cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vivo evolution of c-rel oncogenic potential

The c-rel proto-oncogene belongs to the NF-kappa B/rel and I kappa B gene families, which regulate several inducible processes, including self-defense/repair and embryogenesis. Transduction of the c-rel transcription factor by the avian retrovirus resulted in the formation of a highly oncogenic virus, reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (REV-T), that encodes the oncogene v-rel. To examine the oncogenic potential of c-rel, we inserted it into a REV-T-based retroviral vector, rescued virus [REV-C(CSV)], and infected 1-day-old chicks. All birds developed tumors, and all cell lines established from REV-C-induced tumors expressed c-rel proteins that lacked C-terminal sequences. These proteins, responsible for both in vivo and in vitro cell proliferation, were apparently selected for their oncogenic potential. In order to examine the cooperation of C-terminal deletions with other oncogenic alterations in vivo, point mutations present in the N-terminal and middle regions of v-rel were analyzed by a similar protocol. The data obtained support four conclusions. (i) c-rel proteins bearing any of three single-amino-acid mutations present in the N-terminal portion of v-rel were sufficiently oncogenic to induce tumor development in the absence of additional mutations. (ii) Combining a mutation from the N-terminal region of v-rel with a deletion of the C-terminal sequences of c-rel increases the oncogenicity of the protein in an additive manner. (iii) Mutations present in the middle of v-rel cooperated synergistically with C-terminal deletions to produce highly transforming viruses. (iv) Deletion of c-rel produced a variety of transforming rel proteins with sizes that extended from 42 to 65 kDa. The most frequently isolated rel deletion was 62 kDa in size. To examine the basis for the selection of different rel mutants, their ability to induce immunoregulatory surface receptors was analyzed. The data revealed a correlation between the induction capacity of these mutants and their corresponding contribution to in vivo tumorigenic potential. Moreover, an analysis of the subcellular localization of different rel proteins revealed an inverse correlation between the size of the protein and the proportion in the nucleus of lymphoid cells.
A statistical approach to characterize the viscoelastic creep compliances of a vinyl ester polymer

Abstract The objective of this study was to develop a model to predict the viscoelastic material functions of a vinyl ester (VE) polymer with variations in its experimentally obtained material properties under combined isothermal and mechanical loading. Short-term tensile creep experiments were conducted at three temperatures below the glass transition temperature of the VE polymer, with 10 replicates for each test configuration. The measured creep strain versus time responses were used to determine the creep compliances using the generalized viscoelastic constitutive equation with a Prony series representation. The variation in the creep compliances of a VE polymer was described by formulating the probability density functions (PDFs) and the corresponding cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of the creep compliances using a two-parameter Weibull distribution. Both Weibull scale and shape parameters of the creep compliance distributions were shown to be time and temperature dependent. Two-dimensional quadratic Lagrange interpolation functions were used to characterize the Weibull parameters to obtain the PDFs and, subsequently, the CDFs of the creep compliances for the complete design temperature range during steady state creep. At each test temperature, creep compliance curves were obtained for constant CDF values and compared with the experimental data. The predicted creep compliances of the selected VE polymer in the design space are in good agreement with the experimental data for all three test temperatures.
On constant luminance, gamma correction, and digitization of color space

With one exception all color television standards, including proposed HDTV standards, violate the constant luminance principle by companding the RGB primaries. True luminance information is processed in the chroma channels. Visible luminance errors caused by processing and impairments in the chroma channels are reviewed and quantitatively analyzed. There is now a window of opportunity to develop digital TV standards without this well known flaw in TV color encoding. Digitization of color space and constant luminance proposals, including transmission of chromaticities, are examined. Further work leading to a constant luminance MPEG option, besides the linear option, is recommended.
Comparison Of Intussusception Pull-Through End-To-Side and Conventional End-To-Side Microsurgical Vasoepididymostomy: Prospective Randomized Controlled Study in Male Wistar Rats

Purpose: Vasoepididymostomy is a technically challenging and complex microsurgical procedure. Recently a new triangulation end-to-side microsurgical technique was reported that allows intussusception of the epididymal tubule into the vasal lumen, resulting in a higher clinical patency rate of 92% with shorter operative time in preliminary clinical studies. We performed a prospective controlled randomized study comparing the patency rate, postoperative sperm granuloma rate and operating time of conventional and intussusception end-to-side vasoepididymostomy in previously vasectomized rats.Materials and Methods: We randomized 42, 6-week-old male Wistar rats into 4 groups, including 6 into the sham operation, and 12 each into the control, conventional end-to-side and intussusception end-to-side vasoepididymostomy groups. Bilateral 2-clip vasectomy was performed in all animals except those in the sham operation group. Bilateral intussusception or conventional end-to-side vasoepididymostomy was performed in th...
The Validity of the Nonreading Aptitude Test Battery for the Mentally Handicapped

