cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequence relationships among C. elegans, D. melanogaster and human microRNAs highlight the extensive conservation of microRNAs in biology.

microRNAs act in a prevalent and conserved post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanism that impacts development, homeostasis and disease, yet biological functions for the vast majority of miRNAs remain unknown. Given the power of invertebrate genetics to promote rapid evaluation of miRNA function, recently expanded miRNA identifications (miRBase 10.1), and the importance of assessing potential functional redundancies within and between species, we evaluated miRNA sequence relationships by 5′ end match and overall homology criteria to compile a snapshot overview of miRNA families within the C. elegans and D. melanogaster genomes that includes their identified human counterparts. This compilation expands literature documentation of both the number of families and the number of family members, within and between nematode and fly models, and highlights sequences conserved between species pairs or among nematodes, flies and humans. Themes that emerge include the substantial potential for functional redundancy of miRNA sequences within species (84/139 C. elegans miRNAs and 70/152 D. melanogaster miRNAs share significant homology with other miRNAs encoded by their respective genomes), and the striking extent to which miRNAs are conserved across species—over half (73/139) C. elegans miRNAs share sequence homology with miRNAs encoded also in both fly and human genomes. This summary analysis of mature miRNA sequence relationships provides a quickly accessible resource that should facilitate functional and evolutionary analyses of miRNAs and miRNA families.
Social Skills Training With Youth in School Settings: A Review

This article is a critical review and synthesis of the current state of practice research involving social skills training (SST) with adolescents and preadolescents within educational settings. The article begins with a brief description of challenges and behaviors facing adolescents in the 1990s. This is followed by an overview of terminology, problems, and methods related to SST. Intervention research conducted within educational settings over the past 12 years (N = 25 studies) is reviewed in terms of sampling, conceptual adequacy, research method, and interpretation. Key findings are highlighted and include the presence of positive or mixed results for SST participators in 23 of the 25 studies, whereas 2 studies indicated no change for the SST groups. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and a discussion of applications to social work practice.
Stimulation of hair growth in rabbits by ionizing radiations.

IN the course of experiments on tracing the location of radioactive phosphorus injected intradermally1, observations were made concerning the growth of hair. A series of rabbits was given a dose of 1,000 r. or 1,500 r. (100 kV., 7 m.amp., 2 mm. aluminium filter; half-value layer, 0.11 mm. copper; focus–skin distance, 15.5 cm.) through a ‘new moon and sixpence’ pattern in a lead shield backed with ‘Perspex’ (a circular area of 3 cm. diameter separated by a strip of skin 1 cm. in width, from a crescent-shaped exposed area of skin also 1 cm. in width surrounding half its circumference), and a solution containing 0.4 mc. of radioactive phosphorus was injected within the circle immediately after exposure.
Comparing mental models of novice programmers when using visual and command line environments

Improving the novice's experience with learning to program has been an important research topic for some time. Appropriate programming environments for novices have been one research area. For example, many departments have adopted visual environments to teach programming as opposed to a command line environment at the beginning stages of a CS curriculum.The features in standard command line environments are not as assistive to programmers as visual environments. Novices must learn both language syntax and semantics while navigating the file system and compilation tools. On the other hand, visual environments can enable novices to conduct the same behavior with one or more button clicks.However, the consistency and affordance of certain features in visual environments could cause novices to develop a false perception of programming. In addition, such features may impose the inability for novices to immediately adapt to less assistive environments. In contrast, command line environments may enable novices to develop better mental models for programming because of their limited features, which could also allow them to transition to other environments much easier.A protocol analysis was conducted on seven students from a CS1 course who learned Python using either IDLE or VIM. The objective was to record and analyze each student's behavior while they use the opposing environment to write a program. This study showed that students who originally used IDLE were not as equipped for transitioning to VIM as their counterparts who transitioned to IDLE.
Ankle-brachial index (ABI) and quiescent-interval single shot (QISS) MRA in peripheral arterial disease (PAD): comparison of diagnostic accuracy and need for additional imaging procedures

Background PAD is a major cause of morbidity and accurate diagnosis is essential for optimal patient management. ABI measurement is the initial diagnostic test of choice however, accuracy is sometimes limited, e.g. in diabetic patients and with vessel calcification. Additional imaging with CTA, MRA, or DSA is often required prior to revascularization. QISS MRA is a rapid, operator-independent non-contrast MRA technique which has been reported to evaluate PAD with accuracy comparable to that of CE-MRA (1). We compared ABI and QISS MRA with respect to the following: (a) what is the accuracy for hemodynamically significant stenoses; (b) was the detected abnormality located in the symptomatic limb; (c) after imaging with QISS MRA is there an expectation for additional imaging evaluation prior to intervention?
Genetic instability in human ovarian cancer cell lines.

