cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Parallel β-Helix Proteins Have a Unique Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum?

Abstract Several polypeptides have been found to adopt an unusual domain structure known as the parallel β -helix. These domains are characterized by parallel β -strands, three of which form a single parallel β -helix coil, and lead to long, extended β -sheets. We have used ATR-FTIR (attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) to analyze the secondary structure of representative examples of this class of protein. Because the three-dimensional structures of parallel β -helix proteins are unique, we initiated this study to determine if there was a corresponding unique FTIR signal associated with the parallel β -helix conformation. Analysis of the amide I region, emanating from the carbonyl stretch vibration, reveals a strong absorbance band at 1638cm −1 in each of the parallel β -helix proteins. This band is assigned to the parallel β -sheet structure. However, components at this frequency are also commonly observed for β -sheets in many classes of globular proteins. Thus we conclude that there is no unique infrared signature for parallel β -helix structure. Additional contributions in the 1638cm −1 region, and at lower frequencies, were ascribed to hydrogen bonding between the coils in the loop/turn regions and amide side-chain interactions, respectively. A 13-residue peptide that forms fibrils and has been proposed to form β -helical structure was also examined, and its FTIR spectrum was compared to that of the parallel β -helix proteins.
Nursing's role in pain management across the health care continuum.

The nurse's role in pain management is changing because nurses are increasingly working in a variety of settings where chronic pain is a major health problem. If nurses are to play a vital role in pain management, nursing practice must expand beyond a limited protective approach to pain management. Instead, pain must be viewed from a multidimensional perspective that requires an interdisciplinary team approach.
Some progress in the lattice Boltzmann method: Reynolds number enhancement in simulations

Abstract A newly proposed lattice Boltzmann algorithm is used to simulate flows with high Reynolds number. The new algorithm is not limited by the lattice Reynolds number which constrains all previous lattice Boltzmann models. Not only is the Reynolds number enhanced in the simulation using the new algorithm, but also is the numerical stability improved significantly. Numerical simulations of the flow in a 2_D symmetrical sudden expansion were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new algorithm.
Production of Subnanosecond Light Pulses with the Aid of a Laser-Triggered Spark Gap,

Abstract Subnanosecond pulses, having rise and fall times not exceeding 300 psec, have been selected from the output of a single mode ruby laser. The pulse width, ≈ 700 psec, agrees well with the observed broadening of the spectrum of the pulse.
Agitated delirium associated with therapeutic doses of sustained-release bupropion

Case description We report a case of a patient initiated on therapeutic doses of sustained-release bupropion for the management of major depressive disorder who subsequently developed acute agitated delirium that required ICU level care. This patient’s history was significant for alcohol and cannabis abuse but he was currently detoxified and beyond the withdrawal period. Throughout the course of treatment, all maintenance medications, including bupropion, were discontinued and the patient required escalating doses of benzodiazepines and typical antipsychotics to resolve symptoms. The patient’s delirium subsided after approximately 5 days. Conclusion Dopamine is thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of delirium and given the mechanism of action of this drug and the presence of delirium risk factors in our patient, we are faced with a likely causative factor of this acute delirious episode.
Does “Intelligent Design” Have a Chance? An Essay Review

A number of authors have argued the case that there is empirical evidence that the universe (or particular configurations within it) must be the outcome of intelligent design. Recent books by William Dembski and Dean Overman, though different in style and level of argumentation, reach a similar conclusion: the universe, or certain forms within it, cannot be explained without appeal to design as a mode of causation. But exactly what is the operative definition for intelligent design in these works? And how convincing is their case for the necessity of appealing to this type of design in causal explanations?
Mathematical modeling of a melt pool driven by an electron beam

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) assisted by an electron beam is one of several methods currently used to apply thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) to aircraft components subjected to high-temperature environments. The molten pool of source material inherent in this process shall be the subject of analysis in this investigation. A model of the melt pool and the ingot below shall be generated in an effort to study the fluid flow and heat transfer within the pool. This model shall incorporate all of the following mechanisms for heat transfer into and out of the melt pool/ingot system: electron-beam impingement upon the melt pool surface, absorption of latent heat of evaporation at the melt pool surface, radiation from the melt pool surface, loss of sensible heat carried off with the vapor, and cooling by the crucible containing the melt pool/ingot. Fluid flow within the melt pool model shall be driven by both natural convection and by surface tension gradients on the melt pool surface. Due to the complexity of the differential equations and boundary equations governing the model, this detailed study shall be performed through a finite element analysis. Reduced order models of the system will be generated from this investigation. An analysis will also be performed to ascertain the error introduced into these models by uncertainty in the thermophysical property data used to generate them.
Identification of Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin in Human Milk: Measurement with a Filter Disk Assay