This study showed that the mean number of Occupational Aptitude Patterns (OAP's) generated for a sample of 140 mentally retarded and borderline intelligence students was significantly greater for the Nonreading Aptitude Test Battery (NATB) (7.10) than for the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) (3.70). A Pearson product moment correlation coefficient of .846 showed a positive relationship between the number of OAP's identified by the two tests. A summary is also given of the observed correlations between selected GATB/NATB subtest scores and the full-scale Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, and the reading comprehension subtest of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test.
Finite-difference time-domain simulation of ultrashort pulse propagation incorporating quantum-mechanical response functions

A semiclassical implementation of the finite-difference time-domain method is used to simulate coherent linear propagation of ultrashort mid-infrared pulses through optically dense samples of isotropically diluted liquid water. Bloch equations for the density matrix are used as a simple model of the O—H oscillator relaxation, and the algorithm is extended to other response functions. Sensitivity of the field to the form of the response function is demonstrated, and the results are compared with experimentally determined electric fields in the same media [Rev. Sci. Instrum.73, 2227 (2002)].
Electronic versus Print Textbooks: The Influence of Textbook Format on University Students' Self-Regulated Learning Strategies, Motivation, and Text Anxiety.

Because a majority of university students do not regularly read course textbooks, a study was conducted to determine if portable electronic textbooks (e-textbooks) would increase university student motivation to read by enhancing cognitive learning strategies and self-regulation of learning. The participants included 538 university students who self-chose to use either a print or e-textbook throughout the semester. The dependent variables self-efficacy, intrinsic value, cognitive strategies, self-regulation, and text anxiety were measured in each of two groups of participants using the Technology Confidences and Attitudes scale and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The results of a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) analysis indicated that there was a significant difference in the students’ MSLQ scores based on their choice of textbook format. These results imply that students who use e-textbooks are more likely to use cognitive and self-regulation strategies than student...
Robotically Simulated Clinical Pivot Shift: A Better Tool for Analyzing ACL Reconstructions?

A pivot shift is a useful exam for evaluating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. A positive result is a perceived “clunk” and is quantified by the kinematics that occur during the tibial reduction phase. In vitro evaluation of ACL reconstruction techniques includes robotic testing of cadaveric knees where the applied loads represent estimated in situ loads. Early understanding of the mechanism of the pivot shift has resulted in a simplified representation where static “rotary loads” (10Nm valgus torque, 5Nm internal tibial torque) are applied at a few discrete flexion angles, and changes in anterior tibial translation (ATT) are compared [1]. Building upon this work, and with advances in technology, we are now able to create a robotic test that is more like the clinical exam. Our hypothesis was that kinematics produced during the robotically simulated pivot shift would be similar to the clinical pivot shift but would be significantly different from the rotary loads method. The ability for a test to produce larger kinematic differences between native and deficient states may suggest a more robust methodology by which to evaluate the efficacy of ACL reconstructions.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The treatment of acute childhood leukemia: Predictions for the future rased on extrapolations from the past

Further progress in the treatment of acute leukemia involves a careful assessment of host and disease factors in each child and the selection of a therapeutic regimen which interacts with these factors to provide the maximum chance for survival. For some children, this therapy can be carried out in the community by expertly trained hematologist-oncologists; for others, the best treatment will involve clinical research at a center. Such a general approach has the best chance of fulfilling the optimistic survival projections made by the President's Cancer Panel in 1973 for acute lymphocytic leukemia.
Modelling of combustion and heat transfer in a packed bed with embedded coolant tubes

Abstract A model has been developed to simulate combustion and heat transfer in a porous matrix combustor-heater. The system consists of a packed bed in which a premixed natural gas-air mixture combusts. Radiative and convective heat transfer occurs from the flame zone to a fluid flowing through a bank of tubes embedded in the packed bed. Radiative heat transfer in the bed is modelled as a diffusion process, and the flow field and temperature distribution in the bed are calculated. The numerically obtained results are compared with available experimental data for a similar system.
Effect of antioxidant treatment on spinal GABA neurons in a neuropathic pain model in the mouse.

One feature of neuropathic pain is a reduced spinal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic inhibitory function. However, the mechanisms behind this attenuation remain to be elucidated. This study investigated the involvement of reactive oxygen species in the spinal GABA neuron loss and reduced GABA neuron excitability in spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model of neuropathic pain in mice. The importance of spinal GABAergic inhibition in neuropathic pain was tested by examining the effects of intrathecally administered GABA receptor agonists and antagonists in SNL and naive mice, respectively. The effects of SNL and antioxidant treatment on GABA neuron loss and functional changes were examined in transgenic GAD67-enhanced green fluorescent protein positive (EGFP+) mice. GABA receptor agonists transiently reversed mechanical hypersensitivity of the hind paw in SNL mice. On the other hand, GABA receptor antagonists made naive mice mechanically hypersensitive. Stereological analysis showed that the numbers of enhanced green fluorescent protein positive (EGFP+) GABA neurons were significantly decreased in the lateral superficial laminae (I-II) on the ipsilateral L5 spinal cord after SNL. Repeated antioxidant treatments significantly reduced the pain behaviors and prevented the reduction in EGFP+ GABA neurons. The response rate of the tonic firing GABA neurons recorded from SNL mice increased with antioxidant treatment, whereas no change was seen in those recorded from naive mice, which suggested that oxidative stress impaired some spinal GABA neuron activity in the neuropathic pain condition. Together the data suggest that neuropathic pain, at least partially, is attributed to oxidative stress, which induces both a GABA neuron loss and dysfunction of surviving GABA neurons.
Elmer L. DeGowin, MD: Blood Transfusions in War and Peace