Abstract We have analyzed the stability of microsatellites in cell lines derived from human ovarian cancers and found that 5 out of 10 of the ovarian tumor cell lines are genetically unstable at the majority of the loci analyzed. In clones and subclones derived serially from one of these cell lines (2774; serous cystadenocarcinoma), a very high proportion of microsatellites distributed in many different regions of the genome change their size in a mercurial fashion. We conclude that genomic instability in ovarian tumors is a dynamic and ongoing process whose high frequency may have been previously underestimated by PCR-based allelotyping of bulk tumor tissue. We have identified the source of the genetic instability in one ovarian tumor as a point mutation (R524P) in the human mismatch-repair gene MSH2 (Salmonella MutS homologue), which has recently been shown to be involved in hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. Patient 2774 was a 38-year-old heterozygote, and her normal tissue carried both mutant and wild-type alleles of the human MSH2 gene. However the wild-type allele was lost at some point early during tumorigenesis so that DNA isolated either from the patient's ovarian tumor or from the 2774 cell line carries only the mutant allele of the human MSH2 gene. The genetic instability observed in the tumor and cell line DNA, together with the germ-line mutation in a mismatch-repair gene, suggest that the MSH2 gene is involved in the onset and/or progression in a subset of ovarian cancer.
New approach to the separation of ultraviolet and infrared divergences of Feynman-parametric integrals

A scheme for systematically separating ultraviolet divergences of Feynman amplitudes in parametric space is developed. It is summarized by an explicit formula which enables us to incorporate readily the ultraviolet-finite remainders thus constructed into the usual renormalization scheme. It is shown further that infrared divergences can be treated in a very similar way. Our method is particularly suitable for numerical integration.
Impossibility of the Efimov effect for p -wave interactions

Whether the Efimov effect is possible, in principle, for $p$-wave or higher partial-wave interactions is a fundamental question. Recently, there has been a claim that three nonrelativistic particles with resonant $p$-wave interactions exhibit the Efimov effect. We point out that the assumed $p$-wave scattering amplitude inevitably causes a negative probability. This indicates that the Efimov states found there cannot be realized in physical situations. We also restate our previous argument that the Efimov effect, defined as an infinite tower of universal bound states characterized by discrete scale invariance, is impossible for $p$-wave or higher partial-wave interactions.
The study of molecular switching mechanisms.

Abstract High resolution NMR studies of proteins reveal differences in mobility in different segments and side chains. These differences in mobility may be related to those features of the protein structure which are important in the function of these proteins as regulatory units--switches or transducers.
Psoriasis: A disease of the total skin

Psoriasis is a disease of the total skin, which becomes clinically evident when a psoriasic lesion appears following an injury to the symptomless skin of a psoriasis patient. Although not all biopsy specimens of the symptomless skin show pathologic findings, the evolution of a psoriasic plaque can be envisioned as developing from the nonvisible phases of residual psoriasis, prepsoriasis, and latent psoriasis into a visible state where macules evolve into papules and papules coalesce to form plaques.
Evaluating instructional programs: How much is enough?

Instructional developers need to determine the degree of economically justifiable rigor for evaluating instructional products. Rigorous evaluation, involving outside evaluators, random assignment of masses of individuals from well-defined populations, and massive amounts of data, is often beyond their means. At the opposite extreme, representing no evaluation at all desite the size of consumer market, are most standard educational materials. A successive approximations scheme to empirical determination of effectiveness is needed, with consumers aware of the risks involved. The fear to “teaching to the test” (recently termed “wholly indefensible”) conflics with the basic assumptions of the teachonology of instruction and with the achievement of accountability of the instructional system to its consumers.
Studies of learning to learn IX. Temporal changes in nonspecific transfer

This study investigated the temporal persistence of transfer effects attributable to learning to learn (LTL). Experimental groups learned two successive lists. The class of materials in the two lists remained the same for half the groups and changed for the other half of the groups. The interlist interval was either 3 min., 30 min., or 48 hr. Control groups learned a single list. Initial gains in performance were comparable under all conditions of transfer. However, the long-term decline in LTL effects was substantially greater when the class of materials remained the same than when it changed. Under the former conditions item-specific negative transfer appears to counteract the positive influence of LTL as the interlist interval is lengthened.
Shock-Tube Studies of Equilibrium Air Radiation

The results of an experimental investigation of equilibrium air radiation in the wavelength region of 0.17 to 6.0 ju are presented. The data were obtained using a thin-film heat-transfer gage to measure the stagnation-point, equilibrium radiative heat-transfer rate on hemispherical models mounted in an arc-driven, shock-tube facility. Stagnation conditions corresponding to flight velocities between 26,000 and 52,000 fps and altitudes from 100,000 to 170,000 ft were simulated. The results are compared with existing theoretical calculations, and reasonable agreement is shown to exist. Recent measurements of radiative heat transfer at wavelengths down to 1200 A are also discussed. Nomenclature Et = total radiant energy emission per unit volume and unit time FI = shock-layer shape correction factor F2 = thin-film gage geometric view factor I = thin-film gage current / = radiance M = Mach number p = pressure q = heat-transfer rate RN = nose radius of hemispherical body T = transmissivity; temperature t = time V = velocity Vs — incident normal shock velocity aG = absorptivity of thin-film gage 5 = shock-detachment distance X = wavelength of radiation p = gas density po = atmospheric density at standard conditions = 1.293 X 10-3 g/cm3 Subscripts
Genetic Base of 651 Chinese Soybean Cultivars Released during 1923 to 1995