Abstract We have studied the concentration and properties of a protein which binds coitisol in human milk in samples obtained from women during the first 100 days after delivery. A filter disk assay was developed both for the measurement of plasma corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) and for the cortisol-binding protein in milk. The concentration of CBG in milk, expressed as its capacity to bind coitisol, is highest on the day of delivery, ca. 0.80 μg/dl, falls over the next 10 days to ca. 0.25 μg/dl, and remains at that level thereafter. If the concentration of CBG is expressed relative to the concentration of serum albumin in milk, it increases from day 1 to day 3 and then remains constant. A detailed comparison of CBG derived from milk and plasma showed that the two proteins co-migrated on Sephadex, sucrose gradient ultiacentrifugation, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The two proteins had the same affinity for coitisol, progesterone, 17-OH-progesterone, and dexamethasone. Furthermore, the bind...
Financial transmission rights perform well in power markets with high penetration of wind energy

We investigate the impact of FTR in a grid with high penetration of renewables. In particular, we consider a two stage stochastic model with strategic market players and different forms of FTR and WPP integration policies. The proposed model captures startup and ramping constraints as well as information constraints faced by the SO and the market players. Based on this model we examine the impact of FTR and evaluate the extent to which FTRs hedge against price risk from transmission congestion under the current protocol that Wind Power Producers(WPPs) are allowed to participate in the real-time market. We also suggested a protocol to solve the revenue adequacy problem caused by the current protocol.
Registration Reform and Turnout Change in the American States

This article seeks to analyze the relationship between turnout change and reform in the American states. Using pooled cross sections of state-level data, turnout and turnout change over time are compared to registration provisions at the same level. The registration closing date and motor-voter registration show a clear relationship to higher turnout, whereas mail registration and eased purge procedures do not. As a result, turnout gains because of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 are likely, but they will be modest.
On the minimaxity of the natural decision rule for selecting the bes variate in a multivariate normal population

Let have a k-variate normal N(θ, ∑) distribution, where θ is the mean vector and ∑ is the covariance matrix, which is assumed to be positive definite. We show that, in selecting the variate with the largest θi 's, the natural decision rule which selects in terms of the largest sample mean is minimax under “0-1” loss if the variances of the differences of the variates are all equal. Also, we give the general structure of ∑ under which the variances of the differences are all equal.
Editorial message: special track on the programming languages and object technologies

For the SAC 2002, in the Programming Languages and Object Technologies Track, papers were invited to address a wide range of topics from programming languages and object technologies. These included Automatic Programming, Compiling Techniques, Domain-Specific Programming Languages, Formal Semantics, Meta and Higher-order Programming, New Programming Paradigms, Practical Experiences with Programming Languages, Language Design and Implementations, Security Issues, Standardization of Languages, Object-Oriented Programming Languages and Applications, Object-Oriented Design and Analysis, Distributed Object Systems and Architectures, Languages for Distributed Object Systems, Quality of Service in Open Environments, Component-Based Software Design, CORBA, RMI, DCOM and Related Middleware, Applications of Distributed Object Computing, Design Patterns, and Testing of Object-Oriented Software. The call for papers was distributed through newsgroups, public and private mailing lists.
Optimal timing for stent replacement in malignant biliary tract obstruction

Endoscopic stent placement has become accepted palliative therapy for malignant biliary tract obstruction. Because stent occlusion remains a significant late complication, prophylactic replacement has been suggested, although the appropriate time interval remains unclear. Patients with malignant biliary strictures who received 10F or 11.5F stents were analyzed with respect to clinical response, occlusion rates at 3 and 6 months, and survival rates. Seventy stents were placed in 50 patients. Pancreatic carcinoma was the most common underlying malignancy. Overall, obstructive symptoms resolved in 94% of cases. Occlusion rates at 3 months (4.2%) and 6 months (10.8%) were not significantly different. Median overall survival averaged 22 weeks. Results were also stratified by underlying diagnosis, with the worst clinical response and survival being seen in the group of patients with metastatic cancer. Findings suggest that the time interval for stent replacement can be extended safely from 3 to 6 months, resulting in decreased patient discomfort and cost and obviating any replacement in that significant percentage of patients who expire before 6 months.
Discovering manipulated social choices: The coincidence of cycles and manipulated outcomes