Elmer L. DeGowin, MD, like many of the pioneers of American blood banking and transfusion medicine, entered the discipline because of scientific curiosity and a desire to provide efficacious and safe allogeneic transfusions to patients. Much of the early impetus and financial support were fueled by the military needs of World War II. Dr. DeGowin and his colleagues provided important information pertaining to the preservation, storage, transportation, and transfusion of blood. After the war, many of these investigations continued and were applied to civilian practices. The legacy of Dr. DeGowin to provide exemplary service, teaching, and research has been sustained by the physicians and staff of the Elmer L. DeGowin Memorial Blood Center (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Ia).
The Role of Mitochondrial Oxidation in Endotoxin-Induced Liver-Dependent Swine Pulmonary Edema

Abstract We reported previously studies in an in situ perfused swine preparation demonstrating that endotoxemia induced lung injury required the presence of the liver and that the response was accompanied by oxidative stress. To determine whether lung and liver mitochondrial oxidative stress was important to the response, we compared the effects of equimolar amounts of two antioxidants, n-acetylcysteine, which does not replenish mitochondrial glutathione, and procysteine which does, on endotoxemia induced lung injury in the swine preparation. In a swine perfused liver–lung preparation, we measured physiologic, biochemical and cellular responses of liver and lung to endotoxemia with and without the drugs. Endotoxemia caused oxidation of the mitochondria-specific protein, thioredoxin-2, in both the lungs and the liver. Procysteine reduced thioredoxin-2 oxidation, attenuated hemodynamic, gas exchange, hepatocellular dysfunction, and cytokine responses and prevented lung edema. n-acetylcysteine had more modest effects and did not prevent lung edema. Conclusions We conclude that mitochondrial oxidation may be critical to the pathogenesis of endotoxemia-induced liver-dependent lung injury and that choices of antioxidant therapy for such conditions must consider the desired subcellular target in order to be optimally effective.
Donor-specific portal blood transfusion in intestinal transplantation: a prospective, preclinical large animal study.

Background. Unlike in kidney and heart transplantation, the role of pretransplant donor-specific blood transfusion (DST) has not been studied prospectively in a large animal model of bowel transplantation. We investigated the impact of portal versus systemic DST on overall survival, rejection, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and infection after total (small and large) bowel transplantation in pigs. Methods. Mixed lymphocyte culture-reactive, outbred pigs underwent total enterectomy and orthotopic total bowel transplantation with portal vein graft drainage. One unit of donor blood was transfused via the portal or systemic circulation (according to a randomization protocol) before graft implantation was begun. We studied six groups, all of which underwent at least a total bowel transplant: group 1 (n=5) comprised nonimmunosuppressed control pigs with portal DST; group 2 (n=6), nonimmunosuppressed control pigs with systemic DST; group 3 (n=5), cyclosporine (CsA)-treated pigs with portal DST; group 4 (n=5), CsA-treated pigs with systemic DST; group 5 (n=5), tacrolimus-treated pigs with portal DST; and group 6 (n=5), tacrolimus-treated pigs with systemic DST. All immunosuppressed pigs received prednisone (2 mg/ kg/day) and either CsA (to maintain levels between 250 and 350 ng/ml) or tacrolimus (to maintain levels between 10 and 30 ng/ml). Stomal biopsies and autopsies were obtained to study the incidence of rejection, GVHD, and infection. Results. Portal DST and tacrolimus-based immunosuppression resulted in the highest survival rates. At 7, 14, and 28 days after transplantation, survival rates in group 5 were 100%, 100%, and 80%; in group 6, 100%, 60%, and 40%; and in group 3, 100%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. Only the combination of portal DST and tacrolimus prevented the occurrence of, and death from, rejection. Death from rejection at 7, 14, and 28 days in group 5 was 0%, 0%, and 0%; in group 6, 0%, 33%, and 67%; and in group 3, 0%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Of note, if immunosuppression was used, the groups with portal (versus systemic) DST had a higher risk of death from infection but a lower risk of death from GVHD. Simultaneous immunologic events were noted more frequently in groups with systemic (versus portal) DST. Long-term survival was noted only in groups with tacrolimus-based immunosuppression and was more common for those with portal (versus systemic) DST. Conclusions. Portal DST at the time of total bowel transplantation and posttransplant immunosuppression with tacrolimus prevent rejection and significantly increase graft survival. The combination of portal antigen presentation and tacrolimus needs to be studied in clinical bowel transplantation.
Wild-type enzyme as a reporter of inhibitor binding by catalytically impaired mutant enzymes.

