cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Variation in Low-Dose UV-Induced Suppression of Contact Hypersensitivity and in the Skin Photocarcinogenesis Response.

Two of the major cutaneous consequences of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure are immunosuppression and the development of skin cancer. This study examined whether these effects are genetically determined. Suppression of contact hypersensitivity by local, low-dose UV radiation was examined in what have been termed "UV-susceptible" and "UV-resistant" strains of mice. C3H/HeJ mice ("UV -resistant") were resistant to the adverse effects of low-dose UV radiation when normal doses of hapten were applied to UV-irradiated skin; however, they were sensitive when the amount of happen used for sensitization was reduced. A similar effect was observed in BALB/c mice ("UV resistant") and when the hapten was dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, thus indicating that the genetic variation was not strain or hapten specific. Despite the fact that some strains were sensitive and some were resistant to low-dose UV radiation when high doses of hapten were employed, all strains initially sensitized to hapten through UV-irradiated skin were found to be unresponsive when rechallenged on normal skin, no matter what the initial sensitizing dose of hapten was. To determine whether other biologic effects of UV also exhibited genetic variation, C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ mice were compared for susceptibility to UVB-induced skin cancer formation. C3H/HeJ mice developed significantly mon tumors than C3H/HeN mice when subjected to a single dose of UV radiation followed by repeated exposure to the tumor promoter 12- O -tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate. These studies provide strong evidence that genetic factors influence individual susceptibility to the biologic effects of UV radiation.
Uterine growth responses of the mature castrate rat to estradiol-17B

Abstract To examine estrogen-stimulated uterine growth we have monitored changes in uterine DNA synthesis, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and protein content as well as luminal epithelial (LE) cell mitotic index and ultrastructural changes. We have utilized this model to examine castrate mature rat uterine growth as a function of time between 18 and 40 hours following a single injection of 25.0 ug of estradiol-17B. LE cell mitotic index and protein content increases were maximally elevated as early as 18 hours postinjection while uterine ODC activity was maximal at 28 hours; uterine DNA synthesis increases continued throughout the experiment. In addition, the infusion of either 1 or 2 ug E2 plus progesterone over a 24 hour period, stimulated elevated ODC activity under both treatment regimens and LE cell mitotic index which was inversely related to E2 dose.
Age-specific estimates of US influenza-associated deaths and hospitalizations

Abstract We estimated annual numbers and rates of influenza-associated deaths and hospitalizations by age group in the United States using a Poisson regression model incorporating World Health Organization (WHO) viral surveillance data. Mortality data were obtained between 1976 and 2000 from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS); hospitalization data were obtained between 1979 and 2001 from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS). Weekly influenza isolates by type and subtype were obtained from the WHO collaborating laboratories for the 1976–1977 through 1999–2000 seasons. Our models estimated annual averages of 6796 underlying pneumonia and influenza deaths and 28,076 underlying respiratory and circulatory deaths. The models estimated annual averages of 88,479 primary pneumonia and influenza hospitalizations and 225,985 primary respiratory and circulatory hospitalizations. We found significant increases in the numbers of influenza-associated deaths and hospitalizations by year among persons aged ≥65 years due to the aging of the population, the predominance of A(H3N2) viruses during the late 1990s and the increasing length of the influenza season during the 1990s.
Influences on consumer spending for herbal products

Abstract Background Despite the rapid growth in consumer spending on herbal products, we know little about factors that influence such spending. Objective To use a model of adoption to investigate consumers' spending on herbal products. Methods The study used a mail survey of a stratified random sample of 1,300 consumers. The population consisted of consumers aged 18 years and older residing in the United States. The sampling frame was a mailing list purchased from KM Lists. The independent variables were consumer characteristics, social systems, communication channels, and herbal characteristics. The amount of spending on herbs was the dependent measure, with responses divided into monthly spending of $10 or less and more than $10. Binary logistic regression was performed to investigate the association between adoption model variables and spending on herbs. Results Of the 1,300 mailed surveys, there were 77 undeliverable surveys and 456 usable returned surveys, yielding a usable response rate of 37.3%. A total of 181 (39.7%) respondents reported using herbal products. The logistic regression was performed using the 168 herbal users who reported that they spent money in the past month on herbal products. The overall regression model was significant ( P R 2 =0.499). The significant influences on spending on herbals were age, over-the-counter (OTC) drug use, and use of an herb professional as an information source about herbs. Older people reported spending more on herbal products than younger people. OTC drug use was positively related to spending on herbals and appears to complement herbal usage. Finally, consumers who obtain information about herbals from an herb professional tend to spend more on herbals. Conclusion An adoption model may be useful in explaining consumers' spending on herbal products.
The kinetics of adsorption of surface active agents at gas-liquid surfaces