In his recent book William Riker (1982) argues that the results of socialchoice theory require that we lower our traditional aspirations for the role of elections in democratic theory. In particular, he concludes that socialchoice theory sounds the death knell for the 'populist' interpretation of voting, the view that election outcomes embody the 'collective will' of the electorate. Other, more modest claims about elections also fall to the theorems of social-choice, until we remain with the extremely modest claim embodied in Riker's 'liberal' interpretation of voting. On this view elections provide the possibility of rejecting unpopular leaders, and the major value of elections is as a weapon against government tyranny. Riker's argument proceeds in several stages. First, he reviews the analysis of social-choice in n-dimensional issue spaces. This literature conclusively demonstrates that the necessary and sufficient conditions for a majority voting equilibrium are so strict that one cannot expect them to ever be met.' Thus Riker consigns the notion of a 'majority will' to the same 'dust bin' to which earlier liberals (from Madison to Bentley) had consigned Rousseau's general will. Having discovered at the most abstract level that the search for a collective will of the electorate is pointless, for no such will exists, Riker proceeds to review the conclusions of social-choice theory about elections with a finite number of candidates. Here Arrow's theorem (1963) and its progeny take over. Not only do majority cycles still occur, but different systems with strong axiomatic credentials may select different candidates. Thus, even at this level the prospect is slight that we can endow election outcomes with great normative significance. But the prospects disappear almost entirely, in Riker's judgment, when we consider the manipulability theorems of
Use of tritiated thymidine for the study of the origin of the osteoclast.

THE origin of the osteoclast has been in question for about a century. So far back as 1873, Kolliker1 maintained that the osteoclast was formed by the fusion of precursor cells and that these precursor cells were osteoblasts. However, Kolliker's work lacked convincing proof, and as a result, numerous theories appeared concerning the origin of the osteoclast. These theories were based largely on morphological studies of metaphyseal osteoclasts. The presence of numerous cell types at this site makes observation of cellular transitions difficult. In order to circumvent this difficulty, we have examined the distal periosteum of young mouse femora, where numerous osteoclasts appear. The cellular complement of the osteogenic layer of the periosteum generally consists of pre-osteoblasts and osteoblasts.
Are today's authoritarian leaders doomed to be indicted when they leave office? The Russian and other post-Soviet cases

Abstract The attitudes of leaders toward their personal future are very important to domestic and international politics. These views are particularly vital in the case of leaders of non-democratic regimes who could face legal prosecution for their corrupt acts or violations of human rights in their own country and abroad. In spite of these fears, however, the leaders in many authoritarian societies trespass laws, both domestic and international, in order to preserve their power and enrich their families. They expose themselves to the danger of the prosecution after they leave office or lose control of the regime. In this context, the author pays special attention to Vladimir Putin's political future and to the developments in Russia, which favor and disfavor his continued stay in power after 2008.
The Rapid Morning Boundary-Layer Transition

Abstract Even slight terrain inhomogeneities can cause large horizontal variations in the clear, stably stratified, nocturnal boundary layer largely through cold air drainage. By early morning the valleys and depressions can be several degrees cooler than the adjacent slopes and plateaus. As surface heating begins in the morning, these horizontal variations can lead to abrupt changes in temperature and wind speed at valley observation sites, as the boundary layer warms and becomes unstably stratified. Temperature and wind speed changes of 12 K and 6 m s−1 respectively, within a 30 min period are observed even in valleys as shallow as 50 m with slopes of only 0.007. These changes are too large to be accounted for by vertical convergence of turbulent beat flux. Rather, it appears that a well-mixed boundary layer is advected into the valley from the upstream slopes or plateaus. Data from the National Hail Research Experiment (NHRE) 1976 surface mesonet are used to show that, statistically, this abrupt change...
Spherule coccidioidin in delayed dermal sensitivity reactions of experimental animals

A new coccidioidin, derived from the spherule phase of Coccidioides immitis cultured in vitro, was examined for its capacity to elicit delayed dermal hypersensitivity reactions in mice and guinea pigs. Mycelial coccidioidin, widely used in diagnostic procedures, was studied in parallel. The animals were sensitized either by infection with arthrospores or by vaccination with formalin-killed spherules or mycelium; sensitivity reactions were determined 3–5 weeks later or, in 1 experiment, afte 18 months. The capacities of the preparations to detect reactions augmented anamnestically by a booster dose of vaccine given 18 months after original sensitization were compared, as well as reactions induced with a strain of C. immitis not used in the preparation of either reagent.In each comparison above, the spherule coccidioidin was judged to be more sensitive than the mycelial in that a lower dose (1) elicited stronger reactions, (2) showed higher ratios of sensitized animals to be reactive, and (3) induced reacti...
The World Bank and Petroleum Development in the Third World

The issues that arise between state sovereignty over natural resources and the desire of the State to finance the development of its petroleum resources from external sources are briefly examined. The problem is particularly acute for the least developed countries. It is suggested that financing obtained from international agencies such as the World Bank, may provide a means for such countries to maintain full sovereignty over their petroleum resources and at the same time obtain needed financing. To this end the petroleum lending activities of the World Bank are examined both in terms of policy and in terms of the financial resources available. A special lending facility to help underwrite financial risk of petroleum exploration in the least developed countries is proposed.
Mode of secretion of pineal melatonin in the chicken.

