cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct observation of intermediates involved in the intramolecular diyl trapping reaction

Abstract Triplet diyls capable of being trapped in an intramolecular diyl trapping reaction, have been detected by ESR spectroscopy at low temperatures. Evidence is provided which clearly implicates them as intermediates in the cycloaddition process.
Leukotriene C4 induces vasogenic cerebral edema in rats.

Leukotriene C4 (LTC4) is reported to neither contract nor relax isolated human cerebra artdial strips (1), but in skin LTC4 will increase vascular permeability in post capillary venules, increase blood flow (2) and elicit erythma and wheal formation (3). The present experiment was designed to determine whether LTC4 could increase vascular permeability in the brain.
Transmission of Neglect in Substance Abuse Families: The Role of Child Dysregulation and Parental SUD.

SUMMARY Paternal and maternal models of transmission of child neglect were tested separately in 10–12 year old offspring of men with a substance use disorder (SUD) and psychiatrically normal men (n = 156). The model hypothesizes that childhood neglect experienced by parents is related to their neglectful parenting moderated by psychological dysregulation in the child and by parental SUD. The paternal model was not confirmed. However, it was found that a history of childhood neglect in the mother was related to seventy of neglect of her offspring. Child dysregulation was independently related to neglect severity and also enhanced the magnitude of association between history of neglect experienced by the mother and the severity of her neglectful parenting. In addition, SUD in the mother directly correlated with severity of neglectful parenting. Maternal SUD also moderated the association between her history of childhood neglect and severity of neglectful parenting. The ramifications of these results for und...
Role of Japan-US relative GDP and broad money supply in determining the yen-dollar exchange rate

This paper analyses the role of relative GDP and broad money supply (M2) in the determination of the yen-dollar exchange rate. The sample period spans from the first quarter of 1988 to the second quarter of 2004. Standard cointegration procedures are applied. No clear evidence of a long-run equilibrium relationship exists among the variables. The estimates of the VAR model reveal short run causal flows from Japan-US relative GDP and relative broad money supply to the yen-dollar exchange rate with interactive feedbacks. The effects of the relative GDP on the yen-dollar exchange rate have no definitive patterns. The effects of the relative broad money supply are counterintuitive during this turbulent period of the Japanese economy.
ICN NURSE STAFFING: THE 12-HOUR ALTERNATIVE

Faced with recurring staffing problems, nurses in our small (250 admissions in 1976) but expanding unit voluntarily changed from three 8-hour to two 12-hour shifts per day in late June 1976. A questionaire using a seven point scale was administered four months later. Twenty-eight out of thirty (28/30) staff nurses responded. Continuity of patient care (25/28) and familiarity with families (19/28) were considered important benefits of the new schedule. Physician concerns, plans, and diagnosis were thought to be transmitted better (20/28) from one shift to the next. However, (16/28) nurses felt they lost contact with patients who had short stays in the nursery. Scheduling of holidays (18/28), vacation (17/28), and workdays (23/28) was generally thought to be improved. Changing from days to nights was thought to be improved by (4/25), unaffected by (13/25), and made more difficult by (8/25). The nursing staff felt that the rate of patient care error was unaffected by the new schedule (20/28), but there was thought to be a significant improvement in transcribing orders (20/28). Sign-off from one shift to the next was considered improved by (25/28). Finally, personal performance was assessed to be no different (13/28), or actually improved (15/28) by the new schedule. The results of this study indicate support for the 12-hour day. Additional evaluations including physician assessment, job performance and clinical outcome continue.
Optical Wigner distribution and ambiguity function for complex signals and images

Abstract Using a degenerate optical phase conjugation device, a new real-time coherent optical Wigner distribution and ambiguity function implementation method for both one- and two-dimensional complex signals is suggested.
Some generalized distributions based on Stacy's generalized gamma distribution

Abstract The generalized gamma distribution having the density function was introduced by Stacy (1962), who studied some of its properties. As observed by Stacy, many standard distributions are special cases of (1). For example d=p=1 gives the exponential, p=1 gives the gamma p=1 and d=n/2 (n is a positive integer) gives the chi-squared, and d=p gives the Weibull distribution. Furthermore, certain functions of a normal variable— viz., its positive even powers, its modulus, and all positive powers of its modulus, have Stacy's gamma form.
Fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool to investigate protein interactions

Recent advances in the use of fluorescence spectroscopy to study protein interactions have primarily involved combinations of classic fluorescence techniques, novel probe and coupling chemistries, and advances in laser excitation and detection capabilities. For example, new coupling strategies for fluorescent probes have allowed the first determination of the DeltaG° describing the insertion of a protein into a membrane. Fluorescently labeled oligonucleotides with specific protein-binding sequences have been used to study both protein-DNA associations and oligonucleotide hybridization using anisotropy changes. The first kinetic data describing a DNA-protein binding event was collected with stopped-flow fluorescence instrumentation. Combining scanning fluctuation correlation spectroscopy with a two-photon excitation source improved this technique so that it may now be used to study protein self-associations.
Association of fungal secondary metabolism and sclerotial biology

