cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Appetite for destruction: E3 ubiquitin-ligase protection in cardiac disease

Over the course of 3 billion heartbeats in an average human lifetime, the heart must maintain constant protein quality control, including the coordinated and regulated degradation of proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Recent data highlight the specificity by which the UPS functions in the context of cardiac hypertrophy, ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathies. Although curbing the appetite of the proteasome through the use of inhibitors in animal models of cardiac disease has proven effective experimentally, recent studies report proteasome inhibition as being cardiotoxic in some patients. Therefore, focusing on specific regulatory components of the proteasome, such as members of the E3 ubiquitin-ligase family of proteins, may hold promise for targeted therapeutics of cardiac disease. This review focuses on the UPS, its specific role in cardiac disease and opportunities for novel therapies.
Magnetic braking in differentially rotating, relativistic stars

We study the magnetic braking and viscous damping of differential rotation in incompressible, uniform density stars in general relativity. Differentially rotating stars can support significantly more mass in equilibrium than nonrotating or uniformly rotating stars, according to general relativity. The remnant of a binary neutron star merger or supernova core collapse may produce such a ``hypermassive'' neutron star. Although a hypermassive neutron star may be stable on a dynamical time scale, magnetic braking and viscous damping of differential rotation will ultimately alter the equilibrium structure, possibly leading to delayed catastrophic collapse. Here we treat the slow-rotation, weak-magnetic field limit in which ${E}_{\mathrm{rot}}\ensuremath{\ll}{E}_{\mathrm{mag}}\ensuremath{\ll}W,$ where ${E}_{\mathrm{rot}}$ is the rotational kinetic energy, ${E}_{\mathrm{mag}}$ is the magnetic energy, and W is the gravitational binding energy of the star. We assume the system to be axisymmetric and solve the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations in both Newtonian gravitation and general relativity. For an initially uniform magnetic field parallel to the rotation axis in which we neglect viscosity, the Newtonian case can be solved analytically, but the other cases we consider require a numerical integration. Toroidal magnetic fields are generated whenever the angular velocity varies along the initial poloidal field lines. We find that the toroidal fields and angular velocities oscillate independently along each poloidal field line, which enables us to transform the original 2+1 equations into 1+1 form and solve them along each field line independently. The incoherent oscillations on different field lines stir up turbulent-like motion in tens of Alfv\'en time scales (``phase mixing''). In the presence of viscosity, the stars eventually are driven to uniform rotation, with the energy contained in the initial differential rotation going into heat. Our evolution calculations serve as qualitative guides and benchmarks for future, more realistic MHD simulations in full 3+1 general relativity.
A formal investigation of Cultural Selection Theory: acoustic adaptation in bird song

The greatest challenge for Cultural Selection Theory lies is the paucity of evidence for structural mechanisms in cultural systems that are sufficient for adaptation by natural selection. In part, clarification is required with respect to the interaction between cultural systems and their purported selective environments. Edmonds et al. have argued that Cultural Selection Theory requires simple, conclusive, unambiguous case studies in order to meet this challenge. To that end, this paper examines the songs of the Rufous-collared Sparrow, which seem to exhibit cultural adaptations minimizing signal degradation relative to local environments. Specifically, the more forested the habitat, the more the tail end of the song resembles a whistle rather than a trill; yet, variation in song is uncorrelated with genetic variation. This paper explores the mechanisms responsible for these putative acoustic adaptations through a series of computer simulations. The main point of this research is not to test this model, but to demonstrate that models of this type have the resources to meet the in-principle objections that have been raised against Cultural Selection Theory. This research lends much-needed empirical support to Cultural Selection Theory by clarifying the nature of the interaction between culture and environment. It also contributes to evolutionary theory by clarifying the scope and limits of adaptation by natural selection.
Does participation in international organizations increase cooperation

Recent research asserts that public commitments to international institutions promote behavior that is consistent with institutional purposes. Evidence for this proposition is based almost entirely on studies that compare the behavior of states that have and have not ratified treaties. This paper evaluates instances in which some member states temporarily experience increased entanglement with an IO because they or their nationals serve in a position of authority. Unlike selection into IOs, selection into positions of authority is often governed by a common, observable, and partially exogenous process. I exploit exogenous exit, random assignment to different term lengths, and competitive elections in three contexts: the International Criminal Court (ICC), the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), and the UN Security Council (UNSC). The evidence implicates that acquiring a position of authority can make states more willing to reject U.S. advances to sign non-surrender agreements, adopt domestic legislation that changes the penal code (ICC case), ratify legally binding treaties (UNHRC case), and contribute to peacekeeping missions (UNSC case). On the other hand, there is no evidence that UN institutions successfully select more cooperative states for positions of authority. Similar research designs can gainfully be employed to identify the causal effects of other forms of institutional participation.
Atrial flutter with aberrant conduction in a patient taking amphetamine salts and caffeine

