cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuro-ophthalmologic Findings in Chordoma and Chondrosarcoma of the Skull Base

Review of the clinical features of 48 patients with chordoma and 49 patients with low-grade chondrosarcoma of the skull base disclosed overlapping clinical profiles but distinctive features. Both tumors occurred at all ages but chondrosarcoma tended to occur in the third and fourth decades. Twenty-five (52%) of the patients with chordoma and 24 (49%) of the patients with chondrosarcoma had ocular symptoms (diplopia or visual impairment) as the initial manifestation of the disease. Of the 59 patients (both groups) with diplopia, the diplopia was initially intermittent in 25 (42%). Headache and diplopia from an insidious abducens nerve palsy was most common in both groups. Abducens nerve palsy occurred in 22 (46%) of the patients with chordoma and 23 (47%) of the patients with chondrosarcoma. Normal examination results were more common in patients with chordoma, whereas visual loss, facial numbness, and multiple cranial neuropathies were more common in patients with chondrosarcoma. The similarities in the clinical features of these tumors reflect their common origin at the central skull base and the vulnerability of the abducens nerves at that site. The differences reflect the tendency of chordomas to originate from the clivus and chondrosarcomas to originate from the temporal bone.
Mediation of 8-hydroxy-guanine formation in DNA by thiazin dyes plus light.

Abstract We have discovered that methylene blue plus light mediates the formation of 8-OHdG in DNA. Methylene blue is one of several thiazin dyes and we report here that the other thiazin dyes tested, in combination with white light, are effective in mediating 8-OHdG formation in DNA. The effectiveness of light plus the thiazin dyes in forming 8-OHdG in DNA were as follows: methylene blue > azure B > aure A > toluidine blue > thionin. Two other compounds tested; riboflavin and fuschin acid, in combination with light, caused formation of very little, if any, 8-OHdG in DNA. Thiazin dye mediated formation of 8-OHdG in DNA was not inhibited by the spin trap α-phenyl-t-butyl nitrone, which supports our previous observations that oxygen free radical scavengers did not inhibit methylene blue plus light mediated 8-OHdG formation in DNA. Ascobate addition to methylene blue plus DNA, in the absence of light, was ineffective in mediating 8-OHdG formation in DNA.
Business Report Writing Students' Perceptions of Their Ability to Succeed in an Online Environment vs. Students' Performance in an Online Course

The trend for online courses and programs continues to expand as todayâ€™s learners request an anytime, anywhere learning environment. To design effective online learning, data must be collected to review studentsâ€™ perceptions of their ability to succeed in an online environment and their performance in online courses. This manuscript describes an experimental research study conducted with business report writing students in a College of Business. The control group was taught in a traditional classroom setting and the experimental group was taught in a blended learning environment. Students had a high level of perception of their technology abilities and ability to be successful in an online environment; however, there was significance different in performance between the two groups on assignment and post-test scores.
The thermal properties of monochloro-para-xylylene

Abstract The three thermal properties that describe the heat transfer in a material were determined for a thin, tough, transparent, highly crystalline film of poly-monochloro-para-xylylene (PCPX). These three properties, viz. thermal conductivity (K), thermal diffusivity (α), and specific heat (Cp) were determined using a transient heating method. The experimental method used involved the heating of a sample of stacked polymer sheets by an ultrathin heating foil. The heating foil, located in the center plane of the stack provided a source of constant heat flux when a current of known amperage was passed through it. By careful consideration of sample dimensions, the sample simulated an infinite solid. The thermal properties were calculated using standard solutions of the heat transfer equations of an infinite solid over a temperature range of −192 to 130°C. The experimental method was repeated to check the reproducibility of the results and compared with differential scanning calorimeter results. A data acquisition system was developed to facilitate data handling for the transient experiments. The system included hardware capable of punching data on paper tape and a software package to analyze these data. The conclusions drawn include: (1) the reproducibility of the experiments was well within the experimental errors; (2) the data acquisition system greatly facilitates acquisition of thermal data; (3) an incremental change occurs in Cp of PCPX in the vicinity of the γ relaxation reported by dynamical relaxation measurements and its occurrence indicates that this relaxation involves a cooperative motion of molecules; (4) owing to the significant magnitude of the Cp jump and the appreciable degree of crystallinity of PCPX, these internal motions occurring at the γ transition probably involve both amorphous and crystalline regions; (5) a direct relationship between thermal expansion and specific heat was indicated in PCPX as well as for polystyrene (PS) at relatively low temperatures (−200 to −20°C); (6) the overall low values of thermal conductivity (1.0 to 2.5 × 10−4 cal sec−1 cm−1) and thermal diffusivity (9.5 to 5.3 × 10−4 cm2 sec−1) of PCPX indicate that it is ideally suited for insulation applications.
Nutritional risks of vegan diets to women and children: Are they preventable?