Abstract Pineal glands of White Leghorn chickens were autotransplanted to the anterior chamber of an eye when the birds were 2 days old. When 4 mo of age six chickens with intraocular transplants and five unoperated controls were decapitated at middark. Brains were extracted with chloroform and melatonin content was determined in a frog tadpole assay. Melatonin content of blood serum from the same animals also was determined. The amount of melatonin in both the brain and serum was lower in birds with pineal transplants than in controls, but the ratio of brain to serum melatonin in both groups was about 7:1.
Carbon Foam Matrices Saturated with PCM for Thermal Protection Purposes

In the present work, numerical and experimental studies are proposed to predict and investigate the thermal characteristics of a thermal protection system consists of carbon foam matrix saturated with phase change material, PCM. Several types of carbon foam matrices with different porosities and thermal properties were introduced for the sake of a parametric study. The composite (carbon foam matrix saturated with PCM) was introduced into a cylindrical enclosure while it experiences its heat from a heat source setting on the top of the enclosure. The numerical simulation was performed using the volume averaging technique and a finite volume technique was used to discretize the heat diffusion equation while the phase change process was modeled using the enthalpy porosity method. The results are portrayed in terms of temperature and heat absorption time history and the numerical and experimental results showed good agreement. The results illustrated that the higher the porosity the more stability of the thermal performance of the matrix composite. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity of the composite matrix acts sharply to increase or decrease its heat absorption rate.
Symbolic Computation on Complex Polynomial Solution of Differential Equations

A symbolic computation scheme, based on the Lanczos ?-method, is proposed for obtaining exact polynomial solutions to some perturbed differential equations with suitable boundary conditions. The automated ?-method uses symbolic Faber polynomials as the perturbation terms for arbitrary circular sections of the complex plane and has advantages of avoiding rounding error and easy manipulation over the numerical counterpart. The method is illustrated by applying it to the modified Bessel function of the first kindI0(z) and the quality of the approximation is discussed.
Chloroplast Division and Morphology Are Differentially Affected by Overexpression of FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 Genes in Arabidopsis

In higher plants, two nuclear gene families, FtsZ1 and FtsZ2, encode homologs of the bacterial protein FtsZ, a key component of the prokaryotic cell division machinery. We previously demonstrated that members of both gene families are essential for plastid division, but are functionally distinct. To further explore differences between FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 proteins we investigated the phenotypes of transgenic plants overexpressing AtFtsZ1-1 or AtFtsZ2-1, Arabidopsis members of the FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 families, respectively. Increasing the level of AtFtsZ1-1 protein as little as 3-fold inhibited chloroplast division. Plants with the most severe plastid division defects had 13- to 26-fold increases in AtFtsZ1-1 levels over wild type, and some of these also exhibited a novel chloroplast morphology. Quantitative immunoblotting revealed a correlation between the degree of plastid division inhibition and the extent to which the AtFtsZ1-1 protein level was elevated. In contrast, expression of an AtFtsZ2-1 sense transgene had no obvious effect on plastid division or morphology, though AtFtsZ2-1 protein levels were elevated only slightly over wild-type levels. This may indicate that AtFtsZ2-1 accumulation is more tightly regulated than that of AtFtsZ1-1. Plants expressing the AtFtsZ2-1 transgene did accumulate a form of the protein smaller than those detected in wild-type plants. AtFtsZ2-1 levels were unaffected by increased or decreased accumulation of AtFtsZ1-1 and vice versa, suggesting that the levels of these two plastid division proteins are regulated independently. Taken together, our results provide additional evidence for the functional divergence of the FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 plant gene families.
Potential of casein kinase I in digestive cancer screening.

Casein kinase I is a group of ubiquitous Serine/Threonine kinases that have been implicated in both normal cellular functions and several pathological conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Recent findings in colon and pancreatic cancer have brought tremendous attention to these molecules as potential therapeutic targets in treatment of digestive cancers. In this review, we summarize up to date what is known about this family of kinases and their involvement in carcinogenesis and other pathological conditions. Our emphasis is on their implications in digestive cancers and their potential for cancer screening and therapy.
Measurements of water sorption enthalpy on polymer surfaces and its effect on protein adsorption

Abstract The molar enthalpy of sorption ( ΔH m s` ) of water vapor onto three polymer surfaces and its effect on nonspecific protein adsorption were investigated by inverse gas chromatography (IGC). The values of ΔH m s measured by IGC were found to be −16.9 ± 1.2, −18.6 ± 1.3, and −29.9 ± 2.4 kJ/mole for polystyrene (PS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), respectively, over a temperature range of 333–423 K. Protein adsorption to three polymer-coated substrates was conducted as a function of the bulk protein concentration using lysozyme, fibrinogen, and bovine serum albumin (BSA), and the amount of adsorbed protein was measured by the solution depletion method. For a given bulk protein concentration, a larger amount of protein is adsorbed on PS and PMMA surfaces which have greater ΔH m s than that of PHEMA surfaces. Although ΔH m s for PS and PMMA are close to each other, PS surfaces were found to exhibit a higher adsorption affinity than PMMA surfaces over the proteins and concentrations investigated. Our results indicate that the strength of water–polymer interactions and the functional groups on the polymer surface are important factors for controlling the amount of nonspecifically adsorbed protein.
Effects of uniform field flicker on type 1 and type 2 visible persistence