Abstract A general model of adsorption of surfactants at a gas-liquid surface has been developed, which accounts for both the diffusion in the bulk and the barrier to adsorption. In this model, the activation energy barrier to adsorption is accounted for by means of a kinetic expression. A numerical scheme for the solution of the resulting equation of the diffusion-kinetic model is illustrated for the case of the Frumkin isotherm. The model is used to estimate the extent of the adsorption barrier from the dynamic surface tension data of two aqueous surfactant systems reported in the literature. A simplification of the diffusion-kinetic model is proposed which accounts for diffusion in the bulk using diffusion-penetration theory. The simplified model compares very well with the exact model, especially for high barrier resistances.
Ingestive behavior evoked by hypothalamic stimulation and schedule-induced polydipsia are related

Some, but not all, rats eat or drink in response to electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus. Similarly, some, but not all, rats given food intermittently display schedule-induced polydipsia. In this experiment, animals that ate or drank during electrical stimulation tended also to be those displaying polydipsia. Thus, individual differences in predisposition to engage in ingestive behavior are consistent under two very different conditions.
Application of a computer model to evaluate the ability of plastics to act as functional barriers

A simulation model computer program, which accounts for not only the diffusion process inside the polymer but also partitioning of the contaminant between the polymer and the contacting phase, was developed based on a numerical treatment, the finite element method, to quantify migration through multilayer structures. The accuracy of the model in predicting migration was demonstrated successfully by comparing simulated results to experimental data. For this study, three-layer co-extruded high density polyethylene (HDPE) film samples, having a symmetrical structure with a contaminated core layer and virgin outer layers as the functional barriers, were fabricated with varying thickness of the outer layers and with a known amount of selected contaminant simulant, 3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene (BHT), in the core layer. Migration of the contaminant simulant from the core layer to the liquid food simulants was determined experimentally as a function of the thickness of the outer layer at different temperatures. The computer program, developed as a total solution package for migration problems, can be applied not only to multilayer structures made with the same type of plastics but also to structures with different plastics, e.g. PP/PE/PP. This work might provide the potential for wider use of recycled plastic, especially polyolefins, which have lower barrier properties, in food packaging, and simplification of the task of convincing the FDA that adequate safety guarantees have been provided. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electron microscopy and SAXS studies of amorphous polymers

Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and high resolution electron microscopy have been used to characterize the structure of glassy polymers. The SAXS from polycarbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(vinyl chloride) and polystyrene is inconsistent, both in the form and magnitude of the scattered intensity, with the presence of nodules as representative of the bulk structure. The electron microscope results provide no evidence for heterogeneities on a scale and volume fraction of the reported nodules. Only the pepper and salt features characteristic of microscope operation near the resolution limit are seen. It is suggested that the structures of these amorphous thermoplastics be regarded as random arrays.
Two new long-period structures related to β-alumina

Abstract Two new ordered forms of “β-alumina” with rhombohedral symmetry have been discovered and their structures deduced from one-dimensional electron microscope images of thick crystals. Referred to a hexagonal cell, their lattice parameters are a = 5.59A, c = 169.5A and a = 5.59A, c = 339A. A symbolism for describing structures related to that of β-alumina is proposed.
New methodologies for pharmacological treatment trials for alcohol dependence.

As the number of pharmacological agents for the treatment of alcoholism continues to proliferate, there Is an Increasing need to design studies that accurately measure the efficacy of these agents. Key study design Issues Include selecting subjects, calculating patient retention, determining medication compliance, maintaining adequate sample size to ensure that a clinically meaningful therapeutic effect will not be missed, and measuring the study outcome, including the amount of alcohol consumed and levels of craving. Because there Is evidence that self-report of alcohol consumption and medication compliance can be unreliable In subjects, biological methods have been used. One type of direct measurement, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin levels, has been found to be a reasonably sensitive indicator of alcohol consumption that may provide meaningful outcome information. The Ingestion of riboflavin with medication and its urinary measurement Is an accepted method of compliance detection. Improved study design will lead to continued advances in pharmacotherapy for the treatment of patients with alcoholism.
The surface of maximum wind as an alternative to the isobaric surface for wind climatology