The potential health risks of vegan diets specifically for women and children are discussed. Women and children are at higher risk of malnutrition from consumption of unsupplemented vegan diets than are adult males. Those who are very young, pregnant, lactating, elderly, or who suffer from poverty, disease or other environmentally induced disadvantages are at special risk. The size of these risks is difficult to quantify from existing studies. Fortunately the risk of dietary deficiency disease can be avoided and the potential health benefits of vegan diets can be realized when diets for these groups are planned in line with theRecommended Dietary Allowances so that nutrient intakes reach or exceed recommended levels, and access to preventive and curative health services is assured.
EVALUATION OF A FIXED ANTI-ICING SPRAY SYSTEM

Each year hundreds of automobile drivers have accidents caused by iced-over bridges adjacent to roads that are free from ice. Ice forms on bridges because the ground does not insulate them; therefore, the temperature of a bridge deck rapidly cools to the ambient air temperature, which is often well below freezing. This is particularly evident on the Interstate 215 overpass/exchange at 6200 South Street in Salt Lake City, Utah. This bridge averages more than 24 accidents per winter season because of snow and ice conditions. A system was installed at this location that applied the anti-icing liquid agent magnesium chloride (MgCl2) to the northbound lanes of the freeway bridge deck. The southbound lanes received no additional treatment, other than the efforts of the Utah Department of Transportation's snow- and ice-removal operators. The anti-icing spray system is parapet-mounted and delivers approximately 360 L/lane-km/spray (95 gal/lane-km/ spray) event of MgCl2. The effectiveness of the spray system was a...
"You Fold Like a Little Girl:" (Hetero)Gender Framing and Competitive Strategies of Men and Women in No Limit Texas Hold Em Poker Games

The formal rules, structure and practice of most sports in contemporary society prohibit men and women from competing on a “level playing field” and diminish women’s ability to launch a legitimate challenge to the masculine superiority embedded in sports competition. This study examines a relatively unique case—No Limit Texas Hold Em poker games in which men and women compete directly against one another under the same rules—to explore how the conditions under which men and women compete enable or impede the development of more gender egalitarian interactions and ideological frameworks. Drawing on ethnographic data, this examination reveals that, even in a more gender-neutral context, men and women learn to use heterogender frames to conceptualize poker. In doing so, they develop competitive strategies and interactions that predominately fit into, rather than subvert, gender hierarchy.
Obstacles to Regional Housing Solutions: A Comparison of Four Metropolitan Areas

: Studies of regionalism continue to appear in the scholarly literature. Research specifically on regional housing policies, however, appears far less frequently, most likely a reflection of the absence of regional housing initiatives in practice. Two leading explanations for the lack of regional housing solutions include: 1) intercity competition as asserted by public choice theorists; and 2) NIMBY attitudes expressed by community residents. This research uses a multiple case study design to examine the development of regionalism, and the status of regional housing efforts, in the Portland, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Louisville, and New Orleans metropolitan areas. We examine the public choice and NIMBY explanations as well as other factors emerging from the research as obstacles to regional housing solutions. The results indicate that regionalism varies in degree across the four study areas. However, in all cases, regional housing solutions are either absent or ineffective. Our data do not strongly support the public choice hypothesis, but do provide evidence that NIMBY attitudes about race and growth are barriers to regional housing policies. Furthermore, context-specific circumstances, such as population characteristics and health of the regional economy, result in dominance of economic development in approaches to regionalism. The article concludes with implications based on the findings.
Avalanche phenomenon in UV laser-induced desorption

Abstract A theory of explosive desorption observed by Chuang and Domen is developed. Adsorbate molecules are excited by a UV laser to higher electron states. The electronic energy is converted to the low-frequency vibronic states. Excited vibronic state interacting with crystal vibrations lead to the phonon “avalanche”. This causes non-selective molecular desorption. A main result of the present theory is the fluence- and coverage-dependent threshold conditions.
ACUTE FATTY LIVER OF PREGNANCY. REPORT OF TWO CASES.

In 1940 Sheehan 1 called attention to six patients who developed jaundice in the third trimester of pregnancy and died within three days after delivery. The course in these cases was similar to that of fulminant hepatitis, but histologic examination of the liver revealed no hepatocellular necrosis, little or no inflammatory reaction, and many small intracytoplasmic lipid-laden vacuoles arranged about a centrally placed, normal nucleus. He considered these findings to be a distinct histologic entity which he termed "obstetric acute yellow atrophy." Others subsequently referred to it as "acute fatty metamorphosis of the liver associated with pregnancy" 2 and "acute fatty liver of pregnancy." 3 To date at least 39 patients with this syndrome have been described. 1-16 Eight others are known to have been studied but not reported. 2,3,5,17 The cases presented by Barry and O'Dwyer, 18 Dill (case VI), 19 and Cullinan (case A) 11 also may be
The challenges of six sigma in improving service quality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the contributions of six sigma methodology to the improvement of service quality. Since its development in the late 1980s, six sigma has been extensively applied in manufacturing and quasi‐manufacturing settings. This study aims to explore the challenges of six sigma in reaching a much wider field of application.Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing the service quality framework, the authors assess the contributions of six sigma and explore its limitations when applied to services.Findings – The relentless drive toward adopting six sigma to services has led both to a limited field of applications and to unrealistic expectations as to what six sigma is truly capable of achieving, particularly in knowledge‐based environments.Research limitations/implications – This research focuses on highlighting gaps in the six sigma as applied to services; further work is necessary to identify and develop new methods and to study their effectiveness.Practica...
Bionomics and seasonal abundance of the banded sunflower moth (Lepidoptera: Cochylidae) on cultivated sunflower in the northern Great Plains

The banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsingham, is a pest of cultivated sunflower, Helianthus annuus L., in the northern Great Plains. Adults were first detected between 7 and 11 July in each year between 1983 and 1986. Adult population peaks aldo showed little variation among years, appearing on 22-25 July each year. Oviposition on the heads (capitula) occurred when plants were in the early-bud stage through anthesis (R2-6). Sunflower plants were in the early bud stage (R2-3) when larvae were initially found between 14 and 23 July each year. Larvae were present in sunflower heads for 6-10 wk and reached peak abundance in early to mid-August. After eclosion, larvae fed on the inner surface of the head bracts or florets. The entire immature seed may be consumed by the developing larva. Older larvae (third to fifth instars) entered and fed on mature seeds after chewing a hole in the apical end of the hull (pericarp). After consuming the majority of the kernel, larvae moved to a new seed. Mature larvae dropped to the soil and constructed silken cocoons to overwinter. Linear regression analysis of measurements of head capsule width and body length substantiated that the larvae develop through five instars. Seasonal patterns of the life stages of banded sunflower moth were similar, but population densities varied among years. There was one generation per year. Each larva consumed more than six mature sunflower seeds.
Africanist Archival Research in Brussels

Belgian archives and libraries contain essential collections of sources for the history of central Africa, although locating and gaining access to materials can be difficult, if not impossible. We hope that by describing our triumphs and failures in using these facilities in 1980/81 we can simplify these tasks for future researchers. This survey, like others existing in English, is less than complete, having been conceived only after we completed our separate research in Belgium and thus reflecting the limitations of our particular research interests. Nevertheless, the breadth of our familiarity with the facilities and of our individual interests (Dickerman worked on the history of Burundi's capital Bujumbura; Northrup on African labor in the former Province Orientale of Zaire) seems sufficient to justify this note.In general it must be said that access to archival materials in Belgium is fairly restricted. The worst case is the Archives du Gouvernement-General, Leopoldville/Kinshasa, the largest and most important collection for the history of the Belgian Congo. These records, estimated to occupy five to seven kilometers of shelf space, were removed from the colony just before independence and are now housed in the Archives Generales du Royaume (2-6, rue de Ruysbroek, Brussels). However, as a consequence of legal efforts by the government of Zaire to recover all or part of the collection, it has remained totally closed to all researchers.
Does experience in talking facilitate speech repetition

Speech is unique among highly skilled human behaviors in its ease of acquisition by virtually all individuals who have normal hearing and cognitive ability. Vocal imitation is essential for acquiring speech, and it is an important element of social communication. The extent to which age-related changes in cognitive and motor function affect the ability to imitate speech is poorly understood. We analyzed the distributions of response times (RT) for repeating real words and pseudowords during fMRI. The average RT for older and younger participants was not different. In contrast, detailed analysis of RT distributions revealed age-dependent differences that were associated with changes in the time course of the BOLD response and specific patterns of regional activation. RT-dependent activity was observed in the bilateral posterior cingulate, supplementary motor area, and corpus callosum. This approach provides unique insight into the mechanisms associated with changes in speech production with aging.
Complex phase mixing of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine in multilamellar membrane vesicles.

Abstract The phase mixing in dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine and bovine brain phosphatidylserine mixtures suspended in aqueous salt solutions was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, freeze-fracture electron microscopy and X-ray and electron diffraction. The pure dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine has two well-defined solidus phases P β′ and L β′ and a liquidus phase L α while the pure phosphatidylserine has a broad transition from L β to L α . The mixture exhibits some dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine characteristics up to 30% phosphatidylserine when pure P β′ phase no longer exists. Phase mixing is observed at all compositions. An addition of 3% phosphatidylserine is found to be sufficient to destroy the sharp L β′ —P β′ transition observed in pure dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine. The transition between L β′ and P β′ in these mixtures is displaced to lower temperatures and becomes gradual as depicted by all three techniques, but freeze-fracture gives more definite information of the continuous transition. The most striking observation on the morphology of the mixed membranes (3–30% phosphatidylserine in dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine) is the presence of banded patterns (P β′ ) at temperatures well below the main transition peak as detected by differential scanning calorimetry.
RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS IMMUNOGLOBULIN AS PROPHYLAXIS AGAINST RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS IN CHILDREN WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE. • 662