The effect of uniform field flicker (UFF) on two estimates of visible persistence was determined for brief presentations of foveal and parafoveal letter arrays. Type 1 persistence (offset perception) exhibited an inverse relationship with target luminance; type 2 persistence (end-of-trace perception) exhibited a positive relationship with target luminance. However, these luminance effects were clearly moderated by UFF. Implications for likely differences across studies in the persistence literature and for underlying mechanisms are discussed.
Transient dynamic and damping analysis of laminated anisotropic plates using a refined plate theory

A refined model is presented for the linear transient dynamic and damping analysis of laminated anisotropic composite plates. Experimental measurements of specific damping capacity of unidirectional composite beams are used to predict the specific damping capacity of laminated composite plates in various modes of vibration. A finite element idealization is adopted, and the quadratic Lagrangian element is used together with selective/reduced integration. A viscous damping approximation is then employed to calculate the damped transient response of laminated plates. The effects of transverse shear deformation, symmetry condition, boundary conditions, anisotropy, aspect ratio, fibre orientation and the lamination scheme on specific damping capacity and damped transient response are investigated. Realistic examples illustrate the importance of these parameters. The present results agree very closely with experimental results available in the literature and can serve as a benchmark for future comparison by other investigators.
Reasoning with continuations II: full abstraction for models of control

A fully abstract model of a programming language assigns the same meaning to two terms if and only if they have the same operational behavior. Such models are well-known for functional languages but little is known about extended functional languages with sophisticated control structures. We show that a direct model with error values and the conventional continuation model are adequate for functional languages augmented with first- and higher-order control facilities, respectively. Furthermore, both models become fully abstract on adding a control delimiter and a parallel conditional to the programming languages.
Feeling Better: A Comparison of Medical Research and Education Research

The education research community sometimes invokes medical research as a model to which education ought to aspire. This article reviews some recent themes and developments in the medical field to provide a more informed basis for comparison. The use of randomized clinical trials in medical research, the role of evidence in medical practice, and the rhetorical strategies for conveying research information in medical journals are discussed. A notable observation is that physicians often participate in clinical research and—in that work, as well as in their routine professional practice—function as knowledge workers. Educators also engage in knowledge work, but their practice is not always regarded in that way. The comparisons between medical research and education research suggest that the two fields face many similar challenges.
Second harmonic generation of femtosecond pulses at the boundary of a nonlinear dielectric

Using full vector Maxwell simulations we elucidate a fundamental source of temporal splitting of the second harmonic field generated by a femtosecond fundamental pulse under phase-mismatched conditions. One component of the generated field propagates at the second harmonic group velocity while the other is driven by the fundamental field and propagates at the fundamental group velocity. We analyze the conditions under which the temporal splitting should be observable.
Frontal lobe system and spatial reversal in the rat.

Ablation of the newly described cortical projection area of the dorsomedial thalamic nucleus impaired spatial reversal retention; ablation of the frontal poles did not. Caudate lesions produced an even stronger reversal deficit. These data extend comparability of effects of prefrontal ablations to the rat and permit the inference of the existence of the system in this species. frontal lobe
Bromocriptine prevents the castration-induced rise in porphyrin concentration in the harderian glands of the male syrian hamster, Mesocricetus auratus

The Harderian glands in Syrian hamsters exhibit a striking sexual dimorphism. Male Harderian glands show two cell types and low levels of porphyrins and melatonin. Of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of melatonin, N-acetyltransferase (NAT) and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) show high and low activity levels, respectively. Female Harderian glands show but one cell type and have high porphyrin and melatonin levels, low NAT activity, and high HIOMT activity. In castrated males, the Harderian glands exhibit a female pattern of morphology, porphyrin levels, and indoleamine metabolism. In an attempt to determine whether prolactin in involved in this sexually dimorphic response of the Harderian glands, intact and castrated male and intact female hamsters were injected daily with 500 micrograms of bromocriptine, a dopamine agonist. Bromocriptine led to reduced serum prolactin levels in all groups. It had no apparent effect on the Harderian glands of intact males. In contrast, in castrated males bromocriptine prevented the postcastrational rise in porphyrin levels but had no effect on NAT or HIOMT activities. In females, bromocriptine treatment had no effect on porphyrin concentrations or HIOMT activity; it led to a statistically significant increase in NAT activity. We propose that testosterone inhibits Harderian porphyrin synthesis while dopamine or prolactin stimulates it.
PROSPECTIVE OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH MIGRATION FROM PREOPERATIVE TO INTRAOPERATIVE PLANNED BRACHYTHERAPY: A SINGLE CENTER REPORT