A case is presented of a man with a life-threatening tachyarrhythmia precipitated by ingested substances.
The Information Function for the One-Parameter Logistic Model: Is it Reliability?:

The information function is an important statistic in item response theory (IRT) applications. Although the information function is often described as the IRT version of reliability, it differs from the classical notion of reliability from a critical perspective: replication. This article first explores the information function for the one-parameter model in detail and suggests an alternative method for its computation. Second, the difference between the IRT and classical test theory standard errors of measurement is discussed.
What Matters Most

The article consists of the text of David A. Whetten's Presidential Address to the Academy of Management delivered last August 2000 in Toronto, Ontario. Whetten reflects on his professional journey and lessons he's learned from experiences. The address made quite an impact on the members of the Academy.
Enhancement in Optimal Multiple-Burn Trajectory Computation by Switching Function Analysis

This paper describes an improvement in designing a real time optimal multiple-burn trajectory that should be rapid and adaptive. The computational cost for solving amultiple-burn trajectory problem comes from 1) trajectory propagation (or simulation of a trajectory) and 2) trajectory iterations (or computation of gradient information). Tremendous work has been done to reduce this cost, especially in the area of increasing the solution convergence or gradient calculation speed.However, in applications such as an orbit-to-orbit transfer, a long rangepayloaddelivery, or amedium or low thrust-to-weight ratio trajectory, the propagation time of the coast arc is the dominant one of the computational cost, and thus several studies have been focused on solving this problem by using parallel computing techniques. In this paper, through an oscillation frequency study of the switching function, the propagation of the coast arc is avoided and “safely” replaced by a zero-finding program. Using this method, the speed of the real time trajectory design is increased. Numerical implementation issues of this algorithm are discussed in detail. To show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, four trajectory designs have been simulated: two Hohmann-type orbital transfers, a low Earth orbital insertion, and theMcCue problem. Atmospheric drag and J2 perturbations have been considered in these simulations.
Regulation of rat liver phosphofructokinase levels in Morris hepatomas

Abstract The levels of the major liver phosphofructokinase isozyme (PFK-L2) and the PFK regulatory factor were measured in adult and fetal liver as well as Morris hepatomas of different differentiation states. The results indicate that both the PFK-L2 activity and the PFK regulatory factor levels in well and highly differentiated hepatomas are not statistically different from the amounts found in adult liver. In the poorly differentiated hepatomas and fetal liver, the levels of both PFK-L2 and PFK regulatory factor are approximately 2 and 3 fold greater, respectively, than what was found in adult liver.
Poor outcomes after SLAP repair: descriptive analysis and prognosis.

Purpose In the first part of this study, we analyzed a subset of patients to determine what factors may have been present in those with poor outcomes after SLAP repair. In part 2, we evaluated clinical outcomes of these patients after further treatment. Methods We completed a retrospective medical record review of consecutive patients presenting between 2000 and 2007 with pain, stiffness, and/or mechanical symptoms after a SLAP repair. To evaluate for similarities among this cohort, data collection included demographics, age at initial SLAP repair, history of trauma, medical history, nonoperative and operative treatments, and physical examination. Outcome measures included patient satisfaction and the Simple Shoulder Test questionnaire. Subsequent treatment was then reviewed, investigating whether patients received physical therapy, cortisone injection, and/or revision surgery in an attempt to improve satisfaction. Outcome measures again included patient satisfaction and the Simple Shoulder Test questionnaire. Results We found 40 shoulders in 39 patients who met inclusion criteria. The mean age at the time of initial SLAP repair was 43 years. Of the patients, 30 (75%) presented with pain and decreased range of motion, 9 (22.5%) presented with pain but full range of motion, and 1 (2.5%) presented with pain and mechanical symptoms but full range of motion. The mean Simple Shoulder Test score upon presentation after SLAP repair was 3.04 out of 12 (SD, 2.18; range, 0 to 7). We included 34 shoulders in the analysis of treatment outcome. Of these, 29% (10 of 34) were satisfied after conservative treatment, 62% (13 of 21) were satisfied after revision surgery, and 68% (23 of 34) were satisfied overall after either type of further treatment. The mean Simple Shoulder Test score after further treatment was 8.73 out of 12 (SD, 3.45; range, 0 to 12). Conclusions In this study 71% of patients (mean patient age, 43 years) with a poor outcome after SLAP repair were dissatisfied with conservative treatment. Therefore, once a patient has a poor outcome after SLAP repair, there is a high chance of conservative treatment failing. Although patients have better outcomes with operative intervention, 32% will continue to have a suboptimal result. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.
Report on Receiver Installations