A diverse genetic base is important to breeding progress. The genetic base of U.S. and Canadian (US-CAN) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars is narrow. Modern Chinese soybean cultivars have been cited as a reservoir of genetic diversity for U.S. breeding. However, the genetic base of Chinese soybean cultivars is not well characterized. The purpose of this paper was to quantify the genetic base of Chinese soybean breeding by means of coefficient of parentage (CP) analysis and to compare it with that of US-CAN soybean. Three hundred thirty-nine ancestors were identified in the pedigrees of 651 Chinese soybean cultivars released during 1923-1995. Ancestors originating from China contributed 88% of the genes to the Chinese genetic base, and 45 exotic ancestors contributed 12%, as determined by CP analysis, Comparison of Chinese and US-CAN bases showed that (i) the genetic base of Chinese soybean breeding was much larger than that ofthe US-CAN and (ii) the Chinese base has continued to expand with time while the US-CAN base has changed little. Analysis showed that 35 and 339 ancestors contributed 50 and 90% of the genes to Chinese soybean cultivars, while only five and 26 ancestors contributed similar amounts to the US-CAN base. The three major soybean growing regions in China, Northeastern (NEC), Northern (NC) and Southern (SC) had little soybean ancestry in common with each other and constituted almost independent genetic bases. Each of the major Chinese growing regions had more ancestors and a more uniform distribution of ancestral contributions than did the total US-CAN breeding effort. Although the genetic base of both Chinese and U.S. soybeans are dominated by Chinese landraces, no landraces were identified by name as common to both. In recent decades, 24 U.S. cultivars and lines have been bred to Chinese stock. These U.S. materials now constitute 7.3% of the genetic base for Chinese cultivars and have led to important yield advances in China. In contrast, U.S. breeding has made little use of Chinese cultivars. By virtue of their broad genetic base and isolation from U.S. cultivars, modern Chinese soybean cultivars are potentially important to U.S. breeding programs.
Influence of age on the cortisol response to dexamethasone.

Controversy exists regarding the association of age with postdexamethasone serum cortisol levels. We evaluated this relationship in 95 patients with major depressive disorder and 49 healthy controls. Age and 8 a.m. postdexamethasone cortisol levels were not correlated among the healthy controls, but were positively associated among the depressives. There was also a trend for age and 4 p.m. postdexamethasone cortisol levels to be positively associated in depressives. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that these associations could not be explained by other variables such as sex, psychotic features, or familial subtype of depression. Several hypotheses that might account for these associations are examined.
Search for millicharged particles using optically levitated microspheres.

Tiny dielectric spheres in an optical trap are used to search for hypothetical particles with a small fractional charge.
Magnetic solutions to 2+1 gravity.

We report on a new solution to the Einstein-Maxwell equations in 2+1 dimensions with a negative cosmological constant. The solution is static, rotationally symmetric, and has a nonzero magnetic field. The solution can be interpreted as a monopole with an everywhere finite energy density. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Arming the Embargoed: A Supply-Side Understanding of Arms Embargo Violations

Nearly every international arms embargo has been systemically violated by arms exporting states. Although much work has been done exploring why states transfer arms, little has been done to answer the question of why states choose to violate arms embargoes. Earlier studies have found that states transfer arms to one another for a variety of economic and strategic reasons. This study constructs a time series cross-section data set to test whether the same interests that drive dyadic arms transfers also influence the likelihood and size of arms embargo violations. Using a two-stage model of dyadic arms transfers, this study finds that measures for arms import dependence and alliance portfolio similarity best predict the likelihood and size of arms embargo violations. These results provide evidence that state decisions to violate embargoes are driven by political interests more than economic interests.
METROMEX: an Investigation of Inadvertent Weather Modification

Abstract METROMEX, a field project designed and now in progress at St. Louis, involves 4 research groups planning and working cooperatively to study inadvertent weather modification by urban-industrial effects, and, in particular, man-made changes of precipitation. Urban areas affect most forms of weather and some, such as winds, temperature, and visibility, are obvious and their changes are easily measured. inadvertent precipitation changes are harder to measure, and except for the well-documented La Porte anomaly, urban-related rain changes have had only limited study. Examination of historical data at St. Louis has revealed summer increases in the immediate downwind area of. 1) rainfall (10–17%); 2) moderate rain days (11–23%); 3) heavy rainstorms (80%) 4) thunderstorms (21%); and 5) hailstorms (30%). METROMEX field measurements in the summer of 1971 involved 220 raingages and hailpads, 3 radar sets, 70 rainwater collectors, 14 pibal stations, 4 meteorological aircraft, unique atmospheric tracers, and ...
Magnetic properties of REFe2Si2 compounds

Abstract Structural, magnetization and Mossbauer measurements are reported on REF2Si2 (RE = La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Er). In contradiction with earlier reports, all these compounds contain only one type of Fe atom with no magnetic moment on it. The antiferromagnetic phase of Nd, Gd and Er compounds produces hyperfine magnetic fields at half of the Fe sites and no field at the other half. This permits us to predict the antiferromagnetic structure. La and Ce compounds show weak paramagnetic behavior indicating tetravalent Ce and trivalent La atoms in these structures.
Stabilization of Ternary Compounds via Ordered Arrays of Defect Pairs