ABSTRACTPurpose: Brachytherapy (BT) for prostate cancer can be performed with either preoperative (PO) or intraoperative (IO) planned dosimetry. Potential benefits of intraoperative include fewer procedures for the patient, cost savings and improved accuracy of seed implantation leading to improved tumor control and urinary side effect profile. We report our experience with transition to IO planned BT after performing more than 600 PO planned implants since 1997.Materials and Methods: From September 2001 to February 2003, 46 consecutive patients with T1-3N0M0 adenocarcinoma of the prostate underwent BT. IO dosimetry was performed in 23 patients, while PO dosimetry was used in 23 immediately before changing to IO. American Urological Association (AUA) symptom index questionnaires were administered preoperatively and postoperatively. All patients underwent postoperative dosimetry by computerized tomography. Total, irritative and obstructive AUA scores were compared in the 2 groups using analysis of covarian...
The Educational Engineering Called Programmed Instruction

Much of the controversy over programmed learning has its genesis in a misunderstanding of the behavioral principles at its base and an identification of the external features of early programs with the full range of possibilities. This paper briefly describes the principles of programmed instruction and discusses recent evaluations of some earlier studies of programming variables. This discussion leads to a consideration of the relative importance of certain variables, like error-rate and relevance of stimulus to response. Finally, a procedure is outlined for the systematic generation of programmed material.
Potential spaces of crime: The playful, the destructive, and the distinctively human:

Though most share an interest in answering the question, ‘What are people trying to accomplish when they commit a crime?’ criminologists have been largely reluctant to entertain the ways in which the accomplishment of crime reflects deeper, more fundamental and distinctively human capacities and needs. Of especial significance in this context are the human capacity and need for creative engagement. The interplay between human ontology, experience, and behavior gives rise to a variety of such expressions and engagements, both normative and illicit in manifestation. Where history, culture, organization, and biography erect limitations, human beings can be expected to seek out or construct alternative, at times playful and at times destructive, experiential spaces for creative engagement. Drawing from cultural criminology, existentialism, and critical humanism, these spaces are provisionally explored.
Can purchasing power parity help forecast the dollar

This paper examines the information on future exchange rate movements provided by the doctrine of purchasing power parity (PPP). Previous research has studied this issue by analyzing the time-series properties of period-by-period levels of, or changes in, exchange rates. In contrast, the present study focuses on the durations of periods in which exchange rates deviate from their PPP levels. If PPP provides information about future exchange rate movements, these durations should exhibit positive duration dependence. That is, the probability of returning to PPP levels should increase as the period of deviation increases. Parametric hazard functions estimated using data from eighteen countries provide no evidence of positive duration dependence. These results are robust to alternative definitions of PPP and to alternative functional specifications. While exchange rates take prolonged swings away from their PPP levels and then eventually return, these movements apparently constitute Monte Carlo cycles in which, at any point in time, the probability of moving back toward PPP is the same as the probability of moving farther away. Thus, PPP provides no useful information on future exchange rate changes, a result consistent with market efficiency.
The French New Wave: Critical Landmarks. Edited by Peter Graham with Ginette Vincendeau

The French New Wave: Critical Landmarks. Edited by Peter Graham with Ginette Vincendeau (Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), xii + 273 pp. £15.99 paper. Despite the growing body of literature...
Calculation of stray losses due to distorted flux density waveforms of DC motors operated by chopper control circuits

A computer-aided modeling approach to the prediction of the armature current waveforms of chopper-operated permanent magnet DC motors is presented. The model is used to separate the effect of AC ripple in the current on the ohmic losses from the ohmic losses due to the DC component. Thus the effects of the chopper on stray-load losses can be determined. This approach was further used to compute the effect of choppers on the magnetic armature core losses in such motors, and hence on stray core losses. Whenever feasible, supporting experimental work was performed to obtain data to verify some key computed parameters and performance results. Conclusions are drawn regarding the effects of chopper operation on such permanent magnet DC motors. >
Chamber wall response to target implosion in inertial fusion reactors : new and critical assessments.