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infection produces significant morbidity and mortality in young children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Respiratory Syncytial Virus Immunoglobulin (RSVIG) is effective in preventing severe RSV illness in high-risk preterm infants. A 3 year prospective multicenter blinded study was undertaken to determine safety and efficacy of RSVIG as RSV prophylaxis in CHD. Children <48 months were randomized to an infusion group (I) receiving 750 mg/kg RSVIG monthly over the RSV season, or to a control group (C) receiving no RSVIG. Weekly phone surveillance, monthly visits and evaluation of RSV respiratory illness was performed by blinded personnel. Study children included 202 (I) and 214 (C). P=NS for (I) vs (C) for the following variables: mean age [9.3 mo. (I), 10.7 mo. (C)]; gender; crowding; smoke exposure and cardiac severity score but more children with cyanotic CHD were randomized to receive RSVIG [78/202 (I) vs 47/214 (C), p=0.001]. Reduction in RSV hospitalization, ICU admission and mechanical ventilation rates were not statistically significant when the entire group was analyzed. However, in infants <6 months of age at study entry, RSVIG reduced hospitalization by 57% (p=0.01). In acyanotic CHD RSVIG recipients, a trend towards reduced hospital rates and days was also observed[18% (I) vs 10% (C), p=0.06]. Surgically-related severe events (SSE) were more frequent in cyanotic CHD [22/78 (I) vs 4/47 (C), p=0.01] as were surgically-related fatalities [5 (I) vs 0 (C)]. We conclude that RSVIG is safe and should be effective in decreasing serious RSV illness in children <6 months of age with acyanotic CHD. While the increased SSE and surgically-related fatalities appeared to be unrelated to RSVIG administration, children with cyanotic CHD should not be given RSVIG until the cause for this finding has been determined.
Some theoretical implications of short-hard gamma-ray burst observations

Abstract Short-hard and long-soft gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are two distinct phenomena, but their prompt and afterglow emission show many similarities. This suggests that two different progenitor systems lead to similar physical processes and that the prompt and afterglow observations of short-hard GRBs (SHBs) can be examined using models of long GRBs. Here, I discuss three conclusions that can be drawn from SHB observations. I show that the lower limit on the Lorentz factor of SHBs is typically “only” 10–50, significantly lower than that of long GRBs. SHBs with observed X-ray afterglow after 1 day are found to be roughly as efficient as long GRBs in converting the outflow energy into prompt gamma-rays. Finally, I examine the origin of SHBs with X-ray dark afterglows and find that the most plausible explanation is that these SHBs exploded in extremely low density environment ( n ≲ 10 −5 cm −3 ).
To Die or Not to Die: An Overview of Apoptosis and Its Role in Disease

The death of cells in tissues of humans and other multicellular organisms is neither always abnormal nor always detrimental. Although necrosis ensues at the sites of massive cellular injury, most cells in the body die through a more subtle, noninflammatory, energy-dependent form of cell death called apoptosis. The number of cells in tissues is determined by the homeostatic balance between proliferation of new cells and death of senescent cells; the rates of proliferation and apoptosis vary widely from tissue to tissue. Recent research into the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis has revealed that apoptosis is a genetically programmed process that can become deranged when the components of the cellular apoptotic machinery are mutated or present in inappropriate quantities. Dysregulation of apoptosis is associated with the pathogenesis of a wide array of diseases: cancer, neurodegeneration, autoimmunity, heart disease, and other disorders. Products of genes involved in the regulation and execution of apoptosis are potentially excellent targets for diagnosis and therapeutic intervention in disease processes, and they offer renewed hope for cures and treatments for a wide array of maladies.
Structural Dynamics Of Myosin'S Light Chain Domain In A Pre-power Stroke Conformation

Cross-linking the two most reactive Cys of the myosin catalytic domain (CD) (SH1 and SH2) inhibits force production and ATP hydrolysis and locks myosin in a weak actin-binding conformation. Recent work using a bifunctional spin label (BSL) to crosslink SH1 and SH2 has shown that the CD is immobilized and orientationally disordered, suggesting that cross-linking traps myosin in a an intermediate state that primes the myosin head to generate force (Thompson et al., BJ, in press). In the present study, we measured light chain domain (LCD) structural dynamics in muscle fibers as a function of SH crosslinking. If the CD really is orientationally disordered by crosslinking and the two domains are structurally coupled, some of this disorder should be propagated to the LCD. To measure LCD structural dynamics, we used site-directed spin labeling to label chicken gizzard regulatory light chain (RLC), and then exchanged this labeled RLC for the native RLC in rabbit psoas fibers. Prior to crosslinking, EPR spectra acquired with the fiber axis parallel and perpendicular to the external field were very different, but cross-linking decreases this difference, indicating increased disorder. Saturation transfer EPR on these fibers showed that the heads remained immobile and thus attached to actin. These results support our hypothesis that SH1-SH2 crosslinking traps an actomyosin complex, possibly the first force-generating state in the power stroke, in which the CD is highly disordered and LCD is partially disordered, indicating a partially flexible linkage. A secondary goal of this research is to improve the technology for EPR on muscle fibers by developing a novel high-sensitivity EPR resonator for analysis of spin-label mobility, orientation, and force on labeled fibers.
Regulatory coding of lymphoid lineage choice by hematopoietic transcription factors