] The surface of maximum wind (SMW) is introduced asan analysis frame for climate studies of fast uppertropospheric winds. As defined here, the vertical domainfor the SMW includes the troposphere above 500 hPa andupper tropospheric jet streams that may protrude into thelower stratosphere. We use NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis datafor summers 1958–2004 in the vicinity of the tropicaleasterly jet (TEJ) to show how the spatial and temporalvariability of the SMW relate to jet stream cores and thetropopause. We then compare the SMW climatology of theTEJ to an isobaric climatology of the TEJ, demonstratingthat the SMW climatology reveals descent and slowing ofthe TEJ over the period of record, whereas the isobaricclimatology provides only an overestimate of the TEJslowing trend.
The status of a classic text: Lenin's What Is To Be Done? After 1902

(1996). The status of a classic text: Lenin's What Is To Be Done? After 1902. History of European Ideas: Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 307-320.
Brain structure in men remains highly heritable in the seventh and eighth decades of life

The midsagittal cross-sectional dimensions of the corpus callosum, the coronal cross-sectional area of the lateral ventricles at the level of the pons, and a three-dimensional estimate of intracranial volume were derived from magnetic resonance brain images obtained from 45 monozygotic and 40 dizygotic male twin pairs aged 68 to 78. Univariate genetic analyses indicated strong genetic influences contributing significantly to the variability of each brain structure. The estimated proportion of genetic variance (i.e. heritability) was 81% for intracranial volume, 79% for the midline cross-sectional area of the corpus callosum, and 79% for lateral ventricle size. There was no evidence that shared environmental influences contributed significantly to twin-pair similarities. We further used bivariate genetic modeling to estimate the genetic and environmental correlation between correlated brain structures. Intracranial volume and corpus callosum area was highly correlated, and this relationship was entirely due to shared genetic effects between these two brain structures. By contrast, the relationship between the height of the corpus callosum and the size of the lateral ventricles was due to both genetic and environmental influences in common. Corresponding genetic and environmental correlations were 0.68 and 0.58, respectively, indicating that more than half of the genetic and environmental influences on these two brain structures were shared. The manner in which the brain responds to the environment with advancing age is highly genetically determined, both for the lateral ventricles, which dilate with aging and disease, and for the corpus callosum, which is deformed in shape by age-related ventricular enlargement, whereas its midline cross-sectional area remains unchanged.
Three functional luciferase domains in a single polypeptide chain

We report a unique case of a gene containing three homologous and contiguous repeat sequences, each of which, after excision, cloning, and expression in Escherichia coli, is shown to code for a peptide catalyzing the same reaction as the native protein, Gonyaulax polyedra luciferase (Mr = 137). This enzyme, which catalyzes the light-emitting oxidation of a linear tetrapyrrole (dinoflagellate luciferin), exhibits no sequence similarities to other luciferases in databases. Sequence analysis also reveals an unusual evolutionary feature of this gene: synonymous substitutions are strongly constrained in the central regions of each of the repeated coding sequences.
Boyhood rituals in an African society: an interpretation

This is an anthropological study of boyhood in a group of related Igbo villages called Afikpo, in souteastern Nigeria. About half of the book is taken up with the description and analysis of adolescent initiation rites, providing a close and detailed view of rituals that for the most part have only been touched upon in literature. The work makes use of psychoanalytic theory, with a logic that is grounded in data, blended with traditional cultural anthropological analysis. Ottenberg's understanding of the dynamics of the symbols and their unstated meanings contributes to the study of ritual process in any society. The data on ritual initiation alo0ne make this a major contribution to African ethnography, and Ottenberg's descriptive material on male secrecy and related gender distinctions provides a background fora more general understanding of West African secret societies. His examination of all phases of childhood at Afikpo--not just initiation--reveals how one society comes to terms with the special needs of infancy, while answering the society's need to produce a certain kind of adult. Ottenberg rejects the common notion that an adolescent arrives at his initiation as a tabula rasa upon which society's instructon is etched; he also rejects the equally common assumption that initiation marks a summing up or completion of socialization. Instead, Ottenberg analyzes initiation rites in the context of the boys' earlier experiences, as part of an ongoing and unfinished process of socialization. He traces the life and experiences of boys from birth through adolescent initiation to adulthood, with a focus on the ritual aspect, since rituals through their symbolic content reveal a society's attitudes and values. The Afikpo initiation rites recall aspects of the rites of birth and other early childhood experiences, and Ottenberg shows how many of these rituals are designed to assist in the transition from one stage to the next. The wealth of materials and close attention to detail in the analyses of boyhood rituals among the Afikpo reflect Ottenberg's superb skills as a field investigator. The detail in which he presents his data contributes greatly to our understanding of Afikpo cosmological beliefs and social structure. The presentation provides important materials for evaluating the interrelationship between adult and boyhood secret societies, making it valuable to scholars of other areas. Boyhood Rituals in an African Society makes a significant contribution to both psychological anthropology and African studies, but it will also be of interest to other scholars concerned with the cross-cultural study of socialization and childhood.
Browsing indexes of cited references