The chamber walls in inertial fusion energy (IFE) reactors are exposed to harsh conditions following each target implosion. Key issues of the cyclic IFE operation include intense photon and ion deposition, wall thermal and hydrodynamic evolution, wall erosion and fatigue lifetime, and chamber clearing and evacuation to ensure desirable conditions prior to next target implosion. Several methods for wall protection have been proposed in the past, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. These methods include use of solid bare walls, gas-filled cavities, and liquid walls/jets. Detailed models have been developed for reflected laser light, emitted photons, and target debris deposition and interaction with chamber components and have been implemented in the comprehensive HEIGHTS software package. The focus of this study is to critically assess the reliability and the dynamic response of chamber walls in IFE systems. Of particular concern is the effect on wall erosion lifetime due to various erosion mechanisms, such as vaporization, chemical and physical sputtering, melt/liquid splashing and explosive erosion, and fragmentation of liquid walls.
The Two-Component Signal Transduction Protein Chk1p Regulates Quorum Sensing in Candida albicans

Regulation of hyphal morphogenesis in Candida albicans can occur through quorum sensing (QS). A QS signal, farnesol, is produced during high-density growth and inhibits morphogenesis. However, the signal transduction pathway that regulates QS is unknown. Here, we show that a C. albicans mutant lacking Chk1p but not either the Sln1p or the Nik1p histidine kinase is refractory to the inhibitory effect of farnesol both in cell suspension and during the formation of a biofilm. This study is the first to demonstrate a role for a two-component signal transduction protein in QS by a eukaryotic organism.
Approximating StreamingWindow Joins Under CPU Limitations

Data streaming systems face the possibility of having to shed load in the case of CPU or memory resource limitations. We study the CPU limited scenario in detail. First, we propose a new model for the CPU cost. Then we formally state the problem of shedding load for the goal of obtaining the maximum possible subset of the complete answer, and propose an online strategy for semantic load shedding. Moving on to random load shedding, we discuss random load shedding strategies that decouple the window maintenance and tuple production operations of the symmetric hash join, and prove that one of them — Probe-No-Insert — always dominates the previously proposed coin flipping strategy.
Ascorbic Acid Inhibits Spinal Meningeal Catechol-o-Methyl Transferase in Vitro, Markedly Increasing Epinephrine Bioavailability

Background The spinal menings have previously been shown to contain catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT), the enzyme that metabolizes epinephrine to the inactive metabolite metanephrine. The authors of this study aimed to quantitate the metabolism of epinephrine traversing the spinal meninges and to determine if that metabolism could be inhibited. In addition, they tried to determine the meningeal permeability of epinephrine. Methods Macca nemestrina spinal meninges were mounted in a diffusion cell and epinephrine was added to the donor reservoir at time 0. Three hundred minutes later, all buffer in the recipient reservoir was collected and analyzed for epinephrine metabolites. The experiments were conducted with either ascorbic acid (1 mM) or sodium metabisulfite (5.3 mM) added as antioxidants. Results In the presence of sodium metabisulfite, 60 +/- 6% of the epinephrine traversing the meningeal specimens was metabolized by COMT. In contrast, in the presence of ascorbic acid, less than 3% of the epinephrine traversing the spinal meninges was metabolized by COMT (P = 0.0001). The meningeal permeability coefficient for epinephrine was 0.38 +/- 0.08 cm/min x 10(-3). Conclusions Epinephrine permeability through the spinal meninges is low, and meningeal COMT markedly reduces the bioavailability of what little epinephrine can traverse the meninges. However, a clinically relevant concentration of ascorbic acid, a competitive inhibitor of COMT, almost completely blocks epinephrine metabolism and increases the bioavailability of epinephrine.
Microstructural evolution in sintering of ALOOH gels

Materials derived by precipitation or polymerization chemistry (e.g., “sol-gel” methods) are usually obtained in noncrystalline or otherwise metastable phases, and transformation to more thermodynamically stable phases generally occurs by a nucleation and growth process. In a fully reconstructive transformation, such as occurs in the alumina system, the activation energy for nucleation may be higher than that for simple short-range diffusion. Hence nucleation frequency can be a controlling factor in the development of microstructurc. The efficacy of seeding as a method of microstructural and phase control in solution-derived or so-called sol-gel materials has been clearly demonstrated for the alumina system. The epitaxial nature of this phenomenon is explored, using the polarizing microscope to follow the crystallographic orientation of the transformed material as the transformation proceeds, showing that this is epitaxial in nature, and that the nucleation frequency in unseeded material is relatively low (∼ 1010 cm−3). The microscope was then used to demonstrate the effect on nucleation frequency of seeding with materials selected to be isostructural, isotypic, and having little or no similarity to the corundum structure. Using these and other methods, the seeding phenomenon in alumina gels is shown to result from epitaxial growth of the stable corundum phase on isostructural or isotypic nuclei in the solid state. This approach is applied to formulate hypotheses for the mechanisms by which some of the previously reported effects of seeding, e.g., enhanced densification and microstructural refinement, can be understood and to formulate a set of generalizations for its potential application to other systems.
Hillslope nutrient dynamics following upland riparian vegetation disturbance