Abstract A method for the determination of inhibition constants for catalytically-debilitated mutant enzymes is described. The inhibitor is partitioned between the mutant and wild-type enzymes. Catalytic rates of the wild-type enzyme are used as the signal of inhibitor binding to the mutant enzyme. The method is validated with scytalone dehydratase, the Y50F mutant, and a potent inhibitor. The K i value for Y50F determined by this method is 0.49 ± 0.10 nM. The K i value determined using the Y50F catalytic report for inhibitor binding in the absence of wild-type enzyme is 0.20 ± 0.030 nM. The wild-type enzyme binds the inhibitor ten-fold less tightly, thus indicating that the hydrogen-bonding interaction between the Y50 hydroxyl group and the inhibitor (suggested by X-ray crystallography) is weak. The method is most useful when the catalytic activity of the wild-type enzyme is the most sensitive report of inhibitor binding and the mutant enzyme is greatly crippled in catalytic activity.
Selectivity of migrants to a metropolis in a developing country: a mexican case study.

A proper evaluation of native-migrant differences requires information on migrant selectivity. Are migrants positively or negatively selective or are they representative of the populations from which they originate? This question was posed for a sample of male migrants to Monterrey, Mexico, a rapidly growing metropolis in a developing country. A comparison was made between the characteristics of migrants and census information for the origin populations for 1940 and 1960. Overall, in terms of education and occupational position, migrants are positively selective. However, using three time-of-arrival cohorts, it is shown that migrants have become less selective over time. There has been a shift from a “pioneer” to a “mass” pattern of migration, with the latter group more closely approximating the characteristics of the origin population. Besides having lower educational and skill levels, the “mass” migrants are more likely to be made up of married men and their families. To the extent that the Monterrey pattern will be encountered in other large and fast-growing urban areas in Latin America, it suggests that the assimilation of migrants in these places will become more rather than less difficult.
The relationship of respiratory allergy, skin test reactivity, and serum IgE in a community population sample.

Abstract The relationship between prick and intradermal skin test reactivity and serum levels of total and specific IgE was evaluated in 311 subjects selected from a general population. Test results were related to the historical allergy status of the subjects. Prick test reactivity to 14 common local allergens correlated with the presence of allergy symptoms. Similarly, mean total serum IgE (PRIST) levels were significantly higher (p
The First U.S. Food Stamp Program: An Example of Rent Seeking and Avoiding

Abstract.Rent seeking involves the wasteful expenses incurred to secure, acquire, or maintain a monopoly position. Rent avoiding involves the expenditures undertaken to avoid the imposition of rent-seeking costs. Each represents a social cost of Tullock rectangle loss in addition to the dead-weight or Harberger triangle loss that combined to form the Harberger-Tullock trapezoid social cost. The first Food Stamp Program in the United States came about through the rent-seeking and/or rent-avoiding efforts of farmers, grocers, bankers, and other economic agents and did not lead to the promotion of social welfare. The evidence of these self-interested efforts was gleaned from articles in the New York Times and government documents. The first Food Stamp Program also fits the economic theory of regulation developed by Stigler, Jordan, Peltzman and others, and it involved imposed costs on economic agents as the program evolved.
A theoretical analysis of feedback flow control

Congestion is a longstanding problem in datagram networks. One congestion avoidance technique is feedback flow control, in which sources adjust their transmission rate in response to congestion signals sent (implicitly or explicitly) by network gateways. The goal is to design flow control algorithms which provide time-scale invariant, fair, stable, and robust performance. In this paper we introduce a simple model of feedback flow control, in which sources make synchronous rate adjustments based on the congestion signals and other local information, and apply it to a network of Poisson sources and exponential servers. We investigate two different styles of feedback, aggregate and individual, and two different gateway service disciplines, FIFO and Fair Share. The purpose of this paper is to identify, in the context of our simple model, which flow control design choices allow us to achieve our performance goals.Aggregate feedback flow control, in which congestion signals reflect only the aggregate congestion at the gateways, can provide time-scale invariant and stable performance, but not fair or robust performance. The properties of individual feedback flow control, in which the congestion signals reflect the congestion caused by the individual source, depend on the service discipline used in the gateways. Individual feedback with FIFO gateways can provide time-scale invariant, fair, and stable performance, but not robust performance. Individual feedback with Fair Share gateways can achieve all four performance goals. Furthermore, its stability properties are superior to those of the other two design choices. By making robust and more stable performance possible, gateway service disciplines play a crucial role in realizing effective flow control.
New isoforms of the chick glutamate receptor subunit GluR4: molecular cloning, regional expression and developmental analysis