Purpose – To identify the qualities of various browsable indexes of cited references.Design/methodology/approach – Investigates existing browsable indexes and their implementation.Findings – Reveals the advantages and disadvantages of the systems investigated.Originality/value – This paper is valuable to those who want to identify a good browsable cited reference index.
A vector moving model of non-aligned particulate media

Attention is given to a vector moving model which computes the total magnetization of a medium by convolving a material-dependence scalar Preisach function, P, with a process-dependent vector, D. This vector is sensitive to the average orientation and switching characteristics of particles constituting the medium, and determines the overall direction of the magnetization. The Preisach function, on the other hand, determines the magnitude of the moment attached to each D. Media composed of particles with uniaxial anisotropy, which are dispersed in planes parallel to one another, are considered. The particles are symmetrically dispersed about the Preisach measurement axis, and all magnetic quantities of interest are two-dimensional within these planes. Characteristic switching of particles by the Stoner-Wohlfarth coherent rotation and by more general incoherent modes is considered. >
Instrumental learning without proprioceptive feedback.

Abstract A preliminary technique was developed for studying instrumental motor nerve conditioning in paralyzed animals. Twelve rats completely paralyzed by d-tubocuarine were trained to change the level of motor nerve activity while the integrated neurogram served as the motor output. All rats demonstrated the ability to increase nerve activity when increases were reinforced by electrical stimulation of the brain. Three out of four rats were able to adjust the level of neural firing to alternating increases and decreases in the criteria for reward. And three out of four rats showed the ability to produce more activity in the nerve of one leg than in that of the other when a difference in a specific direction was rewarded.
Hostility, Agreeableness-Antagonism, and Coronary Heart Disease

Although the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) is widely considered to be an important risk factor for CHD, several recent studies have failed to find associations between TABP and CHD. As a result, i...
Dietary Magnesium Depletion Affects Metabolic Responses during Submaximal Exercise in Postmenopausal Women

Magnesium is an essential mineral that is required for optimal biological function including energy metabolism. Although national nutritional surveys indicate that usual magnesium intakes do not meet recommendations, particularly among older women, diet-induced magnesium depletion is considered rare among humans without concurrent illness. We examined the effects of dietary magnesium restriction on biochemical measures of magnesium nutriture and physiologic responses during submaximal exercise in 10 postmenopausal women, 45-71 y old, not receiving hormone replacement therapy. The women consumed diets containing conventional foods with varying magnesium content totaling 112 mg/8.4 MJ (2000 kcal) supplemented with 200 mg magnesium daily for 35d (control), then 112 mg/8.4 MJ for 93d (depletion) followed by 112 mg/8.4 MJ supplemented with 200 mg magnesium/d for 49d (repletion) in a depletion-repletion experiment. RBC magnesium concentration (P < 0.05), magnesium retention (P < 0.05) and skeletal muscle magnesium concentration (P < 0.05) decreased when dietary magnesium was restricted. Peak oxygen uptake, total and cumulative net oxygen uptake determined by using indirect calorimetry and peak heart rate increased (P < 0.05) during standardized submaximal work with restricted compared with adequate dietary magnesium. These findings indicate that dietary magnesium depletion can be induced in otherwise healthy women; it results in increased energy needs and adversely affects cardiovascular function during submaximal work. This may also explain previous observations of increased energy cost during standardized exercise in physically active men and women considered to have reduced magnesium nutriture.
Board advocates more unmanned space missions

The United States space program should acquire space transportation and launch systems that will allow manned missions to be used when they are “needed and can be most effective” and allow unmanned vehicles to be “the carrier of choice for other missions,” according to a statement released May 21, 1986, by the Space Science Board of the National Research Council (NRC).
An analysis of US government and media disaster frames

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the media's disaster coverage reflects the messages disseminated by state emergency management agencies (SEMAs).Design/methodology/approach – SEMAs were selected as the unit of analysis because the 2008 National Response Framework designates SEMAs with primary responsibility for managing disaster planning and coordinating the inter‐governmental response to disasters. Specifically, this study identifies ten disaster frames SEMAs use through a qualitative content analysis of all the media releases distributed by three SEMAs (n=303) during a two‐year time frame. It then evaluates whether the coverage reflects SEMA's frames through a quantitative content analysis of 1,088 newspaper articles.Findings – Taken as a whole, the research indicates that framing allows the media to efficiently tell disaster stories, but the media's disaster frames often are not ideal from the perspective of emergency managers. These frames also are affected by individuals and...
Surface-Wavefield Estimation From Coherent Marine Radars