The report deals with that portion of the Commission's UHF Project that was concerned with the installation of observation receivers at 768 randomly selected locations within 25 miles of the Empire State Building. All of the television signals observed originated at this site.
PROTEIN QUALITY OF GREEN-MATURE, DRY MATURE AND SPROUTED SOYBEANS

'Bragg’ soybeans harvested at the green-mature (GM) or dry-mature (DM) stage, 4-day sprouts (S) (both raw and heated), and cooked ‘Early Green’ GM soybeans were evaluated for protein quality, sulfur amino acids and trypsin inhibitor (TI) content. Adjusted PER values for raw GM, DM and S were 0.77, 0.75 and 0.64, and for heated diets 2.05, 2.11 and 2.02, respectively. Cooked ‘Early Green’ PER was 2.14; TI content was about l/3 as great in raw S, relative to raw GM and DM diets. There was no significant difference in total sulfur-containing amino acids among maturities nor in PER values between heated diets at the three maturities. Although soybean protein quantity increased slightly with maturation and sprouting, quality was relatively independent of maturity.
Norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin in experimental spinal cord trauma: current status.

This is a review on norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin with regard to their action following spinal cord injuries which reveals the controversies on this subject.
THE DAD IN THE CHE GUEVARA T-SHIRT: NARRATIVES OF CHILEAN ENGLISH TEACHERS

Building on previous critical research regarding student resistance to English Language Teaching (ELT), this paper illustrates Chilean high-school English teachers' use of narrative to make sense of ideological challenges from students. While the government of Chile is promoting English in connection with the nation's export-oriented economic policies, this promotion of English has been resisted by leftist movements unrepresented within the current neoliberal “consensus;” coping with political resistance is a perennial challenge for English teachers. Through an analysis of dialogic voicing in narratives audiotaped during life-history interviews, the paper illustrates how Chilean English teachers make sense of their positioning within ideological struggles over the connection between ELT and global capitalism. Thus, this paper is a case study of how individuals invested in English as an international language cope with resistance to globalization within local contexts; I conclude by discussing the implicat...
Psoriasis, PUVA, and Skin Cancer – Molecular Epidemiology: The Curious Question of T → A Transversions

Photochemotherapy with 8-methoxypsoralen and long wavelength ultraviolet radiation (PUVA) is commonly used to treat psoriasis and vitiligo. These vastly different diseases respond to the therapy by different mechanisms even though the immediate effects of the therapy - photoadduct formation - is the same for both. Because psoriasis is not cured by PUVA, patients receive many treatments over their lifetime and develop a significant risk for the development of skin cancers (primarily squamous cell carcinomas). In this review the basic aspects of psoralen photobiology are reviewed briefly. In addition the impact of the analysis of mutations in the tumor suppressor gene, p53, are summarized. An unexpected mutation spectrum (very few T-->A transversions and frequent UVB signature C-->T transitions) suggest that effects other than direct DNA photoadduct formation may be at play. The roles of reactive oxygen species-induced base changes as well as other clastogenic factors are discussed. This analysis suggests that it may be possible to improve the therapeutic efficacy of PUVA by a careful evaluation of the mode of delivery.
High success and low mortality rates with non-invasive ventilation in influenza A H1N1 patients in a tertiary hospital

Background: In 2009, an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by influenza A H1N1 virus occurred worldwide. Some patients required Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. The use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in these patients is controversial, as the aerosol dispersion may contaminate the environment and health-care co-workers. Methods: Describe the respiratory profile, the mortality rate, and the benefit of using NIV in patients with confirmed diagnosis of influenza AH1N1 who were admitted in the ICU during the year 2009. Results: A total of 1, 401 cases of influenza A H1N1 were confirmed in our hospital by real-time RT-PCR in 2009, and 20 patients were admitted to the ICU. The patients’ ages ranged from 18 to 74 years (median of 42). Acute Respiratory Failure (ARF) was present in 70% of patients. The median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 7 (range 7 to 25). Of the 14 patients who developed ARF, 85.7% needed NIV and 14% needed invasive MV at admission. Our success rate (41.6%) with NIV was higher than that described by others. The hospital mortality rate was 2.1%. When influenza A H1N1 arrived in Brazil, the disease was already on endemic alert in other countries. The population was already aware of the symptoms and the health-care system of the treatment. This allowed patients to be properly and promptly treated for influenza A H1N1, while health-care workers took protective measures to avoid contamination. Conclusion: In our study we found a high success and low mortality rates with non-invasive ventilation in patients with influenza A H1N1.
Conspecific Emotional Cooperation Biases Population Dynamics: A Cellular Automata Approach