During lymphopoiesis, precursor cells negotiate a complex regulatory space, defined by the levels of several competing and cross-regulating transcription factors, before arriving at stable states of commitment to the B-, T- and NK-specific developmental programs. Recent perturbation experiments provide evidence that this space has three major axes, corresponding to the PU.1 versus GATA-1 balance, the intensity of Notch signaling through the CSL pathway, and the ratio of E-box transcription factors to their Id protein antagonists.
The effect of atropine on the body temperature of the rat following systemic and intracerebral injection.

Abstract Systemic administration of atropine to the rat causes a fall in body temperature. The quaternary analogue, atropine methyl nitrate has a similar effect which suggests that the hypothermia is due to an action on peripheral rather than central thermoregulatory mechanisms. Microinjection of atropine directly into the hypothalamic thermoregulatory centers causes a rise in core temperature. The central hyperthermic effect of atropine may be due to blockade of endogenous cholinergic transmitters.
Policy options for combatting tax noncompliance

The Internal Revenue Service estimates that the “tax gap,” the difference between taxes owed and taxes voluntarily paid, is approaching 100 billion. This article examines seven categories of enforcement instruments for combatting noncompliance. The discussion has two objectives: (1) to summarize what is known about the effectiveness of each type of instrument in reducing noncompliance, and (2) to delineate criteria for evaluating the desirability of enforcement interventions of each type. Suggested criteria differ across classes of instruments, but several themes are repeatedly emphasized. One is that a relevant dimension of effectiveness is equity; a second is that private costs matter, particularly when incurred by the already compliant and independent third parties.
In Vivo and in Vitro Conjugation and Metabolism of Estrogens by the Baboon Kidney

Labeled estrogen was injected into one of the renal arteries of baboons and urine was collected separately from each ureter via ureterostomy at various time intervals over a period of 7 h; the urinary metabolites were analyzed by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography and enzyme hydrolyses. Identification of the aglycones was made by TLC and co-crystallization upon admixture with authentic compounds. When ‘3H’estradiol- 17β (E2) was injected into one of the renal arteries, the major metabolites were ‘3H’E2-3-glucosiduronate (E2-3G) and ‘3H’estrone-3-glucosiduronate (E.-3G); ‘3H’E2-3G was excreted predominantly into the urine from the injected side during the initial 30 min after injection. Formation of ‘3H’E1-3G was not detectable for the first 5 min in the urine from either side. However, its excretion gradually increased and the amount was almost equal from both sides in the later hours of collection. Injection of ‘3H’E1 revealed ready conjugation (as E1-3G) by the kidney without significant reduction at position...
Aggressive Disease, Aggressive Treatment The Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patient in the Intensive Care Unit

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Transplant is often the only curative therapy for cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Between 40% and 80% of patients who receive transplant become long-term survivors, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates are between 24% and 44% during the peritransplant period. The aggressive nature of hematopoietic stem cell transplant has a drastic impact on the physical and emotional state of the patient and family. From the day of diagnosis of any blood cancer, patients and families are faced with decisions and challenges ranging from quality of life and mortality to insurance coverage and financial concerns. The purpose of this article is to provide the experienced ICU nurse with background on the hematopoietic stem cell transplant process as a basis for interventions that can improve patient- and family-centered care, to provide tools that improve the transitions between the transplant and ICU teams, and to support communication between nursing teams for patients who survive the ICU stay and for those at the end of life. Collaboration between 2 separate nursing units can result in exceptional care for this complex patient population.
The new standard of HCV therapy: Retreatment in experienced patients† ‡

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High-affinity steroid binding to rat testis 17α-hydroxylase and human placental aromatase

Abstract The high affinity binding of progesterone to rat testis 17α-hydroxylase and of androstenedione to human placental aromatase was analyzed using spectral, enzymatic and radioactive binding methods. For progesterone interaction with rat testis microsomal cytochrome P-450 the apparent spectral dissociation constant ( K s ) varied between 10 and 33 nM and was dependent on the protein concentration. For androstenedione binding to human placental cytochrome P-450 the apparent K s was 9–10 nM. For progesterone 17α-hydroxylation the apparent Michaelis-Menton constant ( K m ) was 13 nM. For andros-tenedione aromatization the apparent K m was 10 nM. In rat testis microsomes radioactive progesterone could be displaced from a high affinity site with a dissociation constant of 30–50 nM. Methodologie problems such as substrate depletion must be avoided in order to obtain accurate K s and K m values for certain steroid-cytochrome P-450 high affinity interactions.
Kuz and TACE can activate Notch independent of ligand.