One major impediment to using marine radars for real-time shipboard measurements of evolving ocean wavefields is the uncertainty in the transfer function that relates the radar cross section to sea-surface height. In this letter, a more direct approach is proposed to infer nonlinear sea-surface heights by using radial-velocity measurements from coherent marine radars. The radial velocities are initially integrated along range lines to obtain a scalar potential function. The velocity potential field is then differentiated with respect to time to yield the sea-surface height. Numerical simulations have been conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of the proposed scheme to sampling errors and noise. Under idealized conditions, the results demonstrate that the sea-surface elevation can be reliably estimated from the radial-velocity field provided that the antenna-rotation period is much smaller than a characteristic wave period.
Normal bounds for subdivision-surface interference detection

Subdivision surfaces are an attractive representation when modeling arbitrary topology free-form surfaces and show great promise for applications in engineering design [5, 6] and computer animation [10]. Interference detection is a critical tool in many of these applications. In this paper we derive normal bounds for subdivision surfaces and use these to develop an efficient algorithm for (self-) interference detection.
Legitimated Oppression: Inner-City Mexican American Experiences with Police Gang Enforcement

This article explores the gang suppression model and how it becomes practiced in the profiling and interactions between police and inner-city Mexican Americans. I conducted this research formally over five years in two southwestern cities—Denver, Colorado, and Ogden, Utah—and informally for fourteen years by the researcher's experience as an ex-gang member. I suggest that stereotyping Mexican American communities as gang “infested” and equating gangs as synonymous with crime allows for differential policing that no longer emphasizes criminal acts, but rather perpetual criminal people. Gang enforcement is over-inclusive and embedded with practices that create opportunities for abuse of authority.
Arctic amplification: Can the past constrain the future?

Arctic amplification, the observation that surface air temperature changes in the Arctic exceed those of the Northern Hemisphere as a whole, is a pervasive feature of climate models, and has recently emerged in observational data relative to the warming trend of the past century. The magnitude of Arctic amplification is an important, but poorly constrained variable necessary to estimate global average temperature change over the next century. Here we evaluate the mechanisms responsible for Arctic amplification on Quaternary timescales, and review evidence from four intervals in the past 3 Ma for which sufficient paleoclimate data and model simulations are available to estimate the magnitude of Arctic amplification under climate states both warmer and colder than present. Despite differences in forcings and feedbacks for these reconstructions compared to today, the Arctic temperature change consistently exceeds the Northern Hemisphere average by a factor of 3–4, suggesting that Arctic warming will continue to greatly exceed the global average over the coming century, with concomitant reductions in terrestrial ice masses and, consequently, an increasing rate of sea level rise.
Limited educational attainment and radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Johnston County (North Carolina) Osteoarthritis Project

Introduction: Applying a cross-sectional analysis to a sample of 2,627 African-American and Caucasian adults aged ≥ 45 years from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, we studied the association between educational attainment and prevalence of radiographic knee osteoarthritis and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Age- and race-adjusted associations between education and osteoarthritis outcomes were assessed by gender-stratified logistic regression models, with additional models adjusting for body mass index, knee injury, smoking, alcohol use, and occupational factors. Results: In an analysis of all participants, low educational attainment (<12 years) was associated with higher prevalence of four knee osteoarthritis outcomes (unilateral and bilateral radiographic and symptomatic osteoarthritis). Women with low educational attainment had 50% higher odds of having radiographic knee osteoarthritis and 65% higher odds of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis compared with those with higher educational attainment (≥ 12 years), by using fully adjusted models. In the subset of postmenopausal women, these associations tended to be weaker but little affected by adjustment for hormone replacement therapy. Men with low educational attainment had 85% higher odds of having symptomatic knee osteoarthritis by using fully adjusted models, but the association with radiographic knee osteoarthritis was explained by age. Conclusions: After adjustment for known risk factors, educational attainment, as an indicator of socioeconomic status, is associated with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in both men and women and with radiographic knee osteoarthritis in women.
Obstetric haemorrhage – Can we do better?