To identify chick GluR4 isoforms, we used PCR to amplify a C-terminal region that is the site of alternative splicing in rat. We report here the cloning of three novel chick GluR4 isoforms. GluR4c has a 113-bp insert in the C-terminus, is expressed in flip and flop isoforms, is most strongly expressed in the cerebellum, midbrain and forebrain, and appears from embryonic day (E) 2.5 through at least post-hatching day (P) 2, with a peak of expression at E17. GluR4d has a 184-bp segment inserted at the 4c splice site, occurs as flip and flop isoforms, is expressed most strongly in cerebellum, hindbrain and forebrain, and is present from E11 through P2, with peak expression at E17. GluR4s is a shortened form that lacks the nominal 4th transmembrane and flip/flop domains and shares a common C-terminal region with GluR4. GluR4s is expressed most strongly in the hindbrain and cerebellum and its expression increases from E11 through P2. Experiments on purified cerebellar cells show that glia express GluR4c and GluR4d at combined levels nearly twice that of GluR4 and that flip isoforms predominate. In contrast, granule cells express GluR4c and GluR4d at a level comparable to GluR4 and express GluR4s at a level less than half that in cerebellar glia. Thus, the independence of alternative splicing at the flip/flop and C-terminal splice sites allows seven alternatively spliced forms of GluR4 to exist in chick CNS. This structural diversity increases the potential for functional diversity in neuronal and glial GluRs incorporating GluR4.
The Dynasty and the Imperial Idea

It would be much easier to state what the relationship between the concepts of the “dynasty” and the “imperial idea” does not mean than to explain what it is supposed to mean. Before we can make any serious efforts to do so, we must, first of all, come to a clear understanding of the exact meaning of some of the terms involved. In English-speaking areas the word “empire” is generally understood to mean “an extended territory, usually comprised of a group of nations, states or peoples under the control or domination of a single sovereign power.” Frequently the determining factors are the assumption of a master-subject relationship between “a dominating conquering people and the conquered people,” either by way of a confederacy, in which “one strong member dominates its confederates,” or by even more direct subordination. Furthermore, the notion of an empire is generally associated with an area of considerable size and frequently “with the supreme or absolute power especially of an emperor. 1
Visual enhancement of micro CT bone density images

The primary goal of this research was to provide image processing support to aid in the identification of those subjects most affected by bone loss when exposed to weightlessness and provide insight into the causes for large variability. Past research has demonstrated that genetically distinct strains of mice exhibit different degrees of bone loss when subjected to simulated weightlessness. Bone loss is quantified by in vivo computed tomography (CT) imaging. The first step in evaluating bone density is to segment gray scale images into separate regions of bone and background. Two of the most common methods for implementing image segmentation are thresholding and edge detection. Thresholding is generally considered the simplest segmentation process which can be obtained by having a user visually select a threshold using a sliding scale. This is a highly subjective process with great potential for variation from one observer to another. One way to reduce inter-observer variability is to have several users independently set the threshold and average their results but this is a very time consuming process. A better approach is to apply an objective adaptive technique such as the Riddler / Calvard method. In our study we have concluded that thresholding was better than edge detection and pre-processing these images with an iterative deconvolution algorithm prior to adaptive thresholding yields superior visualization when compared with images that have not been pre-processed or images that have been pre-processed with a filter.
Theories of carcinogenesis and their impact on surgical treatment of colorectal cancer: A historical review

From the time of Hippocrates until the late 19th century, physicians and surgeons were convinced that surgical attempts at treating colorectal cancers were doomed to failure. This opinion stemmed from prevailing views on carcinogenesis. The three dominant theories, the humoral, mineral, and lymph theories, held that all cancers developed in tissue that had a diseased disposition. Thus, excision of the gross tumor mass alone seemed unlikely to cure the patient. Consequently, surgical treatment of all cancers, and in particular colorectal cancer, was vehemently condemned. The 19th century represented a transition period. Advances in surgical technique made excision of rectal cancers feasible. Unfortunately, classical views that resection of cancer was futile delayed the development of surgical treatment for colorectal cancer. Indeed, it was not until the late 19th century that a few individuals ignored these tenets of classical medicine and attempted local resections of rectal cancers. By the second quarter of the 20th century, a radical change occurred in the prevailing theories of carcinogenesis. Wide acceptance of the unicellular origin of cancer and the mucosal origin of colorectal cancers washed away admonitions against surgical treatment of colorectal cancers. It became axiomatic that all cancers, including colorectal cancers, could be cured surgically if treated while still local diseases.
A PSYCHOPHYSICAL MODEL OF MOTORCYCLE HANDLEBAR VIBRATIONS

