cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Searching the searchers with searchaudit

Search engines not only assist normal users, but also provide information that hackers and other malicious entities can exploit in their nefarious activities. With carefully crafted search queries, attackers can gather information such as email addresses and misconfigured or even vulnerable servers. We present SearchAudit, a framework that identifies malicious queries from massive search engine logs in order to uncover their relationship with potential attacks. SearchAudit takes in a small set of malicious queries as seed, expands the set using search logs, and generates regular expressions for detecting new malicious queries. For instance, we show that, relying on just 500 malicious queries as seed, SearchAudit discovers an additional 4 million distinct malicious queries and thousands of vulnerable Web sites. In addition, SearchAudit reveals a series of phishing attacks from more than 400 phishing domains that compromised a large number of Windows Live Messenger user credentials. Thus, we believe that SearchAudit can serve as a useful tool for identifying and preventing a wide class of attacks in their early phases.
Comparing the Diagnostic Accuracy of Five Instruments for Detecting Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Youth.

The purpose of the study was to compare diagnostic accuracy of five posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) measures in a large outpatient sample of youths 11–18 years of age. Index tests included a parent report (a rationally derived scale from the Child Behavioral Checklist), a teacher report (the Teacher Report Form), and three youth reports—a PTSD scale from the Youth Self Report (YSR), Child PTSD Symptom Scale, and Child and Adolescent Trauma Survey. Interviews with the youth and caregiver using Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children generated criterion diagnoses of PTSD. Diagnoses were blind to scores on the index tests. Based on consensus diagnoses (N = 458), 10% of youth had PTSD. Area under the curve (AUC) from receiver operating characteristic analyses and multilevel likelihood ratios evaluated test performance. All youth reports (AUCs .67–.73) outperformed the teacher report (AUCs .42–.48) at identifying PTSD. The YSR outperformed the caregiver reports (AUCs .57...
Jacob N. Shapiro. The Terrorist's Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations

Not only are terrorist groups beset by the same kind of internal tensions as other organizations, but they have more trouble resolving their organizational problems. These groups’ need for secrecy ...
Influence of charge state and sodium cationization on the electron detachment dissociation and infrared multiphoton dissociation of glycosaminoglycan oligosaccharides

Electron detachment dissociation (EDD) Fourier transform mass spectrometry has recently been shown to be a useful method for tandem mass spectrometry analysis of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). EDD produces abundant glycosidic and cross-ring fragmentations that are useful for localizing sites of sulfation in GAG oligosaccharides. Although EDD fragmentation can be used to characterize GAGs in a single tandem mass spectrometry experiment, SO3 loss accompanies many peaks and complicates the resulting mass spectra. In this work we demonstrate the ability to significantly decrease SO3 loss by selection of the proper ionized state of GAG precursor ions. When the degree of ionization is greater than the number of sulfate groups in an oligosaccharide, a significant reduction in SO3 loss is observed in the EDD mass spectra. These data suggested that SO3 loss is reduced when an electron is detached from carboxylate groups instead of sulfate. Electron detachment occurs preferentially from carboxylate versus sulfate for thermodynamic reasons, provided that carboxylate is in its ionized state. Ionization of the carboxylate group is achieved by selecting the appropriate precursor ion charge state, or by the replacement of protons with sodium cations. Increasing the ionization state by sodium cation addition decreases, but does not eliminate, SO3 loss from infrared multiphoton dissociation of the same GAG precursor ions.
Being Post-Positivist . . . or Just Talking About it?

Hans Ruin and Patrick Heelan join me in celebrating the rise of post-positivist and phenomenological approaches to scientific and technological practice. Yet as they both know, I am also concerned that the very presence of all the new accounts which give voice to this trend may tempt us into concluding prematurely that the traditional understanding of science and technology has already been displaced. With especially Ruin’s encouragement, I expand my original discussion of this concern by explaining why I agree with him about the ontologically mistaken suppositions that one might become post-positivistic by doing philosophy “meta-philosophically,” or become phenomenological by making “life” more basic that “nature.”
The emerging role of the T cell-specific adaptor (TSAd) protein as an autoimmune disease-regulator in mouse and man

T cell-specific adapter protein is a relatively recently described signaling adapter molecule expressed predominantly in T cells and NK cells. Studies in mouse and man have indicated that reduced expression of TSAd in T cells may predispose toward the development of autoimmune disease. In lupus-prone TSAd-deficient mice the development of autoimmunity is associated with an impaired T cell death response to antigens in vivo. Probably, this impaired death response is consequent to reduced T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-induced synthesis of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) cytokine in TSAd-deficient T cells. TSAd appears to contribute to IL-2 synthesis at multiple different levels acting in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of T cells. Recent advances relating to the role of TSAd in T cell signal transduction and as a regulator of autoimmune responses are discussed.
Teaching quality and student achievement in Africa: The case of Nigeria and Swaziland