A central mechanism in activation of the Notch signaling pathway is cleavage of the Notch receptor by ADAM metalloproteases. ADAMs also cleave Delta, the ligand for Notch, thereby downregulating Notch signals. Two ADAMs, Kuzbanian (Kuz) and TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE), are known to process both Delta and Notch, yet the role of these cleavages in signal propagation has remained controversial. Using an in-vitro model, we show that Kuz regulates Notch signaling primarily by activating the receptor and has little overall effect on signaling via disabling Delta. We confirm that Kuz-dependent activation of Notch requires stimulation of Notch by Delta. However, over-expression of Kuz gives ligand-independent Notch activation. In contrast, TACE, which is elevated in expression in developing Drosophila nervous system, can efficiently activate Notch in a ligand-independent manner. Altogether, these data demonstrate the potential for Kuz and TACE to participate in context- and mechanism-specific modes of Notch activation.
Comparison of Two Commercial Low Residue Diets and a Low Residue Diet of Common Foods

Utilizing a cross-over design two defined formula diets and a low residue diet of common foods were compared in 8 normal healthy subjects. Effectiveness was determined by objective measures of frequency of defecation, stool weight, changes in body weight; fecal fat, moisture and ash; nitrogen balance; and subjective descriptions of bowel movements, physical symptoms, and acceptability. The only statistically significant differences observed were in urine nitrogen, fecal ash, and subjective descriptions of bowel habits. Daily fecal weight ranged from 42 g (SD ± 12) with Diet 1 to 57 g (SD ± 22) with Diet 2. The range for stool frequency was 0.61 stools/day for Diet 1 to 0.76 stools/day for Diet 2. The common foods diet (Diet 3) was the only test diet which maintained subjects in positive nitrogen balance at maintenance caloric levels. The fecal ash value was highest when subjects were maintained on Diet 2 and lowest while on Diet 3. Stools resulting from defined formula diets were watery to mushy in nature...
Gauge groups and data classification

We present a new method for constructing nonlinear classifiers. Given any two distinct sets of points in R^n the new method can construct, using gauge group techniques, a closed form expression of a surface, @F(x)=0, which separates the two sets. We also show that any two distinct sets of points in R^n can be separated by a polynomial surface and present an algorithm for constructing such polynomial surfaces. Finally we present two numerical examples to illustrate the new method.
A 14b 2.5GS/s 8-way-interleaved pipelined ADC with background calibration and digital dynamic linearity correction

Metastable events in ADC comparators cause large errors that cannot be tolerated in test and measurement applications that record data over extended time intervals. This work utilizes BiCMOS technology to provide high dynamic range analog-to-digital conversion at 2.5GS/s with a metastable error rate of less than one error per year and better than 78dB SFDR over a 1GHz BW.
Effect of acute increases in filtered HCO3- on renal hydrogen transporters: II. H(+)-ATPase.

Effect of acute increases in filtered HCO 3 - on renal hydrogen transporters: II. H + -ATPase. Adaptive increases in renal bicarbonate reabsorp-tion occur in response to acute increases in filtered bicarbonate ( FL HCO 3 ). In a previous study, we showed that an increase in FL HCO 3 induced by plasma volume expansion increased the V max for Na + /H + exchange activity in renal cortical brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV), providing a potential mechanism for the adaptive increase in HCO 3 - reabsorption. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether the increase in FL HCO 3 induced by plasma expansion also stimulates the other major H + transporter in cortical BBMV, the H + -ATPase. H + -ATPase activity was assessed in BBMV obtained from hydropenic and plasma expanded Munich-Wistar rats, using a NADH-linked ATPase assay. H + -ATPase activity was measured as the ouabain and oligomycin-insensitive, bafilomycin A1-sensitive component of total ATPase activity. Acute plasma expansion doubled single nephron FL HCO 3 , and this change was associated with a 64% increase in the V max for H + -ATPase activity, with no change in apparent K m . The V max for H + -ATPase activity correlated directly with whole kidney GFR and FL HCO 3 ( r = 0.68 and 0.72, respectively), and with single nephron GFR and FL HCO 3 ( r = 0.76 and 0.80, respectively). Thus, the mechanism for the adaptive increase in proximal tubular HCO 3 - reabsorption that occurs in response to acute increases in FL HCO 3 appears to be related to increased activity of both H + -ATPase and Na + /H + exchange in the apical membrane of the proximal tubule epithelium.
The political economy of the television (super) text