First-principles calculations show that the defect pair $({2V}_{\mathrm{Cu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}+{\mathrm{In}}_{\mathrm{Cu}}^{+})$ in CuInS${\mathrm{e}}_{2}$ has an unusually low formation energy, due both to the relative ease of forming Cu vacancies $({V}_{\mathrm{Cu}})$ and to the attractive interactions between ${V}_{\mathrm{Cu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${\mathrm{In}}_{\mathrm{Cu}}^{2+}$. The defect pair is predicted to be electrically inactive. This explains the surprising electrical tolerance of CuInS${\mathrm{e}}_{2}$ to its huge $(\ensuremath{\sim}1%)$ concentration of native defects. An attractive interaction among the defect pairs is further predicted to lead to a crystallographic ordering of the pairs, explaining the observed, but hitherto surprising, structures CuI${\mathrm{n}}_{5}$S${\mathrm{e}}_{8}$, CuI${\mathrm{n}}_{3}$S${\mathrm{e}}_{5}$, C${\mathrm{u}}_{2}$I${\mathrm{n}}_{4}$S${\mathrm{e}}_{7}$, etc.
Science or Ideology? A Response to Murray and Frenk

The WHO's World Health Report 2000, entitled Health Systems: Improving Performance, and Christopher Murray and Julio Frenk's replies to Vicente Navarro's critique of that report, reproduce an unawareness of the errors inherent in using a synthetic indicator such as overall health systems performance: the complexity and difficulty in selecting and weighting the many individual indicators that are to be included in the final, overall indicator. Decisions about how to weight the importance of the various components of the overall indicator and the sources used to select information on those components reproduce a set of highly questionable assumptions and heavily loaded ideological choices that weaken the scientific credibility of the overall indicator and of the WHO report itself. This transforms the report into a political ideological document that simply conveys and perpetuates the current conventional wisdom in health policy.
Development of a new multidimensional individual and interpersonal resilience measure for older adults

Objectives: Develop an empirically grounded measure that can be used to assess family and individual resilience in a population of older adults (aged 50–99).Methods: Cross-sectional, self-report data from 1006 older adults were analyzed in two steps. The total sample was split into two subsamples and the first step identified the underlying latent structure through principal component exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The second step utilized the second half of the sample to validate the derived latent structure through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).Results: EFA produced an eight-factor structure that appeared clinically relevant for measuring the multidimensional nature of resilience. Factors included self-efficacy, access to social support network, optimism, perceived economic and social resources, spirituality and religiosity, relational accord, emotional expression and communication, and emotional regulation. CFA confirmed the eight-factor structure previously achieved with covariance between ea...
Early events in the trafficking of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor plays a central role at excitatory synapses where it has been implicated in multiple functions associated with synaptic plasticity. While this receptor has been intensely studied with respect to its physiology and pharmacology, its cell-biological properties, such as subunit assembly, post-translational processing and trafficking in neurons, are only beginning to be addressed. Critical to many of the functions of the NMDA receptor are the multiple proteins with which it interacts. While these interactions have been most thoroughly studied with respect to the receptor at the synapse, the same proteins may also interact with the receptor much earlier in its biosynthetic pathway and play important roles in receptor trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum to the synapse.
Multisite Phosphorylation of Ornithine Decarboxylase in Transformed Macrophages Results in Increased Intracellular Enzyme Stability and Catalytic Efficiency

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is the initial inducible enzyme in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway. In the transformed macrophage-derived RAW264 cell line, ODC was overproduced and existed in both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated forms. To date, the only protein kinase known to phosphorylate mammalian ODC is casein kinase II (CKII). ODC was phosphorylated in vitro by CKII and subjected to exhaustive sequential proteolysis with trypsin and V8 protease. Two-dimensional peptide mapping showed only a single phosphopeptide; two-dimensional phosphoamino acid analysis of the phosphopeptide revealed only 32P-labeled serine. ODC was metabolically radiolabeled with 32Pi in RAW264 cells and also subjected to proteolysis, two-dimensional peptide mapping, and phosphoamino acid analysis. Two phosphopeptides were generated from the metabolically radiolabeled ODC, including one that migrated similarly to the peptide phosphorylated by CKII in vitro. Each of the in situ radiolabeled ODC peptides contained both 32P-labeled serine and threonine residues. Thus, in RAW264 cells, ODC is phosphorylated on at least one serine residue in addition to that phosphorylated by CKII and on at least two threonine residues. Phosphorylated ODC had an increased stability to intracellular proteolysis compared with unphosphorylated ODC, their half-lives being 49.2 ± 3.78 and 23.9 ± 2.6 min (p = 0.001), respectively. The phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of ODC were independently purified to homogeneity. Kinetic analysis revealed that the catalytic efficiency of the phosphorylated form of ODC was 50% greater than that of the unphosphorylated form; the unphosphorylated ODC had a Vmax of 20.54 ± 1.65 μmol/min/mg, whereas the phosphorylated form had a Vmax of 30.61 ± 2.6 μmol/min/mg (p = 0.005). Phosphorylation of ODC by CKII has no effect on enzyme activity. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that regulation of ODC activity is governed by as yet unidentified protein kinases.
Repair of a saccular aortic aneurysm with superficial femoral-popliteal vein in the presence of a pancreatic abscess