Abstract This paper uses ordinary regression and multi-level analytic techniques to examine the effects of schools, teachers, and teaching processes on enhancing grade 8 mathematics achievement in Nigeria and Swaziland. A significant proportion of variance in student achievement (24% in Nigeria and 16% in Swaziland) was attributable to between-classroom/school factors. School size, class size, and length of the school year had no effect on student achievement, but teaching processes were important in both countries. However, patterns of effects differed between the two countries, suggesting caution be taken in making generalizations about the nature of effective mixes of inputs.
Extrema of Fractal Random Water Waves

Herein we review the statistical properties of the visibly random behavior of sea waves and the resulting stochastic forces loading off-shore structures and ships. The traditional assumption is that the statistics of the sea surface displacement produced by waves is Gaussian, or equivalently that the statistics of the wave amplitudes are Rayleigh. We examine this and a more general statistical hypothesis in this review, that being that the statistics of surface waves are Levy stable, and investigate the response of dynamical models of off-shore structures to such stochastic forcing. We find that such familiar results as the Weibull distribution for the failure of a dynamical system may be a consequence of the statistics of the driver rather than any nonlinearity in the structure response.
Spectral methods for the Euler equations. II - Chebyshev methods and shock fitting

The Chebyshev spectral collocation method for the Euler gas-dynamic equations is described. It is used with shock fitting to compute several two-dimensional, gas-dynamic flows. Examples include a shock-acoustic wave interaction, a shock/vortex interaction, and the classical blunt body problem. With shock fitting, the spectral method has a clear advantage over second order finite differences in that equivalent accuracy can be obtained with far fewer grid points.
Change in Organizational Culture The Use of Linguistic Methods in a Corporate Acquisition

This exploratory study employs research methods and concepts from linguistics to gain deeper insight into the organizational integration phase of a corporate acquisition. Individual communicative b...
The effects of eticlopride on Morris water task performance in male and female rats neonatally treated with quinpirole

Previous studies have shown that neonatal quinpirole treatment which results in long-term dopamine D2 receptor supersensitization (D2 receptor priming) produces cognitive deficits in preweanling and adult rats behaviorally tested on the Morris water task (MWT). This study was designed to analyze whether pretraining administration of the D2 antagonist eticlopride alleviates cognitive deficits produced by neonatal quinpirole treatment. Both male and female Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with quinpirole HCl (1 mg/kg) or saline from postnatal days 1 to 21. From P22 to P24, rats were tested on the place version of the MWT in which a hidden platform remains stationary throughout training. From P25 to P28, rats were tested on the match-to-place version of the MWT, and rats are given a pair of daily training trials to locate the hidden platform that was moved to a new location each day. Fifteen minutes before each training session, rats were intraperitoneally administered with eticlopride (0.01 or 0.02 mg/kg) or saline. Pretraining eticlopride treatment alleviated cognitive deficits produced by neonatal quinpirole treatment in both male and female rats on the place version of the MWT, as well as in males tested on the match-to-place version of the MWT. However, there were no significant deficits produced by neonatal quinpirole treatment in females tested on the match-to-place version of the MWT, and control males demonstrated superiority over control females on this version of the task. Pretraining administration of the dopamine D2 antagonist eticlopride alleviated cognitive deficits produced by neonatal quinpirole treatment. However, it appears that the dopamine D2 receptor may have a more important influence on cognitive performance in males than in females, which may be related to increased sensitivity of the D2 receptor in males.
Actin depolymerization contributes to ethanol inhibition of NMDA receptors in primary cultured cerebellar granule cells.

Abstract We have previously reported that a 30 s ethanol (10 and 100 mM) pre-exposure significantly enhanced EtOH inhibition of N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA-induced currents)-induced peak currents in primary cultured cerebellar granule cells (CGCs). The purpose of this study was to determine if intracellular factors play a role in ethanol pre-exposure-enhanced inhibition of NMDA-induced currents and if so, to identify the intracellular target(s) mediating this effect. Ethanol pre-exposure-enhanced inhibition was reduced when ethanol was present intracellularly prior to the initiation of the pretreatment protocol. Similar to results acquired with the whole-cell configuration, ethanol pre-exposure-enhanced inhibition of NMDA-induced currents was also observed in the perforated patch-clamp mode. Collectively, these results suggest an intracellular target not easily dialyzed from the cell. Perturbation of the actin cytoskeleton was responsible for the ethanol pre-exposure-enhanced inhibition of NMDA-induced currents was supported by the observation that the intracellular presence of the actin stabilizer phalloidin prevented ethanol pre-exposure-enhanced inhibition. Similar to the effects of ethanol, the depolymerizing agent latrunculin A inhibited NMDA-induced currents after a 30 s pretreatment exposure with full recovery of receptor function after washout of the drug. Furthermore, latrunculin A occluded the enhanced inhibition of NMDA-induced currents by ethanol pre-exposure for both 10 and 100 mM ethanol. The microtubule depolymerizing agent taxol had no affect on ethanol pretreatment-enhanced inhibition of NMDA-induced currents. Confocal microscopy with phalloidin-FITC indicated that F-actin filaments in neurites were depolymerized after a 30 s treatment of either latrunculin A or 100 mM ethanol. Our observations indicate that ethanol inhibition of NMDAR function may involve perturbation of the actin cytoskeleton.
Antagonism of the acute electroencephalographic and behavioral effects of morphine in the rat by depletion of brain biogenic amines