Summary Globally, obstetric haemorrhage remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. With an increasing caesarean delivery rate, there is a rising trend in the incidence of postpartum haemorrhage in developed countries. The modified early obstetric warning system (MEOWS) is a useful tool for training staff in the early recognition of deterioration in obstetric patients. Interest has also been renewed in the use of misoprostol as a first-line uterotonic agent in home-birth situations and resource-poor areas, due to its ease of administration. When massive haemorrhage occurs, a resuscitation strategy that restricts colloid infusion and allows early administration of blood components in pre-determined ratios may retard the onset of coagulopathy. The use of point-of-care coagulation monitors, such as the thromboelastography (TEG) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), can further aid in clinical decision-making and should be integrated into the transfusion protocol. The key to successful management of maternal haemorrhage lies in having a planned, multidisciplinary approach combining early effective resuscitation with definitive surgical or radiological interventions. Hysterectomy, as a life-saving measure, should be considered sooner, rather than later.
Social Media: Defining, Developing, and Divining

What is a social medium, and how may one moderate, isolate, and influence communicative processes within? Although scholars assume an inherent understanding of social media based on extant technology, there is no commonly accepted definition of what social media are, both functionally and theoretically, within communication studies. Given this lack of understanding, cogent theorizing regarding the uses and effects of social media has been limited. This work first draws on extant definitions of social media and subcategories (e.g., social network sites) from public relations, information technology, and management scholarship, as well as the popular press, to develop a definition of social media precise enough to embody these technologies yet robust enough to remain applicable in 2035. It then broadly explores emerging developments in the features, uses, and users of social media for which future theories will need to account. Finally, it divines and prioritizes challenges that may not yet be apparent to t...
Assessing the Test-Wiseness of Health Science Students Development and Validation of an Instrument

Two alternate test forms were developed to assess several test-wiseness (TW)principles for use with students in the health sciences. Each of the 24-item tests has six subtests consisting of four multiple-choice items that assess the examinee's skill in using the TWprinciples of similar options, umbrella term, item give-away, convergence principle, length of correct option, and stemoption cue. Analysis of responses from 39 entering medical students showed reasonable internal consistency (KR-20 = .79 for the combinedforms) and alternate form (r = .68) reliabilities. The means (64.1% and 65.7%, standard deviations (13.9% and 14.1%, and KR-20 reliabilities (.65 and .65) were similar for the two forms of the test. Some degree of validity for measuring TW is indicated by the significant gain made on the test by nursing and medical students specifically instructed in test-taking skills and by the correlations with course grades. The test is appropriatefor use with health science students because of the medical n...
Transformation of Bone Marrow B-Cell Progenitors by E2A-HLF Requires Coexpression of BCL-2

The chimeric transcription factor E2a-Hlf is an oncoprotein associated with a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemias of early B-lineage derivation. We employed a retroviral transduction-transplantation approach to evaluate the oncogenic effects of E2a-Hlf on murine B-cell progenitors harvested from adult bone marrow. Expression of E2a-Hlf induced short-lived clusters of primary hematopoietic cells but no long-term growth on preformed bone marrow stromal cell layers comprised of the AC6.21 cell line. Coexpression with Bcl-2, however, resulted in the sustained self-renewal of early preB-I cells that required stromal and interleukin-7 (IL-7) support for growth in vitro. Immortalized cells were unable to induce leukemias after transplantation into nonirradiated syngeneic hosts, unlike the leukemic properties and cytokine independence of preB-I cells transformed by p190Bcr-Abl under identical in vitro conditions. However, bone marrow cells expressing E2a-Hlf in combination with Bcl-2, but not E2a-Hlf alone, induced leukemias in irradiated recipients with long latencies, demonstrating both a requirement for suppression of apoptosis and the need for further secondary mutations in leukemia pathogenesis. Coexpression of IL-7 substituted for Bcl-2 to induce the in vitro growth of pre-B cells expressing E2a-Hlf, but leukemic conversion required additional abrogation of undefined stromal requirements and was associated with alterations in the Arf/Mdm2/p53 pathway. Thus, E2a-Hlf enhances the self-renewal of bone marrow B-cell progenitors without inciting a p53 tumor surveillance response or abrogating stromal and cytokine requirements for growth, which are nevertheless abrogated during progression to a leukemogenic phenotype.
An evaluation of observational methods for measuring response to classwide intervention

Although there is much research to support the effectiveness of classwide interventions aimed at improving student engagement, there is also a great deal of variability in terms of how response to group-level intervention has been measured. The unfortunate consequence of this procedural variability is that it is difficult to determine whether differences in obtained results across studies are attributable to the way in which behavior was measured or actual intervention effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to comparatively evaluate the most commonly used observational methods for monitoring the effects of classwide interventions in terms of the degree to which obtained data represented actual behavior. The 5 most common sampling methods were identified and evaluated against a criterion generated by averaging across observations conducted on 14 students in one seventh-grade classroom. Results suggested that the best approximation of mean student engagement was obtained by observing a different student during each consecutive 15-s interval whereas observing an entire group of students during each interval underestimated the mean level of behavior within a phase and the degree of behavior change across phases. In contrast, when observations were restricted to the 3 students with the lowest levels of engagement, data revealed greater variability in engagement across baseline sessions and suggested a more notable change in student behavior subsequent to intervention implementation.
Validation of a dual-isotope plasma ratio method for measurement of cholesterol absorption in rats