When one is faced with impending rupture, repair of an aortic aneurysm cannot be delayed. In the presence of coexisting intra-abdominal sepsis, traditional therapy would call for aneurysm exclusion and axillofemoral bypass grafting. Consequences of this choice of treatment include limited long-term graft patency and recurrent prosthetic infection. Autogenous deep veins from the lower extremities have demonstrated exceptional patency and resilience to infection when used to replace infected aortic grafts. We now report a case of concomitant open drainage of a pancreatic abscess and repair of a saccular abdominal aortic aneurysm using the superficial femoral-popliteal vein as a conduit.
High-Resolution Studies of ( d , p ) Reactions on Cd 114 and In 115

Energy and angular distributions from 12-MeV deuteron-induced ($d,p$) reactions on ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{114}$ and ${\mathrm{In}}^{115}$ were measured with \ensuremath{\sim}8-keV energy resolution. In ${\mathrm{In}}^{115}(d,p)$ essentially all components of the ($\ensuremath{\pi}g_{\frac{9}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) ($\ensuremath{\nu}{h}_{\frac{11}{2}}$) configuration are located, and $I$ values are estimated from sum rules. $I$ values for many members of the ($\ensuremath{\pi}g_{\frac{9}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) ($\ensuremath{\nu}{d}_{\frac{3}{2}}$) and ($\ensuremath{\pi}g_{\frac{9}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) ($\ensuremath{\nu}{s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$) are determined from sum rules and the presence or absence of $l=0$ and $l=2$ mixing. As in a previous study of $\mathrm{Pd}(d,p)$, there is a large excess of ${g}_{\frac{7}{2}}$ and a large deficiency of ${h}_{\frac{11}{2}}$ strength relative to the isotonic tin nucleus (${\mathrm{Sn}}^{116}$) and expectations from nuclear-structure theory. The most obvious experimental explanations for this discrepancy are discussed and found not to be applicable.
Molecular dynamics study of the effect of alkyl chain length on melting points of [CnMIM][PF6] ionic liquids

Based on molecular dynamics simulations, the melting points Tm of a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquids [CnMIM][PF6] with n = 2, 4, 10, 12, and 14 were studied using the free energy-based pseudosupercritical path (PSCP) method. The experimental trend that the Tm decreases with increasing alkyl chain length for ILs with short alkyl chains and increases for the ones with long alkyl chains was correctly captured. Further analysis revealed that the different trends are the results of the balance between fusion enthalpy and fusion entropy. For the ILs with short alkyl chains (ethyl and butyl groups), fusion entropy plays the dominant role so that [C4MIM][PF6], which has a larger fusion entropy due to its higher liquid phase entropy has the lower melting temperature. As for the ILs with long alkyl chains, due to the enhanced van der Waals interactions brought about by the long non-polar alkyl chains, enthalpy becomes the deciding factor and the melting points increase when the alkyl chain goes from C10 to C14. While the melting points for [C2MIM][PF6] and [C4MIM][PF6] were quantitatively predicted and the trends for the long chain ILs were captured correctly, the absolute melting points for [C10MIM][PF6], [C12MIM][PF6] and [C14MIM][PF6] were systematically overestimated in the simulations. Three possible reasons for the overestimation were studied but all ruled out. Further simulation or experimental studies are needed to explain the difference.
Behavioral monitoring of trained insects for chemical detection.

A portable, handheld volatile odor detector (“Wasp Hound”) that utilizes a computer vision system and Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid wasp, as the chemical sensor was created. Five wasps were placed in a test cartridge and placed inside the device. Wasps were either untrained or trained by associative learning to detect 3-octanone, a common fungal volatile chemical. The Wasp Hound sampled air from the headspace of corn samples prepared within the lab and, coupled with Visual Cortex, a software program developed using the LabView graphical programming language, monitored and analyzed wasp behavior. The Wasp Hound, with conditioned wasps, was able to detect 0.5 mg of 3-octanone within a 240 mL glass container filled with feed corn (≈2.6 × 10−5 mol/L). The Wasp Hound response to the control (corn alone) and a different chemical placed in the corn (0.5 mg of myrcene) was significantly different than the response to the 3-octanone. Wasp Hound results from untrained wasps were significantly different from trained wasps when comparing the responses to 3-octanone. The Wasp Hound may provide a unique method for monitoring grains, peanuts, and tree nuts for fungal growth associated with toxin production, as well as detecting chemicals associated with forensic investigations and plant/animal disease.
A review: alteration of in vitro reproduction processes by thiols -emphasis on 2-mercaptoethanol.