Abstract Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared with chronically implanted cortical and temporalis muscle electrodes for recording of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and the electromyogram (EMG). Morphine injections of 10 mg/kg given i.p. to saline-treated rats were followed almost immediately by the appearance of high voltage EEC slow bursts associated with stuporous behavior, which prevailed for 60–90 min. This phase was superseded by the prevalence of EEG and behavioral arousal over an additional period of 60–90 min, after which EEG and behavioral sleep appeared. Administration of a 10 mg/kg dose of morphine to rats pretreated with (±)-alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine(α-MPT) was followed by a slight but significant shortening of the period of EEG slow bursts and the behavioral stupor as well as by a reduction in the duration of the entire morphine effect. In contrast, rats pretreated with para-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA) responded to morphine by an almost immediate and continuous EEG and behavioral arousal, with only a few intervening episodes of behavioral stupor associated with EEG slow bursts. This effect of p-CPA was completely reversed by the administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) prior to the morphine injection. Pretreatment of the rats with both p-CPA and α-MPT likewise resulted in an attenuation of the period of morphine-induced EEG and behavioral stupor concomitant with a prolongation of the period of behavioral arousal. The effects of this treatment, however, were less pronounced than those occurring after p-CPA alone. These results suggest that the relative amounts of all three monoamines norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the brain, rather than the absolute levels of any one amine, are important in the mediation of the central effects of morphine.
Strain-induced proliferation requires the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/glycogen synthase kinase pathway.

The intestinal epithelium is repetitively deformed by shear, peristalsis, and villous motility. Such repetitive deformation stimulates the proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells on collagen or laminin substrates via ERK, but the upstream mediators of this effect are poorly understood. We hypothesized that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT cascade mediates this mitogenic effect. PI3K, AKT, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) were phosphorylated by 10 cycles/min strain at an average 10% deformation, and pharmacologic blockade of these molecules or reduction by small interfering RNA (siRNA) prevented the mitogenic effect of strain in Caco-2 or IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cells. Strain MAPK activation required PI3K but not AKT. AKT isoform-specific siRNA transfection demonstrated that AKT2 but not AKT1 is required for GSK-3β phosphorylation and the strain mitogenic effect. Furthermore, overexpression of AKT1 or an AKT chimera including the PH domain and hinge region of AKT2 and the catalytic domain and C-tail of AKT1 prevented strain activation of GSK-3β, but overexpression of AKT2 or a chimera including the PH domain and hinge region of AKT1 and the catalytic domain and C-tail of AKT2 did not. These data delineate a role for PI3K, AKT2, and GSK-3β in the mitogenic effect of strain. PI3K is required for both ERK and AKT2 activation, whereas AKT2 is sequentially required for GSK-3β. Furthermore, AKT2 specificity requires its catalytic domain and tail region. Manipulating this pathway may prevent mucosal atrophy and maintain the mucosal barrier in conditions such as ileus, sepsis, and prolonged fasting when peristalsis and villous motility are decreased and the mucosal barrier fails.
The Role of Women in Society: from Preindustrial to Modern Times

The participation of women in agriculture and the role of women in society in the preindustrial period were remarkably different across ethnicities and strongly related to the type of agricultural technology adopted historically. The sexual division of labor was broadly associated to two technological regimes: shifting cultivation, where the majority of agricultural work was done by women, and plough cultivation, a system mostly dominated by men. In this article, we review the literature on the persistent effect of the impact of historical plough use on female labor force participation and fertility today. We also provide additional evidence showing that differences regarding the role of women across the two agricultural regimes were more general and persisted over time in other societal aspects, including the form of marital arrangements, the presence of polygamy and the freedom of movement enjoyed by women. (JEL codes: D03, J16, N30)
Molecular Pathogenesis and a Consequent Classification of Multiple Myeloma

There appear to be two pathways involved in the pathogenesis of premalignant non-immunoglobulin M (IgM) monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM). Nearly half of tumors are nonhyperdiploid, and mostly have one of five recurrent IgH translocations: 16% 11q13 (CCN D1), 3% 6p21 (CCN D3), 5% 16q23 (MAF), 2% 20q12 (MAFB), and 15% 4p16 (FGFR3 and MMSET). The remaining hyperdiploid tumors have multiple trisomies involving chromosomes 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19, and 21, and infrequently one of these five translocations. Although cyclin D1 is not expressed by healthy lymphoid cells, it is bi-allelically dysregulated in a majority of hyperdiploid tumors. Virtually all MM and MGUS tumors have dysregulated and/or increased expression of cyclin D1, D2, or D3, providing an apparent early, unifying event in pathogenesis. The patterns of translocations and cyclin D expression (TC) define a novel classification that includes eight groups: 11q; 6p; MAF; 4p; D1 (34%); D1+D2 (6%); D2 (17%); and none (2%). The hyperdiploid D1 group is virtually absent in extramedullary MM and MM cell lines, suggesting a particularly strong dependence on interaction with the bone marrow microenvironment. Despite shared progression events (RAS mutations, MYC dysregulation, p53 mutations, and additional disruption of the retinoblastoma pathway), the phenotypes of MGUS and MM tumors in the eight TC groups is determined mainly by early oncogenic events. Similar to acute lymphocytic leukemia, MM seems to include several diseases (groups) that have differences in early or initiating events, global gene expression patterns, bone marrow dependence, clinical features, prognosis, and response to therapy.
Artemis: practical runtime monitoring of applications for execution anomalies

