% CI 1.51-2.34]), 2-h glucose (1.68 [1.50-1.88]), WHR (1.30 [1.10-1.52]), BMI (1.04 [1.00-1.08]), and serum uric acid (1.37 [1.20-1.57]). However, a nonlinear increase was seen with serum triglyceride and plasma leptin concentrations. No risk factors resulted in joint effects that were greater than expected from combining individual effects. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic syndrome features independently predict a higher risk of diabetes or IGT in normoglycemic subjects but in combination confer no higher-than-expected risk of these outcomes. At higher concentrations of triglycerides and leptin, risk plateaus and even declines slightly.
Chemoreception in Paramecium tetraurelia: acetate and folate-induced membrane hyperpolarization.

Acetic and folic acids hyperpolarize the membrane potential ofParamecium tetraurelia in a concentration-dependent manner. The membrane responses are accompanied by small changes in cell resistance, and are significantly reduced by increasing extracellular cation concentrations, suggesting that the attractants bring about the membrane potential change by increasing cell permeability to cations. The inability to show a reversal potential for the hyperpolarization to attractants suggests that the effects of cations on the response are non-specific, however. The possible roles of Ca++, K+, and Na+ in the attractant-induced responses were further investigated by applying acetate and folate to cells with genetic defects in specific ion conductances, by collapsing the driving forces for these ions, and by testing the effects of ion channel blockers on the responses. These studies suggest that the membrane responses to attractants are not due to the direct effects of increased or decreased membrane permeability to cations. Attempts to block the acetate and folate-induced hyperpolarization by collapsing surface potential or using a mutant with reduced surface charge were inconclusive, as were studies on the possible role of attractant transport in the membrane responses. We hypothesize that the membrane hyperpolarization may be due to either the indirect effects of increased calcium permeability, to extrusion of calcium through activation of a calcium pump, or to a proton efflux.
Conversion of dietary N-ethylguanidinoacetate by ehrlich ascites tumor cells and animal tissues to a functionally active analog of creatine phosphate

Abstract Mouse Ehrlich ascites tumor cells incubated with the creatine analog, N-ethylguanidinoacetate (N-amidino-N-ethylglycine), accumulated up to 8 μmol/g packed cells of the creatine-P analog, N-ethylguanidinoacetate-P. Evaluation of N-ethylguanidinoacetate-P as a synthetic phosphagen under in vivo conditions was performed with Ehrlich cells loaded with equimolar amounts of a common reference phosphagen, cyclocreatine-P (1-carboxymethyl-2-imino-3-phosphonoimidazolidine) plus either N-ethylguanidinoacetate-P or creatine-P. It was concluded that N-ethylguanidinoacetate-P has a Gibbs free energy of hydrolysis equal to that of creatine-P and 2 kcal/mol greater than that of cyclocreatine-P. The relative rates of utilization of intracellular phosphagens by Ehrlich cells when their ATP pools were depleted with 2-deoxyglucose were in the order: creatine-P > N-ethylguanidinoacetate-P > cyclocreatine-P. Dietary N-ethylguanidinoacetate was nontoxic even at very high levels to all animal systems tested. Feeding of 2% N-ethylguanidinoacetate to mice or chicks resulted in equimolar replacement of natural by synthetic phosphagen to the following extents: heart, 75%; leg muscle, 50%; and brain 10–25%. N-Ethylguanidinoacetate-P is the most active synthetic phosphagen thus far found to be accumulated by animal tissues.
Anthropometric and metabolic determinants of 6,000-m rowing ergometer performance in internationally competitive rowers.