In this study, we developed a perception-based quantitative model to relate broadband vibrations transmitted through a motorcycle handlebar to a rider’s hands. The test apparatus consisted of the handlebar of a motorcycle rig assembly driven by a computer-controlled actuator. Participants were instructed to hold the handlebar and maintain a sitting posture as they would while riding a motorcycle. In Exp. 1, psychophysical detection thresholds for 10 participants were estimated at ten test frequencies between 20-300 Hz using a two-interval one-up twodown adaptive procedure. The interpolated threshold vs. frequency function specified the minimum acceleration required before a user could perceive the vibration at a particular frequency. In Exp. 2, participants were asked to rate 15 representative handlebar vibrations using a magnitude estimation procedure. The vibration patterns were measured on an actual motorcycle handlebar while the motorcycle traveled at speeds ranging from 25 to 75 mph. Several weighting functions, including the ISO-5349 standards, were applied to the broadband vibration signal in the frequency domain to estimate the total vibration energy by summing up all weighted components. The best weighting function, in the sense that the estimated total energy correlated linearly with the subjective magnitude ratings obtained in Exp. 2, were based on the detection threshold data obtained in Exp. 1. Specifically, the strength of each vibration component was calculated relative to the human detection threshold at the same frequency, thereby taking into account human sensitivity to vibration signals at different frequencies. The resulting weighting function can be applied to other recorded vibration signals to predict user rating of perceived vibration intensities.
Breached superfluidity via p-wave coupling.

Anisotropic pairing between fermion species with different Fermi momenta opens two-dimensional areas of gapless excitations, thus producing a spatially homogeneous state with coexisting superfluid and normal fluids. This breached pairing state is stable and robust for arbitrarily small mismatch and weak $p$-wave coupling.
Fabricating fixed partial dentures using existing restorations.

Abstract A technique has been described for utilizing an existing fixed splint in the fabrication of a fixed partial denture to replace splinted teeth that are extracted.
A high sensitivity hall sensor fabricated on a SOI wafer using surface micromachining technique

Hall sensors of high sensitivity have been designed and fabricated using the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) process. This paper presents the design and fabrication techniques used to obtain high sensitivity Hall sensors on a thin film polyimide flexible substrate. The devices are fabricated on a Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI), with boron-doped p-type Silicon as the active layer, using surface micromachining principles. The arrays of Hall devices are further transferred to a flexible substrate using a combination of wet and dry micromachining processes. The manufactured devices are stable over a range of temperature displaying relatively high magnetic sensitivity values. The recorded device sensitivities are in the range of 10μV/mA-G. The fabrication process aims at fabricating devices on a flexible substrate that enables to curve the Hall probes and thus use them for the measurement of radial magnetic fields and magnetic fields on curved surfaces. The volume of the active region is 1000×100×2μm.
Eleven Pipers Piping

The DOS‐tips column in the September 1985 issue of OCLC Micro addressed some common uses of the DIRectory command in DOS. While training OCLC staff members on the IBM PC, I have found some other handy variations of DIR, including some of the piping and redirection variations. This article lists 19 DIR command variations that I think are probably all the ones you are most likely to use.
Are earnings quality attributes reflected in financial strength ratings

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether earnings quality attributes are reflected in AM best's financial strength ratings (FSRs), a measure widely used in the insurance industry to assess financial health. Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of insurance companies during the period 2006-2012, the authors measure the quality of reported earnings using three accounting-based measures: earnings persistence, accrual quality, and earnings smoothness. Findings – The authors find that better earnings persistence, higher accrual quality, and less earnings smoothing are reflected in higher FSRs for both public and private insurers, with the magnitude of the effect greater for private insurers. Originality/value – This is the first study of which the authors are aware that seeks to understand the impact, if any, of variations in the quality of reported financial information on the perceived financial health of firms by ratings agencies in the insurance industry. The authors also include a...
The effects of β-carbolines in rats trained with ibogaine as a discriminative stimulus

Abstract The structural features and hallucinogenic properties shared by ibogaine and certain β-carbolines prompted the evaluation of several representative β-carbolines in rats trained with ibogaine as a discriminative stimulus. In a previous report from our laboratory harmaline completely substituted for ibogaine (83.5%). In the present study, only 6-methoxyharmalan completely substituted (86.3%). However, partial substitution was observed with harmine, harmane, harmalol, and tetrahydro-β-carboline (THBC). Norharmane and 6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl–carboline-3-carboxylate (DMCM) failed to produce appreciable substitution. These results provide evidence for an ibogaine-like effect of certain β-carbolines. Whether this extends to the previously reported anti-addictive effects of ibogaine remains to be established.
Reduction in proportions of dental plaque streptococci following a 5 day topical kanamycin treatment

A 5 day topical kanamycin treatment of the dental gingival surfaces in institutional ized mentally retarded subjects significantly reduced the plaque mass on the tooth surfaces compared to a placeho treatment. This reduction occurred in the absence of any mechanical hygiene procedures and lasted for 4 or more weeks, which was longer than the kanamycin could have been expected to be present in the mouth. This suggested that the kanamycin had caused an alteration of the plaque flora which should he discernible by qoantitative culturing procedures. Plaque was removed and cultured, using an anaerobic serial dilution procedure, before and after kanamycin or placebo treatments. The reduction in plaque weight was associated with reduced levels of streptococci in the plaque. This could be demonstrated by intergroup comparison of the placebo — and kanamycin treated subjects, and by intragroup comparisons of the kanamycin treated subjects prior to treatment and at 4 and 8 weeks after treatment. The streptococci species accounted for 30?^ of the plaque colony forming units (CFU) prior to kanamycin treatment. At 4 weeks after treatment, tbe streptococci had decreased to 3% of the CFU and at 8 weeks after treatment, the streptococci had increased slightly to account for 14% of the CFU. The streptococci appeared to be Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus mitis. The observations indicate that the topical kanamycin was effective in reducing supragingival plaque because of its ability to decrease the proportions of streptococci in the plaque.
Differential Equations for the Probability Distribution of Events