A number of hardware and software techniques have been proposed to detect dynamic program behaviors that may indicate a bug in a program. Because these techniques suffer from high overheads they are useful in finding bugs in programs before they are released, but are significantly less useful in finding bugs in long-running programs on production systems -- the same bugs that are the most difficult to find using traditional techniques. In this paper we propose the Artemis1 is the Greek goddess of the hunt and wild animals. Our framework guides the hunt for wild bugs. compiler-based instrumentation framework that complements many pre-existing runtime monitoring techniques. The Artemis framework guides baseline monitoring techniques toward regions of the program where bugs are likely to occur, yielding a low asymptotic monitoring overhead. Artemis also facilitates system-load aware runtime monitoring that allows the monitoring coverage to be dynamically scaled up to take advantage of extra cycles when the system load is low, and dynamically scaled down to monitor only the most suspicious regions when the system load is high. Our experiments show that Artemis' asymptotic overhead can outperform the performance floor overhead of random sampling for many tools, and that Artemis can effectively guide a monitoring tool to the buggy regions of a program. Our experimental results show that Artemis applied to a hardware-based PC-invariance monitoring scheme and a value-based invariance detection and checking scheme significantly improves their runtime monitoring overhead (by up to 4.6 times) with moderate impact on their bug-detecting capabilities.
Demonstration of Aleutian Mink Disease Virus in Cell Culture

THE successful application of affinity chromatography to the isolation of Aleutian disease (AD) virus has provided an opportunity for characterization of the agent1. Although AD was described in 1958, the agent had remained incompletely defined and the various strains used by researchers uncharacterized2. Before the work reported here characterization of AD virus was difficult because the only available assay consisted of producing the disease in mink.
Effects of culture conditions on susceptibility of alveolar epithelial cell monolayers to NO2.

Abstract The effects of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) exposure on primary cultured monolayers of rat type II pneumocytes were investigated as a function of the isolation and culture conditions. Monolayers were cultured in Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) and in MEM supplemented with Ham's F-12; in some experiments, the initial cell suspension was also replated after 3 h. Both supplementation of the basal medium and replating increased the sensitivity of the monolayers to NO 2 , as measured by reduction in dome formation on plastic dishes 24 h post-exposure. These findings suggest that comparisons of in vitro toxicologic observations may be complicated by the effects of specific experimental conditions.
Stress optical measurement of the third normal stress difference in polymer melts under oscillatory shear

Results are reported for the dynamic moduli,G′ andG″, measured mechanically, and the dynamic third normal stress difference, measured optically, of a series bidisperse linear polymer melts under oscillatory shear. Nearly monodisperse hydrogenated polyisoprenes of molecular weights 53000 and 370000 were used to prepare blends with a volume fraction of long polymer,Φ L, of 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.50, and 0.75. The results demonstrate the applicability of birefringence measurements to solve the longstanding problem of measuring the third normal stress difference in oscillatory flow. The relationship between the third normal stress difference and the shear stress observed for these entangled polymer melts is in agreement with a widely predicted constitutive relationship: the relationship between the first normal stress difference and the shear stress is that of a simple fluid, and the second normal stress difference is proportional to the first. These results demonstrate the potential use of 1,3-birefringence to measure the third normal stress difference in oscillatory flow. Further, the general constitutive equation supported by the present results may be used to determine the dynamic moduli from the measured third normal stress difference in small amplitude oscillatory shear. Directions for future research, including the use of birefringence measurements to determineN 2/N 1 in oscillatory shear, are described.
Stress Among African American Emerging Adults: The Role of Family and Cultural Factors

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of family and cultural variables on stress among African American emerging adults. Data from this study was collected as part of a larger study that examined cultural, family, and contextual factors and smoking among African American youth in 5th, 8th, and 12th grades. Data were collected from high school seniors at the end of their 12th grade year and 6 months post high school. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine whether racial identity, family cohesion, and parental monitoring influence students’ perceived frequency of stress. Higher levels of racial identity were associated with more perceived stress. There were no significant main effects for either parental monitoring or family cohesion on stress. There were significant interactions between racial identity and parental monitoring and between parental monitoring and family cohesion. Study implications are discussed regarding the importance of stress reduction programs for African American emerging adults and for parents of these adults.
Perineal endometrioma in episiotomy incisions: Clinical features and management

Four patients, 23--34 years old, who developed endometriomas at the site of an episiotomy 19 months to 11-years postpartum are reported. Pain, Swelling and pruritus varying in intensity with the menstrual cycle were present in all. Complete excision is curative. Symptoms of incompletely excised endometriomas may be controlled by local hormonal injections or systemic hormonal manipulation. The anatomy of the endometrium and its physiologic behavior are reviewed. A concept of WHY endometriomas develop is presented which is compatible with the theories of HOW they occur.
Cell culture techniques in the search for cancer viruses of man.