(1984). The political economy of the television (super) text. Quarterly Review of Film Studies: Vol. 9, Telivision/Film: Cultural Perspectives on History and Theory, pp. 174-182.
Commonly Used Types of Postmenopausal Estrogen for Treatment of Hot Flashes: Scientific Review

ContextRecommendations for postmenopausal hormone therapy have changed since the Women's Health Initiative indicated that estrogen was harmful for use in disease prevention; however, treatment of menopausal symptoms with low-dose estrogen remains an approved indication for use.ObjectiveTo compare the short-term efficacy and adverse effects of 2 commonly used estrogens, conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) and 17β-estradiol, for reducing menopausal hot flashes by systematically reviewing randomized controlled trials.Data SourcesMEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry were searched from the database start dates to July 2003 using database-specific key words. Reference lists of published articles, experts, and pharmaceutical manufacturers were also consulted.Study SelectionEnglish-language abstracts of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials and systematic evidence reviews of oral CEE and oral and transdermal 17β-estradiol, and treatment of menopausal hot flashes and their adverse effects.Data ExtractionStudy design, population characteristics, eligibility criteria, interventions, withdrawals, adverse effects, and results for each outcome. Study quality was assessed using predefined criteria based on parameters developed with the US Preventive Services Task Force and the UK National Health Services Centre.Data SynthesisA total of 32 trials including 4 head-to-head comparisons met inclusion criteria; 14 trials met criteria for meta-analysis. All estrogen agents significantly reduced the weekly number of hot flashes compared with placebo (CEE, 1 trial: mean change, –19.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], –33.0 to –5.1; oral 17β-estradiol, 5 trials: pooled weighted mean difference, –16.8; 95% CI, –23.4 to –10.2; transdermal 17β-estradiol, 6 trials: pooled weighted mean difference, –22.4; 95% CI, –35.9 to –10.4); differences between agents were not significant. Breast tenderness and atypical vaginal bleeding were the most frequently reported adverse effects among estrogen users. The influence of progestin or progesterone use, cyclic and continuous regimens, and differences in adverse effects could not be determined.ConclusionConjugated equine estrogen and 17β-estradiol have consistent and comparable effects on treatment of menopausal hot flashes and may have similar short-term adverse effects.
An investigation of the mechanism by which hydrophobically modified hydrophilic polymers act as primary emulsifiers for oil-in-water emulsions 1. Poly(acrylic acids) and hydroxyethyl celluloses

Abstract Pseudophase diagrams for the system cyclohexane-water-polymer were constructed and the compositional regions of emulsion stability and coalescence were identified. The polymeric stabilizers investigated were hydrophobically modified poly(acrylic acid) (HMPAA), hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose (HMHEC) and analogous poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) as controls. The critical overlap concentration c* of these polymers and their interfacial activities at the cyclohexane/water interface were determined. In the case of the acrylic acid polymers, c* varied with pH but a critical condition for emulsion stability appeared to be the c* value of the unneutralized polymer (c*UN). It was found that when HMPAA was incorporated as the emulsifier the emulsions coalesced when the pH was greater than 6.5 and simultaneously the HMPAA concentration was less than c*UN. The emulsions were stable above c*UN at all pH values and below pH 6.5 when the polymer concentration was less than c*UN. On the basis of these results, it is postulated that stabilization in the lower concentration range occurs by an electrosteric stabilization mechanism and in the upper concentration range by trapping the discrete oil droplets in a continuum of hydrophilic polymer segments. PAA stabilizes only below pH 6.5 and below c*UN. Both HMHEC and HEC are ineffective below c* and only HMHEC is effective as an emulsifier above c*.
Magnetoplasma Resonance in Germanium

Microwave magnetoplasma resonances have been studied in small samples of $p$- and $n$-type germanium as a function of carrier concentration, sample shape, and field configuration. For sufficiently small samples in a uniform microwave field, a simple drift-velocity treatment appears to explain all of the observed phenomena, even when more than one type of carrier and tensor masses are involved. In the case of $p$-type germanium, it is demonstrated that a majority carrier can act to short out the plasma effects of a minority carrier and that one can observe a "cyclotron resonance" line even when the plasma frequency is high compared to the frequency of the applied field. In $n$-type germanium, the tensor mass results in a large longitudinal magnetoplasma effect, which is absent in indium antimonide where the mass is isotropic.
Efficiency in detection of isoluminant and isochromatic interference fringes

We examined the limitations imposed by neural factors on spatial contrast sensitivity for both isochromatic and isoluminant gratings. We used two strategies to isolate these neural factors. First, we eliminated the effect of blurring by the dioptrics of the eye by using interference fringes. Second, we corrected our data for additional sensitivity losses up to and including the site of photon absorption by applying an ideal-observer analysis described by Geisler [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A1, 775 ( 1984)]. Our measurements indicate that the neural visual system modifies the shape of the contrast-sensitivity functions for both isochromatic and isoluminant stimuli at high spatial frequencies. If we assume that the high-spatial-frequency performance of the neural visual system is determined by a low-pass spatial filter followed by additive noise, then the visual system has a spatial bandwidth 1.8 times lower for isoluminant red–green than for isochromatic stimuli. On the other hand, we find no difference in bandwidth or sensitivity of the neural visual system for isoluminant red–green and S-cone-isolated stimuli.
Interaction of nonhomogeneous shear, nonlinear viscoelasticity, and yield of a solid polymer