Fungal secondary metabolism and morphological development have been shown to be intimately associated at the genetic level. Much of the literature has focused on the co-regulation of secondary metabolite production (e.g. sterigmatocystin and aflatoxin in Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus flavus, respectively) with conidiation or formation of sexual fruiting bodies. However, many of these genetic links also control sclerotial production. Sclerotia are resistant structures produced by a number of fungal genera. They also represent the principal source of primary inoculum for some phytopathogenic fungi. In nature, higher plants often concentrate secondary metabolites in reproductive structures as a means of defense against herbivores and insects. By analogy, fungi also sequester a number of secondary metabolites in sclerotia that act as a chemical defense system against fungivorous predators. These include antiinsectant compounds such as tetramic acids, indole diterpenoids, pyridones and diketopiperazines. This chapter will focus on the molecular mechanisms governing production of secondary metabolites and the role they play in sclerotial development and fungal ecology, with particular emphasis on Aspergillus species. The global regulatory proteins VeA and LaeA, components of the velvet nuclear protein complex, serve as virulence factors and control both development and secondary metabolite production in many Aspergillus species. We will discuss a number of VeA and LaeA-regulated secondary metabolic gene clusters in A. flavus that are postulated to be involved in sclerotial morphogenesis and chemical defense. The presence of multiple regulatory factors that control secondary metabolism and sclerotial formation suggests that fungi have evolved these complex regulatory mechanisms as a means to rapidly adapt chemical responses to protect sclerotia from predators, competitors and other environmental stresses.
Effectiveness of geriatric evaluation and management: design of a study

Geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) pro ­ grams conduct interdisciplinary diagnosis and treatment designed to improve the med ical, psychosocial, and functional capabilities of frail elderly patients (1-3). Previous research supports the conclusion that inpatient GEM units can have many beneficial effects, including improved survival and health status , and reductions in the utilization of care (4-7) . The heterogeneity in patient populations, interventions , and settings in those stud­ ies, and recent changes toward shorter inpatient hos­ pital stays support addition al research to identify the best models of GEM programs (2). An important model in addition to the inpatient bed unit is the inpatient geriatric consultation team pro ­ gram, which works with patients on regular wards (8-14). These programs are less resource intensive, be­ cause they do not entail transfer to a unit which re­ quires space and extends inpatient length of stay , they are potentially able to treat more patients and treat them earlier in their hospital stays, and they are more easily established, but th ey have not been as ade­ quatelyassessed . Meta-analysis of th is literature has improved un­ de rstanding of the results of previous studies of these two models (15, 16). Previous controlled GEM trials were conducted at single sites with small patient populations, and may not have had adequate statis ­ tical power. The combined results of the studies re­ viewed indicate statistically and clinically significant survival benefits, for both the unit and non-unit pro­ grams . Although the magnitude of benefit was greater for inpatient units , these results also support the potential of well-designed consultative programs to improve patient outcomes at potentially lower cost. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the health outcomes and cost -effectiveness of different GEM models as alternatives to standard care. The study is planned to be conducted at ten De­ partment of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers. These sites will be selected from among those inter­ ested in participation, able to mount the study inter­ ventions and to enroll sufficient appropriate patients. Eligible patients will be randomized to one of three
Analysis, design and implementation of mm-Wave SiGe stacked Class-E power amplifiers

Design equations and performance limits of stacked Class-E power amplifiers at mm-waves, including the limitations imposed by device parasitics, are presented in this paper. As a proof of concept of this parasitic aware mm-wave Class-E design methodology and to demonstrate the beyond BVCEO Class-E operation in a stacked architecture at mm-wave frequencies, a Q-band, single ended, two-stage, double-stacked, Class-E power amplifier is designed in a 0.13 μm SiGe HBT BiCMOS process. The measured performance of the fabricated chip show 23.4 dBm maximum output power at 34.9% peak power added efficiency (PAE), and 14.6 dB of power gain across 5 GHz centered around 41 GHz for a supply voltage of 4 V. The total chip area including the pads is 0.8 mm × 1.28 mm.
American Brachytherapy Society survey regarding practice patterns of postoperative irradiation for endometrial cancer: current status of vaginal brachytherapy