A combination of biochemical and electron microscopic methods has been utilized to identify viruses present in cell cultures derived from human cancer patients. Two independently established cell lines from breast carcinoma patients have been shown to contian a virus that morphologically appears closely related to the murine mammary tumor virus.
Pharmacokinetics of kanamycin in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana.

Abstract 1. Kanamycin disposition was studied in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) following single doses IP. Both plasma t 1 2 and V d of the drug increased with increasing time after drug indicating redistribution and tight binding of kanamycin to deep tissue compartments. 2. Kanamycin was eliminated unchanged with a t 1 2 plasma = 27 hr ; perilymph = 89 hr; endolymph = 183 hr; aqueous humor = 54 hr; and CSF = 58 hr . 3. Kanamycin was absorbed by frogs from environmental water. 4. Environmental conditions must be carefully specified and monitored, as well as the physiological state of the animals when studying the effects of drugs on Amphibia.
Graduate surgical education redesign: Reflections on curriculum theory and practice

THE WORD CURRICULUM has its origins in the running and chariot tracks of Greece. It was, literally, a course. 1 As time and society have evolved, educators’ views of the meaning of curriculum have changed. Varying philosophic positions on the role of education in society and disparate assumptions about what helps people learn shaped educators’ views about curriculum and how they defined it. The purpose of this paper is to describe two popular classifications of curriculum, briefly explain the educational theory associated with each, and review their implications for teachers and learners. The test of good theory is whether it can guide practice. In reverse, good practice is based on theory. A framework for thinking about curriculum theory and practice is important in light of current efforts to redesign curriculum for surgical residency education. Various taxonomies exist for categorizing curriculum theories, theorists, and models. 1 For the
Ligand-Induced Conformational Change in the α7 Nicotinic Receptor Ligand Binding Domain

Molecular dynamics simulations of a homology model of the ligand binding domain of the a7 nicotinic receptor are conducted with a range of bound ligands to induce different conformational states. Four simulations of 15 ns each are run with no ligand, antagonist d-tubocurarine (dTC), agonist acetylcholine (ACh), and agonist ACh with potentiator Ca 21 , to give insight into the conformations of the active and inactive states of the receptor and suggest the mechanism for conformational change. The main structural factor distinguishing the active and inactive states is that a more open, symmetric arrangement of the five subunits arises for the two agonist simulations, whereas a more closed and asymmetric arrangement results for the apo and dTC cases. Most of the difference arises in the lower portion of the ligand binding domain near its connection to the adjacent transmembrane domain. The transfer of the more open state to the transmembrane domain could then promote ion flow through the channel. Variation in how subunits pack together with no ligand bound appears to give rise to asymmetry in the apo case. The presence of dTC expands the receptor but induces rotations in alternate directions in adjacent subunits that lead to an asymmetric arrangement as in the apo case. Ca 21 appears to promote a slightly greater expansion in the subunits than ACh alone by stabilizing the C-loop and ACh positions. Although the simulations are unlikely to be long enough to view the full conformational changes between open and closed states, a collection of different motions at a range of length scales are observed that are likely to participate in the conformational change.
Computing a graph's period quadratically by node condensation

A condensation algorithm for finding the period and cyclic classes of an n node strongly connected graph (or equivalently, the period of an n state irreducible Marcov chain) is given for which an upper bound on the number of operations is proportional to n^2. This substantially improves upon the upper bounds of the two existing algorithms known to us, both of which are proportional to n^4. The idea of our method is this. The set of nodes accessible in one step from some node 1, say, belong to a common cyclic class and so can be ''condensed'' into a single node. Similarly, the set of nodes accessible in one step from that condensed node belong to a common cyclic class and so can be condensed into a single node. After at most 2n-2 repetitions of this procedure, the resulting graph is a circuit whose length is the period of the original graph and each of whose nodes is a condensation of a cyclic class in the original graph.
The peaked audiometric configuration in Meniere's disease: disease related?