The aim of this study was to examine the anthropometric and metabolic determinants of performance during 6,000-m of rowing on an ergometer. The sample comprised 25 internationally successful male heavyweight rowers (mean ± SD: age 22.2 ± 4.8 years, rowing experience 8.8 ± 4.6 years, stature 1.91 ± 0.05 m, body mass 91.7 ± 5.9 kg, maximal oxygen uptake 5.53 ± 0.30 L·min-1). The rowers completed an incremental maximal exercise test on a rowing ergometer and, within 2 weeks of this test, also completed a 6,000-m rowing ergometer time trial (mean ± SD: 1195.4 ± 36.1 seconds). The strongest correlates (r > 0.5, p < 0.05) with performance were lean body mass (r = -0.767), power output at ventilatory threshold (r = -0.743), power output at maximal oxygen uptake (r = -0.732), body mass (r = -0.693), chest girth (r = -0.598), relaxed arm girth (r = -0.574), forced vital capacity (r = -0.519), and arm span (r = -0.505). Stepwise multiple linear regression procedures indicated that the model comprising a combination of anthropometric and metabolic variables is the best predictor of performance (adjusted R2 = 0.722), followed by models comprising anthropometric (adjusted R2 = 0.575) and metabolic (adjusted R2 = 0.530) variables alone. The results suggest that 6,000-m ergometer performance is determined mainly by power output at ventilatory threshold (58.7% of explained variance). Based on the obtained correlations and regression models, it can be concluded that rowers competing over a 6,000 m distance on a rowing ergometer should devote their training time to the improvement of lean body mass and to the improvement of power output corresponding to ventilatory threshold.
Photonic device fabrication in glass by use of nonlinear materials processing with a femtosecond laser oscillator

Single-mode X couplers and three-dimensional waveguides are fabricated in transparent glasses by use of an unamplified femtosecond laser generating energies of up to 100 nJ. Changing fabrication parameters such as power and scanning speed permits creation of waveguides with a wide range of structures and refractive-index difference. Optical coherence tomography shows large refractive-index changes of up to ∼10-2 in the waveguides; these changes are consistent with guided mode analysis.
Sea surface salinity constrains rainfall estimates over tropical oceans

[1] Uncertainties in the monthly mean estimates of precipitation are the largest over oceanic regions with the heaviest rainfall. Using the adjoint sensitivity analysis and 4d variational assimilation of sea surface salinity (SSS) into an ocean model, we show that rainfall estimation errors in the regions of heavy precipitation could be reduced by taking SSS observations into account. Inverse analysis of SSS in the Bay of Bengal also indicates that the monthly mean rainfall of the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) is more consistent with SSS and river runoff data than other precipitation climatologies.
Pieces of a (Wo)man: Feminism, Gender and Adulthood in Black Consciousness, 1968–1977

More than three decades after the death of Steve Biko and the banning of Black Consciousness organisations, the movement's ideology, politics and political philosophy are subject to heated debate. Nowhere is this more evident than in the areas of gender and women's participation, subjects about which the Black Consciousness archival record is reticent. This article argues that since Black Consciousness was a political philosophy concerned, above all, with the politics of self-identification, its era offers valuable insights into gender's fraught role in South African and African social movements. It traces a politics of gendered identification from the late 1960s – when multi-racial activists associated with both the South African Students' Organisation and University Christian Movement entertained the possibility of women's liberation – through the mid-1970s, when women asserted themselves as vocal, self-confident ‘black men’ in new political groups. By the late 1970s, however, gendered ideas about suffe...
Modulated surface vibrational spectroscopy at the electrode—solution interface

Abstract Infrared spectroelectrochemistry can be used to examine reactions occurring at the electrode—solution interface. This vibrational probe can be applied to study the structure and orientation of molecules and the dynamics of adsorption—desorption processes at the electrode surface. The technique can reveal valuable information about the mechanisms and kinetics of surface reactions.
Back to the Future: Biotech Product Sales 1983–1993

The art of predicting which products will make it and when is a lot more difficult than we used to think
Typing of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 isolates by degenerate (D-)RAPD fingerprinting.