Purpose: To survey the current postoperative recommendations for radiotherapy (RT) in patients with endometrial cancer, with an emphasis on vaginal brachytherapy (VBT). Methods and Materials: In August 2003, a 32-item questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 2396 members of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the American Brachytherapy Society. The sample excluded members-in-training, physicists, and non-U.S. members. A follow-up mailing was conducted in November 2003. Those who had not treated any patient in the previous year for endometrial carcinoma were instructed to indicate so at the beginning of the questionnaire and return it without responding to any other item. Responses were tabulated to determine the relative frequency distribution. Results: of the 2396 surveys sent out, 757 were returned, for a response rate of 31.6%. Of those who responded, 551 (72.8%) had performed postoperative irradiation for endometrial cancer and were included in this study. Of the 551 respondents, 99.8% had delivered external beam RT to some endometrial cancer patients. An increasing trend was found toward referrals for VBT; 91.5% of those who treated endometrial cancer performed VBT. The vaginal target most often irradiated was the upper vagina in 40.7%, upper 4–5 cm in 54.5%, and the entire vagina in 4.9%; 21.3% placed clips at the vaginal apex for applicator verification. The maximal dose to the bladder and rectum was recorded in 78.3% and 80.2% of patients, respectively. Of the respondents, 40% did not use low-dose-rate (LDR) VBT. The two most common LDR applicators were Delclos cylinders (29.7%) and Fletcher colpostats (29.3%). The mean boost dose delivered with LDR VBT when prescribed to the surface was 29.9 Gy and when prescribed to 0.5 cm was 23.8 Gy. When LDR therapy was used without external beam RT, the mean dose when prescribed to the surface was 56.8 Gy and when prescribed to 0.5 cm was 47.9 Gy. In 2002, 69.1% of respondents treated patients with high-dose-rate (HDR) VBT. Of the respondents, 90.6% used a single-channel vaginal cylinder, and 83.3% of cylinder users followed the curve of the cylinder to optimize dose, 67.9% adjusted the applicator position based on localization films, and 47% adjusted the applicator to be horizontal. The most common fractionation scheme when using HDR VBT as a boost was 5 Gy in three fractions prescribed to 0.5 cm (42.9%). The most common fractionation scheme used with HDR without external beam RT was 7 Gy in three fractions prescribed to 0.5 cm (41.8%). Conclusion: VBT is a common recommendation for postoperative adjuvant therapy for endometrial cancer. HDR appears to be the most popular approach, with a wide variety of dose fractionation schemes reported. Additional study is warranted to help define the ideal use of VBT.
Factors associated with disposition of cryopreserved reproductive tissue

Abstract Objective To study patient characteristics associated with the preferences for the disposition of cryopreserved semen and embryos in the event of death or divorce. Design Retrospective exploratory study. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Patient(s) One hundred twelve men banking sperm, 54 female patients (partners of men banking sperm) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), and 112 women undergoing IVF who were not partners of men banking sperm. Intervention(s) Male patients banking sperm and couples undergoing IVF completed a standard consent form detailing their desired dispositions (disposal or release to a surviving party) of cryopreserved sperm and embryos in the event of death or divorce. Main outcome measure(s) Effect of marital status, age, reason for sperm banking, infertility diagnosis, partner status (single or significant-other partner) on sperm, and embryo disposition choice. Result(s) In the event of death, married men were 5.5 times more likely to release banked sperm to a surviving party than were single men. The estimated odds of giving sperm to a survivor were 1.07 times greater with every 1-year increase in age. The choice of sperm disposal was significantly related to the banking reason for the case of banking prior to chemotherapy and/or radiation for malignancy. In the case of male death, the decisions of couples undergoing IVF for embryo disposition agreed with choices of male patients for sperm disposition approximately 33% of the time more often than by chance alone. Conclusion(s) Decisions surrounding disposition of cryopreserved sperm are significantly associated with marital status, age, and reason for banking sperm. Respective choices of sperm and embryo disposition in couples undergoing IVF were similar in the situation of male death.
Viral exacerbation of chronic airway inflammation in BALB/c mice sensitized with house dust mite (HDM): a role for corticosteroids?

Materials and methods Male BALB/c mice were sensitized to purified house dust mite extract (HDM; 25 μg) without exogenous adjuvant 5 days/week for 5 weeks (day 0-32). On day 21 designated groups were treated with fluticasone propionate (F; 10ug/animal, BID) until the end of the study. On day 35, designated groups were instilled with influenza (IFZ; A/HKx31[H3N2]; 10 PFU). On day 39 (4 days pi) and 49 (14 days pi), groups were evaluated for airway hyperreactivity (AHR), lung inflammation (BAL), viral titer, and histopathology.
Synthesis of the 5-7-6 Core of Guanacastepenes. Construction of C8 Quaternary Carbon via the Inversion of Stereochemistry

[formula: see text] An efficient and unique route to the 5-7-6 core of guanacatepene A (1) is described. The installation of the desired stereochemistry at the C8 position was achieved via the desymmetrization of the cyclohexadienone by reductive ring closure of the seven-membered ring. That the closure of the seven-membered ring produced only the desired isomer is hypothesized to be a result of the more stable trans relationship between the C8 and C11 methyl groups.
Ultrasonographic measurements of lower trapezius muscle thickness at rest and during isometric contraction: a reliability study