A retrospective analysis of audiograms was completed for persons from 3 different patient groups. These 3 groups were (1) persons with unilateral Meniere's disease, (2) persons with unilateral acoustic tumor, and (3) persons from the general clinical population of an audiology clinic in a major medical center. As Paparella, McDermott, Luiz, and de Sousa (1982) also report, the most common audiometric configuration in the Meniere's disease group was peaked, a condition in which poorer hearing is reported in the low and high frequencies, and an island of better hearing sensitivity occurs at either 1.0 or 2.0 kHz. Some of the peaked audiograms from persons in our Meniere's disease group could be a result of a low-frequency hearing loss caused by Meniere's disease combined with a high-frequency hearing loss due to aging or other environmental factors. However, 27% (13/48) of the peaked audiograms in ears with Meniere's disease were found in persons with no hearing loss in the high frequencies of their nondise...
Transition of the role and structure of mass media in China and some implications for advertising strategy

Considers the effects on the mass media of China’s transition to a more open economy and the strategies which advertisers might use to overcome the problems it presents. Describes the media available (including the unofficial “black route”, the official but restricted private sector “white route”, and the state “red route”) and lists the challenges which advertisers face in using them. Suggests some strategies and practices which can help to overcome them and some hypotheses on future media use. Calls for further research in this area.
Nutritional Survey of Candidates for Examination

The survey of nutritive intake conditions of 214 candidates preparing for entrance examination. The result is they are not in the sufficient condition of calonic intake and more care should be paid on them.
Fear of falling in people with chronic stroke.

OBJECTIVE We assessed the prevalence of fear of falling (FoF) in a sample of people with chronic stroke and compared multiple variables (balance, anxiety, depression, activity and participation, and stroke severity) in people with and without FoF. METHOD This study was a secondary analysis of data collected from a cross-sectional study of mobility after stroke in 77 participants with chronic stroke (>6 mo poststroke). RESULTS Of the 77 participants, 51 (66%) reported experiencing FoF. People with FoF had significantly decreased balance (p<.001) and activity and participation (p=.006) and significantly increased anxiety (p=.007). People with FoF also had significantly worse stroke severity (p=.001). CONCLUSION FoF is a prevalent concern in the chronic stroke population. The presence of FoF was associated with a variety of negative consequences. Occupational therapy practitioners should address FoF to help clients manage FoF and possibly improve recovery.
Genetically fused single-chain anti-Salmonella antibody with aequorin: a bioluminescence immunoassay for a Salmonella antigen

Abstract We report the development of a competitive heterogeneous immunoassay for BSA-conjugated Salmonella antigen using a fusion protein between an anti- Salmonella single-chain antibody (scFv) and the photo-protein aequorin (AEQ). It has been demonstrated that the fusion protein (scFvLAEQ) maintains both the antibody binding affinity toward the Salmonella antigen as well as the luminescence properties of the photoprotein. Using scFvLAEQ, the competitive immunoassay gave a detection limit of 10 μg ml −1 of Salmonella antigen. The assay eliminates the need for a labeled secondary antibody usually required in enzyme-linked immuosorbent assays (ELISAs), and therefore, it may find potential applications in detecting Salmonella contamination.
Photostability of Nitro-Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Combustion Soot Particles in Sunlight

Little is known about the stability of nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAH) on atmospheric aerosols. In this study, the photostability of particle-associated NPAH was investigated under natural sunlight. Deuterated and native NPAH along with diesel exhaust or wood smoke particles were added to a 190-m3 outdoor smog chamber and permitted to age under sunlight in cold and warm temperatures. Ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile hydrocarbons in the gas phase were monitored. A sampling train consisting of an annular denuder filter plus another denuder was used for the collection of gas- and particle-phase PAH and NPAH. Rapid degradation of deuterated and native NPAH was observed in sunlight, over a temperature range of −19 to +38 °C. Deuterated 1-nitropyrene (d9-1NP) displayed the same behavior as native 1-nitropyrene (1NP), which indicated that it was reasonable to use deuterated NPAH as substitutes for native NPAH. The photolysis rate of NPAH was referenced to the NO2 photolysis rate in o...
A Review of Systems for the Personal Aspects of Patient Care

ABSTRACT Because patients are appropriate judges of the personal aspects of the care received from physicians, the authors conducted lengthy interviews with 50 randomly chosen medical inpatients. They were asked to describe, in an open-ended but semistructured fashion, their favorable and unfavorable impressions and reactions to the personal aspects of care rendered by their physicians. From the specific comments made by the patients in these interviews, we constructed a detailed taxonomy of desired physician attitudes and behaviors. The taxonomy can be used in a manner analogous to a Review of Systems for teaching students and practitioners the elements of personal care and also can be applied for research in patient physician communication.
T Cell Receptor Signaling Is Limited by Docking Geometry to Peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex

T cell receptor (TCR) engagement of peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) is essential to adaptive immunity, but it is unknown whether TCR signaling responses are influenced by the binding topology of the TCR-peptide-MHC complex. We developed yeast-displayed pMHC libraries that enabled us to identify new peptide sequences reactive with a single TCR. Structural analysis showed that four peptides bound to the TCR with distinct 3D and 2D affinities using entirely different binding chemistries. Three of the peptides that shared a common docking mode, where key TCR-MHC germline interactions are preserved, induced TCR signaling. The fourth peptide failed to induce signaling and was recognized in a substantially different TCR-MHC binding mode that apparently exceeded geometric tolerances compatible with signaling. We suggest that the stereotypical TCR-MHC docking paradigm evolved from productive signaling geometries and that TCR signaling can be modulated by peptides that are recognized in alternative TCR-pMHC binding orientations.
Topological insulators: A romance with many dimensions