Descriptions of organosulfurs altering biologically relevant cellular functions began some 40 years ago when murine in vitro cell mediated and humoral immune responses were shown to be dramatically enhanced by any of four xenobiotic, sulfhydryl compounds—2-mercaptoethanol (2ME), dithiothreitol (DTT), glutathione, and L-cysteine; the most effective were 2ME and DTT. These findings triggered a plethora of reports defining 2ME benefits for a multitude of immunological processes. This in turn led to investigations on 2ME alterations of (a) immune functions in other species, (b) activities of other cell-types, and (c) in vivo diseases. In addition, these early findings preceded the identification of previously undefined anticarcinogenic chemicals in specific foods as organosulfurs. Taken all together, there is little doubt that organosulfur compounds have enormous benefits for cellular functions and for a multitude of diseases. Issues of importance still to be resolved are (a) clarification of mechanisms that underlie alteration of in vitro and in vivo processes and perhaps more importantly, (b) which if any in vitro alterations are relevant for (i) alteration of in vivo diseases and (ii) identification of other diseases that might therapeutically benefit from organosulfurs. As one means to address these questions, reviews of different processes impacted by thiols could be informative. Therefore, the present review on alterations of in vitro fertilization processes by thiols (mainly 2ME, since cysteamine alterations have been reviewed) was undertaken. Alterations found to occur in medium supplemented with 2ME were enhancement, no effect, or inhibition. Parameters associated with which are discussed as they relate to postulated thiol mechanisms.
The Wanderer, the Chameleon, and the Warrior Experiences of Doctoral Students of Color Developing a Research Identity in Educational Administration

In this article, the authors use their personal narratives and collaborative portraits as methods to shed light on the complexities of developing a research identity while journeying through a doct...
High-order structure and dissociation of gaseous peptide aggregates that are hidden in mass spectra.

Injected-ion mobility and high-pressure ion mobility techniques have been used to examine the conformations of bradykinin, insulin chain A, and several other peptide ions in the gas phase. Under the experimental conditions employed, evidence for multimer formation in the mass spectra of peptides is minimal or absent altogether. However, ion mobility distributions show that aggregates of peptides (containing a single charge per monomer unit) are observed at the same mass-to-charge ratios as the singly charged parent ions. Collision cross sections for these clusters show that they have tightly packed roughly spherical conformations. We have bracketed the average density as 0. 87 ρ < ρ < 1. 00 g cm−3. In some cases, specific stable aggregate forms within a cluster size can be distinguished indicating that some high order structures are favored in the gas phase. Multimer formation between different sizes of polyalanine peptides shows no evidence for size specificity in aggregate formation. Collisional and thermal excitation studies have been used to examine structural transitions and dissociation of the multimers. Aggregates appear to dissociate via loss of singly charged monomers. The observation that peptide multimers can be concealed in mass spectral data requires that fragmentation patterns and reactivity studies of singly charged monomers be undertaken with care.
Influence of stress on adrenocortical function in the male tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri).

Abstract Adrenocortical function in the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) was evaluated by reference to levels of individual corticosteroids as an initial phase in the clarification of the hormonal mechanisms by which stress influences male reproductive function. Corticosteroids were separated with Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and measured by specific radioimmunoassay procedures. Corticosterone was the principal corticosteroid in the peripheral plasma and in unstressed animals the ratio corticosterone: cortisol was 4.5:1 (1000 hr samples). Basal levels of corticosterone and cortisol exhibited parallel diurnal fluctuations with a peak at 0600 hr preceding the onset of daily activity and similar to that described for other diurnally active species. Levels of corticosterone and cortisol were markedly elevated 10 min after either restraint stress applied at various times during the day or ACTH administration to both saline- and dexamethasone-pretreated animals. In each of these experimental situations cortisol showed a greater relative increase from basal levels as compared to corticosterone resulting in a decline in the ratio corticosterone:cortisol. For example, the unstressed ratio of corticosterone (9.1 ± 0.8 ng/ml) and cortisol (2.0 ± 0.2 ng/ml) at 1000 hr was 4.5:1. Following 10 min of restraint stress the ratio declined to 1.5:1 (corticosterone, 44.9 ± 1.4 ng/ml; cortisol, 31.7 ± 1.3 ng/ml). An increase in cortisol is considered to be an important component of the physiological response to stress by the tree shrew adrenal. It is concluded that the adrenal cortex of the tree shrew normally produces corticosteroids through two pathways and the secretion of both corticosterone and cortisol are responsive to acute ACTH stimulation and feedback inhibition by dexamethasone. The lack of dissociation in the response of these two steroids following acute stress, dexamethasone supression, and ACTH stimulation indicates that their secretion in controlled through a common mechanism in accordance with the general principles established by reference to individual corticosteroids in more conventional experimental animals.
Uprooted women: Migrant domestics in the Carribean: by Paula L. Aymer Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997, 172 pages

(1998). Uprooted women: Migrant domestics in the Carribean. The Social Science Journal: Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 472-473.
Measurement of the Gibbsian interfacial excess of solute at an interface of arbitrary geometry using three-dimensional atom probe microscopy