AbstractObjective: The purpose of this study was to determine the intra-rater reliability and inter-rater reliability of ultrasound imaging (USI) thickness measurements of the lower trapezius (LT) at rest and during active contractions when the transverse process and the lamina were used as reference sites for the measurement process. Participants: Twenty healthy individuals between the ages of 22 and 32 years volunteered. Methods: With the subject prone and the shoulder in 145° of abduction, images of the LT were taken bilaterally by one examiner as the subject: (1) rested; (2) actively held the test position; and (3) actively held the test position while holding a weight. Ten subjects returned and testing was repeated by the same examiner and by a second examiner. LT thickness measurements were recorded at the level of the transverse process and at the level of the lamina. Results: Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for within session intra-rater reliability (ICC3,3) ranged from 0.951 to 0.986 f...
An analytical formulation of the peripheral base resistance with application to statistical process variations

Abstract The npn emitter in this particular BiCMOS technology is not self-aligned to the heavily doped base contact region. As a consequence, there is a substantial resistance in series with the base contact that varies with photolithographic alignment and image size. In this paper we apply the solution of the Dirichlet and Neumann problems to obtain a general analytical formulation of the effective base resistance as a function of the device dimensions and the photolithographic alignment parameters. The analytical expressions are used to determine the variation of base resistance as a function of the alignment and also to evaluate the statistics of the resistance as a function of the randomly varying alignment.
4D simplicial quantum gravity with a nontrivial measure.

We study 4D simplicial quantum gravity in the dynamical triangulation approach with a nontrivial class of measures. We find that the measure contribution plays an important role, influencing the phase diagram and the nature of the (possible) critical theory. We discuss how the lattice theory could be used to fix the quantum measure in a nonambiguous way.
Job scheduling is more important than processor allocation for hypercube computers

Managing computing resources in a hypercube entails two steps. First, a job must be chosen to execute from among those waiting (job scheduling). Next a particular subcube within the hypercube must be allocated to that job (processor allocation). Whereas processor allocation has been well studied, job scheduling has been largely neglected. The goal of this paper is to compare the roles of processor allocation and job scheduling in achieving good performance on hypercube computers. We show that job scheduling has far more impact on performance than does processor allocation. We propose a new family of scheduling disciplines, called Scan, that have particular performance advantages. We show that performance problems that cannot be resolved through careful processor allocation can be solved by using Scan job-scheduling disciplines. Although the Scan disciplines carry far less overhead than is incurred by even the simplest processor allocation strategies, they are far more able to improve performance than even the most sophisticated strategies. Furthermore, when Scan disciplines are used, the abilities of sophisticated processor allocation strategies to further improve performance are limited to negligible levels. Consequently, a simple O(n) allocation strategy can be used in place of these complex strategies. >
Importance of adsorption for CCN activity and hygroscopic properties of mineral dust aerosol

[1] This study uses published data on dust-water interactions to examine the importance of including water adsorption effects when describing the hygroscopic and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) behavior of mineral dust aerosol. Adsorption activation theory (AT) better represents fresh dust-water interactions than Kohler theory (KT), as i) a consistent set of adsorption parameters can describe the hygroscopic behavior of dust (under both sub and supersaturated conditions), and ii) the dependence of critical supersaturation, sc, with particle dry diameter, Ddry, is closer to observations. The long adsorption timescale could also contribute to the large differences observed between dry and wet generated dust hygroscopicity. If KT and AT are consistently applied to the same dust size distribution, KT predicts up to tenfold higher CCN and 40% higher droplet number concentration than AT. This profoundly different behavior between the theories suggests that both may be required for a comprehensive description of atmospheric dust CCN activity.
The 2008 Republican Nomination: John McCain as the Comeback Kid

John McCain won a comeback victory against great odds in the 2008 Grand Old Party presidential multicandidate race without a frontrunner. He capitalized on the winner-take-all Republican rules that awarded all of the delegates of a state to the candidate coming in first, even if winning by only a small plurality. Although he trailed several Republicans in money raised and in positive media coverage, he overcame these constraints by a strong leadership message that led to early primary victories. In the end, McCain won 25 of the 41 primaries. Unlike his 2000 campaign, he courted Republican identifiers and ran ahead of both Romney and Huckabee. He was strong among Independents and moderates and trailed only slightly behind Huckabee and Romney among conservatives. McCain was second to Huckabee among evangelical voters and was quite dominant among those voters who were not evangelicals. Ironically, McCain had the highest candidate support from Republicans disillusioned with President Bush. On candidate traits...
Role of Vibrational Signals in Mating Behavior of Spissistilus festinus (Homoptera: Membracidae)