Abstract A new method to identify clonal strains of pathogenic bacteria has been developed recently in this laboratory. The method utilizes degenerate random amplified polymorphic DNA primers (D-RAPD) to amplify random fragments in crude bacterial lysates, generating reproducible DNA banding profiles or fingerprints. We use this method to type outbreak and non-outbreak isolates of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 from four hospitals near to, and affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Patient isolates from a large outbreak, and nearly half of the contemporaneous environmental isolates showed the same DNA profile. Other isolates derived from non-outbreak patients showed easily distinguishable profiles. Other Legionella isolates collected between 1984 and 1994 were also analysed by this method. Our studies demonstrate that four strains were common among patient and environmental isolates at the four hospitals. These strains were also found to be different from a limited number of isolates from outside the Pittsburgh area. Because of its speed, simplicity and powerful discriminating ability, we believe that the D-RAPD approach provides epidemiologists and hospital infection control teams with a powerful tool in their efforts in analysing and terminating infection outbreaks.
Microbiology: Bacterial power cords

Geochemical reactions in upper layers of marine sediments are coupled to those in deeper zones. It turns out that centimetre-long bacterial filaments acting as electrical cables are the metabolic link between the layers. See Article p.218 A major challenge for multicellular organisms is that of supplying every cell with food and oxygen. Nils Risgaard-Petersen and colleagues report a surprising solution to the problem, arrived at by multicelluar filamentous Desulfobulbaceae bacteria several centimetres long, living in the upper layers of marine sediments sampled in Aarhus Bay, Denmark. These organisms seem to function as living electric cables, transporting electrons from sulphides generated in organic matter in deeper anoxic sediments to the oxygen available in the surface layers. These living micro-cables raise a host of topics for future research, and could also find technological applications.
Studies of effects of kainic acid lesions in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of rat.

Kainic acid has been described as a highly specific neurotoxin that when injected locally into the nervous system destroys neuronal perikarya but spares axons of passage and terminals in the vicinity of the injection site. The effects of injection of this agent into the rat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus on geniculocortical and corticofugal pathways have been examined. Neuronal perikarya were absent from injected geniculates, and products of neuronal degeneration were observed in the external stratum of the optic radiation and in layer IV of striate cortex. Furthermore, no visually driven units could bu found in physiological recordings from ipsilateral visual cortex, and no orthograde axonal transport of radioactivity to cortex was de tectable by autoradiography. These observations are consistent with the complete destruction of the geniculocortical pathway. On the other hand orthograde axonal transport appeared normal in corticogeniculate and cor-ticotectal neurons on the injected side. In addition to silver grains appearing over the geniculate and superior colliculus label was observed over corti cofugal axons in the internal stratum of the optic radiation. It is noteworthy that axons of the corticofugal pathways are clearly segregated from geniculocortical axons over a part of their course through white matter. Corticogeniculate neurons on the injected side were able to transport D-aspartate but not nuclear yellow retrogradely to cell bodies in layer VI. These results are consistent with the notion that cortical neurons terminating in and passing through the kainate lesion site survive but suggests, however, that corticogeniculate neurons may be functionally altered by these lesions.
A nucleolar disappearing act in somatic cloning.

One of the earliest structural changes in cloning by nuclear transfer is the disassembly of the nucleolus. The first insights into the molecular mechanisms of this event have now emerged and the results have tantalising implications for nucleolar architecture.
Digitally controlled fault-tolerant multiwavelength programmable fiber-optic attenuator using a two-dimensional digital micromirror device.

A digitally controlled multiwavelength variable fiber-optic attenuator using a two-dimensional digital micromirror device (DMD) is introduced. The results from an experimental four-wavelength (i.e., 1546.92, 1548.52, 1550.12, and 1551.72??nm) proof-of-concept attenuator indicate a 26-dB dynamic range and 11-bit resolution. The measured attenuator average coherent optical cross talk per wavelength channel is -38 dB, limited by the additive noise resulting from the nonideal isolation of the optical circulator and the attenuator module. The average optical loss for our experimental attenuator is 15??dB and is limited mainly by the visible-mode DMD that is used as a 1550-nm infrared window device. Our theoretical estimate of a <8?dB loss optimized attenuator can be used for equalization in multiwavelength fiber-optic communications with as many as 108 wavelengths.
Heterochromatin: Proteins in Flux Lead to Stable Repression