Abstract We show how the Gibbsian interfacial excess of solute can be calculated from three-dimensional atom probe data, even in the case of irregularly shaped interfaces. Standard treatments of interfacial thermodynamics implicitly define a one-dimensional geometry for an interface by assuming a planar interface. Of course, many real systems exhibit non-planar interfaces, and these treatments are difficult to apply. We show how our treatment derives from Gibbs’ original approach and how it is used to derive real thermodynamic quantities. The technique can be applied to any interfacial excess quantity.
Anomalous properties of 2-D electrons in a magnetic field

Abstract In strong magnetic field and at low temperature, 2-D electron systems are expected to show distinctive temperature oscillations when the field is changed adiabatically.
Chronic Pelvic Pain: Approaches to Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract Chronic pelvic pain is a common debilitating and complex condition that can be associated with significant morbidity. The etiology of chronic pelvic pain remains poorly understood, although it has been associated with endometriosis, adhesions, infection, and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as musculoskeletal and neuropathic conditions. Current therapeutic interventions include a multidisciplinary approach that acknowledges the complex interactions between physiological, neurological, and psychological mechanisms. The goal of this paper is to review strategies to diagnose and manage chronic pelvic pain conditions.
Phosphorylation independent activation of human cyclin-dependent kinase 2 by cyclin A in vitro.

p33cdk2 is a serine-threonine protein kinase that associates with cyclins A, D, and E and has been implicated in the control of the G1/S transition in mammalian cells. Recent evidence indicates that cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2), like its homolog Cdc2, requires cyclin binding and phosphorylation (of threonine-160) for activation in vivo. However, the extent to which mechanistic details of the activation process are conserved between Cdc2 and Cdk2 is unknown. We have developed bacterial expression and purification systems for Cdk2 and cyclin A that allow mechanistic studies of the activation process to be performed in the absence of cell extracts. Recombinant Cdk2 is essentially inactive as a histone H1 kinase (< 4 x 10(-5) pmol phosphate transferred.min-1 x microgram-1 Cdk2). However, in the presence of equimolar cyclin A, the specific activity is approximately 16 pmol.mon-1 x microgram-1, 4 x 10(5)-fold higher than Cdk2 alone. Mutation of T160 in Cdk2 to either alanine or glutamic acid had little impact on the specific activity of the Cdk2/cyclin A complex: the activity of Cdk2T160E was indistinguishable from Cdk2, whereas that of Cdk2T160A was reduced by five-fold. To determine if the Cdk2/cyclin A complex could be activated further by phosphorylation of T160, complexes were treated with Cdc2 activating kinase (CAK), purified approximately 12,000-fold from Xenopus eggs. This treatment resulted in an 80-fold increase in specific activity. This specific activity is comparable with that of the Cdc2/cyclin B complex after complete activation by CAK (approximately 1600 pmol.mon-1 x microgram-1). Neither Cdk2T160A/cyclin A nor Cdk2T160E/cyclin A complexes were activated further by treatment with CAK. In striking contrast with cyclin A, cyclin B did not directly activate Cdk2. However, both Cdk2/cyclin A and Cdk2/cyclin B complexes display similar activity after activation by CAK. For the Cdk2/cyclin A complex, both cyclin binding and phosphorylation contribute significantly to activation, although the energetic contribution of cyclin A binding is greater than that of T160 phosphorylation by approximately 5 kcal/mol. The potential significance of direct activation of Cdk2 by cyclins with respect to regulation of cell cycle progression is discussed.
Reporting adverse events: Greek doctor and nurse attitudes.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to elicit Greek doctors' and nurses' views about adverse event reporting.Design/methodology/approach – This is an exploratory study using an adverse events questionnaire administered to 209 doctors and 214 nurses in 14 major Athens universities and tertiary hospitals.Findings – The paper finds that Greek doctors and nurses prefer a strictly confidential or conditionally confidential reporting scheme. Most doctors favoured disclosing department identity, while a nursing majority argued that it should remain unknown. When asked about the person's professional affiliation that, under a confidential scheme, receives reports and gives feedback, most doctors and nurses preferred the receiver to belong to their profession. Most medical personnel preferred the mandatory model or the discretionary model with a set of guidelines exemplifying adverse event types, while a nurse majority preferred the discretionary with a set of guidelines exemplifying adverse events.Practical im...
Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and tropospheric O3 on nutrient dynamics: decomposition of leaf litter in trembling aspen and paper birch communities