Mating behavior of the threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), was investigated to determine the possible role of vibrational signals in mate recognition, attraction, and courtship. Isolated males frequently emitted a vibrational call consisting of a frequency and amplitude modulated wave train that was punctuated with several chirps, whereas isolated females infrequently emitted a simpler spontaneous call. However, when placed on a plant with a male, females readily emitted their call in response to signaling males. These vibrational signals were found to mediate mate recognition and attraction in the absence of other possible kinds of signals (e.g., visual, tactile, or olfactory). When individual males and females were placed on separate plants, vibrational exchanges followed by searching behavior in males occurred only when the petioles of the plants were in contact. Moreover, playback of male or female song to the respective opposite sex resulted in calling and searching behavior in males and response calls from females. Males and females continued to exchange calls during courtship, but other modes of intersexual communication may be important before copulation. These results provide the first experimental evidence for any treehopper species that mating behavior is mediated by substrate-borne vibrational communication.
Comparative cold tolerance and climate matching of coastal and inland Laricobius nigrinus (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), a biological control agent of hemlock woolly adelgid

Abstract Laricobius nigrinus (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) was first collected near the coastal city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada for release as a biological control agent to suppress tree-killing densities of hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), in the eastern United States. Beetles established in warm areas of the invaded range of A. tsugae, but had a low probability of establishment in cold areas. With the goal of locating beetles with greater cold-tolerance, we collected hundreds of adults in the northern Rocky Mountains. To support planned releases of these inland L. nigrinus, the cold tolerance of field-collected coastal (Seattle, WA) and inland (Coeur d’Alene and Moscow, ID) adults and climate match index scores (CLIMEX v.2) of these collection areas and parts of the eastern United States were compared. We found that individuals of inland L. nigrinus were more cold tolerant than those of coastal L. nigrinus, based on higher survival in a winter field cage study in Massachusetts and a lower supercooling point in a laboratory assay. Inland L. nigrinus also had higher survival than coastal L. nigrinus after an 18 h exposure to sub-zero temperatures in another laboratory assay. Areas of the eastern United States infested with A. tsugae and receiving L. nigrinus releases matched the climate of Seattle and Coeur d’Alene reasonably well, but Coeur d’Alene had higher index values over a considerably larger area than Seattle. Accordingly, inland L. nigrinus appears preferable for release in the colder portions of A. tsugae’s invaded range in the eastern United States.
Variation among hospitals in selection of higher-cost, "higher-tech," implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Implantable Cardioverter/Defibrillator (ICD) Registry.

Background New implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) models are regularly introduced, incorporating technological advantages. The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with use of a newer, higher-tech/higher-cost device, as opposed to a previously released device, among patients undergoing ICD implantation. Methods We analyzed the 78,494 cases receiving new ICD implants submitted by 978 hospitals to the NCDR ICD Registry between January 2005 and June 2007. Devices were categorized as “previously released” 3 months after a new model from the same manufacturer was released. A nonparsimonious model including all demographic, clinical, provider, and hospital characteristics was created using logistic regression to predict use of a previously released device. Results Overall, 36% of implants involved previously released devices. However, no demographic (race, gender, payor status), clinical, or provider characteristics had a meaningful impact on use of previously released devices. The model C-statistic was 0.602, suggesting that measured characteristics had a limited ability to differentiate those receiving a previously released device. However, individual hospitals varied greatly in use of “previously released” devices, from 3% in the lowest decile to 91% in the top decile. Among physicians implanting at >1 hospital, there was minimal correlation between use of previously released devices between hospitals, suggesting hospital policies or culture, rather than physician preference, drives the large interhospital variation seen. Conclusions The use of “previously released” devices is influenced minimally by measured patient or provider characteristics. Rather, the main determinant of whether patients receive the newest, versus a previously released device, appears to be practice patterns at individual hospitals.
Exploring the catalytic center of TaqI endonuclease: rescuing catalytic activity by double mutations and Mn2+.

Abstract Taq I is a metal-dependent endonuclease that recognizes T↓CGA, with the arrow indicating the cleavage site. Mutations at K158 render the enzyme inactive and mutations at K157 significantly reduce DNA cleavage activity (W. Cao and F. Barany (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 33002–33010). Aspartate, glutamate, and histidine substitutions were made at K158 in the wild-type and K157S mutant Taq I endonuclease to understand the functional organization of the active site. None of the mutants was active with Mg 2+ , but the DNA cleavage activities were partly rescued by Mn 2+ for K157S–K158E and K157S–K158H mutants. The rescuing effects were observed with Mn 2+ but not with other divalent cations. K157S–K158E required higher Mn 2+ concentrations than the wild-type enzyme for DNA cleavage activity, suggesting that a Mn 2+ ion is weakly bound at the 158 position. The need to neutralize K157 to recover the catalytic activity of K158E and K158H indicates that K158 and K157 may interact functionally. In analogy with Eco RV, Ca 2+ stimulated Mn 2+ -mediated cleavage for the wild-type Taq I, suggesting the existence of at least two metal ions at the catalytic center. A catalytic mechanism involving two metal ions and the K157–K158 pair is proposed for Taq I endonuclease.
Fractionation of the urinary mucoprotein of Tamm and Horsfall