Electric charges on the boundaries of certain insulators are programmed by topology to keep moving forward when they encounter an obstacle, rather than scattering backwards and increasing the resistance of the system. This is just one reason why topological insulators are one of the hottest topics in physics right now.
The angiosperm phylogeny Website ‐ a tool for reference and teaching in a time of change

Repositories of biological information should include up-to-date, cumulative research as well as address issues affecting the scholarly community at-large. Because of the dynamic and interdisciplinary nature of research in today's biological “infosphere,” it is becoming increasingly difficult to produce stable and useful monographic treatments with the timeliness and impact that biodiversity issues deserve. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (“APweb”) is a biological information resource that has had far-reaching impact in the botanical community. The APweb represents a culmination of information developed by botanical researchers, presented in a user-friendly, hierarchical and intuitive format meant for all levels of interest in the botanical sciences. It is innovative in its field in that the content is dynamic, reflecting up-to-date research in the evolutionary relationships of flowering plants. This poster will discuss the significance, use and function of the APweb in its role as a teaching and reference tool as well as design, collaboration and technical issues encountered in its development. Of particular relevance to library and information science practitioners, the APweb may serve as an example of how a simple design can be used to present a wealth of information for plant bioinformatics and education.
Endodontic therapy of a dilated dens invaginatus

Dens invaginatus m a y involve the supernumerary , p r imary , or pe rmanent denti t ion. The incidence of this en t i ty has been repor ted to occur in the general popu la t ion from 0.25% to 5.1%. 1 Dur ing the past 100 years, there have been less than 50 cases of dens invaginatus r epor ted in the l i terature. 2 A p p r o x i m a t e l y ha l f of the cases involved the max i l l a ry la teral incisor. These cases m a y be categorized into one of five classes, which are normal crown and root (J. F. Ta in tor , DDS, unpub l i shed data , 1977), normal crown with d i la ted root, d i la ted crown wi th no rma l root, conical crown with d i l a t ed root, and d i la ted crown with d i l a ted root. This paper describes a case of dens invaginatus with a d i l a ted crown and di la ted root. The et iology of dens invagina tus is subject to controversy. 3-7 O f the repor ted cases, only seven have occurred in the m a n d i b u l a r teeth. ~12 All seven of these cases occurred in poster ior teeth (premolars and molars). O the r au thors la15 have commen ted on the ra r i ty of this defect in m a n d i b u l a r teeth. T h e occurrence of both a d i la ted root and d i la ted crown has only been repor ted in seven teeth 9'1~ wi th only one case repor ted in a m a n d i b u l a r tooth. 9 None of the five classes of dens invaginatus has b e e n repor ted or has been t reated in an te r ior m a n d i b u l a r teeth. The purpose of this p a p e r is to repor t a case of a m a n d i b u l a r la teral incisor with d i la ted crown and d i la ted root tha t requi red endodont ic therapy. Case Report
Water content, hydraulic conductivity, and ice formation in winter stems of Pinus contorta: a TDR case study.

Stem water content, ice fraction, and losses in xylem conductivity were monitored from November 1996 to October 1997 in an even-aged stand of Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine) near Potlatch, Idaho, USA. A time domain reflectometry (TDR) probe was used to continuously monitor stem water contents and ice fractions. Stem sapwood water contents measured with TDR were not different from water contents measured gravimetrically. The liquid water content of stems ranged from 0.70 m3 m–3 to 0.20 m3 m–3 associated with freezing and thawing of the wood tissue. Ice fraction of the stem varied from 0–75% during the winter suggesting liquid water was always present even at ambient temperatures below –20°C. Shoot xylem tensions decreased through the winter to a minimum of ca. –1.4 MPa in February then increased to –0.4 MPa in May. Shoot xylem tensions decreased during the growing season reaching –1.7 MPa by September. Annually, low shoot water potentials were not correlated to decreases in stem hydraulic conductivity. Xylem conductivity decreased due to cavitation through the winter and was 70% of summer values by March. Decreases in xylem conductivity were correlated to low shoot water potentials and cumulative freezing and thawing events within the xylem. Xylem conductivity increased to pre-winter values by May and no reductions in xylem conductivity were observed during the growing season.
Numerical Simulations of Flow Modification of Supersonic Rectangular Jets