Heterochromatin is a phenotypically stable entity, but recent studies on the binding of HP1 protein in heterochromatin indicate that the individual components within these domains are not stably bound but in constant flux. These results force us to reexamine previous models of heterochromatin.
Anthropology and photography: Approaching a native American perspective

This paper explores the relationship of photography to the American Indian from the Nineteenth Century to the present. Emphasized in the second part of the paper is the existence of an increasing number of Native American photographers whose unique perception of the relevance of photography to themselves and their people presents challenging questions to assumptions of the dominant society.
Plasma vitamins E and A and risk of bladder cancer: a case-control analysis.

Current results on the association between serum micronutrients and bladder cancer risk have been inconsistent. We assessed plasma vitamin E (α-tocopherol, and γ-tocopherol), vitamin A (retinol), and bladder cancer risk using data collected from a case-control study. Epidemiologic data were collected via in-person interview. Plasma concentrations of α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and retinol were determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography assay. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to estimate bladder cancer risk in association with plasma vitamins E and A. 386 bladder cancer patients and 389 age-, gender-, and ethnicity-matched controls were included in the study. The mean plasma α-tocopherol and retinol were significantly lower in cases than in controls (α-tocopherol: 23.93 μg/ml vs. 27.48 μg/ml, P < 0.001; retinol: 1.41 μg/ml vs. 1.53 μg/ml, P < 0.001). There was a significant reduction in bladder cancer risk associated with increasing plasma α-tocopherol level (Adjusted OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85–0.97). In quartile analysis, using subjects with the lowest α-tocopherol level as the reference group, the adjusted ORs and 95% CIs for the second, third, and fourth quartiles were 0.75 (0.50–1.14), 0.69 (0.46–1.05), and 0.50 (0.32–0.78), respectively (P for trend = 0.003). Increased retinol level was also associated with reduced risk with OR of 0.57 (95% CI: 0.40–0.81). The ORs and 95% CIs for the second, third, and fourth quartiles were 0.92 (0.61–1.39), 0.66 (0.43–1.01), and 0.62 (0.40–0.95), respectively, with significant dose-response trend (P for trend = 0.01). Finally, there were significant correlations between plasma levels and dietary intakes for the three micronutrients. Our results suggest potential protective effect of α-tocopherol and retinol on bladder cancer risk. Future large prospective studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Fully-drawn carbon-based chemical sensors on organic and inorganic surfaces

Mechanical abrasion is an extremely simple, rapid, and low-cost method for deposition of carbon-based materials onto a substrate. However, the method is limited in throughput, precision, and surface compatibility for drawing conductive pathways. Selective patterning of surfaces using laser-etching can facilitate substantial improvements to address these current limitations for the abrasive deposition of carbon-based materials. This study demonstrates the successful on-demand fabrication of fully-drawn chemical sensors on a wide variety of substrates (e.g., weighing paper, polymethyl methacrylate, silicon, and adhesive tape) using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as sensing materials and graphite as electrodes. Mechanical mixing of SWCNTs with solid or liquid selectors yields sensors that can detect and discriminate parts-per-million (ppm) quantities of various nitrogen-containing vapors (pyridine, aniline, triethylamine).
School Consultation with Asian American Children and Families

A significant number of California public school students are of Asian decent. School consultation is an effective service model for school psychologists to assist the growing number of Asian-American students who require services, yet little information is available in relation to school consultation with Asian-American children and families. This article describes some traditional Asian-American cultural characteristics as these interact with existing consultation skills as well as modifications to school consultation approaches which are culturally appropriate for Asian-American children and families in the school setting.
Using prior bias to improve forecast accuracy

The study tests whether removing bias can improve out-of-sample forecast accuracy in two series of interest rates. The samples are larger than previously studied in this context, and the test is cleaner since reported interest rates are never revised.
A measure of agility as the complexity of the enterprise system