Abstract The urinary mucoprotein of Tamm and Horsfall consisting of rod-shaped molecules of molecular weight 7 × 10 6 has been broken into fragments of molecular weight one quarter as large as the original molecules. These fragments have been characterized by study with the ultracentrifuge, viscosity, light scattering, electrophoresis, and ultraviolet spectroscopy. The quarter molecules behave as a single component in the ultracentrifuge. They are rod-shaped, have a molecular weight of 1.7 × 10 6 , a width of 42 A., and a length of 1.5 × 10 3 A. The quarter molecules are not monodisperse under electrophoresis but are divided equally into two species of slightly differing charge. The mucoprotein of Tamm is composed of an end-to-end aggregation of four quarter molecules, two of each species. The mucoprotein of Di Ferrante is composed of two of the quarter molecules, one of each species, joined end to end.
The History of the Book and a History of Two Books: How Print Culture Can Inform Literary Study

Recent publications in the history of the book show both the variety and sophistication of studies in this emerging discipline; even so, skeptics find little literary value in print culture studies. In response, this demonstrates how literary strategies in two early modern texts – Castiglione's Book of the Courtier (1528) and Shakespeare's Sonnets (1609) – respond to divergent conditions in print culture in Venice and London.
Development of the quiescent center in maturing embryonic radicles of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska)

Maturing embryos of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska) were treated with an aqueous solution of tritiated thymidine for 1 h, sectioned, and processed for autoradiography. An analysis of the distribution of labelled nuclei and mitotic figures demonstrated the presence of a quiescent center (QC) in the radicles of developing embryos. The QC developed in the radicle during the growth of the embryo. Immature radicles that did not contain a well-formed zone of root-cap initials did not show a QC. In the latter stages of seed ripening, the pattern of arrest of DNA synthesis and mitosis was tissue-specific. Cells within the QC remained inactive. The region lacking labelled nuclei and mitotic figures progressively expanded to include the root cap initials and then the provascular cylinder. Mitosis was arrested before DNA synthesis in the embryonic cortex. Cells within the QC synthesized DNA during the first stages of seed germination.
Power of goodness of fit tests for the two-parameter weibull distribution with estimated parameters

The power of several EDF goodness-of-fit statistics was evaluated for the two-parameter Weibull distribution following estimation by maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs), good linear unbiased estimators (GLUEs), and modified GLUEs (MGLUEs). Relative power of Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Cramer-von Mises-type statistics was a function of level of Type I1 censoring, sample size, and method of parameter estimation. In generalW 2 and A 2 displayed more power than D U 2, and VPower was a function of method of estimation, but no one method was superior in all situations.
The Laser Institute of Technology for Education and Research at Camden County College: how it has changed and evolved after 20 years

The Laser Institute of Technology for Education and Research (LITER), nationally and internationally recognized in the field of Photonics, is a state of the art facility built in 1989 on the campus of Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ. This building consists of six high power laser labs, five low power laser labs and four fiber-optic laboratories. It also contains classrooms and research labs and the facility houses over $5,000,000 in equipment. This paper will discuss the evolution of this facility in regards to enrollment in its photonics programs, funding for new equipment purchases and maintaining and updating the facility in laser safety requirements as required by the ANSI Z-136.5 Standard for Educational Institutions. The paper will also discuss how OP-TEC (The National Center for Optics and Photonics Education) has helped to keep this Laser Institute at the cutting edge of photonics education.
From Rights to Justice: Women of Color Changing the Face of US Reproductive Rights Organizing

The history of government racism is part of the explanation of the limited contemporary use of human rights in the US. This history poses a challenge to mainstream organizations' ability to organize using human rights, yet some contemporary organizations embrace these concepts that are in full use within international settings. This article focuses on the emergent reproductive justice movement, a women of color-based social movement which complicates the narrow focus on protection of legislation such as Roe v. Wade by integrating human rights analysis of domestic social problems. In doing so, this paper expands understanding of uses of human rights in the US and illustrates how race and gender identities contribute to social movement organizing around reproduction.
Fiscal federalism and interjurisdictional externalities: New results and an application to US Air pollution