The differential equations governing the probability distribution of events distributed over a multidimensional domain are derived. They are a generalization of the equations governing the probability distribution in a time series. Let ${f}_{r}(x,y)\mathrm{dxdy}$ be the chance that an event will occur in the domain $\mathrm{dxdy}$ when $r$ events have already occurred in the domain ($0,x;0,y$). The equations which are derived then govern the set of functions ${W}_{n}(x,y)$, where ${W}_{n}$ is the chance that $n$ events occur in the domain ($0,x;0,y$). The problem of solving them reduces to the solution of a sequence of first-order ordinary equations, but these are exact, so the solution is merely a matter of quadratures. The general solution is written, and a few simple illustrations are given.
Inactivated pbp4 in Highly Glycopeptide-resistant Laboratory Mutants of Staphylococcus aureus

Both vancomycin- and teicoplanin-resistant laboratory mutants of Staphylococcus aureus produce peptidoglycans of altered composition in which the proportion of highly cross-linked muropeptide species is drastically reduced with a parallel increase in the representation of muropeptide monomers and dimers (Sieradzki, K., and Tomasz, A. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179, 2557-2566; and Sieradzki, K. , and Tomasz, A. (1998) Microb. Drug Resist. 4, 159-168). We now report that the distorted peptidoglycan composition is related to defects in penicillin-binding protein 4 (PBP4); no PBP4 was detectable by the fluorographic assay in membrane preparations from the mutants, and comparison of the sequence of pbp4 amplified from the mutants indicated disruption of the gene by two types of abnormalities, a 17-amino acid long duplication starting at position 305 of the pbp4 gene was detected in the vancomycin-resistant mutant, and a stop codon was found to be introduced into the pbp4 KTG motif at position 261 in the mutant selected for teicoplanin resistance. Additional common patterns of disturbances in the peptidoglycan metabolism of the mutants are indicated by the increased sensitivity of mutant cell walls to the M1 muramidase and decreased sensitivity to lysostaphin, which is a reversal of the susceptibility pattern of the parental cell walls. Furthermore, the results of high performance liquid chromatography analysis of lysostaphin digests of peptidoglycan suggest an increase in the average chain length of the glycan strands in the peptidoglycan of the glycopeptide-resistant mutants. The increased molar proportion of muropeptide monomers in the cell wall of the glycopeptide-resistant mutants should provide binding sites for the "capture" of vancomycin and teicoplanin molecules, which may be part of the mechanism of glycopeptide resistance in S. aureus.
Comments on Patricia Carrell's “Cohesion Is Not Coherence”: A Reader Reacts …

Carrell (1982) questions Halliday and Hasan's cohesion theory (1976), calling it incomplete and warning of dangers if it were to be applied to second language teaching. Basing her views on schema theory, she sees coherence as a sort of implicit bond between the writer/reader's pre-knowledge and the text itself. Non-linguistic cues, as well as linguistic ones, exist in the memory of the reader/writer and determine subsequent coherence in a text, whether produced or processed. For her, coherence and cohesive elements in a text are effects, natural ones, arising out of the innate grammaticality of the writer/reader. Conversely, she says that Halliday and Hasan ignore these kinds of notions and envision a causal relationship between cohesion and coherence, perhaps even viewing the terms as synonymous. As a result, teachers may teach cohesive ties as predictors of coherence.
Effect of laser fluence in laser‐assisted direct writing of human colon cancer cell

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of laser fluence on the post‐transfer cell viability of human colon cancer cells (HT‐29) during a typical biofabrication process, matrix‐assisted pulsed‐laser evaporation direct‐write (MAPLE DW).Design/methodology/approach – The post‐transfer cell viability in MAPLE DW depends on various operation conditions such as the applied laser fluence. HT‐29 cell was selected as a model mammalian cell to investigate the effect of laser fluence on the post‐transfer cell viability. MAPLE DW‐based HT‐29 cell direct writing was implemented using an ArF excimer laser under a wide range of laser fluence. Trypan blue dye‐exclusion was used to test the post‐transfer cell viability.Findings – It has been observed that: the HT‐29 cell viability decreases from 95 to 78 percent as the laser fluence increases from 258 to 1,482 mJ/cm2; and cell injury in this study is mainly due to the process‐induced mechanical stress during the cell droplet formation and landing proces...
Tyrosine 112 is Essential for Organic Cation Transport by the Plasma Membrane Monoamine Transporter

Plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT) is a polyspecific organic cation transporter in the solute carrier 29 (SLC29) family. Previous studies suggested that the major substrate recognition sites are located within transmembrane domains (TM) 1-6, and interaction of PMAT with organic cations may involve aromatic residues. In this study, we analyzed the roles of tyrosine and tryptophan residues located within TM1-6 with a goal of identifying potential residues involved in substrate recognition and translocation. The six tyrosines and one tryptophan in this region were each mutated to alanine followed by analysis of the mutant's membrane localization and transport activity toward 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)), serotonin (5-HT), and dopamine. Two mutants, Y85A and Y112A, exhibited normal cell surface expressions but lost their transport activities toward organic cations. At position Y85, aromatic substitution with phenylalanine or tryptophan fully restored organic cation transport activity. Interestingly, at position Y112, phenylalanine substitution was not allowed. Tryptophan substitution at Y112 partially restored transport activity toward 5-HT and dopamine but severely impaired MPP(+) transport. Detailed kinetic analyses revealed that tryptophan substitution at Y85 and Y112 affected the apparent binding affinity (K(m)) and maximal transport velocity (V(max)) in a substrate-dependent manner. Together, our data suggest that Y85 and Y112 are important molecular determinants for PMAT function, and Y112 is indispensable for optimal interaction with organic cation substrates. Our analyses also suggest the involvement of transmembrane domains 1 and 2 in forming the substrate permeation pathway of PMAT.
Case Report: a Pediatric Case of Cementoblastoma with Histologic and Radiographic Features of an Osteoblastoma and Osteosarcoma

One case of an expansile mass involving the roots of a mandibular left first molar in a nine year old male is presented. The lesion has features of a cementoblastoma (CB), osteoblastoma (OB), and osteosarcoma (OS) both radiographically and histologically. Radiographically, a “sunburst” appearance is present. Histologically, the lesional tissue is intimately involved with the root, not the periosteum. The clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic characteristics of CB, OB, and OS are discussed as well as the difficulties associated with distinguishing between these lesions in the gnathic region.
Mortality from Suicide and Homicide for African Americans in the USA: A Regional Analysis

The social correlates of the African American statewide suicide rates were found to be different from the correlates of Caucasian suicide rates. Caucasian suicide rates were higher in the south and west; African American suicide rates were higher in the north. Caucasian suicide rates were associated with indices of social disintegration, while African American suicide rates were not. The homicide rates of Caucasians and African Americans, in contrast, showed similar patterns of associations with social variables, particularly those related to southernness.
The Social Perception Behavior Rating Scale: Initial Evidence:

Initial evidence for the reliability and validity of a scale to assess social perception, the Social Perception Behavior Rating Scale (SPBRS), is presented. In addition to a reliability study, three validity studies are reported: (a) a study of difference in group means between mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped children; (b) a study correlating SPBRS scores with three other social behavior scales-the Hahnemann Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale, the Pupil Rating Scale-Revised, and the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklist; and (c) a study correlating SPBRS ratings with indices of sociometric status among third- and fourth-graders. Results indicate adequate reliability, marked differences in the scores of handicapped and nonhandicapped children, and a logical pattern of correlations with other scales and sociometric status. Suggestions for further investigation of this research instrument are presented.
Management of cancer pain with transdermal fentanyl: phase IV trial, University of Iowa.

A multicenter study was conducted to determine the patient and physician acceptability of transdermal fentanyl in the management of cancer-related pain. In this study, 10 cancer patients at the University of Iowa received transdermal fentanyl after discontinuing their prior opioid analgesic; 7 patients completed questionnaires before and at 2 and 4 wk following transdermal fentanyl application. There was no significant difference in visual analogue scale scores for pain or mood. Verbal pain descriptor scores improved at 2 wk (P less than .05). There was a nonsignificant tendency toward increased depression and nausea; however, patients spent less time thinking about their illness and felt their cancer was less disruptive to their closest friends/relatives. Constipation, appetite, drowsiness, and concentration were not statistically different. Patients reported improved sleep habits at 2 wk (P less than .05) and tended to require less help with eating, dressing, washing, and using the bathroom. All patients completing the study chose to continue transdermal fentanyl for their cancer pain management. In summary, these data demonstrate the analgesic efficacy of the transdermal fentanyl system and suggest that some patients with cancer-related pain could benefit from its use.
Single-Item Versus Multiple-Item Measurement Scales: An Empirical Comparison

Common methods variance often is a problem with psychological measures that require respondent self-reports of attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and the like. The present study examined this problem by comparing multiple-item, Likert-type measures of psychological constructs to single-item, non-Likert-type measures of the same constructs. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the alternative forms were compared on criteria of methods variance and construct validity. Neither method appeared to be empirically better than the other. Unusual situations in which well-developed single-item measures might be appropriate are discussed.