Agility is the ability of an organization to adapt to change and also to seize opportunities that become available due to change. While there has been much work and discussion of what agility is and how firms can become agile there is little work at measuring the agility of a firm. Measurement is necessary for the strategic planning of determining how much agility an organization currently posses, determining how much is needed, and then for assessing the gap and formulating a strategy for closing any perceived weaknesses. The measurement of agility as defined is difficult to measure since it must be measured in the context of a change. Consequently, most current agility measurement approaches are backward looking. A different and novel approach is to use complexity as a surrogate measure for agility. The hypothesis supporting this substitution is that a less complex enterprise in terms of systems and processes is easier to change and consequently more agile. To test this idea a model and measurement approach for measuring complexity is presented. The model uses Petri Nets to find the state space probabilities needed for the complexity measure. The contribution of this research is the quantification of complexity at the business process level and description of a method for conducting this measure.
Psychometric evaluation of the Inventory of Negative Thoughts in Response to Pain (INTRP) with a community sample

We investigated the factor structure and psychometric properties, of the Inventory of Negative Thoughts in Response to Pain (INTRP) with a sample of 99 men and 125 women. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the empirically derived three factors: Negative Self-Statements, Negative Social Cognitions, and Self-Blame. The factor scales had satisfactory internal consistency reliability. We found no differences between men and women on the factor scales. The INTRP factor scales did not relate significantly to age, ethnicity, marital status, or educational level. We examined the relationships between the INTRP and specific pain-related indices using partial correlational analyses, and we conducted stepwise multiple regression analyses to evaluate the relative contributions of the INTRP factor scales and self-report measures of depression and anxiety to the prediction of three pain indices.
Multiple Scattering of Elastic Waves by Cubical Lattices of Spheres

The band gap for elastic waves propagating in a cubical lattice of spherical scatterers is observed through a series of numerical simulations. Along the direction of the incident wave, scatterer arrangements are viewed as comprising layers of scatterers, within which scatterers form a square grid. Starting from one layer and by increasing the number of layers, near-field forward and backward wave propagation spectra are computed as the number of layers increases. In the computations, scatterer polymerization methodology is used. This methodology is based on an analytically exact solution to a general three-dimensional multiple scattering problem obtained by the authors. It can be used to reduce an assemblage of actual scatterers to a lesser number of abstract scatterers. These simulations also demonstrate that the computational system has the capability to simulate multiple scattering of elastic waves in three-dimensional space.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Influence of Artificial Breeding on Production in Michigan Dairy Herds

Summary Daughters of bulls in artificial breeding units were compared with non-A.B. heifers in the same herds at the same time, to assess the genetic progress in production achieved by artificial breeding in Michigan herds on D.H.I.A.—I.B.M. test. Holstein A.B. heifers produced 124lb. more milk and 3.7lb. more fat in their first lactation than did their non-A.B. contemporaries. Guernsey non-A.B. heifers exceeded A.B. heifers by 6lb. of milk, but produced 3.9lb. less fat. Jersey A.B. heifers produced 16lb. more milk, but had 2.7lb. less fat. The differences, A.B. heifers minus non-A.B. heifers, tended to increase slightly but not significantly as the average fat production of other contemporary cows increased, except for Jerseys, where they tended to decrease slightly. No interaction between A.B. sires and herds existed when each A.B. daughter's record was expressed as a deviation from the average of all non-A.B. cows in the same herd.
Clinical relevance of CYP3A5 genotype on maraviroc exposures.

A recent publication by [Lu et al. (2014)][1] described the effects of the CYP3A5 genotype on Selzentry/Celsentri (maraviroc) concentrations. Maraviroc is a chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 inhibitor approved for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection ([Dorr et al., 2005][2
Debilitated shock escape is produced by both short- and long-duration inescapable shock: Learned helplessness vs. learned inactivity

Inescapable shocks of short (.5 sec) and long (5 sec) duration interfered with subsequent shock escape in rats. In addition, there were no differences between groups that received the pretreatment shocks and testing in the same or different apparatuses. These results are consistent with the learned helplessness account but conflict with recent learned inactivity accounts for the interference effects produced by inescapable shocks.