Several methods for measuring cholesterol absorption in the rat have been compared. After administration of an oral dose of labeled cholesterol ((14)C or (3)H) and an intravenous dose of colloidal labeled cholesterol ((3)H or (14)C) the ratio of the two labels in plasma or whole blood 48 hr or more after dosing compared closely to the ratio of areas under the respective specific activity-time curves. The area ratio method is independent of a time lag between the appearance of oral and intravenous label in the bloodstream. Both measures of cholesterol absorption agree fairly well with a method based on measuring the unabsorbed dietary cholesterol in a pooled fecal sample. The plasma isotope ratio method gave more reproducible results than the fecal collection method when the measurement was repeated in the same animals 5 days after the first measurement. Cholesterol absorption was overestimated by the use of Tween 20-solubilized labeled cholesterol for the intravenous dose. The plasma disappearance curves of injected labeled colloidal cholesterol and cholesterol-labeled chylomicrons infused intravenously over a 3.5-hr period in the same animal coincided within experimental error from the first day until 75 days after injection. The plasma isotope ratio method for cholesterol absorption gave the same results in rats practicing coprophagy as in those in which this practice was prevented. The addition of sulfaguanidine to the diet lowered cholesterol absorption as measured by the plasma isotope ratio to the same degree as that measured by the fecal collection method.
Benign Solutions and Innovative Sequential Annealing Processes for High Performance Cu2ZnSn(Se,S)4 Photovoltaics

Solution-based earth-abundant Cu2ZnSn(Se,S)4 (CZTSSe) is proven to be a promising tool for thin-film photovoltaic fabrication. Combining fully dissolved copper (Cu) and zinc/tin (Zn/Sn) hydrazinium constituents in an ethanolamine (EA) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solution mixture forms the CZTS precursor. All solutes in the precursor solution are intermixed on the molecular scale with excellent homogeneity. Sequential annealing steps under chalcogen vapor allow for enhanced grain growth while preventing the back contact from forming an excessively thick Mo(S,Se)2 layer. The resulting devices achieve power conversion efficiencies of 7.5% under 1 sun conditions.
Multi-agent path planning for an unknown number of targets over dynamic space partitions

Searching a surveillance area for an unknown number of targets by making observations with small fields of view relative to the surveillance area is a task performed in settings such as search and rescue, area patrol, and reconnaissance. Based on observations, locations of possible target existence within the surveillance area can be estimated through time. This estimation can then be used to determine search paths. Typically this is done by optimization directly over the target estimation. Due to complicating factors such as the number of targets being unknown, this approach is not taken. Instead, time-evolving characteristic regions within the surveillance area are learned and paths are planned based on these regions. Based on the target estimation, three types of regions can be identified. These types are 1) regions of possible target existence, 2) regions of almost certain target existence, and 3) regions of almost certainly no targets. According to these regions, the surveillance area can then be partitioned into areas characteristic of required search or tracking and resource needed to perform the search or tracking. In order to accomplish this partitioning, a set of features is determined and used for classification. Once the surveillance area is partitioned, path planning is performed over the partitions. Because several partitions have been constructed, they can be allocated as tasks to a team of autonomous agents. The path planning is then separated into two levels. The first level is agent route planning over the partitions. The second level is agent path planning by optimization over partition level target estimation. Results are presented for a team of autonomous aerial vehicles searching for an unknown number of targets.
Thermally stimulated current technique to evaluate polymer degradation due to water treeing

The thermally stimulated current (TSC) technique has been used to evaluate the degradation of polymeric insulation containing water trees. It is shown that, compared to the capacitance and tan- delta measurements, the TSC technique is more sensitive and can detect the degradation caused by water treeing. The TSC spectra change with the aging time of the polymeric insulation and the length of the water tree. >
Income, Poverty, and Material Hardship Among Older Americans

Using data from the 2008 and 2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study to analyze the determinants of material hardship among individuals ages sixty-five and older, I look at five self-reported hardships: food insecurity, skipped meals, medication cutbacks, difficulty paying bills, and dissatisfaction with one’s financial situation. One-fifth of the elderly report one or more of these hardships. Although hardship is more likely for those with low incomes, most older Americans experiencing hardship are not poor. I analyze whether alternative measures of resources do a better job of predicting hardship than does income relative to the federal poverty threshold. I find that spending relative to the poverty threshold does a worse job predicting hardship than does income relative to poverty. Subtracting out-of-pocket medical spending from income yields a measure that is an even better predictor of hardship. In multivariate models, I find that self-reported health, activity limitations, and disability are significant predictors of hardship. Having reliable children (as assessed by the respondent) or an able-bodied spouse reduces the likelihood of hardship. Poor health increases hardship through three channels: by lowering income, by increasing out-of-pocket medical spending, and through its direct effect on hardship. The first two of these—lower income and higher medical spending—are much less quantitatively important than the third; in a nutshell, poor health makes it harder to get by with less.
Identification and Characterization of a Non-Interferon Antileishmanial Macrophage Activating Factor (Antileishmanial MAF)