In this paper, the authors evaluate the benefit of emotions in population dynamics and evolution. The authors enhance cellular automata (CA) simulating the interactions of competing populations with emotionally inspired rules in communication, interpretation, and action. While CAs have been investigated in studies of population dynamics due to their ability to capture spatial interactions, emotion-like interactions have yet to be considered. Our cellular stochastic system describes interacting foxes that feed on rabbits that feed on carrots. Emotions enable foxes and rabbits to improve their decisions and share their experiences with neighboring conspecifics. To improve the systemâ€™s biological relevance, it includes inter-species disease transmission, and emotions encode data pertaining to both survival and epidemic reduction. Results indicate that emotions increase adaptability, help control disease, and improve survival for the species that utilizes them. Simulations support the hypothesis that the acquisition of emotion may be an evolutionary result of competitive species interactions.
A population-based comparison of overall and disease-specific survival following local excision or abdominoperineal resection for stage I rectal adenocarcinoma.

The use of local excision (LE) for early stage rectal adenocarcinoma is increasing due to the associated morbidity of radical resection. To determine if survival in stage I rectal cancer differs following LE or abdominoperineal resection (APR), we analyzed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database. We selected patients diagnosed between 1988 and 2002 with T1-2N0M0 rectal adenocarcinoma measuring ≤4 cm who underwent either local excision with (LE + RT) or without adjuvant radiation (LE alone) or APR alone. Overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) curves were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was also performed to determine the effect of covariates on OS and DSS. A total of 2,391 patients were identified including 981 (41 %) treated with APR, 1,018 (43 %) treated with LE alone, and 392 (16 %) treated with LE + RT. With a median follow-up of 69 months, there was no difference in OS or DSS seen between the three groups (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). When stratifying by T-stage, there was a significant difference in overall survival between LE alone and APR for T2 disease. However, there was no difference in DSS between these two subgroups. There were no other significant survival differences between all comparable subgroups. In this large population-based study, there was no difference in long-term DSS between patients who underwent an APR compared to selected patients who underwent LE with or without adjuvant radiation. Although these data further reinforce the promising data regarding the selected use of LE, further prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the role of LE in this setting.
A model to aid in the calculation of regional myocardial perfusion

The authors present a model of tracer transport which could be useful for determining perfusion with indicator-dilution methods. The model is based on convection-dispersion transport of the tracer through the coronary circulation and requires the simultaneous recording of tracer concentrations in the left ventricular lumen and in the region of interest in the myocardium. Application of the model to predict myocardial flows in animal studies is also presented. >
The Other Chair: Portability and Translation From Personal Therapy to Clinical Practice

A majority of clinicians from all disciplines have had therapy themselves. Although surveys have attempted to count, rate, and catalog the benefits received from this therapy, linking personal therapy and subsequent clinical effectiveness has proven elusive. This study sought to explore a more “answerable” question: what it is, specifically, about personal therapy that clinicians find useful? What are the concrete strategies and behaviors that clinical social workers—who provide more therapy than any other group of helping professionals—emulate or avoid when moving from the “client chair” to the “therapist chair?” Individual interviews with thirty clinical social workers were analyzed thematically using hyperResearch for data management and retrieval. Findings fall into six thematic clusters, including skillful and unskillful means, control, time, money, use of space, and giving/giving back. Overall, the impact of personal therapy may lie in lessons learned, through “partial emulation” and internalization of the dyadic relationship, about the capacity to be imperfect yet helpful. Implications are offered for social work practice, policy, and education.
Spatial sampling design for prediction with estimated parameters

We study spatial sampling design for prediction of stationary isotropic Gaussian processes with estimated parameters of the covariance function. The key issue is how to incorporate the parameter uncertainty into design criteria to correctly represent the uncertainty in prediction. Several possible design criteria are discussed that incorporate the parameter uncertainty. A simulated annealing algorithm is employed to search for the optimal design of small sample size and a two-step algorithm is proposed for moderately large sample sizes. Simulation results are presented for the Matern class of covariance functions. An example of redesigning the air monitoring network in EPA Region 5 for monitoring sulfur dioxide is given to illustrate the possible differences our proposed design criterion can make in practice.
Optimal Financial Naïveté

When agents first become active investors in financial markets, they are relatively inexperienced. Much of the literature focuses on the incentives of presumably sophisticated informed agents to produce information, and not on the nave agents. However, unsophisticated agents are important aspects of financial markets and worth analyzing further. In this paper, we provide a theoretical perspective that addresses the issue of how many nave traders would one expect in a financial market where policy makers try to educate the nave agents.We show that such policy balances the effects of nave trades on corporate investment and liquidity, as well as the monetary cost of increasing financial sophistication. The optimal proportion of nave agents varies with the value of information, the noise in private signals, and the inherent sensitivity of corporate investment to prices.We also show that the policy tool of encouraging insider trading can deter nave investors and thus improve corporate governance and the efficacy of corporate investment.
Electron-Lattice Interaction and Superconductivity