We investigated the effects of removing nearstream Rhododendron and of the natural blowdown of canopy trees on nutrient export to streams in the southern Appalachians. Transects were instrumented on adjacent hillslopes in a first-order watershed at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory (35°03N, 83°25W). Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), K ,N a ,C a 2 ,M g 2 ,N O 3 -N, NH4 -N, PO4 3 -P, and SO4 2 were measured for 2 years prior to disturbance. In August 1995, riparian Rhododendron on one hillslope was cut, removing 30% of total woody biomass. In October 1995, Hurricane Opal uprooted nine canopy trees on the other hillslope, downing 81% of the total woody biomass. Over the 3 years following the disturbance, soilwater concentrations of NO3 -N tripled on the cut hillslope. There were also small changes in soilwater DOC, SO4 2 ,C a 2 , and Mg 2 . However, no significant changes occurred in groundwater nutrient concentrations following Rhododendron removal. In contrast, soilwater NO3 -N on the storm-affected hillslope showed persistent 500-fold increases, groundwater NO3 -N increased four fold, and streamwater NO 3 -N doubled. Significant changes also occurred in soilwater pH, DOC, SO4 2 , Ca 2 , and Mg 2 . There were no significant changes in microbial immobilization of soil nutrients or water outflow on the storm-affected hillslope. Our results suggest that Rhododendron thickets play a relatively minor role in controlling nutrient export to headwater streams. They further suggest that nutrient uptake by canopy trees is a key control on NO3 -N export in upland riparian zones, and that disruption of the root‐soil connection in canopy trees via uprooting promotes significant nutrient loss to streams.
Electrostatic ion cyclotron waves: Plasma heating, frequency shifts and linewidths

Ion cyclotron waves cannot be quasilinearly stabilized in Q-machine experiments because the electron distribution function does not have time to flatten while electrons pass through the plasma volume. We invoke a turbulently dissipative (or ‘resonance broadening’) model to explain the observed steady-state mode saturation. We give a qualitative picture of the important nonlinear features and their implications for plasma heating experiments. We extend the turbulently dissipative model to give nonlinear frequency shifts and a description of the mode linewidths in steady-state experiments. Turbulent resistivity is calculated and found to be unobservably small compared to the classical value. Implications for further experiments are discussed.
Defining tympanostomy tube plugs.

Objectives: To define the composition of tympanostomy tube plugs because selecting or developing effective solvents depends on such knowledge. Study Design: Prospective, in vitro laboratory study. Methods: Luminal contents of 105 plugged, microscopically removed tympanostomy tubes were expressed, pooled, acid hydrolyzed, and passed through a high-performance liquid chromatography column. Retention times were compared with high-performance liquid chromatography standards to develop free amino acid and monosaccharide profiles. Cerumen, blood, and chronic mucoid effusion (collected during myringotomy) were pooled and subjected to the same analysis. The elution profiles of each substance were compared to determine which substance most closely matched the plugs. Results: High-performance liquid chromatography amino acid and monosaccharide analysis demonstrated greatest similarity between tympanostomy tube plugs and mucoid effusion. Conclusions: Tympanostomy tube plug composition is more similar to mucoid effusion than to blood or cerumen. Solvents to open plugged tympanostomy tubes should be directed against the components of mucoid effusion.
Hematopoietic Stem Cells Contribute to the Regeneration of Renal Tubules after Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Mice

ABSTRACT. Ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R injury) is a common cause of acute renal failure. Recovery from I/R injury requires renal tubular regeneration. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have been shown to be capable of differentiating into hepatocytes, cardiac myocytes, gastrointestinal epithelial cells, and vascular endothelial cells during tissue repair. The current study tested the hypothesis that murine HSC can contribute to the regeneration of renal tubular epithelial cells after I/R injury. HSC isolated from male Rosa26 mice that express β-galactosidase constitutively were transplanted into female nontransgenic mice after unilateral renal I/R injury. Four weeks after HSC transplantation, β-galactosidase-positive cells were detected in renal tubules of the recipients by X-Gal staining. PCR analysis of the male-specific Sry gene and Y chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of male-derived cells in the kidneys of female recipients. Antibody co-staining showed that β-galactosidase was primarily expressed in renal proximal tubules. This is the first report to show that HSC can differentiate into renal tubular cells after I/R injury. Because of their availability, HSC may be useful for cell replacement therapy of acute renal failure. E-mail: fangming.lin@UTSouthwestern.edu
Inequality and Occupational Prestige: Theory, Research, and Social Policy*

Now triumphant in the physical and biological spheres, science value is slowly becoming stronger in the social sphere, though it still has a long way to go. The man in street and men of ideas alike take the issue of equality-inequality as one of their central concerns. Very early on in human history, then, there appear complex societies with very considerable task-role or occupational specialization with regard to all the several types of social system functions. Certainly in ancient societies such as those of Egypt, China, India, or the Middle East, task-role specialization is considerable. The structure of differential evaluation is the other codeterminant of occupational prestige structure. Another possibility for reducing the inequality that results from the occupational prestige structure is to accept the structure as it exists at any moment and to rotate individuals through the different prestige levels in such a way that they all end up with equal amounts of prestige over a whole work lifetime.