Abstract The economics of fiscal federalism has identified two book-end departures from first-best provision of a public good. Local governments may respond to local conditions, but ignore inter-jurisdictional spillovers. Alternatively, central governments may internalize spillovers, but impose uniform incentives ignoring local heterogeneity. We provide a simple model that demonstrates that the choice of pricing policy also depends crucially on a third factor, the shape of marginal costs of providing the public good. If marginal costs are convex, then marginal abatement cost elasticities will be higher around the local policies. This increases the deadweight loss of those policies relative to the centralized policy, ceteris paribus . If they are concave, then the opposite is true. Using a detailed simulation model of the US electricity sector, we then empirically explore these tradeoffs for US air pollution. We find that US states acting in their own interest lose about 31.5% of the potential first-best benefits, whereas the second-best uniform policy loses only 0.2% of benefits. The centralized policy outperforms the state policy for two reasons. First, inter-state spillovers are simply more important that inter-state heterogeneity in this application. Second, because of the convexity of the marginal cost functions, elasticities are much lower over the range relevant to the centralized policy, dampening the distortions.
A 75-year-old man with significant bleeding after transbronchial biopsy.

Major bleeding complications after flexible bronchoscopy and transbronchial biopsy are uncommon in the absence of predisposing factors like significant thrombocytopenia, uremia and coagulopathy. We...
Differential treatment of siblings: Interview and diary analyses comparing two family contexts.

We assessed parental differential treatment of siblings (maternal time, affection, discipline) in normal and high-risk families. Differential treatment was measured using home interviews, nightly phone ratings, and daily diaries tracking how mothers spent their time. Subjects were 40 mothers of toddlers (average age 2 years) and preschoolers (average age 4 1/2 years): half were caring for a younger child with a chronic illness (i.e., cystic fibrosis), and half were caring for two healthy children. Little evidence of parental differential treatment was found in the home or phone interview data. However, on the diary variables, both quantitative and qualitative differences in parental treatment were found in cystic fibrosis (CF) versus comparison families. Specifically, mothers spent more individual time with younger, chronically ill children in play and mealtime activities than with their older, healthy siblings. Further, mothers in the CF group rated time spent with older children as significantly more negative than time spent with younger children. Convergence between measures of differential treatment and advantages of using a high-risk comparison approach are discussed.
Dispersive birefringent filters

Abstract Polarization interference filters that employ crystals with a strong dispersion of birefringence as the wave plates can accomodate a very wide field-of-view while at the same time maintaining a very narrow bandwidth. It is noted, in particular, that CdS exhibits a strong dispersion in the spectral regime between 5200 A and 5400 A, with a rate of dispersion that could provide a passband of only 1 A with a filter structure of several millimeters thick. This paper investigates the properties of these filters. The results are presented and discussed.
Ethical and Psychosocial Impact of Female Infertility

This manuscript reviews research from the past year on the ethical and psychosocial impact of infertility on women and men. We discuss several issues surrounding ovarian stimulation, particularly high-order multiple births, egg banking (especially for research purposes), and diminished ovarian reserve. We also present recent work on distress and counseling, which includes greater attention to subgroups of infertile women. More research on issues confronting men has emerged recently, and we outline these with regard to their relationships with infertile women, or as the infertility patient. Last, we outline some ethical issues posed by newer procedures of fertility preservation and uterine transplant.
Conformational rearrangements required of the V3 loop of HIV-1 gp120 for proteolytic cleavage and infection.

HIV gp120 is specifically cleaved at a single site in the V3 loop between Arg315 and Ala316 by thrombin. Previous observations by others have indicated that binding to CD4 enhances the rate of V3 loop cleavage, and that this cleavage is a prerequisite for HIV infection. Other observations also suggest that the cleavage site is in a type II β-turn centered at Pro313-Gly314. However, our docking experiments indicate that this conformation cannot dock to thrombin and other trypsin-like serine proteases. Thus, based on the thrombin-bound conformation of peptide substrates, we propose that CD4 binding, at a site remote from the V3 loop, induces and stabilizes a trans to cis isomerization of the highly conserved residue Pro313, and that this conformational shift is a prerequisite for cleavage by a ‘thrombin-like’ cellular pro tease and subsequent infection.
The reactivity of dimethylcadmium on GaAs(100) and CdTe(100)

Abstract The reactivity of dimethylcadmium (DMCd) on GaAs(100) and CdTe(100) was investigated by temperature-programmed desorption. DMCd decomposed on GaAs(100) yielding methyl groups that reacted with Ga atoms to form adsorbed alkylgallium complexes. These complexes desorbed in the temperature range 200–550K. DMCd, on the other hand, desorbed molecularly from CdTe(100) at ∼ 280 K, which indicates that DMCd adsorbed reversibly on CdTe(100). Based on these results, we propose that during the growth of CdTe films by organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy DMCd adsorbs reversibly instead of the irreversible adsorption usually assumed in previously proposed mechanisms.
Evolution of the cancer genome