An electron moving faster than sound would emit phonons in the form of a narrow wake behind it, analogous to the \ifmmode \check{C}\else \v{C}\fi{}erenkov radiation. Two electrons would, therefore, interact strongly when one lies in the wake of the other. Based on this idea a model for the superconducting state is suggested. The electron-lattice interaction, obtained by using the Bloch-Nordsieck transformation, is examined in the coordinate space, and the "wake" character of the interaction is shown. In the appendix, using a canonical transformation, the interaction between two electrons is calculated.
Creating user interfaces that entice people to manage better information

Much research in information management begins by asking how to manage a given information corpus. But information management systems can only be as good as the information they manage. They struggle and often fail to correctly infer meaning from large blobs of text and the mysterious actions and demands of users. And they are useless for managing information that is never captured.Instead of accepting the existing information as an immutable condition, I will argue that there are significant opportunities to help and motivate people to improve the quality and quantity of information their tools manage, and to exploit that better information to benefit its users.The greatest challenge in doing so is developing systems, and particularly user interfaces, that overcome humans' perverse reluctance to invest small present-moment effort for large future payoffs. Effective systems must minimize the effort needed to record high-quality information and maximize the perceived future benefits of that information investment.I will support these ideas with examples covering structured data management and presentation, notetaking, collaborative filtering, and social media.
Resource utilization, competition, and predation: a model and example from coral reef grazers

Abstract A literature review indicates that coral reef sea urchins out-compete herbivorous fishes (i.e. scarids and acanthurids), and reach maximum biomass levels an order of magnitude higher than herbivorous reef fishes. Additionally, sea urchins have lower respiration and food consumption rates, and at high biomass levels appear to reduce algal resources to levels lower than herbivorous fishes. A simple biomass-based energetic model was developed to help explain these patterns and to determine the energetic properties of organisms which affect their resource competitive ability and ability to sustain themselves under predation. Simulations of a hypothetical herbivore indicate that herbivore steady-state biomass increases with decreasing consumption rates, but a parabolic relationship was found between herbivore biomass and the level to which the herbivore reduces its food resource (i.e. R ∗ ). Simulations of competition between hypothetical herbivores indicate that only the level to which a herbivore reduces its resource ( R ∗ ) was important in determining the superior resource competitor, although biomass dynamics differed depending on feeding, gross production rates, and initial conditions of competitors. High herbivore consumption and gross production increase rates of biomass recruitment. But, unless an herbivore can also keep resources below the level competitors can tolerate, a high rate of gross production does not insure the competitor superior resource competitive ability in the absence of predators. Yet the model also predicts that organisms with high gross production and consumption rates are able to persist better under high levels of harvesting by predators. The model suggests that sea urchins reach high biomass due to low algal consumption rates and out-compete herbivorous fishes, when their predators are reduced (i.e. often attributable to overfishing), by reducing algal biomass to low levels. Sea urchins appear to tolerate low algal biomass due to their low consumption and respiration rates which allows them to persist at low levels of net algal productivity. But, low sea urchin gross production makes them less likely to persist under high levels of harvesting or predation. The model suggests that organisms may frequently need to make energetic trade-offs between traits which will give them superior resource competitive ability and tolerance to predation or disturbance.
Production of Infectious SIVagm from Human Cells Requires Functional Inactivation but Not Viral Exclusion of Human APOBEC3G

The virus infectivity factor (Vif) is a protein encoded by most primate lentiviruses. Recent evidence suggests that HIV-1 Vif reduces the intracellular levels of the host cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G (Apo3G) and inhibits its packaging into virions. These functions of Vif are thought to be species-specific. Accordingly, HIV-1 Vif can target only human Apo3G (hApo3G), whereas, African green monkey simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVagm) Vif can inhibit African green monkey but not human Apo3G. Consistent with this, we found that SIVagm Vif does not affect the stability of exogenously and endogenously expressed hApo3G and does not prevent packaging of exogenous and endogenous hApo3G into SIVagm virions. Nevertheless, SIVagm Vif supported spreading infection of SIVagm virus in the hApo3G-positive human A3.01 T cell line and rescued infectivity of viruses produced from Apo3G-expressing HeLa cells. Sequence analysis verified that SIVagm Vif inhibited the accumulation of hApo3G-induced mutations, suggesting that SIVagm Vif is indeed active in human cells. Our data suggest that SIVagm Vif can inhibit hApo3G activity without inducing its intracellular degradation or preventing its packaging into virions.
Survey of United States neurosurgical residency program directors.