Numerical simulations have been performed to study the flowfield and near-field noise of a supersonic rectangular jet with two paddles inserted into the flow. The paddles cause a strong flapping motion to develop that enhances mixing of the jet with the surroundings. These simulations have been used to determine the flapping motion's frequency, the mixing enhancement, the near-field noise, and the thrust loss associated with the paddles and to study the acoustic feedback mechanism that modulates the flapping motion. The flapping frequency has been estimated using the pitot pressure distributions at a sequence of times and Fourier analysis of the local pressure and z component of velocity. For paddles located x/h = 7.3 from the nozzle, where h is the narrow dimension of the nozzle, a frequency of 4700 Hz [St(h) = 0.136] with an amplitude of 157.5 dB at the nozzle lip has been predicted and is in agreement with experimental results. The pitot pressure drop, the mass, and the x-momentum fluxes along the flow direction have been used as a measure of jet mixing for jets with and without paddles inserted into the flow. In our numerical simulations, a control volume approach was used to estimate the thrust loss caused by the insertion of the paddles. The computational value of 13% is close to the experimental value of 14.4%, considering that the physical support for the paddles in the experiments is not included in the simulations. A special sequence of local pressure distribution plots, which highlight the acoustic waves, has been used to study the feedback mechanism that modulates the flapping motion.
Alloying effects on sulphur embrittlement of the γ-γ′ interface of nickel-based single-crystal superalloys

Fully first-principles calculations have been performed to investigate the alloying effect on the sulphur embrittlement of the n - n ' interface of nickel-based single-crystal superalloys. The shear and cohesive strengths of the inter-face are calculated in terms of Mayer bond orders (BOs), and the ratio R BO of shear strength over cohesive strength is analysed as a function of alloying element substitution. The interface characteristics are also studied using the electron charge-density distribution. It is found that the interplay between shear and cohesive strengths has a significant influence on the interfacial embrittlement. Using the phenomenological theory of fracture as well as the calculated ratio R BO, we propose a new mechanism responsible for relieving sulphur embrittlement of the n - n ' interface through alloying substitution.
Ownership composition and non-audit service fees

Abstract This study examines the empirical relationship between the institutional stock ownership and the relative level of non-audit service fees. We suggest that the presence of sophisticated investors like institutional shareholders determines the effectiveness of stockholder monitoring of corporate affairs including audit and non-audit management process. Those shareholders induce firms to reduce the level of non-audit service purchase as a safeguard against auditor independence problem. The regression analysis shows that institutional stock ownership is negatively related to the non-audit fee ratio. Further, a two-stage least squares analysis disentangles the endogeneity driven ambiguity existing in a negative relationship between institutional stock ownership and non-audit fee ratio. The result is consistent with the view that institutional shareholders actively monitor corporate affairs and influence managerial decision to purchase non-audit service from incumbent auditors in order to ensure that auditors maintain their objectivity in assurance functions. The results hold in various specification tests.
The Dynamic Nature of Eukaryotic Genomes

Analyses of diverse eukaryotes reveal that genomes are dynamic, sometimes dramatically so. In numerous lineages across the eukaryotic tree of life, DNA content varies within individuals throughout life cycles and among individuals within species. Discovery of examples of genome dynamism is accelerating as genome sequences are completed from diverse eukaryotes. Though much is known about genomes in animals, fungi, and plants, these lineages represent only 3 of the 60-200 lineages of eukaryotes. Here, we discuss diverse genomic strategies in exemplar eukaryotic lineages, including numerous microbial eukaryotes, to reveal dramatic variation that challenges established views of genome evolution. For example, in the life cycle of some members of the "radiolaria," ploidy increases from haploid (N) to approximately 1,000N, whereas intrapopulation variability of the enteric parasite Entamoeba ranges from 4N to 40N. Variation has also been found within our own species, with substantial differences in both gene content and chromosome lengths between individuals. Data on the dynamic nature of genomes shift the perception of the genome from being fixed and characteristic of a species (typological) to plastic due to variation within and between species.
Inspection In The Third Dimension: Metal Mask Inspection Problems

The thermal conduction module (TCM) used in the IBM 3081 processor series incorporates a 90mm square multilayer ceramic substrate which requires thin metal masks for thick film personalization. The LSI semiconductors used on the TCM's require similar masks. These masks require accurately located features and precise cavity geometries and surface characteristics. The type of mask encountered in manufacturing is described, and the current inspection, measurement, and data handling techniques are discussed. The need for an improved inspection system is highlighted.
TOM, a Program for Interactive Lattice Design

An interactive program to help design accelerator lattices and lattice insertions is described. Present limitations and directions of future development are indicated.
Are α-alkoxyalkyl complexes special? 13CH coupling constant evidence.

Abstract Comlexes of type L n MCH 2 O 2 CCMe 3 exhibit relatively large values of 1 J CH for the α-carbon; however, unexpectedly large values are also found for the methyl analogs, L n MCH 3 . Thus technique does not provide evidence for any unusual interactions in the former. Cleavage of the ester linkage by MeLi proceeded cleanly only for L n M = CpMo(Co) 3 , leading to CpMo(CO) 3 − ; with L n M = Mn(CO) 5 or CpFe(CO) 2 electron transfer processes predominate. Such reactions are also observed for simple metal alkyls such as CpFe(CO) 2 CH 3 .