Atmospheric changes could strongly influence how terrestrial ecosystems function by altering nutrient cycling. We examined how the dynamics of nutrient release from leaf litter responded to two important atmospheric changes: rising atmospheric CO2 and tropospheric O3. We evaluated the independent and combined effects of these gases on foliar litter nutrient dynamics in aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx) and birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh)/aspen communities at the Aspen FACE Project in Rhinelander, WI. Naturally senesced leaf litter was incubated in litter bags in the field for 735 days. Decomposing litter was sampled six times during incubation and was analyzed for carbon, and both macro (N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg) and micro (Mn, B, Zn and Cu) nutrient concentrations. Elevated CO2 significantly decreased the initial litter concentrations of N (−10.7%) and B (−14.4%), and increased the concentrations of K (+23.7%) and P (+19.7%), with no change in the other elements. Elevated O3 significantly decreased the initial litter concentrations of P (−11.2%), S (−8.1%), Ca (−12.1%), and Zn (−19.5%), with no change in the other elements. Pairing concentration data with litterfall data, we estimated that elevated CO2 significantly increased the fluxes to soil of all nutrients: N (+12.5%), P (+61.0%), K (+67.1%), S (+28.0%), and Mg (+40.7%), Ca (+44.0%), Cu (+38.9%), Mn (+62.8%), and Zn (+33.1%). Elevated O3 had the opposite effect: N (−22.4%), P (−25.4%), K (−27.2%), S (−23.6%), Ca (−27.6%), Mg (−21.7%), B (−16.2%), Cu (−20.8%), and Zn (−31.6%). The relative release rates of the nine elements during the incubation was: K ≥ P ≥ mass ≥ Mg ≥ B ≥ Ca ≥ S ≥ N ≥ Mn ≥ Cu ≥ Zn. Atmospheric changes had little effect on nutrient release rates, except for decreasing Ca and B release under elevated CO2 and decreasing N and Ca release under elevated O3. We conclude that elevated CO2 and elevated O3 will alter nutrient cycling more through effects on litter production, rather than litter nutrient concentrations or release rates.
Not in Love, or Not in the Know? Graduate Student and Faculty Use (and Non-Use) of E-Books

Abstract This study focuses on usage of electronic books (e-books) among advanced researchers, including graduate students and faculty, at a four-year academic institution. The researchers aimed to highlight differences in behavior, perception, and attitude between users and non-users of e-books. The survey findings suggest that, while a majority of these researchers do not necessarily favor e-books over print books, they do appreciate the convenience of the electronic format. Moreover, the results also indicate that many researchers may be entirely unaware of the library e-books available in their areas of study or may not fully realize all the features already being offered by some of these e-books, such as highlighting, note-taking, accessibility options, and downloading. These findings provide timely and practical applications for librarians interested in increasing library e-book usage with focused marketing plans targeting the needs of specific patron segments.
Some Difficulties with the Oblique Rotator Model for Pulsars

PRACTICALLY all the available evidence up to now (short duration of pulses, rapid pulsing, slowing down of the period, association with past supernovae, and so on) suggests that pulsars are produced by rapidly rotating neutron stars. One of the first, and probably most widely discussed, models in this category is that proposed by Gold1. The general feeling, however, is that Gold's hypothesis might be an oversimplification of the problem, because it is hard to understand that there is only one hot spot (or at the most two, if one counts the two pulsars with an interpulse2,3) on the surface of the spinning neutron stars which remains active and at exactly the same position for at least many months.
Near boundary behavior of primal-dual potential reduction algorithms for linear programming

This paper is concerned with selection of theź-parameter in the primal--dual potential reduction algorithm for linear programming. Chosen from [n + $$\sqrt n $$ , ź), the level ofź determines the relative importance placed on the centering vs. the Newton directions. Intuitively, it would seem that as the iterate drifts away from the central path towards the boundary of the positive orthant,ź must be set close ton + $$\sqrt n $$ . This increases the relative importance of the centering direction and thus helps to ensure polynomial convergence. In this paper, we show that this is unnecessary. We find for any iterate thatź can be sometimes chosen in a wide range [n + $$\sqrt n $$ , ź) while still guaranteeing the currently best convergence rate of O( $$\sqrt n $$ L) iterations. This finding is encouraging since in practice large values ofź have resulted in fast convergence rates. Our finding partially complements the recent result of Zhang, Tapia and Dennis (1990) concerning the local convergence rate of the algorithm.
A note on the bootstrapped empirical process

Abstract Let Fn denote the empirical distribution of a sample of size n from a distribution function F, and let Hn,t denote the distribution of n (F n (t)−F(t)) . Contrary to the intuition, Hn,t is not approximated uniformly over t by its bootstrapped counterpart. The main problem is at the values of t near the tails of F. Two results exploring this phenomenon are presented here.
Thirteen Correct Solutions to the “Problem of Points” and Their Histories

T he Problem of Points (POP) is not only the first major problem of probability but it is also the one responsible for its foundation. Indeed, it is one of the questions the Frenchman Antoine Gombaud (16071684) (better known as the Chevalier de Mere), 1 posed to Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) in 1654. The latter discussed the problem with his friend Pierre de Fermat (1601–1665). Both men exchanged letters, and through their communication the theory of probability was officially born. A recent book recounting the exchange between Pascal and Fermat is by Devlin [10]. POP had such an impact that almost all major probabilists from then on, from Huygens to Laplace, had a say on it. Even before Pascal, several solutions to POP had been offered by the likes of Pacioli, Peverone, and Cardano. However, these were incorrect and have been well documented elsewhere [e.g., 16, p. 35;18;31, Chap. 1]. The aim of this article is to present thirteen correct methods of solution to POP while also briefly discussing their histories. POP, in its general form for n players, is as follows (POP-n): Players P1, P2,..., Pn play a game for a sum of money. The game is made up of several rounds such that their respective probabilities of winning one round are p1, p2,..., pn, where P i pi = 1. At some point, the players are respectively s1, s2,..., sn rounds short of winning the game when the game suddenly stops. How should the sum of money be divided among the players?