Objective The field of neurosurgery in the United States faces many challenges. Neurosurgical program directors in the United States represent a logical source for inquiries about manpower issues, the training process, and Residency Review Committee (RRC) oversight. Methods Ninety-one active residency program directors were sent an anonymous 31-question survey. The respondents were given the option of adding additional comments. The questions were designed to address issues related to manpower, the training process, and RRC governance. Sixty-one responses were returned before an email reminder and 11 after the reminder (a total response rate of 79%). The data were entered into a database, and a descriptive analysis, with frequency distribution, was performed. Results The purpose of this review was to gain a preliminary understanding of the perceptions of program directors regarding the neurosurgical training process, the RRC, the oversight process, and projected manpower needs. A 79% response rate is high for a mail survey and likely reflects heightened concern and interest in such issues. The survey responses indicate general satisfaction with the role and governance of the RRC, significantly divergent perceptions of resident output and available positions, and serious concerns regarding the current training process. Conclusion This survey suggests that a broader discussion of resident training issues would be valuable, perhaps using validated survey instruments.
Non-vacuum Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Abstract External beams of high energy protons (3 to 6 MeV) and alpha particles (10 MeV) have for the first time been used successfully for Rutherford backscattering spectrometry depth profiling. This new capability permits the analysis of objects which are too large or otherwise incompatible with an accelerator vacuum system. Preliminary tests of this system indicate the potential for a depth resolution of better than 1 μm in Si and an analysis range of more than 30 μm for external 4.5 MeV protons. The merits and limitations of the system are discussed together with applications presently underway.
Molecular Structure of Tutin

TUTIN (C15H18O6) was first isolated by Easterfield and Aston1 and identified as the convulsive poison present in the leaves and seeds of the New Zealand species of Coriaria, a shrub known by the Maori as ‘toi toi’. The molecular structure of tutin is now inferred from an X-ray crystal structure analysis of α-bromo-iso-tutin.
Grafting of nerve growth factor-producing fibroblasts reduces behavioral deficits in rats with lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis

Abstract Rats received bilateral lesions ot the nucleus basalis magnocellularis by infusion of biotenic acid. Two weeks after the lesion, a suspension of genetically modified primary rat fibroblasts was grafted dorsal to the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (2 × 10 5 cells per side). The fibroblasts were either infected with the gene for human β-nerve growth factor or Escherichia coli β-galactosidase. The nerve growth factor-producing fibroblasts released 67 ng nerve growth factor /10 5 cells per day in vitro . Two weeks after implantation of the fibroblasts, spatial learning was tested in the Morris water-maze. Nerve growth factor-producing fibroblasts, but not β-galactosidase-producing fibroblasts ameliorated the deficit in acquisition of the water-maze task. In addition, spatial acuity was improved to near-normal levels by the nerve growth factor-producing grafts. Choline acetyltransferase activity in cortical areas and hippocampus was not affected by the nerve growth factor-producing grafts. Both grafted groups showed a similar reduction in the level of dopamine, but not homovanillic acid or 3-methoxytyramine, in the frontal cortex. Levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine and serotonin and their metabolites in the neocortex and hippocampus were not affected by the lesion or the grafts. Nerve growth factor-producing grafts increased the size of remaining nerve growth factor-receptor (p75) immunoreactive neurons in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis by 25%. Nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesions reduced the integrated optic density of choline acetyltransferase-positive fiber staining in the ventral neocortex by 46%, but nerve growth factor-producing grafts restored this area to 86% of control. These data suggest that nerve growth factor-producing grafts can cause a marked behavioral improvement, probably through the partial restoration of the lesioned projection from nucleus basalis magnocellularis to neocortex.
Differences in the response pattern of aged female rats to treatment with lergotrile mesylate.

AbstractOld female rats exhibiting either the constant vaginal estrous (CE) or the prolonged diestrous (PD) state were given lergotrile mesylate (LM). Treatment with 4.5 mg/kg daily significantly reduced prolactin (PRL) levels in both groups. The basal luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were not altered. In the CE group, LM treatment produced a single prolonged cycle, with the reemergence of the CE state. However, in the PD group, the rats exhibited several regular cycles during the treatment period. Several of these rats also showed evidence of having an LH surge during the reinduced cycle. These results suggest that high PRL levels may be a causative factor with respect to acyclicity in the PD rats, but PRL does not seem to be a major contributor to acyclicity in the aged CE rat.
The effect of a current boundary condition on control rod effectiveness

The Hurwitz-Roe one-group, constant source, control rod theory was evolved on the basis of a zero thermal flux condition at the control element surface. By using the methods of Wolfe, the effects of a current boundary condition is examined. One- and two-group treatment is considered. (W.D.M.)
From data to definition