Macrophages, the final effector cells in many cellular immune responses are capable of destroying a variety of intracellular pathogens such as viruses, fungi, chlamydia, rickettsiae and leishmania (1,2) as well as neoplastic cells (3). However, the biochemical identity of macrophage activating factor (MAF), and therefore the elucidation of its mechanism of action on macrophages have remained ill-defined. In part, this has been due to the limited amounts of MAF produced under conventional conditions, amounts insufficient to achieve a full biochemical purification of this factor. In addition, conventional culture supernatants of activated T cells normally contain a heterogeneous mixture of lymphokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) that can all affect the functions of macrophages. Although both human and murine interferon-gamma have been attributed to be the lymphokines to activate macrophages for enhanced oxidative and antimicrobial activity (4–7), numerous reports also demonstrated the existence of non-IFN-gamma MAFs (8–12).
An Order-Wave Description of the Kinetics of Spinodal Ordering

Several authors have modeled the order-disorder transformation as a continuous process, not occurring by nucleation and growth. Their approaches are based either on treating the transformation as a second-order chemical reaction [1,2], or on discrete formulations of the phenomenological diffusion equations [3–8]. Extending the work of Gorsky [9] and of Bragg and Williams [10], Dienes [2] used the chemical reaction model with absolute reaction rate theory to derive numerically the time-dependence of the longrange order parameter. As his thermodynamic model he used the Bragg-Williams (B-W) approximation, assuming that the solid was uniformly ordered and ignoring inhomogeneity effects such as the excess interface and coherency strain energies that arise if antiphase domains exist.
Comparison of hematology between Leghorn-type and heavy-type egg production stocks.

Abstract The packed cell volume (P.C.V.) of heavy-type, brown egg commercial strains of chickens carrying a gene, Co, the key Columbian plumage pigmentation restriction gene, was significantly lower than that of Leghorn-type commercial white egg strains. There was no correlation between P.C.V. and body weight within strains and the differences were not influenced by the gene for dominant white (I) or E, e- alleles. The decreased P.C.V. was due primarily to decreased numbers of circulating erythrocytes.
Diagnosis of pregnancy by cytologic criteria in catheterized urine.

SummaryPregnancy causes distinct morphologic changes in the epithelium of the urinary tract which are reflected in the cytology of the “urine sediment smear.” There is an appearance of certain characteristic cell forms such as cells of the “navicular” type corresponding to those described in the vaginal smear of pregnancy. The urine sediment smear provides, thus, a simple, rapid and dependable method for diagnosing pregnancy. It appears to be superior to the vaginal smear in that its cytology shows greater uniformity and is more distinctive. Its practical value as a routine diagnostic procedure and its applicability in the early diagnosis of pregnancy are still to be determined.
Algorithms for Uncertainty Analysis of an Air Traffic Management System

In this paper, we develop algorithms to analyze an uncertain air traffic management (ATM) system that is based on Menon et al.’s pioneer work in modeling the national airspace system (NAS) using an Eulerian framework. 1 In that work, the entire U.S. airspace is divided into many sub-elements. Prediction of air traffic through each element, which is described by the dynamic evolution of aircraft count, is modeled as a deterministic linear system. However, it is commonly accepted that air traffic systems contain significant uncertainties. 2,3 There is an emerging need from NASA of evaluating the current ATM system performance in the presence of uncertainties. The statistic properties of uncertainties due to weather and delay, etc., are typically difficult to be quantified in a detailed and meaningful way. 4,5 In this work, we explore an alternative way that is to analyze and simulate the worst-case system performance given the measurements or predictions of outer bounds or confidential bounds on parameters and inputs in the Eulerian air traffic flow model. We develop an algorithm to compute the tightest bounds on the states that predict the air traffic flow using interval analysis. We also analyze sensitivity of the ATM systems with respect to their parameter and input uncertainties. The proposed algorithm reduces the exponential computational time using the brutal force algorithms to a polynomial computational time. Thus, our algorithm could be efficiently applied t o the large-scale air traffic systems. Simulation shows the potential of application of the proposed algorithm to the current ATM systems.