Human tumors result from an evolutionary process operating on somatic cells within tissues, whereby natural selection operates on the phenotypic variability generated by the accumulation of genetic, genomic and epigenetic alterations. This somatic evolution leads to adaptations such as increased proliferative, angiogenic, and invasive phenotypes. In this review we outline how cancer genomes are beginning to be investigated from an evolutionary perspective. We describe recent progress in the cataloging of somatic genetic and genomic alterations, and investigate the contributions of germline as well as epigenetic factors to cancer genome evolution. Finally, we outline the challenges facing researchers who investigate the processes driving the evolution of the cancer genome.
The reallocation of hash-coded tables

When the space allocation for a hash-coded table is altered, the table entries must be rescattered over the new space. A technique for accomplishing this rescattering is presented. The technique is independent of both the length of the table and the hashing function used, and can be utilized in conjunction with a linear reallocation of the table being rescattered. Moreover, it can be used to eliminate previously flagged deletions from any hash-coded table, or to change from one hashing method to another. The efficiency of the technique is discussed and theoretical statistics are given.
Resveratrol protects against experimental stroke: Putative neuroprotective role of heme oxygenase 1

Epidemiological and experimental reports have linked mild-to-moderate wine and/or grape consumption to a lowered incidence of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular risk. This study revealed that resveratrol, an enriched bioactive polyphenol in red wine, selectively induces heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) in a dose- and time-dependent manner in cultured mouse cortical neuronal cells and provides neuroprotection from free-radical or excitotoxicity damage. This protection was lost when cells were treated with a protein synthesis or heme oxygenase inhibitor, suggesting that HO1 induction is at least partially required for resveratrol's prophylactic properties. Furthermore, resveratrol pretreatment dose-dependently protected mice subjected to an optimized ischemic-reperfusion stroke model. Mice in which HO1 was selectively deleted lost most, if not all, of the beneficial effects. Together, the data suggest a potential intracellular pathway by which resveratrol can provide cell/organ resistance against neuropathological conditions.
Degradation of extracellular matrix proteoglycans by human neutrophils.

For many years, alterations in the connective tissues of the lungs have been considered to playa major role in the patho­ genesis of emphysema. In the alveolar wall, elastin and col­ lagen are usually found together in the amorphous ground substance constituted by the proteoglycans. The primary fo­ cus in studies of the mechanisms of development of em­ physema has been on elastin and on elastase-antielastase imbalance in the lungs. There have been suggestions impli­ cating collagen, but the least attention has been paid to the proteoglycans. Some 20 years ago, Laros and colleagues (1) found that total glycosaminoglycans, as judged by uronic acid content, were similar in normal and emphysematous lung tissue, but the relative content of galactosamine-containing glycosami­ noglycans (chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate, and dermatan sulfate) were significantly reduced. The specula­ tion was offered (2) that these components might play an im­ portant role in the pathogenesis of emphysema. In the March 1990 issue of this journal, McGowan (3) reports that human neutrophil elastase (HNE) is capable of degrading the core protein of proteoglycans in an elastin-rich culture system derived from the pulmonary parenchyma or the aortas of neonatal rats. The culture system is used as a model complex substrate to study the interactions of human neutrophils with connective tissue. Treatment of the culture system with stimulated neutrophils solubilized glycosamino­ glycan (GAG) chains that were covalently attached to the core proteins of the proteoglycan. The glycosaminoglycan subunits consist of anionic polysaccharide chains with re­ peating disaccharide subunits. The use of an elastase inhibi­ tor in the presence of the stimulated neutrophils, inhibited 88 % of the proteoglycan-degrading activity exhibited by stimulated neutrophils in the absence of the inhibitor. As shown by gel-filtration studies, portions of the core protein of the proteoglycans, rather than the GAGchains, were likely degraded. Both the neutrophil protease, cathepsin G, found in the azurophilic granules, and the neutrophil myeloperoxi­ dase oxidant system played a minor role in degrading pro­ teoglycans. Most studies of HNE in biologic systems have focused on
Effects of Postdiapause Adult Diet and Temperature on Oogenesis of the Cabbage Seedpod Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The effects of adult diet and temperature on oogenesis of the postdiapause cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus assimilis Paykull, were studied to examine the reproductive development of this important pest of rapeseed, Brassica napus L. Diets consisting of racemes with open flowers, racemes without open flowers, racemes with open flowers without stamens, stamens, sugar water (10% sucrose), and distilled water were evaluated with respect to C. assimilis oogenesis. Oogenesis, rated on a 1-3 scale, and measurements of follicle length, width, and volume, were significantly (P 0.05) differences in oogenesis (stage, follicle length, width, and volume) among weevils fed racemes of each variety over a 2-wk period. Ovariole development differed significantly (P 0.05) differences in weevil mortality among the temperature treatments over the 4-wk period of study.