Researchers and practitioners working in the area of child maltreatment have been frustrated by the lack of a concise definition of maltreatment, especially psychological maltreatment. The study of child abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and other forms of maltreatment has been impeded by the failure to establish a commonly accepted definition. Numerous definitions have been developed at different times, for very different purposes and by professionals from many different disciplines, but as Giovannoni (1989) noted, their only common feature is that they are vague and ambiguous. Not surprisingly, the research findings from the field are as varied as the heterogeneous samples of maltreating individuals being investigated. The lack of an operational definition of maltreatment greatly limits the generalizability of the research findings.
The direct measurement of atmospheric light scattering coefficient for studies of visibility and pollution

Abstract The integrating nephelometer of Beuttel and Brewer has been modified for studies of air pollution. The instrument, which is simple, stable, and inexpensive to construct, has been operated continuously for several months. Interpretation of the data is simplified by use of a theoretical approach which indicates that the measured light scattering coefficient is proportional to the mass of suspended participates for well-aged atmospheric aerosols.
SOMATOSTATIN MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIONS OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS

Glucocorticoids are potent antiinflammatory agents. They inhibit leukocyte chemotaxis and vascular permeability and generally suppress the expression of many inflammatory mediators. Recent reports suggested that somatostatin (Sms) had significant immunomodulatory properties in vitro and in vivo. In this study we examined the effects of glucocorticoids on immunoreactive somatostatin expression in aseptic inflammatory sites of Sprague-Dawley rats given carrageenin sc. The progress of the inflammatory reaction was studied over a 7-h period with respect to the volume and cellularity of the exudate and the levels of the inflammatory mediators expressed in the inflammatory site, including immunoreactive substance P (sP), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha). Dexamethasone significantly reduced the volume and cellularity of the inflammatory exudates; in parallel, the levels of immunoreactive sP, CRH, and TNF alpha were significantly suppressed by this glucocorticoid. In contrast, immunoreactive Sms was stimulated by dexamethasone in a time-dependent fashion. These findings suggest another mechanism for suppression of the inflammatory reaction by glucocorticoids via stimulation of local Sms expression, which occurs in parallel to the inhibition of the local inflammatory mediators sP, CRH, and TNF alpha.
Welfare guarantees for combinatorial auctions with item bidding

We analyze the price of anarchy (POA) in a simple and practical non-truthful combinatorial auction when players have subadditive valuations for goods. We study the mechanism that sells every good in parallel with separate second-price auctions. We first prove that under a standard "no overbidding" assumption, for every subadditive valuation profile, every pure Nash equilibrium has welfare at least 50% of optimal --- i.e., the POA is at most 2. For the incomplete information setting, we prove that the POA with respect to Bayes-Nash equilibria is strictly larger than 2 --- an unusual separation from the full-information model --- and is at most 2 ln m, where m is the number of goods.
Witten's expression for gravitational energy

The origin and physical interpretation of Witten's integral expression for gravitational energy is examined. It is shown that this expression (including nonzero ${T}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\nu}}$) arises naturally from a Hamiltonian treatment of "classical supergravity," without consideration of the quantum theory. In addition, this expression is evaluated explicitly in several examples. It is found that the individual terms do not have a simple physical interpretation. New integral expressions are then introduced in which the gravitational energy divides naturally into a conformally invariant and nonconformally invariant contribution. It is argued that in certain circumstances these contributions can be interpreted as the gravitational radiation energy and total binding energy for strongly gravitating systems.
In vitro biocompatibility of nanoscale zerovalent iron particles (NZVI) synthesized using tea polyphenols

A “green” protocol was used for the rapid generation of nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) particles using tea polyphenols. The NZVI particles were subsequently examined for in vitro biocompatibility using the human keratinocyte cell (HaCaT) line as a representative skin exposure model. The cells were exposed to NZVI for time periods of 24 and 48 h. Biocompatibility was assessed using the methyl tetrazolium, or MTS, (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium)) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays to determine in vitro cytotoxicity. The evaluation of mitochondrial function (MTS) and membrane integrity (LDH) in human keratinocytes showed that these “green” synthesized NZVI particles were nontoxic in the human keratinocytes exposed when compared with control samples synthesized using a borohydride protocol. In fact, in most cases, these “green” nanoparticles induced a prolific response in the cellular function even at the highest concentration (100μg ml−1).
Clinical pharmacodynamics of continuous-infusion etoposide

Continuous-infusion etoposide was given to 15 patients with newly diagnosed small-cell lung cancer (extensive disease) and 10 patients with various refractory malignancies. The untreated patients with lung cancer received 200 mg/m2 etoposide over 24 h in combination with 100 mg/m2 cisplatin, and the pretreated patients received 400 mg/m2 etoposide over 36 h as monotherapy. Pharmacokinetic studies of etoposide were carried out in all patients. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure etoposide. All patients had normal hepatic and renal function tests and were followed weekly for hematologic toxicity after therapy. In all, 14 untreated and 9 pretreated patients were evaluable. Biostatistical analysis was done to correlate pharmacokinetic results to hematologic effects. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for continuous variables (i.e., blood counts), and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for ranked variables (i. e., toxicity grades). The values for the area under the plasma concentration vs time curve (AUC) and systemic clearance varied widely among patients. However, the AUC and clearance were significantly correlated (P<0.05) with the WBC and platelet nadirs and the decrease in hemoglobin. The grade of leukopenia and total grade of hematologic toxicity were also correlated with AUC and clearance. Because the interpatient variability in etoposide pharmacokinetics correlates with the variable degree of hematologic toxicity, pharmacokinetic drug monitoring is suggested.
Clinical outcome following treatment of refractory inflammatory and fistulizing Crohn's disease with intravenous cyclosporine