A constitutive equation for small strain viscoelastic response is considered in which stress relaxation. occurs faster as strain increases. The constitutive equation is of single integral type and has a psuedo- or material time function which is calculated from a strain dependent shift function. First, it is shown that such a constitutive equation can account for yield as observed in polymers for a number of different stress and strain histories. Next, the constitutive equation is used in the analysis of the problem in which a hollow cylinder is fixed at its inner surface and a moment history is applied to its outer surface. This causes the cylindrical surfaces to rotate about the central axis, thereby inducing a radial shear strain distribution. It is shown that there is a time when the material near the inner support begins to yield and a layer of large shear strain gradient begins to grow rapidly. It is also shown that the stress or strain history at a material element will generally not be one of the standard histories used to study yield.
The Dynamics of Hedge Fund Fees

In contrast to the perception of a common 2/20 fee structure, we nd considerable cross-sectional and time series variations in hedge fund fees using a large panel data set. Fund family characteristics and prior performance play an important role in fee determination. New fund families are likely to charge at- or above-median fees. Initial fees of funds introduced by an existing family are positively related to the prior performance of the family as well as of the investment strategy they follow. Furthermore, management fees are dynamically adjusted in response to past fund performance. Funds that increase management fee more aggressively experience a bigger drop in subsequent money inows, and are more likely to maintain their good performance. This suggests that fee increases, which typically apply only to new investors, may benet existing investors by mitigating diseconomies of scale.
Military applications of agent-based simulations

There continues to be increasing interest from a broad range of disciplines in agent-based and artificial life simulations. This includes the Department of Defense - which uses simulations heavily in its decision making process. Indeed, military conflicts can have many attributes that are consistent with complex adaptive systems - such as many entities interacting with some degree of autonomy, each of which is continually making decisions to satisfy a variety of sometimes conflicting objectives. In this paper, we present three applications of agent-based simulations used to analyze military problems. The first uses the MANA model to explore the ability of the U.S. Army's network-based Future Force to perform with degraded communications. The second studies how unmanned surface vehicles can be used in force protection missions with the Pythagoras model. The last example examines the standard Army squad size with an integrated effort using MANA, Pythagoras, and the high-resolution simulation JANUS.
“Shocks and Rocks - Seismology in the Plate Tectonics Revolution” by Jack Oliver

The American Geophysical Union's history committee continues to play a vital role in documenting the growth of geophysics. In this attractive, largely autobiographical book, Volume 6 of the History of Geophysics Series, Jack Oliver presents the story of seismology's contributions to the takeover of plate tectonics as the evolutionary descriptor in geology and geophysics. Although his emphasis is the decade of the 1960s, when he made his own valuable contributions, the book has three preliminary chapters on the pre- and three on the post-plate tectonics era. The preface sets out the various aims of the book. The first is an outline of the role of seismology in the construction of plate tectonics. The second is “not to add glory to the revolution and its participants but rather to describe just how science works when things are going well.” Another goal is to “sketch and trace certain streams of seismological efforts...
Fate and persistence of woolly cupgrass (Eriochloa villosa) seed banks

Abstract Field experiments were conducted to quantify cumulative and annual rates of woolly cupgrass seedling emergence and seed mortality and to characterize woolly cupgrass seedling emergence patterns. Woolly cupgrass seed bank decline was rapid, declining by an average of 73, 96, and 99.5% after 1, 2, and 3 yr, respectively. Woolly cupgrass seed mortality accounted for a much greater portion of seed loss from the seed bank (80%) than germination and emergence (19.5%) during the 3-yr period. Annual rates of emergence ranged from 3 to 17% of the fall seed bank and were similar between seed banks established in different years when compared within the same year. Annual rates of mortality ranged from 50 to 92% and varied between seed banks established in different years when compared within the same year; older seed banks had higher rates of mortality than younger seed banks. For first-year seed banks, 97 to 99% of the total season emergence occurred within the first 3 wk of emergence. However, for second-...
Lease Financing and Corporate Governance

Lease financing is a well-recognized mechanism for reducing the agency costs of debt. This study examines whether firms that attempt to control the agency costs of equity through strong governance structures, including Chief Executive Officer compensation alignment and board structure, are more likely to use an agency cost reducing debt structure, such as leasing. For a sample of large firms, we find that firms who use more incentive compensation and have more outside directors also tend to use more lease financing, suggesting these agency cost reducing measures are complements.