Objective To determine outcome following treatment of refractory Crohn's disease with intravenous ( i.v. ) cyclosporine (CYA). Methods The medical records of 18 patients with refractory Crohn's disease treated with i.v . CYA were reviewed. Nine patients had refractory inflammatory Crohn's disease and nine patients had complex fistulizing Crohn's disease. All patients were initially treated with i.v. CYA (4 mg/kg/day). Patients who responded were converted to standard oral CYA. Patient outcomes were classified as complete response, partial response, or nonresponse. Results Four of nine patients with severe inflammatory Crohn's disease and seven of nine patients with fistulizing Crohn's disease had a partial response to i.v . CYA. Four of four responding patients in the inflammatory group and four of six responding patients in the fistulizing group (plus one initial nonresponder) maintained or improved their response during oral CYA therapy. After discontinuing oral CYA, all four patients in the inflammatory group and five of seven patients in the fistulizing group relapsed despite 1–17 wk of concomitant treatment with azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine (AZA/6MP). Two patients who received overlapping CYA and AZA/6MP for 17 and 23 wk maintained long-term responses. CYA toxicity was minimal: reversible nephrotoxicity (n = 2), headache (n = 2), oral candidiasis (n = 1), paresthesia (n = 2). Conclusions I.v . CYA appears to benefit both refractory inflammatory and fistulizing Crohn's disease. Most patients who respond to i.v . CYA will maintain their response during oral CYA therapy. However, the majority of these patients relapse when oral CYA is discontinued, probably because of inadequate duration of overlap with the slow acting maintenance drugs, AZA/6MP.
Ferromagnetic semicondutors: Battle of the bands.

Accurate and extensive measurements of the compositional dependence of the Curie temperature brings us one step closer to solving the puzzle of the origin of ferromagnetism in the model ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As.
Ultimate temperature stability of a magnetic refrigerator

In recent years there has been an interest in using adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration in space to cool bolometers to the 0.1-0.3 K temperature range. Two different demagnetization schemes have been proposed for such refrigerators. Both methods start the same way: an isothermal magnetization followed by an adiabatic demagnetization. Once the operating temperature is reached, the two methods differ. The first method uses feedback control to perform an isothermal demagnetization. As reported, this system is limited by the resolution of the analog-to-digital converter used. While the stability of this system is the best reported to date (0.5 mK at 200 mK for 14 h), it is several orders of magnitude worse than the theoretical limit. The second method uses a complete demagnetization and allows the temperature to drift up uncontrolled. This system has the disadvantage that the responsivity and noise of a bolometer will also drift, and so will require continuous recalibration. There is some concern that fluctuations in the temperature control system of the first method would adversely affect the bolometer performance by increasing the system noise. The purpose of this note is to present the ultimate stability limit of an isothermal demagnetization feedback control system.
The finite-temperature phase transition at infinite N

Abstract The finite-temperature breakdown of the global Z( N ) symmetry of 3 + 1 dimensional lattice gauge theories is studied within the framework of a reduced, quenched, large- N model using both analytical and numerical methods.
Acquisition of incidental information during instruction for a response-chain skill

We examined the acquisition of incidental information and observational learning of incidental information by adolescents with moderate intellectual disabilities during school-directed systematic instruction. Effectiveness of constant time-delay instruction for vocational-skill acquisition was evaluated within a multiple-probe design across six dyads. Dyadic instructional arrangements allowed the assessment of incidental information acquired through observation. The constant time-delay procedure was effective in teaching the target vocational skill. In addition, participants acquired and retained approximately 50% of the incidental information to which they were exposed during the consequent events of constant time-delay instruction either through direct verbal presentation or through observation of their peers' instruction.
Congestion function specification and the “publicness” of local public goods

Abstract This paper is about the measurement of congestion within the median voter demand framework. The model of congestion traditionally used in the literature and four others are compared and tested in a median voter framework. The results show that a more flexible functional form which imposes fewer a priori restrictions on the data does at least as good a job of explaining variations in local government expenditures. Furthermore, it is shown that measured “publicness” of local public goods depends entirely on the a priori restrictions imposed on the congestion function.